33 results
Search Results
2. Published a research paper? What next??
- Author
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Divecha CA, Tullu MS, and Karande S
- Subjects
- Humans, Publications
- Abstract
Competing Interests: None
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Published a research paper? What next??
- Author
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Chhaya Divecha, Sunil Karande, and Milind S. Tullu
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Editorial ,business.industry ,Publications ,MEDLINE ,Medicine ,Humans ,Medical physics ,General Medicine ,business - Published
- 2021
4. Mapping and visualizing the research contribution of India on telemedicine: A scientometric study.
- Author
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Behera P. K., Kaur P., Mishra S. S., and Mishra S. K.
- Subjects
MASS media ,BIBLIOMETRICS ,CONCEPT mapping ,INFORMATION display systems ,PROFESSIONAL employee training ,INTERPROFESSIONAL relations ,INTERNATIONAL agencies ,DATA analysis software ,TELEMEDICINE - Abstract
Background: The term "Telemedicine" is being used in the medical and health sector to treat patients and to provide medical guidance remotely. The intellectual output from India in terms of publications was harvested from Scopus® with the keyword "Telemedicine" and analyzed by using bibliometric techniques. Methods: The source data was downloaded from the Scopus® database. All the publications on telemedicine and indexed in the database up to the year 2021 were considered for scientometric analysis. The software tools VOSviewer® version 1.6.18 to visualize bibliometric networks, statistical software R Studio® version 3.6.1 with the Bibliometrix package Biblioshiny® were used for analysis and data visualization, and EdrawMind® was used for mind mapping. Result: India contributed 2,391 (4.32%) publications on telemedicine to a total of 55,304 publications worldwide until 2021. There were 886 (37.05%) papers that appeared in open access mode. The analysis revealed that the first paper was published in the year 1995 from India. Steep growth in the number of publications was observed in 2020 with 458 publications. The highest, 54 research publications, appeared in the "Journal of Medical Systems." The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, contributed the highest number of publications (n = 134). A considerable overseas collaboration was observed (USA: 11%; UK: 5.85%). Conclusions: This is the first such attempt to address the intellectual output of India in the emerging medical discipline of telemedicine and has yielded useful information such as leading authors, institutions, their impact, and year-wise topic trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. The art of referencing: Well begun is half done!
- Author
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Divecha, C, Tullu, M, and Karande, S
- Subjects
COMPUTER software ,SERIAL publications ,BIBLIOGRAPHY ,CITATION analysis ,BIBLIOGRAPHICAL citations ,HUMAN error ,INFORMATION storage & retrieval systems ,MEDICAL research - Abstract
The author discusses the significance of referencing in research right from the conception of the study question until its delivery as a publication. Topics covered include the preparations that a writer should take when organizing the reference to avoid bias in his/her research/writing, how to weigh references in terms of their value to the paper, and rules when choosing appropriate references.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. The development of QERM scoring system for comprehensive assessment of the Quality of Empirical Research in Medicine - Part 1.
- Author
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Research Quality Improvement GroupFNx01
- Subjects
EXPERIMENTAL design ,SCIENTIFIC observation ,RESEARCH evaluation ,RESEARCH methodology ,QUALITY assurance ,QUALITY of life ,EMPIRICAL research ,MEDICAL research - Abstract
Purpose: Whereas a large number of features are mentioned to connote the quality of medical research, no tool is available to comprehensively measure it objectively across different types of studies. Also, all the available tools are for reporting, and none includes quality of the inputs and the process of research. The present paper is aimed to initiate a discussion on the need to develop such a comprehensive scoring system (in the first place), to show that it is feasible, and to describe the process of developing a credible system. Method: An expert group comprising researchers, reviewers, and editors of medical journals extensively reviewed the literature on the quality of medical research and held detailed discussions to parse quality at all stages of medical research into specific domains and items that can be assigned scores on the pattern of quality-of-life score. Results: Besides identifying the domains of the quality of medical research, a comprehensive tool for scoring emerged that can be possibly used to objectively measure the quality of empirical research comprising surveys, trials, and observational studies. Thus, this can be used as a tool to assess Quality of Empirical Research in Medicine (QERM). The expert group confirmed its face and content validity. The tool can be used by the researchers for self-assessment and improvement before submission of a paper for publication, and the reviewers and editors can use this for assessing the submissions. Published papers can also be rated such as those included in a meta-analysis. Conclusion: It is feasible to devise a comprehensive scoring system comprising domains and items for assessing the quality of medical research end-to-end from choosing a problem to publication. The proposed scoring system needs to be reviewed by the researchers and needs to be validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Single parent adoption in India: Mental health and legal perspectives and the way forward.
