Facilitators and barriers to online group work in higher education within health sciences - a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

In health education, group work is essential to prepare students for working in health care and medical teams. Following the widespread adoption of online teaching, group work increasingly takes place in online environments. Although successful group work can provide good learning outcomes, it is unclear what facilitates or hinders online group work in health science education, and to what extent this topic has been addressed. Thus, this scoping review aimed to identify the facilitators and barriers to online group work in higher health education, provide an overview of the scientific literature related to the topic, and identify knowledge gaps in the research.

METHODS

This scoping review was guided by the methodological framework described by Arksey and O'Malley, and reporting is in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR). Eight online databases were searched for scientific articles published between 2012 and 2022. At least two researchers independently screened records and full-text articles and charted data including article characteristics and key information related to the research question. Findings were categorized and summarized based on the Community of Inquiry Framework.

RESULTS

After screening 3671 records and 466 full-text articles, 39 articles met the inclusion criteria. The review revealed smaller group size, consistency in group composition and joint responsibility to be facilitators. Challenges with group communication, scheduling synchronous meetings and technical issues were identified as barriers. Our findings supported the importance of all three elements of the Community of Inquiry Framework: social, cognitive, and teaching presence.

CONCLUSION

This review provides an overview of facilitators and barriers to online group work in health science education. However, there is a need for further investigation of these factors and studies addressing this topic from the teachers' perspective.

What are you Reading? A Glimpse Into What is Captivating Health Promotion Professionals

Story telling is one of the most time honored methods for conveying ideas, inspiring action and offering insights into the foibles and ferment of the human condition. This editorial offers a glimpse into what is sparking the imaginations and passions of health promotion professionals by simply asking them 'what are you reading?' Those who shared the books currently sitting alongside their reading chairs were not asked to select books that were related to improving health and well-being. Still, it came as no surprise that contributors to this article uniformly described plots, characters and narratives that illuminate how life circumstances can accost health and jeopardize well-being. What's more, you will see that in fiction, non-fiction and fanciful fables alike, health promotion professionals extract inspiration from these books and find ways to apply the moral of these stories toward the improvement of our profession.

The historical development and current landscape of health library standards: A critical review

BACKGROUND

Since the emergence of the first health library standards, a large body of literature has been published in this field, most often focusing on a particular standard, or set of standards. In the case of literature reviews, they have been usually partial and integrated into a broader study.

OBJECTIVE

Identify and analyse national health library standards developed in different countries worldwide over the past 70 years, tracing their historical development and current status.

METHOD

A comprehensive search of published literature was conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, LISA, and Google Scholar up to May 2023. The reference lists and citations of retrieved papers were reviewed. After screening and eligibility, a total of 112 papers were included in the final selection.

RESULTS

More than 40 national hospital library standards published by a group of Anglo-Saxon and European countries were identified. In a chronological approach, the standards have been arranged by decades, from the 1950s to the present day, and the context of their appearance, their main contributions, and the relationships between them have been analysed. The major trends that have marked their evolution and development over time have also been established.

CONCLUSION

Standards have a key role to play in the important challenge facing health libraries today to demonstrate the high impact and value of their services in the functioning of their organisations and in improving patient care.

Integration and Assessment of ChatGPT in Medical Case Reporting: A Multifaceted Approach

ChatGPT, a large language model, has gained significance in medical writing, particularly in case reports that document the course of an illness. This article explores the integration of ChatGPT and how ChatGPT shapes the process, product, and politics of medical writing in the real world. We conducted a bibliometric analysis on case reports utilizing ChatGPT and indexed in PubMed, encompassing publication information. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis was conducted to categorize the applications and limitations of ChatGPT and the publication trend of application categories. A total of 66 case reports utilizing ChatGPT were identified, with a predominant preference for the online version and English input by the authors. The prevalent application categories were information retrieval and content generation. Notably, this trend remained consistent across different months. Within the subset of 32 articles addressing ChatGPT limitations in case report writing, concerns related to inaccuracies and a lack of clinical context were prominently emphasized. This pointed out the important role of clinical thinking and professional expertise, representing the foundational tenets of medical education, while also accentuating the distinction between physicians and generative artificial intelligence.

Content analysis of medical college library websites in Pakistan indicates necessary improvements

BACKGROUND

Library websites are important for marketing library services and providing access to electronic resources.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the extent and quality of medical college (school) library websites in Pakistan, according to predetermined criteria.

METHODS

A checklist of 40 items was developed from the literature on academic library website evaluation as well as observation of known best practice. The checklist was used on the 45 medical college websites that fitted initial inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Of the possible 114 candidates for inclusion, 52 institution websites contained no information about the library, 17 only provided minimum details, leaving 45 medical college library websites that could be included. Library websites lack uniformity, and most of the important features as only three library websites contained more than 20 items from the checklist. The Agha Khan University Medical College, Karachi library website contained the highest (27) number of items.

DISCUSSION

The findings indicate the design of medical college library websites is generally inadequate in Pakistan. The websites are not performing a useful role in communicating with faculty and students. The findings point to inadequate website design skills among librarians or the lack of co-operation with professional website designers.

CONCLUSIONS

Marketing of library services and good customer relations demand improvements in the information architecture of medical college library websites as well as continued maintenance of the content to ensure that it is up to date.

