Acceptability of artificial intelligence-based retina screening in general population.

Purpose: A deep learning system (DLS) using artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a very promising technology in the future of healthcare diagnostics. While the concept of telehealth is emerging in every field of medicine, AI assistance in diagnosis can become a great tool for successful screening in telemedicine and teleophthalmology. The aim of our study was to assess the acceptability of AI-based retina screening. Methods: This was a prospective non-randomized study performed in the outpatient department of a tertiary eye care hospital. Patients older than 18 years who came for a regular eye check-up or a routine retina screening were recruited in the study. Fundus images of the posterior pole were captured on fundus on a phone camera (REMIDIOTM, India) with a built-in AI software (Netra.AI) that can identify normal versus abnormal retina. The patients were then given an 8-point questionnaire to assess their acceptance and willingness toward AI-based screening. We recruited 104 participants. Results: We found that 90.4% were willing for an AI-based fundus screening; 96.2% were satisfied with AI-based screening. Patients with diabetes (P = 0.03) and the male population (P = 0.029) were more satisfied with the AI-based screening. The majority (i.e., 97.1%) felt that AI-based screening gave them a better understanding of their eye condition and 37.5% felt that AI-based retina screening prior to a doctor's visit can help in routine screening. Conclusion: Considering the current COVID-19 pandemic situation across the globe, this study highlights the importance of AI-based telescreening and positive patient approach toward this technology.

An exploratory study: How early childhood preservice teachers construct their understanding of technology integration in a technology-infused social studies methods course

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, the education technology narrative asserted that "New tools hold great promise for teaching and learning, but only when they are used effectively, appropriately and intentionally". In this dissertation, I explored how early childhood education teachers construct their understanding of technology integration in a technology-infused social studies methods course. The preservice teachers came into the course expressing their attitudes towards technology as positive, negative, or mixed. In addition, they articulated their self-perceptions of technology skill as confident, unconfident, or both confident and unconfident. As they continued in this technology infused methods course, they experienced technology as a way to understand, engage, explore/examine, reflect, collaborate/share, and extend their knowledge about social studies. As they experienced different technologies throughout the course, preservice teachers recognized technology as a space for building a community of learners to share and generate knowledge and build learner agency. They also identified technology as a multimodal tool to support learning that simulates realistic experiences, provides creative outlets, and expands opportunities for learning. The preservice teachers described engaging with technology passively, actively, and critically by noticing, extending, and evaluating technology. In their lesson plans, they conceptualized using technology with children in many of the same ways they engaged in technology in the course. Specifically, they created experiences that encouraged young children to explore/examine, collaborate/share, and extend their learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

US Nurses' Challenges with Personal Protective Equipment during COVID-19: Interview Findings from the Frontline Workforce

This study aimed to describe nurses' experiences with personal protective equipment while providing patient care during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. From May 2020 to September 2020, 100 individual interviews were conducted with nurses from diverse backgrounds and practice settings. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and verified for thematic analysis. Three key themes emerged related to personal protective equipment during COVID-19: (1) concerns with safety, (2) concerns with personal protective equipment supply, and (3) concerns with health care systems changing personal protective equipment policies. These findings support the importance of transparent and equitable institution-wide PPE standards in creating safe working environments. Clear communication around personal protective equipment policies and procedures, personal protective equipment education, and assurance of equitable access to equipment that can mitigate risk and disability while also reducing fear, confusion, and frustration among nurses. Maintaining clear and consistent personal protective equipment guidelines and communication regarding supplies and procedures enhances transparency during both routine and critical times de-escalating the inevitable strain concomitant with providing patient care during a global pandemic.

Teaching Lessons from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic in Telemedicine

The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY.