Recruitment Procedures Research Articles

The influence of state policy on the formation of the personnel of the regional militia in the 1930s. (on the example of the police of Mordovia).

The subject of the study is various aspects of the formation of the personnel of the police of Mordovia, determined by the regulatory framework at all levels. The object of the study includes factors determining the nature of the formation and functioning of the militia, considered taking into account regional peculiarities. The work is aimed at highlighting the political situation, historical moments that influenced the organizational and legal foundations of the militia, as well as at outlining the essence of the processes that had a direct impact on the training of law enforcement officers and the reorganization of the workers' and peasants' militia in the 1930s. It is possible to distinguish all-Russian, local conditions, national features of historical development. Conclusions:1. In the 1930s, the militia of Mordovia continued to be formed as an integral part of the unified state mechanism, in accordance with the tasks, functions and operational situation of that time. 2. An important role was assigned to the development and adoption of regulatory legal acts and job descriptions, on the basis of which significant changes were made to the procedure for recruitment, training and service by the police personnel of the region. 3. These processes were carried out in the conditions of the folding of the command and administrative system, the class approach used in the selection of employees, placement and training of personnel, as well as the strengthening of totalitarianism. 4. The reorganization of the police of Mordovia and the training of personnel were influenced by abrupt changes in the socio-economic and political course of the country, as well as the peculiarities of their development in Mordovia. 5. Endless innovations and measures to reorganize the police apparatus in connection with the "second birth" of the Mordovian militia also did not contribute to improving the efficiency of its activities. 6. The development of the regional militia was influenced by the situation prevailing in the country as a whole. That is, the development of the organizational and legal foundations of the activities of the Mordovian militia has features that were characteristic of the police apparatus of the country as a whole.

The Employment of People with Disabilities as Office Employees in the Public Administration in Poland

Unemployment among people with disabilities of working age is a problem throughout Europe, including Poland. Here, the national employment rate is only 26.5%, almost twice as low as the European Union average. Private sector is the main workplace for people with disabilities in Poland. In the last decade, hope for improvement in the employment situation of this social group has been discerned in the public sector. Legislation obliging employers to employ people with disabilities and giving people with disabilities priority in public sector employment was expected to mobilize them. The article verifies the compliance of the state of practice with the current law within the framework of the title issue. The article presents basic legal regulations in the field of employment of people with disabilities in the public administration including civil service, both international and national. It then presents the recruitment procedure for civil servant positions in the public administration. The paper concludes with a presentation of the state of the practice of hiring people with disabilities in the public administration, distinguishing between systemic barriers, barriers on the part of public employers and barriers on the part of people with disabilities.

MTHFR Gene-Polymorphism and Infertile Men in Indian Population: A Systematic Literature Review

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genetic makeup of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR C677-T, A1298-C, and G1793-A) alongside environmental and lifestyle component has shown some links as a potential factor responsible for male infertility across the globe posing huge genetic vulnerability to the gender. However, SNPs in the MTHFR gene implicated in male infertility are not without their own controversial results even within the same population. The goal of this study was to provide comprehensive insights into the controversial nature of MTHFR gene polymorphism on male infertility across all Indian populations as well as other ethnicities. The electronic PubMed database was utilized to conduct and select eligible studies for this systematic review (update to December 2021). Only high-quality studies with a link between MTHFR polymorphisms and male infertility were included based on our exclusion and inclusion criteria. The connection between the MTHFR gene polymorphism and male infertility in Indian population studies was evaluated using odds ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of five studies presenting 1,237 cases and 1,044 controls were assessed for this study. The collective results revealed that MTHFR C667-T and A1298-C gene polymorphism were significantly linked with an increased chance of male infertility both in south India and north India, however, with some conflicting results. Interestingly, no study has been carried out to investigate the impact of G1793-A polymorphism on infertile males in the Indian population at the time of our report. Results generated from the few case-control evaluated on MTHFR gene polymorphism in the Indian population are found to conflict with some extrinsic factors (such as nutritional status-folate metabolism, lifestyle, varying recruitment procedures, and epigenetic elements) identified to have played some critical roles. Therefore, broader studies across all regions in India addressing the grave impact of MTHFR gene polymorphism on male infertility are of utmost importance.

