Health economics: identifying leading producers, countries relative specialization and themes

El área de investigación en economía de la salud tuvo una gran evolución a partir de la década de 1960 y está en constante crecimiento. Actualmente, el gasto en salud es un tema clave en todo el mundo. La bibliometría proporciona varios métodos para explorar el impacto y la evolución de la investigación. Así pues, el principal objetivo del presente estudio es comprender la situación actual de la investigación en materia de economía de la salud para el período 2010-2019. Se analizaron tres aspectos diferentes: la producción de los países, el índice de prioridad relativa y los temas principales. El conjunto de datos se obtuvo a partir de los documentos indizados en la base de datos Web of Science de 2010 a 2019. Se utilizó el software SciMAT para obtener el análisis temático mediante el análisis de mapas de la ciencia. Las revistas Health economics, Value in Health, Journal of Health Economics y European Journal of Health Economics son los principales productoras. Estados Unidos, Inglaterra y Alemania son los que tienen una mayor producción; los Países Bajos, Inglaterra y Australia son los que tienen el índice de prioridad relativa más alto. Los años de vida ajustados en función de la calidad y la desigualdad en materia de salud son los temas con mayor número de documentos y medidas de impacto. Este estudio es un marco útil basado en ciencia que servirá de base para futuras acciones de investigación.Health economics research area was a high evolution from the 1960s and it is constantly growing. Currently, the health expenditure is a key issue worldwide. Bibliometrics provides several methods to explore the impact and evolution of the research. Thus, the main aim of the present study is to understand the current status of the research in health economics for the period 2010-2019. Three different aspects were analyzed: countries production, relative priority index and main themes. The dataset was obtained from the documents indexed in the Web of Science database from 2010 to 2019. SciMAT software was used to obtain the thematic analysis by means of science mapping analysis. The journals Health economics, Value in Health, Journal of Health Economics, and European Journal of Health Economics are the main producers. USA, England and Germany are those with highest production; Netherlands, England and Australia are those with the highest relative priority index. Quality adjusted life years and Health inequality are the themes with the highest number of documents and impact measures. This study is a useful evidence-based framework on which to base future research actions

Diagnostic evaluation of competences in a model of service-learning in the degree of Medicine

Objetivos: El objetivo de este trabajo es la evaluación diagnóstica de las competencias conceptuales, procedimentales y actitudinales en estudiantes de Medicina previo a la realización de un modelo de aprendizaje+servicio sobre hemodonación. Métodos: 161 estudiantes de Medicina participaron en este estudio realizando una encuesta de valoración de 15 competencias cocneptuales, procedimentales y actitudinales justo antes de la rotación por diferentes estaciones de aprendizaje + servicio en un Centro Regional de Transfusión Sanguínea. Las valoraciones fueron analizadas como evaluación diagnóstica previa. Resultados: 12 de las 15 competencias evaluadas obtuvieron una puntuación superior a 3, por lo que las compentecias previas fueron bastante buenas en el alumnado. Las comptencias de tipo actitudinal fueron las más valoradas (4.29 ± 0.54), siendo significativamente superiores a las procedimentales (3.50 ± 0.65); y estas, a su vez, superiores a las de tipo conceptual (2.78 ± 0.77). Las competencias conpcetuales fueron peor valiradas debido a la inclusión de algunas nociones técnicas que los estudiantes deberán aprender. Conclusiones: Los participantes en el estudio mostraron un nivel elevado de competencias a nivel procedimental y actitudinal previa a la relización de un aprendizaje+servicio sobre hemodonación. La adquisición de los nuevos conceptos permitirán reforzar aquellas actitudes y procedimientos que derivan de dichos conceptos, dotando al alumno de una educación sanitaria más completa que la provista por otros métodos pedagógicos tradicionales.Aim: The objective of this work is the diagnostic evaluation of conceptual, procedural and attitudinal skills in medical students previous to the realization of a model of service-learning on blood donation. Methods: 161 medical students participated in this study by conducting a survey to assess 15 conceptual, procedural and attitudinal competencies just before rotation through different servicelearning stations in a Regional Blood Transfusion Center. The assessments were analyzed as a previous diagnostic evaluation. Results: 12 of the 15 competencies evaluated obtained a score higher than 3, so that the previous competences were high in the students. Attitudinal skills were the most valued (4.29 ± 0.54), being significantly higher than procedural skills (3.50 ± 0.65); and these, in turn, were higher than conceptual skills (2.78 ± 0.77). The conceptual competences were less valued due to the inclusion of some technical notions that the students are still to learn. Conclusions: The participants in this study showed a high level of procedural and attitudinal competencies before the performance of a service-learning on blood donation. The acquisition of the new concepts will allow to strengthen those derived attitudes and procedures from those concepts, providing the student with a more complete health education than that provided by other traditional pedagogical methods

