Improvement of carcinoid syndrome (CS) symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in CS patients treated with somatostatin analogs (SSAs): Results from longitudinal patient surveys.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 400-400
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Halperin ◽  
Lynn Huynh ◽  
Jennifer L Beaumont ◽  
Beilei Cai ◽  
Rachel Bhak ◽  
...  

400 Background: Limited information is available on the longitudinal impact of CS symptoms and QoL in CS patients (pts) who received SSAs in real-world setting. This study aimed to examine change in CS symptoms and QoL in CS pts treated with SSAs using the validated FACT-G instrument. Methods: Pts with CS symptoms in the US were recruited through an advocacy group to complete a two-part, anonymous online survey. Time point 1 (T1) survey was fielded from July-October 2016 and time point 2 (T2) was administered 6 months later. Eligible pts were ≥ 18 years old with CS symptoms and treated with SSA or non-SSA. Analyses were performed to assess change in FACT-G QoL scores between T1 and T2. Severity ratings of CS symptoms in the past month were classified as mild, moderate, severe, or not applicable. Duration of SSA treatment was categorized as ≤ 2, > 2-5, and > 5 years. Results: Among 89 pts who completed T1 and T2 surveys, 98% were treated with SSA (T1 or T2; median duration of 5 years). Higher proportion of pts in T2 did not report diarrhea (16% vs. 7%, p < 0.05) or flushing (28% vs. 18%, p < 0.05) vs. T1. Among pts treated with SSAs for ≤ 2, > 2-5 and > 5 years, mean change in FACT-G total score was +3.7, 0.0, and -1.2, respectively. Pts treated with SSAs for ≤ 2 years showed a clinically relevant improvement in QoL on FACT-G by exceeding the minimal important difference (MID) of > 3.0. Additionally, in a subgroup of pts who experienced improvement in flushing (N=17) and diarrhea (N=31), a mean change of +3.0 in FACT-G total score was observed for flushing, indicating better QoL, whereas a nominal mean change was reported for diarrhea. Pts whose flushing and diarrhea symptoms worsened had a mean change of -2.2 and -1.2 in FACT-G total score, respectively, showing worsened QoL. Conclusions: This longitudinal survey study showed that improvement in flushing resulted in positive benefit in QoL, while worsening of flushing/diarrhea resulted in decline in QOL. Improvement in CS symptoms and QoL was most pronounced in the early years after SSA treatment initiation. Less impact on change in QoL may be observed in later years possibly due to disease progression and late-effects of cancer treatment.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khanh Ngoc Cong Duong ◽  
Tien Nguyen Le Bao ◽  
Phuong Thi Lan Nguyen ◽  
Thanh Vo Van ◽  
Toi Phung Lam ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The first nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was implemented in Vietnam from April 1 to 15, 2020. Nevertheless, there has been limited information on the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of the public. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychological issues and identify the factors associated with the psychological impact of COVID-19 during the first nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. METHODS We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling. A self-administered, online survey was used to collect data and assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants from April 10 to 15, 2020. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were utilized to assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants during social distancing due to COVID-19. Associations across factors were explored using regression analysis. RESULTS A total of 1385 respondents completed the survey. Of this, 35.9% (n=497) experienced psychological distress, as well as depression (n=325, 23.5%), anxiety (n=195, 14.1%), and stress (n=309, 22.3%). Respondents who evaluated their physical health as average had a higher IES-R score (beta coefficient [B]=9.16, 95% CI 6.43 to 11.89), as well as higher depression (B=5.85, 95% CI 4.49 to 7.21), anxiety (B=3.64, 95% CI 2.64 to 4.63), and stress (B=5.19, 95% CI 3.83 to 6.56) scores for DASS-21 than those who rated their health as good or very good. Those who self-reported their health as bad or very bad experienced more severe depression (B=9.57, 95% CI 4.54 to 14.59), anxiety (B=7.24, 95% CI 3.55 to 10.9), and stress (B=10.60, 95% CI 5.56 to 15.65). Unemployment was more likely to be associated with depression (B=3.34, 95% CI 1.68 to 5.01) and stress (B=2.34, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.85). Regarding worries about COVID-19, more than half (n=755, 54.5%) expressed concern for their children aged &lt;18 years, which increased their IES-R score (B=7.81, 95% CI 4.98 to 10.64) and DASS-21 stress score (B=1.75, 95% CI 0.27 to 3.24). The majority of respondents (n=1335, 96.4%) were confident about their doctor’s expertise in terms of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, which was positively associated with less distress caused by the outbreak (B=–7.84, 95% CI –14.58 to –1.11). CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the effect of COVID-19 on mental health during the nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. The study provides useful evidence for policy decision makers to develop and implement interventions to mitigate these impacts. CLINICALTRIAL