Investigating Microtemporal Processes Underlying Health Behavior Adoption and Maintenance: Protocol for an Intensive Longitudinal Observational Study.

BackgroundYoung adulthood (ages 18-29 years) is marked by substantial weight gain, leading to increased lifetime risks of chronic diseases. Engaging in sufficient levels of physical activity and sleep, and limiting sedentary time are important contributors to the prevention of weight gain. Dual-process models of decision-making and behavior that delineate reflective (ie, deliberative, slow) and reactive (ie, automatic, fast) processes shed light on different mechanisms underlying the adoption versus maintenance of these energy-balance behaviors. However, reflective and reactive processes may unfold at different time scales and vary across people.ObjectiveThis paper describes the study design, recruitment, and data collection procedures for the Temporal Influences on Movement and Exercise (TIME) study, a 12-month intensive longitudinal data collection study to examine real-time microtemporal influences underlying the adoption and maintenance of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep.MethodsIntermittent ecological momentary assessment (eg, intentions, self-control) and continuous, sensor-based passive monitoring (eg, location, phone/app use, activity levels) occur using smartwatches and smartphones. Data analyses will combine idiographic (person-specific, data-driven) and nomothetic (generalizable, theory-driven) approaches to build models that may predict within-subject variation in the likelihood of behavior “episodes” (eg, ≥10 minutes of physical activity, ≥120 minutes of sedentary time, ≥7 hours sleep) and “lapses” (ie, not attaining recommended levels for ≥7 days) as a function of reflective and reactive factors.ResultsThe study recruited young adults across the United States (N=246). Rolling recruitment began in March 2020 and ended August 2021. Data collection will continue until August 2022.ConclusionsResults from the TIME study will be used to build more predictive health behavior theories, and inform personalized behavior interventions to reduce obesity and improve public health.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/36666

Routine systematic sampling versus targeted sampling during endobronchial ultrasound: A randomized feasibility trial.

Triple normal lymph nodes, appearing benign on computed tomography, positron emission tomography, and endobronchial ultrasound, have less than a 6% probability of malignancy. We hypothesized that targeted sampling (TS), which omits biopsy of triple normal lymph nodes during endobronchial ultrasound, is not an inferior staging strategy to systematic sampling (SS) of all lymph nodes. A prospective randomized feasibility trial was conducted to decide on the progression to a pan-Canadian trial comparing TS with SS. Patients with cN0-N1 non-small cell lung cancer undergoing endobronchial ultrasound were randomized to TS or SS. Lymph nodes in the TS arm crossed over to receive SS. Progression criteria included recruitment rate (70% minimum), procedure length (no significant increase for TS), and incidence of missed nodal metastasis (<6%). Mann-Whitney U test and McNemar's test on paired proportions were used for statistical comparisons. The progression criterion of 70% recruitment rate was achieved early, triggering a planned early stoppage of the trial. Nineteen patients were allocated to each arm. The median procedure length for TS was significantly shorter than SS (3.07 vs 19.07minutes; P<.001). After crossover analysis, 5.45% (95% confidence interval, 1.87-14.85) of lymph nodes in the TS arm were upstaged from N0 to N2, but this incidence of missed nodal metastasis was below the 6% threshold. During surgical resection, the nodal upstaging incidence from N0 to N2 was 0% for 15 lymph nodes in each arm. Progression criteria to a pan-Canadian, noninferiority crossover trial comparing TS with SS have been met, and such a trial is warranted.

Desafios da Pesquisa em Psicologia do Desenvolvimento Durante a Pandemia da COVID-19

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic brought a series of restructurings necessary for research in Developmental Psychology. The aim of the manuscript is to discuss adaptations we made in our research in this context during the COVID-19 pandemic and to present strategies to adequate research protocols originally designed to occur in person. Although some contexts do not allow the continuity of studies, research at this time can bring essential contributions in this extreme period. This article explores the strategies for adapting recruitment procedures, suggesting dissemination platforms, and using social networks for this purpose. Guidelines are suggested for conducting non-face-to-face interviews with caregivers, ways of assessing the interaction of the mother-child pairs, and problematizing ethical issues. The procedures for returning the results, an ethical researcher commitment, may be improved by resources such as automatic reports. Besides, strategies for better dissemination of the results for the participants are suggested.

