59,823 results
Search Results
52. How to read a research paper: Reading between and beyond the lines
- Author
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Chittaranjan Andrade
- Subjects
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor ,how to read a research paper ,Ecological validity ,Interpretation (philosophy) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Perspective (graphical) ,case–control study ,Absolute risk ,Pg CME ,Epistemology ,confounding ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Reading (process) ,Relevance (information retrieval) ,pregnancy ,teratogenicity ,Psychology ,Social psychology ,confidence intervals ,media_common - Abstract
Background: Despite peer review, publications in scientific journals are not always well written, sometimes contain errors, and often exhibit deliberate or unintended biases. It is necessary to learn how to identify such limitations. It is also necessary to learn how to read between and beyond the lines of papers no matter how well written they are and no matter how highly ranked the journal is. Materials and Methods: This paper critically examines an important article in a leading journal with a view to help the reader learn how to place the findings of a study in perspective, understand its limitations, and glean information beyond that actually presented and discussed in the text. Results: Several issues are examined; these relate to case-control research designs, confounding, propensity matching, absolute risk, confidence intervals, interpretation of findings, real-world relevance, ecological validity, and definition of a cause-effect relationship. Conclusions: The issues examined in this paper reflect common themes in research, and a reader aware of these themes will more easily identify them in his future readings.
- Published
- 2012
53. Model confidence bounds for variable selection.
- Author
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Li Y, Luo Y, Ferrari D, Hu X, and Qin Y
- Subjects
- Algorithms, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Humans, Methods, Monte Carlo Method, Uncertainty, Confidence Intervals, Models, Statistical
- Abstract
In this article, we introduce the concept of model confidence bounds (MCB) for variable selection in the context of nested models. Similarly to the endpoints in the familiar confidence interval for parameter estimation, the MCB identifies two nested models (upper and lower confidence bound models) containing the true model at a given level of confidence. Instead of trusting a single selected model obtained from a given model selection method, the MCB proposes a group of nested models as candidates and the MCB's width and composition enable the practitioner to assess the overall model selection uncertainty. A new graphical tool-the model uncertainty curve (MUC)-is introduced to visualize the variability of model selection and to compare different model selection procedures. The MCB methodology is implemented by a fast bootstrap algorithm that is shown to yield the correct asymptotic coverage under rather general conditions. Our Monte Carlo simulations and real data examples confirm the validity and illustrate the advantages of the proposed method., (© 2019 International Biometric Society.)
- Published
- 2019
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54. The effectiveness of abstinence‐based and harm reduction‐based interventions in reducing problematic substance use in adults who are experiencing homelessness in high income countries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis: A systematic review
- Author
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O'Leary, Chris, Ralphs, Rob, Stevenson, Jennifer, Smith, Andrew, Harrison, Jordan, Kiss, Zsolt, and Armitage, Harry
- Subjects
SUBSTANCE abuse prevention ,MOTIVATIONAL interviewing ,PSYCHOTHERAPY ,DETOXIFICATION (Alternative medicine) ,BEHAVIOR modification ,DEVELOPED countries ,META-analysis ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,HARM reduction ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,REWARD (Psychology) ,HOMELESSNESS ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,COGNITIVE therapy ,DRUG abstinence ,ADULTS - Abstract
Background: Homelessness is a traumatic experience, and can have a devastating effect on those experiencing it. People who are homeless often face significant barriers when accessing public services, and have often experienced adverse childhood events, extreme social disadvantage, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, neglect, low self‐esteem, poor physical and mental health, and much lower life expectancy compared to the general population. Rates of problematic substance use are disproportionately high, with many using drugs and alcohol to deal with the stress of living on the street, to keep warm, or to block out memories of previous abuse or trauma. Substance dependency can also create barriers to successful transition to stable housing. Objectives: To understand the effectiveness of different substance use interventions for adults experiencing homelessness. Search Methods: The primary source of studies for was the 4th edition of the Homelessness Effectiveness Studies Evidence and Gaps Maps (EGM). Searches for the EGM were completed in September 2021. Other potential studies were identified through a call for grey evidence, hand‐searching key journals, and unpacking relevant systematic reviews. Selection Criteria: Eligible studies were impact evaluations that involved some comparison group. We included studies that tested the effectiveness of substance use interventions, and measured substance use outcomes, for adults experiencing homelessness in high income countries. Data Collection and Analysis: Descriptive characteristics and statistical information in included studies were coded and checked by at least two members of the review team. Studies selected for the review were assessed for confidence in the findings. Standardised effect sizes were calculated and, if a study did not provide sufficient raw data for the calculation of an effect size, author(s) were contacted to obtain these data. We used random‐effects meta‐analysis and robust‐variance estimation procedures to synthesise effect sizes. If a study included multiple effects, we carried out a critical assessment to determine (even if only theoretically) whether the effects are likely to be dependent. Where dependent effects were identified, we used robust variance estimation to determine whether we can account for these. Where effect sizes were converted from a binary to continuous measure (or vice versa), we undertook a sensitivity analysis by running an additional analysis with these studies omitted. We also assessed the sensitivity of results to inclusion of non‐randomised studies and studies classified as low confidence in findings. All included an assessment of statistical heterogeneity. Finally, we undertook analysis to assess whether publication bias was likely to be a factor in our findings. For those studies that we were unable to include in meta‐analysis, we have provided a narrative synthesis of the study and its findings. Main Results: We included 48 individual papers covering 34 unique studies. The studies covered 15, 255 participants, with all but one of the studies being from the United States and Canada. Most papers were rated as low confidence (n = 25, or 52%). By far the most common reason for studies being rated as low confidence was high rates of attrition and/or differential attrition of study participants, that fell below the What Works Clearinghouse liberal attrition standard. Eleven of the included studies were rated as medium confidence and 12 studies as high confidence. The interventions included in our analysis were more effective in reducing substance use than treatment as usual, with an overall effect size of –0.11 SD (95% confidence interval [CI], −0.27, 0.05). There was substantial heterogeneity across studies, and the results were sensitive to the removal of low confidence studies (−0.21 SD, 95% CI [−0.59, 0.17] − 6 studies, 17 effect sizes), the removal of quasi‐experimental studies (−0.14 SD, 95% CI [−0.30, 0.02] − 14 studies, 41 effect sizes) and the removal of studies where an effect size had been converted from a binary to a continuous outcome (−0.08 SD, 95% CI [−0.31, 0.15] − 10 studies, 31 effect sizes). This suggests that the findings are sensitive to the inclusion of lower quality studies, although unusually the average effect increases when we removed low confidence studies. The average effect for abstinence‐based interventions compared to treatment‐as‐usual (TAU) service provision was –0.28 SD (95% CI, −0.65, 0.09) (6 studies, 15 effect sizes), and for harm reduction interventions compared to a TAU service provision is close to 0 at 0.03 SD (95% CI, −0.08, 0.14) (9 studies, 30 effect sizes). The confidence intervals for both estimates are wide and crossing zero. For both, the comparison groups are primarily abstinence‐based, with the exception of two studies where the comparison group condition was unclear. We found that both Assertative Community Treatment and Intensive Case Management were no better than treatment as usual, with average effect on substance use of 0.03 SD, 95% CI [−0.07, 0.13] and –0.47 SD, 95% CI [−0.72, −0.21] 0.05 SD, 95% CI [−0.28, 0.39] respectively. These findings are consistent with wider research, and it is important to note that we only examined the effect on substance use outcomes (these interventions can be effective in terms of other outcomes). We found that CM interventions can be effective in reducing substance use compared to treatment as usual, with an average effect of –0.47 SD, 95% CI (−0.72, −0.21). All of these results need to be considered in light of the quality of the underlying evidence. There were six further interventions where we undertook narrative synthesis. These syntheses suggest that Group Work, Harm Reduction Psychotherapy, and Therapeutic Communities are effective in reducing substance use, with mixed results found for Motivational Interviewing and Talking Therapies (including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). The narrative synthesis suggested that Residential Rehabilitation was no better than treatment as usual in terms of reducing substance use for our population of interest. Authors' Conclusions: Although our analysis of harm reduction versus treatment as usual, abstinence versus treatment as usual, and harm reduction versus abstinence suggests that these different approaches make little real difference to the outcomes achieved in comparison to treatment as usual. The findings suggest that some individual interventions are more effective than others. The overall low quality of the primary studies suggests that further primary impact research could be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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55. Score equivalence of paper-, tablet-, and interactive voice response system-based versions of PROMIS, PRO-CTCAE, and numerical rating scales among cancer patients.
- Author
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Lee, Minji K., Beebe, Timothy J., Yost, Kathleen J., Eton, David T., Novotny, Paul J., Dueck, Amylou C., Frost, Marlene, and Sloan, Jeff A.
- Subjects
INTERACTIVE voice response (Telecommunication) ,MENTAL health of cancer patients ,TABLET computers ,MENTAL depression ,COMPUTER software ,ACQUISITION of data ,ELECTRODIAGNOSIS ,RESEARCH evaluation ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,RESEARCH methodology evaluation ,RESEARCH methodology ,HEALTH outcome assessment ,AUTOMATIC speech recognition ,CANCER patients ,COMPARATIVE studies ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,RESEARCH funding ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,QUALITY of life ,DATA analysis software ,PORTABLE computers ,EVALUATION - Abstract
Background: The study tests the effects of data collection modes on patient responses associated with the multi-item measures such as Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement System (PROMIS
® ), and single-item measures such as Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE), and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) measures. Methods: Adult cancer patients were recruited from five cancer centers and administered measures of anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain intensity, pain interference, ability to participate in social roles and activities, global mental and physical health, and physical function. Patients were randomized to complete the measures on paper (595), interactive voice response (IVR, 596) system, or tablet computer (589). We evaluated differential item functioning (DIF) by method of data collection using the R software package, lordif. For constructs that showed no DIF, we concluded equivalence across modes if the equivalence margin, defined as ± 0.20 × pooled SD, completely surrounds 95% confidence intervals (CI's) for difference in mean score. If the 95% CI fell totally outside the equivalence margin, we concluded systematic score difference by modes. If the 95% CI partly overlaps the equivalence margin, we concluded neither equivalence nor difference. Results: For all constructs, no DIF of any kind was found for the three modes. The scores on paper and tablet were more comparable than between IVR and other modes but none of the 95% CI's were completely outside the equivalence margins, in which we established neither equivalence nor difference. Percentages of missing values were comparable for paper and tablet modes. Percentages of missing values were higher for IVR (2.3% to 6.5% depending on measures) compared to paper and tablet modes (0.7% to 3.3% depending on measures and modes), which was attributed to random technical difficulties experienced in some centers. Conclusion: Across all mode comparisons, there were some measures with CI's not completely contained within the margin of small effect. Two visual modes agreed more than visual-auditory pairs. IVR may induce differences in scores unrelated to constructs being measured in comparison with paper and tablet. The users of the surveys should consider using IVR only when paper and computer administration is not feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2021
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56. Characterization of graduation final paper work in occupational therapy of a public university.