- Author
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Ranjan, R, Nath, S, Jha, S, and Narasimha, V
- Subjects
ADOPTION & psychology ,ADOPTION laws ,MENTAL health personnel ,PSYCHOLOGY of adopted children ,ATTITUDES of medical personnel ,SINGLE parents ,ATTITUDES toward adoption ,CHILD psychiatry ,PSYCHOSOCIAL factors ,SINGLE men ,SINGLE women - Abstract
Single parent adoption (SPA) is a relatively new construct worldwide and in India. The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, has laid down criteria for adoption in general and SPA in particular, in conjunction with the Juvenile Justice Act (Care and Protection of Children), 2015. There is scant literature on this topic of SPA, more so in India, that looks into the various psychological nuances of SPA from a mental health professional's (MHP) perspective. This review paper aims to assess SPA from the perspective of a MHP that will focus on its various legal nuances as well as the psychological connotations attached to it. For this, a search strategy was employed that included a thorough literature search from two databases (PubMed and Google Scholar) with relevant keywords related to the topic. The various legal issues pertaining to SPA in the current scenario, the psychological issues and challenges faced by single parents, the behavioral outcomes of adoptees who are adopted by single parents, and ways to deal with the various obstacles of SPA are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Effect of mobile voice calls on treatment initiation among patients diagnosed with tuberculosis in a tertiary care hospital of Puducherry: A randomized controlled trial.
- Author
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Majella, M, Thekkur, P, Kumar, A, Chinnakali, P, Saka, V, and Roy, G
- Subjects
TUBERCULOSIS diagnosis ,CELL phones ,HEALTH care reminder systems ,EVALUATION of human services programs ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,TERTIARY care ,HEALTH outcome assessment ,RANDOMIZED controlled trials ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,STATISTICAL sampling ,TELEMEDICINE - Abstract
Objective: In India, about one third of tuberculosis (TB) patients diagnosed at tertiary hospitals are missed during a referral to peripheral health institutes for treatment. To address this, we assessed whether mobile voice call reminders to TB patients after diagnosis at a tertiary hospital decrease the proportion of "pretreatment loss to follow-up" (PTLFU), compared with the conventional paper-based referral. Design: A two-group parallel-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted. Setting: The study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital at Puducherry, South India. Participants: All newly diagnosed TB patients, both pulmonary and extrapulmonary, who were referred for treatment from the selected tertiary care hospital and possessed a mobile phone were eligible to participate. The participants were enrolled between March 2015 and June 2016 and were randomized to study groups using the block randomization with allocation concealment. Intervention: The participants in the intervention arm received standardized mobile voice calls reminding them to register for anti-TB treatment on the second and seventh day after referral in addition to the conventional paper-based referral received by the control group. Primary outcomes: Patients not started on anti-TB treatment within 14 days of referral were considered as PTLFU. The outcome of PTLFU was ascertained through phone calls made on the 14
th day after referral. The intention-to-treat analysis was used, and the proportion of PTLFU in the study groups and the risk difference with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Results: Of the 393 patients assessed for eligibility, 310 were randomized to the intervention (n = 155) and control (n = 155) arms. In the intervention arm, 14 (9%) out of 155 were PTLFU compared with 28 (18%) of the 155 patients in the control arm. The absolute risk difference was 9% (95% CI [1.5, 16.6], P = 0.01). Conclusion: Mobile voice call reminder to patients is a feasible intervention and can reduce PTLFU among referred TB patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Competency-based medical education and the McNamara fallacy: Assessing the important or making the assessed important?
- Author
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Singh, T and Shah, N
- Subjects
NATIONAL competency-based educational tests ,WORK environment ,HOSPITAL medical staff ,CURRICULUM ,EDUCATIONAL tests & measurements ,OUTCOME-based education ,CLINICAL competence ,MEDICAL education - Abstract
The McNamara fallacy refers to the tendency to focus on numbers, metrics, and quantifiable data while disregarding the meaningful qualitative aspects. The existence of such a fallacy in medical education is reviewed in this paper. Competency-based medical education (CBME) has been introduced in India with the goal of having Indian Medical Graduates competent in five different roles – Clinician, Communicator, Leader and member of the health care team, Professional, and Lifelong learner. If we only focus on numbers and structure to assess the competencies pertaining to these roles, we would be falling prey to the McNamara fallacy. To assess these roles in the real sense, we need to embrace the qualitative assessment methods and appreciate their value in competency-based education. This can be done by using various workplace-based assessments, choosing tools based on educational impact rather than psychometric properties, using narratives and descriptive evaluation, giving grades instead of marks, and improving the quality of the questions asked in various exams. There are challenges in adopting qualitative assessment starting with being able to move past the objective–subjective debate, to developing expertise in conducting and documenting such assessment, and adding the rigor of qualitative research methods to enhance its credibility. The perspective on assessment thus needs a paradigm shift – we need to assess the important rather than just making the assessed important; and this would be crucial for the success of the CBME curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Reply to Letter to Editor regarding the article, "Competency-based medical education and the McNamara fallacy: Assessing the important or making the assessed important?".
