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Introduction: The need for standardised education on tracheostomy care is well recognised.1 Staff frequently report a lack of confidence in caring for those with tracheostomies, as well as the management of adverse events as they occur.2 Over the past decade, healthcare providers have developed strategies to educate staff, however, the covid-19 pandemic has severely hampered the ability to provide this necessary training due to restrictions on access to training rooms, the need for social distancing and the significant clinical demands placed on both trainers and trainees.3 The potential for immersive technologies to augment healthcare training is gaining interest exponentially.4 However, its effectiveness is yet to be clearly understood and as such it is not yet common within healthcare education.5 Based on the above, we aimed to explore the potential of these immersive technologies to overcome the current challenges of tracheostomy education, and to develop future strategies to use immersive technology in healthcare education. Method(s): We received a 400,000 grant from Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) to undertake a rapid innovation project overseen by the SBRI centre of excellence. The project consisted of 3 main phases: 1) feasibility;2) development;and 3) testing. The project was officially launched in April 2021 and lasted 12 months. Project governance was provided via the SBRI for clinical excellence, a project board with representation from Welsh Government, Cardiff University and Cardiff and Vale UHB, and a project team with clinical expertise in both the delivery of tracheostomy education and the provision of simulation training in healthcare. Result(s): Phase 1: During phase one 4 industries were successful and received up to 30,000 to explore the feasibility of immersive technology to support tracheostomy education. The industries were Rescape, TruCorp, Aspire2Be and Nudge Reality. During the feasibility phase all industries focused on the emergency management process utilising existing NHS Wales tracheostomy education resources and the national tracheostomy safety programme. Phase 2: For phase 2, Rescape and Nudge Reality were chosen to develop the technology. These industries continued to work in conjunction with the project team to capture the core elements of tracheostomy care, including multi-user emergency management scenarios. Additional content was also added for bronchoscopy and insertion of intercostal drains. Phase 3: Testing of both solutions was undertaken over an 8-week period, across 6 Health Boards in NHS Wales. The results of the testing will be analysed and available for presentation in due course. Provision findings demonstrate good face and content validity with high levels of user satisfaction. Discussion / Conclusion(s): The provision of essential tracheostomy education has been severely affected by the covid-19 pandemic. Evolving immersive technologies have the potential to overcome these challenges and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of education packages in tracheostomy care and wider. Through this CCR grant, in conjunction with industry, we have developed two solutions with the potential for widescale procurement and future research on the use of immersive technologies within healthcare.
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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the content and face validity index of the development of the understanding, attitude, practice and health literacy questionnaire on COVID-19 (MUAPHQ C-19) in the Malay language. METHODS: The development of the MUAPHQ C-19 was conducted in two stages. Stage I resulted in the generation of the instrument's items (development), and stage II resulted in the performance of the instrument's items (judgement and quantification). Six-panel experts related to the study field and ten general public participated to evaluate the validity of the MUAPHQ C-19. The content validity index (CVI), content validity ratio (CVR) and face validity index (FVI) were analysed using Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: There were 54 items and four domains, namely the understanding, attitude, practice and health literacy towards COVID-19, identified in the MUAPHQ C-19 (Version 1.0). The scale-level CVI (S-CVI/Ave) for every domain was above 0.9, which is considered acceptable. The CVR for all items was above 0.7, except for one item in the health literacy domain. Ten items were revised to improve the item's clarity, and two items were deleted due to the low CVR value and redundancy, respectively. The I-FVI exceeded the cut-off value of 0.83 except for five items from the attitude domain and four from the practice domains. Thus, seven of these items were revised to increase the clarity of items, while another two were deleted due to low I-FVI scores. Otherwise, the S-FVI/Ave for every domain exceeded the cut-off point of 0.9, which is considered acceptable. Thus, 50-item MUAPHQ C-19 (Version 3.0) was generated following the content and face validity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The questionnaire development, content validity, and face validity process are lengthy and iterative. The assessment of the instruments' items by the content experts and the respondents is essential to guarantee the instrument's validity. Our content and face validity study has finalised the MUAPHQ C-19 version that is ready for the next phase of questionnaire validation, using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis.
