Digital Footprint of Academic Vascular Surgeons in the Southern United States on Physician Rating Websites: Cross-sectional Evaluation Study

Background The internet has become a popular platform for patients to obtain information and to review the health care providers they interact with. However, little is known about the digital footprint of vascular surgeons and their interactions with patients on social media. Objective This study aims to understand the activity of academic vascular surgeons on physician rating websites. Methods Information on attending vascular surgeons affiliated with vascular residency or with fellowships in the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) was collected from public sources. A listing of websites containing physician ratings was obtained via literature reviews and Google search. Open access websites with either qualitative or quantitative evaluations of vascular surgeons were included. Closed access websites were excluded. Ranking scores from each website were converted to a standard 5-point scale for comparison. Results A total of 6238 quantitative and 967 qualitative reviews were written for 287 physicians (236 males, 82.2%) across 16 websites that met the inclusion criteria out of the 62 websites screened. The surgeons affiliated with the integrated vascular residency and vascular fellowship programs in SAVS had a median of 8 (IQR 7-10) profiles across 16 websites, with only 1 surgeon having no web presence in any of the websites. The median number of quantitative ratings for each physician was 17 (IQR 6-34, range 1-137) and the median number of narrative reviews was 3 (IQR 2-6, range 1-28). Vitals, WebMD, and Healthgrades were the only 3 websites where over a quarter of the physicians were rated, and those rated had more than 5 ratings on average. The median score for the quantitative reviews was 4.4 (IQR 4.0-4.9). Most narrative reviews (758/967, 78.4%) were positive, but 20.2% (195/967) were considered negative; only 1.4% (14/967) were considered equivocal. No statistical difference was found in the number of quantitative reviews or in the overall average score in the physician ratings between physicians with social media profiles and those without social media profiles (departmental social media profile: median 23 vs 15, respectively, P=.22; personal social media profile: median 19 vs 14, respectively, P=.08). Conclusions The representation of vascular surgeons on physician rating websites is varied, with the majority of the vascular surgeons represented only in half of the physician rating websites The number of quantitative and qualitative reviews for academic vascular surgeons is low. No vascular surgeon responded to any of the reviews. The activity of vascular surgeons in this area of social media is low and reflects only a small digital footprint that patients can reach and review.

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Evaluation of the Academic Vascular Surgeons in the Southern United States on Physician Rating Websites: Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.22975 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Qi Yan ◽

Katherine J. Jensen ◽

Rose Thomas ◽

Alyssa R. Langley ◽

Jiang Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Median Number ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Interquartile Range ◽

Average Score ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Presence ◽

Digital Footprint ◽

Physician Rating ◽

Google Search

BACKGROUND The Internet has become a popular platform for patients to obtain information and review the providers they interact with. However, little is known on the digital footprint of vascular surgeons and their interactivity with patients on social media. OBJECTIVE This study aims to understand the activity of academic vascular surgeons on physician rating websites. METHODS Information on attending vascular surgeons affiliated with vascular residency or fellowships in the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery was collected from public sources. A listing of websites containing physician rating was obtained via literature review and google search. Open access websites that contain either qualitative or quantitative evaluation of vascular surgeons were included. Closed access websites were excluded. Ranking scores from each website were converted to a standard 5-point scale for comparison. RESULTS A total of 6238 quantitative and 967 qualitative reviews were written for 287 physicians (236 males, 82%) across 16 websites that met inclusion criteria out of 62 websites screened. Surgeons in the SAVS region had a median of 8 (interquartile range; 7-10) profiles across 16 websites with only one surgeon having no web presence on any sites. The median number of quantitative ratings for each physician was 17 (interquartile range; 6-34, range; 1-137) and the median number of narrative reviews was 3 (interquartile range; 2-6, range; 1-28). Vitals, WebMD and Healthgrades were the only three websites where over a quarter of the physicians were rated, and those rated had more than 5 ratings on average. The median score for quantitative reviews was 4.4 (interquartile range; 4.0-4.9). Most narrative reviews (78.4%, 758/967) were positive, but 20.2% were considered negative, only 1.4% were considered equivocal. No statistical difference was found in the number of quantitative reviews or overall average score in physicians with versus without social media profiles. CONCLUSIONS Vascular representation on physician rating websites is varied with the majority of vascular surgeons only represented on the top half of the physician rating websites. The number of quantitative and qualitative reviews are low. No surgeons responded to reviews. The activity of vascular surgeons in this area of social media is low and reflects a small digital footprint that patients can reach and review.

