scholarly journals Development and Evaluation of a Crowdsourcing Platform for Education and Evidence-Based Medical Decision-Making

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1 suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 513-524
Author(s):  
Álisson Oliveira dos Santos ◽  
Alexandre Sztajnberg ◽  
Tales Mota Machado ◽  
Daniel Magalhães Nobre ◽  
Adriano Neves de Paula e Souza ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The medical education for clinical decision-making has undergone changes in recent years. Previously supported by printed material, problem solving in clinical practice has recently been aided by digital tools known as summaries platforms. Doctors and medical students have been using such tools from questions found in practice scenarios. These platforms have the advantage of high-quality, evidence-based and always up-to-date content. Its popularization was mainly due to the rise of the internet use and, more recently, of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, facilitating their use in clinical practice. Despite this platform is widely available, the most of them actually present several access barriers as costs, foreign language and not be able to Brazilian epidemiology. A free national platform of evidence-based medical summaries was proposed, using the crowdsourcing concept to resolve those barriers. Furthermore, concepts of gamification and content evaluation were implemented. Also, there is the possibility of evaluation by the users, who assigns note for each content created. The platform was built with modern technological tools and made available for web and mobile application. After development, an evaluation process was conducted by researchers to attest to the valid of content, usability, and user satisfying. Consolidated questionnaires and evaluation tools by the literature were applied. The process of developing the digital platform fostered interdisciplinarity, from the involvement of medical and information technology professionals. The work also allowed the reflection on the innovative educational processes, in which the learning from real life problems and the construction of knowledge in a collaborative way are integrated. The assessment results suggest that platform can be real alternative form the evidence-based medical decision-making.

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1 suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 513-524
Author(s):  
Álisson Oliveira dos Santos ◽  
Alexandre Sztajnberg ◽  
Tales Mota Machado ◽  
Daniel Magalhães Nobre ◽  
Adriano Neves de Paula e Souza ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The medical education for clinical decision-making has undergone changes in recent years. Previously supported by printed material, problem solving in clinical practice has recently been aided by digital tools known as summaries platforms. Doctors and medical students have been using such tools from questions found in practice scenarios. These platforms have the advantage of high-quality, evidence-based and always up-to-date content. Its popularization was mainly due to the rise of the internet use and, more recently, of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, facilitating their use in clinical practice. Despite this platform is widely available, the most of them actually present several access barriers as costs, foreign language and not be able to Brazilian epidemiology. A free national platform of evidence-based medical summaries was proposed, using the crowdsourcing concept to resolve those barriers. Furthermore, concepts of gamification and content evaluation were implemented. Also, there is the possibility of evaluation by the users, who assigns note for each content created. The platform was built with modern technological tools and made available for web and mobile application. After development, an evaluation process was conducted by researchers to attest to the valid of content, usability, and user satisfying. Consolidated questionnaires and evaluation tools by the literature were applied. The process of developing the digital platform fostered interdisciplinarity, from the involvement of medical and information technology professionals. The work also allowed the reflection on the innovative educational processes, in which the learning from real life problems and the construction of knowledge in a collaborative way are integrated. The assessment results suggest that platform can be real alternative form the evidence-based medical decision-making.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels Lynøe ◽  
Gert Helgesson ◽  
Niklas Juth

Clinical decisions are expected to be based on factual evidence and official values derived from healthcare law and soft laws such as regulations and guidelines. But sometimes personal values instead influence clinical decisions. One way in which personal values may influence medical decision-making is by their affecting factual claims or assumptions made by healthcare providers. Such influence, which we call ‘value-impregnation,’ may be concealed to all concerned stakeholders. We suggest as a hypothesis that healthcare providers’ decision making is sometimes affected by value-impregnated factual claims or assumptions. If such claims influence e.g. doctor–patient encounters, this will likely have a negative impact on the provision of correct information to patients and on patients’ influence on decision making regarding their own care. In this paper, we explore the idea that value-impregnated factual claims influence healthcare decisions through a series of medical examples. We suggest that more research is needed to further examine whether healthcare staff’s personal values influence clinical decision-making.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Ayah A Al-Asmar ◽  
Ahmad S Al-Hiyasat ◽  
Motasum Abu-Awwad ◽  
Hakam N Mousa ◽  
Nesreen A Salim ◽  
...  