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COVID-19 , Health Literacy , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Malaysia , Language , Factor Analysis, StatisticalABSTRACT
Introduction: Psychological requirements are extremely important in the formation of a person's personality and conduct. During the COVID-19 epidemic in Jouf, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the goal of the current study was to determine the psychological and medical requirements of Saudi children. Method(s): The research received responses from 205 mothers in total, 90 of whom were the mothers of male children and 105 of whom were the mothers of female children. The investigation was carried out during the global COVID-19 epidemic that also afflicted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study made use of a 42-item measure measuring psychosocial and health needs across four categories. Result(s): Whether the study's findings were based on the children's overall score or their academic, psychological, or health requirements, it was discovered that these needs were modest. From the perspective of their moms, neither gender nor class significantly affected the children's health or psychological requirements. Conclusion(s): This study suggests giving the kids family programs to take advantage of and manage their downtime and boost their levels of outdoor exercise.Copyright © 2022, Universidade de Sao Paulo. Museu de Zoologia. All rights reserved.
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Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused stress and anxiety for various parts of society all over the world. This concern and stress are not limited to being affected by COVID-19 because this condition has also caused changes in people's lifestyles. Objective(s): The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate the validity and reliability of the COVID-19-related stressors questionnaire and determine the contribution of each of the stressors to the prediction of mental health in the Iranian population. Method(s): This descriptive-analytical and correlational study was performed on 301 volunteers living in Tehran, Iran. Due to the prevalence of COVID-19, questionnaires were distributed by convenience sampling method and online conduction. The instruments used in the present study were the researcher-made questionnaire on Iranians' COVID-19-related stressors (ICRS) and the mental health questionnaire general health questionnaire (GHQ-12). Content validity (qualitative and quantitative), face validity, structural validity (exploratory factor analysis), Cronbach's alpha, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version 24 and AMOS24 software. Result(s): In exploratory factor analysis, the final 25 items were obtained in seven factors with an explanation of 66.25% variance. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that worrying about changing economic status, getting COVID-19 and change in lifestyle increased the chance of developing mental health disorder up to 1.29 (OR = 1.29), 1.28 (OR = 1.28), and 1.18 times (OR = 1.18), respectively. The variable of changing family interactions reduces the chance of developing a mental health disorder by 0.85 times (OR = 0.85). Conclusion(s): The COVID-19-related stressors questionnaire is valid and can be used in future research. Identifying the most im-portant stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and determining each contribution to mental health prediction will help health policymakers to make better decisions.Copyright © 2023, Author(s).
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Problem: Home healthcare workers (HHCWs) are an integral part of the rapidly growing home healthcare industry. HHCWs work in an environment that is neither regulated nor predetermined to be safe. Occupational hazards include exposure to blood and body fluids;cleaning chemicals;needle sticks;slip, trip, and fall hazards;indoor air quality concerns including secondhand smoke;pests;pets;violence;and ergonomic stress. Guided by the Conceptual Model for Integrated Approaches to Protection and Promotion of Worker Health and Safety, the purpose of this manuscript option dissertation was to develop an observation tool to be used within the home care environment to identify and describe the occupational hazards HHCWs encounter. Three projects included an integrative review;development, content validity, and interrater reliability of a new observation tool;and piloting the use of the HHCW observational tool in the home care environment. The specific aim of project 1 and 2 was to inform, develop, and validate the observation tool;whereby, ensuring the ability of project 3 to identify and describe the occupational hazards this workforce encounters. Methods: Project 1 followed the steps of Whittemore and Knafl (2005) for an integrative review. Project 2 was the development of an observation tool following three steps: determining content domain, content validity, and inter-rater agreement. Project 3 used a cross-sectional design using the newly developed observation tool during home healthcare visits. To this date, a study has not been identified using persons trained in occupational safety and health to directly assess the occupational environment of HHCWs. Findings: Project 1 identified nine articles providing an overview of the occupational hazards HHCWs encounter, with similarly recognized occupational hazards across studies. Studies were methodologically limited to self-reports and include quantitative and qualitative data. Project 2 entailed the development of the initial observation tool with 657 items and 12 sections. Experts reviewed and provided content validity index (CVI) for each section, with a cumulative S-CVI score of 0.90 (range 0.67 to 1.0). The tool was revised to 636 items. Inter-rater agreement assessment included items with categorical variables using percent agreement and accuracy, with an overall percent agreement and accuracy mean of 89.5% (range 50-100%). Items documented by frequency, demonstrated no variability to high variability (SD=0 to 8.62). Project 3 used the HHCW Observation Tool to observe two HHCWs during nine home care visits. Identification of hazards include tasks, environmental factors, practices, and equipment that increase HHCWs risks of ergonomic injuries, infectious diseases, and environmental exposures. Observations for this study was limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, a state-wide stay-at-home order, and halt for non-essential research activities. Conclusion: Occupational hazards HHCWs encounter in the home have the potential to increase the risks of poor worker outcomes, poor patient outcomes, and poor agency outcomes. Recommendations for future research includes increasing worksite assessments of HHCWs within patients' homes;the use of occupational assessment technologies to identify respiratory hazards;and identify barriers to infection control practices that have the potential to impact worker and patient safety outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been sabotaging the world over the last two years and vaccine is one of the key solutions. However, the concerns over its side effects can cause vaccine refusal, subsequently affecting many countries' education system recovery plans. Objective(s): To actively evaluate adverse effects and their severity following COVID-19 immunization among schoolchildren aged 12 to 17 years, to support parents' decision-making. Material(s) and Method(s): The present study was an observational study whereby a Google-form survey on Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine adverse effects (CVAE) was responded between January and April 2022 by 537 participants. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze basic characteristics. Chi-square tests were performed for comparative analyses between junior (aged 12 to 15 years) versus senior (aged 16 to 17 years) high school students, and McNemar's test for the first dose versus second dose groups analysis with a significance level set at p-value less than 0.05. Result(s): At least one CVAE was reported in 93.85% of the included participants, albeit mostly mild. The most common symptom as a local event was tenderness at the puncture site (82.50%), whereas systemic events were predominated by myalgia (74.67%). The second dose was associated with increased frequency and severity of adverse effects compared to the first dose (p<0.001). The older age group had significantly more side effects compared to the younger group (p<0.05). Conclusion(s): The high incidence of CVAEs in schoolchildren was predominated by mild symptoms, with the second dose and older group associated with increased frequency of symptoms. The predominance of mild symptoms found in the present study may help reduce the concerns of parents over CVAEs, ultimately accelerating vaccine coverage in the children group, which is still a gap in vaccine administration.Copyright © 2023 JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF THAILAND.
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Purpose: Ostracism is being socially ignored or excluded by others. Ostracism leads to serious psychological distress and health issues in the young adults being ostracized. However, there are no psychometrically designed instruments to measure this phenomenon in young adults. This study aims to develop a scale that measures ostracism efficiently and establishes the scale's psychometric properties. Design/methodology/approach: The research design used for the study is "a mixed-method study using non-experimental research with an exploratory sequential approach and instrument development design." For the formation of the item pool, theoretical evidence was collected and focus group discussions were conducted. Afterward, content validity was established with the help of subject matter experts, followed by Velicer's minimum average partial method and maximum likelihood factor analysis to form the instrument's factorial structure. Findings: Velicer's minimum average partial method and maximum likelihood factor analysis made two factors as follows: ostracism experience and psychological effect. The instrument developed has a high value of alpha reliability i.e. a = 0.97 and a = 0.96, a = 0.92 for the subscales, respectively. Research limitations/implications: The sample used for the research was enough to run the analysis, but future studies can go for a more extensive and more diverse sample. The sample was based solely on university students. The current research focused only on the target of the phenomenon, and the whole research process was conducted online because of the Covid-19 pandemic going on. The scale developed can be used in several settings to find out if the individual is being ostracized or not. Practical implications: The scale's most important implication is in the colleges and universities where young adults are found and face this problem daily. Likewise, psychologists can also use it in clinical settings. The other important implication of this scale is that it is opening a route to future research as different variables can be studied in ostracism such as depression, physical health and anxiety. Social implications: Ostracism is a hidden evil in societies that is not usually talked about. When people are not given equal importance in groups or settings, it leads to serious psychological issues in those individuals. This scale will in the identification of the problem that will lead to a proper solution to this evil. Originality/value: This work is original and not copied from anywhere. The research was conducted with the sole purpose of developing a scale on the ostracism experiences in young adults. The data is collected in the form of online surveys. The current scale is an attempt at developing a more reliable and valid scale that can be used in social settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Background: Developing clinical thinking competence (CTC) is crucial for physicians, but effective methods for cultivation and evaluation are a significant challenge. Classroom teaching and paper-and-pencil tests are insufficient, and clinical field