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Background The objective of the study was to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of head and neck cancer survivors after treatment and to identify patients’ main concerns. The study also aims to establish pre-treatment reference values particularly for the Asian patient. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Head and Neck module (EORTC QLQ-HN35) were used for objective evaluation.Methods Patients planned for elective surgery for head and neck cancers were enrolled in the study. The questionnaires were completed at pre-treatment and at 6 months after surgery. Results were compared with previously published reference values. Results 140 patients completed both questionnaires. Locally advanced tumour and extent of surgery [tracheostomy (pConclusion Treatment of head and neck cancers is safe but there is poor QOL in the early post-treatment period especially with eating. Previously published data suggests improvement after a year.

This study examined concordance between caregiver-reported and physician-rated estimates of severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) in paediatric patients and explored potential explanatory factors. Physician-reported severity of AD was retrieved from medical records, while caregiver-reported disease severity and sociodemographic data were obtained through a survey that also collected information on out-of-pocket expenses due to AD. There was 38.5% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 30.1, 43.5) disagreement between physician and caregivers with regards to both underestimating and overestimating the condition. A duration since AD diagnosis shorter than 6 months showed higher concordance (kappa: 44.4%; 95% CI 30.6, 58.2) between caregiver and physician estimates of AD severity compared with a duration of 6 months or longer. Caregivers underestimating their child’s AD accounted for 27.7% among all participants, while 10.8% overestimated the severity of AD compared with physicians. Factors significantly associated with caregiver’s underestimation of disease severity were age of the child and time since disease diagnosis. Comparison of concordance between caregiver-reported and physician-rated estimates of severity of AD in paediatric patients revealed a tendency amongst caregivers to underestimate severity of AD. This information may have clinical implications for treatment outcomes if caregivers fail to adhere to medical advice. Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Nanyang Technological University Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS) Published version The authors would like to thank all children and caregivers that responded to the questionnaire and made this study possible. This research was supported through the Skin Research Grant by the Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS), a tripartite partnership between the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), National Healthcare Group through its National Skin Centre (NHG) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Written informed consent was obtained from the legally authorized representative (LAR) of the child prior to enrolment in the study.

Introduction: Nurses are encouraged to engage in research activities in order to stay abreast with the current nursing practice. However, limited knowledge about the research process may influence their level of involvement and utilisation of research in their daily nursing practices. This study examines Singapore nurses' perceived knowledge and educational needs in research as well as to explore their preferred mode and duration of education delivery. Methods: This is a multi-site, cross-sectional study that recruited 2248 registered nurses working in Singapore. A self-administered tool was used to examine nurses' perceived knowledge and educational needs in research. Descriptive statistics were used to present the nurses' demographic data; the Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests were used to examine the relationship between the nurses' education level and their perceived knowledge and educational needs in research. Results: Nurses in this study perceived low levels of knowledge in research. Majority of those who were involved in research activities had a bachelor's degree. There were statistically significant differences between education level and perceived knowledge (p=0.001). However, there was no significant difference between education level and perceived educational needs. Younger nurses (19–35 years old) preferred shorter duration when attending workshops compared to older nurses (36 years old and above). Skill-based workshop and tutorial or seminar that last no longer than a week was the most preferred educational mode and duration. Conclusion: Nurses with high level of education perceived a higher level of research knowledge and thus reported lower educational needs in research. The results showed the need for continual training programs, even for nurses with bachelor's and master's degrees, in order to better prepare them for evidence-based practice. Understanding the demographic of the nurses and their learning styles is important when devising strategies to teach research.