- Author
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Singh T. and Shah N.
- Subjects
NATIONAL competency-based educational tests ,WAR ,BINARY gender system ,CURRICULUM ,OUTCOME-based education ,CLINICAL competence ,MEDICAL education - Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. To restrict or not to restrict – Understanding the conundrum of dietary protein restriction in chronic kidney disease.
- Author
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Jamale, T and Bose, S
- Subjects
PROTEINS ,MEDICAL protocols ,MALNUTRITION ,FOOD consumption ,UREMIA ,CHRONIC kidney failure ,NUTRITIONAL status ,METABOLISM ,DIETARY proteins ,DIET therapy ,DIET in disease - Abstract
The author explores whether dietary protein should be or should not be restricted in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Topics discussed include historical background and physiological rationale of protein restriction in CKD patients, the protein restriction recommendation in the National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Nutrition, and the risk of malnutrition and its impact on patient survival.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Contribution of Indian publications to research in telemedicine.
- Author
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Tullu M. S.
- Subjects
PUBLISHING ,TELEMEDICINE ,MEDICAL research - Abstract
The author offers observation on research contribution of India on telemedicine. Topics discussed include findings of the study by P. K. Behera and colleagues, titled "Mapping and visualizing the research contribution of India on telemedicine: A scientometric study," role played by the Covid-19 pandemic in the popularity and acceptance of telemedicine, and applications for the use of telemedicine.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. How appropriate are referral letters written by school principals to a learning disability clinic? A retrospective audit.
- Author
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Karande, S and Rajiv, D
- Subjects
BEHAVIOR disorders ,RESEARCH funding ,SCHOOLS ,SCHOOL administrators ,RETROSPECTIVE studies ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,ACADEMIC achievement ,MEDICAL referrals ,WRITTEN communication ,LEARNING disabilities - Abstract
This retrospective study analyzed the quality of 1069 referral letters written by school principals to our learning disability clinic. Utilizing a self-devised checklist having four domains (with 26 items), the audit revealed that in only nine (34.6%) items, the necessary information was available in >90% of referral letters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. The development of QERM scoring system for comprehensive assessment of the Quality of Empirical Research in Medicine - Part 1
- Author
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S, Labani
- Subjects
Surveys and Questionnaires ,Humans ,Empirical Research - Abstract
Whereas a large number of features are mentioned to connote the quality of medical research, no tool is available to comprehensively measure it objectively across different types of studies. Also, all the available tools are for reporting, and none includes quality of the inputs and the process of research. The present paper is aimed to initiate a discussion on the need to develop such a comprehensive scoring system (in the first place), to show that it is feasible, and to describe the process of developing a credible system.An expert group comprising researchers, reviewers, and editors of medical journals extensively reviewed the literature on the quality of medical research and held detailed discussions to parse quality at all stages of medical research into specific domains and items that can be assigned scores on the pattern of quality-of-life score.Besides identifying the domains of the quality of medical research, a comprehensive tool for scoring emerged that can be possibly used to objectively measure the quality of empirical research comprising surveys, trials, and observational studies. Thus, this can be used as a tool to assess Quality of Empirical Research in Medicine (QERM). The expert group confirmed its face and content validity. The tool can be used by the researchers for self-assessment and improvement before submission of a paper for publication, and the reviewers and editors can use this for assessing the submissions. Published papers can also be rated such as those included in a meta-analysis.It is feasible to devise a comprehensive scoring system comprising domains and items for assessing the quality of medical research end-to-end from choosing a problem to publication. The proposed scoring system needs to be reviewed by the researchers and needs to be validated.
- Published
- 2022
15. Low degree of patient involvement in contemporary surgical research: A scoping review.
- Author
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Mojadeddi Z. M., Öberg S., and Rosenberg J.
- Subjects
ONLINE information services ,MEDICAL databases ,PUBLISHING ,PATIENT participation ,HUMAN research subjects ,MEDICAL information storage & retrieval systems ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,LITERATURE reviews ,MEDLINE ,MEDICAL research ,AUTHORSHIP ,MEDICAL literature - Abstract
Background: Patient and public involvement in research was introduced a few decades ago. However, there is still a lack of knowledge of the degree of patient involvement, particularly in surgical research. The aim of this review was to characterize the use of patient/public involvement in contemporary surgical research and to describe how patients were involved, if they gained authorships, and which countries studies came from. Methods: In this scoping review, original studies and reviews about surgery were included that had patient/ public involvement regarding study planning, conducting the study, and/or revising the manuscript. Screening was performed in the issues from 2021 of five general medicine journals with high-impact factors, also classically called "the big five," and in the ten surgical journals with the highest impact factor. Results: Of the 808 studies, 12 studies from three journals had patient involvement, corresponding to 1.7%. Patients were involved as participants in nine of the studies either in the designing of the study and/or in revising or approving the protocol; and in four studies in revising and/or approving the manuscript. One patient fulfilled the ICMJE authorship criteria and received a group authorship. Studies with patient involvement originated from six countries namely, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Norway, USA, and UK; with five studies from the UK. Conclusion: Patient involvement is very low in contemporary surgical research. It is primarily in the study planning phase, authorship is almost non-existent and few countries publish such studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Surgical trials in India, where do we stand?
