Sharing Health Information Research Articles

Improving Chronic Illness Self-Management with the Apsáalooke Nation: The Báa nnilah Project, a cluster randomized trial protocol

Chronic illness (CI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for Indigenous people. In Montana, Indigenous communities disproportionately experience CI, a legacy of settler colonialism. For over two decades, Messengers for Health, an Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) non-profit, and Montana State University have partnered to improve community health using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. We developed Báa nnilah, an intervention utilizing community strengths, to improve CI self-management. This manuscript describes the protocol for a cluster randomized trial with two arms: an intervention group and a wait list control group, who both participated in the Báa nnilah program. Enrollment occurred through family/clan networks and community outreach and attended to limitations of existing CI self-management interventions by using an approach and content that were culturally consonant. Participants received program materials, attended seven gatherings focused on improving CI management, and received and shared health information through storytelling based on a conceptual framework from the Apsáalooke culture and incorporating CI self-management strategies. Participant support occurred within partnership dyads during and between gatherings, from community mentors, and by program staff. The study used mixed methods to evaluate the intervention, with qualitative measures including the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Patient Activation Measure (PAM), and a suite of PROMIS measures, various physical tests and qualitative survey responses, semi-structured interviews, and outcomes shared by participants with program staff. We hypothesized that Báa nnilah would significantly improve participant health outcome measures across multiple dimensions with quality of life (QoL) as the primary outcome. Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03036189. Registered on 30 January 2017. (From https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03036189).

Building trust in research through information and intent transparency with health information: representative cross-sectional survey of 502 US adults.

Participation in healthcare research shapes health policy and practice; however, low trust is a barrier to participation. We evaluated whether returning health information (information transparency) and disclosing intent of data use (intent transparency) impacts trust in research. We conducted an online survey with a representative sample of 502 US adults. We assessed baseline trust and change in trust using 6 use cases representing the Social-Ecological Model. We assessed descriptive statistics and associations between trust and sociodemographic variables using logistic and multinomial regression. Most participants (84%) want their health research information returned. Black/African American participants were more likely to increase trust in research with individual information transparency (odds ratio (OR) 2.06 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-4.34]) and with intent transparency when sharing with chosen friends and family (3.66 [1.98-6.77]), doctors and nurses (1.96 [1.10-3.65]), or health tech companies (1.87 [1.02-3.40]). Asian, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Multirace, and individuals with a race not listed, were more likely to increase trust when sharing with health policy makers (1.88 [1.09-3.30]). Women were less likely to increase trust when sharing with friends and family (0.55 [0.35-0.87]) or health tech companies (0.46 [0.31-0.70]). Participants wanted their health information returned and would increase their trust in research with transparency when sharing health information. Trust in research is influenced by interrelated factors. Future research should recruit diverse samples with lower baseline trust levels to explore changes in trust, with variation on the type of information shared.

Factors Affecting Physicians' Credibility on Twitter When Sharing Health Information: Online Experimental Study.

Largely absent from research on how users appraise the credibility of professionals as sources for the information they find on social media is work investigating factors shaping credibility within a specific profession, such as physicians. We address debates about how physicians can show their credibility on social media depending on whether they employ a formal or casual appearance in their profile picture. Using prominence-interpretation theory, we posit that formal appearance will affect perceived credibility based on users' social context-specifically, whether they have a regular health care provider. For this experiment, we recruited 205 social media users using Amazon Mechanical Turk. We asked participants if they had a regular health care provider and then randomly assigned them to read 1 of 3 Twitter posts that varied only in the profile picture of the physician offering health advice. Next, we tasked participants with assessing the credibility of the physician and their likelihood of engaging with the tweet and the physician on Twitter. We used path analysis to assess whether participants having a regular health care provider impacted how the profile picture affected their ratings of the physician's credibility and their likelihood to engage with the tweet and physician on Twitter. We found that the profile picture of a physician posting health advice in either formal or casual attire did not elicit significant differences in credibility, with ratings comparable to those having no profile image. Among participants assigned the formal appearance condition, those with a regular provider rated the physician higher on a credibility than those without, which led to stronger intentions to engage with the tweet and physician. The findings add to existing research by showing how the social context of information seeking on social media shapes the credibility of a given professional. Practical implications for professionals engaging with the public on social media and combating false information include moving past debates about casual versus formal appearances and toward identifying ways to segment audiences based on factors like their backgrounds (eg, experiences with health care providers).

