Pharmacists’ Perspectives on the Use of My Health Record

(1) Background: My Health Record (MHR) is a relatively new nationwide Australian digital health record system accessible by patients and a range of healthcare professionals. Pharmacists will be key contributors and users of the MHR system, yet little is known about the perceived barriers and benefits of use. (2) Objective: To explore pharmacists’ perspectives related to potential benefits and barriers associated with use of MHR. (3) Methods: An online survey was developed and face-validated. The survey was advertised to Australian pharmacists on pharmacy professional bodies’ websites. This was a cross-sectional study using an anonymous questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the distribution of the data. Chi-square, Kendall’s tau coefficient (tau-c) and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to examine the relationships where appropriate. (4) Results: A total of 63 pharmacists completed the survey. The majority of respondents worked in a metropolitan area (74%), and the most common workplace setting was community pharmacy (65%). Perceived benefits identified by responders include that the use of MHR would help with continuity of care (90%), and that it would improve the safety (71%) and quality (75%) of care they provided. Importantly, more than half of pharmacists surveyed agreed that MHR could reduce medication errors during dispensing (57%) and could improve professional relationships with patients (57%) and general practitioners (59%). Potential barriers identified by pharmacists included patients’ concerns about privacy (81%), pharmacists’ own concern about privacy (46%), lack of training, access to and confidence in using the system. Sixty six percent of respondents had concerns about the accuracy of information contained within MHR, particularly among hospital and general practice pharmacists (p = 0.016) and almost half (44%) had concerns about the security of information in the system, mainly pharmacists working at general practice and providing medication review services (p = 0.007). Overall satisfaction with MHR varied, with 48% satisfied, 33% neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and 19% dissatisfied, with a higher satisfaction rate among younger pharmacists (p = 0.032). (5) Conclusions: Pharmacists considered that the MHR offered key potential benefits, notably improving the safety and quality of care provided. To optimize the use of MHR, there is a need to improve privacy and data security measures, and to ensure adequate provision of user support and education surrounding the ability to integrate use of MHR with existing workflows and software.

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Dissociation, Cognitive Reflection and Health Literacy Have a Modest Effect on Belief in Conspiracy Theories about COVID-19

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18105065 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 5065

Author(s):

Vojtech Pisl ◽

Jan Volavka ◽

Edita Chvojkova ◽

Katerina Cechova ◽

Gabriela Kavalirova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Digital Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Conspiracy Theories ◽

Cognitive Reflection ◽

Variance Explained ◽

Modest Effect

Understanding the predictors of belief in COVID-related conspiracy theories and willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may aid the resolution of current and future pandemics. We investigate how psychological and cognitive characteristics influence general conspiracy mentality and COVID-related conspiracy theories. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on data from an online survey of a sample of Czech university students (n = 866) collected in January 2021, using multivariate linear regression and mediation analysis. Sixteen percent of respondents believed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and 17% believed that COVID-19 was intentionally created by humans. Seven percent of the variance of the hoax theory and 10% of the variance of the creation theory was explained by (in descending order of relevance) low cognitive reflection, low digital health literacy, high experience with dissociation and, to some extent, high bullshit receptivity. Belief in COVID-related conspiracy theories depended less on psychological and cognitive variables compared to conspiracy mentality (16% of the variance explained). The effect of digital health literacy on belief in COVID-related theories was moderated by cognitive reflection. Belief in conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 was influenced by experience with dissociation, cognitive reflection, digital health literacy and bullshit receptivity.

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Digital health literacy and online information queries in Portuguese university students

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckab164.039 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽

Author(s):

R Rosário ◽

C Augusto ◽

MJ Silva ◽

S Martins ◽

A Duarte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Literacy ◽

University Students ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Online Survey ◽

Digital Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Online Information ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Logistic Regression Models

Abstract Background Worldwide there is an overwhelming amount of information about COVID-19 circulating online, also named infodemic. Misinformation (the unintentional) and disinformation (the intentional) spreading of false information have proven to be very dangerous to public health. Hence, more than ever, people need skills for searching, evaluating and integrating information related to health in daily life, i.e., health literacy. Until now, little is known about the digital health literacy of university students and their information-seeking behaviour. Hence, this study aimed to analyse the associations between university students' digital health literacy and online information queries during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (and infodemic) in Portugal. Methods A cross-sectional study of 3.084 Portuguese university students (75.7% females), with an average age of 24.2 (SD = 7.5), was conducted using an online survey. We used sociodemographic data (sex, age, subjective social status) and the digital health literacy questionnaire adapted to the specific COVID-19 context. Online information queries included the topics related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 searched by students. Logistic regression models were performed. Results Online information queries (e.g., individual measures to protect against infection, current spread of the virus, current situation assessments and recommendations) were associated with an increased odds of achieving sufficient digital health literacy. Conclusions Online information queries related to epidemiological and public health topics are significantly associated with digital health literacy in times of COVID-19. Further studies are needed, including programs that improve digital health literacy among university students and increase the availability of high-quality content information.

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Proposal and psychometric validation of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus-2 Fear Scale (SCoV-2-FS)

10.21203/rs.3.rs-48227/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sérgio Monteiro de Almeida ◽

Clara Putini Villibor ◽

Suzana Carstensen ◽

Ricardo Rasmussen Petterle

Keyword(s):

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Online Survey ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Psychometric Validation ◽

Security Measures ◽

Internal Reliability ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Challenges

Abstract Background: The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has created an unprecedented global health, economic, and social challenges, generating fear. Fear can cause a range of physical and psychological disorders including depression, anxiety, and panic. Leading to lower social isolation and adherence to security measures, consequently increasing infection risk. The objective was to validate an 11-item unidimensional fear scale to identify and assess the severity of the fear of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted through an online survey questionnaire. The sample included the Brazilian general population, randomly recruited by social networking platforms, during the pandemic. Participants aged ≥18 were included. A self-applicable fear scale named as the SARS-CoV-2 Fear Scale (SCoV-2-FS), comprising 11 questions addressing the fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection in performing daily activities was validated. The reliability and validity of the SCoV-2-FS were psychometrically evaluated using reliability measures and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The sample comprised 1332 Brazilian participants. Results: Cronbach’s α was 0.9, indicating very good internal reliability. The results of the CFA showed that the unidimensional factor structure of the SCoV-2-FS fitted well with the data.Limitations: The sampling method could have introduced selection bias in terms of socio-demographics.Conclusion: The SCoV-2-FS is a valid and reliable tool with robust psychometric properties, useful for assessing the psychological impact of fear due to COVID-19. Clinical relevance: The development of a scale may assist in the development of measures to control mental health disorders resulting from fear during and after the pandemic.

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Awareness, views, perceptions, and beliefs of Pharmacy Interns regarding digital health: a cross-sectional study from Saudi Arabia (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.31149 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

SAUD Alsahali

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Online Survey ◽

Digital Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Mean ◽

And Training ◽

Very High ◽

Health Applications

BACKGROUND : Digital health technologies and applications are rapidly advancing and have gained attention in recent years. It is expected to have more roles and functions to transform the healthcare system in this era of digital consumers and services. However, limited research is available regarding delivering digital health education and training in pharmacy education and the pharmacy students’ perspectives on digital health. OBJECTIVE To assess pharmacy interns’ awareness of digital health applications in Saudi Arabia and their views regarding the coverage of digital health in the education of pharmacists. We will also assess the interns’ perceptions and beliefs about the concepts, benefits, and implementation of digital health in the practice settings METHODS A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted among pharmacy interns at Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. An invitation with the link to the online survey was sent to all interns registered at the College during the period of January to March 2021 RESULTS A total of 68 out of 77 interns registered in the internship year participated in the study, giving a response rate of 88.31%. The mean total score for pharmacy interns’ awareness of digital health applications in Saudi Arabia was 5.66 ± 1.74 (the maximum attainable score = 7). The awareness with different applications ranged from 97% for the Tawakkalna app to 64.7% for the Ministry of Health 937 call center. The mean total score for attitude and beliefs toward concepts and benefits of telehealth and telemedicine applications was 58.25 ± 10.44 (Maximum attainable score = 75). In this regard, 83.8% of the interns believed that telehealth could enhance the quality of care, 72% believed that it could enable pharmacists to accomplish tasks more quickly, and 70.6% believed that it could help effectively provide patient counseling, and 69.1% believed it could improve patients’ adherence to therapy. In this study, 40.6% believed that the current coverage of telehealth and telemedicine in the curriculum was average, while only 17.6% believed it was high/very high coverage. Moreover, only 38.2% attended additional educational activities related to digital health. Consequently, the majority (63.2%) were of the opinion that there is a high/very high need to educate and train pharmacists in the field of digital health CONCLUSIONS Overall, the interns showed good awareness of the common digital health applications in Saudi Arabia. In addition, majority of the interns had positive perceptions and beliefs towards the concepts, benefits, and implementation of digital health. However, the findings showed there is still further scope for improvement in some areas. Moreover, most interns indicated that there is a need for more education and training in the field of digital health and pharmacy informatics. Consequently, early exposure to content related to digital health and pharmacy informatics is an important step to help in the wide use and application of these technologies in the graduates’ future careers and practice CLINICALTRIAL Ethical approval was obtained from Health Research Ethics Committee at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia (reference number 20-06-12).