- Author
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Freire Zanco, Kezia, Santos Nascimento, Janaína, Villaça Gonçalves, Monica, and Bonadiu Pelosi, Miryam
- Subjects
CHI-squared test ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,CONTENT analysis ,EDUCATIONAL tests & measurements ,INTERNSHIP programs ,RESEARCH methodology ,OCCUPATIONAL therapy ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,STATISTICS ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,GRADUATE education ,QUALITATIVE research ,OCCUPATIONAL therapy education ,QUANTITATIVE research ,DATA analysis software - Abstract
Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Occupational Therapy / Cadernos Brasileiros de Terapia Ocupacional is the property of Cadernos de Terapia Ocupacional da UFSCar and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2019
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57. Back pain beliefs in adolescents and adults in Australasia: A cross-sectional pilot study of selected psychometric properties of paper-based and web-based questionnaires in two diverse countries.
- Author
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Boon-Kiang Tan, Burnett, Angus, Hallett, Jonathan, Amy Ha, and Briggs, Andrew M.
- Subjects
- *
LUMBAR pain , *ANALYSIS of variance , *ATTITUDE (Psychology) , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *STATISTICAL correlation , *HEALTH attitudes , *PROBABILITY theory , *PSYCHOMETRICS , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *RESEARCH funding , *PILOT projects , *HUMAN research subjects , *CROSS-sectional method , *DATA analysis software , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *ODDS ratio , *ADOLESCENCE , *ADULTS , *PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether questionnaires measuring psychosocial constructs related to low back pain (LBP) that were originally designed for adults are suitable for adolescents, and if paper and web-versions have similar measurement properties. OBJECTIVES: To examine selected psychometric properties for the paper- and web-based Back-Beliefs Questionnaire (BBQ) and the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ-phys) among adults and adolescents in two diverse countries and to determine whether differences existed between countries and pain groups. METHODS: A sample of 156 adults (Hong Kong, n = 75; Australia, n = 81) and 96 adolescents (Hong Kong, n = 61; Australia, n = 35) participated in this cross-sectional study. RESULTS: Main effects for country and administration mode were observed in adult BBQ scores, where Australian adults reported significantly higher BBQ scores than Hong Kong adults (mean difference (MD); 95% CI: 2.85; 0.96-4.74) and significantly higher scores were recorded on the web mode compared to the paper mode (MD 0.74; 0.10-1.38). Similarly, Hong Kong adults and adolescents reported higher FABQ-phys scores than Australian adults and adolescents (MD; 95% CI: 3.40; 1.37-5.43 and 4.88; 0.53-9.23, respectively). Internal consistency values were mostly acceptable (α⩾0.7). CONCLUSION: Differences exist between cultures for LBP-related beliefs. The BBQ and FABQ-phys have acceptable measurement properties in both administration modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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58. Patient preference: a comparison of electronic patient-completed questionnaires with paper among cancer patients.
- Author
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Martin, P., Brown, M.C., Espin‐Garcia, O., Cuffe, S., Pringle, D., Mahler, M., Villeneuve, J., Niu, C., Charow, R., Lam, C., Shani, R.M., Hon, H., Otsuka, M., Xu, W., Alibhai, S., Jenkinson, J., and Liu, G.
- Subjects
- *
TUMOR classification , *CANCER patients , *CHI-squared test , *COMPUTERS , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *DEMOGRAPHY , *ETHNIC groups , *LABOR productivity , *MULTIVARIATE analysis , *PATIENT satisfaction , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *RACE , *TECHNOLOGY , *WHITE people , *DATA analysis , *PATIENT selection , *DATA analysis software , *ELECTRONIC health records , *ODDS ratio , *MANN Whitney U Test - Abstract
In this study, we compared cancer patients preference for computerised (tablet/web-based) surveys versus paper. We also assessed whether the understanding of a cancer-related topic, pharmacogenomics is affected by the survey format, and examined differences in demographic and medical characteristics which may affect patient preference and understanding. Three hundred and four cancer patients completed a tablet-administered survey and another 153 patients completed a paper-based survey. Patients who participated in the tablet survey were questioned regarding their preference for survey format administration (paper, tablet and web-based). Understanding was assessed with a 'direct' method, by asking patients to assess their understanding of genetic testing, and with a 'composite' score. Patients preferred administration with tablet (71%) compared with web-based (12%) and paper (17%). Patients <65 years old, non-Caucasians and white-collar professionals significantly preferred the computerised format following multivariate analysis. There was no significant difference in understanding between the paper and tablet survey with direct questioning or composite score. Age (<65 years) and white-collar professionals were associated with increased understanding (both P = 0.03). There was no significant difference in understanding between the tablet and print survey in a multivariate analysis. Patients overwhelmingly preferred computerised surveys and understanding of pharmacogenomics was not affected by survey format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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59. Ovarian cancer and occupational exposure among pulp and paper employees in Norway
- Author
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Hilde, Langseth and Kristina, Kjaerheim
- Subjects
Ovarian Neoplasms ,Paper ,Norway ,Asbestos ,Dust ,Risk Factors ,Talc ,Case-Control Studies ,Occupational Exposure ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Confidence Intervals ,Humans ,Female ,Epidemiologic Methods - Abstract
A cohort study of female pulp and paper workers in Norway has shown a significantly increased risk of ovarian cancer. Other than the involvement of hormonal and reproductive factors, little is known of the etiology of ovarian cancer. Asbestos and talc are two agents hypothesized to influence the development of the disease. The present study aimed to investigate the association between ovarian cancer and occupational exposure to asbestos, talc, and total dust among Norwegian pulp and paper workers.Forty-six cases of ovarian cancer, with four controls each, were included in the study. Occupational exposure was assessed by combining work histories from personnel files, questionnaire information about production processes, and exposure assessments from the mills. To obtain information about possible confounders, cases and controls were invited to participate in a personal interview.The odds ratio for asbestos exposure was 2.02, 95% confidence interval 0.72-5.66. For talc exposure, the odds ratio was 1.10, and for ever exposure to total dust, it was below 1.00. The risk estimates did not essentially differ after adjustment for possible confounding variables.The results do not confirm an association between exposure to asbestos, talc, and total dust and ovarian cancer among Norwegian pulp and paper workers. However, the odds ratio for asbestos exposure was doubled, and control for established nonoccupational risk factors did not change the estimate. Therefore, the possibility that exposure to substances in the work environment contributes to the elevated risk cannot be rejected.
- Published
- 2004
60. Binding of cadmium on raw paper pulp. Relationship between temperature and sorption kinetics
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Jose Tarazona, G. Carbonell, and C. Garcı́a-Gomez
- Subjects
inorganic chemicals ,Paper ,Environmental Engineering ,Time Factors ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Kinetics ,Inorganic chemistry ,Sorption kinetics ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Food Contamination ,engineering.material ,law.invention ,law ,Confidence Intervals ,Environmental Chemistry ,Cadmium ,Aqueous solution ,Kinetic models ,Pulp (paper) ,Spectrophotometry, Atomic ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Food Packaging ,Temperature ,Water ,Heavy metals ,General Medicine ,General Chemistry ,Pollution ,AAS ,chemistry ,Models, Chemical ,Kinetic equations ,Environmental chemistry ,engineering ,Adsorption ,Atomic absorption spectroscopy - Abstract
Several assays have been carried out in order to study in detail the cadmium mobility from water to virgin pulp as previous step of cadmium mobility description from paper into food. Virgin pulp has been immersed in different concentration aqueous solutions at several temperatures and during short and long time. The absorbed cadmium amounts have been measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. For a long time, the temperature of storage is not an important factor except during the first 3 h. In general, percentage of migrated cadmium into pulp is between 30% and 90% of initial charge. Kinetic equation of cadmium mobility has been described employing statistics methods with a very good correlation. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
