Bibliometric study of original articles in the Revista Española de Salud Pública (1991-2000). Part II: authors' productivity,their institutions and geographical areas

BACKGROUND: When characterizing a scientific journal from the bibliometric standpoint, it is of importance to know how many authors were involved in the studies published as well as the geographical areas where these authors are located and the type of institutions by which they are employed. The aim of this article is that of analyzing the geographical spread of these authors and the institutions by which they are employed, as well as its evolution as regards the original articles published in the Revista Espa?ola de Salud Pública throughout the 1991-2000 period. METHODS: Of the original articles published in the Revista Espa?ola de Salud Pública throughout the studied ten-year period, a calculation has been made as to the total number of authors, the number of occasional authors (authors having published solely one article), transitivity index, the ratio between the number of male and female authors, the productivity of the authors and their institutions and the spread of authors and the institutions by which they are employed by Autonomous Communities. RESULTS: Of the original articles published in the Revista Espa?ola de Salud Pública throughout the 1991-2000 period, a total of 1,052 different authors were involved, 1,000 of whom were Spanish and 52 foreigners. The ratio of male authors to female authors for the period in question was 1.29. The Autonomous Communities from which the largest number of authors came were Community of Madrid (16.3%), Andalusia (13.4%) and the Community of Valencia (12.5%). The institutions by which the authors are employed are located most often in Community of Madrid (16.5%), in Community of Valencia (11.3%) and Andalusia and Catalonia (10.5%). A total of 37.6% of the authors work at centers devoted to health care, followed by authors who work at Universities (26.3%). On calculating the spread of the type of institution by Autonomous Communities, in the Community of Madrid and in the Community of Valencia and Andalusia, the most frequent institution is that of the primary care centers (50%, 43.3% and 28.6% respectively); and in Catalonia the specialized care centers (42.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The Revista Espa?ola de Salud Pública is a scientific journal well known in the whole spanish territory and in the Latinoamerican countries. The productivity of the authors publishing in this journal, the productivity of their institutions where they work and that of Autonomous Regions where they belong to, is similar to other magazines. The productivity of the authors is greater when we look at other public health magazines or other countries.     

Bibliometric study of the original articles published in the Revista Española de Salud Pública (1991-2000). I. General indicators

BACKGROUND: For some time, the most of reports have been being disseminated by way of scientific journals, bibliometric studies therefore being fundamental to the characterization and evaluation thereof. The purpose of this study is that of characterizing the Revista Espa?ola de Salud Pública based on the original articles published therein throughout the 1991-2000 period. METHODS: Original articles published in the Revista Espa?ola de Salud Pública throughout the 1991-2000 period, all inclusive. A study has been made of the following variables: number of original articles, collaboration index or number of signing authors per study, productivity index, geographical spread and main subject. RESULTS: Throughout the 1991-2000 period, 290 original studies (52.3%) of a total of 555 studies were published. The number of originals averaged 29 originals/year A 4.5 degree of collaboration was found to exist for this journal (number signing authors/number originals) for the period under study. The annual of originals by Autonomous Community reveals in the Autonomous Community of Madrid (20.7%), Autonomous Community of Valencia (16.4%), Andalusia (16.1%) and Catalunya (10.0%) have published studies every year throughout the ten-year period under study. The most prevalent subject of all was that related to "Communicable disease" (86 originals), Primary Health Care" (34) and "Environmental pollution" (21). CONCLUSIONS: Generally speaking, it apparently follows that the Revista Espa?ola de Salud Pública continues to fall within the output-related indicators of other Spanish and foreign journals and that it has also evolved in keeping with the trend proper of scientific output in the biomedical field. Although "Communicable diseases" are not the main cause of mortality, they continue being the main subject more frequently studied.     

