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Copyright of Adicciones is the property of Sociedad Cientifica Espanola de Estudios sobre el Alcohol and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background The modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 3 months is established as the primary outcome measure in clinical stroke trials. Traditionally, the mRS is assessed through an unstructured face-to-face interview. This approach can be labor-intensive and lead to suboptimal inter-rater reliability. Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic made face-to-face contact even more challenging. To address these issues, we developed and validated a structured German-language questionnaire for mRS testing by telephone. Methods In this prospective cohort study, we compared the mRS testing results of the standard face-to-face interview with those obtained in a structured interview by telephone using Cohen’s Kappa. Results At our tertiary care stroke center, we included 108 patients who underwent both assessments. In 80.6% of cases (87/108) face-to-face and telephone interview reached identical scores. Linear weighted Kappa was 0.82 (p

Background: The modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 3 months is established as the primary outcome measure in clinical stroke trials. Traditionally, the mRS is assessed through an unstructured face-to-face interview. This approach can be labor-intensive and lead to suboptimal inter-rater reliability. Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic made face-to-face contact even more challenging. To address these issues, we developed and validated a structured German-language questionnaire for mRS testing by telephone. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we compared the mRS testing results of the standard face-to-face interview with those obtained in a structured interview by telephone using Cohen's Kappa. Results: At our tertiary care stroke center, we included 108 patients who underwent both assessments. In 80.6% of cases (87/108) face-to-face and telephone interview reached identical scores. Linear weighted Kappa was 0.82 (p < 0.001). Unweighted Kappa for dichotomized mRS between fair (0–2) and poor (3–6) functional outcome was κ = 0.97 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study validates the use of the German-language structured telephone interview as a reliable instrument for the use in clinical trials. We encourage others to utilize the questionnaire. It is available as an Appendix (Additional file 1) to this publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of New Economics & Social Sciences (IJONESS) is the property of International Institute of Innovation Science-Education-Development in Warsaw and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives The use of telephone surveys to explore people's oral health and its determinants is gaining popularity around the world. In Iran, several oral health surveys have been carried out using telephone interviews, each providing unique perspectives on the subject. This study aimed to examine the context, methodology, and findings of these surveys. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted on online databases, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, MagIran, and IranMedex, supplemented by a free online lookup, to find available oral health studies in Iran involving telephone interviews up to June 2023. The literature was investigated with respect to the background setting, study design, outcomes, and other pertinent content. Results Thirteen papers, both published and unpublished, from eight studies were identified, spanning from 2006 to 2023. The primary target groups were predominantly the entire adult population of the respective cities. All studies that mentioned their call settings used fixed telephone lines. The calculated sample sizes ranged from 368 to 1475, with the number of participants varying from 302 to 1475. The ratio of completed interviews to answered calls fluctuated between 41% and 100%. A significant disparity was noted in the reporting of sample size calculations and response rates among the studies included. Conclusion A relatively small number of oral health surveys have been conducted via telephone in Iran. The reported benefits and disadvantages of using phone calls for interviews suggest that the advantages outweigh the drawbacks, thus garnering interest in using this method in the country. It is recommended that the design of these studies follow a clear and comprehensive approach, thereby facilitating easier interpretation, comparison, and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has caused limitations, in patients’ accessibility in clinical and research settings. We sought whether telenutrition could be applied interchangeably with face-to-face interview for dietary intake assessment by 24-hour recall in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Sixty-eight females with T2DM aged 50-55 years were enrolled randomly in a descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study. The patients completed three consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. The first one was a face-to-face interview, and the subsequent two recalls were conducted by telephone call. The total energy and 18 selected nutrients intake were calculated for the three interviews. Results: The mean (±SD) age of participants was 53.97±2.14 years. The face-to-face interview resulted in significantly higher total energy and 18 selected nutrients intake than the two telenutrition interviews (P value range: 0.031 - 0.001). No significant differences were found between the data provided from the two telenutrition interviews. Conclusion: Telenutrition underreports and underestimates the total energy and nutrient intakes compared with the face-to-face interview in the 24-hour dietary recall. Therefore, it cannot be recommended to be applied interchangeably with a face-to-face interview for dietary intake assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in patients whose nutrition assessment is of clinical importance. A combination of the two methods using new communication applications (e.g. WhatsApp) may cover the defects of telenutrition method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveThe study aimed to test the reliability of a semi-structured telephone interview for the classification of headache disorders according to the ICHD-3.BackgroundQuestionnaire-based screening tools are often optimized for single primary headache diagnoses [e.g., migraine (MIG) and tension headache (TTH)] and therefore insufficiently represent the diagnostic precision of the ICHD-3, which limits epidemiological research of rare headache disorders. Brief semi-structured telephone interviews could be an effective alternative to improve classification.MethodsA patient population representative of different primary and secondary headache disorders (n = 60) was recruited from the outpatient clinic (HSA) of a tertiary care headache center. These patients completed an established population-based questionnaire for the classification of MIG, TTH, or trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC). In addition, they received a semi-structured telephone interview call from three blinded headache specialists individually. The agreement of diagnoses made either using the questionnaires or interviews with the HSA diagnoses was