- Published
- 2002
61. A comparative study of scores on computer-based tests and paper-based tests.
- Author
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Jeong, Hanho
- Subjects
- *
CURRICULUM , *READING , *SEX distribution , *EDUCATIONAL tests & measurements , *ONE-way analysis of variance , *COMPUTER assisted instruction , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *INFORMATION display systems - Abstract
The use of computer-based tests (CBTs) has spread rapidly in recent years, as such tests offer real-time scoring and immediate feedback, facilitate the use of individualised testing methods, improve test administration and reduce test expenses. Thus, most previous studies have tended to focus on the technical advantages of CBTs and on implementation issues. However, objections to the use of CBTs have begun to surface, and the primary concern is whether the scores of CBTs and those of paper-based tests (PBTs) are equivalent. The aim of this article is to compare the scores of Korean students on computer-based and paper-based versions of the same test. We focus on the differences between the scores of male and female participants and between scores on tests examining different subject matter. Surprisingly, even though the Korean students who participated in this study had more exposure to advanced information technologies such as computers, the Internet and multimedia than did students in other countries, they did not achieve higher CBT scores than PBT scores. This finding shows that familiarity with information technology and adaptation to CBTs are distinct. We also identified a fundamental reason for low CBT scores. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
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62. Cancer incidence among male pulp and paper workers in Norway
- Author
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Aage Andersen and Hilde Langseth
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Lymphoma ,Air Pollutants, Occupational ,medicine.disease_cause ,Asbestos ,Cohort Studies ,Age Distribution ,Risk Factors ,Neoplasms ,medicine ,Confidence Intervals ,Humans ,Registries ,Risk factor ,Lung cancer ,business.industry ,Norway ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Incidence ,Smoking ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Cancer ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Respiratory Tract Neoplasms ,Surgery ,Occupational Diseases ,Survival Rate ,Standardized mortality ratio ,Chemical Industry ,Cohort ,business ,Cohort study ,Demography - Abstract
Objectives The study investigated cancer incidence among 23 718 male pulp and paper workers employed continuously for at least 1 year between 1920 and 1993 in Norway. Methods The name, date of birth, personal identification number, dates of hire and termination for all employment periods, specific department, and job categories were registered for each worker. Six subcohorts were established (sulfite mill, sulfate mill, paper mill, maintenance department, administrative staff and other departments). Data on the cohort were linked with data in the Norwegian Cancer Register. The follow-up period for cancer incidence, date of death, or emigration was from 1953 through 1993. Results An excess incidence of lung cancer was found among both short- and long-term employees [standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 1.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.13-2.03 and SIR 1.2, 95% CI 1.09-1.34, respectively], especially for workers with the longest latency (SIR 1.3, 95% CI 1.08-1.44) and for sulfite mill workers (SIR 1.5, 95% CI 1.09-1.99). The risk for pleural mesothelioma was also increased (SIR 2.4, 95% CI 1.45-3.75), especially among maintenance workers. The results also showed an increased risk for malignant melanoma (SIR 1.3, 95% CI 1.04-1.60), an unexpected finding. Conclusion Almost all the increased risk for lung cancer can be explained by a combination of smoking habits and asbestos use, although an effect of other work-related exposures (sulfur and chloride compounds, wood dust) cannot be excluded. Most of the cases of pleural mesothelioma occurred in departments where asbestos was used. There is no clear explanation for the excess of malignant melanoma, and the finding may be a chance occurrence.
- Published
- 2000
63. USING CALIBRATION AND INTEROBSERVER AGREEMENT ALGORITHMS TO ASSESS THE ACCURACY AND PRECISION OF DATA FROM ELECTRONIC AND PEN-AND-PAPER CONTINUOUS RECORDING METHODS.
- Author
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Phillips, Katrina J., Mudford, Oliver C., Zeleny, Jason R., and Elliffe, Douglas
- Subjects
- *
QUALITY assurance , *CALIBRATION , *ALGORITHMS , *COMPUTER input-output equipment , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *PORTABLE computers , *REGRESSION analysis , *VIDEO recording , *INTER-observer reliability , *CONTENT mining , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,WRITING - Abstract
Often it is assumed that electronic recording by observers necessarily provides better quality data than pen-and-paper methods. Fifteen novice observers recorded rates of responding from 10 role-played video samples using one of three continuous recording input formats: keyboard (laptop), touchscreen (personal digital assistants), or pen-and-paper. We evaluated the quality of the observers' data compared with criterion records using calibration and interobserver agreement algorithms. Results of the calibration analysis revealed that observers in the touchscreen group produced the most consistently accurate and precise data, the keyboard group observers showed wide variation in precision and accuracy, and the pen-and-paper group observers were significantly less precise than the touchscreen group. We conclude that although electronic recording has the potential to be as accurate as, and more precise than, pen-and-paper methods, this is far from guaranteed. Analyses of observers' errors advise recommendations for improving data accuracy and precision when using each method. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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64. Hodgkin's disease, pharyngeal cancer, and soft tissue sarcomas in Danish paper mill workers
- Author
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Gerda Engholm, Ebbe Villadsen, Elsebeth Lynge, and Bo Andreassen Rix
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Denmark ,Disease ,Occupational medicine ,Danish ,Cohort Studies ,Risk Factors ,Internal medicine ,Occupational Exposure ,Epidemiology ,medicine ,Confidence Intervals ,Humans ,Industry ,Poisson Distribution ,Registries ,Sex Distribution ,business.industry ,Incidence ,Pharynx ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Cancer ,Pharyngeal Neoplasms ,Sarcoma ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Hodgkin Disease ,language.human_language ,Surgery ,Survival Rate ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,language ,Female ,business ,Historical Cohort - Abstract
Several studies have indicated an increased cancer risk among paper mill workers, based on rather few cancer cases. The authors studied cancer incidence in a large historical cohort of 14,362 Danish paper mill workers, employed at any time between 1943 and 1990, and followed up until December 31, 1993. Men had an increased risk of pharyngeal cancer (15 observed (obs), standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 1.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-3.29). With two additional cases among women, 11 of 17 cases were located in the tonsils. Men also had an increased risk of Hodgkin's disease (18 obs, SIR 2.01, 95% CI 1.19-3.18). Women had an increased risk of soft tissue sarcomas (nine obs, SIR 2.33, 95% CI 1.06-4.43), with a high risk among female paper sorters (eight obs, SIR 3.98, 95% CI 1.71-7.84). The study thus supports some studies' observations of an increased risk of Hodgkin's disease in paper mill workers. The detailed reporting of cancer cases in paper mill workers have furthermore revealed a risk of pharyngeal cancer together with a risk of soft tissue sarcomas in paper sorters.
- Published
- 1998
65. Cancer mortality among pulp and paper workers in Poland. A cohort study
- Author
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I, Szadkowska-Stańczyk, P, Boffetta, U, Wilczyńska, N, Szeszenia-Dabrowska, and W, Szymczak
- Subjects
Adult ,Cohort Studies ,Male ,Occupational Diseases ,Paper ,Risk Factors ,Neoplasms ,Confidence Intervals ,Humans ,Female ,Poisson Distribution ,Poland ,Middle Aged - Abstract
Mortality among workers in the Polish pulp and paper industry was evaluated in a cohort study of 10,460 workers who had been employed continuously for at least one year, between 1968 and 1990 in the factory producing sulphate pulp, paper, board and paper products. Three subcohorts were formed according to the work areas. A standardized mortality ratio (SMR) analysis was used to compare death rates for each group exposed with Polish national rates. Mortality from all causes and from all malignant neoplasms, both in the female and in male cohorts was lower than that observed in the general population. In the pulp male subcohort a significantly elevated risk of death from peritoneum cancer (2 obs, SMR = 2,530) and prostate cancer (4 obs, SMR = 854) was recorded, although overall mortality from all causes and from all malignant neoplasms was lower than expected. The excess of deaths from neoplasms in other sites was statistically nonsignificant in all subcohorts. This study did not confirm the excess mortality from lung, stomach and lymphatic cancers found by other authors. The "young" cohort and a relatively short follow-up period (23 years) might have affected the results.
- Published
- 1997
66. Agreements and Discrepancies between FDA Reports and Journal Papers on Biologic Agents Approved for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Meta-Research Project
- Author
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Robin Christensen, Daniel E. Furst, Jennifer M. P. Woo, Gil Amarilyo, Wen Li, Henning Bliddal, and Simon Tarp
- Subjects
Medical Journals ,Alternative medicine ,lcsh:Medicine ,law.invention ,Arthritis, Rheumatoid ,0302 clinical medicine ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,030212 general & internal medicine ,lcsh:Science ,Drug Approval ,health care economics and organizations ,Statistical Data ,Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ,Multidisciplinary ,Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ,Research Assessment ,Biologic Agents ,Reporting bias ,Research Design ,Rheumatoid arthritis ,Physical Sciences ,Statistics (Mathematics) ,Research Article ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Drug Research and Development ,Clinical Research Design ,Immunology ,education ,Rheumatoid Arthritis ,Research and Analysis Methods ,Autoimmune Diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,Rheumatology ,Journal Article ,Confidence Intervals ,medicine ,Humans ,Clinical Trials ,Adverse effect ,Pharmacology ,030203 arthritis & rheumatology ,Biological Products ,United States Food and Drug Administration ,business.industry ,Arthritis ,lcsh:R ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Odds ratio ,medicine.disease ,Randomized Controlled Trials ,United States ,Confidence interval ,Family medicine ,Clinical Immunology ,lcsh:Q ,Adverse Events ,Clinical Medicine ,business ,Medical Humanities ,Mathematics ,Meta-Analysis - Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sponsors that seek to commercialize new drugs apply to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which independently analyzes the raw data and reports the results on its website.OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine if there are differences between the FDA assessments and journal reports on biologic agents developed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.METHODS: Available data on FDA-approved drugs were extracted from the website, and a systematic literature search was conducted to identify matching studies in peer-reviewed medical journals. Outcome measures were the American College of Rheumatology response criteria ACR20 (efficacy) and withdrawal due to adverse events (safety). As effect size odds ratios were estimated for each active trial arm vs. control arm (i.e. for both sources: FDA and journal report), followed by calculation of the ratios of the FDA and journal report odds ratios. A ratio of odds ratios not equal to 1 was categorized as a discrepancy.RESULTS: FDA reports were available for 8 of 9 FDA-approved biologic agents for rheumatoid arthritis; all identified trials (34) except one were published in peer-reviewed journals. Overall, discrepancies were noted for 20 of the 33 evaluated trials. Differences in the apparent benefit reporting were found in 39% (24/61) pairwise comparisons and in 11 cases these were statistically significant; the FDA report showed greater benefit than the journal publication in 15 comparisons and lesser benefit in 9. Differences in the reported harms were found in 51% (28/55) pairwise comparisons and were statistically significant in 5. The "signal" in FDA reports showed a less harmful effect than the journal publication in 17 comparisons whereas a more harmful effect in 11. The differences were attributed to differences in analytic approach, patient inclusion, rounding effect, and counting discrepancies. However, no differences were categorized as critical.CONCLUSION: There was no empirical evidence to suggest biased estimates between the two sources. Increased and detailed transparency in publications would improve the understanding and credibility of published results. Further, the FDA report was found to be a useful source when data are missing in the published report (i.e. reporting bias).
