scholarly journals Clinical research training of Peruvian neurologists: a baseline assessment

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Gian Carlos Navarro-Chumbes ◽  
Silvia Margarita Montano-Torres ◽  
Alberto Díaz-Vásquez ◽  
Joseph Raymond Zunt

In Peru, despite a strong clinical research infrastructure in Lima, and Masters degree programs in epidemiology at three universities, few neurologists participate in clinical research. It was our objective to identify perceived needs and opportunities for increasing clinical research capacity and training opportunities for Peruvian neurologists. We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional survey of Peruvian neurologists in Lima and Arequipa, Peru. Forty-eight neurologists completed written surveys and oral interviews. All neurologists reported interest in clinical research, but noted that lack of time and financial resources limited their ability to participate. Although most neurologists had received some training in epidemiology and research design as medical students or residents, the majority felt these topics were not adequately covered. Neurologists in Arequipa noted international funding for clinical research was uncommon outside the capital city of Lima. We concluded that clinical research is important to Peruvian neurologists. The three main barriers to increased participation in clinical research identified by neurologists were insufficient training in clinical research methodology, meager funding opportunities, and lack of dedicated time to participate in clinical research. Distance learning holds promise as a method for providing additional training in clinical research methodology, especially for neurologists who may have difficulty traveling to larger cities for additional training.

Author(s):  
Robin Lee ◽  
Karen Dahri ◽  
Tim T Y Lau ◽  
Stephen Shalansky

<p><strong>ABSTRACT</strong></p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Few studies have attempted to determine the proportion of Canadian hospital pharmacists involved in clinical research, despite a general consensus that research should be an essential component of a pharmacist’s professional role.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The primary objective was to characterize the involvement in clinical pharmacy research of hospital pharmacists in the 4 health authorities of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia (collectively known as the Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services). The secondary objective was to identify perceived barriers to conducting research.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Pharmacists employed within Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services were invited to participate in an online cross-sectional survey, for completion in August and September 2015. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results. Groups of survey participants were compared to examine differences in measured outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 534 pharmacists were surveyed, with a response rate of 16% (85/534). Overall, 77% (55/71) of the respondents reported having participated in research, and 87% (62/71) expressed interest in conducting future research. Chart reviews (78%, 36/46) and surveys (41%, 19/46) were the most common study designs used in prior research. Participants self-identified their research-related strengths as literature evaluation (46%, 27/59) and hypothesis generation (44%, 26/59). Conversely, 81% (48/59) of respondents self-identified statistical analysis as a weakness. Most respondents stated that personal satisfaction (82%, 49/60) and the opportunity to learn about disease states (78%, 47/60) were the driving factors for conducting research. The most commonly cited barrier to conducting research was lack of time (92%, 55/60). Opportunities to join existing teams (73%, 44/60) and mentorship programs (70%, 42/60) were identified as the most popular arrangements for encouraging future research.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Most of the pharmacists who responded to this survey reported having participated in clinical pharmacy research, but a lack of dedicated time appears to be a major hurdle to greater research participation. A targeted program increasing exposure to existing research teams and mentorship opportunities is recommended for promoting future research.</p><p><strong>RÉSUMÉ</strong></p><p><strong>Contexte : </strong>Peu d’études ont cherché à déterminer la proportion de “pharmaciens d’hôpitaux canadiens qui contribuent à la recherché clinique, et ce, malgré un consensus voulant que la recherche doive être un élément essentiel du rôle professionnel des pharmaciens.</p><p><strong>Objectifs : </strong>L’objectif principal était d’offrir un portrait de la contribution à la recherche sur la pharmacie clinique des pharmaciens d’hôpitaux des quatre régies régionales des basses-terres continentales de la Colombie-Britannique (appelées collectivement <em>Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services</em>, c.-à-d. services de pharmacie des basses-terres continentales). L’objectif secondaire était de recenser les éléments perçus comme des obstacles à la réalisation de recherches.</p><p><strong>Méthodes : </strong>Les pharmaciens employés au sein des services de pharmacie des basses-terres continentales ont été invités à participer par voie électronique à une enquête transversale qui devait être complétée en août et en septembre 2015. Des statistiques descriptives ont été employées pour analyser les résultats. On a aussi comparé des groupes de participants à l’enquête afin d’examiner les différences entre les résultats mesurés.</p><p><strong>Résultats : </strong>Au total, 534 pharmaciens ont été sondés et le taux de réponse était de 16 % (85/534). Dans l’ensemble, 77 % (55/71) des répondants indiquaient avoir participé à des recherches et 87 % (62/71) souhaitaient faire de la recherche dans l’avenir. L’analyse de dossiers médicaux (78 %, 36/46) et les sondages (41 %, 19/46) représentaient les plans d’étude les plus utilisés par les répondants au cours de recherches antérieures. Les participants ont indiqué que leurs forces en lien avec la recherche étaient leur capacité d’évaluer la littérature (46 %, 27/59) et de formuler des hypothèses (44 %, 26/59). En revanche, 81 % (48/59) ont signalé l’analyse statistique comme leur point faible. La plupart des répondants croyaient que la satisfaction personnelle (82 %, 49/60) et la perspective d’acquérir des connaissances sur les maladies (78 %, 47/60) représentaient les principaux facteurs les motivant à faire de la recherche. Ce qui était évoqué le plus souvent comme un obstacle à la recherche était le manqué de temps (92 %, 55/60). Les occasions de se joindre à des équipes en place (73 %, 44/60) et les programmes de mentorat (70 %, 42/60) ont été désignés comme les dispositions les plus attrayantes pour encourager à poursuivre de futures recherches.</p><strong>Conclusions : </strong>La plupart des pharmaciens ayant répondu au sondage ont indiqué avoir contribué à des recherches en pharmacie clinique, mais le manque de temps réservé pour la recherche semblait être un obstacle important à une plus grande participation aux activités de recherche. Un programme ciblé multipliant les possibilités de fréquenter des équipes de recherche déjà établies et offrant plus d’occasions de mentorat serait une façon de promouvoir de futures recherches.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Wang ◽  
Jianhai Yin ◽  
Canjun Zheng ◽  
Samuel Juana Smith ◽  
Esther Ngegba ◽  
...  