Objectives. The worldwide interest of both dentists and patients in esthetic dentistry has affected decision-making in dental practice. The aim of this study was to investigate contemporary dental practice in restorative dentistry and the relationship between evidence-based dentistry in caries research and decision-making in clinical practice in restorative dentistry. Methods. The study was conducted through a structured questionnaire distributed randomly at the Jordanian Dental Association registered dentists in Jordan. The questionnaire aimed to clarify the degree of knowledge and practice of evidence-based dentistry in caries research the dentists hold regarding clinical decision-making in restorative dentistry. Results. The majority of the surveyed dentists (77%) treat teeth with irreversible pulpitis with root canal treatment rather than vital pulp therapy. 13.8% routinely insert a post and 23% routinely crown the tooth after root canal treatment regardless of the remaining tooth structure. Badly damaged teeth are treated with full crowns in 72% of the cases. Regarding Hollywood smile or smile makeover, the majority of dentists choose conservative approaches, and implants were the first choice to replace missing teeth for 93.8% of the surveyed dentists. Conclusion. A higher degree of implementation of evidence-based dentistry in clinical decision-making was found in Prosthetic Dentistry than in Endodontics. Yet, the gap between evidence-based data and clinical practice needs bridging. More emphasis on communicating these data to educators to integrate them into the dental curriculum is a must.


Author(s):  
Samuel Wiebe ◽  
Bart Demaerschalk

Abstract:We examine the relevance of Evidence Based Care (EBC) to the field of clinical neurosciences, with particular emphasis on feasible methods of implementing EBC in clinical practice. By using pre-appraised EBC summaries, busy clinicians can move toward EBC without engaging in the laborious process of searching and critically appraising the literature. After reviewing the neurological content, accessibility and ease of use of current sources of EBC summaries, we find them substantially lacking in coverage of the neurosciences, and therefore of limited use to clinicians in this field. We emphasize a particular type of EBC summary, the critically appraised topic, and comment on its usefulness and limitations as a tool to assist clinical decision-making in the neurosciences. Finally, we propose that a collection of easily accessible, good quality, peer reviewed critically appraised topics, covering a breadth of relevant topics, is a reasonable way of moving toward EBC in the clinical neurosciences.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-190
Author(s):  
Jovana Lubarda ◽  
Martin Warters ◽  
Piyali Chatterjee ◽  
Marlene P. Freeman ◽  
Roger S. McIntyre

AbstractObjectivesThe goal of this study was to determine physician performance in diagnosis and management of postpartum depression (PPD) and to provide needed education in the consequence free environment of a virtual patient simulation (VPS).Methods∙ A continuing medical education activity was delivered via an online VPS learning platform that offers a lifelike clinical care experience with complete freedom of choice in clinical decision-making and expert personalized feedback to address learner’s practice gaps∙ Physicians including psychiatrists, primary care physicians (PCPs), and obstetricians/gynecologists (ob/gyns) were presented with two cases of PPD designed to model the experience of actual practice by including use of electronic health records∙ Following virtual interactions with patients, physicians were asked to make decisions regarding assessments, diagnoses, and pharmacologic therapies. The clinical decisions were analyzed using a sophisticated decision engine, and clinical guidance (CG) based on current evidence-based recommendations was provided in response to learners’ clinical decisions∙ Impact of the education was measured by comparing participant decisions pre- and post-CG using a 2-tailed, paired t-test; P <.05 was considered statistically significant∙ The activity launched on Medscape Education on April 26, 2018, and data were collected through to June 17,2018.Results∙ From pre- to post-CG in the simulation, physicians were more likely to make evidence-based clinical decisions related to:∙ Ordering appropriate baseline tests including tools/scales to screen for PPD: in case 1, psychiatrists (n=624) improved from 34% to 42% on average (P<.05); PCPs (n=197) improved from 38% to 48% on average (P<.05); and, ob/gyns (n=216) improved from 30% to 38% on average (P<.05)∙ Diagnosing moderate-to-severe PPD: in case 2, psychiatrists (n=531) improved from 46% to 62% (P<.05); PCPs (n=154) improved from 43% to 55% (P<.05); and, ob/gyns (n=137) improved from 55% to 73% (P<.05)∙ Ordering appropriate treatments for moderate-to-severe PPD such as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors: in case 2, psychiatrists (n=531) improved from 47% CG to 75% (P<.05); PCPs (n=154) improved from 55% to 74% (P<.05); and, ob/gyns (n=137) improved from 51% to 78% (P<.05)∙ Interestingly, a small percentage of physicians (average of 5%) chose investigational agents for PPD which were in clinical trials pre-CG, and this increased to an average of 9% post-CGConclusionsPhysicians who participated in VPS-based education significantly improved their clinical decision-making in PPD, particularly in selection of validated screening tools/scales, diagnosis, and pharmacologic treatments based on severity. Given that VPS immerses physicians in an authentic, practical learning experience matching the scope of clinical practice, this type of intervention can be used to determine clinical practice gaps and translate knowledge into practice.Funding Acknowledgements: The educational activity and outcomes measurement were funded through an independent educational grant from Sage Therapeutics, Inc.