learning is difficult to implement, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Simulation learning is a useful alternative, but existing methods, e.g., OSCE, 3D AR/VR, and SimMan, have limitations in terms of time, space, and cost. Objective: This study aims to present the design and development of an Otolaryngology Mobile Tele-education System (OMTS) to facilitate CTC learning, and to evaluate the system's usability with senior otolaryngology experts. Methods: The OMTS system utilizes the convenience of mobile learning and the touch function of mobile devices to assist users (medical students or post-graduate physicians) in learning CTC remotely. Clinical knowledge and system functions in the OMTS system are defined by senior experts based on required CTC learning cases. Through simulated clinical case scenarios, users can engage in interactive clinical inquiry, practice required physical and laboratory examinations, make treatment decisions based on simulated responses, and understand and correct learning problems through a diagnostic report for effective learning. Usability testing of the OMTS system was evaluated by three senior otolaryngology experts using measurements of content validity, system usability, and mental workload during their available time and location. Results: Statistical results of experts' evaluation showed that the OMTS system has good content validity, marginal-to-acceptable system usability, and moderate mental workload. Experts agreed that the system was efficient, professional, and usable for learning, although the practicality of the clinical inquiry and hands-on practice functions could be improved further. Conclusions: Based on the OMTS system, users can efficiently hands-on practice and learn clinical cases in otolaryngology, and understand and correct their problems according to the diagnostic report. Therefore, the OMTS system can be expected to facilitate CTC learning according to experts' evaluation.
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Textbooks currently circulating have not been adapted to online learning systems and their contents are less interactive, less communicative, and have not been based on local content potential. This research aimed to produce digital textbooks based on Madura local content and augmented reality to improve students' scientific reasoning ability. This research development was done based on ASSURE instructional design, between July and August 2020. This research involved 15 students of SMP Al-Hikam Burneh, Bangkalan-Madura. The assessments of the digital textbook were done to decide its validity, practicality, and effectiveness. Furthermore, the students' scientific reasoning abilities were measured using pretest and posttest. The validity data obtained were analyzed descriptively using percentages, while students' scientific reasoning skills were analyzed using gain scores. The results showed that the percentage values were 87.5% for content validity (valid), 91.10% for media (very valid), 87.41% for technical (very valid), and 88.9% for practicality (valid). In addition, the students' scientific reasoning skills were classified as effective based on the gain scores achieved in each indicator i.e., 0.49 (argumentation), 0.45 (existing knowledge), 0.38 (methodology), 0.43 (analysis), and 0.40 (concluding). Thus, the digital textbook developed is effective to improve students' scientific reasoning skills.
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BACKGROUND: The Symptoms of Infection with Coronavirus-19 (SIC) is a 30-item patient-reported outcome measure to evaluate the presence and severity of COVID-19 signs/symptoms in adults. This study expanded the context of use of the adult SIC among adolescents aged 12-17 years and supported a pediatric adaptation (the Pediatric SIC [PedSIC]) for caregiver assessment of signs/symptoms in children aged < 12 years. METHODS: Draft versions of the PedSIC and reference materials containing sign/symptom definitions for adolescents, based on an assessment of the reading level of SIC items by a professional linguist, were developed to facilitate accurate completion of the SIC by adolescents and observer-report (PedSIC) by caregivers. For adolescents, reference materials were intended to provide definitions for selected signs/symptoms identified to have a higher reading level. Iterative rounds of cognitive debriefing interviews were conducted from November 2020 to January 2021 to evaluate adolescent understanding of the SIC reference materials and inform refinement of the PedSIC for caregivers of children too young to reliably self-report. Participants were identified via databases of individuals who previously expressed interest in participating in qualitative research and were then screened for eligibility. Recruitment quotas were established to improve sample diversity. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were used to assess qualitative and demographic data, respectively. RESULTS: Nine healthy adolescents (mean [SD, range] age, 14 [1.76, 12-17] years, 56% female, 22% non-White; round 1, n = 6; round 2, n = 3) and 17 caregivers (mean [SD, range] age, 34 [6.28, 26-41] years, 59% female, 35% non-White; round 1, n = 9; round 2, n = 8) were interviewed. Adolescents understood the majority of signs/symptoms (22 of the 30 SIC items) without assistance or use of the reference materials during the cognitive debriefing interview. Definitions were added to the reference materials for 5 additional items, and clarifications provided to existing definitions for 3 items. Seven observer-report (PedSIC) items were modified following feedback from caregivers of healthy young children. Reference materials (similar to those for adolescent use) were developed to support caregiver understanding of the intent of the PedSIC items collecting input from children ages ≥ 5- < 12 years. CONCLUSIONS: Results support using the SIC, PedSIC, and their associated reference materials to evaluate the presence and severity of COVID-19 signs/symptoms in adolescents and children aged < 12 years via caregiver-supported report, respectively.