evaluated.ResultsOf the 59 patients (n = 1 dropout), 24% had a second-order and 5% had a third-order headache disorder. The main diagnoses were as follows: frequent primary headaches with 61% MIG, 10% TAC, 9% TTH, and 5% rare primary and 16% secondary headaches. Second-order diagnosis was chronic migraine throughout, and third-order diagnoses were medication overuse headache and TTH. Agreement between main headaches from the HSA was significantly better for the telephone interview than for the questionnaire (questionnaire: κ = 0.330; interview: κ = 0.822; p < 0.001). Second-order diagnoses were not adequately captured by questionnaires, while there was a trend for good agreement with the telephone interview (κ = 0.433; p = 0.074). Headache frequency and psychiatric comorbidities were independent predictors of HSA and telephone interview agreement. Male sex, headache frequency, severity, and depressive disorders were independently predictive for agreement between the questionnaire and HSA. The telephone interview showed high sensitivity (≥71%) and specificity (≥92%) for all primary headache disorders, whereas the questionnaire was below 50% in either sensitivity or specificity.ConclusionThe semi-structured telephone interview appears to be a more reliable tool for accurate diagnosis of headache disorders than self-report questionnaires. This offers the potential to improve epidemiological headache research and care even in underserved areas.

Background: Hospitals worldwide implemented visitor restrictions policies due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Aim: To investigate the impact of visitor restrictions experienced by non-Covid-19 orthopaedic patients, their relatives, and health professionals from a person-centred practice (PCP) perspective. Methods: Seventy-eight patients/relatives completed a self-reported survey. Template Analysis was conducted on twenty-five telephone interviews and one focus group interview. Findings: Despite accepting the restrictions for the country's good, we found a profound need for visits among the relatives. However, one-fifth of the patients were content, and one-third got more rest than earlier admissions. We uncovered a current readiness to develop an organisational PCP culture focused on the good of the patient. All stakeholders were attentive to the importance of the relatives' role, and the need for the involvement of relatives as team players became evident. Conclusion: The study emphasised the need for PCP strategies to involve relatives when visitor restrictions are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rechtsmedizin is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

AIM: To analyze the role of preoperative telephone interview in the cancellation rate for ophthalmic daytime surgery. METHODS: A prospective, single center study was conducted to compare and analyze the cancellation of daytime surgery in two time periods. The control group was from June 2018 to June 2019, only routine nursing and health education were implemented. The patient in the intervention group were from October 2019 to October 2020, add the telephone interview of the day before operation was added by the nurses in the ophthalmic operating room. RESULTS: The main reasons for canceling the operation included upper respiratory tract infection, abnormal blood glucose, abnormal blood pressure and physiological period, abnormal preoperative examination results, and patients didn't follow the doctor's advice to use preoperative eye drops. In the control group, there were 16 974 cases scheduled for daytime operation, 16 332 cases actually operated, and the cancellation rate of operation was 3.78%(642 cases cancelled). In the intervention group, 17 694 cases were scheduled for daytime operation, and 17 296 cases were actually operated, with the cancellation rate of 2.25%(398 cases cancelled). The disease distribution and cancellation reasons of the two groups were statistically significant(P

Between April 2019 and September 2020, 23,001 people aged 15 or over responded to questions about their health and living conditions for the German Health Update (GEDA 2019/2020-EHIS). The results are representative of the German resident population aged 15 or above. The response rate was 21.6%. The study used a questionnaire based on the third wave of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS), which was carried out in all EU member states. EHIS consists of four modules on health status, health care provision, health determinants, and socioeconomic variables. The data are collected in a harmonised manner and therefore have a high degree of international comparability. They constitute an important source of information for European health policy and health reporting and are made available by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat). They also form the basis of the Federal Health Reporting undertaken in Germany. Data collection began in April 2019, just under a year before the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and continued into its initial phase, as of March 2020. As such, data from the current GEDA wave can also be used to conduct research into the health impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Abstract Background Social stigma against persons infected with COVID-19 is not uncommon. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experience of social stigma among COVID-19 positive patients and their family members. Method This cross-sectional study was conducted between April to June 2020 in Malaysia. Patients who have recovered from COVID-19 for at least 1 month and their family members who were tested with negative results, Malaysian and aged 18–65 years old were purposively sampled. Cold call method was employed to recruit patients while their family members were recruited by their recommendations. Telephone interviews were conducted with the participants after obtaining their verbal consent. Results A total of 18 participants took part in this study. Three themes emerged from the interviews: (Ι) experience of stigmatization, (ΙΙ) perspective on disease disclosure, and (ΙΙΙ) suggestion on coping and reducing stigma. The participants expressed their experiences of being isolated, labelled, and blamed by the people surrounding them including the health care providers, neighbours, and staff at the service counters. Some respondents expressed their willingness to share their experience with others by emphasizing the importance of taking preventive measure in order to stop the chain of virus transmission and some of them chose to disclose this medical history for official purpose because of fear and lack of understanding among the public. As suggested by the respondents, the approaches in addressing social stigma require the involvement of the government, the public, health care provider, and religious leader. Conclusion Individuals recovered from COVID-19 and their families experienced social stigma. Fear and lack of public understanding of the COVID-19 disease were the key factors for non-disclosure. Some expressed their willingness to share their experience as they perceived it as method to increase public awareness and thereby reducing social stigma. Multifaceted approaches with the involvement of multiple parties including the government, non-governmental organization as well as the general public were recommended as important measures to address the issues of social stigma.