Sierra Leone is a highly endemic area for malaria, and the implementation of the National Malaria Strategic Plan (2016–2020) has reached its midpoint in 2018. To provide more specific guidance for interventions in the future, a household-based cross-sectional survey was conducted to elucidate the knowledge, awareness and practices regarding malaria and malarial control measures among the general public. Three communities (Grafton, Jui, and Kossoh) in the Western Area Rural District that were in close proximity to Sierra Leone's capital city of Freetown were included. Households were randomly selected and interviewed with a structured questionnaire covering malaria infection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention, as well as knowledge of malaria prevention. As a result, a total of 262 qualified questionnaires were included. The average cost for meals per day is ~30,000 Leones in each household. The rate of awareness, indicated by reporting having heard of malaria, was 98.1% (257/262), and 86.6% (227/262) of the respondents knew that mosquito bites are the main route of transmission. In addition, 80.9% (212/262) of the respondents sought health advice or treatment for the illness, and a similar percentage of respondents had been tested for malaria, mostly with rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). A high demand for long-lasting insecticidal nets (72.1%) matched the serious shortage (61.8%, 162/262), and of the households that reported a lack of nets, 66 had children younger than 5 years old. In conclusion, public awareness of malaria prevention is high, based on this survey, although there was a limited use of preventive measures in these three communities and the malaria burden was still high. Therefore, the public's knowledge of malaria should be sustained and reinforced, and the distribution and use of malaria prevention measures should be promoted to supprt the achievement of the planned objectives.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. e64101421596
Author(s):  
Beatriz Gouveia Moura ◽  
Jamille Caroso de Andrade ◽  
Adriana Correia dos Santos ◽  
Rodrigo do Nascimento Lopes ◽  
Maria Emília Lisboa Pacheco ◽  
...  

Discussions on the health consequences of the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are wide-ranging, but little has been addressed under systemic aspects, human rights, sovereignty and food and nutrition security, and socio-environmental sustainability. For this reason, the aim of this article was to analyze the systemic implications of children's access to UPFs. Secondary data from a cross-sectional survey conducted with pre-school students of two private schools in a capital city in the Northeastern region of Brazil were analyzed through the analysis of lunch boxes for three consecutive days. The most frequent UPFs had information about the manufacturing location, ingredients, and brand collected from their labels and subsequently studied. We noticed that most of the products were manufactured in other states, being transported for long distances, had little ingredient diversity, and belonged to sub-brands that conglomerate into “big players”. In this sense, we conclude that children are having their right to food violated and that access to UPFs by this public supports a hegemonic and unsustainable food system from a socio-environmental point of view that contributes to food and nutrition insecurity.


2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rrezart Halili ◽  
Jeta Bunjaku ◽  
Bujar Gashi ◽  
Teuta Hoxha ◽  
Agron Kamberi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Many studies examined the spread of SARS-CoV-2 within populations using seroprevalence. Healthcare workers are a high-risk population due to patient contact, and studies are needed to examine seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among healthcare workers. Our study investigates the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among staff at primary healthcare institutions in Prishtina, and factors associated with seroprevalence. Methods We carried out a cross-sectional survey including SARS-CoV-2 serological testing and questionnaires with primary healthcare workers from primary healthcare facilities in the Prishtina, the capital city of Kosovo. We calculated prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and of self-reported positive PCR test among primary healthcare workers, as well as crude and adjusted ORs for explanatory factors. Results Eighty-three of the healthcare workers (17.47%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies IgG or IgM, while 231 (48.63%) either had antibodies or a previous positive PCR test. Odds of seropositivity were affected by male gender (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.20, 3.61), and infected family members (OR 3.61, 95% CI 2.25, 5.79) of healthcare workers. Higher education, being part of larger families and having infected family members gave higher odds of positive PCR test and seropositivity. Other healthcare workers had lower odds of positive PCR test and seropositivity than physicians. Conclusion Over 17% of healthcare workers were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and close to half of them were either seropositive or PCR self-reported positive test. Several factors are associated with decreased and increased odds for such outcomes. These findings should be explored further and addressed to Kosovo policy makers, and assist them to intensify vaccination efforts, and maintain control measures until we achieve herd immunity.


