Emergency medicine residents' beliefs about contributing to a Google DocsTM presentation: a survey protocol

Background Web 2.0 collaborative writing technologies have shown positive effects on medical education. One such technology, Google DocsTM, offers collaborative writing applications that improve healthcare students' sharing of information. Since 2008, all graduating residents in emergency medicine in Canada have had access to an online Google DocsTM slideshow designed to help them share summaries of landmark articles in preparation for their Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada certification exam. A recent evaluation showed that contributions to the presentation were low. Objective This study will identify the factors that influence residents' decision to contribute or not to contribute to this online collaborative project. Methods Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour, semistructured interviews will be conducted with 25 graduating emergency medicine residents in Canada. Content from the interviews will be analysed to determine the most important beliefs in relation to the defined behaviour. Conclusion To our knowledge, this study will be the first to use a theory based framework to identify healthcare trainees' salient beliefs concerning their decision whether to contribute to an online collaborative writing project using Google DocsTM

Oceans and human health : navigating changes on Canada’s coasts

Ocean conditions can affect human health in a variety of ways that are often overlooked and unappreciated. Oceans adjacent to Canada are affected by many anthropogenic stressors, with implications for human health and well-being. Climate change further escalates these pressures and can expose coastal populations to unique health hazards and distressing conditions. However, current research efforts, education or training curriculums, and policies in Canada critically lack explicit consideration of these ocean–public health linkages. The objective of this paper is to present multiple disciplinary perspectives from academics and health practitioners to inform the development of future directions for research, capacity development, and policy and practice at the interface of oceans and human health in Canada. We synthesize major ocean and human health linkages in Canada, and identify climate-sensitive drivers of change, drawing attention to unique considerations in Canada. To support effective, sustained, and equitable collaborations at the nexus of oceans and human health, we recommend the need for progress in three critical areas: (i) holistic worldviews and perspectives, (ii) capacity development, and (iii) structural supports. Canada can play a key role in supporting the global community in addressing the health challenges of climate and ocean changes

Healthcare professionals' intentions to use wiki-based reminders to promote best practices in trauma care: a survey protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Healthcare professionals are increasingly using wikis as collaborative tools to create, synthesize, share, and disseminate knowledge in healthcare. Because wikis depend on collaborators to keep content up-to-date, healthcare professionals who use wikis must adopt behaviors that foster this collaboration. This protocol describes the methods we will use to develop and test the metrological qualities of a questionnaire that will assess healthcare professionals' intentions and the determinants of those intentions to use wiki-based reminders that promote best practices in trauma care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, we will conduct semi-structured interviews of healthcare professionals to identify salient beliefs that may affect their future use of wikis. These beliefs will inform our questionnaire on intended behavior. A test-retest of the survey will verify the questionnaire's stability over time. We will interview 50 healthcare professionals (25 physicians and 25 allied health professionals) working in the emergency departments of three trauma centers in Quebec, Canada. We will analyze the content of the interviews and construct and pilot a questionnaire. We will then test the revised questionnaire with 30 healthcare professionals (15 physicians and 15 allied health professionals) and retest it two weeks later. We will assess the internal consistency of the questionnaire constructs using Cronbach's alpha coefficients and determine their stability with the intra-class correlation (ICC).</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>To our knowledge, this study will be the first to develop and test a theory-based survey that measures healthcare professionals' intentions to use a wiki-based intervention. This study will identify professionals' salient beliefs qualitatively and will quantify the psychometric capacities of the questionnaire based on those beliefs.</p

Real-time Microgravimetric quantification of Cryptosporidium parvum in the presence of potential interferents

The quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) is used to develop a biosensor for detection of viable Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) in water matrices of varying complexity. In a clean environment, a good log–log linear response is obtained for detection of C. parvum in aqueous suspensions with oocyst concentrations from 3 × 105 to 1 × 107 oocysts/mL. C. parvum detection is slightly affected by the presence of dissolved organic acids, likely due to steric stabilization and/or masking of the antibodies/antigens by adsorbed molecules. Colloidal contaminants generally have a greater influence as biosensor interferents, whereby the presence of model latex microspheres, Enterococcus faecalis, or Escherichia coli, led to decreases in biosensor response of up to 64%, 40%, and 20%, respectively