Retraction of health science articles by researchers in Latin America and the Caribbean: A scoping review

We aimed to conduct a scoping review to assess the profile of retracted health sciences articles authored by individuals affiliated with academic institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). We systematically searched seven databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Medline/Ovid, Scielo, and LILACS). We included articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 2003 and 2022 that had at least one author with an institutional affiliation in LAC. Data were collected on the year of publication, study design, authors' countries of origin, number of authors, subject matter of the manuscript, scientific journals of publication, retraction characteristics, and reasons for retraction. We included 147 articles, the majority being observational studies (41.5%). The LAC countries with the highest number of retractions were Brazil (n = 69), Colombia (n = 16), and Mexico (n = 15). The areas of study with the highest number of retractions were infectology (n = 21) and basic sciences (n = 15). A retraction label was applied to 89.1% of the articles, 70.7% were retracted by journal editors, and 89.1% followed international retraction guidelines. The primary reasons for retraction included errors in procedures or data collection (n = 39), inconsistency in results or conclusions (n = 37), plagiarism (n = 21), and suspected scientific fraud (n = 19). In conclusion, most retractions of scientific publications in health sciences in LAC adhered to international guidelines and were linked to methodological issues in execution and scientific misconduct. Efforts should be directed toward ensuring the integrity of scientific research in the field of health.

The Association between Lifestyles (Walking/Diet) and Cultural Intelligence: A New Attempt to Apply Health Science to Cross-Cultural Research

A growing amount of research is being conducted on cultural intelligence (CQ), which is the ability to adjust and adapt successfully to a variety of surroundings. CQ is a vital quality for people in diversified societies, as are seen today. However, it is still unclear how an individual can develop or strengthen CQ because previous studies have shown that variables such as foreign experience and personality are not exclusively sufficient as CQ antecedents. If CQ can be treated health-scientifically, as the CQ developers argue, diet and exercise that are effective in keeping the body and brain healthy may also correlate with CQ. It is of great significance to clarify the relationship between lifestyle and CQ by applying recent previous research showing the relationship between CQ and both the brain and intelligence, as well as between lifestyle and both the brain and intelligence. Using data derived from 142 Japanese businesspersons, the results of structural equation modeling indicate that lifestyles (dietary balance and walking frequency) are significantly associated with CQ after controlling for personalities (curiosity and grit) and international experiences (length of studying and working abroad), which have been used as predictors of CQ in previous studies. Furthermore, the moderation test showed that the effect of dietary balance on increasing CQ is greater for people with less overseas experience, indicating that dietary balance compensates for lack of overseas experience in the effect of maintaining the level of CQ. These suggest the effectiveness of a health-scientific approach to the influencing factors of CQ. This study is the first to show that CQ is influenced by lifestyle such as walking and dieting, in addition to personality and overseas experience, and will contribute to the future development of health science and cross-cultural research.

Empowering Non-healthcare Students as Simulation Assistants in the Digital Era of Simulation-Based Healthcare Education: Bridging the Gap

Simulation-based education plays a pivotal role in various high-stakes fields, notably in healthcare, where simulation technicians are crucial for the effective operation of simulation technology. Currently, these roles are often filled by healthcare professionals who transition from patient care, exacerbating shortages in the healthcare workforce. This editorial addresses the current gap by proposing an alternative solution, creating educational pathways for undergraduate students in science and health science programs to become "simulation assistants". Leveraging their foundational knowledge in biological and physical sciences, research skills, and attributes developed through health sciences programs, these students could support simulation activities while entering an ever-evolving field with copious growth opportunities. Paralleling the historical development of medical laboratory sciences, which saw the creation of distinct roles for technologists and assistants, the editorial suggests a collaborative model wherein simulation technicians and assistants work together to enhance simulation-based education in the healthcare sector. This paradigm shift has the potential to alleviate the growing healthcare personnel shortages. While acknowledging the challenges, the editorial envisions the transformative impact of integrating simulation assistants into the healthcare workforce, echoing the historical evolution of specialized roles in response to the changing demands of healthcare.

Using contribution analysis to evaluate health professions and health sciences programs

Introduction/background

Course evaluation in health education is a common practice yet few comprehensive evaluations of health education exist that measure the impact and outcomes these programs have on developing health graduate capabilities.

Aim/objectives

To explore how curricula contribute to health graduate capabilities and what factors contribute to the development of these capabilities.

Methods

Using contribution analysis evaluation, a six-step iterative process, key stakeholders in the six selected courses were engaged in an iterative theory-driven evaluation. The researchers collectively developed a postulated theory-of-change. Then evidence from existing relevant documents were extracted using documentary analysis. Collated findings were presented to academic staff, industry representatives and graduates, where additional data was sought through focus group discussions - one for each discipline. The focus group data were used to validate the theory-of-change. Data analysis was conducted iteratively, refining the theory of change from one course to the next.

Results

The complexity in teaching and learning, contributed by human, organizational and curriculum factors was highlighted. Advances in knowledge, skills, attitudes and graduate capabilities are non-linear and integrated into curriculum. Work integrated learning significantly contributes to knowledge consolidation and forming professional identities for health professional courses. Workplace culture and educators' passion impact on the quality of teaching and learning yet are rarely considered as evidence of impact.

Discussion

Capturing the episodic and contextual learning moments is important to describe success and for reflection for improvement. Evidence of impact of elements of courses on future graduate capabilities was limited with the focus of evaluation data on satisfaction.

Conclusion

Contribution analysis has been a useful evaluation method to explore the complexity of the factors in learning and teaching that influence graduate capabilities in health-related courses.

Developing Vaccine Literacy for Urban Health Science Students, the Future Health Workforce

The 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic underlined a shift in attitudes against vaccines and a rise in hesitancy among some members of the population, despite the overwhelming evidence that vaccinations are one of the most successful and safe health interventions. Research has shown that vaccine hesitancy is complex and can result from an intersectionality of multiple factors. Research has also shown that to tackle vaccine hesitancy in the community, health care workers play a pivotal role, as they are trusted sources who can provide reliable information and can address vaccination concerns for the public. Unfortunately, health care workers are also susceptible to vaccine hesitancy. Thus, to curb these negative attitudes and doubts against vaccinations, we propose to improve vaccine competency among health science students, who are the future health workforce. Here, we propose a comprehensive pedagogical approach that aims to improve the vaccine literacy in this student population in two urban community colleges. The approach includes the use of high-impact pedagogical interventions to achieve three main objectives: (i) to teach students the nature and process of science to have them become "competent outsiders"; (ii) to enhance students' knowledge of the complex science behind emerging infectious diseases and vaccine action, adopting a learner-centered and concept-focused instructional design, and (iii) to address the social, cultural, and historical aspects of vaccine development and the historical and present inequities that characterize this health intervention.

