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Kumarasamy V, Goodfellow N, Ferron EM, Wright AL. Evaluating the Problem of Fraudulent Participants in Health Care Research: Multimethod Pilot Study. JMIR Form Res 2024; 8:e51530. [PMID: 38833292 DOI: 10.2196/51530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The shift toward online recruitment methods, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has brought to the forefront the growing concern of encountering fraudulent participants in health care research. The increasing prevalence of this issue poses a serious threat to the reliability and integrity of research data and subsequent findings. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the experiences of health care researchers (HCRs) who have encountered fraudulent participants while using online recruitment methods and platforms. The primary objective was to gain insights into how researchers detect and mitigate fraudulent behavior in their work and provide prevention recommendations. METHODS A multimethod sequential design was used for this pilot study, comprising a quantitative arm involving a web-based survey followed by a qualitative arm featuring semistructured interviews. The qualitative description approach framed the qualitative arm of the study. Sample sizes for the quantitative and qualitative arms were based on pragmatic considerations that in part stemmed from encountering fraudulent participants in a concurrent study. Content analysis was used to analyze open-ended survey questions and interview data. RESULTS A total of 37 HCRs participated, with 35% (13/37) of them engaging in qualitative interviews. Online platforms such as Facebook, email, Twitter (subsequently rebranded X), and newsletters were the most used methods for recruitment. A total of 84% (31/37) of participants indicated that fraudulent participation occurred in studies that mentioned incentives in their recruitment communications, with 71% (26/37) of HCRs offering physical or electronic gift cards as incentives. Researchers identified several indicators of suspicious behavior, including email surges, discrepancies in contact or personal information, geographical inconsistencies, and suspicious responses to survey questions. HCRs emphasized the need for a comprehensive screening protocol that extends beyond eligibility checks and is seamlessly integrated into the study protocol, grant applications, and research ethics board submissions. CONCLUSIONS This study sheds light on the intricate and pervasive problem of fraudulent participation in health care research using online recruitment methods. The findings underscore the importance of vigilance and proactivity among HCRs in identifying, preventing, and addressing fraudulent behavior. To effectively tackle this challenge, researchers are encouraged to develop a comprehensive prevention strategy and establish a community of practice, facilitating real-time access to solutions and support and the promotion of ethical research practices. This collaborative approach will enable researchers to effectively address the issue of fraudulent participation, ensuring the conduct of high-quality and ethically sound research in the digital age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vithusa Kumarasamy
- Lawrence S Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicole Goodfellow
- Lawrence S Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Era Mae Ferron
- Lawrence S Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amy L Wright
- Lawrence S Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Cherblanc J, Gaboury S, Maître J, Côté I, Cadell S, Bergeron-Leclerc C. Predicting levels of prolonged grief disorder symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: An integrated approach of classical data exploration, predictive machine learning, and explainable AI. J Affect Disord 2024; 351:746-754. [PMID: 38290589 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior studies on Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) primarily employed classical approaches to link bereaved individuals' characteristics with PGD symptom levels. This study utilized machine learning to identify key factors influencing PGD symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We analyzed data from 479 participants through an online survey, employing classical data exploration, predictive machine learning, and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to determine key factors influencing PGD symptoms measured with the Traumatic Grief Inventory - Self Report (TGI-SR) from 19 variables, comparing five predictive models. RESULTS The classical approach identified eight variables associated with a possible PGD (TGI-SR score ≥ 59): unexpected causes of death, living alone, seeking professional support, taking anxiety and/or depression medications, using more grief services (telephone or online supports) and more confrontation-oriented coping strategies, and higher levels of depression and anxiety. Using machine learning techniques, the CatBoost algorithm provided the best predictive model of the TGI-SR score (r2 = 0.6479). The three variables influencing the most the level of PGD symptoms were anxiety, and levels of avoidance and confrontation coping strategies used. CONCLUSIONS This pioneering approach within the field of grief research enabled us to leverage the extensive dataset collected during the pandemic, facilitating a deeper comprehension of the predominant factors influencing the grieving process for individuals who experienced loss during this period. LIMITATIONS This study acknowledges self-selection bias, limited sample diversity, and suggests further research is needed to fully understand the predictors of PGD symptoms.