Groundwater Pollution: Impacts on Human Health Fate and transport of microbial contaminants (MS number 40)

Microbial contamination of groundwater by viruses, bacteria and parasitic protozoa is a significant human health problem when drinking water supplies are untreated or inadequately treated. The decision to treat groundwater supplies. If sufficient resources are available, often depends upon the adequacy of pathogen and/or indicator organism attenuation in the subsurface. Microbial fate and transport processes govern attenuation in the subsurface. Hence, a thorough understanding of the mechanism and factors affecting the fate and support of microbial contaminants in the subsurface environment is essential for the protection of public health from waterborne disease. [...] Microbial transport is mainly controlled by advection whereas the key processes governing the fate of microorganisms are retention onto aquifer solid surfaces and inactivation (or survival) of the microbes. Groundwater chemistry and moisture content are identified as two of the main physiochemical factors that influence the retention and survival of microorganisms in the subsurface. Finally, the importance of linking this fundamental science to the development of appropriate public policy and land use strategy is highlighted

Effect of pain on deafferentation-induced modulation of somatosensory evoked potentials.

There is a large body of evidence showing substantial sensorimotor reorganizations after an amputation. These reorganizations are believed to contribute to the development of phantom limb pain, but alternatively, pain might influence the plasticity triggered by the deafferentation. The aim of this study was to test whether pain impacts on deafferentation-induced plasticity in the somatosensory pathways. Fifteen healthy subjects participated in 2 experimental sessions (Pain, No Pain) in which somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) associated with electrical stimulation of the ulnar nerve were assessed before and after temporary ischemic deafferentation induced by inflation of a cuff around the wrist. In the Pain session capsaicin cream was applied on the dorsum of the hand 30 minutes prior to cuff inflation. Results show that pain decreased the amplitude of the N20 (main effect of condition, p = 0.033), with a similar trend for the P25. Temporary ischemic deafferentation had a significant effect on SSEPs (main effect of time), with an increase in the P25 (p = 0.013) and the P45 amplitude (p = 0.005), together with a reduction of the P90 amplitude (p = 0.002). Finally, a significant time x condition interaction, reflecting state-dependent plasticity, was found for the P90 only, the presence of pain decreasing the reduction of amplitude observed in response to deafferentation. In conclusion, these results show that nociceptive input can influence the plasticity induced by a deafferentation, which could be a contributing factor in the cortical somatosensory reorganization observed in chronic pain populations

Quality of work life of rural emergency department nurses and physicians: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Information about recruitment and retention factors and quality of work life (QWL) in rural emergency departments (EDs) is limited. A pilot study was used to determine the feasibility of a large-scale study of these variables in Quebec EDs. METHODS: Two EDs, approximately 10,000 and 30,000 patients per year respectively, were selected as convenience samples. An online survey containing the Quality of Work Life Systemic Inventory (QWLSI; 34 items) and the Recruitment and Retention Factors Questionnaire (39 items) was sent to ED nurses and physicians of these two EDs. Descriptive statistics of percentage, mean and standard deviation and correlations were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Forty out of 64 eligible workers (62%) gave their consent to participate, but only 20 had completed both questionnaires. Participants’ mean age was 42 years (SD = 11.6). The average participants satisfaction with their access to continuing education was low (Mean = 1.6, SD = 0.8). However, their satisfaction with technical resources (Mean = 2.4, SD = 0.7), pre-hospital and inter-hospital transfer services (Mean = 2.5, SD = 0.6), relationships with colleagues (Mean = 2.7, SD = 0.6) and managers (Mean = 2.2, SD = 0.7), work-life balance (Mean = 2.4, SD = 0.6) and emergency patient access to other departments (Mean = 3.7, SD = 0.6) was in the average. The impact of several aspects of the rural environment (e.g. tranquility) on quality of life was also in the average (Mean = 2.5, SD = 0.7). QWL was in the average, excepted subscale ‘support offered to employee’ for which the QWL was lower. CONCLUSIONS: Data collection was difficult and the larger study will require strategies to improve recruitment such as a paper alternative. The study showed globally good recruitment and retention factors and QWL for these ED nurses and physicians. These results will help hospital administrations better plan initiatives aimed at improving retention and QWL