Implications of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: Results of Online Bulletin Board Interviews

Reluctance to accept vaccination against COVID-19 poses a significant public health risk and is known to be a multi-determined phenomenon. We conducted online focus groups, or “bulletin boards,” in order to probe the nature of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its implications. Participants were 94 individuals from three distinct U.S. geographical areas and represented a range of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Six themes emerged from the 3 day-long bulletin boards: the most trusted source of health information sought is the personal physician; information about health is nevertheless obtained from a wide variety of sources; stories about adverse side effects are especially “sticky”; government health institutions like CDC and FDA are not trusted; most respondents engaged in individualistic reasoning; and there is a wide spectrum of attitudes toward vaccination.

Experiences and Support Needs of Caregivers of Patients with Higher-Risk MDS: Qualitative Insights Via Online Bulletin Board in the US, UK, and Canada

Higher-risk MDS patients and caregivers can face many challenges in the course of the disease and disease management. Patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers can both experience physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and functional issues. Research on the burden of caring for advanced cancer patients suggest that there is insufficient support for caregivers, which might be due to the lack of knowledge about their needs and burdens (Friðriksdóttir et al. 2011; Chambers et al. 2012; Sklenarova et al. 2015). The overall experience of caregivers for MDS patients has not been evaluated to date. Our key research questions are related to: Caregiver role before, during, and after diagnosis; and along the disease journeyImpact on the caregiver's life and well-being; consequently their areas of need for supportImpact of decisions made, including treatments We used the online bulletin board (OBB) as the qualitative research methodology for this research. OBB enables data collection via a web-based platform. This innovative type of online focus group, can generate more meaningful and impactful insights compared to traditional focus groups (Reid et al. 2005). A mix of moderator-led Q&A and participant discussion will provide the caregiver insights as online dialogue. OBB is especially advantageous when participants are located in various geographic locations, time zones, and with differing availabilities (Rolland et al. 2013; Nyumba et al. 2018). This methodology will guide the caregiver discussions, optimize the gathering of caregiver insights, and facilitate interactive activities, including appropriate probes and follow up questions. Since it would be challenging to identify caregivers of higher-risk MDS patients, the research uses convenience sampling with the support of patient organizations. Fifteen participants were targeted for recruitment by patient organizations in their respective countries - Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Foundation in the US, Aplastic Anemia & Myelodysplasia Association of Canada, and MDS UK Support Group - through outreach to their membership. Participants were to be selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, with additional screening by the researchers. Inclusion criteria Caregiver of patient diagnosed with high or very high risk MDS as diagnosed per IPSS-R category or high-risk MDS as per IPSS (intermediate-risk patients on hypomethylating agents (HMAs) will be considered only if it is challenging to recruit caregivers of high and higher-risk patients) Aged 18+ Able to communicate in written English Caregiver is able to provide consent to participate in research Exclusion criteria Caregiver of patient diagnosed with low or very low risk MDS as diagnosed per IPSS-R category or low-risk as per IPSS Caregiver of patients currently active in a clinical trial Paid caregiver who is a nurse or aide We present in this abstract an interim report of the research, which is still ongoing. A total of 16 caregivers participated in the OBB with additional recruitment to cover any potential drop outs or withdrawals - 5 from the US, 6 from the UK, and 5 from Canada. There are 14 female and 2 male caregivers whereby 13 are spouses of the patient, 2 are children of the patient, and 1 is a friend of the patient. Full content analysis will be conducted at the completion of the research. However the interim findings already indicate there are unmet patient and caregiver needs in higher-risk MDS. For example, although the caregiver role for more recently diagnosed patients (≤ 1 year) is perceived as minimal effort, their role increases significantly if a stem cell or bone marrow transplant occurs, and/or if there are changes in the patient's health status (e.g. infection, medication change, managing side effects like nausea). The implications of this vary depending on the personal situation of the caregiver - the ability to continue in any employment and financial consequences if not; the demand on their time if they are balancing family and other commitments; and the impact on their own health particularly if they have their own health issues to manage. Most caregivers can manage the physical and functional aspects of care, however, many state that the bigger unmet need for both patient and caregiver is emotional support, which has not typically been part of the standard of care provided to MDS patients. Disclosures Frank: Novartis Pharma AG: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Sasse:Novartis Pharma AG: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.

How Topographic Maps Affect: Experiencing Washington, DC through the Maps of the “Other”

Does the type of map we use affect how we engage with a place in situ? This paper describes a creative activity that aimed to explore how the use of different topographic maps affects our engagement with an urban environment. Three groups of participants explored the neighbourhood surrounding the Gelman Library at George Washington University, each using an extract from a different map (all with street-level detail of the area) as a guide: (1) a contemporary selection from OpenStreetMap; (2) a United States Geological Survey (USGS) map from 1965; and (3) a Soviet military plan from 1975. The 32 participants recorded their experiences by taking photographs and uploading them to a shared online bulletin board (Padlet). After gaining feedback via group discussion, the resulting 108 images were classified, interpreted and mapped. The findings indicate that the groups’ engagement with their environment varied with the specific map used, and was possibly influenced by their interpretation of its function, although differences in individual perceptions and responses were more pronounced than between-map differences. The activity provides a starting point for understanding the role topographic maps play in the relationship between emotions and environment and offers some avenues for further research.

Consumer perceptions of fresh leafy vegetables in Japan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate Japanese consumer perceptions of the benefits of consuming fresh leafy vegetables. Design/methodology/approach An online bulletin board survey was conducted in Japan to collect responses to an open-ended question about reasons for consuming fresh leafy vegetables. A total of 897 responses were analysed using word co-occurrence network analysis. A community detection method and centrality measures were used to interpret the resulting network map. Findings Using a community detection algorithm, the authors identify six major groups of words that represent respondents’ core motives for consuming leafy vegetables. While Japanese consumers view health benefits to be most important, sensory factors, such as texture, colour, and palatability, and convenience factors also influence attitudes. The authors find that centrality measures can be useful in identifying keywords that appear in various contexts of consumer responses. Originality/value This is the first paper to use a quantitative text analysis to examine consumer perceptions for fresh leafy vegetables. The analysis also provides pointers for creating visually interpretable co-occurrence network maps from textual data and discusses the role of community structure and centrality in interpreting such maps.