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COVID-19: knowledge, awareness and perceived stress among Jordanian healthcare providers (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.22978 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Emad Aborajooh ◽

Mohammed Qussay Al-Sabbagh ◽

Baraa Mafrachi ◽

Muhammad Yassin ◽

Rami Dwairi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Psychological Stress ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Best Practice ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Care Providers ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Source Of Information

UNSTRUCTURED We aimed to measure levels of knowledge, awareness, and stress about COVID-19 among health care providers (HCP) in Jordan. This was a cross-sectional study on 397 HCPs that utilized an internet-based questionnaire to evaluate knowledge about COVID-19, availability of personal protective equipment (PEE), future perception, and psychological distress. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate factors associated with knowledge and psychological stress. Overall, 24.4% and 21.2% of the participants showed excellent knowledge and poor knowledge, respectively. Social media (61.7%) was the most commonly used source of information. Being female (β= 0.521, 95% CI 0.049 to 0.992), physician (β=1.421, 95% CI 0.849 to 1.992), or using literature to gain knowledge (β= 1.161, 95% CI 0.657 to 1.664) were positive predictors of higher knowledge. While having higher stress (β= -0.854, 95% CI -1.488 to -0.221) and using social media (β= -0.434, 95% CI -0.865 to -0.003) or conventional media (β= -0.884, 95% CI -1.358 to -0.409) for information were negative predictors of knowledge levels. HCPs are advised to use the literature as a source of information about the virus, its transmission, and the best practice. PPEs should be secured for HCPs to the psychological stress associated with treating COVID-19 patients.

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Potential drug–drug interactions in the era of integrase strand transfer inhibitors: a cross-sectional single-center study in Japan

Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences ◽

10.1186/s40780-021-00226-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yusuke Kunimoto ◽

Ryosuke Matamura ◽

Hiroshi Ikeda ◽

Satoshi Fujii ◽

Tomoko Kimyo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Interactions ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Median Number ◽

Antiretroviral Drugs ◽

Strand Transfer ◽

Potential Drug ◽

Care Providers ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Single Center Study ◽

Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors

Abstract Background Potential drug–drug interactions (PDDIs) commonly occur because of aging and comorbidities in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH). Protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors have been reported to cause PDDIs in these patients. However, there are few reports of PDDIs in the era of treatment using integrase strand transfer inhibitors. Therefore, we investigated PDDIs in Japanese PLWH receiving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). Methods This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in Japanese outpatients. All eligible patients who had received ARV therapy for at least 48 weeks were enrolled. The primary endpoint was the incidence of PDDIs detected using the Lexicomp® interface. Results Of the 71 eligible patients, 51 (71.8%) were prescribed concomitant non-ARV medications. In 21 patients (29.6%), PDDIs with the potential to reduce the effects of ARVs occurred, although the HIV load was suppressed in all cases. Polypharmacy (the use of ≥5 non-ARVs) was observed in 25 patients (35.2%). There was a significantly higher median number of non-ARV medications in the PDDI group than in the non-PDDI group (6 vs. 3, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the proportion of patients on polypharmacy was significantly higher in those with PDDIs than in those without PDDIs (81.0% vs. 26.7%, P < 0.001). Conclusions The incidence of PDDIs is relatively high in Japanese PLWH, even in the era of treatment using integrase strand transfer inhibitors. Therefore, it is important for patients and health care providers to be constantly aware of PDDIs associated with ARV treatment.

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The Effect of Social Media Exposure on the Mental Health of Individuals with Disabilities during the Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic

Journal of Educational and Social Research ◽

10.36941/jesr-2021-0086 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 167

Author(s):

Rasheed Khuwayshan Algethami ◽

Turki Mahdi Alqarni ◽

Fahmi Mustafa Albakour

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Media Exposure ◽

Care Providers ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Individuals With Disabilities ◽

Epidemic Period

The purpose of this study is to examine the mental health problems and social media exposure for individuals with disabilities, as well as explore whether this exposure could impact their mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic period. A hundred and twenty individuals with disabilities participated in this cross-sectional study, conducted in Taif, Saudi Arabia. We used an online questionnaire built through the translation of two scales, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 " GAD-7" and CES-D-10 scale assessing depression. The findings of this study underlined important messages for individuals with disabilities. First finding revealed that individuals with disabilities were almost half a day anxious, depressed, and frequently exposed to social media. Also, the information spread on social media had a significant effect on their anxiety level, but no significant effect was found on their depression level. Practical recommendations were highlighted to benefit these individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic period. We should use clear and accessible languages and health messages with individuals with disabilities. Health care providers should be exposed to an awareness program to reduce the racisms towards those individuals. Received: 8 March 2021 / Accepted: 23 June 2021 / Published: 8 July 2021

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Knowledge and Intentions Regarding the Pap Smear Test Among Saudi Arabian Women