COVID-19 vaccination intention among nursing, medical, and dental students: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis

The introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine amidst the pandemic has heralded a paradigm shift. Healthcare students in nursing, medicine, and dentistry must have positive attitudes owing to their future role in vaccine recommendations to the public and patients. This meta-regression analysis assessed the differences in COVID-19 vaccination intention (VI) of nursing, medical, and dental students. Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Korean MBASE were searched for eligible studies. Quality was assessed by the Joanna Briggs Institute's quality appraisal. Forty-one studies were included in the final analysis, and the estimation of pooled prevalence (68%) and relevant factors were assessed. Dental students were found to have the lowest VI (57%), which significantly (p = .018) differed from that of nursing students (64%). Countries in South-East Asia and those with high income levels were found to have high VI. Therefore, global vaccine programs for healthcare students should be prepared considering their geographical and economic status.

Virtual Reference at Health Sciences Libraries in the Time of COVID-19

Virtual reference services have become a staple in many libraries, but these services reached a new level of importance when in-person reference shut down in response to COVID-19. This descriptive study aims to discover how health sciences librarians utilized virtual reference services in response to the pandemic. A survey was developed and distributed to health sciences librarians. The survey addressed the status of virtual reference services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as any changes that are seen as libraries reopen. Virtual reference shifted heavily to video conferencing during the pandemic both for librarians at home and those remaining onsite.

Using technology to promote the development of health science libraries in China

From the point of view of the development of libraries, technology has made possible the emergence and development of library automation; digital libraries; mobile libraries; and smart libraries. This article briefly describes the impact of technological developments and application in Health Science Libraries in China in relation to collections development, service provision and the role of library associations.

Integration of Arts and Health Sciences in Developing an Opera on Veteran Resilience and Recovery

There is an emerging literature on research interviews to inform arts projects, but little on opera. This case study illustrates how research data informed an opera on Veteran recovery. Deidentified interviews were selected from 280 adults with a history of depression at 10-year follow-up to a randomized trial. Interviews were used to inform characters, storyline, and libretto. Ethical strategies included: changing details and merging stories and characters to create two Veterans and one spouse as leads, a storyline, and choral passages, with a focus on recovery from post-traumatic stress and homelessness. To engage a broad audience and address stigma, accessible composition techniques (melody, harmony) were used. We found that qualitative/mixed data can inform libretto and composition for an opera on Veteran recovery, through integrating art and health science.

Exploring the Well-Being of Slovenian and Serbian Sport Science Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic of Summer 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly changed everyday life of social actors, which inferred mental health and well-being concerns. As students of health-related studies tend to adapt better to difficult circumstances, in this study, we explored the effect of the pandemic on sports science students' well-being during the summer of 2022. The research was conducted in Slovenia and Serbia. The sample comprised n = 350 students. The PERMA-Profiler, a 15-item self-reported questionnaire, was adapted to assess well-being across five elements: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Data were collected with a questionnaire through the summer of 2022 (from May to July) and analyzed in SPSS, AMOS 26.0. The results revealed normal functioning (M = 7.72, SD ± 1.38) for the overall well-being of the students. Although all dimensions indicated high scores, relationships (M = 7.95, SD ± 1.63), meaning (M = 7.76, SD ± 1.69), and engagement (M = 7.73, SD ± 1.36) rated the highest. Furthermore, the instrument was acceptable, as the confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate reliability based on Cronbach's alpha (15 items, α = 0.94) and strong internal correlations between the PERMA dimensions. This study contributes to the previously published research, emphasizing the positive responses and successful coping of sports science students in times of complex situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Systematic Review of Applications of Machine Learning and Other Soft Computing Techniques for the Diagnosis of Tropical Diseases

This systematic literature aims to identify soft computing techniques currently utilized in diagnosing tropical febrile diseases and explore the data characteristics and features used for diagnoses, algorithm accuracy, and the limitations of current studies. The goal of this study is therefore centralized around determining the extent to which soft computing techniques have positively impacted the quality of physician care and their effectiveness in tropical disease diagnosis. The study has used PRISMA guidelines to identify paper selection and inclusion/exclusion criteria. It was determined that the highest frequency of articles utilized ensemble techniques for classification, prediction, analysis, diagnosis, etc., over single machine learning techniques, followed by neural networks. The results identified dengue fever as the most studied disease, followed by malaria and tuberculosis. It was also revealed that accuracy was the most common metric utilized to evaluate the predictive capability of a classification mode. The information presented within these studies benefits frontline healthcare workers who could depend on soft computing techniques for accurate diagnoses of tropical diseases. Although our research shows an increasing interest in using machine learning techniques for diagnosing tropical diseases, there still needs to be more studies. Hence, recommendations and directions for future research are proposed.