Educational attainment and willingness to use technology for health and to share health information – The reimagining healthcare survey

BackgroundAustralia has seen a rapid uptake of virtual care since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to describe the willingness of consumers to use digital technology for health and to share their health information; and explore differences by educational attainment and area of remoteness. MethodsWe conducted an online survey on consumer preferences for virtual modes of healthcare delivery between June and September 2021. Participants were recruited through the study’s partner organisations and an online market research company. Australian residents aged ≥18 years who provided study consent and completed the survey were included in the analysis. We reported the weighted percentages of participants who selected negative response to the questions to understand the size of the population that were unlikely to adopt virtual care. Age-adjusted Poisson regression models were used to estimate the prevalence ratios for selecting negative response associated with education and remoteness. ResultsOf the 1778 participants included, 29% were not aware of digital technologies for monitoring/supporting health, 22% did not have access to technologies to support their health, and 19% were not willing to use technologies for health. Over a fifth of participants (range: 21–34%) were not at all willing to use seven of the 15 proposed alternative methods of care. Between 21% and 36% of participants were not at all willing to share de-identified health information tracked in apps/devices with various not-for-profit organisations compared to 47% with private/for-profit health businesses. Higher proportions of participants selected negative response to the questions in the lower educational attainment groups than those with bachelor’s degree or above. No difference was observed between area of remoteness. ConclusionsImproving the digital health literacy of people, especially those with lower educational attainment, will be required for virtual care to become an equitable part of normal healthcare delivery in Australia.

The Negative Impact of Social Media during COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic is a global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulting from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). Despite its numerous benefits for sharing health information, social media has raised several concerns in terms of posing panic among the general population around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main objective of this study was to investigate the negative impact of social media during the COVID-19 outbreak. A web-based poll was used to collect data from social media users. Snowball sampling was used to acquire information from participants for 1 month, from September 1 to September 30, 2020. To examine the effect of social media on fear among participants, the study employed Cohen’s d statistic, analysis of variance, Chi-squared test, and linear regression analysis. The study results showed that more than three-fourth (73.26%) used Facebook followed by Telegram by 14.49%. Health news was the most frequently seen, read, or heard with 88.20% of the total. Moreover, 86.73% of respondents experienced panic, while only 13.27% was not. Compared to males, females were more likely to follow health news (p < 0.001). The majority of participants reported being psychologically affected, while only a few were physically affected. Females were substantially more affected mentally and reported significantly more fear than males (p < 0.001). The effect of social media panic is associated with participants’ age, and gender at a 5% level of significance. A significant positive link between social media and the diffusion of COVID-19 fear has been shown in this study. According to the result of regression analysis, social media usage has a significant effect on the spread of panic among participants at a 5% level of significance. Study revealed that social media use has a significant impact on the development of panic among people regarding the COVID-19 epidemic, with possibly detrimental psychological and mental health repercussions.This study also discovered a strong correlation between COVID-19 fear and social media. According to the findings, the impact of social media on respondents’ terror levels differs depending on their age and gender. The government should take steps to punish those who spread false information or fake news to the public.

Health Information Sharing via Social Network Sites (SNSs): Integrating Social Support and Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

ABSTRACT Despite its prevalence, research on health information sharing via social network sites (SNSs) is mostly descriptive and often lacks a coherent theoretical framework. By integrating social support and socioemotional selectivity theory, the present study takes a uses and gratifications approach to examining what factors affected health information sharing via WeChat, the most widely used SNS in China. Results of an online survey (N = 519) show that emotional and informational support provisions both predicted health information sharing via WeChat. In addition, age moderated the effects of both support provision. While the relationship between emotional support provision and health information sharing was stronger among older adults, the effect of informational support provision was marginally significantly stronger among younger adults. These findings provide additional understanding of health information sharing via SNSs by revealing its emotional meaning and demonstrating different sharing motivations in different age groups, which offers implications on health information design, dissemination, and discussions in different groups.

