Quality Of Questions Research Articles

The analysis of multiple-choice tests in a Professional English course at Astana IT University: difficulty, discrimination and distractor efficiency indexes

The objective of this study is to analyse the quality of multiple-choice questions by applying such evaluative tools as a difficulty index (DIF), a discrimination index (DI), and a distractor efficiency (DE). Our analysis was based on the results of quizzes conducted in Trimester III of 2020-2021 for the course of Professional English at Astana IT University. DIF, DI, and DE of midterm quiz results of first year students with different language levels were analysed using Microsoft Excel and Moodle LMS. This study will examine multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in terms of their effectiveness with recommendations for improvement. The main three research questions are: What is the difficulty index of midterm multiple-choice questions? What is the discrimination index of midterm MCQ quizzes? What is the distractor efficiency of midterm MCQ distractors? As the study showed, the difficulty index of MCQs was below average as only 43 % (n=13) reached an acceptable level. Therefore, 57 % (n=17) of the questions that fall under the category of “too easy” should be revised in the test. The discrimination index evaluation revealed 100 % efficiency. As for the distractor efficiency, the study results equalled 88 %, which was a more than satisfactory level. By applying the DIF, DE and DI tools on a regular basis MCQ quizzes and distractors might be improved, leading to an annual accumulation of a better-quality pool of questions for a more effective student assessment.

Enhancing effectiveness of online training program through assessment of participant engagement index

PurposeThis study focuses on the identification of key attributes to measure participant engagement in an online training program (OTP) to improve training effectiveness through active and positive learning engagement with learners learning ownership.Design/methodology/approachAs a qualitative study, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with corporate and L&D (learning and development) experts from multinational companies operating in India. The interviews were transcribed, and the data was analyzed using content analysis. One focused group discussion was conducted for validity.FindingsThe study found six factors for developing the participant engagement index (EI) namely, 1. Quality of questions, 2. Attention to details, 3. Quality of output during training activities, 4. Connecting to practical examples, 5. Professional approach (adhering to guidelines), 6. Team dynamics. Each identified attribute pertaining to these factors was further validated into cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement components forming a part of the EI.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights for HRD managers, functional managers, L&D experts, and participants to leverage engagement measurement attributes for collaborative learning in OTP for effective learner ownership and learning outcomes. Further, this study will assist trainers to focus and prioritize their efforts to increase participant involvement and engagement in OTP.Originality/valueIt contributes to the growing field of virtual training for enhancing learning engagement, learning enhancement, and learner accountability. The author's contribution to this study is to evaluate the key attributes of the participant’s EI for meeting training goals, which is unique to the study

Sex-specific medication trajectories in older adults newly diagnosed with diabetes

BackgroundPeople with diabetes tend to use many medications to treat diabetes and comorbidities. Nevertheless, the evolution of polypharmacy in newly diagnosed males and females has been little studied. ObjectiveThe objective of this paper was to identify and describe medication trajectories in incident diabetes cases according to sex. MethodsData were obtained from the Quebec Integrated Chronic Disease Surveillance System. We built a population-based cohort of community-dwelling individuals aged >65 years diagnosed with diabetes in 2014 who were alive and covered with the public drug plan until March 31, 2019. Latent class models were used to identify medication trajectory groups in males and females separately. ResultsOf the 10,363 included individuals, 51.4% were males. Females were older and more likely to have more medication claims than males. Four trajectory groups were identified for males and five for females. Most trajectories showed sustained and stable number of medications over time. For each sex, only one of the trajectory groups included a mean annual number of medications lesser than five. Slight increasing trends of medication use were detected in the trajectories composed of very high users, which included older, more comorbid individuals frequently exposed to potentially inappropriate medications. ConclusionsMost males and females with incident diabetes had a high burden of medication following the year of diagnosis and were classified in a group of sustained medication use over time. The largest increase in medication was among those who had higher level of polypharmacy of questionable quality at baseline, raising concerns about the innocuity of such medication trajectories.