An authentic learner-centered planetary health assignment: A five-year evaluation of student choices to address Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action)

A Code Red has been declared for the planet and human health. Climate change (e.g., increasing temperatures, adverse weather events, rising sea levels) threatens the planet's already declining ecosystems. Without urgent action, all of Earth's inhabitants face an existential threat. Health professions education should therefore prepare learners to not only practice in a changing world, but authentic educational activities should also develop competencies for global and planetary citizenship. Planetary health has been integrated across the five-year Bond University (Australia) medical curriculum. It begins in the second week of Year 1 and ends with a session on Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare in the General Practice rotation in the final year. The purpose of this article is to describe the outcomes of the first 5 years (2018-2022) of a learner-centered planetary health assignment, underpinned by the 2030 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in the second year of a five-year medical program. Using systems and/or design thinking with a focus on SDG13 (Climate Action) plus a second SDG of choice, self-selected teams of 4-6 students submit a protocol (with feedback) to develop a deliverable "product" for an intended audience. Data analysis of the first 5 years of implementation found that the most frequently selected SDGs in addition to SDG13 were: SDG12 Sustainable Production and Consumption (41% of teams), mostly relating to healthcare emissions and waste; SDG3 Health and Well-being (22%), generally involving the impact of air pollution; and SDG6 Clean Water and Sanitation (15%). A survey at the concluding conference garnered student feedback across various criteria. The planetary health assignment is authentic in that teams provide solutions to address climate change. Where appropriate, final "products" are sent to local or federal ministers for consideration (e.g., policy proposals) or integrated into the curriculum (e.g., learning modules). We believe that the competencies, attitudes, and values fostered through engagement with planetary health. Throughout the medical program, as evidenced by their evaluations, stands students in good stead to be change agents, not only in clinical practice but in society. An awareness has been created about the need for planetary citizenship in addition to global citizenship.

Self-Regulated Learning Practice of Undergraduate Students in Health Professions Programs

BACKGROUND

University students are expected to take charge of their learning without being dependent on teachers. Self-regulated learning (SRL) is the process by which students direct their learning to achieve their set targets and goals in a timely and controlled manner. This study was undertaken to explore the practice of SRL by undergraduate students from different programs in a health science focused university during COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

Thirty-three undergraduate students of five health professions education programs were recruited to take part in focus group discussions to explore their SRL practice with online learning. Their responses were subjected to thematic analysis.

RESULT

Our students appeared to practice SRL, going through the phases of forethought and goal setting, performance and self-reflection. They set goals for academic as well as personal development in the university. Academic goals like achieving target GPA or marks were achieved by following different study techniques, personal management including time management, and by creating a conducive learning environment. Personal development such as interpersonal skills, social networking was achieved through socializing and participating in extracurricular activities. The students also engaged in self-reflection and analysis of their own performance followed by designing strategies to manage the challenges they faced.

CONCLUSION

Undergraduates of health professions programs appear to show evidence of practicing SRL. Although impacted by COVID-19 induced lockdown and online learning, they seem to have strategized and achieved their goals through individualized SRL processes. Promoting and fostering an atmosphere of SRL in universities to cater to the needs of the students would help them be more successful in their careers.

JTrack: A Digital Biomarker Platform for Remote Monitoring of Daily-Life Behaviour in Health and Disease

Health-related data being collected by smartphones offer a promising complementary approach to in-clinic assessments. Despite recent contributions, the trade-off between privacy, optimization, stability and research-grade data quality is not well met by existing platforms. Here we introduce the JTrack platform as a secure, reliable and extendable open-source solution for remote monitoring in daily-life and digital-phenotyping. JTrack is an open-source (released under open-source Apache 2.0 licenses) platform for remote assessment of digital biomarkers (DB) in neurological, psychiatric and other indications. JTrack is developed and maintained to comply with security, privacy and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements. A wide range of anonymized measurements from motion-sensors, social and physical activities and geolocation information can be collected in either active or passive modes by using JTrack Android-based smartphone application. JTrack also provides an online study management dashboard to monitor data collection across studies. To facilitate scaling, reproducibility, data management and sharing we integrated DataLad as a data management infrastructure. Smartphone-based Digital Biomarker data may provide valuable insight into daily-life behaviour in health and disease. As illustrated using sample data, JTrack provides as an easy and reliable open-source solution for collection of such information.

[Plea for a collegial practice of emergency psychiatric care]

The care of patients, especially in the field of agitation or psychiatry, requires close coordination between different actors. Interdisciplinarity makes it possible to analyse and harmonise the links between various disciplines with the common aim of solving complex problems. This interdisciplinarity must now become a fundamental in the teaching of health sciences and a prerequisite for the functioning of hospital services, in particular in the formalisation of acute care pathways.

Defining GME Librarianship: Creating and Developing a New Graduate Medical Education Library Program and Librarian Position

An academic research institution and a corporate hospital system formed a new graduate medical education (GME) consortium. The consortium objectives were to increase the scholarly activity of the residents and fellows in a national hospital system's GME residency program to match the requirements set forth by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. A GME librarian position was created specifically to serve the GME research programs at Florida area hospitals to help with this objective. This paper describes the experience, activities, and lessons learned from the creation of an entirely new GME library program and librarian position for a nine-hospital region in Florida.

Global trends health science libraries: Part 1

This is the first of three articles based on articles published in the Health Information and Libraries Journal's Regular Feature (International Perspectives and Initiatives). Key trends from 12 countries in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia were identified. In this issue, two trends are described: emergence of new roles and challenges for library staff; supporting researchers engaging in research data management and maintaining institutional repositories. Readers are challenged to compare these trends with their own experiences.

Predictors of Intention to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine of Health Science Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Vaccination is one of the interventions that can be employed to control coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The aim of this study is to identify factors that affect vaccination intention among health science students, by using the health belief model (HBM) as a theoretical framework.

Methods

This study was undertaken in April 2021 using a convenience sample strategy among health science students in Tra Vinh University, which is a university in South Vietnam. Participants were required to complete the self-report questionnaire. All data were calculated by using STATA 14 software, to determine the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, a multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed, along with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI).

Results

A total of 412 eligible participants were taken part in the study, with a questionnaire response rate of 48.2%, reporting that 77.7% of participants intended to receive a COVID-19 vaccination when available. An overall score of knowledge was 7.8 ± 1.5 (range 0-10), a positive attitude toward vaccination including perceived susceptibility and severity (3.1 ± 0.7), perceived benefits (3.1 ± 0.7) and cues to action (4.0 ± 0.6). Determinants of willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccination included their field of education, knowledge and factors in HBM model including perceived susceptibility and severity, perceived benefits and cues to action (all p < 0.05). In contrast, perceived barriers had a negative association with the probability of vaccine acceptance (p < 0.05). The study did indicate a number of participants not willing to receive a vaccination due to, mainly, safety (67.4%), development issues (58.7%) and side effects (79.3%).

