scholarly journals Effects of One-day e-learning Education on Perinatal Psychological Support Among Midwives: a Randomised Controlled Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eriko Shinohara ◽  
Yukiko Ohashi ◽  
Ayako Hada ◽  
Yuriko Usui
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Educational Programme ◽  
Psychological Support ◽  
Perinatal Mental Health ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Empathic Communication ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Abstract Background: Although midwives are expected to play a key role for psychological support throughout perinatal periods, their educational chances are limited. Versatile teaching strategies such as e-learning may be promising in expanding education. The objective of our study was to clarify the effects of an e-learning educational programme on midwives’ empathic communication skills.Methods: From April 2019 to September 2019, a randomised controlled trial of a one-day e-learning educational programme on perinatal psychological issues (both perinatal mental health assessment and empathic communication) was conducted to improve empathic communication skills of midwives. Two types of measurements (paper-and-pencil multiple-choice test and video-viewing tests of simulated patient) were used to measure the competency of empathic communication skills.Results: Participants (N = 115) were randomly allocated to two groups (Intervention: n = 58, Control: n = 57). The intervention group was at a significantly higher level for both post-tests of empathic communication skills compared with the control group. Both intervention and control groups showed improvements in acquiring knowledge about perinatal mental health assessments.Conclusions: The results of our study show that a one-day e-learning programme helped improve the midwives' empathic communications skills. Therefore, an effective one-day e-learning educational programme of perinatal mental health will expand opportunity to learn about empathic communication skills for midwives.Trial registrations: UMIN000036052

The taste of biodiversity: science and sensory education with different varieties of a vegetable to promote acceptance among primary school children

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Lisa Afonso ◽  
Sara Aboim ◽  
Patrícia Pessoa ◽  
Xana Sá-Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Educational Programme ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Food Education ◽  
Carry Over ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective: To determine the impact of an educational programme for primary schools that explored the biodiversity of tomato, by promoting science and sensory education with three distinct varieties of it, in the acceptance of vegetables. Design: A randomised controlled study in which children were exposed to the educational programme (intervention group) or remained in the class, as usual (control group). The educational programme consisted of three sessions where children explained the observed differences between the three varieties of tomato and individual perceptions of their flavours based on sensory-based food education and by planning and implementing experiments to explain those differences. We tested the effects on both children’s willingness to try and their liking for tomato, and for lettuce and cabbage to study the carry-over effect, compared with the control group (Mann–Whitney U test; P < 0·05). Setting: The study took place in public primary schools in Porto, Portugal. Participants: Children in the third grade (8–13-year-old children) (n 136) were randomly assigned to intervention or control group. Results: Children in the intervention group reported significant increases in their willingness to try and liking for tomato compared to the control group (P < 0·05), but not for lettuce and cabbage (P > 0·05). Conclusions: These results highlight the potential for fostering children’s acceptance of a vegetable by exploring biodiversity through science education. Further work may clarify the effects of exploring biodiversity on the consumption of vegetables and establish whether the results are stable over time and replicable across contexts and populations.

Effect of adjunctive sodium hyaluronate versus surfactant nasal irrigation on mucociliary clearance in allergic rhinitis: a single-blind, randomised, controlled study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
E Ocak ◽  
S Mulazimoglu ◽  
D Kocaoz ◽  
E Mirici ◽  
E Dagli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Allergic Rhinitis ◽  
Mucociliary Clearance ◽  
Isotonic Saline ◽  
Sodium Hyaluronate ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Clearance Time ◽  
Nasal Irrigation ◽  
Persistent Allergic Rhinitis ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Abstract Objective To investigate the effects of nasal irrigation with sodium hyaluronate and surfactant solutions on mucociliary clearance time in patients with mild persistent allergic rhinitis. Methods A total of 120 patients diagnosed with mild persistent allergic rhinitis were enrolled in this prospective study. The patients were allocated randomly to the surfactant, sodium hyaluronate or isotonic saline (as a control) nasal irrigation group. The mucociliary clearance times and improvements in mucociliary clearance times were compared. Results Improvements in mean mucociliary clearance time were significantly greater in the surfactant and sodium hyaluronate groups than in the control group (p < 0.01). The mean post-treatment mucociliary clearance time of the surfactant group was significantly lower than that of the control (p < 0.001) and sodium hyaluronate groups (p = 0.03). Conclusion Surfactant and sodium hyaluronate nasal irrigation solutions may both be used as adjunctive treatments for allergic rhinitis. Surfactant nasal irrigation resulted in better mucociliary clearance times.