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Willingness to Vaccinate Against COVID-19: The Role of Health Locus of Control and Conspiracy Theories

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.717960 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Vojtech Pisl ◽

Jan Volavka ◽

Edita Chvojkova ◽

Katerina Cechova ◽

Gabriela Kavalirova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Locus Of Control ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Locus Of Control ◽

Digital Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Three Dimensions ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Conspiracy Theories ◽

Ehealth Literacy

Understanding the predictors of the willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may aid in the resolution of current and future pandemics. We investigate how the readiness to believe conspiracy theories and the three dimensions of health locus of control (HLOC) affect the attitude toward vaccination. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on the data from an online survey of a sample of Czech university students (n = 866) collected in January 2021, using the multivariate linear regression models and moderation analysis. The results found that 60% of Czech students wanted to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition, 40% of the variance of willingness to get vaccinated was explained by the belief in the COVID-19-related conspiracy theories and the powerful others dimension of HLOC. One-sixth of the variance of the willingness to get vaccinated was explained by HLOC, cognitive reflection, and digital health literacy [eHealth Literacy Scale (EHEALS)]. HLOC and conspiracy mentality (CM) and its predictors are valid predictors of a hesitancy to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The campaigns promoting vaccination should target the groups specifically vulnerable to the conspiracy theories and lacking HLOC related to powerful others.

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Clinical and Healthcare Improvement through My Health Record usage and Education in General Practice (CHIME-GP): A study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial

10.21203/rs.3.rs-55427/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew Bonney ◽

Christine Metusela ◽

Judy Mullan ◽

Stephen Barnett ◽

Joel Rhee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

General Practice ◽

General Practitioners ◽

Educational Intervention ◽

Digital Health ◽

Health Record ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Record System ◽

Cluster Randomised ◽

Test Ordering

Abstract Background: There is international interest in whether improved primary care can lead to a more rational use of health resources and whether the use of a national digital health record system by primary health care professionals can help achieve this goal. This trial (CHIME-GP) will investigate whether a multifaceted education intervention in an Australian general practice setting on the use of a national digital health record system leads to reductions in health-service utilisation and costs.Methods: The trial will be undertaken in Australian general practices. The aim of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based educational intervention for general practitioners, regarding use of a national digital health record system, My Health Record (MHR), and rational use of medicines, pathology and imaging. Our target is to recruit 120 general practitioners from urban and regional regions across Australia. We will use a mixed methods approach incorporating a three-arm pragmatic cluster randomised parallel trial and a prospective qualitative inquiry. The effect of the intervention in each arm will be assessed, using the other two arms as controls. The evaluation will synthesise the results embedding qualitative pre/post interviews in the quantitative results to investigate implementation of the intervention, clinical behaviour change and mechanisms such as attitudes, that may influence change. The primary outcome will be an economic analysis of the cost per 100 consultations of selected prescriptions, pathology and radiology test ordering in the six months following the intervention compared with six months prior to the intervention. Secondary outcome measures include the rates per 100 consultations of selected prescriptions, pathology and radiology test ordering six months pre and post intervention; and comparison of knowledge assessment tests pre and post intervention.Discussion: The trial will produce robust health economic analyses on the evidence on educational intervention in reducing unnecessary prescribing, pathology and imaging ordering, and in improving the use of MHR. In addition, the study will contribute to the evidence-base concerning the implementation of interventions to improve the quality of care in primary care practice.Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12620000010998. Registered on 09 January 2020.http://www.ANZCTR.org.au/ACTRN12620000010998.aspx

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Digital health services during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study among Chinese men who have sex with men (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.31096 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yuan Xiong ◽

Yewei Xie ◽

Hongbo Jiang ◽

Guangquan Shen ◽

Yi Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Sexual Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Digital Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Problems ◽

Medical Services ◽

Health Seeking ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical Needs

BACKGROUND In early 2020, many HIV and sexual health clinics shut down or only provided limited services because of COVID-19. How to ensure high-quality HIV and sexual health services for MSM during emergency responses is a critical challenge. This study evaluates Chinese MSM medical seeking behaviors before and during COVID-19 measures and explores the use of digital health (e.g., health information, online consultation, WeChat-based virtual hospitals) during the COVID-19 measures. OBJECTIVE MSM have sub-optimal healthcare seeking for health problems due to fear of unintentional disclosure of sexual orientation, fear of discrimination by healthcare workers. Digital health provides a comfortable alternative and is gaining popularity among MSM for both general and sexual health problems. This paper examines how MSM use digital health for common health issues and whether COVID-19 have any effects on their use of digital health. METHODS Data were collected from a nationwide online survey between 18 May to 2 June of 2020, a period when lockdown in China was easing. Men who ever had sex with another man, were 18 years or older, and assigned as male at birth were eligible. Survey collected information on health seeking behavior and use of digital health in three months before and during COVID-19 measures (23 January 2020). Variables that may associate with digital health use were evaluated. RESULTS Among 731 men (age: 29.2±7.3) recruited, most were never married (86.5%, 632/731), and identified as gay (81.7%, 597/731). The proportion of men who sought offline medical services at hospitals decreased from 49.1% (359 /731) before COVID-19 measures to 30.2% (221/731) during COVID-19 measures (P<0.001). Half (50.8%, 371/731) of the participants ever used digital health before COVID-19 and 35.6% (260/731) used it during the pandemic. Only 27% (197/731) reported that digital health services met their medical needs in general during the pandemic. Men living with HIV (AOR=1.92, 95%CI: 1.08-3.45) were more likely to use digital health during COVID-19 measures. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 affected access to facility-based medical services. MSM were able to use some digital health services when facility-based services were not available. Further research is needed to optimize digital health services.

