Renal colic and urolithiasis practice patterns in Canada: a survey of Canadian Urological Association members

Background: We describe the practice variability of CUA (CanadianUrological Association) members and factors which predict thesepatterns for common stone scenarios.Methods: We asked 308 English- and 52 French-speaking CUAmembers to complete online surveys in their respective languages.We collected demographic information on fellowship training,shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) access, academic setting andwhether they are at a hospital with regionalized surgical services.Respondents indicated their actual as well as ideal treatment forscenarios of renal, proximal and distal ureteric calculi.Results: In total, 131 urologists responded (36% response rate), allof whom treated urolithiasis. Of this number, 17% had endourologyfellowship training, 76% had access to SWL, 42% were at anacademic institution and 66% were at institutions with regionalizedsurgical services. Actual and ideal treatment modalitiesselected for symptomatic, distal and proximal ureteric stones (4,8, 14 mm) were consistent with published guidelines. There werediscrepancies between the use of ureteroscopy and SWL in actualversus ideal scenarios. Actual and ideal practices were congruentfor proximal ureteric stones and asymptomatic renal calculi.In multivariate analysis, respondents were less likely to performureteroscopy on proximal 4- and 8-mm stones if they were at ahospital with regionalized surgical services (OR: 0.097; 95% CI:0.01-0.76, p = 0.03 and OR: 0.330; 95% CI: 0.13-0.83, p = 0.02).Interpretation: There is clinical variability in the managementof urolithiasis in Canada; however, management approaches fallwithin published guidelines. Type of hospital and access to operatingroom resources may affect treatment modality selection.

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Local tumour ablation for localized kidney cancer: Practice patterns in Canada

Canadian Urological Association Journal ◽

10.5489/cuaj.3317 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 9 (11-12) ◽

pp. 420

Author(s):

Vincent Trudeau ◽

Alessandro Larcher ◽

Paolo Dell'Oglio ◽

Katharina Boehm ◽

Mohamed Bishr ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Kidney Cancer ◽

National Survey ◽

Practice Patterns ◽

Response Rate ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Demographic Information ◽

Local Tumor ◽

Electronic Survey ◽

Local Tumour ◽

Tumour Ablation

Introduction: Local tumor ablation (LTA) is a recommended option for the treatment of localized kidney cancer in nonsurgical candidates. We performed a survey to describe the practice patterns of this procedure in Canada.Methods: An electronic survey was sent by email to all urologists registered to the Canadian Urological Association (CUA). Urologists were queried about general demographic information, LTA availability at their institution (and reasons of non-availability, if it was the case) as well as the type and context of LTA use. Results: Overall, 103 individual responses were obtained (response rate of 19.5%). Of those, 58 (56.3%) had access to LTA at their institution. Urologists who had access to LTA were more likely to work at an academic institution (69 vs. 16%, p<0.001). Among individuals who did not use LTA, the main reasons were the lack of staff, such as radiologists, who can assist and/or perform the procedure (64%); and the lack of expertise with the procedure (62%). Among urologists who had access to LTA, percutaneous radiofrequency and cryoablation were the most commonly used (72% and 21%, respectively). However, urologists were rarely involved in those procedures (12%).Conclusions: In this national survey, we found that a significant proportion of Canadian urologists did not have access to LTA. We also found that when LTA was performed, urologists were rarely involved in the procedures. Those findings represent significant areas for improvement in the access to LTA. The conclusions of this study are limited by the low response rate.

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Trends in Radiology Fellowship Training: A Canadian Review 2009-2011

Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal ◽

10.1016/j.carj.2011.12.015 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 64 (3) ◽

pp. 176-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

John Ryan ◽

Ashish Khandelwal ◽

Najla Fasih

Keyword(s):