Conclusion

The theoretical framework recognized factors that influence vaccine acceptance. These are considered evidence for the development of planning strategies to optimize the vaccination uptake and offer success in vaccination campaigns for both health science students and the general population.

Assessment of the Quality Management System for Clinical Nutrition in Jiangsu: Survey Study

BACKGROUND

An electronic system that automatically collects medical information can realize timely monitoring of patient health and improve the effectiveness and accuracy of medical treatment. To our knowledge, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical service quality assessment has been minimally evaluated, especially for clinical nutrition departments in China. From the perspective of medical ethics, patient safety comes before any other factors within health science, and this responsibility belongs to the quality management system (QMS) within medical institutions.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the QMS for clinical nutrition in Jiangsu, monitor its performance in quality assessment and human resource management from a nutrition aspect, and investigate the application and development of AI in medical quality control.

METHODS

The participants for this study were the staff of 70 clinical nutrition departments of the tertiary hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China. These departments are all members of the Quality Management System of Clinical Nutrition in Jiangsu (QMSNJ). An online survey was conducted on all 341 employees within all clinical nutrition departments based on the staff information from the surveyed medical institutions. The questionnaire contains five sections, and the data analysis and AI evaluation were focused on human resource information.

RESULTS

A total of 330 questionnaires were collected, with a response rate of 96.77% (330/341). A QMS for clinical nutrition was built for clinical nutrition departments in Jiangsu and achieved its target of human resource improvements, especially among dietitians. The growing number of participating departments (an increase of 42.8% from 2018 to 2020) and the significant growth of dietitians (t93.4=-0.42; P=.02) both show the advancements of the QMSNJ.

CONCLUSIONS

As the first innovation of an online platform for quality management in Jiangsu, the Jiangsu Province Clinical Nutrition Management Platform was successfully implemented as a QMS for this study. This multidimensional electronic system can help the QMSNJ and clinical nutrition departments achieve quality assessment from various aspects so as to realize the continuous improvement of clinical nutrition. The use of an online platform and AI technology for quality assessment is worth recommending and promoting in the future.

Sport science librarianship = health science librarianship?

Does sports science librarianship differ from other aspects of health librarianship? Or are sports science librarians more likely to identify as generalist librarians? This editorial introduces the salutogenic approach to sport, factors that support human health and well-being, and highlights the challenge of resourcing the diversity of subjects covered by sports sciences. Highlighting key parallels with medicine and public health, it concludes by advocating for closer alignment between sports and health science librarianship.

Trifluralin recognition using touch-based fingertip: Application of wearable glove-based sensor toward environmental pollution and human health control

Monitoring of herbicides and pesticides in water, food, and the environment is essential for human health, and this requires low-cost, portable devices for widespread deployment of this technology. For the first time, a wearable glove-based electrochemical sensor based on conductive Ag nano-ink was developed for the on-site monitoring of trifluralin residue on the surface of various substrates. Three electrode system with optimal thicknesses was designed directly on the finger surface of a rubber glove. Then, fabricated electrochemical sensor used for the direct detection of trifluralin in the range of 0.01 μM to 1 mM on the surface of tomato and mulberry leaves using square wave voltammetry (SWV) and difference pulse voltammetry technique. The obtained LLOQ was 0.01 μM, which indicates the suitable sensitivity of this sensor. On the other hand, this sensor is portable, easy to use, and has a high environmental capability that can be effective in detecting other chemical threats in the soil and water environment.

Library and knowledge staff in England share similar perceptions of the roles and personal characteristics of the clinical librarian

INTRODUCTION

Indications on the development of the health library and knowledge workforce (LKS) in England suggest that more staff may need to shift into clinical librarian (CL) roles. Anecdotal evidence suggested that CL roles have changed recently.

OBJECTIVES

To examine perceptions of CL tasks and required personal characteristics of CLs, amongst both practising CLs and other LKS staff in England.

METHODS

An online survey was followed by descriptive statistical and content analysis to identify any differences in perceptions between the CL and non-CL staff groups.

RESULTS

Response rate: 10% (123/1181). Both staff groups identified literature searching as the top core task and agreed on the main CL roles. Perceptions on the necessary personal characteristics were also similar. Ranking differed for a few tasks: non-CL staff may ascribe more importance to some tasks (evidence synthesis, critical appraisal training and attending ward rounds/team meetings) than the CL staff state. CLs spent more time on staff management, and less time on study skills training than non-CL staff perceived.

DISCUSSION

Results indicated that CL roles are continuing to develop, but that CLs are more integrated into library administration than some non-CL staff believe.

CONCLUSION

Shared perceptions around CL roles should help workforce development.

Effect of Disability-Specific Education on Student Attitudes Toward People With Disabilities

Attitude is a multidimensional and complex notion that considerably empowers or limits the major life activities of humans. Health professionals' attitudes toward people with disabilities are significant factors in the rehabilitation process. Soon after completing their coursework, the final-year students from health science meet the patients and rehabilitate them. This study accordingly aims to assess the attitude toward disability among final-year health science students before and after administering a disability-specific structured teaching program. A total of 243 final-year undergraduate health science students from medical, dental, physical therapy, pharmacy, laboratory sciences, radiology sciences, and nursing aged between 21 and 27 years participated in this study. This work employed the Scale of Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons (SADP) to measure attitudes among participants. The mean pre- and posttest SADP scores were 83.59 ± 15.45 and 107.83 ± 62, respectively (p < .001). Students from medical, dental, physical therapy, and nursing showed significant positive attitudes toward disability compared with other students, whereas college students in the final year of health science generally had poor attitudes toward disability. The results indicate that the disability-specific structured teaching program is effective in improving the attitude toward disability among final-year health science students. Accordingly, the authors recommend modifying the disability-related content in the health sciences curriculum.