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- 2016
67. Working Papers Presented in Arcada Workshop on Analytics in June 8, 2016
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Pulkkis (Ed.), Göran and Yrkeshögskolan Arcada
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Big Data ,Media ,Internet of things ,Internet ,Medical care ,Modeling ,Hate ,Violence ,Trust ,Image Segmentation ,Europe ,Machine Learning ,Social Networks ,Computer security ,Privacy ,Confidence Intervals ,Web sites ,Safety ,Analysis - Abstract
The Department of Business Management and Analytics in Arcada University of Applied Sciences arranged a Workshop on Analytics in June 8, 2016. Five Working Papers presented in this workshop are published in this report.
- Published
- 2016
68. Cohort study on cancer mortality among workers in the pulp and paper industry in Catalonia, Spain
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M, Sala-Serra, J, Sunyer, M, Kogevinas, D, McFarlane, and J M, Antó
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Adult ,Employment ,Male ,Paper ,Time Factors ,Breast Neoplasms ,Wood ,Cohort Studies ,Occupational Diseases ,Sex Factors ,Risk Factors ,Spain ,Neoplasms ,Occupational Exposure ,Intestinal Neoplasms ,Confidence Intervals ,Humans ,Regression Analysis ,Female ,Intestine, Large ,Poisson Distribution ,Follow-Up Studies ,Retrospective Studies - Abstract
We examined mortality in a retrospective follow-up study of 3,241 workers employed between 1970-1992, in four pulp and paper mills in Catalonia, Spain. Vital status was determined for 95% of the cohort. Exposure was reconstructed using job histories and a company exposure questionnaire. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were derived using mortality rates of Spain as the reference. For all workers, mortality from all causes (SMR = 76; 95%; confidence intervals [CI] = 65-88; 189 deaths) and all malignant neoplasms (SMR = 93; CI = 72-119; 65 deaths) were less than the expected. Excess risk was observed for mortality from all neoplasms in females (SMR = 168; CI = 84-303; 11 deaths), for large intestine cancer in both sexes (SMR = 250; CI = 115-525; 8 deaths), particularly after 10 years of employment and latency (SMR = 355; CI = 154-701; 8 deaths), and for breast cancer in females (SMR = 286; CI = 77-732; 4 deaths). These findings suggest that workers employed in the pulp and paper industry may have an excess risk of specific cancers.
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- 1996
69. An epidemiologic study of employees at seven pulp and paper mills
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Otto Wong, David R Ragland, and Douglas H. Marcero
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Gerontology ,Male ,Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Disease ,Occupational medicine ,Cohort Studies ,Cause of Death ,Occupational Exposure ,Epidemiology ,Confidence Intervals ,Medicine ,Humans ,Cause of death ,business.industry ,Mortality rate ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,United States ,respiratory tract diseases ,Standardized mortality ratio ,Job Description ,Cohort ,Female ,business ,Demography ,Cohort study - Abstract
The cohort consisted of 11,178 Mead Corporation employees (9,358 males and 1,820 females) who had worked for at least one year between January 1, 1975 and December 31, 1992 at seven pulp and/or paper mills in the United States. The vital status of the cohort was determined through a variety of sources over an observation period of 17 years (1976-1992). Mortality data were analyzed in terms of cause-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), with expected deaths based on U.S. national mortality rates. Job categories with similar exposures were created based on an historical exposure assessment. Mortality analyses were performed separately for total female and male employees. Among female employees, overall mortality was less than expected, and no significant cause-specific mortality excesses were observed. The small number of deaths among female employees did not permit further detailed analyses. Among male employees, statistically significant deficits from overall mortality (SMR = 69.0) and from all cancers (SMR = 71.3) were reported. In addition, low mortality risks for many specific causes were also observed, including many specific cancer sites, various types of cardiovascular diseases, and different forms of nonmalignant respiratory diseases. In particular, there was no mortality excess from lung cancer (SMR = 77.5), digestive cancer (SMR = 69.4), stomach cancer (SMR = 46.7), laryngeal cancer (no observed death), rectal cancer (SMR = 82.8). Hodgkin's lymphoma (no observed death), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (SMR = 103.6), leukemia (SMR = 72.2), diabetes mellitus (SMR = 110.4), ischemic heart disease (SMR = 80.0), and nonmalignant respiratory diseases (SMR = 36.7). Furthermore, detailed analyses by length of employment, interval since hire (latency), and job category demonstrated no occupationally related mortality increases from any of the diseases examined. Specifically, based on internal comparisons, no upward trends in cause-specific mortality risk were observed by duration of employment. In conclusion, the results of this epidemiologic investigation demonstrated a favorable mortality experience for employees at the seven pulp and/or paper mills.
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- 1996
70. Critically appraised paper: Combined aerobic and resistance training is superior to usual care for improving some aspects of mobility after stroke [synopsis].
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Plummer, Prudence
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AEROBIC exercises ,CINAHL database ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,MEDICAL information storage & retrieval systems ,MEDLINE ,META-analysis ,STROKE ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,BODY movement ,RESISTANCE training - Abstract
The article reviews the February 2020 issue of the periodical "Journal of Physiotherapy".
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- 2020
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71. Statistical software fault management based on bootstrap confidence intervals
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Dohi, Tadashi, Okamura, Hiroyuki, and Qian, Cun Hua
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- 2020
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72. Critically appraised paper: Three months of high-intensity aerobic exercise and strength training reduce disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis [synopsis].
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Øiestad, Britt Elin
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AEROBIC exercises ,BIOMARKERS ,BODY composition ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,EXERCISE ,EXERCISE physiology ,MUSCLE strength ,STATISTICAL sampling ,SPONDYLOARTHROPATHIES ,BODY movement ,RANDOMIZED controlled trials ,EXERCISE intensity ,RESISTANCE training ,HIGH-intensity interval training - Abstract
The article offers information on reduction of disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis from High intensity exercise for three months, as compared with standard care.
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- 2019
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73. Meeting the challenge of the Psychonomic Society's 2012 Guidelines on Statistical Issues: Some success and some room for improvement.
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Morris, Peter and Fritz, Catherine
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GUIDELINES ,STATISTICS ,NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL tests ,PERIODICAL publishing ,DATA analysis - Abstract
The Psychonomic Society (PS) adopted New Statistical Guidelines for Journals of the Psychonomic Society in November 2012. To evaluate changes in statistical reporting within and outside PS journals, we examined all empirical papers published in PS journals and in the Experimental Psychology Society journal, The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (QJEP), in 2013 and 2015, to describe these populations before and after effects of the Guidelines. Comparisons of the 2013 and 2015 PS papers reveal differences associated with the Guidelines, and QJEP provides a baseline of papers to reflect changes in reporting that are not directly influenced by the Guidelines. A priori power analyses increased from 5% to 11% in PS papers, but not in QJEP papers (2%). The reporting of effect sizes in PS papers increased from 61% to 70%, similar to the increase for QJEP from 58% to 71%. Only 18% of papers reported confidence intervals (CIs) for means; only two PS papers in 2015 reported CIs for effect sizes. Although variability statistics are important to understanding data, and to further analysis, they were only reported as numbers in just over half of the PS journal papers. Almost all PS and QJEP papers relied exclusively on null hypothesis significance testing to guide interpretation of the data. Changes associated with the Guidelines are in the desired direction with respect to reporting effect sizes and power analyses but are not yet reflected in researchers' practices in describing their data, addressing data assumptions, and thinking beyond the p value when interpreting their data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2017
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74. Research paper. The relationship between socioeconomic status and ‘hardcore’ smoking over time - greater accumulation of hardened smokers in low-SES than high-SES smokers.
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Clare, Philip, Bradford, Deborah, Courtney, Ryan J., Martire, Kristy, and Mattick, Richard P.
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SMOKING & psychology , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *RESEARCH funding , *SMOKING , *SURVEYS , *LOGISTIC regression analysis , *SOCIOECONOMIC factors , *DATA analysis software , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *ODDS ratio - Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This paper used national survey data to investigate 'hardcore' smoking as predicted by the 'hardening hypothesis', and to examine the relationship between 'hardcore' smoking and socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS: Analyses were performed using data from four waves of the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey between 2001 and 2010, a large national survey with a sample size of approximately 24 000 participants per wave. The primary outcome variable was 'hardcore' smoking, comprised of the variables: 'no quit attempt in past 12 months'; 'no plan to quit'; and smoking more than 15 cigarettes per day. The main predictor variables used were SES assessed by the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), and survey wave. Other sociodemographic variables were also examined. RESULTS: Overall, 'hardcore' smoking remained stable from 2001 to 2010. However, 'hardcore' smoking declined among high-SES smokers (from 1.8% to 1.0%), but not among low-SES smokers (around 3.4%). 'Hardcore' smoking was strongly associated with SEIFA quintile (p<0.001). There was a significant interaction effect between top and bottom SEIFA quintiles and wave (p=0.025), with a decline in 'hardcore' smoking measures over the four waves among those in the top two SEIFA quintiles, with odds in 2010 of 0.39 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.87; p=0.012), down from 0.64 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.82; p<0.001) in 2001, while 'hardcore' smoking remained stable among those in the bottom two SEIFA quintiles. CONCLUSIONS: The results from high SES smokers suggest 'hardcore' smokers are able to quit, but outcomes among low-SES smokers are less encouraging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2014
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75. Research paper .Do changes in income, deprivation, labour force status and family status influence smoking behaviour over the short run? Panel study of 15 000 adults.