Response Rate ◽

Fold Increase ◽

The United States ◽

Fellowship Training ◽

Mail Questionnaire ◽

Radiology Training ◽

Wide Range ◽

French Speaking ◽

Radiology Residents ◽

E Mail

Purpose To assess the percentage, type, and location of radiology fellowships chosen by graduating Canadian residents between 2009 and 2011. Methods A short e-mail questionnaire was sent to the radiology program directors at all 16 institutions in Canada that provide English or French residency. The responses were collected between December 6, 2010, and May 20, 2011. Results A 75% response rate was observed for the survey: 76%–79% residents were enrolled in radiology fellowship training. In 2009–2010, 72%–73% of residents remained in Canada. This dropped to 51% in 2011. In 2009–2010, 22%–23% of residents chose U.S.-based radiology training. This rose to 49% in 2011. Europe was chosen by 0%–4% of residents: all of whom were French-speaking residents, and all programs were in France. Relatively consistent percentages of radiology residents choose abdominal (19%–30%), cardiac (4%–7%), musculoskeletal (12%–20%), and pediatrics (2%–5%) from year to year. Greater variability was noted in chest (2%–9%), women's imaging (0%–14%), intervention radiology (6%–18%), and neuroradiology (2%–18%). Radiology fellowships in split subspecialties, which were available at a small number of institutions, were chosen by 8%–9% of the residents. Conclusions Nearly 4 of 5 residents choose radiology fellowship training. In 2011, there was a 2-fold increase in the number of residents who chose training in the United States. This may be a 1-year outlier but should be observed. A wide range of fellowships were chosen, with consistent numbers in some core fellowships and variability in others year to year. Limited exploration of the rationale for, or employability value of, radiology fellowship choices has been done in Canada. Nearly 1 of 10 residents chose split radiology fellowships, an option limited by availability at few centers. The value of expanding this option is worthy of investigation.

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Assessing the utility and attitudes toward molecular testing in neuro-oncology: a survey of the Society for Neuro-Oncology members

Neuro-Oncology Practice ◽

10.1093/nop/npab003 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shannon Fortin Ensign ◽

Maya Hrachova ◽

Susan Chang ◽

Maciej M Mrugala

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Unmet Needs ◽

Practice Patterns ◽

Response Rate ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Molecular Testing ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Tumor Boards ◽

Oncology Practice

Abstract Background Molecular testing (MT) is utilized in neuro-oncology with increasing frequency. The aim of this study was to determine clinical practice patterns to acquire this information, interpret and utilize MT for patient care, and identify unmet needs in the practical clinical application of MT. Methods We conducted a voluntary online survey of providers within the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) membership database between March and April 2019. Results We received 152 responses out of 2022 SNO members (7.5% of membership). 88.8% of respondents routinely order MT for newly diagnosed gliomas. Of those who do not, testing is preferentially performed in younger patients or those with midline tumors. 82.8% use MT in recurrent gliomas. Other common indications included: metastatic tumors, meningioma, and medulloblastoma. Many providers utilize more than one resource (36.0%), most frequently using in-house (41.8%) over commercially available panels. 78.1% used the results for clinical decision-making, with BRAF, EGFR, ALK, and H3K27 mutations most commonly directing treatment decisions. Approximately, half (48.5%) of respondents have molecular tumor boards at their institutions. Respondents would like to see SNO-endorsed guidelines on MT, organized lists of targeted agents available for specific mutations, a database of targetable mutations and clinical trials, and more educational programs on MT. Conclusion This survey was marked by several limitations including response rate and interpretation of MT. Among respondents, there is routine use of MT in Neuro-Oncology, however, there remains a need for increased guidance for providers to effectively incorporate the expanding genomic data resulting from MT into daily Neuro-Oncology practice.

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Shattering the Glass Podium: Successes and Setbacks of Women in Collegiate Choral Conducting

Update Applications of Research in Music Education ◽

10.1177/87551233211018395 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 875512332110183

Author(s):

Melissa Baughman

Keyword(s):

