Use of the ONCO-TreC electronic diary compared with a standard paper diary to improve adherence to oral cancer therapy in patients with solid and haematological tumours: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionONCO-TreC platform consists of a mobile application delivered to patients as electronic diary and a web-based dashboard managed by healthcare professionals. We aim to compare the effectiveness of ONCO-TreC electronic diary with a standard paper diary, in improving adherence to oral cancer therapy in patients with solid and haematological tumours.Methods and analysisThis is an open label, superiority, randomised controlled trial conducted in two Italian oncology units. Patients will be randomised with a 1:1 ratio to electronic or paper diary. For both groups a counsellor will be responsible for drug and diary delivery. The evaluation period will end after six cycles of therapy. The primary aim is to compare the proportion of non-adherent patients in the two arms. Adherence will be measured through pill count; anyone who takes less than 90% of the total prescribed drug dose will be considered non-adherent. Assuming a percentage of non-adherent patients to oral therapy of 40% in arm B, and a 60% reduction in this percentage in arm A, a sample of 124 patients will provide 80% power to identify an absolute difference greater than 24 percentage points using a bilateral Fisher’s exact test with a significance level of 0.05. Considering a dropout rate of 10%, approximately 136 patients will have to be enrolled. The primary analysis will be performed on the intention-to-treat population. Secondary aims are to describe the reasons for non-adherence, the level of satisfaction of patients and healthcare professionals with the paper and electronic diary, and the impact of non-adherence in terms of healthcare costs.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was obtained from Romagna Ethics Committee (CEROM), study ID 2108, prot. n. IRST 100.28 of 10/04/2020. Informed consent will be obtained from all study participants. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conferences and event presentations.Protocol versionVersion 2, 6 April 2021.Trial registration numberNCT04826458.

E-prescription in Poland - a preliminary report

Aim. Aim of the paper: to introduce the subject of e-prescription in Poland. E-prescription is a digital version of the previously used standard paper prescription. In Poland,professional arrangements were made, thanks to which it became possible to promotee-prescriptions in pharmacies and doctors’ surgeries throughout the country.Methods. The authors analyse how e-prescription is introduced in Poland. We appliedcomparative analysis (of eprescining in the European Union countries) , literature review(what are legal and technical constraints) and case study (how it was introduced in Poland).We showed the implementation of the e-Health (P1) system in Poland and describedthe use of the free application of the Ministry of Health. We presented preparations for theimplementation of digital health services by the Center for Health Information Systems(CSIOZ).Results and conclusion. For years in Poland, handwritten prescriptions used to be thepreferred method of communication for doctors when making decisions about therapywith medications and for pharmacists to distribute them. Nonetheless, over the last decade,interest in the subject of e-prescription, alongside other e-health solutions for processinghealth-related data, has increased. E-prescription is fi lled on the basis of a four-digit code,which we receive by text message sent to a given phone number or by email to an indicatedaddress. Alternatively, there is a possibility to obtain an information printout, dependingon the confi guration of our Patient Account. An important change introduced is that wedo not have to physically carry the printed prescription with us anymore. E-prescriptionprovides benefi ts for doctors, patients and pharmacists, such as: convenience, time saving,greater safety of the therapy, less risk of error, less bureaucracy. The main objectives of thee-prescribing system involve facilitation of the process of prescriptions delivery, reductionof errors, time optimisation for doctors and pharmacists and eliminating the problem ofillegible and fake prescriptions, which have so far been a common occurrence.Cognitive value. This article shows the process of introducing E-prescription in Poland.

Personality Traits That Affect Travel Intentions during Pandemic COVID-19: The Case Study of Serbia

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has enormous effects on peoples’ lives and on the global economy. The outbreak and effects of COVID-19 have resulted in fears, concerns, and anxiety among people all around the world. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the fear of COVID-19, travel anxiety, and travel intention among residents in Serbia. In addition to the above, the aim of the study was to examine the impact of personality traits on the fear of COVID-19, travel anxiety, and travel intentions. To enhance the understanding of the relationship between the mentioned variables, this study proposes a research model based on the use of measurement scales from the existing studies to develop the questionnaire. The standard paper-and-pen survey was used for data collection from the respondents from Serbia. The total sample include 987 respondents. It was determined that Travel intention was negatively influenced by Neuroticism and Conscientiousness, but positively by Extroversion and Openness. The supposed Agreeableness did not have a significant effect on Travel intention. This study contributes to understanding the respondents’ behavior during pandemic of COVID-19, and their responses to the crisis according to their personality traits might have practical implications in the travel sector.