Background: Dementia is a growing public health problem worldwide, and its early detection can help to manage the disease more effectively. This study aimed to validate the Persian version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-modified (TICS-m) questionnaire in older adults in the northeast of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was accomplished as part of the Neyshabur Longitudinal Study on Ageing (NeLSA) from January to May 2019. The translated Persian version of TICS-m was tested for content and face validity. The construct validity of the questionnaire was also assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with the extraction method of principal component analysis (PCA) and Oblimin rotation. Results: A total of 210 community-dwelling adults (aged≥ 50; meanage: 59.6±6.8 years) were registered in the NeLSA. The content validity ratio (CVR) of all items in the TICS-m questionnaire was higher than 0.62. The content validity index (CVI) of the three items was less than 0.78; so, these items were revised and replaced with alternative words. The face validity of the questionnaire was also confirmed. According to the results of EFA, the six extracted factors accounted for 68.8% of the total variance. Conclusions: Our results revealed that the construct validity of the Persian version of the TICS-m is satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to investigate how leading dentists and their superiors view oral health care quality, as they are in key positions to pursue high-quality care. We interviewed five leading dentists and three of their superiors from Southern Finland via semi-structured telephone interviews including themes based on the Institute of Medicine's six quality dimensions. The material was analysed using theory-driven content analysis. Participants divided safety into occupational, instrumental and patient safety and considered timeliness as timing treatment clinically correctly. They also linked timeliness to patient-centeredness with wider opening-hours and quick access to care. Effective care was considered as a prerequisite for efficiency. Participants saw effectiveness as treating the illness, not the number of treatment measures. Leading dentists took survival time of fillings and cost per operation as a measurement of efficiency, and the superiors measured efficiency by the number of treated patients or visits. The leading dentists considered the equal treatment of patients, whereas the superiors took the amount of care provided with public resources and co-workers into consideration. The participants shared similar views of oral health care quality which should enable cooperation. Observed minor differences relate to professional background and leading positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Declining response rates are a common challenge to epidemiological research. Response rates further are particularly low among young people. We thus aimed to identify factors associated with health survey response among young employees using different data collection methods. Methods We included fully register-based data to identify key socioeconomic, workplace and health-related factors associated with response to a health survey collected via online and mailed questionnaires. Additionally, telephone interviews were conducted for those who had not responded via online or to the mailed survey. The survey data collection was done in autumn 2017 among young employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland (18–39 years, target population n = 11,459). Results The overall response to the survey was 51.5% (n = 5898). The overall findings suggest that differences in the distributions of socioeconomic, workplace and health-related factors between respondents in the online or mailed surveys, or telephone interviews, are relatively minor. Telephone interview respondents were of lower socioeconomic position, which helped improve representativeness of the entire cohort. Despite the general broad representativeness of the data, some socioeconomic and health-related factors contributed to response. Thus, non-respondents were more often men, manual workers, from the lowest income quartile, had part-time jobs, and had more long sickness absence spells. In turn, job contract (permanent or temporary) and employment sector did not affect survey response. Conclusions Despite a general representativeness of data of the target population, socioeconomically more disadvantaged and those with long sickness absence, are slightly overrepresented among non-respondents. This suggests that when studying the associations between social factors and health, the associations can be weaker than if complete data were available representing all socioeconomic groups.