인공지능을 활용한 채용에 대한 법적규제 방향

As more employers are adopting AI-based recruitment, jobseekers are getting more familiar with AI-based interview. The employers utilize AI-based data analysis to select and recruit the most appropriate employee for the job. The employers are actively adopting the AI which is regarded as more accurate, precise, and advanced method. As a result, jobseekers who desperately want jobs have no other choice. However, the AI-based recruitment requires comprehensive and abstract consent from jobseekers and their personal information is not protected. When granting the jobseekers of the rights to access information, amend information, and control information in recruitment procedures, the jobseekers may be limited in claiming their rights. The European countries are actively adopting regulations on the AI-based data analysis while the each American state is legislating own regulations. In response, this paper examined the cases of AI-based recruitment. Some point out that introduction of AI-based technologies as well as strong regulations may disrupt the development of the technical developments. Still, the development of new technologies can be utilized the in the best way by regulating such new technologies.

O-187 An analysis of the outcome of 11,712 men applying to be sperm donors at Cryos International in Denmark and the USA

Abstract Study question Is the outcome of donor recruitment influenced by the country in which recruitment took place or the initial ID-release choice of applicants? Summary answer More applicants are accepted as donors in Denmark than the USA and those who choose ID release are more frequently accepted than those who don’t. What is known already The successful recruitment of sperm donors is essential to provide a range of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) which rely upon donor sperm. However, while much has been written about the medical screening and assessment of sperm donors from a safety perspective, relatively little has been written about the process of recruiting donors and how it works in practice. There are differences in attitudes between donors who choose to allow their identity to be released to any donor conceived people (ID-release) compared to those who don’t (non ID-release). Therefore, we reasoned this may also influence the likelihood of them being recruited. Study design, size, duration A total of 11,712 men applied to be sperm donors at Cryos International in Denmark and the USA during 2018 and 2019. Participants/materials, setting, methods Anonymised records of all donor applicants were examined to assess the number passing through (or lost) at each stage of the recruitment process. Statistical analysis was carried out by Chi Squared test, using Graphpad Prism (San Diego, USA) to examine differences between location (Denmark or USA) and/or donor type (ID-release vs non-ID release). Main results and the role of chance Few applicants (3.79%) were accepted as donors and had samples released for use. This was higher in Denmark (6.53%) than the USA (1.03%) (χ2 = 243.2; 1df; z = 15.60; p &amp;lt; 0.0001) and was higher in donors who opted at the outset to be ID-release (4.70%) compared to those who didn’t (3.15%) (χ2 = 18.51; 1df; z = 4.303; p &amp;lt; 0.0001). Most potential donors were lost during recruitment because they: (i) withdrew, failed to respond, did not attend an appointment, or return a questionnaire (54.91%); (ii) reported a disqualifying health issue or failed a screening test (17.41%); (iii) did not meet the eligibility criteria at the outset (11.71%); or (iv) had semen quality which was not adequate (11.20%). In each case, there were statistically significant differences between countries and the donor’s initial ID choice. During recruitment, some donors decided to change ID-type. There were no country differences in the frequency in which this occurred (χ2 = 0.2852; 1df; z = 0.5340; p = 0.5933), but it was more common for donors to change from non-ID release to ID release (27.19%) than the other way around (11.45%) (χ2 = 17.75; 1df; z = 4.213; p &amp;lt; 0.0001) although movements in both directions did occur in both countries. Limitations, reasons for caution No information was available about the demographic characteristics of the applicants which may also have influenced their chances of being accepted as a donor (e.g., ethnicity, age etc). Donor recruitment procedures may differ in other locations according to local laws or guidelines. Wider implications of the findings A better understanding of when and why potential donors are lost in the recruitment process may help develop leaner and efficient pathways for interested donors and sperm banks. This could ultimately increase the number of donors recruited through enhanced information, support and reassurance during the recruitment process. Trial registration number not applicable