Working like a Dog: Exploring the Role of a Therapy Dog in Clinical Exercise Physiology Practice.

Simple SummaryAnimals may be included in clinical care because they are suggested to reduce patients’ anxiety and stress and increase their interaction with practitioners. In this study, we surveyed and interviewed clients and students from a university teaching clinic about the inclusion of a therapy dog in the delivery of exercise physiology services. The dog and her handler worked together as a team in the clinic for one day a week for most of a year. No other animals worked in the clinic. Services in the clinic were led by students, who were supervised by the exercise physiologist who was also the canine handler. All clients came to the clinic to engage in exercise as medicine, that is, exercise as part of disease management or for recovery from injury or illness. One person who took part in the study had not actually met the dog, so we excluded those results. Everyone else who was surveyed or interviewed considered the dog, a female black Labrador, to be a well-behaved dog, and no-one considered her to be problematic to their engagement in exercise. Including a dog in clinical exercise practice may enhance some parts of the service delivery. Therapy animals in clinical settings are purported to reduce patients’ anxiety, decrease agitated behaviour, serve as social mediators, enhance the social atmosphere, and increase patients’ openness towards practitioners. A therapy dog worked alongside her exercise physiologist handler for approximately 1 day/week in a university clinic. The canine and handler functioned as a team, while the handler simultaneously undertook supervision of students. The clinic was open 24 h/week, and no other therapeutic animal was present for any part of the week. We explored, via surveys and interviews, human responses to the dog. The survey comprised 15 statement items regarding the canine’s role, behaviour, and acceptability in the clinic, ranked from strongly disagree (−2) to strongly agree (2), followed by an open item inviting participants to follow up interviews. Eleven (11) clinical clients and seven (7) students completed the survey. One client had not encountered the canine; these data were excluded. Four (4) participants from the client sample provided subsequent telephone interviews. All participants identified the canine as well-behaved; no participants considered that she detracted from their exercise sessions. Most participants were equivocal to statements regarding social lubrication and openness to practitioners; only three clients and two students identified that they felt more willing to share health information; three students identified that they felt they could confide more in the canine than in the practitioner. Interviewees’ reports were similarly favourable, reinforcing the information obtained from the surveys. Interview transcripts were subject to thematic analysis, which focussed around four key themes: (1) the canine’s good behaviour, (2) clients giving permission, and the canine as both (3) a pleasant distraction from the effort of exercise, and (4) nice to have. A therapy dog may enhance some aspects of exercise physiology service delivery.

What influences a person's willingness to share health information for both direct care and uses beyond direct care? Findings from a focus group study in Ireland.

Background: The sharing of health information is invaluable for direct care provision and reasons beyond direct care, such as for health services management. Previous studies have shown that willingness to share health information is influenced by an individual's trust in a healthcare professional or organisation, privacy and security concerns, and fear of discrimination based on sensitive information. The importance of engaging the public in policy and practice development relating to the use and sharing of health information has been identified as an essential step for countries to take. This study's aim was to examine the factors that influence the Irish public's willingness to share their health information as part of a national public engagement on health information. Methods: A qualitative study using online focus groups was conducted as part of a wider national public engagement on health information. Participants were purposively recruited from a combination of public, patient, and service user groups in Ireland. Focus group interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive content analysis. Results: In total, 85 participants took part in 14 focus groups between January and March 2021. Two major themes were identified, trust and personal and public benefits of sharing health information. The ability to exercise control over personal information, perceived transparency of the process, and the extent to which the healthcare service was viewed as confidential, all influenced the level of trust a person held. Perceived benefits were influenced by the extent to which participants believed information sharing would support improved care or provide broader public benefit, and balanced against the potential for personal harm. Conclusions: The findings allow for new insights into the views of the public on the use and sharing of personal health information and can be used to inform the development of a consent model for health information.

