1
|
Everhart AR, Ferguson L, Wilson JP. Construction and validation of a spatial database of providers of transgender hormone therapy in the US. Soc Sci Med 2022; 303:115014. [PMID: 35594740 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
What little data on transgender healthcare is available often focuses on transgender people's negative experiences in accessing healthcare. However, no research has been conducted that illustrates where gender-affirming hormone therapy, one part of transgender-specific medical care, is available. Without these data, large scale research to discern patterns of availability of and access to gender-affirming medical care is nearly impossible. Community-based organizations, and even trans individuals themselves have constructed repositories and databases of healthcare providers to inform other care seekers where they can access transition-related care providers, but their data are often incomplete, and usually formatted to be user-facing rather than streamlined for research purposes. To fill this gap, this article outlines the methodology for the construction of a spatial database of providers of gender-affirming hormone therapy for transgender people in the US, which is available on GitHub, created from existing community-based resources and the accompanying verification process. The completeness of the database is tested via comparison to data from the US Transgender Survey in which respondents reported travel distance to access transgender-specific care providers. The database accounted for all but 7.5% of respondents who may have accessed unknown facilities based on self-reported travel distance. Results indicate that existing methodologies for database construction regarding healthcare providers are difficult to apply when working with transgender-specific medical care and that tests for replicability and validation often take for granted the wide availability of relevant data and information. While the database unto itself can only demonstrate where care is available, it will enable future research into why these geographic patterns in care availability exist. Finally, the methodology can be replicated to produce databases for other kinds of specialized or politicized medical care such as abortion, gender-affirming surgery, or HIV treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Avery R Everhart
- University of Southern California, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, Spatial Sciences Institute, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF B55, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Center for Applied Transgender Studies, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Laura Ferguson
- University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, 2001 N Soto St, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA.
| | - John P Wilson
- University of Southern California, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, Spatial Sciences Institute, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF B55, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang PF, Zheng XH, Li XZ, Sun L, Jia WH. Informatics Management of Tumor Specimens in the Era of Big Data: Challenges and Solutions. Biopreserv Biobank 2021; 19:531-542. [PMID: 34030478 DOI: 10.1089/bio.2020.0084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomedical data bear the potential to facilitate personalized diagnosis and precision treatment. In the era of Big Data, high-quality annotation of human specimens has become the primary mission of biobankers, especially for tumor biobanks with large amounts of "omics" and clinical data. However, the lack of agreed-upon standardization and the gap among heterogeneous databases make information application and communication a major challenge. International efforts are underway to develop national projects on informatics management. The aim of this review is to provide references in specimen annotation to regulate and take full advantage of biological and biomedical information. First, critical data categories that are vital for specimen applications, including sample attributes, clinical data, preanalytical variations, and analytical records, are systematically listed for subsequent data mining. Second, current standards and guidelines related to biospecimen information are reviewed, and proper standards for tumor biobanks are recommended. In particular, commonly-used approaches and functionalities of data management are summarized and discussed. This review highlights the importance of informatics management of tumor specimens, defines critical data types, recommends data standards, and presents the methodologies of data harmonization for biobankers to reach high quality annotation of biospecimens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Fen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Tumor Biobank, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Hui Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Tumor Biobank, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Xi-Zhao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Tumor Biobank, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Lin Sun
- Department of Information, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Wei-Hua Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Tumor Biobank, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
General practice recording of adverse childhood experiences: a retrospective cohort study of GP records. BJGP Open 2020; 4:bjgpopen20X101011. [PMID: 32071039 PMCID: PMC7330192 DOI: 10.3399/bjgpopen20x101011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to negative health outcomes in adulthood. Poor engagement with services may, in part, mediate the association between adverse outcomes and ACEs. While appointment recording is comprehensive, it is not yet known if or how ACEs are recorded in the GP clinical record (GPR). AIM To investigate recording of ACEs in the GPR and assess associations between available ACE-related Read codes and missed appointments. DESIGN & SETTING Retrospective cohort study of 824 374 anonymised GPRs. Nationally representative sample of 136 Scottish general practices; data collected 2013-2016. METHOD Read codes were mapped onto ACE questionnaire and wider ACE-related domains. Natural language processing (NLP) was used to augment capture of non-Read-coded ACEs. Frequency counts and proportions of mapped codes, and associations of these with defined levels of missing GP appointments, are reported. RESULTS In total, 0.4% of patients had a record of any code that mapped onto the ACE questionnaire, contrasting with survey-reported rates of 47% in population samples. This increased only modestly by including inferred ACEs that related to safeguarding children concerns, wider aspects of ACEs, and adult consequences of ACEs. Augmentation via NLP did not substantially increase capture. Despite poor recording, there was an association between ever having an ACE code recorded and higher rates of missing GP appointments. CONCLUSION General practices would require substantial support to implement the recording of ACEs in the GPR. This study adds to the evidence that patients who often miss appointments are more likely to be socially vulnerable.