A Controlled Trial of Home-Based Acute Psychiatric Services

1993 ◽  
Vol 163 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Burns ◽  
Alan Beadsmoore ◽  
Ashok V. Bhat ◽  
Andrew Oliver ◽  
Carola Mathers
Keyword(s):  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Randomised Controlled Study ◽  
One Year ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Clinical Measures ◽  
Experimental Group

While research has shown community-based psychiatric care to be as good as, or better than, hospital-based care, generalisation to clinical practice has been difficult. This prospective, randomised controlled study examined a community-based approach feasible within NHS conditions. Ninety-four patients were randomly allocated to experimental and 78 to control treatments and followed for one year. The groups were well matched apart from an excess of psychotic control patients. No differences in clinical or social functioning outcome were found. Both groups improved substantially on clinical measures in the first six weeks, with some slow consolidation thereafter. There were three suicides in the control group and one in the experimental group. Access to care was better in the experimental group (93% attended assessment) than in the control group (75% attended assessment).

scholarly journals Effects of Dog-Assisted Therapy on the Physical Function and Communication Skills of Adults with Autism: A Study Protocol for a Controlled Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 10650
Author(s):  
Isabel Gómez-Calcerrada ◽  
Ana Myriam Lavín-Pérez ◽  
Santos Villafaina ◽  
Juan Carlos Rueda-Rubio ◽  
Beatriz Rivera-Martín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Treatment As Usual ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Adults With Asd ◽  
Gait Posture

Background and Objectives: Despite the scientific evidence of the positive effects of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is not still considered an evidence-based practice for this population. The proposed study will aim to evaluate the effects of a dog-assisted therapy program on gait, posture, and communication skills. Materials and Methods: A total of 24 adults with ASD will participate in this non-randomized controlled trial. The experimental group will involve 12 participants who will receive AAT for 10 weeks, at two sessions per week. The focus of these sessions will be conducting different activities and physical exercises, facilitated by dogs. The control group will receive treatment as usual. The outcome measures will be the ability to walk and climbing stairs, balance, risk of falls and communication skills. Conclusions: The role of dogs as facilitators of the movement may lead to relevant benefits in the gait, posture and communication skills of adults with ASD, improving their ability to perform activities of daily living.

scholarly journals The side effects of service changes: exploring the longitudinal impact of participation in a randomised controlled trial (DOORWAYS) on staff perceptions of barriers to change

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Laker ◽  
Matteo Cella ◽  
Felicity Callard ◽  
Til Wykes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Staff Perceptions ◽  
Barriers To Change ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Abstract Background Staff and service users have expressed concerns that service improvements in U.K. mental health wards have been slow or transient. It is possible that certain changes are positive for some (e.g. service users), but negative for others (e.g. staff), which may affect implementation success. In this study, we explore whether a programme of change to improve the therapeutic milieu on mental health wards influenced staff perceptions of barriers to change, 12 months after implementation. Method A cluster randomised controlled trial called DOORWAYS was conducted on eight inner-city U.K. acute mental health wards. Randomisation was achieved using a list randomly generated by a computer. A psychologist trained ward staff (mainly nurses) to deliver evidence-based groups and supported their initial implementation. The impact of these changes was measured over 12 months (when 4 wards were randomised), according to nurses’ perceptions of barriers to change (VOCALISE), using unstructured multivariate linear regression models. This innovative analysis method allows maximum use of data in randomised controlled trials with reduced sample sizes due to substantial drop out rates. The contextual influences of occupational status (staff) and of workplace setting (ward) were also considered. Results Staff who participated in the intervention had significantly worse perceptions of barriers to change at follow up. The perceptions of staff in the control group did not change over time. In both groups (N=120), direct care staff had more negative perceptions of barriers to change, and perceptions varied according to ward. Across time, direct care staff in the intervention group became more negative than those in the control group. Conclusion Participation in this program of change, worsened staff perceptions of barriers to change. In addition, occupational status (being from the direct care group) had a negative effect on perceptions of barriers to change, an effect that continued across time and was worse in the intervention group. Those providing direct care should be offered extra support when changes are introduced and through the implementation process. More effort should be placed around reducing the perceived burden of innovation for staff in mental health wards.

