The impact of deliberate reflection with WISE-MD™ modules on surgical clerkship students’ critical thinking: a prospective, randomized controlled pilot study

Background: Self-reflection is important for professional development, critical thinking, and engagement. However, self-reflection is not habitual or instinctive, and reflection assignments are often met with resistance from students. While written reflections are popular, other self-reflection mediums should be investigated. Innovation: Flipgrid by Microsoft, an online video response tool, was used in an elective course for self-reflection and student engagement. To assess the impact of Flipgrid on the student experience in the course, two cohorts of students were evaluated. Overall 96% of respondents reported satisfaction with Flipgrid as an educational tool, however engagement was not significantly increased over the use of written reflection. Implications: The results of this pilot study suggest that Flipgrid appears to have potential as a self-reflection tool, but may not be a “magic-bullet” to increase student engagement. Recommendations and considerations for implementing Flipgrid into a course to facilitate student engagement are provided.

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A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study Comparing the Impact of Aprepitant and Fosaprepitant on Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Patients Treated for Gynecologic Cancer

International Journal of Gynecological Cancer ◽

10.1097/igc.0000000000000593 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 389-393 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

John P. Micha ◽

Mark A. Rettenmaier ◽

John V. Brown ◽

Alberto Mendivil ◽

Lisa N. Abaid ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Gynecologic Cancer ◽

Nausea And Vomiting ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

The Impact

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A Randomized Controlled Trial to Investigate the Impact of Tango Argentino versus Tai Chi on Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson Disease: A Short Report

Complementary Medicine Research ◽

10.1159/000500070 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (6) ◽

pp. 398-403 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Désirée Poier ◽

Daniela Rodrigues Recchia ◽

Thomas Ostermann ◽

Arndt Büssing

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Parkinson Disease ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Well Being ◽

Short Report ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

The Impact

Objectives: Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with increasing impairments in disease progression. The aim of the pilot study was to investigate the influence of Tango argentino on the quality of life of people with PD compared to Tai Chi. Design, Setting, Interventions: In the two-arm, randomized controlled pilot study, patients with PD received a 10-week Tango argentino or Tai Chi intervention (once per week, 60 min each). Main Outcome Measures: The outcome parameters were assessed at three time points (after the 1st course, after the 5th course, and after the 10th course) using standardized instruments, i.e., Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale (BMLSS), Inner Congruence with Practices (ICPH). Results: Overall, 14 patients and their partners received Tango argentino (9 male, 5 female; mean age: 69 ± 8 years) and 15 received Tai Chi (3 male, 12 female; mean age: 69 ± 11 years). Four patients in each group were lost during the trial. No improvements were found in both groups for all outcomes. Patients in the tango group reported better emotional well-being (p = 0.039) after 10 weeks of intervention compared to the Tai Chi group. Conclusions: Further studies are needed taking into account findings from this study to improve recruitment and attrition of patients during the trial and to justify the potential implementation of Tango argentino into clinical care.

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Therapeutic Efficacy and the Impact of the “Dose” Effect of Acupuncture to Treat Sciatica: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Journal of Pain Research ◽

10.2147/jpr.s210672 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol Volume 12 ◽

pp. 3511-3520 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ching-Hsiung Liu ◽

Yen-Ying Kung ◽

Chun-Liang Lin ◽

Jen-Lin Yang ◽

Ta-Peng Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Therapeutic Efficacy ◽

Dose Effect ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

The Impact

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The impact of palliative care on quality of life, anxiety, and depression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a randomized controlled pilot study

Respiratory Research ◽

10.1186/s12931-019-1266-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Katherine Janssen ◽

Drew Rosielle ◽

Qi Wang ◽

Hyun Joo Kim

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Usual Care ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal disease that results in poor quality of life due to progressive respiratory symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Palliative care improves quality of life and survival in other progressive diseases. No randomized controlled trials have investigated the impact of palliative care on quality of life, anxiety, or depression in IPF. Methods We conducted a randomized, controlled, pilot study to assess the feasibility of measuring the effect of a palliative care clinic referral on quality of life, anxiety, and depression in IPF. Patients were randomized to usual care (UC) or usual care + palliative care (UC + PC) with routine pulmonary follow up at 3 and 6 months. The UC + PC group received a minimum of one PC clinic visit. Primary outcome was change from baseline in quality of life, anxiety, and depression as measured by the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Index (HADS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) at 6 months. Results Twenty-two patients were randomized between September 2017 through July 2018; 11 to UC and 11 to UC + PC. There was no difference in the change in SGRQ score at 3 months or 6 months, however, the symptom score trended towards a significant worsening for UC + PC at both 3 and 6 months (mean change at 3 months for UC and UC + PC was − 7.8 and + 10.7, respectively, p = 0.066; mean change at 6 months for UC and UC + PC was − 6.0 and + 4.6, respectively, p = 0.055). There was no difference in the change in HADS anxiety or depression scores. There was a significant transient worsening in PHQ-9 scores for UC + PC at 3 months (UC: -1.6, UC + PC: + 0.9, p = 0.008); this effect did not persist at 6 months. Conclusion This pilot study demonstrated that a randomized controlled trial of palliative care in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients is feasible. Receiving palliative care did not lead to improved quality of life, anxiety, or depression compared to usual care after 6 months. Patients in the UC + PC group trended towards worsening symptoms and a small but statistically significant transient worsening in depression. These findings should be interpreted with caution, and need to be evaluated in adequately powered clinical trials. NCT03981406, June 10, 2019, retrospectively registered.

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The impact of a digital wheeze detector on parental disease management of pre-school children suffering from wheezing—a pilot study

Pilot and Feasibility Studies ◽

10.1186/s40814-021-00917-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Stephanie Dramburg ◽

Ellen Dellbrügger ◽

Wim van Aalderen ◽

Paolo Maria Matricardi

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Airway Obstruction ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Electronic Diary ◽

Asthma Control Test ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Airway Infections ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Viral airway infections are a major reason for doctor’s visits at pre-school age, especially when associated with wheezing. While proper treatment requires adequate recognition of airway obstruction, caretakers are often struggling with this judgment, consequently leading to insufficient or late treatment and an unnecessary discomfort of the patient. Digital technologies may serve to support parental decision taking. The aim of the present pilot study is to acquire data on the feasibility of recruitment and observation procedures for a randomized controlled trial on the impact of a digital wheeze detector in a home management setting of pre-school wheezing. Methods This single-armed pilot study enrolled patients with a doctor’s diagnosis of wheezing aged 9 to 72 months. Participants were asked to use a digital wheeze detector (WheezeScan, Omron Healthcare, Japan) 2×/day for 30 days and record the child’s respiratory symptoms, detection of wheezing, and medication intake via an electronic diary (eDiary) app. Demographic and clinical data were collected at the recruitment visit. The asthma control test and the Parent Asthma Management Self-Efficacy Scale (PAMSES) were assessed both, at recruitment and follow-up. Results Twenty families were recruited and completed the monitoring. All but one completed the follow-up after 30 days. The recruitment procedures were feasible, and adherence to daily monitoring reached an average of 81%. The use of the wheeze detector was rated as uncomplicated. Parents detected wheezing without digital support in only 22/708 (3.1%) of the recorded events. By contrast, the wheeze detector indicated an airway obstruction in 140/708 (19.8%) of the recordings. Conclusion In parallel to feasible recruitment procedures, we observed good usability of the wheeze detection device and high adherence to eDiary recording. The positive outcomes show that the WheezeScan may empower parents by increasing their capacity for wheeze detection. This deserves to be investigated in a larger randomized controlled trial.

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