Higher allostatic load in work-related burnout: The Regensburg Burnout Project

BackgroundBurnout and chronic work stress have been linked to various negative health outcomes. While the mechanisms underlying this interplay are still unclear, the allostatic load (AL) model was suggested to demonstrate a possible biological pathway. However, previous studies provided divergent results regarding the association between burnout and AL, probably also due to the heterogeneity of selected samples. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine differences in AL between a conceptually strictly specified group of individuals suffering from burnout (BO group) and a healthy comparison group (HC group). MethodsAfter a multi-stage recruitment procedure with strict inclusion criteria based on burnout symptomatology and pathogenesis, the BO group (n = 56) was compared to the HC group (n = 65) regarding an index of AL. The AL-index included 14 parameters: high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), fibrinogen, d-dimer, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio (TC/HDL), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEA-S), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and body fat percentage. ResultsThe BO group showed significantly higher AL-scores in comparison to the HC group. This effect remained significant after adjusting for sex, age, and smoking status. Additionally, burnout symptoms (assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory; MBI), MBI-subscales emotional exhaustion and depersonalization as well as chronic work stress (assessed with the effort-reward imbalance questionnaire) were significantly associated with higher AL-scores. ConclusionsConsistent with our hypothesis, we detected higher AL-scores in the BO compared to the HC group, indicating a greater cumulative physiological burden in individuals suffering from burnout. Given the high heterogeneity in individuals experiencing burnout symptoms, future studies may focus on well-specified subgroups, when examining the association between burnout and psychophysiological dysregulations.

The unreachable doorbells of South Texas: community engagement in colonias on the US-Mexico border for mosquito control

Mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit continue to place millions of people at risk of infection around the world. Novel methods of vector control are being developed to provide public health officials with the necessary tools to prevent disease transmission and reduce local mosquito populations. However, these methods will require public acceptance for a sustainable approach and evaluations at local settings. We present our efforts in community engagement carried out in colonias of the Lower Rio Grande Valley in south Texas for mosquito surveillance, control, and ecological projects. Along the US-Mexico border the term colonia refers to impoverished communities that are usually inhabited by families of Hispanic heritage. The different engagements were carried out from September 2016 to February 2019; during this time, we had three distinct phases for community engagement. In Phase 1 we show the initial approach to the colonias in which we assessed security and willingness to participate; in Phase 2 we carried out the first recruitment procedure involving community meetings and house-to-house recruitment; and in Phase 3 we conducted a modified recruitment procedure based on community members’ input. Our findings show that incorporating community members in the development of communication materials and following their suggestions for engagement allowed us to generate culturally sensitive recruitment materials and to better understand the social relationships and power dynamics within these communities. We were able to effectively reach a larger portion of the community and decrease the dropout rate of participants. Progress gained with building trust in the communities allowed us to convey participant risks and benefits of collaborating with our research projects. Community engagement should be viewed as a key component of any local vector control program as well as for any scientific research project related to vector control. Even in the face of budgetary constraints, small efforts in community engagement go a long way.

Public School Teachers' Workplace Aggression Behaviors: A New Scale with Mixed Method Approach

Teachers who are believed to be engaged in sacred work might not be expected to commit acts of violence. However, contrary to their public image, teachers do not behave very differently from their students regarding violent behavior. This study aimed to examine how teachers in public schools perceived workplace aggression and what types of aggression behaviors were experienced in the schools and to develop a workplace aggression scale for the Turkish context. The study was conducted with a mixed-method approach, and in the qualitative stage, phenomenological approach was applied. In this phase, 20 interviews with public school teachers were conducted and the data analyzed using a descriptive technique. In the quantitative phase the steps of scale development were applied. The findings of the qualitative phase showed that workplace aggression was defined as "Unlike general aggressive behavior, mainly related to context, workplace aggression manifests itself in workers' feelings of anger toward other workers, and victims of aggressive behavior feel uncomfortable or irritated by these actions. In the quantitative stage, conducted with 213 teachers, exploratory and confirmatory analysis of "Teachers’ Workplace Aggression Behaviors Scale” showed a two-factor structure with its 53 items. The scale's factor structure didn't confim the aggression categories used in the qualitative analysis; for example, in the qualitative analysis, three types of workplace aggression were used: verbal, psychological, and physical workplace aggression; however, in the quantitative analysis, a two-factor structure appeared as overt and covert workplace aggression. In line with the findings of this study, practitioners were recommended to develop new strategies in teacher training and recruitment procedures, and researchers were recommended to conduct both qualitative and quantitative research more in the Turkish context.