It is hardly possible to conduct a standardized interview in ideal conditions for it is a part of everyday interactions. Therefore, deviations from standardization, bias and mistakes in communication are the realities of public opinion polls. Key biases in information transfer are mainly determined by the characteristics of the respondent (age, sex, education, social status, etc.) and his behavior. However, the interviewer behavior is also important which explains the attention of methodological works to the interviewer effect, his actions and attitudes that lead to serious mistakes in measurement or recruiting. In verbal interaction, the interviewer can explain survey questions in his own way, comment or clarify responses. Standardization can also be violated by other circumstances such as interruptions in telephone network, intervention of third parties, technical problems (software malfunction), structure of the questionnaire and so on. Thus, there are three main sources of measurement error in the standardized interview: respondent, interviewer, and context. The qualified and experienced interviewer more successfully identify problems and find ways to solve them and repair communication. The article presents examples of such ways from the database of transcripts of three RDD ACATI surveys conducted by the Laboratory for Social Research Methodology of the Russian Presidential Academy for National Economy and Public Administration in 2017 to identify key types of successful interviewer decisions. They are considered in three dimensions: adequate responses, communication and standardization. Thus, successful interview is not just a completed questionnaire but also relevant answers, informed consent and positive emotional attitude.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) can have a profound impact on patients' lives. However, multinational data on patients' lived experience with CKD are scarce., Methods: Individuals from the prospective cohort of DISCOVER CKD (NCT04034992), an observational cohort study, were recruited to participate in one-to-one telephone interviews to explore their lived experience with CKD. A target of 100 participant interviews was planned across four countries (Japan, Spain, the UK, and the USA). These qualitative interviews, lasting ∼60-90 min, were conducted in the local language by trained interviewers with specific experience in CKD, between January and June 2023. Transcribed interviews were translated into English for coding and analysis. Data were coded using qualitative research software., Results: Of the 105 participants interviewed, 103 were included in the final analysis. The average time since CKD diagnosis was 9.5 years, and at least half (50.5%) of participants had CKD stage 3A or 3B. CKD diagnosis was an emotional experience, driven by worry (n = 29/103; 28.2%) and shock (n = 26/103; 25.2%), and participants often reported feeling inadequately informed. Additional information was frequently sought, either online or via other healthcare providers. The proportion of participants reporting no impacts of CKD on their lives was highest in those with CKD stage 1 and 2 (64.3%). Conversely, every participant in the CKD stage 5 on dialysis group reported some impact of CKD on their lives. Across all participants, the most reported impacts were anxiety or depression (37.9%) or ability to sleep (37.9%). The frequency of the reported impacts appeared to increase with disease severity, with the highest rates observed in the dialysis group. In that group, the most frequently reported impact was on the ability to work (80.0%)., Conclusion: Findings from this multinational qualitative study suggest that patients may experience symptoms and signs of disease prior to diagnosis; however, these are often nonspecific and may not be directly associated with CKD. Once diagnosed, the burden of CKD can have a diverse, negative impact on various aspects of patients' lives. This highlights the need for early identification of at-risk individuals, and the importance of early CKD diagnosis and management with guideline-directed therapies to either prevent further deterioration of CKD or slow its progression, thus reducing symptom burden and improving quality of life., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

During the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus, contact tracing proved to be a very effective public health tool. Within the local health authority of Trapani (Sicily Region, Southern Italy), contact tracing was managed by physician, prevention technicians, and administrative from the Health Prevention Department who were trained and updated during the evolution of the epidemic. Contact tracing has been extended to migrants who arrived in Trapani with the landings. Extended contact tracing had some critical factors related to language barriers, which reduced the effectiveness of the telephone contacts and psychological counseling during tracing, up to the loss of definition of high or low risk contacts among both migrants and rescuers. The team made up of workers from the Health Prevention Department, the Global Health Center, and Cultural Mediators was important in effectively managing the critical issues. The high number of cases occurred during the outbreak of COVID-19 in January 2022 has shown difficulties to support the contact tracing in this phase.