Conceptions of learning factors in postgraduate health sciences master students: a comparative study with nonhealth science students and between genders

Background: The students’ conceptions of learning in postgraduate health science master studies are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to compare the factors influencing conceptions of learning in health sciences and non-health sciences students enrolled in postgraduate master programs in order to obtain information that may be useful for students and for future postgraduate programs. Methods: A modified version of the Learning Inventory Conception Questionnaire (COLI) was used to compare students’ conception learning factors in 131 students at the beginning of their postgraduate studies in health sciences, experimental sciences, arts and humanities and social sciences. Results: The present study demonstrates that a set of factors may influence conception of learning of health sciences postgraduate students, with learning as gaining information, remembering, using, and understanding information, awareness of duty and social commitment being the most relevant. For these students, learning as a personal change, a process not bound by time or place or even as acquisition of professional competences, are less relevant. According to our results, this profile is not affected by gender differences. Conclusions: Our results show that the overall conceptions of learning differ among students of health sciences and non-health sciences (experimental sciences, arts and humanities and social sciences) master postgraduate programs. These finding are potentially useful to foster the learning process of HS students, because if they are metacognitively aware of their own conception or learning, they will be much better equipped to self-regulate their learning behavior in a postgraduate master program in health sciences.Supported by CTS-115 (Tissue Engineering Group of the University of Granada). The funding body did not took part in the design of the study and collection, analysis and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript

Tissue engineering in otorhinolaryngology: A knowledge‐based analysis

Abstract Objective To analyze the impact, performance, degree of specialization, and collaboration patterns of the worldwide scientific production on tissue engineering in otorhinolaryngology at the level of countries and institutions. Methods Two different techniques were used, performance and science mapping analyses, using as samples all the available documents regarding tissue engineering focused on otorhinolaryngology applications. The dataset was retrieved from the Core Collection of the Web of Science database from 1900 to 2020. Social structure was analyzed using science mapping analysis with VOSviewer software. Results The United States was the main producer, followed by Germany, and Japan. Malaysia and Germany had the highest Relative Specialization Index, indicating their greater relative interest in this area compared to other countries. The social structure analysis showed that the United States and Germany had significant co‐authorship relationships with other countries. The University of California System, Kyoto University, and Harvard University were the leading institutions producing literature in this field. These latter two institutions showed the largest number of collaborations, although most of them were with institutions within their own country. There was a lack of connections between different communities of research. Conclusion The United States is the main country driving progress in this research area, housing the most notable institutions. However, significant collaborations between these research centers are currently lacking. Encouraging greater cooperation among these institutions and their researchers would promote the exchange of knowledge, ultimately facilitating and accelerating advancements in this field

Analysis of cognitive framework and biomedical translation of tissue engineering in otolaryngology

Abstract Tissue engineering is a relatively recent research area aimed at developing artificial tissues that can restore, maintain, or even improve the anatomical and/or functional integrity of injured tissues. Otolaryngology, as a leading surgical specialty in head and neck surgery, is a candidate for the use of these advanced therapies and medicinal products developed. Nevertheless, a knowledge-based analysis of both areas together is still needed. The dataset was retrieved from the Web of Science database from 1900 to 2020. SciMAT software was used to perform the science mapping analysis and the data for the biomedical translation identification was obtained from the iCite platform. Regarding the analysis of the cognitive structure, we find consolidated research lines, such as the generation of cartilage for use as a graft in reconstructive surgery, reconstruction of microtia, or the closure of perforations of the tympanic membrane. This last research area occupies the most relevant clinical translation with the rest of the areas presenting a lower translational level. In conclusion, Tissue engineering is still in an early translational stage in otolaryngology, otology being the field where most advances have been achieved. Therefore, although otolaryngologists should play an active role in translational research in tissue engineering, greater multidisciplinary efforts are required to promote and encourage the translation of potential clinical applications of tissue engineering for routine clinical use