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankita Sinharoy ◽  
Shekhar Pal ◽  
Jishu Das ◽  
Pritish Mondal

Rationale: India and the USA, the worst affected countries by COVID-19, experienced very different pandemic courses. By 2020, COVID-19 cases had steadily declined in India, whereas the fight continued in the US. The people of India and the USA perhaps perceived threats very differently, influenced by their knowledge, available healthcare facilities, and social security. We conducted an online survey study to compare COVID-related perceptions between Indian participants (IND-P) and US-based participants (US-P).Methods: COVID-related perceptions such as stress, knowledge, and preventive behaviors were measured with specific questionnaires, and normalized scores were computed. T-tests were used to compare the perception scores, while the Kruskal-Wallis-H (KWH) tests were used to compare socioeconomic distributions between participants from two countries. Generalized linear model (GLM) adjusted for sociodemographic confounders estimated the association between the country of residence and COVID-perception.Results: The IND-P (N = 242) were younger and male-dominated compared with the US-P (N = 531) (age: KWH = 97.37, p &lt; 0.0001, gender: KWH = 140.38, p &lt; 0.0001). Positive attitudes toward preventive guidelines were associated with higher perceived risk and stress (r = 0.35, p &lt; 0.001, and r = 0.21, p &lt; 0.001, respectively) but not with the knowledge (r = −0.05, p = 0.14). Compared with the US-P, the IND-P had lower knowledge (5.19 ± 1.95 vs. 7.82 ± 1.35; t-test: p &lt; 0.0001), higher stress (7.01 ± 1.51 vs. 6.07 ± 1.61; t-test: p &lt; 0.0001), and better adherence to preventive guidelines (8.84 ± 1.30 vs. 8.34 ± 2.09; t-test: p = 0.0006). GLM demonstrated a significant association between the country and COVID-perception scores.Conclusion: The IND-P experienced higher stress and perceived threat during COVID-19 than the US-P, perhaps due to a lack of faith in the healthcare system and insecurity. Despite lower knowledge, the IND-P had better acceptance of preventive guidelines than the US-P.


10.2196/24776 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (12) ◽  
pp. e24776
Author(s):  
Khanh Ngoc Cong Duong ◽  
Tien Nguyen Le Bao ◽  
Phuong Thi Lan Nguyen ◽  
Thanh Vo Van ◽  
Toi Phung Lam ◽  
...  