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Lenze E, Torous J, Arean P. Digital and precision clinical trials: innovations for testing mental health medications, devices, and psychosocial treatments. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:205-214. [PMID: 37550438 PMCID: PMC10700595 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01664-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Mental health treatment advances - including neuropsychiatric medications and devices, psychotherapies, and cognitive treatments - lag behind other fields of clinical medicine such as cardiovascular care. One reason for this gap is the traditional techniques used in mental health clinical trials, which slow the pace of progress, produce inequities in care, and undermine precision medicine goals. Newer techniques and methodologies, which we term digital and precision trials, offer solutions. These techniques consist of (1) decentralized (i.e., fully-remote) trials which improve the speed and quality of clinical trials and increase equity of access to research, (2) precision measurement which improves success rate and is essential for precision medicine, and (3) digital interventions, which offer increased reach of, and equity of access to, evidence-based treatments. These techniques and their rationales are described in detail, along with challenges and solutions for their utilization. We conclude with a vignette of a depression clinical trial using these techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Lenze
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
| | - John Torous
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patricia Arean
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Walker LO, Murry N, Longoria KD. Improving Data Integrity and Quality From Online Health Surveys of Women With Infant Children. Nurs Res 2023; 72:386-391. [PMID: 37625181 PMCID: PMC10534022 DOI: 10.1097/nnr.0000000000000671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Online surveys have proven to be an efficient method to gather health information in studies of various populations, but these are accompanied by threats to data integrity and quality. We draw on our experience with a nefarious intrusion into an online survey and our efforts to protect data integrity and quality in a subsequent online survey. OBJECTIVES We aim to share lessons learned regarding detecting and preventing threats to online survey data integrity and quality. METHODS We examined data from two online surveys we conducted, as well as findings of others reported in the literature, to delineate threats to and prevention strategies for online health surveys. RESULTS Our first survey was launched inadvertently without available security features engaged in Qualtrics, resulting in a number of threats to data integrity and quality. These threats included multiple submissions, often within seconds of each other, from the same internet protocol (IP) address; use of proxy servers or virtual private networks, often with suspicious or abusive IP address ratings and geolocations outside the United States; and incoherent text data or otherwise suspicious responses. After excluding fraudulent, suspicious, or ineligible cases, as well as cases that terminated before submitting data, 102 of 224 (45.5%) eligible survey respondents remained with partial or complete data. In a second online survey with security features in Qualtrics engaged, no IP addresses were associated with any duplicate submissions. To further protect data integrity and quality, we added items to detect inattentive or fraudulent respondents and applied a risk scoring system in which 23 survey respondents were high risk, 16 were moderate risk, and 289 of 464 (62.3%) were low or no risk and therefore considered eligible respondents. DISCUSSION Technological safeguards, such as blocking repeat IP addresses and study design features to detect inattentive or fraudulent respondents, are strategies to support data integrity and quality in online survey research. For online data collection to make meaningful contributions to nursing research, it is important for nursing scientists to implement technological, study design, and methodological safeguards to protect data integrity and quality and for future research to focus on advancing data protection methodologies.