- Author
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Khajanchi, M
- Subjects
- *
OPERATIVE surgery , *SERIAL publications , *RANDOMIZED controlled trials , *QUALITY assurance , *COST effectiveness - Abstract
The author comments on a study on the quality of surgical trials in India, which references a research paper published within the issue. Topics discussed include the challenges in conducting a double-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) in surgery, strategies that could minimize these challenges, and the association of good quality of RACT with studies that have been scrutinized by Institutional Review Boards.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Pulmonary complications of supracostal percutaneous nephrolithotomy – Must know facts for surgeons.
- Author
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Sharma, M
- Subjects
- *
PARALYSIS , *SURGICAL complications , *NEPHROSTOMY , *DIAPHRAGM (Anatomy) - Abstract
The article comments on a paper by A. Bhat and colleagues on a patient who developed a rare case of left diaphragmatic paresis after undergoing percutaneous supracostal nephrolithotomy. Topics mentioned include the mechanism and clinical implications of phrenic nerve injury, the associated complications of supracostal approach, and the use of three-dimensional bioprinted material to improve the skill and confidence of the surgeon.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Under-reporting of safety data – cause for concern.
- Author
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Gajbhiye, S
- Subjects
SAFETY ,STAKEHOLDER analysis ,ACQUISITION of data ,HEALTH outcome assessment ,ETHICS committees ,MEDICAL protocols ,RISK assessment ,DOCUMENTATION ,PATIENT safety - Abstract
The article comments on a study by M. Konwar and colleagues on the impact of under-reporting of safety data during the randomized clinical trials. Topics mentioned include the importance of incorporating the patient-reported outcome in the assessment of safety, the effect of under-reporting on the future systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and the lack of knowledge of the drug prescribers about the drug adverse reactions and drug safety.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Therapeutic drug monitoring of levetiracetam: Method validation using high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector technique and usefulness in patient care setting.
- Author
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Munshi R. P., Vishwakarma J. V., and Gawde N. R.
- Subjects
ANTICONVULSANTS ,CARBAMAZEPINE ,DRUG efficacy ,HIGH performance liquid chromatography ,COMBINATION drug therapy ,HETEROCYCLIC compounds ,EPILEPSY ,PREGNANT women ,PHENYTOIN ,RETROSPECTIVE studies ,DRUG monitoring ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,DRUG interactions ,ANALYTICAL chemistry techniques ,SEIZURES (Medicine) ,VALPROIC acid - Abstract
Objectives: To develop and validate a modified HPLC-UV method for the estimation of serum levetiracetam levels and to assess the usefulness of serum levetiracetam estimation in epileptic patients. Materials and Methods: Modification of a previously existing HPLC-UV method was performed using liquid-liquid phase extraction and processing using reverse phase analytic HPLC-UV detector technique followed by method validation. Serum samples of patients attending our hospital's Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Outpatient Department services were analyzed for levetiracetam levels using the study method. Data of the past 6 years (2015-2020) were descriptively analyzed. Results: The modified HPLC-UV method was validated as per ICH Q2 (R1) 2005 guidelines. Usefulness of levetiracetam estimation was assessed in 1383 patients (635 children, 683 adults, 40 elderly, and 25 pregnant women). Levetiracetam levels were within the therapeutic range (TR) in 520 children, 543 young adults, 35 elderly patients, and nine pregnant women. In 112 of 232 patients with low levetiracetam levels, poor compliance was elicited. Of 641 patients on polytherapy, 446 patients had levetiracetam values within TR, whereas 29 had values above and 166 patients had values less than TR. Sodium valproate, phenytoin sodium, and carbamazepine affected levetiracetam levels when given concomitantly. Levetiracetam dose was adjusted in 61 patients with abnormal levels for better clinical response. Good seizure control was noted in 913 (82.47%) patients whose levels were within TR, whereas 136 (58.62%) patients with low levels reported an increase in seizure frequency. Conclusions: The modified HPLC-UV method is simple, rapid, efficient, and reliable for assaying serum levetiracetam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Economic burden of limited English proficiency: A prevalence-based cost of illness study of its direct, indirect, and intangible costs.