Background The first nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was implemented in Vietnam from April 1 to 15, 2020. Nevertheless, there has been limited information on the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of the public. Objective This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychological issues and identify the factors associated with the psychological impact of COVID-19 during the first nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. Methods We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling. A self-administered, online survey was used to collect data and assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants from April 10 to 15, 2020. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were utilized to assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants during social distancing due to COVID-19. Associations across factors were explored using regression analysis. Results A total of 1385 respondents completed the survey. Of this, 35.9% (n=497) experienced psychological distress, as well as depression (n=325, 23.5%), anxiety (n=195, 14.1%), and stress (n=309, 22.3%). Respondents who evaluated their physical health as average had a higher IES-R score (beta coefficient [B]=9.16, 95% CI 6.43 to 11.89), as well as higher depression (B=5.85, 95% CI 4.49 to 7.21), anxiety (B=3.64, 95% CI 2.64 to 4.63), and stress (B=5.19, 95% CI 3.83 to 6.56) scores for DASS-21 than those who rated their health as good or very good. Those who self-reported their health as bad or very bad experienced more severe depression (B=9.57, 95% CI 4.54 to 14.59), anxiety (B=7.24, 95% CI 3.55 to 10.9), and stress (B=10.60, 95% CI 5.56 to 15.65). Unemployment was more likely to be associated with depression (B=3.34, 95% CI 1.68 to 5.01) and stress (B=2.34, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.85). Regarding worries about COVID-19, more than half (n=755, 54.5%) expressed concern for their children aged <18 years, which increased their IES-R score (B=7.81, 95% CI 4.98 to 10.64) and DASS-21 stress score (B=1.75, 95% CI 0.27 to 3.24). The majority of respondents (n=1335, 96.4%) were confident about their doctor’s expertise in terms of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, which was positively associated with less distress caused by the outbreak (B=–7.84, 95% CI –14.58 to –1.11). Conclusions The findings highlight the effect of COVID-19 on mental health during the nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. The study provides useful evidence for policy decision makers to develop and implement interventions to mitigate these impacts.


Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 4941-4941
Author(s):  
Wendy E. Owens ◽  
Anisha M. Patel ◽  
Kathleen Poulos ◽  
Janet Bernard ◽  
Janet Powers ◽  
...  

Introduction Emicizumab (EMI) is a subcutaneously administered, bispecific, humanized monoclonal antibody that bridges activated factor IX (FIXa) and FX to restore the function of missing FVIIIa in persons with hemophilia A (PwHA). It was approved in the US for prophylaxis in PwHA with FVIII inhibitors in November 2017 and for PwHA without FVIII inhibitors in October 2018. In May 2019, an online survey of 50 board-certified hematologists (HEMs) was conducted with the objective of understanding the characteristics of PwHA who are being treated with EMI (PwHA-EMI) and assessing any changes in disease management of these individuals by HEMs. Methods Descriptive analysis was conducted on data collected from May 8 to May 20, 2019, through a 30-minute, online survey of 50 HEMs treating adult and pediatric PwHA with or without FVIII inhibitors in the US. These HEMs were required to have ≥2 years of experience post-residency and experience treating ≥3 PwHA per month with EMI. Results Of the 50 HEMs from 22 states who were surveyed in this study, 28% (n=14) primarily treated pediatric PwHA and 76% (n=38) practiced at federally funded hemophilia treatment centers. HEMs reported that the majority of their PwHA-EMI had severe HA, were previously treated, and did not have FVIII inhibitors. HEMs reported presence of inhibitors (40%, n=20) and high treatment burden with previous treatments (16%, n=8) as the top factors that were considered when initiating treatment with EMI. HEMs reported that they are testing less frequently for FVIII activity (52%, n=26) and inhibitors (28%, n=14) in PwHA-EMI. Most HEMs reported using multiple methods for breakthrough bleed recognition in their PwHA-EMI, such as advising them to call a healthcare provider (HCP) for diagnosis support (70%, n=35) and providing educational materials (68%, n=34). Further, 34% (n=17) reported a change in their guidance on bleed treatment in PwHA-EMI. Guidance varied by inhibitor status and type of bleed; these HEMs were more likely to recommend that their PwHA-EMI with FVIII inhibitors (65%, n=11/17) and without FVIII inhibitors (53%, n=9/17) call a HCP to discuss symptoms before treating the bleed. Also, 42% (n=21) of HEMs typically advised keeping 3-4 doses of bypassing agent or FVIII at hand in case of breakthrough bleed treatment in PwHA-EMI. A majority of HEMs (84%, n=42) reported that the recreational physical activity levels of their PwHA have remained the same or increased after starting EMI; 48% (n=24) of HEMs recommended that their patients have a gradual increase in these activities after starting EMI. Among HEMs who provided specific guidance on recreational physical activities (54%; n=27), most develop customized plans for their patients based on fitness goals (82%; n=22/27), disease severity (74%; n=20/27), and age (56%; n=15/27). For disease management support, 58% (n=29) of HEMs reported no change in the support they provide, even though EMI is a relatively new treatment. HEMs mainly attributed this to fewer bleeds in PwHA-EMI. For routine and follow-up care, 72% (n=36) and 56% (n=28) of HEMs, respectively, reported that their PwHA-EMI seek about the same levels of such care as they did prior to starting EMI, but 32% (n=16) of HEMs reported that their PwHA-EMI need less non-routine care after starting treatment with EMI. Breakthrough bleeds (22%, n=11) and trauma (20%, n=10) were reported as the top reasons for any non-routine care in PwHA-EMI. As for treatment adherence, 90% (n=45) of HEMs reported that their PwHA-EMI have similar or better adherence compared with those on other HA treatments. Lastly, 46% (n=23) of HEMs reported that their PwHA-EMI regularly experience insurance issues, including ones related to coverage for EMI and coverage for care and breakthrough bleed treatments while on EMI. Conclusions Based on the findings of this survey study, most HEMs have retained similar disease management support and practices for their PwHA-EMI. Although the frequency of routine care has not changed for most PwHA-EMI, HEMs indicated a reduction in the amount of non-routine care needed by these individuals. As EMI is prescribed and used over a longer period post approval, patient characteristics, treatment methods, and disease management practices should continue to be monitored to support HEMs' treatment and care of PwHA. Disclosures Owens: PRO Unlimited: Employment; Genentech, Inc.: Consultancy. Patel:Roche/Genentech: Equity Ownership; Genentech: Employment. Poulos:MedPanel, Inc.: Employment. Powers:MedPanel: Employment. Ko:Genentech, Inc.: Employment.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0251060
Author(s):  
Jie Li ◽  
Leslie J. Verteramo Chiu ◽  
Miguel I. Gómez ◽  
Nelson L. Bills