The quantity of health-related article publications from universities in Saudi Arabia: A bibliometric analysis, 2008-2017

Several studies have summarized the biomedical publications in Arab countries. However, the quantity of health-related article publications from universities in recent years in Saudi Arabia is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to perform a bibliometric analysis that showcases the quantitative health-related article publications output from universities in Saudi Arabia between 2008 and 2017. An extensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed database. The search was limited to original research articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published in the English language reporting on humans from medicine and health sciences colleges by researchers affiliated with any university in Saudi Arabia between January 2008 and December 2017. A total of 3172 articles were found published between January 2008 and December 2017. The number of publication output increased significantly (p = 0.0027) from 73 (2.3%) in 2008 to 721 (22.7%) in 2017. The highest quantity of publications came from the Riyadh region (n = 2257), specifically King Saud University (n = 1538). Of specific journals, the BioMed Central journals published the most articles by Saudi Arabian researchers (n = 112). The total number of publications increased from 2% to 24.8% by region. However, approximately 80% of the papers were published in journals with an impact factor (IF) <3. Around 3.8% of the papers were published in journals that had an IF ≥6 and has increased significantly (p = 0.030) from 0% to 1.2% in the past decade. The journal with the highest IF that published a high quantity of articles was the American Journal of Human Genetics. This study has identified a continuous significant increase in the publication of health-related articles from universities in Saudi Arabia. This study extended our knowledge of the quantity of scientific productivity in the field of medicine and health sciences over a recent decade.

Community engagement in the Faculty of Health Science: A concept analysis

Background

Community engagement has been given different interpretations by scholars and organisations; in addition, current scientific literature has not reached a consensus on how it is defined. This difference in conceptualisation may lead to confusion regarding the meaning. The researcher observed that academic staff from the Faculty of Health Science at an institution of higher education in Namibia are not certain of what counts as community engagement. This has led to some activities from the faculty being cancelled from the institutional review reports as they were not recognised as community engagement.

Aim

The aim of this article is to describe the concept analysis of community engagement.

Setting

the study took place at a faculty of health science at a university in Namibia.

Method

Concept analysis was done in accordance with the eight steps of the Walker and Avant model. A literature search was conducted to capture all potential definitions and uses of community engagement. A total of 225 definitions and uses of community engagement were recorded and used in the concept analysis. A list of definitions and uses of the concept of community engagement were documented with their citations, in a table with three columns. The first column (analysis) consisted of the identified definitions and uses of community engagement from the relevant literature. The second column (synthesis) consisted of reduced statements of the content presented in the first column. The third column (derivation) consisted of the final reduction into categories and connotations derived from the second column.

Findings

Three broad categories were revealed as findings: (1) the antecedents of community engagement, which included community challenges, health inequalities, societal needs and the need for a social responsive approach in education, research and services; (2) a three-phase process of community engagement; and (3) the outcomes of community engagement. A theoretical definition and a conceptual map for the concept of community engagement were drawn from the findings.

Recommendation

The results of the concept analysis of community engagement will be used to develop strategies for its facilitation in the Faculty of Health Science.

CILIP's Health Libraries Group-Shane Godbolt, lifelong member and supporter

This paper from CILIP's Health Libraries Group (HLG) committee is written by the previous International Officer who worked in partnership with Shane Godbolt. It outlines Shane's contribution to the Health Libraries Group over several decades and focuses on the collaborative work on international visits.

Biochemistry and molecular biology in health science education: A parallel session at the IUBMB/PSBMB 2019 "Harnessing Interdisciplinary Education in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" conference

In many health-related programs biochemistry and molecular biology are core subjects, but these subjects are often not the students main focus. This challenges educators to develop curriculum that demonstrates the relevance of biochemistry and molecular biology and engages these students. This conference session discussed the value of biochemistry and molecular biology education in the health sciences and the methodologies which can be implemented.

Rethinking Social Interaction: Empirical Model Development

Background

Social media is an integral part of human social life. More than 90% of young people use social media daily. Current theories, models, and measures are primarily based on face-to-face conceptions, leaving research out of sync with current social trends. This may lead to imprecise diagnoses and predictions.

Objective

To develop a theoretically based empirical model of current social interfaces to inform relevant measures.

Methods

A three-stage, qualitative, data-collection approach included anonymous individual Post-it notes, three full-class discussions, and 10 focus groups to explore 82 adolescents’ relational practices. Data analysis followed a meaning-condensation procedure and a field-correspondence technique.

Results

We developed an empirical model that categorizes adolescents’ social interactions into five experiential positions. Four positions result from trajectories relating to social media and face-to-face social interaction. Positions are described by match or mismatch dynamics between preferred and actual social platforms used. In matched positions, individuals prefer and use both face-to-face and social media platforms (position 1), prefer and use face-to-face platforms (position 2), or prefer and use social media platforms (position 3). In mismatched positions, individuals prefer face-to-face interactions but use social media platforms (position 4) or prefer social media but use face-to-face platforms (position 5). We propose that matched positions indicate good social functioning while mismatched positions indicate serious social challenges.

Conclusions

We propose a model that will expand previous unidimensional social interaction constructs, and we hypothesize that the described match and mismatch analyses provide conceptual clarity for research and practical application. We discuss prediction value, implications, and model validation procedures.

Associations of combinations of housing tenure status and household structure with subjective happiness among community-dwelling elderly people: A cross-sectional study with stratified random sampling

AIM

Subjective happiness is an important marker of successful aging, and is associated with housing tenure status and household structure. However, the associations between subjective happiness and combinations of housing tenure status and household structure have not yet been clarified. Therefore, we examined which combinations of housing tenure status and household structure are associated with high or low subjective happiness among community-dwelling elderly people.

