Identifying Health-Related Informatics Education and Partnerships in ALA-Accredited Programs and iSchools

Health-related informatics (i.e. Bioinformatics, Clinical Informatics) has been underexplored within American Library Association (ALA)-accredited programs and iSchools regarding interdisciplinary relationship development in their educational offerings. The first part of this study explores ALA-accredited and iSchool programs’ websites to discover what partnerships exist within their health-related informatics degrees and courses. Of the ALA-accredited and/or North American iSchool programs, 69 offer health-related informatics education. Three hundred fifty-two total educational offerings exist, the most prevalent options are courses (45%) and Master's degrees (21%). The most common healthrelated informatics offerings are bioinformatics (126/352) and general health informatics (107/352). ALA/iSchools are collaborating in about 36% of these offerings (130/352), while most are solo offerings (213/352). The second part of this study is underway and explores the nature of partnerships in the offerings found above. We are surveying faculty to determine the disciplines involved in these collaborations and who initiated them. We also ask which factors influence them such as funding, staffing, and alignments with mission, values, or existing competencies. We hope to better define how these partnerships originate so that other institutions seeking involvement within health-related informatics education will have ideas of where and how to create strategic relationships

A qualitative research study to explore young people's disengagement from learning

"The ‘One Wales’ agreement includes a commitment to establish an “enquiry into disengagement from learning amongst children and young people to look at evidence of what works”. In response, a research project was commissioned to investigate young people’s experience and perspectives on their disengagement from learning. The research fills an evidence gap on personal accounts of disengagement from young people in Wales. As such it therefore represents a useful source of information to support the review of young people who are not in education employment or training (NEET)." - Welsh Assembly Government website

Library or iSchool Involvement in Health-Related Informatics Education

Objective: An underexplored area in Library and Information Science (LIS) is the development of educational offerings and partnerships in Health-Related Informatics (HRI) (e.g., bioinformatics, clinical informatics, health informatics). The purpose of this study is to identify which disciplines are collaborating in HRI education and how partnerships developed. Methods: This study was conducted in two parts: a website review and survey. Seventy-seven North American ALA-accredited and iSchool member websites were searched between November 2019-March 2020 for HRI-related educational offerings and which academic units were involved. Two hundred sixteen individuals involved in LIS and/or HRI education were contacted for a 40-question survey that included: their roles and responsibilities regarding HRI education; the alignment of this education with strategic plans or competencies; and how HRI partnerships developed. The survey also asked those who were not currently partnering in HRI education which factors influenced their circumstances. Results: 352 HRI educational offerings existed within ALA-accredited or iSchool programs. A total of 38 (17.5%) responded to the survey. For almost two-thirds of these, there was no indication of partnership in that education (213/352, 60.5%). LIS or iSchool involvement in HRI is just under one-third of all offerings (111/352, 31%). “Health or healthcare” informatics (35) or “biomedical or bioinformatics” were the most common types of HRI offered from the website review and survey. Conclusions: Opportunities exist for LIS programs to form HRI educational partnerships that will provide richer educational offerings for LIS students and health sciences librarians

Special Issue: 2019 Research Data Access and Preservation Summit

The Journal of eScience Librarianship has partnered with the Research Data Access & Preservation (RDAP) Association for a second year to publish selected conference proceedings. This issue highlights the research presented at the RDAP 2019 Summit and the community it has fostered

Children and Adults With Long Term Services and Support Needs: MaineCare and Medicare Expenditures and Utilization, State Fiscal Year 2010

This report is one of a series of reports prepared by the USM Muskie School on MaineCare members who are dually eligible for MaineCare and Medicare Services. An earlier report provided a high level overview of the MaineCare and Medicare use and expenditure patterns for all members who were dually eligible in state fiscal years (SFY) 2008 to 2010. Both reports were prepared as part of the Maine State Profile Tool grant funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This second report analyzes the characteristics, use and expenditure patterns of sub-populations of long term service users including adults with mental illness, adults with brain injury, adults with developmental disabilities, older adults and adults with disabilities and children with mental illness and children with developmental disabilities. The report includes information on MaineCare-only members and members who are dually eligible for MaineCare and Medicare. Dually eligible members in this report are those considered full benefit members

Members Dually Eligible for MaineCare and Medicare Benefits: MaineCare and Medicare Expenditures and Utilization, State Fiscal Year 2010.

