Cultivating patient-centered care competence through a telemedicine-based course: An explorative study of undergraduate medical students' self-reflective writing.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged adaptations of learning methods in clinical clerkship. There have been limited reports on the merits of involving medical students in telemedicine. This study, therefore, aims to investigate students' reflection on what they learned and identify the challenges and benefits of doctor-patient interaction through their experience in a telemedicine-based course. Methods: A 4 week telemedicine-based course for medical students to participate in telemonitoring of COVID-19 patients undergoing self-isolation was conducted. This is a qualitative study using an interpretive phenomenology design to investigate students' self-reflection on their experiences in monitoring COVID-19 patients. Students were asked to reflect on their experience upon completion of the course through 750-1,000 words essays. A thematic analysis which considers units of meaning based on students' experiences was completed. Results: Our study identified four main themes gathered from students' experiences related to the telemedicine-based course: communication and education, professionalism and professional identity formation, system-based practice, and patient-centered care. Conclusion: The course was part of an integrative effort involving multiple parties to tackle the burden on the nation's healthcare system during the pandemic. Telemedicine is part of future medical practice which supports the medical curriculum adaptability along with attempts to develop future-proof medical doctors through various clinical learning experiences.

Lessons learnt from a scientific peer-review training programme designed to support research capacity and professional development in a global community.

High-quality peer-reviewer training open to researchers across the globe has the potential to improve the published literature, however, this type of training is not widely available. In this paper, we describe an online peer-reviewer training programme, highlight its effectiveness in building peer review and writing skills, and discuss challenges and lessons learnt. This training programme, open to researchers across the globe, acquaints participants with challenges to and inequities in publishing and educates them about writing effective peer reviews. A focal point is how to provide specific and respectful feedback to help authors get accepted for peer review at an academic journal. Forty-nine participants from or residing in six continents completed the training. All programme evaluation respondents agreed that the orientation helped them gain a better understanding of their role as a peer reviewer at Pre-Publication Support Service. Most agreed that the training was helpful in improving their peer-review skills, and that the training was helpful in improving their writing skills. Participants wanted more networking and collaboration opportunities with other peer reviewers, inclusion of a qualitatively researched example paper and improved communication about the required time commitment. Our online programme with multiple time options was geographically inclusive but internet connectivity was challenging for some participants. Peer-reviewer training programmes can help researchers build their peer review and writing skills and enhance participants' understanding of disparities in publishing. Integrating a geographically diverse group of researchers has the potential to enrich the discussions and learning in such a programme.

"Please, Mr. Postman:" Exploring the Use of Letter Writing to Address Loneliness.

PURPOSE: Informed by prior research and influenced by concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic heightened social isolation, this project examined the impact of a 12-month long letter writing project on levels of loneliness. METHOD: Through partnerships with local anti-poverty agencies, pen pals were paired between MSW students and community members who utilize services at these organizations. Participants completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale before and after the intervention. RESULTS: We found a mean decrease in loneliness at the end of the intervention. DISCUSSION: Letter writing was a successful way to attend to loneliness due to its accessibility to the participants. Our letter writing intervention is different in many ways from e-mail and texting. Participants noted that the waiting process between letter gave them time to think more deeply about their response as well as event to look forward to (e.g. getting mail). We found that the low-tech aspects of the project might have been helpful to some participants. CONCLUSION: Letter writing is an easily replicable, low-cost, low-tech activity for use by practitioners, which may be useful in a variety of social work settings to reduce loneliness.

Using speech-to-text technology to empower young writers with special educational needs.

This article reports the first group-based intervention study in the UK of using speech to-text (STT) technology to improve the writing of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Over a period of five years, thirty children took part in total from three settings; a mainstream school, a special school and a special unit of a different mainstream school. All children had Education, Health and Care Plans because of their difficulties in spoken and written communication. Children were trained to use the Dragon STT system, and used it on set tasks for 16-18 weeks. Handwritten text and self-esteem were assessed before and after the intervention, and screen-written text at the end. The results showed that this approach had boosted the quantity and quality of handwritten text, with post-test screen-written text significantly better than handwritten at post-test. The self-esteem instrument also showed positive and statistically significant results. The findings support the feasibility of using STT to support children with writing difficulties. All the data were gathered before the Covid-19 pandemic; the implications of this, and of the innovative research design, are discussed.