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Blakely, Tony, van der Deen, Frederieke S., Woodward, Alistair, Kawachi, Ichiro, and Carter, Kristie
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SMOKING & psychology , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *EMPLOYMENT , *FAMILIES , *INCOME , *RESEARCH funding , *LOGISTIC regression analysis , *SOCIOECONOMIC factors , *DATA analysis software , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *ODDS ratio - Abstract
BACKGROUND: Improving social circumstances (eg, an increase in income, finding a job or moving into a good neighbourhood) may reduce tobacco use, but robust evidence on the effects of such improvements is scarce. Accordingly we investigated the link between changing social circumstances and changing tobacco smoking using repeated measures data. METHODS: 15 000 adults with at least two observations over three waves (each 2 years apart) of a panel study had data on smoking status, family, labour force, income and deprivation (both neighbourhood and individual). Fixed effects regression modelling was used. FINDINGS: The odds of smoking increased 1.42-fold (95% CI 1.16 to 1.74) for a one log-unit increase in personal income among 15-24-year-olds, but there was no association of increased smoking with an increase in income among 25+ year olds. Moving out of a family nucleus, increasing neighbourhood deprivation (eg, 1.83-fold (95% CI 1.18 to 2.83) increased odds of smoking for moving from least to most deprived quintile of neighbourhoods), increasing personal deprivation and moving into employment were all associated with increased odds of smoking. The number of cigarettes smoked a day changed little with changing social circumstances. INTERPRETATION: Worsening social circumstances over the short run are generally associated with higher smoking risk. However, there were counter examples: for instance, decreasing personal income among young people was associated with decreased odds of smoking, a finding consistent with income elasticity of demand (the less one's income, the less one can consume). This paper suggests that improving social circumstances is not always pro-health over the short run; a more nuanced approach to the social determinants of health is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2014
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76. Do electronic discharge summaries contain more complete medication information? A retrospective analysis of paper versus electronic discharge summaries.
- Author
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Lehnbom, Elin C., Raban, Magdalena Z., Walter, Scott R., Richardson, Katrina, and Westbrook, Johanna I.
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- *
DOCUMENTATION , *COMPARATIVE studies , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *CONTINUUM of care , *MEDICAL records , *PROBABILITY theory , *LOGISTIC regression analysis , *SAMPLE size (Statistics) , *PATIENT discharge instructions , *RETROSPECTIVE studies , *ELECTRONIC health records , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *MEDICATION reconciliation , *ODDS ratio - Abstract
Complete, accurate and timely hospital discharge summaries are important for continuity of care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an electronic discharge summary system in improving the medication information provided compared to the information in paper discharge summaries. We conducted a retrospective audit of 199 paper and 200 electronic discharge summaries from a 350-bed teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia. The completeness of medication information, and whether medication changes during the admission were explained, were assessed. Further, the likelihood of any incomplete information having an impact on continuity of care was assessed. There were 1352 and 1771 medication orders assessed in paper and electronic discharge summaries, respectively. Of these, 90.9% and 93.4% were complete in paper and electronic discharge summaries, respectively. The dose (OR 25.24, 95%CI: 3.41-186.9) and route (OR 8.65, 95%CI: 3.46-21.59) fields of medication orders, were more likely to be complete in electronic as compared with paper discharge summaries. There was no difference for drug frequency (OR 1.09, 95%CI: 0.77-1.55). There was no significant improvement in the proportion of incomplete medication orders rated as unclear and likely to impede continuity of care in paper compared with electronic discharge summaries (7.3% vs. 6.5%). Of changes to medication regimen, only medication additions were more likely to be explained in the electronic (n=253, 37.2%) compared to paper (n=104, 14.3%) discharge summaries (OR 3.14; 95%CI: 2.20-4.18). In summary, electronic discharge summaries offer some improvements over paper discharge summaries in terms of the quality of medication information documented. However, explanations of changes to medication regimens remained low, despite this being crucial information. Future efforts should focus on including the rationale for changes to medication regimens in discharge summaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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77. Measurement equivalence of touch-screen computerized and paper-based diabetes-specific quality-of-life questionnaires.
- Author
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Lee, Eun‐Hyun, Lee, Young Whee, Lee, Kwan‐Woo, Kim, Dae Jung, Kim, Yong‐Seong, and Nam, Moon‐Suk
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- *
DIABETES & psychology , *QUALITY of life , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *CHI-squared test , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *STATISTICAL correlation , *CROSSOVER trials , *FISHER exact test , *PERSONAL computers , *RESEARCH funding , *SCALE analysis (Psychology) , *SELF-evaluation , *STATISTICS , *T-test (Statistics) , *SAMPLE size (Statistics) , *INTER-observer reliability , *DATA analysis software ,RESEARCH evaluation - Abstract
Current advances in technology have enabled the development of a computer-based questionnaire that provides advantages over the paper-based mode of administration, such as automatic data entry, storage and calculations. However, before implementing a computer-based questionnaire, its equivalence with the original paper-based questionnaire must first be demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the measurement equivalence of the computerized Diabetes- Specific Quality-of- Life questionnaire ( cD- QOL) with its original paper-based counterpart. A two-period crossover design was used in this study. The measurement equivalence was evaluated using quadratic weighted kappa coefficients, intraclass correlations and Cronbach's alpha comparisons. The cD- QOL was equivalent to its original paper-based counterpart. Participants preferred the cD- QOL over the paper-based questionnaire and reported that it was easy to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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78. Self-Report of Tobacco Use Status: Comparison of Paper-Based Questionnaire, Online Questionnaire, and Direct Face-to-Face Interview-Implications for Meaningful Use.
- Author
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Steffen, Mark W., Murad, Mohammad Hassan, Hays, J. Taylor, Newcomb, Richard D., Molella, Robin G., Cha, Stephen S., and Hagen, Philip T.
- Subjects
- *
RESEARCH methodology evaluation , *APPLICATION software , *CHI-squared test , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *INTERVIEWING , *RESEARCH methodology , *META-analysis , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *RESEARCH funding , *SELF-evaluation , *SMOKING , *STATISTICAL hypothesis testing , *STATISTICS , *WORLD Wide Web , *TREND analysis , *DISEASE prevalence , *RETROSPECTIVE studies , *DATA analysis software , *ELECTRONIC health records , *ODDS ratio , *CLASSIFICATION - Abstract
Identifying tobacco use status is essential to address use and provide resources to help patients quit. Being able to collect this information in an electronic format will become increasingly important, as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has included the assessment of tobacco use as part of its Stage 1 Meaningful Use criteria. The objective was to compare the accuracy of online vs. paper assessment methods to ascertain cigarette smoking status using a face-to-face structured interview as the gold standard. This was a retrospective analysis of a stratified opportunity sample of consecutive patients, reporting in 2010 for a periodic health evaluation, who completed either a scannable paper-based form or an online questionnaire and underwent a standardized rooming interview. Compared with face-to-face structured interview, the overall observed agreement and kappa coefficient for both methods combined (paper and online) were 97.7% and 0.69 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51-0.86) . For the online form they were 97.4% and 0.61 (95% CI 0.33-0.90), and for the paper form they were 97.9% and 0.75 (95% CI 0.54-0.96). There was no statistically significant difference in agreement between the online and paper-based methods ( P=0.76) compared with a face-to-face structured interview. Online assessment of tobacco use status is as accurate as a paper questionnaire, and both methods have greater than 97% observed agreement with a face-to-face structured interview. The use of online assessment of tobacco use status has several advantages and more widespread use should be explored. ( Population Health Management 2014;17:185-189) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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79. Testing the measurement equivalence of paper and interactive voice response system versions of the EORTC QLQ-C30.
- Author
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Lundy, J., Coons, Stephen, and Aaronson, Neil
- Subjects
- *
INTERACTIVE voice response (Telecommunication) , *QUALITY of life , *STATISTICAL correlation , *HEALTH outcome assessment , *PROTOCOL analysis (Cognition) , *CONFIDENCE intervals - Abstract
Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the measurement equivalence of an interactive voice response system (IVRS) version and the original paper-based version of the EORTC QLQ-C30. Methods: The QLQ-C30 is a cancer-specific, health-related quality of life questionnaire consisting of nine multi-item scales (physical, role, emotional, cognitive and social functioning, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, pain, and quality of life) and six single item measures (dyspnea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea, and financial problems). This study utilized a crossover design with subjects randomly assigned to one of two assessment orders: (1) paper then IVRS or (2) IVRS then paper. Equivalence between the two administration modes was established by comparing the 95 % lower confidence interval (CI) of the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for each scale, with a critical value of 0.70. Results: The ICCs for the nine multi-item scales were all above 0.79, ranging from 0.791 to 0.899 (ICC 95 % lower CI range 0.726-0.865) and significantly different from our threshold reliability of 0.70. The ICCs for the six single items ranged from 0.689 to 0.896 (ICC 95 % lower CI range 0.611-0.888). Two of the items, insomnia and appetite loss, were not statistically different from 0.70. When considered together, the per-protocol analysis results support the equivalence of the paper and IVRS versions of the QLQ-C30 for 13 of the 15 scores. Conclusion: This analysis provides evidence that the scores obtained from the IVRS version of the QLQ-C30 are equivalent to those obtained with the original paper version except for the insomnia and appetite loss items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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80. Usability of an innovative and interactive electronic system for collection of patient-reported data in axial spondyloarthritis: comparison with the traditional paper-administered format.