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COVID-19 , Adult , Humans , Adolescent , Child , Female , Child, Preschool , Male , Surveys and Questionnaires , COVID-19/diagnosis , Patient Reported Outcome Measures , Caregivers/psychology , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
This research paper aims to explore the effect of academic buoyancy among high schools students when the learning system forced them to adopt online teaching platforms during the covid 19 lockdown. Academic buoyancy is the ability of an individual to manage academic challenges and other challenges of schooling. It comprises 5Cs-namely confidence, coordination, commitment, composure and control. These are the five aspects of academic buoyancy which are significant motivational predictors. Academic buoyancy is very important for success in academics because it gives them the capacity to meet challenges and impediments in the education system. This paper has reviewed the related studies to understand the significant role of Academic buoyancy on stress among adolescents. Online questionnaires and online academic performance test are used for data collection. This study shows that academic buoyancy is positively correlated (r= 0.858, N=90,) with students' ability to adapt to the online learning mode. It indicates (p<.001) that there is a significant positive relationship between academic buoyancy and academic performance in the tests administered. Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
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A Descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the awareness and preference of students towards Covid-19 vaccine, University of Calabar. A total of 358 students from the Department of Nursing Science, University of Calabar were sampled through simple random sampling technique. The instrument of data collection was a structured questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using frequencies, percentage, charts and means. The hypothesis was tested for significance at 0.05 level of significance, using the Chi-square (X2) analysis. The findings of the study revealed that 51.1% of the study participants expressed high awareness towards COVID-19 vaccine whereas 48.9% demonstrated low awareness. 54.7% exhibited positive preference toward the covid-19 vaccination, while 45.3% showed negative preference. There is no statistical influence between age and knowledge of covid-19 vaccine among students in University of Calabar .There is no statistical influence between year of study and attitude of students towards covid19 vaccine in University of Calabar. Findings reveal that study participants were aware of covid-19 vaccine perhaps could not utilize because of fear of complications. Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.
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The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) imparted unprecedented negative impact worldwide since it was declared as a global pandemic in 2020 due to its high infectivity and mortality rate. Consequently, those who have been infected with COVID-19 experienced significant amount of social stigma which resulting in deterioration of mental well-being. Hence, this study aimed to translate the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue Stigma Scale (EMIC-SS) into Malay and investigate the reliability and validity of the Malay version (EMIC-SS-M) among COVID-19 survivors in Malaysia. Initially, concurrent translation and back translation of the EMIC-SS was conducted followed by the assessment of its face and content validity. Then, the EMIC-SS-M was administered to 219 COVID-19 survivors recruited from three targeted centers for assessment of its reliability (internal consistency) and validity (convergent and discriminant validity, exploratory factor analysis [EFA] and confirmatory factor analysis [CFA]). The EMIC-SS-M reported an acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha of 0.727, while its domains reported acceptable Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.708 to 0.795. EFA and CFA confirmed that the EMIC-SS-M consisted of 15 items in 4 domains. The EMIC-SS-M exhibited good psychometric properties and ready for use to assess stigma among COVID-19 survivors in Malaysia. It can be adapted for use to assess stigma in other disease conditions among the Malaysian population in future studies. Copyright © 2022, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya. All rights reserved.
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This study aimed to investigate the Chinese pregnant women's levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of self-protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the post-pandemic period, to aid the development of targeted health education. An online questionnaire was conducted for 2156 Chinese pregnant women from October 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, to collect socio-demographic and KAP information. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to determine self-protection-related factors. The mean age of the participants was 30 ± 4.1 years. SEM indicated that pregnant women's level of knowledge can directly and indirectly affect the practice of self-protection (r = 0.23) through their belief, with a correlation coefficient of 0.56 and 0.46 between knowledge and belief and belief and practice, respectively. The "basic protection" and "hospital visits after infection" exerted the greatest impact on knowledge formation, with correlation coefficients of 0.85 and 0.89, respectively. Attitude had a direct effect on practice with a correlation coefficient of 0.46. "Awareness of prevention and control" and "family and social support" had the greatest impact on belief formation, with correlation coefficients of 0.77 and 0.73, respectively. Pregnant Chinese women were generally familiar with COVID-19 knowledge, and their levels of knowledge and beliefs particularly affect the practice of self-protection. Health education aimed at improving pregnant women's knowledge and belief toward self-protection against COVID-19 may be an effective way to guide them toward positive practices and promote their health and that of their babies.