An Evaluation of a Narrative Expressive Writing Program for Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate a writing program targeted to reduce stress and improve resilience in nurses during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). BACKGROUND: Occupational hazards often result in poor mental health outcomes. The pandemic highlighted this problem. Because nurses face barriers to accessing support, brief interventions are needed to process stressful events. METHODS: Over 5 weeks, nurses across the United States detailed their COVID-19 experiences through narrative expressive writing. Trained mental health professionals provided confidential feedback. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred three nurses enrolled in the program, with 430 continuing to the 1st session. Approximately 36% who began the program completed all 5 sessions. Feedback suggested high satisfaction with their experience in the program, but no significant changes in perceived levels of stress or resilience were observed. CONCLUSION: Narrative expressive writing is an accessible intervention with the potential to decrease stress. This program is a flexible, personalized model that managers can offer to staff to promote healthy coping strategies.

Radiography education in 2022 and beyond - Writing the history of the present: A narrative review.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic had a major effect on teaching and learning. This study aimed to describe a range of teaching, learning, and assessment strategies related to radiography education which have become more common due to the pandemic through a narrative literature review. KEY FINDINGS: Educational change in radiography was accelerated by the disruption caused by the pandemic. Changes included the site and mode of teaching and conducting of assessment. While some of the digital transformation trends were introduced before the pandemic, others were further amplified during this period of time. Alternative solutions such as virtual reality technology, gamification, and technology-enhanced learning were especially salient and have the potential to mitigate challenges brought about by the pandemic. The use of technology in the clinical setting, in assessment, and to facilitate feedback, are important tools for improving learners' clinical skills performance. Collectively, these digital technologies can maximise learning and support mastery of knowledge, skills and attitudes. CONCLUSION: The pandemic has cast a new light on existing methodologies and pedagogies in education. This review suggests that digital technology is shaping teaching and learning within radiography education and also that educators cannot ignore this digital shift. With the digital trajectory, it would be highly useful to transform approaches to education within radiography to support learning as radiography education moves towards the new normal era. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Digital technology in education can help improve the learning experience for learners but educators need to be equipped with the technological skills and be adaptable to these changes. Continual sharing of experiences and knowledge among radiography educators is essential. Safety nets need to be in place to ensure digital inclusiveness and that no learner gets left behind due to the digital divide in education.

Brief Narrative Writing Program Implemented in a Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially affected health care professionals. Health care professionals have noted increased distress, psychiatric symptoms, and feelings of burnout during this time. Implementation of brief, easy-to-access psychosocial interventions might help health care professionals process stressful events, thus bolstering mental health. One such approach is the narrative expressive writing program, a 5-session cognitive behavioral writing intervention. OBJECTIVES: The narrative expressive writing program was instituted in a neurosurgical intensive care unit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was delivered online and guided by a licensed mental health professional. METHODS: Health care professionals completed measures of anxiety, depression, burnout, resilience, and perceived stress before and after completing the narrative expressive writing program. Fifty-eight health care professionals initiated the program; 31 (53% of initiators) completed it. RESULTS: Health care professionals who completed the narrative expressive writing program experienced significant reductions in depressive symptoms and perceived stress (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary data show that narrative expressive writing is an easy-to-access intervention that has the potential to decrease stress and depressive symptoms. Additional research on tailoring or augmenting the narrative expressive writing program may facilitate health care professionals' engagement and address other mental health domains (eg, burnout).

Poetry and Medicine.

Poetry and medicine are related in multiple ways, including historical interests in healing, defined broadly, through words. More contemporary scholarship explores how poems, which include insights into the human condition, can enlarge our understanding of health, illness, mortality, and health care, including issues of diversity. Anesthesiology and poetry have particular affinities due to their structures, timeframes, and rhythms. Patients, physicians, and health care workers can benefit in terms of well-being by access to reading, reflecting on, and writing poetry.

Creative Long Covid: A qualitative exploration of the experience of Long Covid through the medium of creative narratives.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare is witnessing a new disease with the emergence of Long Covid; a condition which can result in myriad symptoms, varying in frequency and severity. As new data are emerging to help inform treatment guidelines, the perspectives of those living with Long Covid are essential in informing healthcare practice. The research aimed to collect the narratives of people living with Long Covid to better understand the lived experience of this condition. In attempting to narrate complex or traumatic experiences the arts and humanities can offer alternative ways of expressing embodied narratives, representing rich sources of meaning. Therefore, the research specifically sought to elicit creative expressions from participants with lived experience of Long Covid. METHODS: Data were collected via an online repository where participants could submit their pieces of creative writing. Data were collected between August 2021 and January 2022 and a total of 28 submissions were received from participants. These were mostly written creative narratives. However, a small number were submitted as audio or video files of spoken word poetry or songs. Data collection was stopped once data saturation was achieved. RESULTS: The submissions were subjected to thematic analysis and five themes were generated. These five themes are Identity, social relationships, symptoms, interaction with healthcare systems and time. The results provide an insight into the experience of Long Covid as detailed by the participants' creative narratives. CONCLUSION: The results from this study provide a unique insight into the lived experience of Long Covid. In relation to clinical practice, the results suggest that adjustment reaction and loss of sense of self could be added as common symptoms. PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Before undertaking the research, Long Covid community groups were contacted to discuss the potential value of this study and it was widely supported. One of the leading Long Covid support groups was also involved in disseminating information regarding the project. As part of ongoing work within this project, members of the team are actively disseminating the results within Long Covid communities and seeking to develop arts-based workshops specifically for people with Long Covid.