Case study of Audit Failure of Small and Medium-sized Accounting Firms

Accounting firms are an indispensable party in the securities market and play a role that cannot be underestimated in supervising audited units and protecting investors. With the implementation of the dual filing system, small and medium-sized accounting firms have also begun to enter the securities market, which has further developed the securities market. However, in order to undertake business, small and medium-sized firms sell audit opinions to enterprises with caps with questionable financial quality, and audit failure is inevitable. This paper takes *ST Xinyi as an example, analyzes the reasons for its fraud methods and audit failures, and puts forward some suggestions to reduce the occurrence of audit failures of listed companies by small and medium-sized firms.

Factors associated with increased financial toxicity after the completion of radiation treatment for gynecologic cancer.

We evaluated financial toxicity (FT) in patients with gynecologic cancer treated with radiation and assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients' financial wellbeing. Patients completed a survey 1month after completing radiation from August 2019-March 2020 and November 2020-June 2021. The survey included the COmprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) tool, EQ-5D to measure quality of life (QOL) and pandemic-related questions for the second survey period. High FT was COST score ≤ 23. Of 97 respondents (92% response rate), 49% completed the survey pre-pandemic and 51% after; the majority were white (76%) and had uterine cancer (64%). Sixty percent received external beam radiation with or without brachytherapy; 40% had only brachytherapy. High FT was associated with worse QOL (r = -0.37, P < 0.001), younger age and type of insurance (both p ≤ 0.03). Respondents with high FT were 6.0 (95% CI 1.0-35.9) times more likely to delay/avoid medical care, 13.6 (95% CI 2.9-64.3) times more likely to borrow money, and 6.9 (95% CI 1.7-27.2) times as likely to reduce spending on basic goods. The pandemic cohort had a smaller proportion of respondents with high FT than the pre-pandemic cohort (20% vs. 35%, p = 0.10) and a higher median COST score (32 (IQR 25-35) vs. 27 (IQR 19-34), p = 0.07). Privately insured, younger respondents who received radiation for gynecologic cancer were at risk for FT. High FT was associated with worse QOL and economic cost-coping strategies. We observed less FT in the pandemic cohort, though not statistically different from the pre-pandemic cohort.

Clinical characteristics of intestinal mixed infections

Objective. To study the features of the clinical picture of mixed intestinal infections in patients treated at the Regional Infectious Clinical Hospital named after A.M. Nichoga in the period from 2017 to 2021.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The clinical picture was studied in 55 patients with mixed intestinal infection who were treated at the Regional Infectious Hospital named after A.M. Nichoga (Astrakhan).&#x0D; Results. Mixed intestinal infections in most cases were registered in the summer-autumn period (51 % 92.7 %) in the form of sporadic morbidity. Epidemiological anamnesis data show that the majority of patients drank unboiled water, swam in the river, where they accidentally swallowed water, consumed food products of questionable quality, chicken meat, eggs insufficiently heat-treated, unwashed vegetables and fruit. Four patients arrived in Astrakhan from amoebiasis-endemic regions (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Egypt); 51 patients (92.7 %) had a moderate form of the disease,4 patients (7.3 %) a severe form. The clinical picture of mixed intestinal inflections was characterized by the symptoms of shigellosis and salmonellosis.&#x0D; Two patients, diagnosed shigellosis + amoebiasis had manifestations of ulcerative colitis complicated by intestinal bleeding; 2 patients, diagnosed salmonellosis + amoebiasis, developed dehydration shock. The treatment of patients with a severe form was carried out in the Intensive Care Unit and Resuscitation Unit of the Regional Infectious Clinical Hospital.&#x0D; Conclusions. The clinical picture of mixed bacterial intestinal infections and intestinal amoebiasis is mainly determined by the symptoms of shigellosis and salmonellosis and is manifested by the phenomena of intoxication, dehydration and the development of colitic and gastroenterocolitic syndromes.

