LESBIAN HEALTH RESEARCH: A REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

ObjectivesThe overall goal of this study is to identify priorities for cardiovascular (CV) health research that are important to patients and clinician-researchers. We brought together a group of CV patients and clinician-researchers new to patient-oriented research (POR), to build a multidisciplinary POR team and form an advisory committee for the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta.DesignThis qualitative POR used a participatory health research paradigm to work with participants in eliciting their priorities. Therefore, participants were involved in priority setting, and analysis of findings. Participants also developed a plan for continued engagement to support POR in CV health research.SettingLibin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada.ParticipantsA total of 23 participants, including patients and family caregivers (n=12) and clinician-researchers (n=11).ResultsParticipants identified barriers and facilitators to POR in CV health (lack of awareness of POR and poor understanding on the role of patients) and 10 research priorities for improving CV health. The CV health research priorities include: (1) CV disease prediction and prevention, (2) access to CV care, (3) communication with providers, (4) use of eHealth technology, (5) patient experiences in healthcare, (6) patient engagement, (7) transitions and continuity of CV care, (8) integrated CV care, (9) development of structures for patient-to-patient support and (10) research on rare heart diseases.ConclusionsIn this study, research priorities were identified by patients and clinician-researchers working together to improve CV health. Future research programme and projects will be developed to address these priorities. A key output of this study is the creation of the patient advisory council that will provide support and will work with clinician-researchers to improve CV health.

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The application of human-centered design approaches in health research and innovation: a systematic review of current practices. (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.28102 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Irene Göttgens ◽

Sabine Oertelt-Prigione

Keyword(s):

Health Research ◽

Design Thinking ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Innovation Process ◽

Research Process ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Future Research ◽

User Centered Design ◽

Human Centered Design ◽

Health Innovations

BACKGROUND Design-based approaches to healthcare strive to support the development of innovative, effective and person-centered solutions for healthcare. Although their use is increasing, there is no systematic overview describing the details of human centered design (HCD) methods in health innovations. OBJECTIVE This study aims to provide an overview of human centered design approaches applied for the development of health innovations, with the aim of assisting healthcare workers and design researchers in selecting suitable methods for participatory and human centered design processes. METHODS We performed electronic searches in Pubmed, CINHAL, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PsycInfo and Sociological Abstracts (2000 – 2020) using search terms related to “human-centered design”, “design thinking”(DT) and “user-centered design”(UCD). Abstracts and full-text articles were screened by two reviewers independently based on predefined inclusion criteria. Data extraction focussed on (a) the methodology employed throughout the research process, (b) the choice of methods in different phases of the innovation cycle and (c) the level of engagement of end-users. RESULTS A wide variation of design-based practices are increasingly applied in health research. Design-based approaches are applied in health research in combination with traditional qualitative and quantitative approaches. All included studies structured the innovation process using a variation of the following phases: understand – define – generate ideas – test. HCD/DT-based research primarily targeted understanding the context and defining the problem whereas UCD-based work focused mainly on the direct generation of solutions. CONCLUSIONS Design-based researchers should tailor their choice of design methods according to their primary focus; problem identification or solution development. Design techniques are challenging to evaluate with traditional biomedical research methods, limiting the opportunity for standardized assessment. Future research on HCD practices should focus on the development of specific standards, transdisciplinary evaluation methods, and guidelines for stakeholder engagement.

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Lesbian Health Research

Women and Health ◽

10.1016/b978-012288145-9/50009-7 ◽

2000 ◽

pp. 64-78 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

JUDITH BRADFORD ◽

JOCELYN C. WHITE

Keyword(s):

Health Research ◽

Lesbian Health

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Advancing Indigenous Mental Health Research

Transcultural Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1363461520923151 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 235-249

Author(s):

Joseph P Gone ◽

Laurence J Kirmayer

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Research ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Research ◽

Transcultural Psychiatry ◽

Future Research ◽

Ethical Awareness ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Conceptual Clarity ◽

Indigenous Mental Health

The articles in this issue of Transcultural Psychiatry point the way toward meaningful advances in mental health research pertaining to Indigenous peoples, illuminating the distinctive problems and predicaments that confront these communities as well as unrecognized or neglected sources of well-being and resilience. As we observe in this introductory essay, future research will benefit from ethical awareness, conceptual clarity, and methodological refinement. Such efforts will enable additional insight into that which is common to Indigenous mental health across settler societies, and that which is specific to local histories, cultures and contexts. Research of this kind can contribute to nuanced understandings of developmental pathways, intergenerational effects, and community resilience, and inform policy and practice to better meet the needs of Indigenous individuals, communities and populations.

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Use of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to identify confounders in applied health research: review and recommendations

International Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/ije/dyaa213 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Peter W G Tennant ◽

Eleanor J Murray ◽

Kellyn F Arnold ◽

Laurie Berrie ◽

Matthew P Fox ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Research ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Directed Acyclic Graphs ◽