scholarly journals Effects of weekly pain monitoring on back pain outcomes: a non-randomised controlled study

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Kongsted ◽  
Tue Secher Jensen ◽  
Klaus Doktor ◽  
Lise Hestbæk
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Activity Limitation ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Randomised Controlled Study ◽  
Pain Outcomes ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Abstract Background Disease monitoring is an important element of self-management of several chronic diseases. Pain monitoring has become very easily available, but the role in musculoskeletal pain conditions is not clear. Awareness of pain might be helpful for people to understand pain, but focusing on pain may on the contrary negatively affect pain experience and behaviours. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential impact of pain monitoring on low back pain (LBP), specifically to determine if pain intensity, activity limitation and pain control, differed between patients with weekly pain monitoring over 12 months and patients with follow-ups at 2 weeks, 3 months and 12 months. Methods This was a non-randomised controlled study embedded in a cohort study with data collection November 1st 2016 to December 21st 2018. Adults seeking care for LBP were enrolled at the first visit to a chiropractor and followed with surveys after 2 weeks, 3 months and 12 months. Those enrolled first, n = 1,623, furthermore received weekly SMS-questions about pain frequency and pain intensity, whereas those enrolled next was the control group, n = 1,269 followed only by surveys. Outcomes at 12-months were compared, adjusting for group differences on baseline parameters. Results LBP intensity (0–10) was slightly lower at 12-months follow-up in the SMS group than the control group (adjusted beta − 0.40 (95% CI: − 0.62; − 0.19)). No relevant between-group differences were observed for activity limitation (0–100) (1.51 (95% CI: − 0.83; 3.85)) or ability to control pain (0–10) (− 0.08 (95% CI − 0.31; 0.15)). Conclusions Frequent pain monitoring did not demonstrate any negative effects of weekly pain monitoring, and it was perhaps even helpful. The role of self-monitoring as part of self-managing LBP should be explored further including optimal frequencies, formats, and methods for feedback. Trial registration The study was not registered as a clinical trial.

scholarly journals Efficacy of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination Training Approach for Training Pharmacy Students in Diabetes Mellitus Counseling: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 229
Author(s):  
Imaneh Farahani ◽  
Samieh Farahani ◽  
Maira A. Deters ◽  
Holger Schwender ◽  
Stephanie Laeer
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Training Approach

Pharmacists’ tasks are multifaceted and include, for example, vital counseling and communication skills. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) could be used to train pharmacy students in these skills. Our study sought to determine the efficacy of our OSCE training approach for training pharmacy students’ counseling and communication skills on diabetes mellitus compared to a control group. This randomized controlled study was conducted with pharmacy students using a pre-post-design. The intervention group completed diabetes OSCE training, while the control group solved diabetes patient cases using subjective, objective, assessment, and plan notes. Before and after the respective training, both groups completed OSCEs evaluating counseling and communication skills. Before each OSCE encounter, the participants completed a self-assessment questionnaire and, upon completion of the seminar, filled out a satisfaction survey. The OSCE-trained group demonstrated a significantly greater increase in counseling and communication skills and self-confidence than the control group. Both groups were generally satisfied with the seminar. These results demonstrate that our OSCE training approach allows for the effective training of pharmacy students’ diabetes counseling and communication skills and suggests the inclusion of such a skill-based approach more widely in pharmacy students’ education.

scholarly journals Enhancing help-seeking behaviour among men who have sex with men at risk for sexually transmitted infections: the syn.bas.in randomised controlled trial

2020 ◽  
pp. sextrans-2020-054438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roeland Christiaan Alfons Achterbergh ◽  
Martijn S van Rooijen ◽  
Wim van den Brink ◽  
Anders Boyd ◽  
Henry John Christiaan de Vries
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Risk Behaviour ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Randomised Controlled

