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Delivering Clinical Skin Examination Education to Nurse Practitioners Using an Internet-Based, Microlearning Approach: Development and Feasibility of a Video Intervention
Background: Skin cancer is the most common cancer; survival of the most serious skin cancers and malignant melanomas depends on early detection. Early detection relies on accessibility to clinical skin examination (CSE). Primary care nurse practitioners (PCNPs) are well-positioned to conduct CSEs; however, they require further education on CSE and have time constraints for continuing education. A digitally delivered intervention grounded in microlearning is a promising approach to deliver new information over a brief period. Objective: Our objective was to develop and explore the feasibility of implementing a 1-week digital video intervention with content on CSE skills, defined as melanoma risk assessment, head-to-toe skin examination, and pigmented lesion assessment, for PCNPs. Specific aims were as follows: (1) Aim 1: to develop three microlearning-based melanoma videos with content on CSE that are suitable for digital delivery to PCNPs in various formats and (2) Aim 2: to assess the feasibility of the video intervention, including enrollment and retention rates, adherence, and acceptability and usability of the video intervention. Methods: For Aim 1, the research team created storyboards for videos that addressed each CSE skill. An expert panel of three dermatologists reviewed the storyboards and videos for relevance, comprehension, and clarity using the content validity index (CVI). The panel evaluated the usability of the video intervention delivery by Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) and Vimeo using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and technical video production using Beaudin and Quickâs Quality Evaluation of Video (QEV). Aim 2 evaluated enrollment and retention rates of PCNPs, based on metrics from previous studies of CSE in the literature, and video intervention adherence. SUS and the Attitudes toward Web-based Continuing Learning Survey (AWCL) assessed usability and acceptability. Results: CVI scores indicated relevance and clarity for each video: mean scores ranged from 3.79 to 4, where 4 indicated the video was highly relevant and very clear. The integration of REDCap and Vimeo was usable: the SUS score was 96, where 0 was the worst and 100 was the best. The digital delivery of the videos was rated as exceptional on all five technical items: the mean score was 5, where scores ranged from 1 (poor) to 5 (exceptional). Of the 32 PCNPs who were sent emails, 12 enrolled (38%) and, out of these 12, 10 (83%) completed the intervention and the surveys. Video intervention adherence was â€50%. Participants rated the usability as better (mean 85.8, SD 10.6; better=70-90) and favorably ranked the acceptability of the AWCLâs constructs of perceived usefulness (mean 5.26, SD 0.08), perceived ease of use (mean 5.40, SD 0.41), behavior (mean 5.53, SD 0.12), and affection (mean 5.77, SD 0.04), where scores ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Conclusions: The video intervention was feasible to deliver to PCNPs using a digital, microlearning approach. The findings provide support for using the videos as an intervention in a future pilot randomized trial targeting behavioral CSE outcomes among PCNPs and other primary care providers. ©Delaney B Stratton, Kimberly D Shea, Elizabeth P Knight, Lois J Loescher.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
Temporal mismatch between pain behaviour, skin Nerve Growth Factor and intra-epidermal nerve fibre density in trigeminal neuropathic pain
Background: The neurotrophin Nerve Growth factor (NGF) is known to influence the phenotype of mature
nociceptors, for example by altering synthesis of neuropeptides, and changes in NGF levels have been implicated in
the pathophysiology of chronic pain conditions such as neuropathic pain. We have tested the hypothesis that after
partial nerve injury, NGF accumulates within the skin and causes âpro-nociceptiveâ phenotypic changes in the
remaining population of sensory nerve fibres, which could underpin the development of neuropathic pain.
Results: Eleven days after chronic constriction injury of the rat mental nerve the intra-epidermal nerve fibre density
of the chin skin from had reduced from 11.6 ± 4.9 fibres/mm to 1.0 ± 0.4 fibres/mm; this slowly recovered to
2.4 ± 2.0 fibres/mm on day 14 and 4.0 ± 0.8 fibres/mm on day 21. Cold hyperalgesia in the ipsilateral lower lip was
detectable 11 days after chronic constriction injury, although at this time skin [NGF] did not differ between sides. At
14 days post-injury, there was a significantly greater [NGF] ipsilaterally compared to contralaterally (ipsilateral = 111
± 23 pg/mg, contralateral = 69 ± 13 pg/mg), but there was no behavioural evidence of neuropathic pain at this
time-point. By 21 days post-injury, skin [NGF] was elevated bilaterally and there was a significant increase in the
proportion of TrkA-positive (the high-affinity NGF receptor) intra-epidermal nerve fibres that were immunolabelled
for the neuropeptide Calcitonin Gene-related peptide.
Conclusions: The temporal mismatch in behaviour, skin [NGF] and phenotypic changes in sensory nerve fibres
indicate that increased [NGF] does not cause hyperalgesia after partia
A Preliminary Study of a Video Intervention to Inform Solid Organ Transplant Recipients About Skin Cancer
Beyond cancer: changes, problems and needs expressed by adult lymphoma survivors attending an out-patient clinic
Little is known about the impact of the cancer experience on people following the completion of treatment. Work has begun to outline such experiences primarily in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore the 'survival'experience within a British context of care, outlining the changes, problems and needs expressed by adult cancer survivors.A convenience sample of 10 adult lymphoma patients from one large teaching hospital was interviewed a minimum of 18 months following the completion of successful treatment. Data were collected by means of tape-recorded semi-structured interviews, using a schedule based on the Cancer Survivorship Questionnaire (Loescher et al., 1990).Data were analysed using content analysis and this indicated that, whilst survival itself may be reward enough for some, others seek to improve or adjust their current status, physically, psychologically or socially. It was concluded that the British cancer survivors were affected in many ways, some having to adjust more than others to the consequences of cure. The preliminary findings pointed towards a notion of 'subtle survivorship'in the British survivors. While they reported many changes in their lives after treatment, many were typically accepting of these and successfully adjusted to their new lives