Out of the boxes,out of the silos: The need of interdisciplinary collaboration to reduce poor-quality medical products in the supply chain

In this paper, we argue that understanding and addressing the problem of poor-quality medical products requires a more interdisciplinary approach than has been evident to date. While prospective studies based on rigorous standardized methodologies are the gold standard for measuring the prevalence of poor-quality medical products and understanding their distribution nationally and internationally, they should be complemented by social science research to unpack the complex set of social, economic, and governance factors that underlie these patterns. In the following sections, we discuss specific examples of prospective quality surveys and of social science studies, highlighting the value of cross-sector partnerships in driving high-quality, policy-relevant research in this area.     

Exploring Mothers’ Perspectives About Why Grandparents in Appalachia Give Their Grandchildren Cariogenic Foods and Beverages: A Qualitative Study

BackgroundDental caries is the most common chronic childhood disease. Past studies revealed that grandparents provide their grandchildren with cariogenic foods and beverages (eg, those with free sugars and/or modified starches). Qualitative research can help identify what drives this phenomenon.ObjectiveOur aim was to examine mothers’ explanations for why grandparents in north central and central Appalachia give their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages.DesignA qualitative study on children’s oral health in Pennsylvania and West Virginia from 2018 through 2020 was performed. In-person, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Qualitative data from interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then coded using NVivo. Data analysis for this study was performed using thematic analysis with iterative theme development.Participants/settingThe participants were 126 mothers of children aged 3-5 years from West Virginia (n = 66) and Pittsburgh, PA (n = 60).Main outcome measuresMothers’ perspectives about why grandparents give their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages were analyzed.ResultsIn the study sample, 85% of mothers (n = 107/126) named at least 1 of their children’s grandparents as a member of their social network responsible for their children’s oral health. From these interviews, 85% of mothers (n = 91/107) discussed that grandparents gave their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages. The mothers described the following 4 themes to explain why grandparents gave their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages: privilege of the grandparent role; responsibilities of the grandparent role; symbol of care and affection; and limited consideration or understanding of the detrimental impact.ConclusionsGrandparents play a role in giving their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages, which could potentially contribute to childhood caries. Research is needed to develop effective social interventions to help some grandparents understand the implications of a cariogenic diet on their grandchildren’s oral health and/or decrease their provision of cariogenic foods and beverages.     

“We see each other from a distance”: Neighbourhood social relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic matter for older adults’ social connectedness

IntroductionWe extend previous research to illustrate how individual, interpersonal and neighbourhood factors in a high-density urban setting in Vancouver, Canada, shape social connectedness experiences of community-dwelling older adults during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe conducted 31 semi-structured interviews and collected objective measures of loneliness and social connectedness (surveys).ResultsThree dimensions of the neighbourhood environment influenced social connectedness: (i) interactions with neighbours, (ii) involvement with neighbourhood-based organizations, and (ii) outdoor pedestrian spaces. Seventy-one percent of participants felt a strong sense of belonging to their local community, while 39% were classified as high or extremely lonely.SummaryMany participants leveraged pre-existing social ties to maintain connections during the pandemic. However, volunteer outreach was vital for more isolated older adults. Although many participants felt lonely and isolated at times, the relative ease and accessibility with which they could connect with others in their neighbourhood environment, may have helped mitigate persistent loneliness.ConclusionStrategies that foster social connectedness over the longer term, need to prioritize the needs of older adults who face multiple barriers to equitable social participation.     

Efficacy and safety of cold snare polypectomy for sessile serrated polyps ≥ 10 mm: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundCold snare polypectomy (CSP) is a promising technique for the removal of sessile serrated polyps (SSPs) ≥ 10 mm. However, the efficacy and safety of this technique remain undetermined.AimsWe aimed to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of CSP for SSPs ≥ 10 mm.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched up to January 2021.ResultsA total of 10 studies consisting of 1727 SSPs (range, 10–40 mm) from 1021 patients were included. The overall rates of technical success, adverse events (AEs) and residual SSPs were 100%, 0.7% and 2.9%, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the rates of technical success and AEs were comparable between CSP and cold endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) (99.9% vs. 100% and 1.3% vs. 0.5%, respectively), between the proximal and distal colon (100% vs. 99.9% and 0.3% vs. 0, respectively), and between polyps of 10–19 mm and ≥20 mm (99.8% vs. 100% and 0.9% vs. 0, respectively). However, subgroup analysis showed that the rate of residual SSPs was slightly lower in CSP compared with cold EMR (1.3% vs. 3.9%), as well as in polyps of 10–19 mm compared with those ≥20 mm (3.1% vs. 4.7%).ConclusionCSP was an effective and safe technique for removing SSPs ≥ 10 mm.     