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Sauceda JA, Campbell CK, Ndukwe SO, Dubé K, Saberi P. Medical mistrust of health systems as a moderator of resilience and self-reported HIV care engagement in Black and Latinx young adults living with HIV. CULTURAL DIVERSITY & ETHNIC MINORITY PSYCHOLOGY 2023:2023-99078-001. [PMID: 37589681 PMCID: PMC10873476 DOI: 10.1037/cdp0000615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study resilience and its association with HIV care engagement in a sample of young adult Black and Latinx people living with HIV (PLWH) in the United States and to test if a systems-level barrier, medical mistrust, would moderate the resilience-engagement association. METHOD Between April and August 2021, we recruited participants through social media and dating apps (N = 212) and verified age and HIV status through a review process of digital text-messaged and emailed photos. Participants completed a one-time online survey consisting of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, The Index of Engagement in HIV Care, and the Medical Mistrust Index. We ran a regression-based moderation analysis using the Johnson-Neyman Technique to estimate regions of significance. RESULTS The sample (N = 212) was 80.5% Black and 19.5% Latinx with a mean age of 25.8 years (SD = 2.84). Higher resilience scores were associated with higher HIV care engagement scores (b = 0.72, p = .003), and medical mistrust moderated this relationship as evidenced by a mistrust by resilience interaction (b = -0.16, p = .01). Our regions of statistical significance showed that as mistrust increased, the size of the resilience-engagement association decreased. CONCLUSION Resilience may be a protective factor associated with greater participation and sense of connection to HIV care, but is diminished by mistrust of the medical system at large. This suggest that systems-level changes, in addition to individual-level interventions, are needed to address medical mistrust to fully harness the resilience of young PLWH. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Sauceda
- Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Chadwick K. Campbell
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | - Samuel O. Ndukwe
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Karine Dubé
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | - Parya Saberi
- Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
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Sauceda JA, Dubé K, Harris O, Campbell CK, Ndukwe S, Saberi P. Brief Report: The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Physical, Social, and Mental Health of Black and Latinx Young People With HIV in the United States. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2023; 93:187-190. [PMID: 36913727 PMCID: PMC10272066 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000003188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whereas national attention has been paid to the ongoing mental health crises among young people triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, less is known about the social, physical and psychological impacts of COVID-19 on young people living with HIV, especially racial/ethnic minorities. SETTING Online survey of participants across the U.S. METHOD A national cross-sectional survey of non-Latinx Black and Latinx young adults (18-29) living with HIV. Between April and August 2021, participants answered survey questions about several domains (eg, stress, anxiety, relationships, work, quality of life) that were worsened, improved, or unchanged during the pandemic. We ran a logistic regression estimating the self-reported impact of the pandemic on these domains between 2 age groups (ages 18-24 versus 25-29). RESULTS The sample size was 231 (186 non-Latinx Black, 45 Latinx) and mainly male (84.4%) and gay identified (62.2%). Nearly 20% of participants were 18-24 years old and 80% were ages 25-29. Participants who were 18-24 years old reported 2-3 times the odds for having worse sleep quality and mood and greater stress, anxiety, and weight gain compared with those 25-29 years old. CONCLUSION Our data provide a nuanced picture of the negative impacts that COVID-19 had on non-Latinx Black and Latinx young adults living with HIV in the U.S. Given that these adults represent a priority population for HIV treatment outcomes, it is critical to better understand the ongoing toll that these dual pandemics have on their lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Sauceda
- Division of Prevention Science; University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Karine Dubé
- University of California San Diego School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Orlando Harris
- Division of Prevention Science; University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Community Health Systems; School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Chadwick K. Campbell
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science; University of California, San Diego
| | - Samuel Ndukwe
- UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Parya Saberi
- Division of Prevention Science; University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
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Campbell CK, Dubé K, Sauceda JA, Sevelius JM, Green-Ajufo B, Brown B, Ndukwe S, Saberi P. Cash Transfer Apps are a Feasible, Acceptable, and More Equitable Method for Compensating Participants in HIV Research. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2023; 93:e9-e11. [PMID: 36976553 PMCID: PMC10272053 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000003199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chadwick K. Campbell
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity; University of California San Diego; La Jolla, CA; USA
| | - Karine Dubé
- UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill, NC; USA
| | - John A. Sauceda
- Division of Prevention Science, Department of Medicine; University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; USA
| | - Jae M. Sevelius
- Division of Prevention Science, Department of Medicine; University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; USA
| | - Barbara Green-Ajufo
- Division of Prevention Science, Department of Medicine; University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; USA
| | - Brandon Brown
- Center for Healthy Communities, Division of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine; University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA; USA
| | - Samuel Ndukwe
- UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill, NC; USA
| | - Parya Saberi
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity; University of California San Diego; La Jolla, CA; USA
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Saberi P, Stoner MC, Eskaf S, Ndukwe S, Campbell CK, Sauceda JA, Dubé K. Preferences for HIV Treatment Formulations Among Young Adults With HIV in the United States. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2023; 92:e7-e10. [PMID: 36343377 PMCID: PMC9839471 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000003128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Parya Saberi
- Division of Prevention Science; University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Shadi Eskaf
- Independent Public Health Researcher/Consultant, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Samuel Ndukwe
- Gillings School of Global Public Health; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Chadwick K. Campbell
- Division of Prevention Science; University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John A. Sauceda
- Division of Prevention Science; University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Karine Dubé
- Gillings School of Global Public Health; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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