The 2022 NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Landscape Committee Assessment: Methods and participating practice group characteristics.

e13517 Background: The National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Landscape Assessment (funding support from 2UG1CA189824) provides important information about available services and capacity to engage in research among the 46 NCORP sites (encompassing ~1000 discrete clinics). We describe the methods for conducting the Landscape Assessment and present practice group characteristics. Methods: The Landscape Committee included representation from all NCORP research bases and community NCORP site members. The 2022 assessment was updated from the 2017 assessment after a network-wide request for questions. All items were reviewed for relevance, question quality, applicability to community sites, and data collection burden. The 2022 assessment update included an expanded range of topics (e.g., social determinants of health screening, pediatric and AYA services, fertility preservation services). After an initial pilot phase, the final assessment was distributed to NCORP affiliate/sub-affiliates via representatives designated by the participating sites. Data were collected April-June, 2022. Results: 271 NCORP practice groups rostered and provided demographics for 517 individual sites (98% response from NCORP sites; 52% of discrete clinics). 70 practice groups (26%) represented multiple NCORP clinics, with a median of 4 clinics (IQR: 2-7 sites). Practice groups were located in the Midwest (42%), South (30%), West (18%) and Northeast (10%). Treatment was provided to adults only at 83% of groups, 12% treated adults and children, and 5% provided only pediatric care. 28% were independently owned and 64% were owned by large regional health systems; 28% participated in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Oncology Care Model. Cancer treatment services were provided in the hospital setting for 73%, freestanding practices in 49%, and 64% at inpatient clinics. The median number of annual cancer cases was 875 (IQR: 453-2,004). Practice groups reported on average most new patients were White (79%), followed by Black (13%), Asian (2.5%), and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (0.64%). 10% were identified as Hispanic ethnicity. Provider availability to recruit patients for research varied by provider type (95% medical oncology; 73% radiation oncology; 47% general surgery/surgical oncology; 38% gynecology oncology; 21% uro-oncology; 19% neuro-oncology; 15% pediatric oncology; &amp; 7% orthopedic surgical oncology). Conclusions: The Landscape assessment was successfully updated and administered in 2022 with a high response rate. Results provide updated information about community site infrastructure and capacity to conduct research among NCORP clinics. Detailed results are available to investigators by request for concept development and to help identify affiliate/sub-affiliate sites to participate in studies.

Trends in Northern Hemispheric Snow Presence

Abstract This paper develops a mathematical model and statistical methods to quantify trends in presence/absence observations of snow cover (not depths) and applies these in an analysis of Northern Hemispheric observations extracted from satellite flyovers during 1967–2021. A two-state Markov chain model with periodic dynamics is introduced to analyze changes in the data in a cell by cell fashion. Trends, converted to the number of weeks of snow cover lost/gained per century, are estimated for each study cell. Uncertainty margins for these trends are developed from the model and used to assess the significance of the trend estimates. Cells with questionable data quality are explicitly identified. Among trustworthy cells, snow presence is seen to be declining in almost twice as many cells as it is advancing. While Arctic and southern latitude snow presence is found to be rapidly receding, other locations, such as eastern Canada, are experiencing advancing snow cover. Significance Statement This project quantifies how the Northern Hemisphere’s snow cover has recently changed. Snow cover plays a critical role in the global energy balance due to its high albedo and insulating characteristics and is therefore a prominent indicator of climate change. On a regional scale, the spatial consistency of snow cover influences surface temperatures via variations in absorbed solar radiation, while continental-scale snow cover acts to maintain thermal stability in the Arctic and subarctic regions, leading to spatial and temporal impacts on global circulation patterns. Changing snow presence in Arctic regions could influence large-scale releases of carbon and methane gas. Given the importance of snow cover, understanding its trends enhances our understanding of climate change.

The Questionable Quality Profile of Food Supplements: The Case of Red Yeast Rice Marketed Products.