Prioritizing recruitment: the benefits to using a disease registry to recruit older adults with HIV and intersecting identities

ABSTRACT The success of a study hinges on its recruitment procedures, however there is a paucity of papers focused on innovative recruitment strategies, especially as it relates to the recruitment and retention of marginalized populations. This paper aims to outline how consent-to-contact databases can be used as an effective tool for recruitment. First, we begin by describing the consent-to-contact databases we used. Then, we offer insight into how a consent-to-contact database was utilized to recruit Latino older adults with HIV participants for an interdisciplinary behavioral and physical health promotion intervention. We outline barriers and challenges to recruitment and research participation with a specific emphasis on the unique hurdles associated with recruiting and retaining racial/ethnic minority older adults with HIV in behavioral health studies. Finally, we provide final recommendations for future researchers interested in how to best employ this type of recruitment tool in their own research.

Mind the ad: How personality requirements affect older and younger job seekers' job attraction

AbstractAge discrimination may explain lower labour market chances of older and younger job seekers. What remains underresearched, however, is how older/younger job seekers might self‐select out from early recruitment procedures due to stigmatizing information in job ads. Building on theories of metastereotypes and the linguistic category model, two experimental studies investigated how personality requirements that older/younger job seekers hold negative metastereotypes about and the way in which these requirements are worded (behavioural vs. dispositional) affected their job attraction. Within‐participant mediation analyses showed that as expected, job attraction was higher for older (N = 123, aged 50 years or more) and younger (N = 151, 30 years or less) job seekers when requirements were worded in a behavioural way (e.g., ‘You can be flexible’), compared with a dispositional way (e.g., ‘You are flexible’). This relation was mediated by perceptions of challenge among younger but not older job seekers. Contrary to expectations, perceptions of threat did not explain the effects of negatively metastereotyped personality requirements on job attraction. Understanding how job seekers perceive information in job ads might help recruiters to design age‐sensitive recruitment policies.

Supervised Aerobic Exercise Training and Increased Lifestyle Physical Activity to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk for Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex, heterogeneous endocrinopathy. Women with PCOS often present with cardiovascular disease risk factors. Physical activity (PA) interventions reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors in women with PCOS. However, sedentary behaviors have a distinct deleterious effect on cardiometabolic health. Increasing PA and reducing sedentary behaviors may be a worthwhile therapeutic target to improve cardiovascular health in this population. This study investigated the feasibility of 2 PA interventions to decrease cardiovascular disease risk in women with PCOS. This was a feasibility randomized controlled trial of 2 PA interventions in 36 women with PCOS. Participants were randomized to a supervised exercise intervention (n = 12), a lifestyle physical activity group intervention aimed at reducing sedentary behaviors (n = 12), or a control group (n = 12), for 12weeks. Primary outcomes included the feasibility and acceptability of the interventions and procedures. Recruitment rate was 56%. Adherence rate was 53% and 100% to the exercise intervention and lifestyle PA intervention, respectively. Secondary outcome data indicate a reduction in oxidized low-density lipoprotein concentrations in the exercise group, and weight loss in both intervention groups. The procedures for recruitment, allocation, and outcome measurements were acceptable. However, before progression to a full-scale trial, adherence to the exercise program should be addressed.

Evaluating the feasibility of using an electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) smartphone application (app) and biosensor by patients with cancer undergoing systemic treatments.