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PurposeThis study aims to identify and validate the environmental cleaning elements and performance criteria to prevent Covid-19 infection in health-care facilities. Design/methodology/approachEight elements and 38 performance criteria were identified from the literature, and a questionnaire survey that involved environmental cleaning experts was carried out. Content validity index was used to validate the content of the environmental cleaning elements and performance criteria in this study. FindingsThe result indicates that the performance criteria of "Finishes, furnishings" and "Equipment Maintenance Log" were not relevant to be applied in current fighting against Covid-19 infection in health care. However, the remaining 36 performance criteria were proved as relevant and acceptable. Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can provide a significant contribution to the built environment industry. By knowing the environmental cleaning elements and performance criteria, efforts can be carried out to explore measures that can be taken to improve the environmental cleaning practice in health care to battle against Covid-19 infection. Originality/valueThis paper fulfils an identified need to study how environmental cleaning can be implemented in health-care facilities.
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Background. The Symptoms of Infection with Coronavirus-19 (SIC), a patient reported outcome (PRO) measure, was developed to assess COVID-19 signs and symptoms. Qualitative and cross-sectional studies demonstrated its content validity and preliminary psychometric properties. This study provides additional evidence on the reliability, responsiveness, known-group validity, and meaningful change thresholds of the SIC using methods aligned with regulatory guidance and best practices. Methods. Data were from ENSEMBLE-2, a multicenter, randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial to assess the efficacy and safety of Ad26.COV2.S for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections in adults (aged 18+). The SIC was used in the trial to evaluate COVID-19 signs and symptoms and the Patient Global Impression of Severity (PGIS) was used as an anchor for validation. Intra-class correlations (ICCs) and Cronbach's alphas were computed to evaluate the test-retest reliability and internal consistency, and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were performed to assess the known-group validity of the SIC. Responsiveness was evaluated using PGIS as an anchor variable and a 1- or 2-point improvement in PGIS was used to estimate the meaningful change thresholds of the SIC. Results. 183 participants with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed moderate to severe/critical COVID-19 were included (mean +/- SD age: 51.5 +/- 14.8 y;female: 44%;White 65%). ICCs showed strong test-retest reliabilities for most SIC domains (.60 and above). The internal consistency reliability of the SIC had a Cronbach's alpha > .70 for all but one domain (Neurological). Statistically significant differences (p values < 0.05) for the different PGIS severity levels were found for all but one domain (Sensory), supporting known-group validity. All domains showed responsiveness based on changes (improvement and worsening) in PGIS, supporting the ability of the SIC to detect changes in COVID-19 signs and symptoms. Based on mean changes in the PGIS, estimated meaningful change thresholds for SIC domains ranged from -.36 to -2.11. Conclusion. These results, based on data from ENSEMBLE-2, build upon prior cross-sectional analyses and provide additional supportive psychometric evidence on the SIC.
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Aims: The prevalence of Occupational Burnout has skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially among healthcare professionals (HCP). Hence, it is crucial to have robust measures for ascertaining burnout in this population. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is the most widely used measure in burnout research, but fundamental methodological flaws permeated its development. The Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire/Measure is a prevalent tool used by the Swedish Health System to diagnose burnout and plan the delivery of mental health services. The 14-item Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure (SMBM) was developed after a methodological revision of the 22-item Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire (SMBQ). Studies on the psychometric properties of the SMBM exist, but the assessment of the methodological quality of individual studies is lacking. To address this gap, the purpose of this study is to critically appraise the quality of the measurement properties of the 14-item SMBM among HCP. Method(s): Four databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus) were searched for studies on the psychometric properties of the 14-item SMBM among HCP. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist. Evidence supporting the measurement properties of the SMBM was synthesized and graded using the GRADE approach. Result(s): We identified three studies on the psychometric properties of the 14-item SMBM among HCP. One study on the 12-item SMBM was included to estimate content validity. We found a high quality of evidence for internal consistency, moderate quality of evidence for structural and crosscultural validity, and low quality of evidence for hypothesis testing. Most importantly, we found that PROM development and content validity were inadequate. Conclusion(s): Although informed by the Conservation of Resources Theory, the 14-item SMBM warrants revision to engage critical stakeholders for concept elicitation and cognitive interview. Both processes will contribute to the relevance, comprehensiveness, and comprehensibility of the PRO items.