What do people write about COVID-19 and teaching, publicly? Insulators and threats to newly habituated and institutionalized practices for instruction.

Covid represents major changes in teaching across the world. This study examined some of those changes through tweets that contained threats and insulators to habitualization of newer teaching practices. The investigator harvested tweets to determine sentiment differences between teaching and schools and teaching and online. Topic modeling explored the topics in two separate corpora. Omnibus Yuen's robust bootstrapped t-tests tested for sentiment differences between the two corpora based on emotions such as fear, anger, disgust, etc. Qualitative responses voiced ideas of insulation and threats to teaching modalities institutionalized during the pandemic. The investigator found that 'teaching and school' was associated with higher anger, distrust, and negative emotions than 'teaching and online' corpus sets. Qualitative responses indicated support for online instruction, albeit complicated by topic modeling concerns with the modality. Some twitter responses criticized government actions as restrictive. The investigator concluded that insulation and threats towards habitualization and institutionalization of newer teaching modalities during covid are rich and sometimes at odds with each other, showing tension at times.

Students' experiences of using a writing-intense programme to facilitate critical thinking skills on an online clinical training platform: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND:  Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the subsequent lockdown altered traditional clinical training for speech language pathology students, thus forcing training institutions to implement innovative and responsive clinical training strategies in the midst of the pandemic. As such, a writing-intense programme was piloted in an online clinical training programme with second-year speech language pathology students. OBJECTIVES:  This study explored speech language pathology students' experiences with a writing programme used during an online clinical training programme implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD:  The study used a qualitative survey design. Purposive convenient sampling was used to recruit 29 second-year speech language pathology students. Online student reflections guided by 10 open-ended questions were used to elicit responses from students. Data were analysed using deductive thematic analysis. RESULTS:  Findings revealed that the written component of the programme facilitated the acquisition of clinical knowledge and improved clinical processes of writing among students. Feedback that students received on their written tasks improved learning. The clinical component of the course enabled students to learn in a less stressful environment and helped them gain confidence in their knowledge and clinical skills. Connectivity challenges and the lack of motivation from some students negatively impacted the programme. CONCLUSION:  Using a writing programme to clinically train students can have positive effects in applying theory to clinical application because it affords students time to consolidate and process theory with practice as the jump from first year to second year can be cognitively taxing. A writing-intense programme can also improve students' writing skills.

Academic writing retreats for nurses and allied health professionals: developing engagement, dissemination and collaboration opportunities.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 raised the profile of nursing globally, with widespread recognition of nurses' valuable roles during the pandemic. There is a unique opportunity to capitalise on this momentum to support nurses to become more engaged in and disseminate their research widely. One way to enable this is to develop academic writing retreats for nurses. AIM: To report on the development of academic writing retreats to engage nurses in research. DISCUSSION: Four writing retreats were set up in the south of England between September 2019 and April 2021. Two were delivered face to face on hospital premises and two online. The retreats provided uninterrupted time for writing an academic publication, mentorship, peer support networks, and question and answer sessions. The retreats were attended by 42 health professionals, with more than 25 papers published in peer-reviewed journals. The retreats have enabled learning communities to develop, fostering long-term networking opportunities. CONCLUSION: Academic writing retreats for nurses have widespread benefits, providing nurses with uninterrupted time and space to focus on writing high-quality publications and creating networking opportunities through peer support and mentorship channels. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Academic writing retreats are a simple, yet effective way to get nurses to engage in research by writing about their own spheres of practice.

After 2 years of a pandemic, students are struggling to find strong reference letters.

Writing and receiving reference letters in the time of COVID.

Ten simple rules to host an inclusive conference.