TPS1599 Background: Almost half of the nearly 370,000 patients with cancer who receive chemotherapy in the United States each year experience Emergency Department (ED) visits and unplanned hospital inpatient (IP) stays during treatment, largely due to poorly controlled symptoms. Recent studies have shown that utilizing PRO information in oncology practice can improve symptom management and patient outcomes. This study aims to examine the feasibility and usability of a PRO app paired with a biosensor to identify patients who are at high risk for ED and IP visits. Methods: This prospective, pragmatic, observational study will evaluate the feasibility and usability of a clinic-provided smartphone app and smartwatch biosensor for monitoring patients undergoing systemic cancer treatment. Eligible patients are 18–80 years old, ECOG PS 0–2, have a biopsy-proven solid tumor diagnosis of cancer (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer), and are scheduled to receive the first dose of intravenous (IV) or oral cancer therapy as an initial or new line of treatment. Patients should be able to provide informed consent, wear the biosensor daily, and complete the app ePRO survey and questionnaires in English. Study exclusion criteria include receiving radiation or hormone therapy only, residing in a skilled nursing facility, participating in another clinical trial, current pregnancy, and wearing pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, cochlear implants, and/or neurostimulator devices. The app collects PROs (PRO-CTCAE), app usability and satisfaction (modified mHealth App Usability Questionnaire [mMAUQ]) and patient satisfaction with the biosensor (modified Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology [QUEST 2.0]). The study is divided into two phases: (1) vanguard (N = 30); (2) operational (N = 70). Patients will be asked to wear the biosensor and enter PROs into the app daily for a 2-week (vanguard) or 6-week period (operational). The vanguard sample size allows for the recruitment of ̃10 patients at each of the three participating oncology community clinics as is standard for initial device and software testing and development. Study endpoints for feasibility include: (1) vanguard – patient recruitment and protocol adherence, completeness of data capture, app usability, user satisfaction of biosensor; (2) operational – validity of self-reported hospital visits, feasibility of using electronic case report forms. Data collected from the vanguard will inform modifications to the app for the operational phase. The operational phase sample size is sufficient to assess data capture completion and clinical trial recruitment procedures in diverse practice settings (e.g., low volume vs. high volume, rural vs. urban). Clinical trial information: ISRCTN25569053.

Management of business projects in line with HRM: impact of human resources management practices on the productivity of cameroonian agri-food SMEs

Since project management is generally stressful because of its countless activities, a subjective HRM of projects leads to great conflicts and tensions. Previous scientific work has focused more on project management for large companies. The opinions of project management experts are divergent between those who are skeptical about its link with HRM and those who maintain that HRM is a global lever for project success. This study aims to enrich this debate by focusing on the existence of a link between HRM and the management of SME projects. The general hypothesis of the study is based on the principle that the HRM practices of SMEs can result in objectivity in recruitment procedures, the relevance of remuneration systems, rigors in training actions and the development of skills determine the levels of organizational productivity. The methodological design adopted is the wish-based sampling technique of administering a questionnaire to a sample of 87 parties interested in the study. The results reveal that HRM practices have significant links with the productivity of SMEs. These results could be explained by specific characteristics of HRM in SMEs. By way of discussion, since few studies are done in SME project management, shouldn't future methodologists give prominence to the exploration of this research perspective?

Evaluating the effectiveness of compensatory memory interventions in adults with acquired brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis of memory and everyday outcomes.

Adults with acquired brain injury (ABI) often experience memory impairments that are persistent and difficult to treat. Although evidence has shown that rehabilitation programs may improve cognitive performance in persons with ABI, there is an opportunity to look more closely at the benefits provided by specific interventions. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate whether compensation-based memory programs improve memory or everyday outcomes (e.g., mood, quality of life, community integration, everyday functioning). The review was limited to published, English-language controlled trials that evaluated compensatory memory interventions for adults (18 +) with ABI using at least one memory or everyday outcome. The final search was conducted in April 2021 using PsychINFO, Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Review database, Google Scholar, and the reference lists of relevant articles. Of 2,817 identified articles, 22 controlled trials met inclusion criteria, of which 12 provided sufficient data to include in the meta-analyses. Risk of bias assessment identified problems with recruitment and masking procedures. Results indicate that compared to controls, these interventions produce positive effects on outcomes of immediate verbal recall (g = 0.43), participant-reported memory (g = 0.28), and strategy use (g = 0.39) and that these improvements are maintained at follow-up. Compensatory memory programs produce meaningful memory improvements and are a promising avenue for reducing ABI-related memory impairment. Future research focusing on specific subsets of ABI populations and a broader range of participant-reported outcomes is needed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