Information and Scientific Impact of Advanced Therapies in the Age of Mass Media: Altmetrics-Based Analysis of Tissue Engineering

Background: Tissue engineering (TE) constitutes a multidisciplinary field aiming to construct artificial tissues to regenerate end-stage organs. Its development has taken place since the last decade of the 20th century, entailing a clinical revolution. TE research groups have worked and shared relevant information in the mass media era. Thus, it would be interesting to study the online dimension of TE research and to compare it with traditional measures of scientific impact. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the online dimension of TE documents from 2012 to 2018 using metadata obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) and Altmetric and to develop a prediction equation for the impact of TE documents from altmetric scores.Methods: We analyzed 10,112 TE documents through descriptive and statistical methods. First, the TE temporal evolution was exposed for WoS and 15 online platforms (news, blogs, policy, Twitter, patents, peer review, Weibo, Facebook, Wikipedia, Google, Reddit, F1000, Q&A, video, and Mendeley Readers). The 10 most cited TE original articles were ranked according to the normalized WoS citations and the normalized Altmetric Attention Score. Second, to better comprehend the TE online framework, correlation and factor analyses were performed based on the suitable results previously obtained for the Bartlett sphericity and Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin tests. Finally, the linear regression model was applied to elucidate the relation between academics and online media and to construct a prediction equation for TE from altmetrics data. Results: TE dynamic shows an upward trend in WoS citations, Twitter, Mendeley Readers, and Altmetric Scores. However, WoS and Altmetric rankings for the most cited documents clearly differ. When compared, the best correlation results were obtained for Mendeley Readers and WoS (ρ=0.71). In addition, the factor analysis identified 6 factors that could explain the previously observed differences between academic institutions and the online platforms evaluated. At this point, the mathematical model constructed is able to predict and explain more than 40% of TE WoS citations from Altmetric scores.Conclusions: Scientific information related to the construction of bioartificial tissues increasingly reaches society through different online media. Because the focus of TE research importantly differs when the academic institutions and online platformsThis study was supported by CTS-115 (Tissue Engineering Research Group, University of Granada) from Junta de Andalucia, Spain, the Spanish State Research Agency through the project PID2019-105381GA-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (iScience), a postdoctoral grant (RH-0145-2020) from the Andalusia Health System, and the European Union Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional para la Inversion Territorial Integrada Grant for Cadiz Province (PI-0032-2017). The authors thank Altmetric LLP (London, UK) for granting access to Altmetric Explorer for research purposes.Ye

Identification of histological threshold concepts in health sciences curricula: Students' perception.

Students' metacognitive skills and perceptions are considered important variables for high-quality learning. In this study, students' perceptions were used to identify histological threshold concepts (integrative, irreversible, transformative, and troublesome) in three health sciences curricula. A specific questionnaire was developed and validated to characterize students' perceptions of histological threshold concepts. A sample of 410 undergraduate students enrolled in the dentistry, medicine, and pharmacy degree programs participated in the study. Concepts assessed in the study were clustered to ten categories (factors) by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Concepts linked to tissue organization and tissue functional states received the highest scores from students in all degree programs, suggesting that the process of learning histology requires the integration of both static concepts related to the constituent elements of tissues and dynamic concepts such as stem cells as a tissue renewal substrate, or the euplasic, proplasic and retroplasic states of tissues. The complexity of integrating static and dynamic concepts may pose a challenging barrier to the comprehension of histology. In addition, several differences were detected among the students in different degree programs. Dentistry students more often perceived morphostructural concepts as threshold concepts, whereas medical students highlighted concepts related to two-dimensional microscopic identification. Lastly, pharmacy students identified concepts related to tissue general activity as critical for the comprehension and learning of histology. The identification of threshold concepts through students' perceptions is potentially useful to improve the teaching and learning process in health sciences curricula

Streams as Entanglement of Nature and Culture: European Upper Paleolithic River Systems and Their Role as Features of Spatial Organization

Human Origin