英语学界对“母乳不足”现象的认知进化

“母乳最好”的宣传话语在目前育龄人群中几乎耳熟能详,但很多信奉科学育儿、希望母乳喂养的都市女性却发现母乳喂养困难重重,其中遭遇“母乳不足”的案例较为多见。回顾历史发现,“母乳不足”的现象全球普遍存在,这个话题在20世纪80年代的英语学术圈曾引起热议。经过十余年讨论后,学者们基本认同大部分遭遇母乳不足的女性并不是真正的“母乳不足”,而是由于种种社会文化因素干扰造成母乳喂养失败的这一结论,其中产后初期的奶瓶介入是重要原因。术语也由insufficient milk syndrome变为perceived insufficient milk,以此来强调“母乳不足”不是一种病理现象,而更多是一种文化感知。     

"五习惯"医患沟通评价量表的构建及信效度研究

背景 医患沟通障碍是导致医疗纠纷发生的主要原因之一。目前，我国对医务人员医患沟通能力的评价研究较少，缺乏信效度良好的评估工具。 目的 构建"五习惯"医患沟通评价量表（5HCS），检验其信度和效度。 方法 2014年3月，采用Brislin翻译法在"四习惯"医患沟通评价体系（4HCS）的基础上，形成5HCS初稿；2014年4—6月，采用德尔菲法，使用问卷分两轮征求专家意见，根据专家意见修订条目后形成5HCS定稿；2018年3月，使用新构建的5HCS对127名住院医师的医患沟通能力进行评估，通过分析其评价数据，检验量表的内部一致性、评价者间信度、内容效度和标准关联效度。 结果 正式版5HCS包含5个维度（"尊重示善，融洽关系""采集信息，引导观点""表达共情，建立信任""风险告知，知情同意""提供诊断，协商决策"），21个条目。量表的Cronbach's α系数为0.716，各维度与量表总分的r值为0.524~0.692，各条目的内容效度指数（I-CVI）≥0.81，量表总分的评价者间信度r值为0.912，组内相关系数（ICC）=0.912，标准关联效度以中文版医患沟通技能评价量表（SEGUE）为标准，两个量表总分之间的r值为0.377（P<0.01）。 结论 5HCS具有良好的信度和效度，可将其作为我国住院医师医患沟通能力测评工具加以推广应用。     

Do social support and community engagement act as mechanisms in the association between neighbourhood income inequality and the mental health of mothers in Calgary,Canada? A mediation analysis

PurposeAccording to the social determinants of health framework, income inequality is a potential risk factor for adverse mental health. However, few studies have explored the mechanisms suspected to mediate this relationship. The current study addresses this gap through a mediation analysis to determine if social support and community engagement act as mediators linking neighbourhood income inequality to maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms within a cohort of new mothers living in the City of Calgary, Canada.MethodsData collected at three years postpartum from mothers belonging to the All Our Families (AOF) cohort were used in the current study. Maternal data were collected between 2012 and 2015 and linked to neighbourhood socioeconomic data from the 2006 Canadian Census. Income inequality was measured using Gini coefficients derived from 2006 after-tax census data. Generalized structural equation models were used to quantify the associations between income inequality and mental health symptoms, and to assess the potential direct and indirect mediating effects of maternal social support and community engagement.ResultsIncome inequality was not significantly associated with higher depressive symptoms (β = 0.32, 95%CI = −0.067, 0.70), anxiety symptoms (β = 0.11, 95%CI = −0.39, 0.60), or lower social support. Income inequality was not associated with community engagement. For the depression models, higher social support was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms (β = −0.13, 95%CI = −0.15, −0.097), while community engagement was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.059, 95%CI = −0.15, 0.27). Similarly, for the anxiety models, lower anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with higher levels of social support (β = −0.17, 95%CI = −0.20, −0.13) but not with higher levels of community engagement (β = 0.14, 95%CI = −0.14, 0.41).ConclusionThe current study did not find clear evidence for social support or community engagement mediating the relationship between neighbourhood income inequality and maternal mental health. Future investigations should employ a broader longitudinal approach to capture changes in income inequality, potential mediators, and mental health symptomatology over time.     

乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者症状评估量表的编制和信效度检验

目的 根据乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者的症状特征,编制适用于我国乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者的症状评估量表,并检验其信效度。方法 在文献回顾及参照现有症状评估量表的基础上编制量表初始条目池;通过2轮德尔菲专家函询,形成初始版量表;通过对11例患者的认知性访谈,对量表条目进一步修订,形成临床测试版量表。便利选取2020年7月—9月在浙江省某三级甲等肿瘤医院门诊或住院的325例乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者进行问卷调查,检验量表信效度。 结果 形成的最终版乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者症状评估量表包括33个条目,探索性因子分析提取7个公因子,累计方差贡献率为68.76%;各条目内容效度指数为0.78~1.00,量表内容效度指数为0.91;内在相关性检验结果显示,量表各维度与总量表相关系数为0.58~0.79（P<0.05）;维度间相关系数为0.26~0.52（P<0.05）;总量表Cronbach’s α系数为0.94,重测信度为0.95,折半信度为0.84。结论 编制的乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者症状评估量表具有良好的信效度,适用于相关人群的症状测评。