During the COVID-19 lockdown in the US, many businesses were shut down temporarily. Essential businesses, most prominently grocery stores, remained open to ensure access to food and household essentials. Grocery shopping presents increased potential for COVID-19 infection because customers and store employees are in proximity to each other. This study investigated shoppers’ perceptions of COVID-19 infection risks and put them in context by comparing grocery shopping to other activities outside home, and examined whether a proactive preventive action by grocery stores influence shoppers’ perceived risk of COVID-19 infection. Our data were obtained via an anonymous online survey distributed between April 2 and 10, 2020 to grocery shoppers in New York State (the most affected by the pandemic at the time of the study) and Washington State (the first affected by the pandemic). We found significant factors associated with high levels of risk perception on grocery shoppers. We identified some effective preventive actions that grocery stores implement to alleviate anxiety and risk perception. We found that people are generally more concerned about in-store grocery shopping relative to other out-of-home activities. Findings suggest that a strict policy requiring grocery store employees to use facemasks and gloves greatly reduced shoppers’ perceived risk rating of infection of themselves by 37.5% and store employees by 51.2%. Preventive actions by customers and businesses are critical to reducing the unwitting transmission of COVID-19 as state governments prepare to reopen the economy and relax restrictions on activities outside home.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bollwerk ◽  
Bernd Schlipphak ◽  
Joscha Stecker ◽  
Jens Hellmann ◽  
Gerald Echterhoff ◽  
...  

Threat perceptions towards immigrants continue to gain importance in the context of growing international migration. To reduce associated intergroup conflicts, it is crucial to understand the personal and contextual determinants of perceived threat. In a large online survey study (N = 1,184), we investigated the effects of ideology (i.e., Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation), subjective societal status (SSS) and their interaction effects in predicting symbolic and realistic threat perceptions towards Middle Eastern immigrants. Results showed that ideology (higher RWA and SDO) and lower SSS significantly predicted both symbolic and realistic threat, even after controlling for income, education, age, and gender. Furthermore, ideology and SSS interacted significantly in predicting realistic threat, with higher levels of SDO and RWA enhancing the effect of SSS. In the discussion, we focus on the implications of our findings with respect to understanding societal conflicts, discuss methodological limitations, and provide directions for future research.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Jee ◽  
Alsa Khan