What can student-generated animations tell us about students’ conceptions of evolution?

Background A large body of research has investigated students’ conceptions of evolutionary changes and emphasizes that students have alternative conceptions about their causes. A conventional way to monitor students’ conceptions is through inventories where researchers analyse their written answers. However, textbooks are being increasingly complemented with, or even replaced by, various multimedia materials where multiple modes are used to communicate evolutionary processes. This has profound implications for students’ learning, and highlights that allowing different modes of expression may influence which knowledge they present. Therefore, the goal of this exploratory study is to expand the understanding of students’ conceptions of evolution through natural selection by applying student-generated stop-motion animations to reveal their conceptions. Forty-seven Swedish upper secondary school students generated 18 animations concerning evolution through natural selection. We analysed these animations qualitatively using content analysis to reveal key concepts, alternative conceptions and connections between organizational levels and time. This analysis is related to findings from previous studies on students’ conceptions of evolutionary change. Results Our study highlights some of the benefits and limitations of using these two assessment methods. In terms of identifying alternative conceptions, a clear difference between the results of the two methods of assessment was observed. In particular, the alternative conception of essentialism appeared to a lesser extent in the student’s animations than in their written responses, while natural selection as an event was more prevalent. Conclusions These findings support the view that students’ expression of different misconceptions is influenced by the context and representational form. The work also reveals that generating stop-motion animations to explain scientific concepts is an engaging approach that stimulates students to explore their understanding in a creative and personal manner. This is potentially positive for engagement and learning. The potential for complementing standard paper-and-pen tests with tasks that encompass stop-motion animations is also discussed.

Digital Neuropsychological Assessment: New Technology for Measuring Subtle Neuropsychological Behavior

Technology has transformed the science and practice of medicine. In this special mini-forum, data using digital neuropsychological technology are reported. All of these papers demonstrate how coupling digital technology with standard paper and pencil neuropsychological tests are able to extract behavior not otherwise obtainable. As digital assessment methods mature, early identification of persons with emergent neurodegenerative and other neurological illness may be possible.

The effect of augmented reality versus traditional advertising: a comparison between neurophysiological and self-reported measures

Despite the growing application of augmented reality in advertising, there is limited understanding about how customers respond to their interaction with the augmented reality advertising and how it differs from a standard paper-based advertising. Augmented reality ads are immersive, interactive, and lifelike, which means they may help companies create an emotional connection with their customers. The authors test if customers would respond in terms of emotional and affective intensity differently to augmented reality versus standard paper-based advertising. The results of two laboratory studies that consider physiological measures of arousal (galvanic skin response), self-reported measure of affect intensity and willingness to pay show that the higher willingness to pay for customers exposed to augmented reality as opposed to standard paper-based ads is driven by the physiological arousal, but not by the self-reported affect intensity and that processing fluency possibly underlies consumer’s enhanced emotional responses toward AR. These results suggest that replacing traditional advertisements with augmented reality advertisements enhances customer physiological responses and willingness to pay, with possible implications on customer segmentation and marketing communication.

The ObReco-360°: a new ecological tool to memory assessment using 360° immersive technology

One important feature of a neuropsychological test is its ecological validity, which defines how much patients’ test scores are linked to real-life functioning. However, many of the currently available neuropsychological tools show low to moderate levels of ecological validity. Virtual reality (VR) emerged as a possible solution that might enhance the ecological value of standard paper-and-pencil tests, thanks to the possibility of simulating realistic environments and situations where patients can behave as they do in real life. Moreover, a recent kind of virtual environments, the 360° spherical photos and videos, seems to guarantee high levels of graphical realism and lower technical complexity than standard VR, despite their limitations concerning interactive design. In this pilot study, we tested the possible application of 360° technology for the assessment of memory, developing an adaptation of a standardized test. We focused on Free Recall and Recognition accuracies as indexes of memory function, confronting and correlating the performances obtained by the participants in the standard and in the 360° test. The results, even if preliminary, support the use of 360° technology for enhancing the ecological value of standard memory assessment tests.