Health information seeking and sharing behavior of young adults on social media in Pakistan

Social media such as Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Twitter have radically enhanced the public access to health information. Still, studies have unexplored the factors that contribute toward such behaviors especially in developing countries. Therefore, this study identifies the factors that contribute to the likelihood of young adults’ health information seeking and sharing on social media. Specifically, drawing upon health belief model (HBM), the study attempts to understand how health belief and e-Health literacy affects health information seeking and sharing on social media. The study collected data from 413 young adults through Google Forms on a random basis. The results generated applying structural equation modeling confirmed that HBM related factors such as perceived susceptibility, perceived severity and perceived benefits positively while perceived barriers negatively influence young adults’ health information seeking and sharing intentions on social media. Furthermore, e-Health literacy was positively associated with health information seeking and sharing intentions on social media. This study is amongst a first few studies in the context of developing world to investigate the young adults’ intentions of seeking and sharing health information on social media based on HBM.

Social Networking Service, Patient-Generated Health Data, and Population Health Informatics: National Cross-sectional Study of Patterns and Implications of Leveraging Digital Technologies to Support Mental Health and Well-being.

BackgroundThe emerging health technologies and digital services provide effective ways of collecting health information and gathering patient-generated health data (PGHD), which provide a more holistic view of a patient’s health and quality of life over time, increase visibility into a patient’s adherence to a treatment plan or study protocol, and enable timely intervention before a costly care episode.ObjectiveThrough a national cross-sectional survey in the United States, we aimed to describe and compare the characteristics of populations with and without mental health issues (depression or anxiety disorders), including physical health, sleep, and alcohol use. We also examined the patterns of social networking service use, PGHD, and attitudes toward health information sharing and activities among the participants, which provided nationally representative estimates.MethodsWe drew data from the 2019 Health Information National Trends Survey of the National Cancer Institute. The participants were divided into 2 groups according to mental health status. Then, we described and compared the characteristics of the social determinants of health, health status, sleeping and drinking behaviors, and patterns of social networking service use and health information data sharing between the 2 groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to assess the predictors of mental health. All the analyses were weighted to provide nationally representative estimates.ResultsParticipants with mental health issues were significantly more likely to be younger, White, female, and lower-income; have a history of chronic diseases; and be less capable of taking care of their own health. Regarding behavioral health, they slept <6 hours on average, had worse sleep quality, and consumed more alcohol. In addition, they were more likely to visit and share health information on social networking sites, write online diary blogs, participate in online forums or support groups, and watch health-related videos.ConclusionsThis study illustrates that individuals with mental health issues have inequitable social determinants of health, poor physical health, and poor behavioral health. However, they are more likely to use social networking platforms and services, share their health information, and actively engage with PGHD. Leveraging these digital technologies and services could be beneficial for developing tailored and effective strategies for self-monitoring and self-management.

Empowering Patients Through Virtual Care Delivery: Qualitative Study With Micropractice Clinic Patients and Health Care Providers.