- Author
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Salaffi, Fausto, Gasparini, Stefania, Ciapetti, Alessandro, Gutierrez, Marwin, and Grassi, Walter
- Subjects
- *
SELF-evaluation , *ACADEMIC medical centers , *CHI-squared test , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *FISHER exact test , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *RESEARCH funding , *SPONDYLOARTHROPATHIES , *STATISTICS , *T-test (Statistics) , *INTER-observer reliability , *ELECTRONIC health records - Abstract
Objective. To evaluate the validity, in terms of the patients’ acceptance, preference, feasibility and reliability of an innovative, interactive computerized system for collection of patient-reported outcome (PRO) data on axial SpA against the paper-and-pencil version.Methods. Fifty-five patients with axial SpA completed both the touch screen and the paper-and-pencil set of questionnaires. A computerized touch-screen system, SPEAMonitor, was developed to capture PRO data. Variables recorded included demographic data, patient’s assessment of general health status, BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI and acute-phase reactant levels. In order to assess the patient’s acceptance of, preference for and feasibility of computer-based questionnaires, the participants filled in an additional questionnaire. The time taken to complete both formats was measured. In a further test–retest study, 25 patients were re-evaluated.Results. The agreement between the paper-administered and computer touch-screen format of the BASFI, BASDAI questionnaires and the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Scores was excellent. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between data ranged from 0.90 to 0.96. Additionally the test–retest study showed a very good agreement between the scores for the two administrations (ICC ≥ 0.90). Age, computer experience and education level had no significant impact on the results. The computerized questionnaires were reported to be easier to use. The mean time spent completing the questionnaires on a touch screen was 5.1 min and on paper 7.9 min.Conclusion. Our newly developed computer-assisted touch-screen questionnaires for PRO in axial SpA were well accepted by patients, with good data quality, reliability and score agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
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81. Effects of a Computerized Prescriber Order Entry System on Pharmacist Prescribing.
- Author
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Metzger, Stephanie, Evernden, Christopher, Bungard, Tammy J., Bell, Gordon, and Omar, Mohamed A.
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CONFIDENCE intervals ,ORDER entry ,RETROSPECTIVE studies ,PHARMACY databases ,COMPARATIVE studies ,HOSPITAL pharmacies ,DRUGS ,DRUG prescribing ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,PHYSICIAN practice patterns ,PATIENT safety - Abstract
Copyright of Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy / Journal Canadien de la Pharmacie Hospitalière is the property of Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2023
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82. Positive Versus Negative Framing of Information.
- Author
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Jisun Lee
- Subjects
META-analysis ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,IMMUNIZATION ,PERSUASION (Rhetoric) ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,EVIDENCE-based medicine ,EARLY detection of cancer ,HEALTH outcome assessment ,PHYSICAL activity ,TYPE 2 diabetes ,HEALTH ,INFORMATION resources ,HEALTH behavior ,BREAST tumors - Abstract
Background/Objectives: The message is being used as a mode of intervention leading to preventive health behaviors and can lead to modifications in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors in a large proportion of health behaviors. The purpose of this study is to identify the effective and persuasive message types among positive and negative message types in information on specific health behaviors, to evaluate the effects by systematically classifying and analyzing related studies and to lead evidence-based practices. Method/Statistical Analysis: In this study, meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the trends and reporting levels of the study in order to evaluate and systematically classify the effects of message types in information on health behavior. Only clinical studies with randomization comparing the effects of positive and negative message framing with respect to health behavior were selected. In addition, a case where the interventions were compared by dividing them into two groups was selected. Improvements/Applications: Among the final selected papers, 7 papers were included in the included studies through methodological quality evaluation. Comparison of the positive and negative message interventions is related to health behaviors related to breast cancer (SMD -0.04 (95% CI -1.57 to 1.50), health behaviors related to vaccination (MMR, HPV)(SMD 0.20 (95% CI -0.69 to 1.08), cancer screening, vaccination, physical activity and all health activities related to Type 2 diabetes screening (SMD -0.21 (95% CI -0.89 to 0.47). All of these were not statistically significant. In order to confirm the change in health behavior according to message framing, a study considering the same target population and outcome indicators is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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83. Paper-and-Pencil and Web-Based Testing: The Measurement Invariance of the Big Five Personality Tests in Applied Settings.
- Author
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Vecchione, Michele, Alessandri, Guido, and Barbaranelli, Claudio
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- *
CHI-squared test , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *EMPLOYEE selection , *FACTOR analysis , *INTERNET , *PERSONALITY tests , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *SCALE analysis (Psychology) , *EFFECT sizes (Statistics) , *CONTENT mining , *RESEARCH methodology evaluation , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
This study investigates the measurement equivalence of a five-factor measure of personality across two groups applying for jobs, who completed the same questionnaire using either a paper-and-pencil (n = 429) or a web online answer format (n = 651). The data were collected using the Big Five Questionnaire–2 (BFQ-2; which is a measure of the Five Factor Model) of personality traits. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis was used to test for the equivalence of factor covariance and mean structures of the BFQ-2. Findings suggested that the Five Factor Model scales have the same measurement unit and origin across applicants using different administration modes. However, latent means were slightly higher for applicants who responded in a web and unproctored condition than for applicants who completed a paper-and-pencil version of the same test. Practical implications for personality assessment are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2012
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84. How to read a research paper: Reading between and beyond the lines.
- Author
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Andrade, Chittaranjan
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- *
ANTIDEPRESSANTS , *MENTAL depression , *RESEARCH methodology evaluation , *AUTHORSHIP , *EXPERIMENTAL design , *PUBLISHING , *READING , *SERIAL publications , *STATISTICS , *DATA analysis , *CONTINUING education units , *RESEARCH bias , *CASE-control method - Abstract
Background: Despite peer review, publications in scientific journals are not always well written, sometimes contain errors, and often exhibit deliberate or unintended biases. It is necessary to learn how to identify such limitations. It is also necessary to learn how to read between and beyond the lines of papers no matter how well written they are and no matter how highly ranked the journal is. Materials and Methods: This paper critically examines an important article in a leading journal with a view to help the reader learn how to place the findings of a study in perspective, understand its limitations, and glean information beyond that actually presented and discussed in the text. Results: Several issues are examined; these relate to case-control research designs, confounding, propensity matching, absolute risk, confidence intervals, interpretation of findings, real-world relevance, ecological validity, and definition of a cause-effect relationship. Conclusions: The issues examined in this paper reflect common themes in research, and a reader aware of these themes will more easily identify them in his future readings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
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85. A Critical Review of Papers from Clinical Cancer Research.
- Author
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Skovlund, Eva
- Subjects
CANCER research ,STATISTICAL hypothesis testing ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,CLINICAL trials - Abstract
A review of 75 original articles from clinical cancer research in Norway is presented. Articles published in 1993 and with at least one Norwegian author were included in the review. Sixty papers were observational, whereas 15 were experimental. Of the observational studies 44 were retrospective. Most of the papers concerned prognostic factors. Prior hypotheses were explicitly defined in 16 papers only, and less than half of the articles described inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sample size calculations were performed in four papers only. The choice of statistical method was considered to be suitable in 22 of the 58 articles presenting statistical inferences. Problems related to multiple significance testing were rarely addressed, although the median number of p-values reported was as high as 8. Confidence intervals for main findings were presented in 14 papers. For proper planning of studies, as well as for analysis and interpretation of study results, statistical advice is indeed required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1998
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
86. Agreements and Discrepancies between FDA Reports and Journal Papers on Biologic Agents Approved for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Meta-Research Project.
- Author
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Amarilyo, Gil, Furst, Daniel E., Woo, Jennifer M. P., Li, Wen, Bliddal, Henning, Christensen, Robin, and Tarp, Simon
- Subjects
- *
RHEUMATOID arthritis , *DRUG approval , *DRUG administration , *RHEUMATOID arthritis treatment , *HEALTH outcome assessment , *META-analysis , *PATIENTS - Abstract
Background: Sponsors that seek to commercialize new drugs apply to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which independently analyzes the raw data and reports the results on its website. Objectives: This study sought to determine if there are differences between the FDA assessments and journal reports on biologic agents developed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Available data on FDA-approved drugs were extracted from the website, and a systematic literature search was conducted to identify matching studies in peer-reviewed medical journals. Outcome measures were the American College of Rheumatology response criteria ACR20 (efficacy) and withdrawal due to adverse events (safety). As effect size odds ratios were estimated for each active trial arm vs. control arm (i.e. for both sources: FDA and journal report), followed by calculation of the ratios of the FDA and journal report odds ratios. A ratio of odds ratios not equal to 1 was categorized as a discrepancy. Results: FDA reports were available for 8 of 9 FDA-approved biologic agents for rheumatoid arthritis; all identified trials (34) except one were published in peer-reviewed journals. Overall, discrepancies were noted for 20 of the 33 evaluated trials. Differences in the apparent benefit reporting were found in 39% (24/61) pairwise comparisons and in 11 cases these were statistically significant; the FDA report showed greater benefit than the journal publication in 15 comparisons and lesser benefit in 9. Differences in the reported harms were found in 51% (28/55) pairwise comparisons and were statistically significant in 5. The “signal” in FDA reports showed a less harmful effect than the journal publication in 17 comparisons whereas a more harmful effect in 11. The differences were attributed to differences in analytic approach, patient inclusion, rounding effect, and counting discrepancies. However, no differences were categorized as critical. Conclusion: There was no empirical evidence to suggest biased estimates between the two sources. Increased and detailed transparency in publications would improve the understanding and credibility of published results. Further, the FDA report was found to be a useful source when data are missing in the published report (i.e. reporting bias). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
87. Toxoplasma gondii as a Risk Factor for Early-Onset Schizophrenia: Analysis of Filter Paper Blood Samples Obtained at Birth
- Author
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Robert H. Yolken, Preben Bo Mortensen, E. Fuller Torrey, David M. Hougaard, Berit Lindum Waltoft, Bent Nørgaard-Pedersen, and Tina Sørensen
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Pediatrics ,Denmark ,Population ,Antibodies, Protozoan ,Community Health Planning ,Cohort Studies ,Neonatal Screening ,Pregnancy ,Risk Factors ,Confidence Intervals ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Risk factor ,Psychiatry ,education ,Biological Psychiatry ,Retrospective Studies ,education.field_of_study ,Mood Disorders ,Infant, Newborn ,Case-control study ,Odds ratio ,medicine.disease ,Neonatal infection ,Schizophrenia ,Case-Control Studies ,Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic ,Female ,Age of onset ,Psychology ,Toxoplasma ,Cohort study - Abstract
Background Infections during fetal life or neonatal period, including infections with Toxoplasma gondii, may be associated with a risk for schizophrenia and other mental disorders. The objectives of this study were to study the association between serological markers for maternal and neonatal infection and the risk for schizophrenia, related psychoses, and affective disorders in a national cohort of newborns. Methods This study was a cohort-based, case-control study combining data from national population registers and patient registers and a national neonatal screening biobank in Denmark. Patients included persons born in Denmark in 1981 or later followed up through 1999 with respect to inpatient or outpatient treatment for schizophrenia or related disorders (ICD-10 F2) or affective disorders (ICD-10 F3). Results Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels corresponding to the upper quartile among control subjects were significantly associated with schizophrenia risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79, p = .045) after adjustment for urbanicity of place of birth, year of birth, gender, and psychiatric diagnoses among first-degree relatives. There was no significant association between any marker of infection and other schizophrenia-like disorders or affective disorders. Conclusions Our study supports an association between Toxoplasma gondii and early-onset schizophrenia. Further studies are needed to establish if the association is causal and if it generalizes to cases with onset after age 18.