2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-19
Author(s):  
Jannatul Ferdoush ◽  
Fatema Johora ◽  
FatihaTasmin Jeenia ◽  
Afroza Hoque ◽  
Halima Sadia ◽  
...  

In the history of human civilization, research has played a significant role. There is no doubt that meeting the challenges of the 21st century will be tough if we are not world leaders in science and technology. The objective of this study was to assess physicians' attitude about research and the challenges they confront when doing research. From July to December 2020, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was performed among physicians in Bangladesh.  The questionnaire poll had 626 responses in total. There were 55.6 % female physicians and 44.4% male physicians among them. The majority of physicians (87.6%) felt that conducting research is critical to become a specialist. Research methodology training at the medical colleges are extremely beneficial, according to a substantial percentage of physicians (72.2%). Research methodology should be included in undergraduate curriculum, according to 89% of physicians. Research is beneficial as it aids critical thinking and policy implementation, according to almost all respondents (96.7%). The majority of respondents cited insufficient research training (92%), insufficient funding (92.2%), insufficient time (61%), insufficient familiarity with statistical analysis (88%), insufficient skill to design and conduct a research project and write a scientific paper (90%), as barriers to research. Priority on teaching and clinical practices over research and lack of interest to do research also mentioned by 93.3% and 61% responded respectively.  Consequently, this study identified challenges and attitude of physicians towards research. This finding will guide for further studies to find out effective interventions to address the obstacles raised by research participants. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Education Vol.13(1) January 2022: 10-19


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 124
Author(s):  
Daniel Prieto-Botella ◽  
Paula Fernández-Pires ◽  
Desirée Valera-Gran ◽  
Miriam Hurtado-Pomares ◽  
Cristina Espinosa-Sempere ◽  
...  

The acquisition of scientific competencies for the application of evidence-based practice (EBP) is considered an essential part of healthcare education programs in order to improve clinical effectiveness. An examination of scientific skills in occupational therapists may be helpful in understanding their current practice as well as being useful in providing a basis for applying suitable approaches to the development and implementation of EBP. Hence, this study was designed with a double main objective: (1) to describe the level of acquisition of scientific skills and academic achievement in Spanish-speaking occupational therapists; (2) to examine the factors associated with these skills. The screening for Scientific Skills in Occupational Therapists (HAbilidades Científicas en Terapeutas Ocupacionales), the HACTO-Screen, is an online cross-sectional survey divided into five sections: sociodemographic data, academic and professional background; assessment of scientific skills; research training and development needs; experience as a researcher and/or academic. A total sample of 1159 occupational therapists finally participated. Main associations will be analyzed using multiple linear and/or Poisson regression models with/without robust variance. Our findings will provide valuable insights on the research skills and associated factors in a large sample of Spanish-speaking occupational therapists. The results will also be helpful to enhance research training and research career development in occupational therapy in order to promote the use of EBP.


2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1280-1287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermann Z Ouédraogo ◽  
Florence Fournet ◽  
Yves Martin-Prével ◽  
Jean Gary ◽  
Marie C Henry ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesTo document the prevalence and the socio-spatial variations of obesity and to identify individual and household characteristics, lifestyles and dietary practices contributing to obesity and its socio-spatial distribution.DesignPopulation-based cross-sectional survey. We selected 1570 households from four strata characterised as unstructured and low building-density (ULBD), unstructured and high building-density (UHBD), structured and low building-density (SLBD) and structured and high building-density (SHBD) areas. Structured areas are those that were allotted by the township authority (cadastral services), with public services; unstructured areas refer to those developed with no cadastral organisation.SettingOuagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso.SubjectsBMI was calculated in 2022 adults aged 35 years and above who were classified as obese when their BMI was ≥30 kg/m2. Obesity was investigated in relation to household and individual characteristics, lifestyles and dietary practices; adjusted odds ratios with 95 % confidence intervals were derived from a logistic regression model.ResultsThe overall prevalence of obesity was 14·7 % (males 5·5 % and females 21·9 %). Age, gender, household equipment index, usual transport with motor vehicles and micronutrient-rich food consumption were associated with obesity. After adjustment for these factors, obesity remained associated with the area of residence: residents from SHBD areas were more likely to be obese than those from ULBD areas (OR = 1·41; 95 % CI 2·59,4·76).ConclusionsObesity in Ouagadougou is a preoccupant problem that calls for more consideration. Thorough investigation is needed to assess the environmental factors that contribute to the socio-spatial disparity of obesity.


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