This report is one of a series of reports prepared by the USM Muskie School on MaineCare members who are dually eligible for MaineCare and Medicare Services. This first report provides a high level overview of the MaineCare and Medicare use and expenditure patterns for all members who were dually eligible in state fiscal years (SFY) 2008-2010. This report provides baseline data on the characteristics of Medicare-MaineCare members who are dually eligible, the distribution of expenditures across categories of service for MaineCare and Medicare, and the cost of care for people with select chronic conditions. The report includes information on members considered full benefit as well as those who are partial benefit members. Partial benefit members are also know as Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries, Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiaries; Qualified Individuals; and Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals. Individuals who are dually eligible for MaineCare and Medicare typically have multiple chronic conditions, high medical and long term care costs, and low income. Medicare covers hospital, medical, skilled long term care and pharmacy services while Medicaid pays for behavioral health, community based long term services and supports and nursing home services. The integration of services and benefits for people who are dually eligible is a challenge for states and the federal government. As states move to introduce value based purchasing initiatives through health homes, accountable care communities and other managed care efforts, the need to coordinate services and align incentives between the Medicaid and Medicare programs becomes increasingly critical. Many states are involved in dual eligible demonstrations to improve the integration of services, benefits and care

Special Issue: 2023 Research Data Access and Preservation (RDAP) Summit

The 2023 Research Data Access and Preservation (RDAP) Summit, Building on Experience: Centering Communities in Data Creation and Access, focused on engagement with and building communities within data environments, including how data is being made more accessible for a wider range of communities. The 2023 RDAP Summit was a natural extension from the prior year’s theme of Envisioning an Inclusive Data Future, which highlighted the ways data service providers tailor their services to address specific needs. A selection of presentations from this year’s Summit were expanded into articles for this special issue covering topics on developing and maintaining communities that address aspects across the research data life cycle

Real-world comparison of two molecular methods for detection of respiratory viruses

Background: Molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based assays are increasingly used to diagnose viral respiratory infections and conduct epidemiology studies. Molecular assays have generally been evaluated by comparing them to conventional direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) or viral culture techniques, with few published direct comparisons between molecular methods or between institutions. We sought to perform a real-world comparison of two molecular respiratory viral diagnostic methods between two experienced respiratory virus research laboratories.Methods: We tested nasal and throat swab specimens obtained from 225 infants with respiratory illness for 11 common respiratory viruses using both a multiplex assay (Respiratory MultiCode-PLx Assay [RMA]) and individual real-time RT-PCR (RT-rtPCR).Results: Both assays detected viruses in more than 70% of specimens, but there was discordance. The RMA assay detected significantly more human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), while RT-rtPCR detected significantly more influenza A. We speculated that primer differences accounted for these discrepancies and redesigned the primers and probes for influenza A in the RMA assay, and for HMPV and RSV in the RT-rtPCR assay. The tests were then repeated and again compared. The new primers led to improved detection of HMPV and RSV by RT-rtPCR assay, but the RMA assay remained similar in terms of influenza detection.Conclusions: Given the absence of a gold standard, clinical and research laboratories should regularly correlate the results of molecular assays with other PCR based assays, other laboratories, and with standard virologic methods to ensure consistency and accuracy

Chemical and biological applications of digital-microfluidic devices

IEEE Design & Test of Computers, 24(1): pp. 10-24.Digital-microfluidic lab-on-a-chip (LoC) technology offers a platform for developing diagnostic applications with the advantages of portability, sample and reagent volume reduction, faster analysis, increased automation, low power consumption, compatibility with mass manufacturing, and high throughput. In addition to diagnostics, digital microfluidics is finding use in airborne chemical detection, DNA sequencing by synthesis, and tissue engineering. In this article, we review efforts to develop various LoC applications using electrowetting-based digital microfluidics. We describe these applications, their implementation, and associated design issues. The ‘‘Related work’’ sidebar gives a brief overview of microfluidics technology