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore characteristics related to ambient air pollution health literacy (AAPHL) and to identify groups with lower AAPHL. Methods: A national, cross-sectional study of Taiwanese adults aged 20-70 years was conducted. Data were collected from September 11 to October 22, 2020. We conducted the survey through computerassisted telephone interviews. In addition, purposive sampling was used in online surveys. A 32-item Chinese version of the AAPHL assessment tool was used in telephone interviews and online surveys. Decision tree modeling was used to ascertain the characteristics of those with low AAPHL. Results: A total of 1,297 telephone interviews and 291 online surveys were completed, and 1,588 questionnaires were analyzed. The data indicated that having high school education, being unmarried, and living in southern Taiwan were associated with low AAPHL. Conclusions: The education level, area of residence, and marital status were the key risk factors affecting AAPHL. People with the identified characteristics should be regarded as the target population for health education interventions to enhance AAPHL levels in the general population and to reduce the impact of ambient air pollution on public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social stigma against persons infected with COVID-19 is not uncommon. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experience of social stigma among COVID-19 positive patients and their family members.Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted between April to June 2020 in Malaysia. Patients who have recovered from COVID-19 for at least 1 month and their family members who were tested with negative results, Malaysian and aged 18-65 years old were purposively sampled. Cold call method was employed to recruit patients while their family members were recruited by their recommendations. Telephone interviews were conducted with the participants after obtaining their verbal consent.Results: A total of 18 participants took part in this study. Three themes emerged from the interviews: (Ι) experience of stigmatization, (ΙΙ) perspective on disease disclosure, and (ΙΙΙ) suggestion on coping and reducing stigma. The participants expressed their experiences of being isolated, labelled, and blamed by the people surrounding them including the health care providers, neighbours, and staff at the service counters. Some respondents expressed their willingness to share their experience with others by emphasizing the importance of taking preventive measure in order to stop the chain of virus transmission and some of them chose to disclose this medical history for official purpose because of fear and lack of understanding among the public. As suggested by the respondents, the approaches in addressing social stigma require the involvement of the government, the public, health care provider, and religious leader.Conclusion: Individuals recovered from COVID-19 and their families experienced social stigma. Fear and lack of public understanding of the COVID-19 disease were the key factors for non-disclosure. Some expressed their willingness to share their experience as they perceived it as method to increase public awareness and thereby reducing social stigma. Multifaceted approaches with the involvement of multiple parties including the government, non-governmental organization as well as the general public were recommended as important measures to address the issues of social stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic brought numerous challenges, namely in routine assessment of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The COPD Assessment Test (CAT), the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness-Fatigue-Subscale (FACIT-FS) and the St. George's respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ) are important patient-reported outcome measures used to assess people with COPD, but its face-to-face application has been compromised. The telephone interview offers a simple and effective alternative, yet uncertainty regarding its equivalence remains. This study aimed to establish the reliability and validity of the CAT, the FACIT-FS and the SGRQ administered by telephone interview in people with COPD.Methods: Data from an observational prospective study including people with COPD were analyzed. Participants answered to the CAT, FACIT-FS and SGRQ questionnaires in person and by telephone, with a maximum interval of 48-h. Participants were randomly selected to answer first to the in-person questionnaire followed by telephone or vice versa. Reliability measures included internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha, test-retest reliability with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1), test-retest measurement error with the standard error of measurement (SEM) and agreement with the Bland and Altman 95% limits of agreement. Validity was assessed with the Spearman correlation (rho).Results: Fifty-five people with COPD (44 men; 68.1 ± 7.9 years; FEV1: 59.1 ± 20.3% predicted) were included. Similar internal consistency was observed between in person vs. telephone interview for the CAT (0.82 vs. 0.84), the FACIT-FS (0.83 vs. 0.84) and the SGRQ (0.92 vs. 0.93). Test-retest reliability was excellent, with an ICC2,1 of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.65; 0.86), 0.86 (95% CI: 0.77; 0.92) and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.90; 0.96) for the CAT, FACIT-FS and SGRQ total scores, respectively. The SEM showed a low level of associated measurement error and the Bland and Altman plots illustrated a good level of agreement between both modes of administration, with no evidence of systematic bias. Robust positive correlations (rho 0.87–0.94, p < 0.001) were found for the CAT, FACIT-FS and SGRQ total scores applied by both methods.Conclusion: The telephonic administration of the CAT, the FACIT-FS and the SGRQ are a valid and reliable alternative approach to in person interviews for monitoring symptoms and health-related quality of life in people with COPD. The telephone might be an important add-on for personalized assessment and management of COPD thru remote monitoring.