BACKGROUND Understanding teens' relationship with technology is a pressing topic in this digital era. There seem to be both benefit and harmful implications that originate from use of technology by teens. Approximately 95% of teenagers have access to a smartphone, and several studies show a positive correlation between screen addiction and trends of Anxiety and Depression. While, at the same time, research shows that two-thirds of teenagers believe that technology is a necessity for connecting and making new friends. OBJECTIVE The aim of this research is to understand teens’ perceptions of their own and others’ relationship with personal technology and what future relationships do teens aspire to have with their technology. This will be fundamental in helping designers, healthcare practitioners and youth counselors inform design in technology accordingly. METHODS This research paper explores teens and technology relationship via three lenses. Lens-1 is teens' perception of their current relationship with their personal technology as users. Lens-2 is teens' perception of others' (parents, siblings or friends) relationship with personal technology as bystanders. Lens-3 is teens’ aspiration of how they wish to relate to their personal technology. We conducted an online survey with 619 teens in the 13-19 years age range. RESULTS We found that teens selected 'Essential,' 'Distractive,' and 'Addictive' most commonly to describe their own and others' relationship with personal technology. Whereas teens selected 'Provides an escape' more to describe their own relationship with technology. In contrast, they selected 'It's just a tool' and 'Creates Barrier' more to describe others' relationship with technology. These trends are consistent across ages and genders. Additionally, we found that 13-15 year-olds, particularly the majority of females in this age range, wish to see their future technology as their 'best friend.' However, 16-17 year-olds’ top choice was 'I don't believe in personal connection with mobile technology,’ and 18-19 year-olds’ top choice was 'My personal assistant.’ CONCLUSIONS Our three lenses approach is holistic as it allowed comparison of how teens perceive their relationship with personal technology as users vs. bystanders and from current vs. aspirational perspectives. This research not just confirms what is already known, but uncovers critical new associations more exclusive to teens' own relationship with technology. This paper presents related design implications to inform personal tech design thinking, including our guideline to shift 'user experience design' process to 'user relationship design.'


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 237437352110076
Author(s):  
Hyllore Imeri ◽  
Erin Holmes ◽  
Shane Desselle ◽  
Meagen Rosenthal ◽  
Marie Barnard

Chronic conditions (CCs) management during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the pandemic on patient activation (PA) and health locus of control (HLOC) remain unknown. This cross-sectional online survey study examined the role of COVID-19 pandemic-related worry or fear in PA and HLOC among patients with CCs. Individuals with CCs (n = 300) were recruited through MTurk Amazon. The questionnaire included sociodemographic questions, the Patient Activation Measure, and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control–Form B. Out of the 300 participants, 9.7% were diagnosed with COVID-19, and 7.3% were hospitalized. Patients with cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, drug abuse/substance abuse, and stroke reported significant difficulties in managing their CCs due to worry or fear because of COVID-19. More than half of the sample (45.7%) reported COVID-19-related worry or fear about managing their CCs, and these patients had lower PA and lower external HLOC compared to patients not affected by COVID-19-related worry or fear. Health professionals should provide more support for patients facing difficulties in managing their CCs during the COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 272
Author(s):  
Outi Haatainen ◽  
Jaakko Turkka ◽  
Maija Aksela

To understand how integrated science education (ISE) can be transferred into successful classroom practices, it is important to understand teachers’ perceptions and self-efficacy. The focus of this study is twofold: (1) to understand how teachers perceive ISE and (2) to assess if science teachers’ perceptions of and experiences with integrated education correlate with their views on self-efficacy in relation to ISE. Ninety-five Finnish science teachers participated in an online survey study. A mixed method approach via exploratory factor analysis and data-driven content analysis was used. Self-efficacy emerged as a key factor explaining teachers’ perceptions of and their lack of confidence in implementing ISE as well as their need for support. In addition, teachers regarded ISE as a relevant teaching method, but challenging to implement, and teachers primarily applied integrated approaches irregularly and seldom. Furthermore, teachers’ experiences with integrated activities and collaboration correlated with their views on integrated education and self-efficacy. These findings indicate teachers need support to better understand and implement ISE.


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