Conferences are spaces to meet and network within and across academic and technical fields, learn about new advances, and share our work. They can help define career paths and create long-lasting collaborations and opportunities. However, these opportunities are not equal for all. This article introduces 10 simple rules to host an inclusive conference based on the authors' recent experience organizing the 2021 edition of the useR! statistical computing conference, which attracted a broad range of participants from academia, industry, government, and the nonprofit sector. Coming from different backgrounds, career stages, and even continents, we embraced the challenge of organizing a high-quality virtual conference in the context of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and making it a kind, inclusive, and accessible experience for as many people as possible. The rules result from our lessons learned before, during, and after the organization of the conference. They have been written mainly for potential organizers and selection committees of conferences and contain multiple practical tips to help a variety of events become more accessible and inclusive. We see this as a starting point for conversations and efforts towards building more inclusive conferences across the world. * Translated versions of the English abstract and the list of rules are available in 10 languages in S1 Text: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil, and Thai.

In the Words of My Mother: "I'm fighting hard for me but mostly for you".

I have always been interested in health information-what it is, where people get it, how they interpret it, talk about it with others, and use it-if at all. It has been overwhelming to stay abreast of the evolving science during the COVID-19 global pandemic when it is often quite complicated in nature and when we are exposed to individuals' and group's spreading of misinformation and disinformation. During this pandemic, I have been reflecting a lot on my childhood during which my mother was suffering with cancer and frustrated and confused about the information she received regarding her diagnosis and treatment plan. This is not the kind of journal article I am used to writing and these are probably the most difficult few pages I have ever drafted. My observations during COVID-19 led me to want to share the aspects of my mother's situation that motivate me and guide my work in cancer education with a focus on health literacy and communication. This piece describes my mother's experiences with illness and medical information in her own words. It is brief and personal and reminds me clearly why I chose this field and why it is important now more than ever for cancer educators to focus our efforts on communication.

Chinese Calligraphy and the Art of Writing.

The popularity of portraits of clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic suggested the importance of visual representation of what mass illness demands of us all-and particularly those on the front lines of health care. In addition to surges in variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, persons of Asian descent have endured waves of bigotry and violence. With the myriad of natural and man-made threats confronting the world today, an ancient Confucian proverb on the common good prompts us to recognize humanity's shared future. Although text-based, calligraphy is visually engaging and reminds us of the importance and poignancy of words that are well chosen and beautifully rendered. This article displays and describes Chinese calligraphies by Terry Zhizhong Yuan, commissioned by the AMA Journal of Ethics, to commemorate the American Medical Association's 175th anniversary and the extraordinary times in which we live.

Impact of COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation on Social Media Virality: Content Analysis of Message Themes and Writing Strategies.

BACKGROUND: Vaccines serve an integral role in containing pandemics, yet vaccine hesitancy is prevalent globally. One key reason for this hesitancy is the pervasiveness of misinformation on social media. Although considerable research attention has been drawn to how exposure to misinformation is closely associated with vaccine hesitancy, little scholarly attention has been given to the investigation or robust theorizing of the various content themes pertaining to antivaccine misinformation about COVID-19 and the writing strategies in which these content themes are manifested. Virality of such content on social media exhibited in the form of comments, shares, and reactions has practical implications for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether there were differences in the content themes and writing strategies used to disseminate antivaccine misinformation about COVID-19 and their impact on virality on social media. METHODS: We constructed an antivaccine misinformation database from major social media platforms during September 2019-August 2021 to examine how misinformation exhibited in the form of content themes and how these themes manifested in writing were associated with virality in terms of likes, comments, and shares. Antivaccine misinformation was retrieved from two globally leading and widely cited fake news databases, COVID Global Misinformation Dashboard and International Fact-Checking Network Corona Virus Facts Alliance Database, which aim to track and debunk COVID-19 misinformation. We primarily focused on 140 Facebook posts, since most antivaccine misinformation posts on COVID-19 were found on Facebook. We then employed quantitative content analysis to examine the content themes (ie, safety concerns, conspiracy theories, efficacy concerns) and manifestation strategies of misinformation (ie, mimicking of news and scientific reports in terms of the format and language features, use of a conversational style, use of amplification) in these posts and their association with virality of misinformation in the form of likes, comments, and shares. RESULTS: Our study revealed that safety concern was the most prominent content theme and a negative predictor of likes and shares. Regarding the writing strategies manifested in content themes, a conversational style and mimicking of news and scientific reports via the format and language features were frequently employed in COVID-19 antivaccine misinformation, with the latter being a positive predictor of likes. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to a richer research-informed understanding of which concerns about content theme and manifestation strategy need to be countered on antivaccine misinformation circulating on social media so that accurate information on COVID-19 vaccines can be disseminated to the public, ultimately reducing vaccine hesitancy. The liking of COVID-19 antivaccine posts that employ language features to mimic news or scientific reports is perturbing since a large audience can be reached on social media, potentially exacerbating the spread of misinformation and hampering global efforts to combat the virus.