Objectives: Telephone interviews including questionnaires have been used to obtain very long‐term (>10‐year) follow‐up after stress urinary incontinence (SUI) procedures in women otherwise lost to follow‐up (LTF). For questionnaires validated for office use, our goal was to evaluate recent telephone vs last clinic scores in a long‐term study. Methods: For women with >10 years of follow‐up after anterior vaginal wall suspension (AVWS) for bothersome SUI associated with an anterior compartment prolapse, questionnaire scores from their last clinic encounter were compared with their scores from a standardized telephone interview at long‐term follow‐up. The validated questionnaires were Urinary Distress Inventory 6‐Short Form (UDI‐6), International Incontinence Questionnaire 7‐Short Form (IIQ‐7), and Quality of Life (QoL). Results: Eighty‐four women underwent a telephone interview (median follow‐up: 13.8 years, interquartile range [IQR]: 12.2‐17) after AVWS. The median difference between telephone and clinic visit was 10.2 years (IQR: 6.1‐12.2). The clinic UDI‐6 total score remained low but was higher than the phone score (mean difference 1.2, P =.0023). The UDI‐6 Q2, Q3, Q5, IIQ‐7, and QoL scores did not significantly differ between clinic and phone. For "incontinent" AVWS patients (UDI‐6 Q3 ≥ 2), there was a larger difference between clinic and phone UDI‐6 total score (P <.0001), while "dry" patients (UDI‐6 Q3 ≤ 1) responded similarly. Conclusions: In women who would otherwise be LTF after anti‐incontinence native tissue repair AVWS, UDI‐6 total score varied slightly between last clinic and long‐term follow‐up phone interviews, but QoL and IIQ‐7 remained similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and hypothesis: Triage has become a valid tool to reduce workload during the first consultation in a specialized clinic. A nurse-led telephone intervention prior to the first urogynecologic visit reduces visit duration and increases patients' and physicians' satisfaction. Methods: All patients scheduled for their very first visit were recruited. They were randomized into an intervention group (prior contact by a specialized urogynecology nurse) and a control group (no contact). The intervention included a questionnaire about history and symptoms. Patients were prompted to complete a bladder diary. Primary outcome was duration of the consultation; secondary outcomes were patients' and physicians' satisfaction with the intervention. Results: Fifty-five patients were allocated to the intervention group and 53 to the control group with no difference regarding age, BMI, parity, menopausal status and primary diagnosis. Mean duration of the telephone call was 10.8 min (SD 4.4). The consultation was significantly shorter in the intervention group than in the control group (mean difference: 4 min and 8 s, p = 0.017). In the intervention group, 79% of the patients found the consultation quality "excellent," 86% would return, and 77% would recommend our clinic to a relative or friend compared with 68%, 67% and 66%, respectively, in the control group. Physicians were "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with the patient preparation. Conclusions: A nurse-led intervention reduces the duration of the first uroynecologic consultation and is associated with high patient and physician satisfaction. Further research should evaluate whether it also decreases the number of follow-up visits and further referrals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: The aim was to assess the 8- year health status after minicholecystectomy (MC) versus laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for gallstone disease (GS) by using the RAND-36 Health Survey. Patients and Methods: Initially, 88 patients with symptomatic GS disease were randomized to undergo either MC (n=44) or LC (n=44). RAND-36 survey was performed 8 years postoperatively. Results: In three RAND-36 domains (social functioning, role physical, role emotional) MC procedure was significantly better than LC. In MC patients, the 8-year postoperative scores of social functioning (p<0.001), role physical (p=0.002) and role emotional (p<0.001) were significantly higher than the age- and gender –adjusted Finnish reference scores. Conclusion: The Finnish version of the RAND-36 survey can be used as a valid and reliable method for measuring the quality of life and long-term outcome of cholecystectomy patients following surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sequential mixed-mode surveys using both web-based surveys and telephone interviews are increasingly being used in observational studies and have been shown to have many benefits; however, the application of this survey design has not been evaluated in the context of epidemiological case-control studies., Objective: In this paper, we discuss the challenges, benefits, and limitations of using a sequential mixed-mode survey design for a case-control study assessing risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: Colorado adults testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 were randomly selected and matched to those with a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result from March to April 2021. Participants were first contacted by SMS text message to complete a self-administered web-based survey asking about community exposures and behaviors. Those who did not respond were contacted for a telephone interview. We evaluated the representativeness of survey participants to sample populations and compared sociodemographic characteristics, participant responses, and time and resource requirements by survey mode using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models., Results: Of enrolled case and control participants, most were interviewed by telephone (308/537, 57.4% and 342/648, 52.8%, respectively), with overall enrollment more than doubling after interviewers called nonresponders. Participants identifying as female or White non-Hispanic, residing in urban areas, and not working outside the home were more likely to complete the web-based survey. Telephone participants were more likely than web-based participants to be aged 18-39 years or 60 years and older and reside in areas with lower levels of education, more linguistic isolation, lower income, and more people of color. While there were statistically significant sociodemographic differences noted between web-based and telephone case and control participants and their respective sample pools, participants were more similar to sample pools when web-based and telephone responses were combined. Web-based participants were less likely to report close contact with an individual with COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR] 0.70, 95% CI 0.53-0.94) but more likely to report community exposures, including visiting a grocery store or retail shop (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.13-2.12), restaurant or cafe or coffee shop (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.20-1.92), attending a gathering (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.34-2.15), or sport or sporting event (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.05-1.88). The web-based survey required an average of 0.03 (SD 0) person-hours per enrolled participant and US $920 in resources, whereas the telephone interview required an average of 5.11 person-hours per enrolled participant and US $70,000 in interviewer wages., Conclusions: While we still encountered control recruitment challenges noted in other observational studies, the sequential mixed-mode design was an efficient method for recruiting a more representative group of participants for a case-control study with limited impact on data quality and should be considered during public health emergencies when timely and accurate exposure information is needed to inform control measures., (©Amanda D Tran, Alice E White, Michelle R Torok, Rachel H Jervis, Bernadette A Albanese, Elaine J Scallan Walter. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 27.05.2024.)