How to measure fluctuating impairments in people with MS: development of an ambulatory assessment version of the EQ-5D-5L in an exploratory study

Background Health fluctuations even within a single day are typical in multiple sclerosis (MS), but are not captured by widely used questionnaires like the EQ-5D-5L. This exploratory study aimed to develop an ambulatory assessment (AA) version of the EQ-5D-5L (EQ-5D-AA) where patients rate their health on mobile phones multiple times per day over several days, and to assess its feasibility and face validity. Methods An initial EQ-5D-AA version was based on two patient focus groups. It was then tested and continuously developed in an iterative process: patients completed it over several days, followed by debriefing interviews. Findings were used to refine the EQ-5D-AA, with the resulting version being tested by the subsequent wave of patients until participants declared no need for changes anymore. Before and after the AA period, participants completed the standard paper-based EQ-5D-5L asking about ‘today’. Results Focus group participants reported that their impairments often fluctuated between and within days. They regarded an AA with three assessments per day over seven days most appropriate; assessment should be retrospective to the previous assessment, but not all items should be assessed at each time point. Four waves of AA testing were conducted. Thirteen out of the 17 participants preferred the AA over standard assessment as they regarded it more informative, but not too burdensome. Conclusion The newly developed one-week AA of the EQ-5D-5L captures within-day and day-to-day health fluctuations in people with MS. From the patients’ perspective, it is a feasible and face valid way to provide important information beyond what is captured by the standard EQ-5D-5L.

What Can Student-Generated Animations Tell Us About Students’ Conceptions of Evolution?

Background A large body of research investigate student´s conceptions and emphasizes that students have alternative conceptions about causes of evolutionary changes. The conventional way to monitor students’ conceptions are through inventories where researchers analyze their written answers. However, textbooks are being increasingly complemented with, or even replaced by, various multimedia materials and multiple modes are used to communicate evolutionary processes. This has profound implications for students’ learning, and the test format may influence which knowledge they present. The goal of this exploratory study is therefore to expand the understanding of students’ conceptions of evolution through natural selection by applying student-generated stop-motion animations to disclose students’ conceptions. Forty-seven Swedish upper secondary school students generated eighteen animations concerning evolution through natural selection. We analysed the animations qualitatively using content analysis recording key concepts, alternative conceptions and connections in organizational levels and time. This analysis was related to the analysis of the students written explanations of a case of evolutionary change. Results Our study highlights some of the benefits and limitations of using these two assessment forms. Concerning alternative concepts, a clear difference between the results of the two methods of assessment was observed. In particular, the alternative conception essentialism was show to a lesser extent in the student’s animations than in their written responses, while natural selection as an event became more prevalent. ConclusionsThese findings support the view that students’ expression of different misconceptions is influenced by the context and representational form. The work also reveals that generating stop-motion animations to explain scientific concepts is an engaging approach that stimulates students to explore their understanding in a creative and personal manner, which potentially is positive for engagement and learning. The potential for complementing standard paper and pen tests with tasks that encompass stop-motion animations is discussed further.

Exploring the influence of reading medium on braille learning outcomes: A case series of six working-age and older adults

Tactile sensitivity is known to decline with age. Braille provides a vital method of reading and writing for working-age and older adults with acquired visual impairment. The proliferation of low-cost braille displays raises new possibilities for adult braille learners, with dots of greater height than standard paper braille, potentially benefitting older adults with reduced tactile sensitivity. This study explored the influence of reading medium (paper vs braille display) on the accuracy and speed of six working-age and older adult braille learners and examined differences when transitioning from one reading medium to another. Findings indicate that (1) learning letters on a braille display resulted in better speed and accuracy (time: M = 44.2, SD = 37.3, accuracy: M = 83%, SD = 24.8%) than on paper (time: M = 54.3, SD = 40.4, accuracy: M = 80.6%, SD = 28.1%); (2) transitioning from one medium to another generally resulted in the same or better performance (reading times decreased by 11.2% and accuracy improved by 2.4%); and (3) the advantage of the braille display appears to be greatest when reading letters in combination (reading times decreased by 26.8% and accuracy improved by 6.5% for letter-pairs vs a 1.9% reduction in speed and a 2% improvement in accuracy for single letters). The benefit of the braille display condition was most pronounced for participants with reduced tactile sensitivity. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that the use of braille displays in early braille instruction may decrease frustration for those with reduced tactile sensitivity and should not adversely affect the ability for learners to transition to standard paper braille, assuming that both formats are introduced and reinforced throughout training.