BackgroundPrior to the wider adoption of digital health technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic, applications of virtual care were largely limited to specialist visits and remote care using telehealth (phone or video) applications. Data sharing approaches using tethered patient portals were mostly built around hospitals and larger care systems. These portals offer opportunities for improved communication, but despite a belief that care has improved, they have so far shown few outcome improvements beyond medication adherence. Less is known about use of virtual care and related tools in the outpatient context and particularly in rural community contexts.ObjectiveThis study aims to reflect on the opportunities and barriers for sustainable virtual care through an example of a digitally enabled rural micropractice, which has provided 10%-15% virtual care since 2016 and 70% virtual care since March 2020.MethodsThree focus groups, 1 with providers (physician and medical office manager) and 2 with a total of 8 patients from a rural micropractice in British Columbia, were conducted in November 2020 and December 2020. Virtual care delivery was explored through the topics of communication approach, mixing virtual and in-person care, the practice team’s journey in developing these approaches, and provider and patient satisfaction with the care model. Interviews were transcribed, checked for accuracy against recordings, and thematically analyzed.ResultsBoth patients and providers reported ease of communication and high satisfaction. Either could initiate communication, and patients found the ability to share health information asynchronously through the portal allowed time to reflect and prepare their thoughts. Patients were highly engaged and reported feeling empowered and true partners in their health care, although they noted limited care coordination with specialists. The mix of virtual and in-person visits was highly regarded by patients and providers, and patients reported feeling safe and cared for 24/7, although both expressed concern about work spilling into the provider’s home life. The physician worried about missed diagnoses with virtual care. With respect to establishing the micropractice, solutions took about 5 years to optimize, with providers noting a learning curve requiring technical support for both themselves and their patients and a willingness to respond to patient feedback to identify the best solutions. Despite a mature virtual practice, patients reported deferred care due to COVID-19.ConclusionsThe micropractice’s hybrid care model encouraged patients to be true partners in their care and resulted in high patient engagement and satisfaction; yet, success may rely on the patient population being willing to engage and being comfortable with technology. Barriers lie in gaps in care coordination and provider fear that signs or symptoms more evident with an in-person exam could be missed. Even in this setting, deferral of care in light of COVID-19 was present, and opportunities to address care gaps should be sought.

Theoretical and practical applications of blockchain in healthcare information management

A primary objective of blockchain technology is to address information security and efficiency issues related to existing information sharing systems. For the sharing of health records, little is known about the application of blockchain in management information systems. There are strict regulations for sharing health information due to insecure systems and privacy concerns. To significantly and effectively improve medical diagnosis, it is beneficial to have efficient, reliable, and accurate accessibility to a patient's full medical history. Due to concerns with the security of health systems and privacy concerns, medical histories are not always accessible to healthcare providers. To help increase accessibility options, this research proposes a blockchain-based model that facilitates sharing medical records in a manner that is beneficial to both healthcare providers and patients. Social exchange theory provides the theoretical support for the conceptual model presented. Experimental findings based on 151 participants revealed that the blockchain technology can provide a secure information system and increase patient motivation to share medical records. To show the applicability of the proposed use of blockchain from a practical managerial perspective, we show feasibility by developing an Android software application.

Assessing barriers, opportunities and future directions in health information sharing in humanitarian contexts: a mixed-method study

ObjectivesHealth information sharing continues to play a crucial yet underappreciated role in humanitarian settings, to guide evidence-based disease prevention, detection and response. We conducted a mixed-methods study to investigate and...

An electronic patient-reported outcome created based on my needs is worth using: an explorative qualitative study investigating young people\u2019s opinions for a health assessment tool

BackgroundYoung people in different healthcare settings are positive about using electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs), which are meant to increase the effectiveness and safety of interventions from the patient’s perspective. Sweden offers free healthcare to young people aged 12–25 years at 275 youth health clinics (YHCs), whose goals are to strengthen young people and promote sexual, physical, and mental health. YHCs need effective ways to identify the overall picture of young people’s health and health-related problems. To our knowledge, there is no ePRO for YHCs that provides an overview of young people’s health from several health perspectives. The aim of this study was to explore young people’s view on content and design of an ePRO to provide an overview of their health and health related problems when visiting a YHC, and their opinion on what healthcare needs to consider when using the ePRO. This was an explorative qualitative study. The participants were included from five YHCs, in different socioeconomic areas in central Sweden. Fifteen participants were included: 10 girls, three boys, and two non-binary participants with an age range of 16–22 years. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide and individual interviews, and inductive content analysis was performed.ResultsOne main theme, “ePRO created based on my needs is worth using” and two sub-themes, “Appealing content and design” and “Trusting healthcare”, emerged. The participants wanted that an ePRO should include overall questions about mental-, physical-, and sexual health and social support. Participants also believed the ePRO must disclose the risks of self-harm or suicide. The participants noted the importance of emotional and digital security when using the ePRO and having a confidential conversation with a healthcare provider. To share health information means to trust to gain health.ConclusionsThe study participants' views on content and design can form the basis for designing an ePRO for young people. Their thoughts on safety and treatment in healthcare can be considered in the development process. This study is the starting point for developing an ePRO for young people at YHCs.