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) regularly conducts nationally representative cross-sectional studies (KiGGS, DEGS and GEDA) as part of the nationwide health monitoring system. In addition to these health surveys, data is collected in telephone interviews either on specific thematic fields (such as diabetes) or specific groups (such as medical staff) that were not or only insufficiently covered by the larger health surveys. As they are flexible and fast, ad hoc surveys conducted via telephone interviews can respond to specific epidemiological and health political questions. This article describes the procedures applied in ad hoc telephone interview surveys, which were newly introduced as a standardised method in 2017 and are applied by the Laboratory for Health Surveys at the RKI. The article presents the stages of project management such as concept development, establishment of a concept for data protection, questionnaire development, pre-test and field phase, calculation of weighting factors and provision of the final data set. The aim is to describe the process and shed light on the standardised procedures, the reported quality indicators and the breadth of possible scenarios of application.

Abstract Background Measuring service use and costs is an important aspect of service delivery evaluation. In end-of-life care, there is heavy reliance on care by family/friends (informal carers) and this should be reflected in the total cost of care alongside formal services. The Ambulatory and Home Care Record, developed in Canada, is both comprehensive in coverage and validated for collecting data on formal and informal caring. This study aimed to adapt and pilot the Ambulatory and Home Care Record questionnaire for use in the UK within a study evaluating a new palliative care service. The objectives were to test if family carers could be recruited and assess acceptability and usability of data gathered. Methods Single cohort pilot study using a structured telephone questionnaire carried out every other week. Family carers of patients newly added to the palliative care register or referred to hospice services in the South East of England were invited to participate by mail. Volunteers remained in the study for a maximum of six interviews or until the patient died. Results In total, 194 carers were invited by mail to participate in the study, of which 23 (11.8%) completed at least one interview and 16 (8.2%) completed all possible interviews. Recruitment to the study was lower than anticipated, but most participants seemed to find the interviews acceptable. The modified questionnaire produced usable and relevant data for an economic evaluation of formal and informal caring costs. Conclusions Modifications are needed to the process of recruitment as a postal recruitment strategy did not have a high response rate. The Ambulatory and Home Care Record has proved a viable tool for use in the UK setting, with a few minor modifications, and will be used in a larger study comparing hospice models.

Background: OFRA is a large health insurance fund-driven program which aims to reduce the risk of falls and fractures in older people living in rural areas. The programme offered specific mobility and falls prevention classes and bone density measurement by a DXA scan free of charge to more than 10,000 people, and was promoted by staff of the health insurance fund either by a visit at home, or a phone call, or a visit at home and a subsequent phone call. The aim of this study was to analyse the uptake of an exercise class and the use of a DXA scan after advice. Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted in a randomly selected subgroup of 780 persons 9 months after first contact. Rates of uptake of an exercise class or use of a DXA scan were calculated. Predictors of uptake and use were analysed applying logistic regression models. Results: The rate of uptake after advice for specific mobility and fall prevention class was 29.6%. For DXA scan, the rate of use after advice was 16.7%. Rates of uptake and use increased if the first contact by a visit at home or a phone call was followed by an additional subsequent phone call. Conclusion: A direct motivational approach in older people by a health insurance fund is feasible and results in relevant participation and utilization rates in exercise classes and DXA scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Declining response rates are a common challenge to epidemiological research. Response rates further are particularly low among young people. We thus aimed to identify factors associated with health survey response among young employees using different data collection methods.Methods: We included fully register-based data to identify key socioeconomic, workplace and health-related factors associated with response to a health survey collected via online and mailed questionnaires. Additionally, telephone interviews were conducted for those who had not responded via online or to the mailed survey. The survey data collection was done in autumn 2017 among young employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland (18-39 years, target population n = 11,459).Results: The overall response to the survey was 51.5% (n = 5898). The overall findings suggest that differences in the distributions of socioeconomic, workplace and health-related factors between respondents in the online or mailed surveys, or telephone interviews, are relatively minor. Telephone interview respondents were of lower socioeconomic position, which helped improve representativeness of the entire cohort. Despite the general broad representativeness of the data, some socioeconomic and