10.21203/rs.3.rs-97846/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nawal Alissa

Keyword(s):

Health Care Providers ◽

Pap Smear ◽

Demographic Factors ◽

Saudi Arabian ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Average Score ◽

Care Providers ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Pap Smear Test ◽

Pap Screening

Abstract BackgroundThe knowledge of Pap smear and uptake of preventive behaviors to prevent cervical cancer are the most important contributors to the advanced stage of the disease. Knowledge is one of the most leading factors to predict the health behaviors and a helpful factor in performing screening procedures. This study aimed to investigate Saudi Arabian women knowledge of Pap testing in relation to their intention to undergo the test. MethodsAn online cross-sectional study was conducted among 467 Saudi Arabian women, who aged 18 years and older, living in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The participants asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire including three parts (demographic factors, knowledge about Pap smear, and intentions to uptake Pap smear). Data were analyzed through SPSS version 22, using descriptive statistics and correlation to measure the relationship between knowledge, demographic factors and intention. ResultsThe study found that average level of knowledge was 1.3 which is between high and moderate knowledge, and the average score for the intention was 2.88, to indicate that the intentions to uptake Pap smear among the participants were above the average. The study revealed a significant correlation between demographic factors and intention. ConclusionFindings from the current study can inform health care providers about Saudi Arabian women knowledge of Pap smear and the intention to uptake the test. Strategies to motivate women to undergo Pap screening should be introduced.

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Awareness and Preparedness of Egyptian House Officers toward COVID-19 Pandemic

Archives of Health Science ◽

10.31829/2641-7456/ahs2021-5(1)-012 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Social Media ◽

Medical Students ◽

Health System ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Management Team ◽

Care Providers ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Protective Measures

Background: The recent spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) led to shortage of health care providers in all countries. House officers and medical students may have a role in solving this problem. Objective: The study aims to measure and discuss the readiness of Egyptian house to be part of the health system facing the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional online questionnaire was conducted on sample of house officers from different Egyptian universities through announcement on social media groups over a period of one month during May 2020. Results: Nine-hundred seventy four Egyptian house officers participated in this study. Only 38.8% of respondent agreed to be a member of COVID-19 management team, 70.4% of participants depend on social media as a source for their information. The analysis of the results shows that participants significantly need more information about the protective measures and how to report suspected cases. Conclusions: Egyptian house officers need more training before being involved in the health care system for facing COVID-19.

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Perspectives of Parents and Health Care Providers about (Non)Medical Treatment in Infants with Reflux

Pharmacy ◽

10.3390/pharmacy8040226 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 226

Author(s):

Santina Gorsen ◽

Koen Boussery ◽

Myriam Van Winckel ◽

Rolinde Demeyer ◽

Eline Tommelein

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Information Provision ◽

The Other ◽

Average Score ◽

Care Providers ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Online Platform ◽

Other Hand

Background: Reflux occurs in 50% of healthy infants at some point. This is most often a physiological condition and does not require drug treatment. Various studies have shown that the use of drugs affecting gastric acidity (DAGAs) in infants is increasing. This entails disadvantages such as unnecessary exposure of infants to medication and their side effects and a higher cost to society. Objective: To get an image of the current practice in Flanders regarding diagnosis and treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) in infants and the associated use of DAGAs. To this end, we determined both parents’ and health care providers’ experiences and perceptions about these treatments. Method: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in April and May 2019. We developed a questionnaire for parents and three different questionnaires for health care providers (HCPs), including midwives, general practitioners, paediatricians and community pharmacists (CPs). The questionnaire for parents was only available through an online platform. HCPs were questioned face-to-face and through an online platform. Results: This study made clear that the counselling of children with GORD is multidisciplinary as the median number of counselling HCPs is 3 (interquartile range (IQR) = 2–4). 63% of the included 251 parents also seek support through online forums and groups. 60% of parents report that no physical tests were performed before DAGAs were prescribed and 39% of parents additionally state they perceived no effect of the prescribed DAGAs. Although parents reported to understand HCPs well (average score 7.4/10), satisfaction with care and information provision was scored lower (between 4.8 and 6.1/10). On the other hand, 234 HCPs answered the questionnaire, of which 89 midwives, 78 community pharmacists and 67 physicians. Only 45 HCPs indicate that guidelines to diagnose or treat GORD are clear. Physicians confirm they perform very little physical testing before starting DAGAs. Provided nonmedical measures to patients are largely in line with the European guidelines, however perceived effectiveness is moderate. Conclusion: Parents are in need for more information about tests, nutrition and (non)medical measures. HCPs on the other hand are in need for clear guidelines on diagnosing and treating GORD.