Causal Effects ◽

Research Review ◽

Future Research ◽

Substantial Variation ◽

Acyclic Graphs ◽

Confounding Variables ◽

Applied Health Research

Abstract Background Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) are an increasingly popular approach for identifying confounding variables that require conditioning when estimating causal effects. This review examined the use of DAGs in applied health research to inform recommendations for improving their transparency and utility in future research. Methods Original health research articles published during 1999–2017 mentioning ‘directed acyclic graphs’ (or similar) or citing DAGitty were identified from Scopus, Web of Science, Medline and Embase. Data were extracted on the reporting of: estimands, DAGs and adjustment sets, alongside the characteristics of each article’s largest DAG. Results A total of 234 articles were identified that reported using DAGs. A fifth (n = 48, 21%) reported their target estimand(s) and half (n = 115, 48%) reported the adjustment set(s) implied by their DAG(s). Two-thirds of the articles (n = 144, 62%) made at least one DAG available. DAGs varied in size but averaged 12 nodes [interquartile range (IQR): 9–16, range: 3–28] and 29 arcs (IQR: 19–42, range: 3–99). The median saturation (i.e. percentage of total possible arcs) was 46% (IQR: 31–67, range: 12–100). 37% (n = 53) of the DAGs included unobserved variables, 17% (n = 25) included ‘super-nodes’ (i.e. nodes containing more than one variable) and 34% (n = 49) were visually arranged so that the constituent arcs flowed in the same direction (e.g. top-to-bottom). Conclusion There is substantial variation in the use and reporting of DAGs in applied health research. Although this partly reflects their flexibility, it also highlights some potential areas for improvement. This review hence offers several recommendations to improve the reporting and use of DAGs in future research.

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‘I’m sure we made it a better study…’: Experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities and parent carers of patient and public involvement in a health research study

Journal of Intellectual Disabilities ◽

10.1177/1744629517723485 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 78-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Carole Beighton ◽

Christina Victor ◽

Iain M Carey ◽

Fay Hosking ◽

Steve DeWilde ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Health Research ◽

Public Involvement ◽

Patient And Public Involvement ◽

Future Research ◽

Self Confidence ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Working Together ◽

Adults With Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Group Interviews

Patient and public involvement is considered integral to health research in the United Kingdom; however, studies documenting the involvement of adults with intellectual disabilities and parent carers in health research studies are scarce. Through group interviews, this study explored the perspectives and experiences of a group of adults with intellectual disabilities and a group of parent carers about their collaborative/participatory involvement in a 3-year study which explored the effectiveness of annual health checks for adults with intellectual disabilities. Thematic analysis identified five key themes consistent across both groups; authenticity of participation, working together, generating new outcome measures, dissemination of findings and involvement in future research. Although reported anecdotally rather than originating from the analysis, increased self-confidence is also discussed. The groups’ unique perspectives led to insights not previously considered by the research team which led to important recommendations to inform healthcare practice.

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RICHE – Research Inventory, Indicators, Gaps and Roadmaps for Child Health in Europe - an EU FP7 project

10.7287/peerj.preprints.295v1 ◽

2014 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anthony Staines ◽

Michael Rigby ◽

Matilde Leonardi ◽

Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer ◽

Aleš Bourek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Child Health ◽

Life Course ◽

Health Research ◽

Research Funding ◽

Life Course Perspective ◽

Future Research ◽

The European Union ◽

The Future ◽

Value Judgements ◽

Child Health Research

Background There is a substantial amount of research in child health published each year in the European Union. Much of this work is paid for from public funds, or from charitable donations. This work covers many areas, but it is fragmented, and a great deal of it, especially the material not published in the indexed scientific literature, is hard to find, and harder to access. Response The EU, as one of the major funders of child health research, has funded a project, the Research Inventory of Child Health in Europe (RICHE), to prepare a roadmap for the future of child health research in Europe. Using a life course perspective, the project sought to identify the research done, define the gaps in the research, and make recommendations for future research funding priorities. Content RICHE is an FP7 funded project (contract no. 242181) tasked with preparing roadmaps for the future of child health research across Europe. Using a life-course perspective, the project has designed, and carried out, an open, transparent, and justifiable process to make recommendations for future research funding. We acknowledge that such recommendations are value judgements, and our aim was to present carefully justified value judgements. The project, which had 25 partners, in 19 countries, was organised into six workpackages – WP1 an inventory of child health research, including funded projects, reports, funders, and people; WP2 on ways of measuring child health, and indicators for child health; WP3 on gaps in child health research; WP4 on the roadmaps for future research; WP5 maintains a platform at http://childhealthresearch.eu/ ; WP6 was responsible for project management. Results The project has finished, and launched a report on 'Roadmaps for the Future of Child Health Research in Europe'. A key recommendation is the establishment of a European Child Health Observatory, with a focus on participation by children and young people. The work of implementing these proposals to improve the health of European children can begin.

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Using Twitter to recruit participants for health research: An example from a caregiving study

Health Informatics Journal ◽

10.1177/1460458218775158 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 1485-1497 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marina Bastawrous Wasilewski ◽

Jennifer N Stinson ◽

Fiona Webster ◽

Jill Irene Cameron

Keyword(s):

Health Research ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Future Research ◽

Recruitment Strategies ◽

Study Recruitment ◽

Twitter Account ◽

Do So

Twitter has the potential to optimize research conduct, but more research is needed around the nature of study-related tweets and strategies for optimizing reach. In the context of our caregiving study, we aimed to describe the nature and extent of study-related tweets, the extent to which they were shared by others, and their potential reach. To do so, we conducted a secondary analysis of our Twitter recruitment. We aggregated and categorized study-related tweets and analyzed the reach of the 10 most retweeted tweets. Results indicated that of 71 caregivers, 27 were recruited via Twitter. General recruitment tweets were most-shared by users. Tweet reach ranged from 5273 to 62,144 users. Twitter caregivers were demographically comparable to non-Twitter caregivers but had higher Internet proficiency and fewer children. Overall, using a personal Twitter account can expand the reach of study recruitment. Future research should compare different recruitment strategies and explore characteristics that may challenge the heterogeneity of Twitter samples.

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