METHODS

Subjects were enrolled by stratified random sampling, and comprised of 1602 elderly persons aged ≥65 years as of January 2017 in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The subjects' data were collected via a self-completed questionnaire (effective response rate: 53.4%), and the associations between subjective happiness and combinations of housing tenure status and household structure were analyzed by chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis, controlling the confounding variables such as care support needs, subjective economic status and health status.

RESULTS

The subjects reported significantly decreased subjective happiness when they were a renter living alone (odds ratio [OR] = 0.427 and 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.249, 0.732) and with others (OR = 0.420 and 95% CI = 0.256, 0.687) after adjustment for confounding variables, compared with owner-occupier living with others (referent).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study revealed significantly decreased subjective happiness when the subjects were renters regardless of household structure. Therefore, housing tenure status may be a stronger determinant of subjective happiness among community-dwelling elderly people than household structure. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; ••: ••-••.

Health sciences libraries in Germany: new directions

This feature is part of a series about medical library services in various countries. It gives an overview of the state of and selected current developments of medical library services to support research, education and clinical practice in Germany. Findings from an online survey and issues of access to health information are discussed in relation to the German health care system.J.M.

Modernizing the Methods and Analytics Curricula for Health Science Doctoral Programs

This perspective provides a rationale for redesigning and a framework for expanding the graduate health science analytics and biomedical doctoral program curricula. It responds to digital revolution pressures, ubiquitous proliferation of big biomedical data, substantial recent advances in scientific technologies, and rapid progress in health analytics. Specifically, the paper presents a set of common prerequisites, a proposal for core computational and data analytic curriculum, and a list of expected outcome competencies for graduates of doctoral health science and biomedical programs. The manuscript emphasizes the necessity for coordinated efforts of all stakeholders, including trainees, educators, academic institutions, funding agencies, and policy makers. Concrete recommendations are presented of how to ensure graduates with terminal health science analytics and biomedical degrees are trained and able to continuously self-learn, effectively communicate across disciplines, and promote adaptation and change to counteract the relentless pace of automation and the law of diminishing returns.

A High School Level Health and Disease-Focused Biology Curriculum Promotes Higher Level Skills in Nutrition Literacy

OBJECTIVE

To determine the efficacy of a high school biology curriculum focused on promoting nutrition literacy skills.

DESIGN

High school students participated in a six-week biology curriculum focused on the three subdomains of nutrition literacy: functional use of factual knowledge (FNL); interactive skills in seeking out information (INL); critical interpretation and analysis (CNL). We used a mixed-methods, change-over-time model that leverages longitudinal aspects of instructor practice and students' development. Pre- and posttest measures of FNL, INL and CNL were administered. Students were also given a retrospective pre-post online survey to measure interactive nutrition literacy and self-efficacy towards learning about nutrition topics.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 111 high school 11th and 12th grade students from four sections of a Biology II course participated.

RESULTS

Students' overall NL scores improved (P<0.0001) and they also showed gains in each subdomain (FNL, INL and CNL, P<0.0001). Self-efficacy toward learning about nutrition also increased (P<0.0001). Students reported increased communication about the topics with family and peers who were neither classmates or friends (P<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Participation improved nutrition literacy in each of the subdomains, as well as self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was strongly related to increased communication.

Analysis of major programs in the field of health science funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China between the years 2010 and 2018

Background

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) plays an important role in supporting scientific research. The Major Program is one of the most important types as it improves the capability of indigenous innovation in China's basic research efforts. Thus, numerous scientists and researchers are concerned about its application and funding aspects.

Methods

The information and data of the Major Program were collected from guide books and annual reports released between the years 2010 to 2018 via the NSFC official website. We conducted further analysis to discover any regularities and tendencies.

Results

From 2010 to 2018, a total of 21 areas in the field of health science were funded by the NSFC and eventually 87 projects were approved, totaling 32.8 million CNY. The applicants funded were from 43 host institutions, 70 were males and 17 were females, and the applicants were aged between of 35 and 77 years. Of all the applicants funded, 86 had senior title while only 1 had deputy senior title. The collaboration of institutions was common in the applications.

Conclusions

Several characteristics of the Major Program could be found based on the analysis, which may be beneficial for the applicants in the future.

Co-Curricular Activities and Motives for Participating in Physical Activity among Health Sciences Students at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

Background

The purpose of the study was to compare the motives for participating in physical activity (PA) through the different types of co-curricular activities chosen by health sciences undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia.

Methods

The participants were university students at USM’s Health Campus, who were invited to volunteer and complete two measures: a demographic form, including the types of co-curricular activities in which the students chose to enrol (sports, uniform and art), and the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS).

Results

A total of 588 university students (female = 79.1%, male = 20.9%) with a mean age of 19.77 (SD = 1.39) participated in the study. The results showed significant differences in the motives of affiliation (P < 0.001), appearance (P = 0.008) and physical condition (P = 0.010) across the types of co-curricular activities in which the students participated. The students who enrolled in sports generally showed higher motives of affiliation, appearance and physical condition for participating in PA than other types of co-curricular activities.

Conclusion

The study findings can provide further insights into the motives for participating in PA among health sciences students and encouragement for students to integrate PA into their daily routines.

An examination of the effect of loneliness on the innovative behavior of health science faculty students

BACKGROUND

Contributing to the innovative behavior of individuals in the health management process is a desirable condition for increased health institution performance. The relationship between the sense of loneliness and individual innovation behaviors has not been studied and relevant literature is extremely limited. The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of an individual's sense of loneliness on their innovative behavior.

METHODS

The research was performed between January and October 2018. The effects of loneliness feelings on the individual innovative behaviors of 451 health science faculty students were measured. The data were collected using the "Individual Information Form," the "individual innovation scale," and the "University of California Los Angeles loneliness scale." The reliability and validity of the scales were tested with Structural Equation Modeling.