- Author
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Karande, S, Gogtay, N, More, T, Sholapurwala, R, Pandit, S, and Waghmare, S
- Subjects
COMMUNICATION barriers ,CROSS-sectional method ,MULTIVARIATE analysis ,ATTENTION-deficit hyperactivity disorder ,COST analysis ,FINANCIAL stress ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,RESEARCH funding ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,SOCIAL status ,ECONOMIC aspects of diseases ,SOCIAL skills - Abstract
Aims: The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the economic burden of limited English proficiency (LEP) by estimating its direct, indirect, and intangible costs. A secondary objective was to assess the impact of variables on the economic burden. Design and Setting: A cross-sectional single-arm descriptive study conducted in a learning disability clinic in a public medical college in Mumbai. Subjects and Methods: The study cases (aged ≥8 years and ≤18 years) were recruited by non-probability sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to interview the parent to collect data related to direct and indirect costs. Intangible cost data were collected by documenting the willingness-to-pay value using the contingent valuation technique. Statistical Analysis Used: A multivariate regression model was used to assess the impact of predictor variables on the costs. Results: The direct, indirect, and intangible costs due to LEP were Indian Rupees (INR) 826,736, 3,828,220, and 1,906,300, respectively. Indirect costs comprised 82.2% of the total costs. Expenditure on tuition and remedial education comprised 39.86% and 14.08% of the indirect and direct costs, respectively. The average annual learning disability clinic costs were INR 2,169,146. The average annual total costs per student were INR 42,102. Higher socioeconomic status was predictive of increased "indirect costs", "total costs", and "intangible costs." Conclusion: LEP is a cost-intensive condition (indirect > intangible > direct costs). Non-medical costs are the costliest component of direct costs. Parental loss of earnings is the costliest component of indirect costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Parental-perceived health-related quality of life of school students with borderline intellectual functioning: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
- Author
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Karande, S, Gogtay, N, More, T, Pandit, S, and Praveenkumar
- Subjects
PARENT attitudes ,PARENTS of children with disabilities ,CROSS-sectional method ,MULTIPLE regression analysis ,MULTIVARIATE analysis ,PSYCHOSOCIAL factors ,QUALITY of life ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,PEOPLE with intellectual disabilities ,SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors ,STATISTICAL sampling - Abstract
Background and Objectives: Students with borderline intellectual functioning ("slow learners") underperform in all school subjects. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the parental-perceived health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of these students. Its secondary objective was to analyze the impact of sociodemographic variables on their HRQoL. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional single-arm questionnaire-based study was conducted in the learning disability clinic in a public medical college in Mumbai. Subjects and Methods: One hundred parents of slow learners aged 8 to 16 years were recruited by non-probability sampling. Their HRQoL scores were measured using the English DISABKIDS chronic generic module parent (proxy) long-version ("DCGM-37-P") instrument. Statistical Analysis: Multiple regression analysis was carried out for determining the "independent" impact that sociodemographic variables had on a poor facet and total score outcomes. Results: Clinically significant deficits were detected in 4 facets, namely: small deficit in "social inclusion"; medium deficits in "independence", "emotion", and "social exclusion"; and large deficit in "total score". Multivariate analysis revealed that: (i) being an only child predicted a poor "emotion" and "social exclusion" facet score outcomes (P = 0.039 and P = 0.024, respectively); (ii) being a female predicted a poor "social inclusion" facet score outcome (P = 0.022); and, (iii) studying in a single-gender school predicted a poor "limitation" facet score outcome (P = 0.020). Conclusions: Parents of slow learners perceive their psychosocial and total HRQoL to be significantly compromised. There is a need to evaluate the HRQoL of slow learners so that optimum rehabilitation can be facilitated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Leveraging mHealth intervention to ensure initiation of treatment for tuberculosis.
- Author
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Keshri, V
- Subjects
TUBERCULOSIS ,TELEMEDICINE - Abstract
An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the potential of using a mobile voice call follow-up on treatment initiation among tuberculosis (TB) patients in India.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. An audit of safety reporting in randomized controlled trials over a five-year period in a high impact factor journal.
- Author
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Konwar, M, Mamde, A, Patankar, P, Thatte, U, and Gogtay, N
- Subjects
AUDITING ,ONLINE information services ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,PERIODICAL articles ,MEDLINE ,ODDS ratio ,PATIENT safety ,IMPACT factor (Citation analysis) - Abstract
Background: Randomized controlled trials [RCTs] form the corner-stone of evidence-based medicine. RCTs published in high impact factor journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine [NEJM] are a key driver of clinical practice and policy decisions. RCTs are expected to report both efficacy and safety, however, safety reporting in many studies tends to be poor. The present audit was undertaken with the primary objective of evaluating safety reporting during a five-year period in all RCTs published in the NEJM. Methods: PubMed alone was searched for RCTs published in NEJM from 2013-17. Each RCT was searched for the following outcome measures –whether the trial was sponsored by pharmaceutical industry or investigator initiated, phase of trial, nature of intervention and therapeutic area in terms of reporting of safety outcomes [with 'P values' or '95% confidence interval']. Results: A total of n=623 articles reported safety outcomes of which 275/623 (44.1%) articles reported statistics for safety outcome. There was significant difference in reporting of safety statistics between investigator initiated studies and pharmaceutical industry sponsored studies, [cOR=4.0, 95% CI 2.8- 5.5 P < 0.001]; phase 3 and phase 4 trials, [cOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.5 - 0.9, P = 0.02]; trials involving drugs and surgery, [ cOR 2.07, 95% CI 1.2-3.5, P = 0.01] and in therapeutic areas, cardiovascular and oncology [cOR 0.26, 95% CI 0.1-0.4, P < 0.0001]. Conclusions: Safety reporting in RCTs continues to take a back seat relative to efficacy reporting and is worse for pharmaceutical industry funded studies. Safety reporting should be emphasized in the CONSORT guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Tyrosine kinase domain mutations in chronic myelogenous leukemia patients: A single center experience.