2004 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudio Rodrigues Leles ◽  
Maria do Carmo Matias Freire

A critical problem in the decision making process for dental prosthodontic treatment is the lack of reliable clinical parameters. This review discusses the limits of traditional normative treatment and presents guidelines for clinical decision making. There is a need to incorporate a sociodental approach to help determine patient's needs. Adoption of the evidence-based clinical practice model is also needed to assure safe and effective clinical practice in prosthetic dentistry.


1988 ◽  
pp. 599-612
Author(s):  
Milton C. Weinstein ◽  
Harvey V. Fineberg ◽  
Barbara J. McNeil ◽  
Stephen G. Pauker ◽  
Robert J. Quinn

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murih Pusparum ◽  
G&oumlkhan Ertaylan ◽  
Olivier Thas

The Population Reference Interval (PRI) refers to the range of outcomes that are expected in a healthy population for a clinical or a diagnostic measurement. This interval is widely used in daily clinical practice and is essential for assisting clinical decision making in diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we demonstrate that each individual indeed has a range for a given variable depending on personal biological traits. This Individual Reference Interval (IRI) can be calculated and be utilized in clinical practice, in combination with the PRI for improved decision making where multiple data points are present per variable. As calculating IRI requires several data points from the same individual to determine a personal range, here we introduce novel methodologies to obtain the correct estimates of IRI. We use Linear Quantile Mixed Models (LQMM) and Penalized Joint Quantile Models (PJQM) to estimate the IRI's upper and lower bounds. The estimates are obtained by considering both the within and between subjects' variations. We perform a simulation study designed to benchmark both methods' performance under different assumptions, resulted in PJQM giving a better empirical coverage than LQMM. Finally, both methods were evaluated on real-life data consisting of eleven clinical and metabolomics parameters from the VITO IAM Frontier study. The PJQM method also outperforms LQMM on its predictive accuracy in the real-life data setting. In conclusion, we introduce the concept of IRI and demonstrate two methodologies for calculating it to complement PRIs in clinical decision making.


Heart ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 105 (10) ◽  
pp. 749-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veena Manja ◽  
Gordon Guyatt ◽  
John You ◽  
Sandra Monteiro ◽  
Susan Jack

BackgroundHealthcare costs are increasing in the USA and Canada and a substantial portion of health spending is devoted to services that do not improve health outcomes. Efforts to reduce waste by adopting evidence-based clinical practice guideline recommendations have had limited success. We sought insight into improving health system efficiency through understanding cardiologists’ perceptions of factors that influence clinical decision-making.MethodsIn this descriptive qualitative study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 18 American and 3 Canadian cardiologists. We used conventional content analysis including inductive and deductive approaches for data analysis and mapped findings to the ecological systems framework.ResultsPhysicians reported that major determinants of practice included interpersonal interactions with peers, patients and administrators; financial incentives and system factors. Patients’ insurance status represented an important consideration for some cardiologists. Other major influences included time constraints, fear of litigation (less prominent in Canada), a sense that their obligation was never to miss any underlying pathology, and patient demands. The need to bring income into their health system influenced American cardiologists’ practice; personal income implications influenced Canadian cardiologists’ practice. Cardiologists reported that knowledge limitations and logistical challenges limit their ability to assist patients with cost considerations. All these considerations were more influential than guidelines; some cardiologists expressed a high level of scepticism regarding guidelines.ConclusionsClinical decision-making by cardiologists is shaped by individual, interpersonal, organisational, environmental, financial and sociopolitical influences and only to a limited extent by guideline recommendations. Successful strategies to achieve efficient, evidence-based care will require addressing socioecological influences on decision-making.


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