RESULTS

It was found that the female participants showed exhibited more innovative behavior than the men. However, there was no significant difference in the loneliness status of participants by gender. A group of 23-year-old individuals showed a significant difference in the risk taking dimension compared to other age groups. First-grade students had more points in the experimental openness and opinion leadership sub-dimension than the other classes. It was observed that the behavior is molded as the education level increases. The regression models showed that loneliness has a negative effect of -0.254 on experiential openness and the leadership of ideas, and has a negative effect of -0.216 on risk taking. There was no effect of the sub-dimensions of loneliness on change resistance. Moreover, on the individualistic behavior of physical loneliness, a -0.267 negative effect was observed. Emotional loneliness has no effect on the sub-dimensions of individual innovation. Finally, the total sense of loneliness was found to have a negative effect on total individual innovation.

CONCLUSIONS

The study results clearly show that physical loneliness has a negative effect on individual innovation. It can be said that individuals living in social environments exhibit more innovative behaviors. However, emotional loneliness has no significant effect on innovative behavior. In this context, designing social spaces in health institutions will stimulate individuals' innovative behaviors.

Maintaining your momentum

After the excitement of this summer's Health Libraries Group conference, it is important to maintain that sense of momentum and enthusiasm that being with like-minded library and information workers can bring. #HLG2018 certainly presented plenty of opportunities for collaboration and the enthusiasm to put ideas into action. The launch of CILIP's Health Hub, bringing together content and resources co-produced with CILIP members, together with additional categories specifically designed for those working in health to extend CILIP's. Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB) to that of PKSB for Health means there is every reason and resource available to help maintain your momentum and enthusiasm.

International trends in health science librarianship part 20: Russia

This is the last in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. The focus of the present issue is Russia. The next feature column will initiate a new series entitled New Directions in Health Science Librarianship. The first contribution will be from Australia. JM.

Health checkup behavior and individual health beliefs in older adults

AIM

Despite Japan being a developed nation, half of its older population does not attend regular health checkups. The aim of the present study was to examine the individual health beliefs and personal recommendations that strongly influence health checkup attendance among community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS

In 2013, questionnaires were sent to 5401 community-dwelling older adults who were not receiving long-term institutionalized care. The response rate was 94.3%. We analyzed response data from 4984 older adults using multiple imputation to manage missing data. Participation in health checkups was defined as having undergone at least one checkup in the past 3 years, and non-participation as having attended no checkups in this period.

RESULTS

The participants' mean age was 75.8 years, and 57.9% were women. The adjusted odds ratio of health checkup participation ranged from 1.35 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.61) to 1.62 (95% CI 1.34-1.95) for positive individual health beliefs about health checkups, and was 2.21 (95% CI: 1.51-3.24) and 1.28 (95% CI: 1.17-2.08) for recommendations to participate from family and neighbors, respectively. All odds ratios were adjusted for age, sex, driving by oneself to daily shopping or clinic, paid work, method of response, internal medical therapy, polypharmacy, serious disease, periodic blood test, frailty and neighborly relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings suggest that both individual and community approaches might be effective in promoting participation in health checkups among community-dwelling older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 338-351.

International Trends in Health Science Librarianship Part 18: The Middle East (Iran, Qatar and Turkey)

This is the 18th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. The focus of the present issue is the Middle East (Iran, Qatar and Turkey). The next feature column will investigate trends in the Balkan States JM.

Knowledge Management in healthcare libraries: the current picture

Knowledge management has seen something of a resurgence in attention amongst health librarians recently. Of course it has never ceased to exist, but now many library staff are becoming more involved in organisational knowledge management, and positioning themselves as key players in the sphere. No single model of knowledge management is proliferating, but approaches that best fit the organisation's size, structure and culture, and a blending of evidence based practice and knowledge sharing. Whatever it is called and whatever models are used, it's clear that for librarians and information professionals, the importance of putting knowledge and evidence into practice, sharing knowledge well and capturing it effectively, are still what we will continue to do.

Differences in the effect of exercise interventions between prefrail older adults and older adults without frailty: A pilot study

AIM

We aimed to clarify whether there are differences in the effect of exercise interventions between prefrail older adults and older adults without frailty.

METHODS

The participants were community-dwelling older adults (mean age 75.1 ± 5.1 years). The participants were instructed to use a training method at home to prevent frailty. The effects of the intervention were evaluated at 4 months. Outcome measures were the Timed Up and Go test, grip strength, one leg balance, knee extension strength and the fall risk index. The present study used the criteria for frailty status of the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology in Japan. The studied sample included prefrail participants (n = 17) and robust participants (n = 24). We compared the value of outcome measures before and after the intervention in each group using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance.

RESULTS

There were significant differences for the group effect for one leg balance (P < 0.01), and there were significant differences for the time effect for Timed Up and Go, one leg balance and knee extension strength (P < 0.01). In these outcomes, there were no significant interactions between frailty status and intervention. Four prefrail participants (mean age 78.0 ± 3.8 years) returned to the robust status after the intervention. No participants became frail.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that we can expect similar interventional effects for prefrail older adults and robust older adults. It is important that a frail status be prevented in prefrail older adults by using an exercise intervention. Further studies are required to determine the different effects of exercise intervention on prefrail status compared with frailty status in community-dwelling older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1265-1269.

International Trends in Health Science Librarianship Part 20: The Balkan States (Serbia and Slovenia)

This is the 20th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. The focus of the present issue is the Balkan region (Serbia and Slovenia). The next regular feature will look at Russia and the Ukraine. JM.

International Trends in Health Science Librarianship Part 19: The Balkan States (Bulgaria and Croatia)

This is the 19th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. The focus of the present issue is the Balkan Region (Bulgaria and Croatia). The next regular feature column will investigate two other Balkan states - Serbia and Slovenia. JM.