- Author
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Bommannan, K, Naseem, S, Binota, J, Varma, N, Malhotra, P, and Varma, S
- Subjects
TREATMENT of chronic myeloid leukemia ,GENETIC mutation ,DRUG resistance ,CANCER patients ,PROTEIN-tyrosine kinases ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,DATA analysis software ,POLYMERASE chain reaction - Abstract
Introduction: Despite the impressive responses achieved with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy, treatment resistance develops in 16–33% of patients of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Of the BCR-ABL1 dependent mechanisms, mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) are the commonest cause of resistance. Material and Methods: Allele specific oligonucleotide - polymerase chain reaction (ASO-PCR) was done for testing the six common TKD mutations, T315I, G250E, E255K, M244V, M351T, and Y253F. Results and Conclusion: TKD mutation study was done on 83 patients. Of these 44 (53%) were positive for one or more mutations. On analyzing specific mutations, E255K was the commonest mutation seen in 24 (29%) cases, followed by T315I in 23(28%) cases. Y253F mutation was not seen in the present study sample. In the present cohort of 83 patients, 29 (35%) cases were positive for single mutation, 12 (14%) had two mutations and 3 (4%) had three mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Developing a competency-based undergraduate logbook for pediatrics: Process and lessons.
- Author
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Singh, T, Aulakh, R, Gupta, P, and Chhatwal, J
- Subjects
AFFECT (Psychology) ,PEDIATRICS ,CURRICULUM ,HUMAN services programs ,EDUCATIONAL tests & measurements ,UNDERGRADUATES ,LEARNING strategies ,OUTCOME-based education - Abstract
With the first MBBS batch admitted under the new National Medical Commission (NMC) undergraduate curriculum entering pediatric clinical posting soon, creation of a Pediatric logbook in consonance with this competency-based curriculum was felt to be a need of the hour. No such document is yet available in the public domain. The logbook template, created after enormous brainstorming amongst authors, includes 176 Shows (S), Shows How (SH) and Perform (P) level competencies. These were further segregated into certifiable (23), affective domain (25) and clinic/field visits (9) leaving 51 as documentable competencies. The institutions may use this template to build their own institute-specific logbook based on the infrastructure, faculty strength, clinical patient load, student intake and preferred assessment method(s). It would also be worthwhile to integrate this with the internship logbook (and later the postgraduate one for students opting for post-graduation in pediatrics) to provide a longitudinal record of each student's trajectory of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Is the rural population of Puducherry district healthy in terms of the burden of non-communicable diseases? Findings from a cross-sectional analytical survey.
- Author
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Sivanantham, P, Sahoo, J, Lakshminarayanan, S, Bobby, Z, and Kar, S
- Subjects
NON-communicable diseases ,DISEASE clusters ,HYPERTENSION ,OBESITY ,CLUSTER sampling ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,ALCOHOLISM ,RURAL conditions ,CROSS-sectional method ,DIABETES ,EVIDENCE-based medicine ,BLOOD sugar ,INGESTION ,RISK assessment ,SURVEYS ,PHYSICAL activity ,CHOLESTEROL ,TOBACCO ,DISEASE risk factors - Abstract
Introduction: Epidemiological transition remains a key contributor to the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across developing nations. Population-specific NCD risk factors estimates derived using World Health Organization (WHO) 'STEP-wise approach' are crucial for devising evidence-based public health interventions to combat NCDs. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of behavioral and biological risk factors for NCDs among the rural adult population of Puducherry district in India. Methodology: STEPS survey was conducted by following all three steps (behavioral, physical measurements and biochemical risk factors) of NCD risk factor assessment. A total of 790 participants were selected from 50 villages through multistage cluster sampling method. STEPS instrument was used to assess behavioral risk factors, physical measurements and biochemical (fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol) risk factors. Results: Tobacco use and alcohol consumption were present among 11.3% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 9-13.6%) and 19.2% (95% CI: 16.5-22.4%) of the population, respectively. Low physical activity, inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, overweight and obesity were observed among 29.3% (95% CI: 26.2-32.7%), 89.8% (95% CI: 87.6-92%), 15.6% (95% CI: 13.1-18.3%) and 38.9% (95% CI: 35.4-42.2%), respectively. About 28.2% (95% CI: 25.2-31.6%) had hypertension and 24.4% (95% CI: 20-29%) had diabetes mellitus. Abdominal obesity was twice highly prevalent among women. Tobacco and alcohol use were more common among men, whereas low physical activity, obesity and hypercholesterolemia were higher among women. Conclusion: Public health interventions to promote healthy lifestyle need to be initiated especially to increase physical activity, intake for fruits and vegetables, and quitting of tobacco and alcohol consumption in the rural population of Puducherry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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27. Sequelae of COVID-19 pneumonia: Is it correct to label everything as post-COVID lung fibrosis?