Food supplements (FS) containing red yeast rice (RYR) are largely employed to reduce lipid levels in the blood. The main ingredient responsible for biological activity is monacolin K (MoK), a natural compound with the same chemical structure as lovastatin. Concentrated sources of substances with a nutritional or physiological effect are marketed in "dose" form as food supplements (FS). The quality profile of the "dosage form" of FS is not defined in Europe, whereas some quality criteria are provided in the United States. Here, we evaluate the quality profile of FS containing RYR marketed in Italy as tablets or capsules running two tests reported in The European Pharmacopoeia 11 Ed. and very close to those reported in the USP. The results highlighted variations in dosage form uniformity (mass and MoK content) compliant with The European Pharmacopoeia 11 Ed. specifications, whereas the time needed for disintegrating tablets was longer for 44% of the tested samples. The bioaccessibility of MoK was also investigated to obtain valuable data on the biological behaviour of the tested FS. In addition, a method for citrinin (CIT) determination was optimized and applied to real samples. None of the analyzed samples demonstrated CIT contamination (LOQ set at 6.25 ng/mL). Considering the widespread use of FS, our data suggest that greater attention should be paid by fabricants and regulatory authorities to ensure the quality profile and the safe consumption of marketed products.

Perceptions of direct care workers in two sustainable communities on services provided

Currently, outcomes for people with autism and intellectual disabilities are poor, leaving some needing optimal life-long services. Little is known regarding the services provided at sustainable communities. This study’s purpose is to explore the make-up of sustainable communities, those participating in them, and the services provided. One survey containing demographic, descriptive, and quality of life questions was sent to sustainable communities. Survey results revealed that the two communities offer similar services, employ similar staff, and have a common central theme throughout their community. However, the two communities carry out services in very different ways. Quantitative results demonstrate participants achieving statistically similar mean quality of life scores. A correlation indicates that as the frequency of services increases, so does the quality of life. This research suggests these two communities deliver services leading to high levels of quality of life. Results should guide future avenues of research. We also make recommendations for sustainable communities and those considering sustainable communities.

ANALISIS KUALITAS SOAL BUATAN GURU DI SMP NEGERI 9 SATAP LANGOWAN PADA MATA PELAJARAN MATEMATIKA

This study aims to describe the quality of questions made by teachers at SMP Negeri 9 Satap Langowan in mathematics, in terms of validity, reliability, level of difficulty, distinguishing power and distractors of the questions. This research method is a type of descriptive research with a quantitative approach. The research data is collected by interview and taking the students answer paper. The research data is processed by using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) for windows version 22 and the Microsoft Excel 2013 program. The results showed that in class VII: 40% valid test; reliability test results at 0.972; difficulty level of 20% easy, 50% medium, and 30% difficult; discriminating power of 50% is bad, 40% is enough, and 10% is good; and there are 2 distractor items not working. Whereas in class VIII: 70% valid: reliability test results at 0.979; difficulty level of 10% easy, 70% medium, and 20% difficult; discriminating power of 20% poor, 20% fair, 40% good, 10% very good, and 10% negative; and there are 5 distractor items not working. The results showed that for class VII the quality of the questions was categorized as good in terms of reliability and distractors, while class VIII was categorized as good in terms of validity, reliability, level of difficulty, discriminating power, and distractor