ObjectivesMen who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk for STIs and mental disorders. Syndemic theory holds that psychosocial issues co-occur and interact, and thus increase sexual risk behaviour. Psychosocial issue identification, referral and management might reduce risk behaviour.MethodsIn the syndemic-based intervention study, an open-label randomised controlled trial, MSM were enrolled at the STI outpatient clinic of the Public Health Service of Amsterdam. We screened participants using validated questionnaires on the following problem domains: alcohol and substance use, sexual compulsivity, anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, alexithymia, intimate partner violence and childhood sexual abuse. Individuals were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either tailored, face-to-face feedback and help-seeking advice on mental health screening, or no feedback and no help-seeking advice. Participants were followed trimonthly for a year. The primary outcomes were self-reported and confirmed help-seeking behaviour.ResultsWe included 155 MSM: 76 in the intervention group and 79 in the control group. At inclusion, 128 participants (83.1%) scored positive in at least one problem domain. We found no significant differences in self-reported or confirmed help-seeking behaviour between the intervention and the control group: 41% vs 29% (p=0.14) and 28% vs 22% (p=0.44), respectively. There were also no differences in STI incidence and condomless anal sex acts between the two groups.ConclusionScreening showed high prevalence of problems related to mental health and substance use, while tailored feedback, advice and referral did not significantly increase help-seeking behaviour. Other interventions are needed to tackle the high burden of mental disorders among MSM.Trial registration numberNCT02859935.

scholarly journals A Study Exploring the Implementation of an Equine Assisted Intervention for Young People with Mental Health and Behavioural Issues

J ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-246
Author(s):  
Ann Hemingway
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Randomised Control Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Target Groups ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Equine Assisted ◽  
Existing Data

This paper presents the findings from a study of an equine assisted intervention (EAI), which is currently referred over 150 predominantly young people with mental health and behavioural problems each year. The young people are referred to this intervention when other services such as Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are not effective. Performing an exploratory study of implementation may be indicated when, there are few previously published studies or existing data using a specific intervention technique. This study showed some positive changes for participants across eight dimensions including; assertiveness, engagement with learning, calmness, planning, taking responsibility, empathy, communication and focus and perseverance. The equine intervention literature has shown mixed results across a variety of study designs and target groups, in terms of the gold standard of evidence, randomised controlled studies however the evidence currently is very limited. This study used a non-randomised sample, no control group and an unstandardised measurement filled out by those who refer young people to the intervention (social workers and teachers). The outcomes however from this exploratory study would suggest that a randomised control trial may be warranted and achievable.

scholarly journals Effect of an intensive patient educational programme on the quality of bowel preparation for colonoscopy: a single-blind randomised controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. e000376
Author(s):  
Sivakami Janahiraman ◽  
Chan Yen Tay ◽  
Jie Min Lee ◽  
Wen Ling Lim ◽  
Chun Hoe Khiew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Bowel Preparation ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Educational Programme ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

ObjectivePreprocedural bowel preparation is necessary for optimal colonoscopy visualisation. However, it is challenging to achieve high-quality bowel preparation among patients scheduled for colonoscopy. This study aims to evaluate the impact of an intensive patient educational programme on the quality of bowel preparation.DesignAn accessor-blinded randomised controlled trial was carried out at the outpatient surgical clinic of a tertiary hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to the control group (received standard written and verbal instructions) or the experimental group (received an intensive and structured educational programme). All subjects completed a questionnaire before colonoscopy to assess their compliance, acceptability, and tolerability towards bowel preparation regime. Quality of bowel preparation was determined using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS).ResultsA total of 300 subjects who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were recruited. The experimental group had a significantly higher proportion of good quality bowel preparation than the control group (98.7% vs 52.3%, p<0.001). The median total BBPS score was also significantly higher in the experimental group (8 vs 5, p<0.001). Factors associated with good quality of bowel preparation included educational programme (OR: 22.79, 95% CI: 4.23 to 122.85, p<0.001), compliance to bowel cleansing agent (OR: 24.98, 95% CI 3.12 to 199.71, p<0.001), very difficult acceptability of preparation (OR: 0.11, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.38, p<0.001), tolerability towards bowel preparation (OR: 4.98, 95% CI 1.44 to 17.20, p<0.011) and hypomotility drugs (OR: 3.03, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.91, p<0.05).ConclusionAn intensive patient educational programme can significantly improve the quality of bowel preparation for colonoscopy.

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