- Author
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Garg, M, Maralakunte, M, and Dhooria, S
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VIRAL pneumonia ,PATIENT aftercare ,COVID-19 ,CHEST X rays ,INTERSTITIAL lung diseases ,RISK assessment ,DIAGNOSTIC imaging ,PULMONARY function tests ,PULMONARY fibrosis ,COMPUTED tomography ,DISEASE risk factors ,DISEASE complications - Abstract
One of the common long-term consequences observed in survivors of COVID-19 pneumonia is the persistence of respiratory symptoms and/or radiological lung abnormalities. The exact prevalence of these post-COVID pulmonary changes is yet unclear. Few authors, based on their early observations, have labeled these persistent computed tomography (CT) abnormalities as post-COVID lung fibrosis, which appears to be an overstatement. Lately, it is being observed that many of the changes seen in post-COVID lungs are temporary and tend to show resolution on follow-up, with only a few developing into lung fibrosis. Thus, based on the presumptive diagnosis of lung fibrosis, these patients should not be blindly started on anti-fibrotic drugs. One must not forget that these drugs can do more harm than good, if used injudiciously. It is better to use the term "post-COVID interstitial lung changes", which covers a broader spectrum of pulmonary changes seen in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 pneumonia. At the same time, it is essential to identify the sub-set of COVID-19 survivors who are at an increased risk of developing lung fibrosis and to carefully chalk out management strategies so as to modify the course of the disease and prevent irreversible damage. Meticulous and systematic longitudinal follow-up studies consisting of clinical, laboratory, imaging, and pulmonary function tests are needed for the exact estimation of the burden of lung fibrosis, to understand the nature of residual pulmonary changes, and to predict the likelihood of development of lung fibrosis in COVID-19 survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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28. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management of surgical patients presenting in an emergency setting -Report from a tertiary referral centre.
- Author
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Deshpande, A, Das, A, Deotale, S, and Takalkar, Y
- Subjects
REVERSE transcriptase polymerase chain reaction ,HOSPITAL emergency services ,SURGERY ,PATIENTS ,TERTIARY care ,RETROSPECTIVE studies ,POLYMERASE chain reaction ,COVID-19 testing ,COVID-19 pandemic - Abstract
Introduction: At the onset of the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the publications on managing surgical emergencies were sparse. Health care personnel were facing an unprecedented problem with limited information. On this background, we have reviewed the operational challenges faced and the protocols followed by us while managing emergency surgical patients. The clinical presentations, RT-PCR testing rates, trend of COVID-19 positivity in emergency surgical patients and its comparison to the general population, swab positivity among screen positive and negative patients, grade of COVID-19 affection, the outcomes in emergency surgical patients, and COVID-19 affection in treating personnel is studied. Patients and Methods: A protocol for triaging patients at presentation into screen positive or negative for COVID-19 was instituted. A proforma for all admitted patients over the period of March 2020 to August 2020 was maintained. A retrospective review of this data was carried out after Institutional Ethics Committee permission. Results: A total of 222 patients presented to the surgical emergency, of which 110 required admission. Of the admitted patients, 28 were COVID-19 positive. The positivity amongst admitted and operated patients increased to 50% and 66.67%, respectively in August. The difference in mortality rate amongst the operated COVID-19 positive (11.1%) and negative (14.28%) patients was nonsignificant. None of the treating doctors had to be quarantined during this period. Conclusions: The number of COVID-19 positive patients rose serially over the study period. The outcome was not affected by the COVID-19 status in mild cases. A high rate of COVID-19 positivity was seen in patients requiring emergency surgery. Universal precautions ensured delivering treatment to emergency patients in standard time. Testing should continue for all as screening alone is not effective as the virus spreads into the population. Proper protocols helped us to protect the health care workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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29. Private medical autopsies - The road ahead!
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Aggrawal A.