- Published
- 2007
88. Fuzzy Evaluation Model for Critical Components of Machine Tools.
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Chen, Kuen-Suan, Yao, Kai-Chao, Cheng, Chien-Hsin, Yu, Chun-Min, and Chang, Chen-Hsu
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SIX Sigma ,SAMPLING errors ,MACHINE tools ,DATA analytics ,TECHNOLOGICAL innovations ,BIG data - Abstract
The rapid progression of emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data analytics for manufacturing has driven innovation across various industries worldwide. Production data are utilized to construct a model for quality evaluation and analysis applicable to components processed by machine tools, ensuring process quality for critical components and final product quality for the machine tools. Machine tool parts often encompass several quality characteristics concurrently, categorized into three types: smaller-the-better, larger-the-better, and nominal-the-better. In this paper, an evaluation index for the nominal-the-better quality characteristic was segmented into two single-sided Six Sigma quality indexes. Furthermore, the process quality of the entire component product was assessed by n single-sided Six Sigma quality indexes. According to numerous studies, machine tool manufacturers conventionally base their decisions on small sample sizes (n), considering timeliness and costs. However, this often leads to inconsistent evaluation results due to significant sampling errors. Therefore, this paper established fuzzy testing rules using the confidence intervals of the q single-sided Six Sigma quality indices, serving as the fuzzy quality evaluation model for components of machine tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
89. Computer-Based and Paper-Based Reading Comprehension in Adolescents With Typical Language Development and Language-Learning Disabilities.
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Srivastava, Pradyumn, Gray, Shelley, Nippold, Marilyn, and Schneider, Phyllis
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- *
DIAGNOSIS of learning disabilities , *LANGUAGE disorder diagnosis , *READING , *HYPOTHESIS , *ANALYSIS of variance , *COGNITION , *COMPARATIVE studies , *COMPUTERS , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *HYPERTEXT systems , *INTELLIGENCE tests , *LANGUAGE acquisition , *LITERACY , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *REGRESSION analysis , *SHORT-term memory , *TIME , *PREDICTIVE validity , *CONTROL groups , *STATISTICAL models , *ADOLESCENCE - Abstract
Purpose: With the global expansion of technology, our reading platform has shifted from traditional text to hypertext, yet little consideration has been given to how this shift might help or hinder students' reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was to compare reading comprehension of computer-based and paper-based texts in adolescents with and without language-learning disabilities (LLD). Method: Fourteen adolescents with LLD and 25 adolescents with typical language development (TLD) read literary texts in computer-based and paper-based formats and then answered reading comprehension questions. Results: The LLD group scored significantly lower than the TLD group on the reading comprehension measure, but there were no significant between-group differences for reading or answering time. In addition, there were no significant within-group differences for the computer-based or paper-based conditions. Predictors for reading comprehension varied by group and condition. Conclusion: Neither group appeared to be affected by the additional cognitive load imposed by hypertext in the computer-based condition; however, the load between conditions may not have been sufficient to differentially impact reading comprehension. Based on the regression analyses, it appears that working memory, oral language, and decoding differed in their contribution to reading comprehension for each group and condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
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90. MedlinePlus-based health information prescriptions: a comparison of email vs paper delivery.
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Coberly, Emily, Boren, Suzanne Austin, Mittal, Mayank, Davis, Justin Wade, Scoville, Caryn, Chitima-Matsiga, Rebecca, Ge, Bin, Cullina, Adam, Logan, Robert A., Steinmann, William C., and Hodge, Robert H.
- Subjects
- *
PATIENT education , *CHI-squared test , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *PATIENT compliance , *PATIENT satisfaction , *PROBABILITY theory , *RESEARCH funding , *T-test (Statistics) , *THERAPEUTICS , *WORLD Wide Web , *EMAIL , *SAMPLE size (Statistics) , *ACCESS to information , *INFORMATION-seeking behavior , *RANDOMIZED controlled trials , *BLIND experiment , *DATA analysis software , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
Background: The internet can provide evidence-based patient education to overcome time constraints of busy ambulatory practices. Health informationprescriptions (HIPs) can be effectivelyintegrated into clinic workflow, but compliance to visit health information sites such as Medline Plus is limited.Objective: Compare the efficacy of paper (pHIP)and email (eHIP) links to deliver HIPs; evaluate patient satisfaction with the HIP process and MedlinePlus information; assess reasons for noncompliance to HIPs.Method: Of 948 patients approached at two internal medicine clinics affiliated with an academic medical centre, 592 gave informed consent after meeting the inclusion criteria. In this randomised controlled trial, subjects were randomised to receive pHIP or eHIP for accessing an intermediate website that provided up to five MedlinePlus links for physician-selected HIP conditions. Patients accessing the intermediate website were surveyed by email to assess satisfaction with the health information.Survey non-responders were contacted by telephone to determine the reasons for no response.Results: One hundred and eighty-one patients accessed the website, with significantly more 'filling' eHIP than pHIP (38% vs 23%; P < 0.001). Most(82%) survey respondents found the website information useful, with 77% favouring email for future HIPs delivery. Lack of time, forgot, lost instructions or changed mind were reasons given for not accessing the websites.Conclusions: Delivery of MedlinePlus-based HIPs in clinic is more effective using email prescriptions than paper. Satisfaction with the HIP information was high, but overall response was low and deserves further investigation to improve compliance and related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
91. Measurement Equivalence of Interactive Voice Response and Paper Versions of the EQ-5D in a Cancer Patient Sample
- Author
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Lundy, J. Jason and Coons, Stephen Joel
- Subjects
- *
INTERACTIVE voice response (Telecommunication) , *CANCER patients , *ANALYSIS of variance , *ELECTRONIC data processing , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *VISUAL analog scale - Abstract
Abstract: Objective: To assess the measurement equivalence of an interactive voice response (IVR) version of the EQ-5D with the original paper version. Methods: Subjects were randomly assigned to: 1) paper then IVR, or 2) IVR then paper and asked to complete the questionnaire two days apart. The analyses tested mean differences (repeated measures analysis of variance) and reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]). Equivalence of the means was established if the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the mean difference was within the minimally important difference interval: −0.035 to 0.035 for the EQ-5D index and −3 to 3 for the visual analog scale (EQ VAS). ICC adequacy was tested by comparing the ICC 95% lower CI with a critical value of 0.70. Results: The analyses included 113 subjects for the index and 109 subjects for the EQ VAS. For the index, the adjusted means of the paper and IVR versions were 0.789 ± 0.016 and 0.798 ± 0. 017, respectively. The 95% CI of the mean difference was −0.024 to 0.006, within the equivalence interval. The ICC was 0.894 (95% lower CI 0.857), significantly greater than 0.70. For the EQ VAS, the adjusted means were 71.94 ± 1.87 for paper and 74.63 ± 1.79 for IVR. The 95% CI of the mean difference was −4.347 to −1.049, partially within the equivalence interval. The ICC was 0.887 (95% lower CI 0.840), significantly greater than 0.70. Conclusions: The results provide evidence that the EQ-5D scores on the IVR version were sufficiently equivalent to those obtained on the paper version. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2011
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92. Critically appraised paper: Education plus exercise, and corticosteroid injection, are superior to a wait-and-see approach for gluteal tendinopathy [synopsis].
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Øiestad, Britt Elin
- Subjects
CORTICOSTEROIDS ,BUTTOCKS ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,EXERCISE therapy ,MEDICAL cooperation ,PATIENT education ,RESEARCH ,STATISTICAL sampling ,TENDINITIS ,TIME ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,PAIN measurement ,RANDOMIZED controlled trials ,TREATMENT effectiveness ,INDEPENDENT living ,EXERCISE intensity ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,EVALUATION ,THERAPEUTICS - Abstract
The article discusses the approaches for gluteal tendinopathy which includes education plus exercise and corticosteroid injection.
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- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
93. Critically appraised paper: Nasal continuous positive airway pressure for infants with meconium aspiration syndrome reduces the need for mechanical ventilation in the first seven days of life [synopsis].
- Author
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Cavalheri, Vinicius
- Subjects
APGAR score ,ARTIFICIAL respiration ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,MECONIUM aspiration syndrome ,NEONATAL intensive care ,PNEUMOTHORAX ,PULMONARY surfactant ,RESPIRATORY insufficiency ,STATISTICAL sampling ,NEONATAL intensive care units ,RANDOMIZED controlled trials ,CONTINUOUS positive airway pressure ,TERTIARY care ,ODDS ratio ,CHILDREN - Abstract
The article discusses the airway pressure for infants with meconium aspiration syndrome which includes mechanical ventilation and medical care .