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Proposal and psychometric validation of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus-2 Fear Scale (SCoV-2-FS)

10.21203/rs.3.rs-48227/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sérgio Monteiro de Almeida ◽

Clara Putini Villibor ◽

Suzana Carstensen ◽

Ricardo Rasmussen Petterle

Keyword(s):

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Online Survey ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Psychometric Validation ◽

Security Measures ◽

Internal Reliability ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Challenges

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Does Dispositional Mindfulness Predict the Development of Grit?

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000252 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

pp. 76-87 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Buaphrao Raphiphatthana ◽

Paul Jose ◽

Karen Salmon

Keyword(s):

Undergraduate Students ◽

Online Survey ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Self Report ◽

Dispositional Mindfulness ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Report Data ◽

Self Report Data ◽

Acting With Awareness ◽

Mindfulness Facets

Abstract. Grit, that is, perseverance and passion for long-term goals, is a novel construct that has gained attention in recent years ( Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007 ). To date, little research has been performed with the goal of identifying the antecedents of grit. Thus, in order to fill this gap in the literature, self-report data were collected to examine whether mindfulness, a mindset of being-in-the-present in a nonjudgmental way, plays a role in fostering grittiness. Three hundred and forty-three undergraduate students completed an online survey once in a cross-sectional study, and of these, 74 students completed the survey again 4.5 months later. Although the cross-sectional analyses identified a number of positive associations between mindfulness and grit, the longitudinal analysis revealed that the mindfulness facets of acting with awareness and non-judging were the most important positive predictors of grit 4.5 months later. This set of findings offers implications for future grit interventions.

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Learning Electrocardiogram Interpretation: Insights from Residents and a Proposed Solution in an Observational Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.19645 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mohammad Alakchar ◽

Abdisamad M. Ibrahim ◽

Mohsin Salih ◽

Mukul Bhattarai ◽

Nitin Tandan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Internal Medicine ◽

Correlation Coefficient ◽

Online Survey ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Resident Attitudes ◽

Internal Medicine Residents ◽

Life Threatening ◽

Degree Of Participation ◽

Electrocardiogram Interpretation

BACKGROUND Interpretation of electrocardiograms (EKG) is an essential tool for every physician. Despite this, the diagnosis of life-threatening pathology on EKG remains suboptimal in trainees. The purpose of this study is to study resident attitudes and behaviours towards EKGs, and describe an innovative way to teach EKGs. OBJECTIVE Study attitudes and behaviours towards EKGs. Describe an innovative way to teach EKGs. METHODS Design: An observational cross-sectional study through an anonymous online survey of resident attitudes and comfort with EKG interpretation. This was followed by creation of a WhatsApp group for discussion and interpretation of EKGs with peers. At the end of the day, the official EKG interpretation was posted. Setting: Internal medicine residency at Southern Illinois University. Participants: Internal medicine residents Interventions: Creation of WhatsApp group to aid with EKG interpretation Measurements: A 17 item questionnaire, followed by detection of degree of participation in a WhatsApp group. RESULTS Forty-one out of 63 residents (65%) completed the survey. 85% of respondents thought that an interactive way to teach EKGs is the best method of teaching, and 73% did not feel confident interpreting EKGs. 30% often rely on automated EKG interpretation. Further analysis indicated that PGY-1 residents reported ordering fewer EKGs (correlation coefficient -0.399, p = 0.012) and were uncomfortable diagnosing QT prolongation on an EKG (correlation coefficient -0.310, p = 0.049). Residents in the third or greater year of training ordered more EKGs (correlation coefficient 0.379, p = 0.015), less frequently relied on the computer for EKG diagnosis (correlation coefficient 0.399, p = 0.010), and were comfortable diagnosing an acute myocardial infarction and atrial arrhythmias. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, most IM trainees do not feel comfortable interpreting EKG, however, this does improve with PGY year. WhatsApp is a possible platform for teaching EKGs.

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