Cerebralis paresisben szenvedő gyermekek egészségindexe

Caregiver Priorities and Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD) questionnaire is a measurement tool for assessing health status and wellbeing of disabled children, which evaluates children's quality of life from the caregiver point of view. The aim of our work was the Hungarian translation and cultural adaptation of the questionnaire and also validation of the CPCHILD on Hungarian cerebral palsy patients. Further aim was to test the eligibility of the questionnaire for superficial assessment of caregiver's psychological attitudes. Translation of the questionnaire was carried out according to the Beaton's guidelines. Test-retest, interrater reliability (ICC) and also internal consistency (Cronbach-alpha) were calculated for reliability. The importance of the questions was assessed for face validity and known group validity test was done to measure construct validity. For examining parental attitudes, the patients were divided into ambulatory and non-ambulatory groups and the 36 quality of life questions of the 7th domain were used to find relations. During test-retest reliability measurements, the ICC was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.88-0.98), and Cronbach-alpha exceeded the minimal expected value of 0.7 (0.74-0.97) except in the 5th domain (0.67), while measuring interrater reliability the ICC was 0.87 (95% CI 0.70-0.94). Face validity was above the 2.0 threshold in every question (2.6-4.5; mean: 3.4 ± 1.34) and the known group validity calculations showed significant differences between the CPCHILD scores of ambulatory and non-ambulatory groups. Examining parental attitudes, a significant difference was also shown among the parents of ambulatory and non-ambulatory children in assessing the importance of sitting in the quality of life of their children (2.89 ± 1.28 vs. 3.51 ± 0.82; p<0.01). The final outcome of our study is that CPCHILD questionnaire has become widely accessible in Hungarian language. Our result, that the answers referring to the sitting abilities and the activities should be carried out in sitting position, was significantly different among the caregivers of the ambulatory and non-ambulatory children, showing that the parents of the GMFCS IV and V category children evaluate the importance of sitting ability higher compared to those parents who care for GMFCS I, II and III category children. Furthermore, the results draw attention to the wellbeing and health of the children measurable with CPCHILD as well as that parental caregiver attitudes can be recognized which may give further help in finding the balance between expectations and possibilities during the rehabilitation of cerebral palsy children. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(16): 610-617.

Helicobacter pylori infection

Helicobacter pylori infection causes chronic gastritis, which can progress to severe gastroduodenal pathologies, including peptic ulcer, gastric cancer and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. H. pylori is usually transmitted in childhood and persists for life if untreated. The infection affects around half of the population in the world but prevalence varies according to location and sanitation standards. H. pylori has unique properties to colonize gastric epithelium in an acidic environment. The pathophysiology of H. pylori infection is dependent on complex bacterial virulence mechanisms and their interaction with the host immune system and environmental factors, resulting in distinct gastritis phenotypes that determine possible progression to different gastroduodenal pathologies. The causative role of H. pylori infection in gastric cancer development presents the opportunity for preventive screen-and-treat strategies. Invasive, endoscopy-based and non-invasive methods, including breath, stool and serological tests, are used in the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. Their use depends on the specific individual patient history and local availability. H. pylori treatment consists of a strong acid suppressant in various combinations with antibiotics and/or bismuth. The dramatic increase in resistance to key antibiotics used in H. pylori eradication demands antibiotic susceptibility testing, surveillance of resistance and antibiotic stewardship.

Quality Measurement of Consumer Health Questions: Content and Language Perspectives.

Health information consumers increasingly rely on question-and-answer (Q&A) communities to address their health concerns. However, the quality of questions posted significantly impacts the likelihood and relevance of received answers. This study aims to improve our understanding of the quality of health questions within web-based Q&A communities. We develop a novel framework for defining and measuring question quality within web-based health communities, incorporating content- and language-based variables. This framework leverages k-means clustering and establishes automated metrics to assess overall question quality. To validate our framework, we analyze questions related to kidney disease from expert-curated and community-based Q&A platforms. Expert evaluations confirm the validity of our quality construct, while regression analysis helps identify key variables. High-quality questions were more likely to include demographic and medical information than lower-quality questions (P<.001). In contrast, asking questions at the various stages of disease development was less likely to reflect high-quality questions (P<.001). Low-quality questions were generally shorter with lengthier sentences than high-quality questions (P<.01). Our findings empower consumers to formulate more effective health information questions, ultimately leading to better engagement and more valuable insights within web-based Q&A communities. Furthermore, our findings provide valuable insights for platform developers and moderators seeking to enhance the quality of user interactions and foster a more trustworthy and informative environment for health information exchange.

Trust plays no role in regional U.S. economic development—And five other problems with the trust literature

AbstractEconomists have developed a vast empirical literature on how cultural traits like generalized trust affect economic output. Much of this literature finds a positive causal relationship between measures of generalized trust, as gathered by international surveys, and economic output. However, the trust literature commits five deadly empirical and theoretical sins that undermine many of its findings. From the quality of the survey questions and responses to the paucity of theoretical models used to explain how trust affects economic outcomes to the radically different results from experimental evidence and others, the trust literature is riven with poor methods and bad data. Even so, applying common methods used in the trust literature to regional level analysis in the United States during the 1972–2018 period reveals no statistically significant correlation between economic output and trust. Given our lack of findings at the subnational level, we find further evidence to be skeptical of the trust literature.