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A survey of Instagram users with asthma to evaluate the acceptability of a planned clinical trial intervention (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.24005 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kerry Spitzer ◽

Brent Heineman ◽

Marcella Jewell ◽

Michael Moran ◽

Peter Lindenauer

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Media ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

College Education ◽

The United States ◽

Survey Study ◽

Care Providers ◽

Healthy Behaviors ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

Hispanic White

BACKGROUND Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects nearly 25 million individuals in the United States. There is a need for more research into the potential for health care providers to leverage existing social media platforms to improve healthy behaviors and support individuals living with chronic health conditions. OBJECTIVE In this study, we assess the willingness of Instagram users with poorly controlled asthma to participate in a pilot study that uses Instagram as a means of providing social and informational support. In addition, we explore the potential for adapting photovoice and digital storytelling to social media. METHODS A survey study of Instagram users living with asthma in the United States, between the ages of 18 to 40. RESULTS Over 3 weeks of recruitment, 457 individuals completed the pre-survey screener; 347 were excluded. Of the 110 people who were eligible and agreed to participate in the study, 82 completed the study survey. Respondents mean age was 21(SD = 5.3). Respondents were 56% female (n=46), 65% (n=53) non-Hispanic white, and 72% (n=59) had at least some college education. The majority of respondents (n = 66, 81%) indicated that they would be willing to participate in the study. CONCLUSIONS Among young-adult Instagram users with asthma there is substantial interest in participating in a study that uses Instagram to connect participants with peers and a health coach in order to share information about self-management of asthma and build social connection.

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Portuguese Patient Dignity Question: A cross-sectional study of palliative patients cared for in primary care

Palliative & Supportive Care ◽

10.1017/s1478951520000164 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (6) ◽

pp. 658-661

Author(s):

Mafalda Lemos Caldas ◽

Miguel Julião ◽

Ana João Santos ◽

Harvey Max Chochinov

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Care Providers ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Clinical Tool ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Old Patients ◽

Promising Tool ◽

Palliative Patients

AbstractIntroductionThe Patient Dignity Question (PDQ) is a clinical tool developed with the aim of reinforcing the sense of personhood and dignity, enabling health care providers (HCPs) to see patients as people and not solely based on their illness.ObjectiveTo study the acceptability and feasibility of the Portuguese version of the PDQ (PDQ-PT) in a sample of palliative care patients cared for in primary care (PC).MethodA cross-sectional study using 20 palliative patients cared for in a PC unit. A post-PDQ satisfaction questionnaire was developed.ResultsTwenty participants were included, 75% were male; average age was 70 years old. Patients found the summary accurate, precise, and complete; all said that they would recommend the PDQ to others and want a copy of the summary placed on their family physician's medical chart. They felt the summary heightened their sense of dignity, considered it important that HCPs have access to the summary and indicated that this information could affect the way HCPs see and care for them. The PDQ-PT's took 7 min on average to answer, and 10 min to complete the summary.Significance of resultsThe PDQ-PT is well accepted and feasible to use with palliative patients in the context of PC and seems to be a promising tool to be implemented. Future trials are now warranted.

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Social Media Preference and Condom Use Behaviors: An Analysis of Digital Spaces With Young African American Males

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/1090198121993043 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 190-198

Author(s):

Jade C. Burns ◽

Shawtaabdee Chakraborty ◽

Denise Saint Arnault

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

African American ◽

Condom Use ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Sexual Behaviors ◽

African American Males ◽

African American Adolescents ◽

Lifestyle Changes ◽

Perceived Behavioral Control ◽

Care Providers

Background. African American adolescents and young adults have an increased likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behaviors. With rising rates of sexually transmitted infections among this population, deeper consideration is now being focused on using social media to engage, educate, and improve sexual behavior in this group. Purpose. To determine why social media is useful and how it may affect the attitude, norms, and perceived behavioral control on condom use among young African American males (YAAMs) ages 18 to 21. Method. Group-depth interviews ( n = 41, mean age = 19, SD = 1.2) were conducted in metro Detroit to understand and describe the who, what, where, why, and how regarding social media use and preference among YAAMs) ages 18 to 21, and their condom use behaviors. Results. The most popular reasons for using social media were for educational purposes, entertainment, browsing the site, self-expression, seeking out or maintaining relationships with friends and family, and social justice. YouTube was stated as the easiest site to promote condom use education. YAAMs would seek out condom use education on social media sites if someone respected in the community or someone famous promoted condom use messages on the sites or if it was used to show where condoms were available for free or for purchase. Conclusion. Understanding how YAAMs use social media may help researchers design better questions to address disparities within this population. More important, it can help health care providers, families, and the community promote healthy behaviors and lifestyle changes among YAAMs.

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