Bibliometric study of the original articles published in Revista Española de Salud Púiblica (1991-2000). Part III: reference analysis

BACKGROUND: The advancement of knowledge is based on the results of previously conducted research studies, which are reflected in the reference sources listed in a scientific article. This study is aimed at studying the scientific information used in the Revista Espa?ola de Salud Pública based on the references cited in the original articles published during the 1991-2000 period. METHODS: The data regarding the year and where published, document type, language and country in which published was taken from the reference sources listed in the 290 original articles published, the obsolescence, Price and isolation indexes being calculated, and the Bradford core distribution being established according to the source journals. The self-citing rate was also calculated. RESULTS: A total of 7465 references were cited in the Reference section of the 290 original articles. An average of 25.7 references were cited per article. The Price index was 40.7. The scientific articles showed an obsolescence index of 5, the books and book chapters having an index of 6. A total 50.6% of the citations were from studies published in Spanish. The isolation index of the references was 48.1. The first Bradford core is comprised of 10 journals, the first four of which are Spanish. The self-citing rate was 3.8%. CONCLUSIONS: The information consumption of the original articles published in the Revista Espa?ola de Salud Pública show parameters similar to those of other Spanish health sciences journals for those same years, and the parameters regarding which this Journal differs from other Spanish health sciences journals seem to be justified by those particular aspects unique to public health, which does not fall within the patterns inherent to the clinical disciplines.     

The Geriatric Patient: The Ideal One for Chest Ultrasonography? A Review From the Chest Ultrasound in the Elderly Study Group (GRETA) of the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (SIGG)

ObjectivesTo investigate the current evidence on the use of point-of-care chest ultrasonography in older patients and geriatric settings and present the current state of the art of chest ultrasound applications.DesignSpecial article based on a literature review with narrative analyses and expert clinical knowledge.Setting and participantsAll studies performed in a geriatric setting were included. Observational and intervention studies and meta-analyses including participants aged ≥70 years were also considered, even if not specifically focused on a geriatric setting.MeasuresData on participant characteristics, diagnostic accuracy of chest ultrasonography, and outcomes were collected for each considered study. Data were analyzed and discussed with a particular focus on the possible applications and advantages of chest ultrasonography in geriatric medicine, underlining the possible areas of future research.ResultsWe found only 5 studies on the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic relevance of chest ultrasonography in geriatrics. However, several studies performed in emergency departments, intensive care units, and internal medicine wards included a large number of participants ≥70 years old; they suggest that chest ultrasonography may represent a valid aid to the diagnostics of acute dyspnea, pneumonia, acute heart failure, pneumothorax, and pleural diseases, with an accuracy in some cases superior to standard x-rays, especially when mobility limitation is present. Diaphragm ultrasonography may also represent a valid tool to guide mechanical ventilation weaning in older patients with acute respiratory failure.Conclusions and implicationsChest ultrasonography may represent a valid bedside diagnostic aid to the management of acute respiratory diseases in older patients. However, specific evidence is lacking for geriatric patients. Future research will need to focus on defining the reference standards and the diagnostic accuracy for older patients with frailty and multimorbidity, cost-efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the technique, its impact for clinical outcomes, and role for follow-up in the post-acute care.     

The Caregiver Quality of Life Index–Cancer (CQOLC) scale: development and validation of an instrument to measure quality of life of the family caregiver of patients with cancer

Family caregivers have become increasingly responsible for providing home care for cancer patients. Research has documented the distress of family caregivers; however, little has been done to evaluate the broader impact of caregiving on quality of life (QoL). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Caregiver Quality of Life Index–Cancer (CQOLC), a new self-report instrument. Two hundred and sixty-three family caregivers of patients with lung, breast or prostate neoplasms participated. Test–retest reliability was 0.95 and internal consistency was 0.91. As expected, there were moderate correlations with overall mental health (r=0.64), emotional distress (r=–0.50 to –0.52), burden (r=–0.65) and patient's performance status (r=–0.47) and low correlations with overall physical health (r=0.13), social support (r=0.22) and social desirability (r=0.08). These results show that increased overall mental health is associated with better QoL, while more emotional distress and worsening patient performance status are associated with poorer QoL. Thus, the CQOLC appears to possess adequate validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Future directions include further evaluation of sensitivity to change and factor analysis to determine the principal health-related QoL domains evaluated by the CQOLC.