Improvement of the Japanese healthcare data system for the effective management of patients with COVID-19: A national survey

ObjectiveThe burden of data entry in public platforms used for reporting patients with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a challenge in the healthcare setting. The key to mitigating the burden of data entry is system integration and elimination of double data entry. In addition, the linkage between public platforms and electronic medical records (EMRs) involves external networks, which are an important target for security management. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the status and challenges of infrastructure for continuous data reporting from hospitals in Japan. Materials and MethodsAn online survey of Japanese care delivery institutions was conducted from January 25 to February 22, 2021, to obtain data on the admission of patients with COVID-19, use of information infrastructures, and status of network connections with external organizations. The survey request was distributed to each care delivery institution by Japanese health authorities. ResultsOf the care delivery institutions that responded to the survey, 53.9% treated patients with COVID-19. Of these institutions, 73.3% used EMRs. 57.8% of the EMRs were connected to an external network. The purpose of connecting to the external network was to contribute to regional health information-sharing with other hospitals (22.0%), report online medical insurance claims (27.5%), and conduct intrahospital system maintenance (61.5%). A frequent concern about connecting an EMR to an external network was data leakage. DiscussionIn cases where the frequency of reporting patients with COVID-19 is high, health authorities should provide information regarding anti-data-leakage measures and coordinate frameworks for efficient, sustainable data collection. ConclusionsWe obtained information on existing infrastructures for patient data sharing among care delivery institutions and public health authorities. Our findings may be referenced by the government to make informed decisions about investments.

Digital Health Literacy and Information-Seeking Behavior among University College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study from Denmark.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the concomitant infodemic have emphasized the importance of digital health literacy (DHL) to global public health research and practice. The aim of this study was to examine information-seeking behavior, the ability to find, understand and deal with health information among university college students in Denmark and/in addition we wanted to examine the impact of their close social network on students’ ability to find and understand health information. This research was carried out as part of the COVID-HL university student survey by using a uniform questionnaire consisting of elaborated scales. Data were collected from a cross-sectional survey conducted at University College South during 4 weeks in April and May 2020. To capture DHL, four subscales of the DHL instrument were adapted to the pandemic context. A total of 59.9% of the students have sufficient DHL—most students find it rather easy to find information and are satisfied with the information they find on the internet. However, some (28.1%) students find it difficult to judge the quality and reliability of the information. Students with a sufficient level of DHL are more likely to seek information through search engines and websites of official institutions, while students with a limited level of DHL more often use social media for health information. Students with sufficient DHL more often share health information and less often ask for support in their network

#CoronaVirus and public health: the role of social media in sharing health information

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how factual information and misinformation are being shared on Twitter by identifying types of social media users who initiate the information diffusion process.Design/methodology/approach This study used a mixed methodology approach to analyze tweets with COVID-19-related hashtags. First, a social network analysis was conducted to identify social media users who initiate the information diffusion process, followed by a quantitative content analysis of tweets by users with more than 5K retweets to identify what COVID-19 claims, factual information, misinformation and disinformation was shared on Twitter.Findings Results found very little misinformation and disinformation distributed widely. While health experts and journalists shared factual COVID-19-related information, they were not receiving optimum engagement. Tweets by citizens focusing on personal experience or opinions received more retweets and likes compared to any other sender type. Similarly, celebrities received more replies than any other sender type.Practical implications This study helps medical experts and government agencies understand the type of COVID-19 content and communication being shared on social media for population health purposes.Originality/value This study offers insight into how social media users engage with COVID-19-related information on Twitter and offers a typology of categories of information shared about the pandemic.Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-03-2021-0143/.

Children who stroke on VAD support: When is it safe to transplant and what are their outcomes?