Reliability and validity of the Tibetan version of the International Prostate Symptom Score.

To validate the Tibetan version of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS-Tib) in patients with and without urinary symptoms in a Tibetan population. The validity and reliability of IPSS-Tib were studied in 85 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 62 controls without lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Reliability was evaluated using the test-retest method and internal consistency using Cronbach's α, and the construct validity was assessed by the correlation between IPSS-Tib scores and quality of life questions (QoL-Tib). The Cronbach's α coefficient of the IPSS-Tib was 0.80 and of a single IPSS scoring item ranged from 0.77 to 0.86. The IPSS-Tib test-retest reliability was evaluated by the intraclass correlation coefficient, and its average value was 0.79 (P < 0.001). The mean (SEM, 95% CI) area under the ROC curve for the IPSS-Tib was 0.91 (0.87-0.96). The IPSS-Tib had a high correlation with the QoL-Tib (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient 0.84, P < 0.01). The mean IPSS score before transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) was 21.9 (6.8), and dropped to 6.38 (1.54) after TURP (P < 0.001), and the average difference was 15.52 (6.23), related to the drop from 4.5 (0.9) to 1.46 (0.48) in the QoL (P < 0.001). The IPSS-Tib has good reliability and validity in the diagnosis and symptom severity assessment of patients with BPH in Tibetan areas. It is an ideal assessment tool that can be used in Tibetan-speaking areas for patients with BPH and as a method for evaluating postoperative curative effect assessment of patients with BPH.

Topological-Preserving Membrane Skeleton Segmentation in Multiplex Immunofluorescence Imaging.

Multiplex immunofluorescence (MxIF) is an emerging imaging technology whose downstream molecular analytics highly rely upon the effectiveness of cell segmentation. In practice, multiple membrane markers (e.g., NaKATPase, PanCK and β-catenin) are employed to stain membranes for different cell types, so as to achieve a more comprehensive cell segmentation since no single marker fits all cell types. However, prevalent watershed-based image processing might yield inferior capability for modeling complicated relationships between markers. For example, some markers can be misleading due to questionable stain quality. In this paper, we propose a deep learning based membrane segmentation method to aggregate complementary information that is uniquely provided by large scale MxIF markers. We aim to segment tubular membrane structure in MxIF data using global (membrane markers z-stack projection image) and local (separate individual markers) information to maximize topology preservation with deep learning. Specifically, we investigate the feasibility of four SOTA 2D deep networks and four volumetric-based loss functions. We conducted a comprehensive ablation study to assess the sensitivity of the proposed method with various combinations of input channels. Beyond using adjusted rand index (ARI) as the evaluation metric, which was inspired by the clDice, we propose a novel volumetric metric that is specific for skeletal structure, denoted as . In total, 80 membrane MxIF images were manually traced for 5-fold cross-validation. Our model outperforms the baseline with a 20.2% and 41.3% increase in and ARI performance, which is significant (p<0.05) using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Our work explores a promising direction for advancing MxIF imaging cell segmentation with deep learning membrane segmentation. Tools are available at https://github.com/MASILab/MxIF_Membrane_Segmentation.

DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTER-BASED TESTS USING MOODLE LMS ON THE MATERIAL OF SOCIAL CONFLICT AND INTEGRATION

Along with the development of information and communication technology, the implementation of computer-based tests has become an important requirement in the learning process. Moodle LMS is a platform that provides a quiz feature that can be used as a computer-based test medium. This study aims to analyze the quality and feasibility of computer-based questions on conflict and social integration using the Moodle LMS. This research is adevelopment research with a 4-D model. The research subjects were 64 students of class XI IPS at SMAN Titian Teras H. Abdurrahman Sayeoti. The instruments used were validation sheets for assessing the quality of the questions, the appropriateness of the media, student response questionnaires, and the quality of the items. Based on the results of the question feasibility test by material experts and media experts with an average score of 83% (Very Good). The results of the item analysis obtained valid questions of 80% with a reliability of 0.890. The difficulty level of the questions in the easy, medium, and difficult categories were 48%, 46%, and 6%, respectively. Different power of questions with a good category of 40%, sufficient category of 50% and 10% bad. Based on the description above, it can be concluded that computer-based questions on conflict and social integration have good quality questions and are very appropriate to be used as sociology learning outcomes tests.

MP18-14 ASSESSMENT OF THE UROLOGICAL NEEDS OF ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS SURVIVING CANCER AND/OR BLOOD AND MARROW TRANSPLANTATION AT A SINGLE TERTIARY CENTER

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP18-14 ASSESSMENT OF THE UROLOGICAL NEEDS OF ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS SURVIVING CANCER AND/OR BLOOD AND MARROW TRANSPLANTATION AT A SINGLE TERTIARY CENTER Kathryn Trandem, Julie Nichols, Kathryn Tomlinson, Rachel Phelan, and Jonathan S. Ellison Kathryn TrandemKathryn Trandem More articles by this author , Julie NicholsJulie Nichols More articles by this author , Kathryn TomlinsonKathryn Tomlinson More articles by this author , Rachel PhelanRachel Phelan More articles by this author , and Jonathan S. EllisonJonathan S. Ellison More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003238.14AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: As more children survive childhood cancer and blood and marrow transplantation (BMT), focus on genitourinary survivorship including fertility but also urinary and sexual function has become increasingly important in recent years. As children survive these treatments and enter into adulthood, quality of life questions exist with regard to fertility and genitourinary function. Because such sensitive topics may not be volunteered in routine follow-up care, we sought to standardize a process to elicit such concerns within our oncology and BMT survivorship clinic. METHODS: Surveys regarding genitourinary symptoms were co-developed by a multidisciplinary survivorship team. Surveys were administered to all adolescents and young adults (AYA, age 15+) that attend our Children’s Wisconsin Next Steps survivorship clinic yearly. These are AYA patients that have a history of treatment for childhood cancer or BMT and have completed their full respective treatment courses a minimum of 2 years prior. The fifteen survey questions asked the patients about various genitourinary symptoms that they may have experienced since their treatment, including specific questions about fertility, sexual function, and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). RESULTS: A total of 142 unique responses were received between March 2021 to June 2022. The average age of respondents were 19 years old (15-33 years) and 72 self-identified as men (50%). Forty seven percent were interested in learning more about fertility now or in the near future and 28% had already met with a fertility specialist. Ten (7%) complained of new onset LUTS. Six (4%) complained of difficulty with sexual function with 50 other patients saying they haven’t been sexually active yet. Seventy two (50%) were aware of possible fertility, sexual and/or LUTS side effects of their treatments. CONCLUSIONS: While fertility remains a critical issue with high interest in the AYA survivorship group, over 10% of survivors have issues with sexual and/or urinary function and control. The majority of survivors responded they were aware of possible fertility, urinary, and/or sexual side effects from their cancer and/or BMT. In addition to fertility preservation, discussions regarding genitourinary function need to be had with all AYA survivors. Genitourinary side effects in survivors of pediatric cancer treatments and BMT remains an understudied field. These patients may benefit from directed questions regarding symptomatology to help facilitate appropriate referral and treatment. Source of Funding: none © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e228 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Kathryn Trandem More articles by this author Julie Nichols More articles by this author Kathryn Tomlinson More articles by this author Rachel Phelan More articles by this author Jonathan S. Ellison More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Efficacy and safety of novel oral anticoagulants for the treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism: protocol for an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

IntroductionNovel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been used in antithrombotic therapy in patients with cancer, and their efficacy and safety have been evaluated in several meta-analyses. Although a large body of...