Gender Discrimination ◽

Online Survey ◽

Response Rate ◽

The United States ◽

Choral Conducting ◽

Demographic Information ◽

Choral Conductors ◽

The Status ◽

Study Participants ◽

Experiences Of Women

The purpose of this study was to explore the status and experiences of women in collegiate choral conducting positions. Out of all collegiate choral conductors ( N = 992) at institutions accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music in the United States, 68.65% ( n = 681) were men and 31.35% ( n = 311) were women at the time of this study; I invited the women collegiate choral conductors to serve as study participants. Ninety-six respondents completed an online survey, resulting in a response rate of 30.86%. I collected data through a researcher-designed survey. First, I asked respondents to provide demographic information and respond to Likert-type and open-ended prompts related to three domains: gaining entry into the profession, navigating the profession, and issues surrounding gender. I analyzed data through descriptive statistics and qualitative methods of assigning codes, combining codes into themes, and displaying the data. I addressed general discrepancies in the self-reported attitudes of respondents. Although women reported an overall attitude of satisfaction as choral conductors in their Likert-type responses, many respondents detailed several instances of gender discrimination and other challenges in their open-ended responses. Implications for the music profession, including specific strategies to help empower women in collegiate choral conducting settings, are discussed.

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Dynamic Question Ordering in Online Surveys

Journal of Official Statistics ◽

10.1515/jos-2017-0030 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 625-657 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kirstin Early ◽

Jennifer Mankoff ◽

Stephen E. Fienberg

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Survey Methodology ◽

Response Rate ◽

General Survey ◽

Online Surveys ◽

Rule Based ◽

Past Work ◽

National Surveys ◽

Question Order ◽

Rule Based Approach

Abstract Online surveys have the potential to support adaptive questions, where later questions depend on earlier responses. Past work has taken a rule-based approach, uniformly across all respondents. We envision a richer interpretation of adaptive questions, which we call Dynamic Question Ordering (DQO), where question order is personalized. Such an approach could increase engagement, and therefore response rate, as well as imputation quality. We present a DQO framework to improve survey completion and imputation. In the general survey-taking setting, we want to maximize survey completion, and so we focus on ordering questions to engage the respondent and collect hopefully all information, or at least the information that most characterizes the respondent, for accurate imputations. In another scenario, our goal is to provide a personalized prediction. Since it is possible to give reasonable predictions with only a subset of questions, we are not concerned with motivating users to answer all questions. Instead, we want to order questions to get information that reduces prediction uncertainty, while not being too burdensome. We illustrate this framework with two case studies, for the prediction and survey-taking settings. We also discuss DQO for national surveys and consider connections between our statistics-based question-ordering approach and cognitive survey methodology.

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Supplementing online surveys with a mailed option to reduce bias and improve response rate: the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network

Journal of Public Health Dentistry ◽

10.1111/jphd.12054 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 74 (4) ◽

pp. 276-282 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Ellen Funkhouser ◽

Jeffrey L. Fellows ◽

Valeria V. Gordan ◽

D. Brad Rindal ◽

Patrick J. Foy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Response Rate ◽

Research Network ◽

Dental Practice ◽

Improve Response Rate ◽

Online Surveys ◽

Practice Based Research

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Management of complex renal cysts in Canada: Results of a survey study

10.21203/rs.2.21790/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Félix Couture ◽

Antonio Finelli ◽

Amélie Tétu ◽

Bimal Bhindi ◽

Rodney H. Breault ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Active Surveillance ◽

Practice Patterns ◽

Response Rate ◽

Renal Cysts ◽

Survey Study ◽

Management Option ◽

Web Based ◽

Survey Response Rate ◽

Risk Of Malignancy ◽

Mass Surveillance

Abstract Background Bosniak III and IV cysts have a high risk of malignancy and have traditionally been managed surgically. However, growing evidence suggests that many can be managed by active surveillance. The main objective of this study was to characterize the use of surveillance in the management of complex renal cysts. Methods A web-based survey was sent to all registered, active members of the Canadian Urological Association (N=583) in October 2018. Results The survey response rate was 24.7%. Management of Bosniak III cysts varied considerably. A large proportion of respondents (33.1%) offered active surveillance in >50% of cases. Only 13.7% of respondents reported never or rarely (<5% of cases) offering surveillance. In contrast, for Bosniak IV cysts, 60.1% of urologists never or rarely offered surveillance, while only 10.1% offer it in >50% of cases. A significantly greater proportion of academic urologists, compared to non-academic urologists, viewed surveillance as a management option for patients with a Bosniak III or IV cyst. The most commonly reported barriers to a greater adoption of surveillance were concerns regarding its oncologic safety, the lack of data to support surveillance in this population, and the lack of triggers for discontinuation of active surveillance and intervention. Conclusions Despite active surveillance being included as a management option in guidelines, many Canadian urologists are reluctant to offer surveillance to patients with Bosniak III or IV cysts. Practice patterns are heterogeneous among those offering surveillance. High-quality studies are required to better define the benefits and risks of cystic renal mass surveillance.