“My name on the door by the Professor's name”: The process of recruiting a researcher with a learning disability at a UK university

AbstractBackgroundThe advantages of including people with learning disabilities in research teams have been well described, but it is rare for researchers with learning disabilities to be employed at a university. This paper explores the extent to which university recruitment procedures are accessible to job applicants with learning disabilities.MethodsWe present reflections on the process of recruiting a Research Assistant with a learning disability onto a university research team. The recruitment process is described from the perspectives of the employee, line manager and Human Resources representative.FindingsThe recruiting manager and Human Resources representative had to make adjustments to a wide range of standard processes, including centralised online recruitment systems that were difficult to navigate, inaccessible job descriptions and difficult application forms. Finding workarounds to ensure reasonable adjustments were made was time‐consuming. The employee needed significant support from within his own networks to cope with the application process and had concerns about the potential impact of fixed‐term job contracts on future benefits. Despite our efforts, procedures remained difficult for the applicants to navigate.ConclusionsEmploying researchers with learning disabilities is important. Fundamental changes to job application systems are required, including easy‐to‐understand information, alternative formats of application forms, and support available where needed. Flexibility from the Human Resources departments is key. They will need support from teams with experience working with people with learning disabilities.

Patient Recruitment System for Clinical Trials: Mixed Methods Study About Requirements at Ten University Hospitals.

BackgroundClinical trials are the gold standard for advancing medical knowledge and improving patient outcomes. For their success, an appropriately sized cohort is required. However, patient recruitment remains one of the most challenging aspects of clinical trials. Information technology (IT) support systems—for instance, patient recruitment systems—may help overcome existing challenges and improve recruitment rates, when customized to the user needs and environment.ObjectiveThe goal of our study is to describe the status quo of patient recruitment processes and to identify user requirements for the development of a patient recruitment system.MethodsWe conducted a web-based survey with 56 participants as well as semistructured interviews with 33 participants from 10 German university hospitals.ResultsWe here report the recruitment procedures and challenges of 10 university hospitals. The recruitment process was influenced by diverse factors such as the ward, use of software, and the study inclusion criteria. Overall, clinical staff seemed more involved in patient identification, while the research staff focused on screening tasks. Ad hoc and planned screenings were common. Identifying eligible patients was still associated with significant manual efforts. The recruitment staff used Microsoft Office suite because tailored software were not available. To implement such software, data from disparate sources will need to be made available. We discussed concrete technical challenges concerning patient recruitment systems, including requirements for features, data, infrastructure, and workflow integration, and we contributed to the support of developing a successful system.ConclusionsIdentifying eligible patients is still associated with significant manual efforts. To fully make use of the high potential of IT in patient recruitment, many technical and process challenges have to be solved first. We contribute and discuss concrete technical challenges for patient recruitment systems, including requirements for features, data, infrastructure, and workflow integration.

An open-label clinical trial of oral transmucosal haloperidol and oral transmucosal olanzapine in the treatment of terminal delirium at home

BackgroundThe phenomenon of restlessness, agitation, or cognitive disturbances experienced by dying patients is well-known in palliative care; more than half of these patients will experience delirium symptoms at end-of-life. When not identified early and effectively managed, delirium symptoms could lead to caregiver and patient distress and harm.MethodsEighty patients with a prognosis of 7 days or less will be recruited for an open-label randomised control trial. The two arms compare oral-transmucosal haloperidol 2.5 mg vs olanzapine 5 mg over 72 h. The severity of agitation, delirium and toxicities of treatments will be compared at the 24th, 48th and 72nd hour after drug administration.DiscussionThis trial is the first to compare anti-psychotics in the management of delirium at the dying stage in the home hospice setting using the oral transmucosal route. Ethical considerations, as well as recruitment procedures, are discussed.Trial registrationThis study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov – identifier NCT04750395