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) increase waitlist survival, yet the risk of stroke remains notable. The purpose of this study was to analyze how strokes on VAD support impact post-transplant (post-Tx) outcomes in children. About 520 pediatric (<18years) heart transplant candidates listed from January 2011 to April 2018 with a VAD implant date were matched between the United Network of Organ Sharing and Pediatric Health Information System databases. Patients were divided into pre-Tx Stroke and No Stroke cohorts. About 81% of the 520 patients were transplanted; 28% (n=146) had a pre-Tx Stroke; and 59% (n=89) of the Stroke patients were transplanted at a median of 57 (IQR 17-102) days from stroke. Significantly more No Stroke cohort (90%) were transplanted (p<0.001). There was no difference in post-Tx survival between the Stroke and No Stroke cohorts (p=0.440). Time between stroke and transplant for patients who died within 1year of transplant was 32.0days (median) compared to 60.5days for those alive >1year (p=0.18). Regarding patients in whom time from stroke to transplant was more than 60days, one-year survival of Stroke vs. No Stroke patients was 96% vs. 95% (p=0.811), respectively. Patients with stroke during VAD support, once transplanted, enjoy similar survival compared to No Stroke patients. We hypothesize that allowing Stroke patients more time to recover could improve post-Tx outcomes. Unfortunately, the ideal duration of time between stroke and safe transplantation could not be determined and will require more detailed and larger studies in the future.

Factors Associated With Willingness to Share Health Information: Rapid Review.

BackgroundTo expand research and strategies to prevent disease, comprehensive and real-time data are essential. Health data are increasingly available from platforms such as pharmaceuticals, genomics, health care imaging, medical procedures, wearable devices, and internet activity. Further, health data are integrated with an individual’s sociodemographic information, medical conditions, genetics, treatments, and health care. Ultimately, health information generation and flow are controlled by the patient or participant; however, there is a lack of understanding about the factors that influence willingness to share health information. A synthesis of the current literature on the multifactorial nature of health information sharing preferences is required to understand health information exchange.ObjectiveThe objectives of this review are to identify peer-reviewed literature that reported factors associated with health information sharing and to organize factors into cohesive themes and present a narrative synthesis of factors related to willingness to share health information.MethodsThis review uses a rapid review methodology to gather literature regarding willingness to share health information within the context of eHealth, which includes electronic health records, personal health records, mobile health information, general health information, or information on social determinants of health. MEDLINE and Google Scholar were searched using keywords such as electronic health records AND data sharing OR sharing preference OR willingness to share. The search was limited to any population that excluded health care workers or practitioners, and the participants aged ≥18 years within the US or Canadian context. The data abstraction process using thematic analysis where any factors associated with sharing health information were highlighted and coded inductively within each article. On the basis of shared meaning, the coded factors were collated into major themes.ResultsA total of 26 research articles met our inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative analysis. The inductive thematic coding process revealed multiple major themes related to sharing health information.ConclusionsThis review emphasized the importance of data generators’ viewpoints and the complex systems of factors that shape their decision to share health information. The themes explored in this study emphasize the importance of trust at multiple levels to develop effective information exchange partnerships. In the case of improving precision health care, addressing the factors presented here that influence willingness to share information can improve sharing capacity for individuals and allow researchers to reorient their methods to address hesitation in sharing health information.

Senior High School Students' Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Information on Their Health in the Kumasi Metropolis.

The study examines senior high school students' understanding and attitudes toward information on their health in the Kumasi Metropolis. Multiple sampling techniques (convenient and simple random sampling techniques) were used in the study. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 391 respondents for the study. Frequencies and percentages were used to analyze the sociodemographic data. Again, the study used Pearson's correlation coefficient to show the degree of relationship between the level of knowledge of health information and attitudes toward seeking and sharing health information. The study found students' knowledge of the causes and symptoms of malaria, cholera, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) to be appreciably high as a result of readings from textbooks and health professionals. Again, the study found that the students preferred sharing their health information with friends than their parents and schools' authorities. The study further found that the major sources of students' health information included health professionals and textbooks. Lastly, even though some of the students claimed internet sources to their health information, it was not a major source to the student body at large. The study recommends strong health systems on the campuses of senior high schools as they have become communities on their own as a result of the emergence of the free senior high school program. The monitored positive peer-counseling group should also be encouraged by the schools' management and by extension the counseling units for the students to share views on themselves, particularly on health issues where they deem fit.