health-related factors contributed to response. Thus, non-respondents were more often men, manual workers, from the lowest income quartile, had part-time jobs, and had more long sickness absence spells. In turn, job contract (permanent or temporary) and employment sector did not affect survey response.Conclusions: Despite a general representativeness of data of the target population, socioeconomically more disadvantaged and those with long sickness absence, are slightly overrepresented among non-respondents. This suggests that when studying the associations between social factors and health, the associations can be weaker than if complete data were available representing all socioeconomic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Negative cancer beliefs have been associated with late stage at cancer diagnosis. High levels of negative cancer beliefs have been found among individuals with low socioeconomic position and ethnic minority women, but the impact of cancer experience on cancer beliefs is unexamined. The aim of this study was to examine whether cancer beliefs are associated with cancer experience. Methods: This was a cross-sectional population-based study. Telephone interviews of 2992 Danish residents (30+) were carried out using the Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer Measure (ABC). Respondents reported whether they or someone close had been diagnosed with cancer and whether they agreed/disagreed with three positively and three negatively framed cancer beliefs. Results: Respondents with someone close diagnosed was reference group. Compared with these, respondents with no cancer experience (RRadj=0.91, 95% CI=0.84–0.98) or who had had cancer themselves (RRadj=0.87, 0.77–0.98) were less likely to believe that cancer treatment is worse than the cancer itself, and respondents with no cancer experience were less likely to believe that a diagnosis of cancer is a death sentence (RRadj=0.83, 0.70–0.98), but more likely to report that they did not want to know if they had cancer (RRadj=1.31, 1.01–1.71). Conclusions: The results suggest that cancer beliefs are sensitive to cancer experience. This is an important addition to previous results focusing on the association between cancer beliefs and static factors such as socioeconomic position and ethnicity. Since cancer beliefs may determine health-related behaviour, it is important that negative cancer beliefs are addressed and possibly reframed in population-based interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A comprehensive evaluation of interrater reliability is crucial when it comes to multiple coders assessing the stroke outcomes using telephone interview. The reliability between telephone raters is important, as it could affect the accuracy of the findings published. Objective: This study aimed to establish the interrater reliability between multiple telephone interviewers when assessing long-term stroke outcomes. Methods: Patients alive at discharge selected in a retrospective cohort stroke project were recruited in this study. Their contact numbers were obtained from the medical record unit. The patients and/or proxies were interviewed based on a standardized script in Malay or English. Stroke outcomes assessed were modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Barthel Index (BI) at 1-year post discharge. Fully crossed design was applied and 3 assessors collected the data simultaneously. Data was analysed using the software R version 3.4.4. Results: Out of 207 subjects recruited, 132 stroke survivors at the time of interview were analysed. We found a significant excellent interrater reliability between telephone interviewers assessing BI, with intraclass correlation coefficient at 0.996 (95% CI 0.995–0.997). Whereas substantial agreement between the telephone interviewers was revealed in assessing mRS, with Fleiss', Conger's and Light's Kappa statistics reporting 0.719 and the Nelson's model-based κm kappa statistic reporting 0.689 (95% CI 0.667–0.711). Conclusion: It is reliable to get multiple raters in assessing mRS and BI using the telephone system. It is worthwhile to make use of a telephone interview to update clinicians on their acute clinical management towards long-term stroke prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study compares the prevalence rates of depressive and anxiety disorders identified during pregnancy using an interviewer-administered phone version and a self-complete online version of the computerized eMINI 6.0.Methods: 888 pregnant women completed the computerized eMINI 6.0 (interviewer-administered phone, n = 253; self-complete online, n = 635).Results: There were no significant differences in the proportions of women meeting eMINI 6.0 criteria for current major depression, any current anxiety disorder, or lifetime panic or depressive disorder, by mode of administration. However, a greater proportion of women in the interviewer-administered phone group than in the self-complete online group met criteria for current minor depression (2.0% vs 0.2%, p = .008).Limitations: Study limitations include its non-randomized design, overall low prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders in the sample and inclusion of only a select number of eMINI 6.0 modules.Conclusions: This study demonstrated few differences in the rates of DSM-IV depressive and anxiety disorders identified between the interviewer-administered and self-administered versions of the eMINI 6.0. Findings provide preliminary support the practical value of self-completed computerized interviews in large scale studies examining common mental disorders in pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]