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Who is managing the bowels? A survey of clinical practice patterns in spina bifida clinics

Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine ◽

10.3233/prm-201512 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Maryellen S. Kelly ◽

Jennifer Stout ◽

John S. Wiener

Keyword(s):

Spina Bifida ◽

Nurse Practitioners ◽

Practice Patterns ◽

Response Rate ◽

Bowel Dysfunction ◽

Rehabilitation Medicine ◽

The United States ◽

Medical Specialties ◽

Dissemination Of Research ◽

Neurogenic Bowel

PURPOSE: Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) affects 80% of individuals with spina bifida. Performing and disseminating research on NBD to reach the appropriate audience is difficult given the variability among medical specialties managing NBD. This study aimed to identify which medical specialties and types of providers are currently managing NBD in the United States. METHODS: A survey was developed and sent to 75 spina bifida clinics. Surveys queried which specialty was primarily responsible for medical and surgical management of NBD and any others that assist in NBD care. The license and certification level of the providers were collected. Descriptive statistics were performed to describe the results. RESULTS: Response rate was 68%. Urology was the leading specialty primarily responsible for NBD management (39%) followed by rehabilitation medicine and developmental pediatrics (22% and 20%, respectively). Physicians were the primary providers of care followed by nurse practitioners (54% vs 31%). Urology performs 65% of NBD surgeries. CONCLUSION: Multiple specialties and providers are involved in NBD management with variation among clinics. Development of improved NBD care should include a spectrum of specialties and providers. Dissemination of research should be aimed at multiple specialty groups.

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High Degree of Practice Variability in Colonic Dysplasia Surveillance for Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ◽

10.1093/ibd/izab347 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

James D Lewis ◽

Raymond K Cross ◽

Millie Long ◽

Siddharth Singh ◽

Hans Herfarth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽

Bowel Disease ◽

Practice Patterns ◽

High Volume ◽

Practice Variability ◽

Inflammatory Bowel ◽

Surveillance Practice ◽

Virtual Chromoendoscopy ◽

High Degree

Lay Summary Dysplasia surveillance practice varies widely among high-volume inflammatory bowel disease providers. We surveyed high-volume inflammatory bowel disease providers about practice patterns to detect dysplasia. Regular use of dye-based chromoendoscopy was reported by 20%, virtual chromoendoscopy by 27%, and random biopsies by 58%.

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What Prevents You to Plug in to Online Surveys?

10.4018/978-1-7998-8473-6.ch009 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 131-148

Author(s):

Burcu Karabulut Coşkun ◽

Ezgi Mor Dirlik

Keyword(s):

Artificial Intelligence ◽

Online Survey ◽

Response Rate ◽

Data Gathering ◽

Theoretical Framework ◽

Research Topic ◽

Online Surveys ◽

Online Data ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Response Behaviors

In today's world, which has been administered by computers and artificial intelligence in many areas, online data gathering has become an inevitable way of collecting data. Many researchers have preferred online surveying, considering the advantages of this method over the classical ones. Hence, the factors that may affect the response rate of online surveying have become a prominent research topic. In line with the popularity of this issue, the purpose of this chapter was to clarify the concept of online surveys; give information about their types, advantages, and usage; and investigate the factors that affect the participants' response behaviors. Besides the discussions on the theoretical framework of online surveying, an online survey aiming to determine the factors affecting the participation in online surveying was administered to a group of people to investigate the response behaviors thoroughly. The findings revealed that rs might affect ants' response behaviors to online surveys in various ways radically.

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