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
94. Data Analysis by Adaptive Progressive Hybrid Censored Under Bivariate Model
- Author
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El-Sherpieny, El-Sayed A., Muhammed, Hiba Z., and Almetwally, Ehab M.
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- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
95. Judges' Commentary: Predicting Wordle Results.
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Marchand, Richard J.
- Subjects
CONFIDENCE intervals - Abstract
This article provides a judges' commentary on predicting Wordle results in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM). Teams were tasked with developing predictive models based on time-series data from Twitter users to explain the variation in daily results, predict attempts, classify word difficulty, and identify interesting features. The judging process involved evaluating executive summaries, letters to the editor, and how well teams addressed the problem requirements. Key factors in determining paper quality included data preprocessing, addressing uncertainties, and effective communication of findings. The problem is popular due to its accessibility and the variety of modeling strategies that can be used. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2023
96. RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY OF PHYSICIANS IN AN AFRICAN MEDICAL SCHOOL: THE CASE FOR PHYSICIAN SCIENTIST TRAINING.
- Author
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Nduati, R., Wamalwa, D., Kiarie, J., Kinuthia, J., Jaoko, W., Ngetich, K., Kareithi, P., and Kibwage, I. O.
- Subjects
LABOR productivity ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,SERIAL publications ,MANN Whitney U Test ,T-test (Statistics) ,MEDICAL schools ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,CHI-squared test ,PHYSICIANS ,ODDS ratio ,MEDICAL research - Abstract
Introduction: Physician scientists have both advanced medical specialist and research training and are a critical link between research and improved standards of care. Physician scientist training has existed for more than four decades in the USA, and Western European but is almost non-existent elsewhere. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a need to develop a physician scientist training program. Methods -Medical doctor faculty in the faculty of health sciences of the University of Nairobi were categorized into physicians for those with medical specialist qualifications and physician scientists if they had in addition a research degree. The two groups were compared in terms of total number and frequency of peer reviewed publications since graduating with a medical degree, number of first author publications, and productivity before and after their research training. Data on training was extracted from the publicly available curriculum vitae on the institution's website while pubmed was used to verify the number of publications up to December 2013. Results: Of the 235 eligible faculty, 183 [78%] were physicians and 52 [22%] were physician scientists. The median number of publications in peer reviewed journals was 20 for physician scientists and 6 for physicians [p<0.001] which translated into 1.03 and 0.29 published papers per person-years, respectively [Wilcoxon rank test p<0.000]. Among the 28 faculty whose research training followed medical specialization, mean publications per year before and after research training was 0.4 compared with 2.4 [p=0.01]. Conclusion: Physician research training increases scientific productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
97. Research paper. What will it take to get to under 5% smoking prevalence by 2025? Modelling in a country with a smokefree goal.
- Author
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Takayoshi Ikeda, Cobiac, Linda, Wilson, Nick, Carter, Kristie, and Blakely, Tony
- Subjects
- *
SMOKING prevention , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *ETHNIC groups , *MAORI (New Zealand people) , *PANEL analysis , *RESEARCH funding , *SMOKING cessation , *HARM reduction , *STATISTICAL models - Abstract
Background New Zealand has a goal of becoming a smokefree nation by the year 2025. Smoking prevalence in 2012 was 17%, but is over 40% for M_aori (indigenous New Zealanders). We forecast the prevalence in 2025 under a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, and determined what the initiation and cessation rates would have to be to achieve a <5% prevalence. Methods A dynamic model was developed using Census and Health Survey data from 1981 to 2012 to calculate changes in initiation by age 20 years, and net annual cessation rates, by sex, age, ethnic group and time period. Similar parameters were also calculated from a panel study for sensitivity analyses. ‘Forecasts' used these parameters, and other scenarios, applied to the 2011-2012 prevalence. Findings Since 2002-2003, prevalence at age 20 years has decreased annually by 3.1% (95% uncertainty interval 0.8% to 5.7%) and 1.1% (−1.2% to 3.2%) for non-M_aori males and females, and by 4.7% (2.2% to 7.1%) and 0.0% (−2.2% to 1.8%) for M_aori, respectively. Annual net cessation rates from the dynamic model ranged from −3.0% to 6.1% across demographic groups, and from 3.0% to 6.0% in the panel study. Under BAU, smoking prevalence is forecast to be 11% and 9% for non-M_aori males and females by 2025, and 30% and 37% for M_aori, respectively. Achieving <5% by 2025 requires net cessation rates to increase to 10% for non-M_aori and 20% for M_aori, accompanied by halving or quartering of initiation rates. Conclusions The smokefree goal of <5% prevalence is only feasible with large increases in cessation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
98. Research paper. Smoking status, nicotine dependence and happiness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union.
- Author
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Stickley, Andrew, Koyanagi, Ai, Roberts, Bayard, Leinsalu, Mall, Goryakin, Yevgeniy, and McKee, Martin
- Subjects
- *
PSYCHOLOGY of drug addiction , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *FACTOR analysis , *HAPPINESS , *NICOTINE , *POPULATION research , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *RESEARCH funding , *STATISTICAL sampling , *SCALE analysis (Psychology) , *SMOKING , *CROSS-sectional method , *CASE-control method , *DATA analysis software , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *ODDS ratio - Abstract
Background The US Food and Drug Administration has established a policy of substantially discounting the health benefits of reduced smoking in its evaluation of proposed regulations because of the cost to smokers of the supposed lost pleasure they suffer by no longer smoking. This study used data from nine countries of the former Soviet Union (fSU) to explore this association in a setting characterised by high rates of (male) smoking and smoking-related mortality. Methods Data came from a cross-sectional populationbased study undertaken in 2010/2011 in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. Information was collected from 18 000 respondents aged ≥18 on smoking status (never, ex-smoking and current smoking), cessation attempts and nicotine dependence. The association between these variables and self-reported happiness was examined using ordered probit regression analysis. Results In a pooled country analysis, never smokers and ex-smokers were both significantly happier than current smokers. Smokers with higher levels of nicotine dependence were significantly less happy than those with a low level of dependence. Conclusions This study contradicts the idea that smoking is associated with greater happiness. Moreover, of relevance for policy in the fSU countries, given the lack of public knowledge about the detrimental effects of smoking on health but widespread desire to quit reported in recent research, the finding that smoking is associated with lower levels of happiness should be incorporated in future public health efforts to help encourage smokers to quit by highlighting that smoking cessation may result in better physical and emotional health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
99. Research paper. The cost of secondhand smoke exposure at home in California.
- Author
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Max, Wendy, Hai-Yen Sung, and Yanling Shi
- Subjects
- *
PASSIVE smoking , *MEDICAL care cost statistics , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *MORTALITY , *RESEARCH funding , *STATISTICS , *DATA analysis , *ENVIRONMENTAL exposure , *DATA analysis software , *STATISTICAL models , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *ECONOMICS - Abstract
Objective Healthcare and mortality costs of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at home among nonsmokers in California were estimated for the year 2009. Methods Costs were estimated with an epidemiological model using California SHS home exposure rates and published relative risks. Healthcare costs included nine conditions, and mortality was estimated for four perinatal and three adult conditions. Three mortality-related measures were estimated: deaths, years of potential life lost (YPLL) and the value of lost productivity. Results SHS-attributable healthcare costs totalled over $241 million. The most costly conditions for children and adolescents were attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ($7.8 million) and middle ear disease ($5.6 million). For adults, the most costly conditions were ischaemic heart disease (IHD) ($130.0 million) and asthma ($67.4 million). Deaths of 821 Californians were attributable to SHS exposure in the home, including 27 infants whose mothers smoked while pregnant and 700 adults who died from IHD. These deaths represented a loss of over 13 000 YPLL and $119 million in lost productivity. Conclusions The economic impact of SHS exposure in the home totalled $360 million in California in 2009. Policies that reduce exposure to SHS at home have great potential for reducing healthcare and mortality costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
100. Research paper. Youth exposure to in-vehicle second-hand smoke and their smoking behaviours: trends and associations in repeated national surveys (2006-2012).
- Author
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Healey, Benjamin, Hoek, Janet, Wilson, Nick, Thomson, George, Taylor, Steve, and Edwards, Richard
- Subjects
- *
CONFIDENCE intervals , *ETHNIC groups , *HEALTH behavior , *HIGH school students , *PASSIVE smoking , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *RESEARCH funding , *SURVEYS , *DATA analysis software , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *ODDS ratio , *CHILDREN - Abstract
Objective To extend the limited international evidence on youth in-vehicle second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure by examining trends in New Zealand, a country with a national smoke-free goal and indoors smoke-free environment legislation. Methods We tracked exposure rates and explored the associations between in-vehicle SHS exposure and smoking behaviours. In-home exposure was also examined for comparative purposes. Data were collected in annual surveys of over 25 000 year 10 school students (14-15-year olds) for a 7-year period (2006-2012). Questions covered smoking behaviour, exposure to smoking and demographics. Results Youth SHS exposure rates in-vehicle and in-home trended down slightly over time (p<0.0001 for both) with 23% exposed in-vehicle in the previous week in 2012. However, marked inequalities in exposure between ethnic groups, and by school-based socioeconomic position, persisted. The strongest association with SHS exposure was parental smoking (eg, for both parents versus neither smoking in 2012: in-vehicle SHS exposure adjusted OR: 7.4; 95% CI: 6.5 to 8.4). After adjusting for seven other factors associated with initiation, logistic regression analyses revealed statistically significant associations of in-vehicle SHS exposure with susceptibility to initiation and smoking. Conclusions The slow decline in SHS exposure in vehicles and the lack of progress in reducing relative inequalities is problematic. To accelerate progress, the New Zealand Government could follow the example of other jurisdictions and prohibit smoking in cars carrying children. Other major policy interventions, beside enhanced smoke-free environments, will also likely be required if New Zealand is to achieve its 2025 smoke-free nation goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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