Fighting a pandemic through translating science: A mixed-methods study to establish effective, evidence-based health science video communication (the COVCOM study) (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Roislien ◽  
Jane O'Hara ◽  
Ionica Smeets ◽  
Kolbjørn Brønnick ◽  
Siv Hilde Berg ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The non-linear nature of contagious diseases and its potential for exponential growth can be difficult to grasp for the general public. This has strong implications for public health communication, which needs to be both easy accessible and efficient. A pandemic is an extreme situation and the accompanying strict societal measures are generally easier to accept if one understands the underlying reasoning behind them. Bringing about informed attitude change and getting compliance to strict restrictions requires explanations of scientific concepts and terminologies that laypersons can understand. OBJECTIVE The aim of the project is to develop effective, evidence-based modes of video communication for translating complex, but important health messages about pandemics to both the general population and decision-makers. The study uses Covid-19 as a case to learn and prepare society for handling also the next pandemic, as well as provide evidence-based tools to the science communication toolbox. METHODS The project applies a mixed-methods design, combining qualitative methods (e.g. interviews, observational studies, literature reviews), and quantitative methods (e.g. randomized controlled trials). The project brings together researchers from a wide range of academic fields, as well as communication industry professionals. RESULTS This study has received funding from the Trond Mohn Foundation through the Research Council of Norway’s “COVID-19 Emergency Call for Proposals” March 2020. Recruitment and data collection for the exploratory first phase of the project ran February to March 2021. Creative communication work started May 2021, and the production of videos for use in the RCTs in the final phase of the project started September 2021. CONCLUSIONS The COVCOM project will take on several grand challenges within the field of communicating science and provide evidence-based tools to the science communication toolbox. A long-term goal of the project is to contribute to the creation of a more resilient healthcare system by developing communication responses tailormade for different audiences, preparing society for any future pandemic.

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (A29A) ◽  
pp. 385-389
Author(s):  
Eli Grant

AbstractAstronomy for development projects conceive of development in very broad terms and seek to affect a wide range of social outcomes. The histories of education, development economics and science communication research indicate that positive social impacts are often difficult to achieve. Without a scientific approach, astronomy's potential as a tool for development may never be realised nor recognised. Evidence-informed project design increases the chances of a project's success and likely impact while reducing the risk of unintended negative outcomes. The IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) Impact Cycle is presented here as a possible framework for integrating evaluation and evidence-based practice in global Astronomy outreach and education delivery. The suggested framework offers a way to gradually accumulate knowledge about which approaches are effective and which are not, enabling the astronomy community to gradually increase its social impact by building on its successes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-132
Author(s):  
RAM VINOD MAHATO

Discovery of solution to a problem by systematic and scientific search of data on a particular topic is research. ‘Health researchis an impotant  requirement that state should not disregard’. Medical research is one of the main pillars of todays medical science which can transform evidence based clinical practice. Wide range public must take hold of the principles of the scientific method to know the worth and boundaries of clinical research, though they could not conduct health research by themselves. This review article aims to focus on fundamental concepts of research methodologies.


This volume vividly demonstrates the importance and increasing breadth of quantitative methods in the earth sciences. With contributions from an international cast of leading practitioners, chapters cover a wide range of state-of-the-art methods and applications, including computer modeling and mapping techniques. Many chapters also contain reviews and extensive bibliographies which serve to make this an invaluable introduction to the entire field. In addition to its detailed presentations, the book includes chapters on the history of geomathematics and on R.G.V. Eigen, the "father" of mathematical geology. Written to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the International Association for Mathematical Geology, the book will be sought after by both practitioners and researchers in all branches of geology.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 817-817
Author(s):  
Shana Stites

Abstract Many studies find gender differences in how older adults’ report on their memory, perform on cognitive testing, and manage functional impairments that can accompany cognitive impairment. Thus, understanding gender’s effects in aging and Alzheimer’s research is key for advancing methods to prevent, slow, manage, and diagnosis cognitive impairment. Our study, CoGenT3 – The study of Cognition and Gender in Three Generations – seeks to disambiguate the effects of gender on cognition in order to inform a conceptual model, guide innovations in measurement, and support future study. To accomplish this ambitious goal, we have gathered an interdisciplinary team with expertise in psychology, cognition, sexual and gender minorities, library science, measurement, quantitative methods, qualitative methods, and gender and women’s studies. The team benefits from the intersections of expertise in being able to build new research ideas, gain novel insights, and evaluate a wide-range of actions and re-actions but this novelty can also raise challenges.


BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Shamsalinia ◽  
Mozhgan Moradi ◽  
Reza Ebrahimi Rad ◽  
Reza Ghadimi ◽  
Mansoureh Ashghali Farahani ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Apathy in patients with epilepsy is associated with a wide range of consequences that reduce the patient’s ability to perform social functions and participate in self-care and rehabilitation programs. Therefore, apathy is one of the important diagnoses of the healthcare team in the process of caring for epileptic patients and its dimensions need to be examined and recognized. Therefore, appropriate instruments with the sociocultural milieu of each community should be provided to health care providers. The aim of the present study was to design and measure epilepsy–related apathy scale (E-RAS) in adults with epilepsy. Methods This study of sequential exploratory mixed methods design was conducted in Iran from April 2019 to December 2019. In the Item generation stage, two inductive (face-to-face and semi-structured interviews with 17 adult epileptic patients) and deductive (literature review) were used. In item reduction, integration of qualitative and literature reviews and scale evaluation were accomplished. For Scale Evaluation, face, content, construct [exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n = 360) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 200)], convergent and divergent Validity and reliability (internal consistency and stability) were investigated. Results The results of EFA showed that E-RAS has four factors, namely, motivation; self-regulatory; cognition and emotional-effective. These four latent factors accounted for a total of 48.351% of the total variance in the E-RAS construct. The results of CFA showed that the 4-factor model of E-RAS has the highest fit with the data. The results of convergent and divergent validity showed that the values of composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE) for the four factors were greater than 0.7 and 0.5, respectively, and the value of AVE for each factor was greater than CR. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the whole scale was obtained 0.815. The results of the test-retest showed that there was a significant agreement between the test and retest scores (P < 0.001). Conclusion E-RAS is a multidimensional construct consisting of 24 items, and has acceptable validity and reliability for the study of epilepsy-related apathy in adult epileptic patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jocelyn Lebow ◽  
Cassandra Narr ◽  
Angela Mattke ◽  
Janna R. Gewirtz O’Brien ◽  
Marcie Billings ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The primary care setting offers an attractive opportunity for, not only the identification of pediatric eating disorders, but also the delivery of evidence-based treatment. However, constraints of this setting pose barriers for implementing treatment. For interventions to be successful, they need to take into consideration the perspectives of stakeholders. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine in-depth primary care providers’ perspective of challenges to identifying and managing eating disorders in the primary care setting. Methods This mixed methods study surveyed 60 Pediatric and Family Medicine providers across 6 primary care practices. Sixteen of these providers were further interviewed using a qualitative, semi-structured interview. Results Providers (n = 60, response rate of 45%) acknowledged the potential of primary care as a point of contact for early identification and treatment of pediatric eating disorders. They also expressed that this was an area of need in their practices. They identified numerous barriers to successful implementation of evidence-based treatment in this setting including scarcity of time, knowledge, and resources. Conclusions Investigations seeking to build capacities in primary care settings to address eating disorders must address these barriers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. McGuier ◽  
David J. Kolko ◽  
Mary Lou Klem ◽  
Jamie Feldman ◽  
Grace Kinkler ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Healthcare and human services increasingly rely on teams of individuals to deliver services. Implementation of evidence-based practices and other innovations in these settings requires teams to work together to change processes and behaviors. Accordingly, team functioning may be a key determinant of implementation outcomes. This systematic review will identify and summarize empirical research examining associations between team functioning and implementation outcomes in healthcare and human service settings. Methods We will conduct a comprehensive search of bibliographic databases (e.g., MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC) for articles published from January 2000 or later. We will include peer-reviewed empirical articles and conference abstracts using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. We will include experimental or observational studies that report on the implementation of an innovation in a healthcare or human service setting and examine associations between team functioning and implementation outcomes. Implementation outcomes of interest are acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, cost, feasibility, fidelity, penetration, and sustainability. Two reviewers will independently screen all titles/abstracts, review full-text articles, and extract data from included articles. We will use the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool to assess methodological quality/bias and conduct a narrative synthesis without meta-analysis. Discussion Understanding how team functioning influences implementation outcomes will contribute to our understanding of team-level barriers and facilitators of change. The results of this systematic review will inform efforts to implement evidence-based practices in team-based service settings. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42020220168


2021 ◽  
pp. 155868982098627
Author(s):  
Diego Romaioli

In order to enhance core mixed methods research designs, social scientists need an approach that incorporates developments in the social constructionist perspective. This work describes a study that aimed to promote occupational well-being in hospital departments where employees are at risk of burnout, based on a constructionist inquiry developed starting from the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Taking this study as an example, we define a “generative sequential mixed methods approach” as a process that involves consulting quantitative studies to identify criticalities on which to conduct focused, transformative investigations. The article contributes by envisaging ways to mix qualitative and quantitative methods that consider a “generative” and “future-forming” orientation to research, in line with recent shifts in social psychology.


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