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Introduction: COVID-19-related stigma has been raised as a crisis since the beginning of the pandemic. We intended to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire to measure COVID-19-related stigma, attributed by the non-infected general population, and applied it in Tehran from September to October 2020. Objective(s): This study measures the COVID-19-related stigma attributed by the non-infected general population using a valid and reliable questionnaire specific to COVID-19-related stigma. Method(s): A preliminary questionnaire with 18 items was developed. The score ranged from 18 to 54 while the higher score indicating a higher level of COVID-19-related stigma. Out of 1064 randomly recruited Tehran citizens without a history of COVID-19 infection, 630 participants, who completely responded to the questions on a phone call, entered the study. Result(s): The content validity was established with a scale content validity index of 0.90. Item CVI and Item content validity ratio were higher than 0.78 for all items. Internal consistency was confirmed with Cronbach's alpha of 0.625. Exploratory factor analysis revealed seven latent variables, including "blaming and penaltyseeking behavior", "social discrimination", "dishonor label", "interpersonal contact", "spreading rumors and myths", "overvalued idea", and "apathy toward the patients". The mean (SD) of the score was 25.1(4.71) in our study. 86.8% of participants reported a low level of stigma with a score below 31. 13.2% of them demonstrated a moderate level of stigma, and none of the participants showed a high level of stigma. Conclusion(s): we found a low level of stigmatizing thoughts and behavior in Tehran, which may be due to social desirability bias.
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Introduction: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccination plays an important role in controlling the current pandemic. This may have an impact on other healthcare workers in understanding the importance of COVID-19 vaccination. Aim: To assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) towards COVID-19 vaccination among medical students in a Tertiary care hospital, Southern India. Materials and Methods: This was an observational cross-sectional questionnaire based study done in Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India. The study period was from April 2021 to September 2021. The study evaluated KAP on COVID-19 vaccination amongst medical students. After the content validity of the questionnaire, a google form was created and circulated among the I, II, III, IV-year students and interns, which was assessed by a scoring system for KAP. The results of the qualitative variables were tabulated as frequency and percentages. The statistical analysis was done using JASP software and the correlation between KAP was calculated using Spearman's Correlation. Results: A total of 400 participants were included in the study. Their mean±SD age was 20.3±1.3 years. The second- and third-year students actively participated in the study. Adequate knowledge was observed in 33% of the medical students, moderately adequate knowledge in 61% and minimum knowledge in 6%. Spearman's correlation between KAP showed a significant p-value. Conclusion: The majority of the medical students opined that their main source of information was social media. This indicates that social media campaigns had helped them gain adequate knowledge about vaccination. This knowledge might help them encourage their relatives and friends to get vaccinated against COVID-19, which will in turn help in breaking the chain of this pandemic.
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BACKGROUND: The spread of COVID-19 infection has led to high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Nurses are the frontline health workers in handling COVID-19 infections, so adequate preparedness is needed for them to contribute to controlling and preventing the infections. AIM: This study examines the differences in nurses’ preparedness to control and prevent COVID-19 infection at the two hospitals in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. METHODS: This study is a comparative study with a cross-sectional study approach. The sample were nurses in the COVID-19 ward at hospitals A (n = 75) and B (n = 36). Data collection was conducted by administering a questionnaire consisting of 39 items in a 5-point Likert scale through Google Forms. The questionnaire satisfied the content validity by experts and reliability test using Cronbach alpha (∝ = 0.968). Mann–Whitney U-test was conducted for analyzing the data. RESULTS: The results revealed no significant difference in the preparedness of nurses in controlling and preventing the COVID-19 infection in both hospitals (p = 0.860). CONCLUSION: The study findings indicate that respondents’ demographic data, such as working experience, nurse education, working experience in the COVID-19 ward, and participation in COVID-19 management training, contributed to the nurses’ preparedness.