Collapse
|
4
|
Atherton H, Brant H, Ziebland S, Bikker A, Campbell J, Gibson A, McKinstry B, Porqueddu T, Salisbury C. The potential of alternatives to face-to-face consultation in general practice, and the impact on different patient groups: a mixed-methods case study. HEALTH SERVICES AND DELIVERY RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.3310/hsdr06200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThere is international interest in the potential role of different forms of communication technology to provide an alternative to face-to-face consultations in health care. There has been considerable rhetoric about the need for general practices to offer consultations by telephone, e-mail or internet video. However, little is understood about how, under what conditions, for which patients and in what ways these approaches may offer benefits to patients and practitioners in general practice.ObjectivesOur objectives were to review existing evidence about alternatives to face-to-face consultation; conduct a scoping exercise to identify the ways in which general practices currently provide these alternatives; recruit eight general practices as case studies for focused ethnographic research, exploring how practice context, patient characteristics, type of technology and the purpose of the consultation interact to determine the impact of these alternatives; and synthesise the findings in order to develop a website resource about the implementation of alternatives to face-to-face consultations and a framework for subsequent evaluation.DesignMixed-methods case study.SettingGeneral practices in England and Scotland with varied experience of implementing alternatives to face-to-face consultations.ParticipantsPatients and practice staff.InterventionsAlternatives to face-to-face consultations include telephone consultations, e-mail, e-consultations and internet video.Main outcome measuresHow context influenced the implementation and impact of alternatives to the face-to-face consultation; the rationale for practices to introduce alternatives; the use of different forms of consultation by different patient groups; and the intended benefits/outcomes.Review methodsThe conceptual review used an approach informed by realist review, a method for synthesising research evidence regarding complex interventions.ResultsAlternatives to the face-to-face consultation are not in mainstream use in general practice, with low uptake in our case study practices. We identified the underlying rationales for the use of these alternatives and have shown that different stakeholders have different perspectives on what they hope to achieve through the use of alternatives to the face-to-face consultation. Through the observation of real-life use of different forms of alternative, we have a clearer understanding of how, under what circumstances and for which patients alternatives might have a range of intended benefits and potential unintended adverse consequences. We have also developed a framework for future evaluation.LimitationsThe low uptake of alternatives to the face-to-face consultation means that our research participants might be deemed to be early adopters. The case study approach provides an in-depth examination of a small number of sites, each using alternatives in different ways. The findings are therefore hypothesis-generating, rather than hypothesis-testing.ConclusionsThe current low uptake of alternatives, lack of clarity about purpose and limited evidence of benefit may be at odds with current policy, which encourages the use of alternatives. We have highlighted key issues for practices and policy-makers to consider and have made recommendations about priorities for further research to be conducted, before or alongside the future roll-out of alternatives to the face-to-face consultation, such as telephone consulting, e-consultation, e-mail and video consulting.Future workWe have synthesised our findings to develop a framework and recommendations about future evaluation of the use of alternatives to face-to-face consultations.Funding detailsThe National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helen Atherton
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Heather Brant
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Sue Ziebland
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Annemieke Bikker
- Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John Campbell
- Collaboration for Academic Primary Care (APEx), University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Andy Gibson
- Health and Social Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
| | - Brian McKinstry
- Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tania Porqueddu
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chris Salisbury
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Noor AM, Holmberg L, Gillett C, Grigoriadis A. Big Data: the challenge for small research groups in the era of cancer genomics. Br J Cancer 2015; 113:1405-12. [PMID: 26492224 PMCID: PMC4815885 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2015.341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, cancer research has seen an increasing trend towards high-throughput techniques and translational approaches. The increasing availability of assays that utilise smaller quantities of source material and produce higher volumes of data output have resulted in the necessity for data storage solutions beyond those previously used. Multifactorial data, both large in sample size and heterogeneous in context, needs to be integrated in a standardised, cost-effective and secure manner. This requires technical solutions and administrative support not normally financially accounted for in small- to moderate-sized research groups. In this review, we highlight the Big Data challenges faced by translational research groups in the precision medicine era; an era in which the genomes of over 75 000 patients will be sequenced by the National Health Service over the next 3 years to advance healthcare. In particular, we have looked at three main themes of data management in relation to cancer research, namely (1) cancer ontology management, (2) IT infrastructures that have been developed to support data management and (3) the unique ethical challenges introduced by utilising Big Data in research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aisyah Mohd Noor
- Research Oncology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Lars Holmberg
- Research Oncology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK.,Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 85, Sweden
| | - Cheryl Gillett
- Research Oncology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK.,Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's Health Partners Cancer Biobank, King's College London, Research Oncology, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Anita Grigoriadis
- Research Oncology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK.,Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, Research Oncology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| |
Collapse
|