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AUTOPSY laws ,ACADEMIC medical centers ,FORENSIC pathology ,PRIVATE sector ,MEDICAL care ,MEDICAL practice ,PROPRIETARY hospitals - Abstract
The author offers observation on significance of doing medicolegal work including autopsies in private medical colleges in India. Topics discussed include legal provision in Scotland about autopsy, example that Indian law is not against privatization of medicolegal services, and opportunities for private medical colleges to conduct autopsies and for the overall privatization of medicolegal work/autopsies.
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- 2023
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30. Lessons learnt from therapeutic drug monitoring of levetiracetam.
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Rege N. N.
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ANTICONVULSANTS ,HIGH performance liquid chromatography ,HETEROCYCLIC compounds ,EPILEPSY ,DRUG monitoring - Abstract
The author discusses an article by R. P. Munshi and colleagues, published in the issue, which reported their experience in developing and validating a modified HPLC-UV method for the estimation of serum levetiracetam levels and assessing its usefulness in epileptic patients. Topics include background on levetiracetam, reference range considered by Munshi and colleagues, and observation on therapeutic drug concentration monitoring (TDM) of levetiracetam.
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- 2023
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31. Levetiracetam-induced gingival hyperplasia.
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James, J, Jose, J, and Gafoor, V
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ANTICONVULSANTS ,ORAL hygiene ,HYPERPLASIA ,NEUROTRANSMITTERS ,TREATMENT effectiveness ,GINGIVAL hyperplasia - Abstract
Levetiracetam is a new generation antiseizure medication which binds to synaptic vesicle protein SV2A and inhibits the release of neurotransmitters. Gingival hyperplasia is a common side effect of conventional antiseizure medications like phenytoin, but very rare with the newer ones. A 14-year-old boy was started on levetiracetam 250 mg twice daily after a generalized seizure. Five days later he presented with gingival swelling and painful oral aphthae, without lymphadenopathy or systemic symptoms. Blood investigations were normal. After one-month of stopping the drug, the lesions cleared. This case highlights the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene and periodic dental review in patients on antiseizure medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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32. Competency-based medical education and the McNamara fallacy: Assessing the important or making the assessed important?
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T, Singh and N, Shah
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General Medicine - Abstract
The McNamara fallacy refers to the tendency to focus on numbers, metrics, and quantifiable data while disregarding the meaningful qualitative aspects. The existence of such a fallacy in medical education is reviewed in this paper. Competency-based medical education (CBME) has been introduced in India with the goal of having Indian Medical Graduates competent in five different roles - Clinician, Communicator, Leader and member of the health care team, Professional, and Lifelong learner. If we only focus on numbers and structure to assess the competencies pertaining to these roles, we would be falling prey to the McNamara fallacy. To assess these roles in the real sense, we need to embrace the qualitative assessment methods and appreciate their value in competency-based education. This can be done by using various workplace-based assessments, choosing tools based on educational impact rather than psychometric properties, using narratives and descriptive evaluation, giving grades instead of marks, and improving the quality of the questions asked in various exams. There are challenges in adopting qualitative assessment starting with being able to move past the objective-subjective debate, to developing expertise in conducting and documenting such assessment, and adding the rigor of qualitative research methods to enhance its credibility. The perspective on assessment thus needs a paradigm shift - we need to assess the important rather than just making the assessed important; and this would be crucial for the success of the CBME curriculum.
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- 2022
33. The development of QERM scoring system for comprehensive assessment of the Quality of Empirical Research in Medicine - Part 1.
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- Humans, Empirical Research, Surveys and Questionnaires
- Abstract
Purpose: Whereas a large number of features are mentioned to connote the quality of medical research, no tool is available to comprehensively measure it objectively across different types of studies. Also, all the available tools are for reporting, and none includes quality of the inputs and the process of research. The present paper is aimed to initiate a discussion on the need to develop such a comprehensive scoring system (in the first place), to show that it is feasible, and to describe the process of developing a credible system., Method: An expert group comprising researchers, reviewers, and editors of medical journals extensively reviewed the literature on the quality of medical research and held detailed discussions to parse quality at all stages of medical research into specific domains and items that can be assigned scores on the pattern of quality-of-life score., Results: Besides identifying the domains of the quality of medical research, a comprehensive tool for scoring emerged that can be possibly used to objectively measure the quality of empirical research comprising surveys, trials, and observational studies. Thus, this can be used as a tool to assess Quality of Empirical Research in Medicine (QERM). The expert group confirmed its face and content validity. The tool can be used by the researchers for self-assessment and improvement before submission of a paper for publication, and the reviewers and editors can use this for assessing the submissions. Published papers can also be rated such as those included in a meta-analysis., Conclusion: It is feasible to devise a comprehensive scoring system comprising domains and items for assessing the quality of medical research end-to-end from choosing a problem to publication. The proposed scoring system needs to be reviewed by the researchers and needs to be validated., Competing Interests: None
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- 2022
- Full Text
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