Prioritising Informed Health Choices Key Concepts for those impacted by cancer: a protocol [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]

Background: Few areas of health have been as insidiously influenced by misinformation as cancer. Thus, interventions that can help people impacted by cancer reduce the extent to which they are victims of misinformation are necessary. The Informed Health Choices (IHC) initiative has developed Key Concepts that can be used in the development of interventions for evaluating the trustworthiness of claims about the effects of health treatments. We are developing an online education programme called Informed Health Choices-Cancer (IHC-C) based on the IHC Key Concepts. We will provide those impacted by cancer with the knowledge and skills necessary to think critically about the reliability of health information and claims and make informed choices. Methods: We will establish a steering group (SG) of 12 key stakeholders, including oncology specialists and academics. In addition, we will establish a patient and public involvement (PPI) panel of 20 people impacted by cancer. After training the members on the Key Concepts and the prioritisation process, we will conduct a two-round prioritisation process. In the first round, 12 SG members and four PPI panel members will prioritise Key Concepts for inclusion. In the second round, the remaining 16 PPI members will undertake the prioritisation based on the prioritised Key Concepts from the first round. Participants in both rounds will use a structured judgement form to rate the importance of the Key Concepts for inclusion in the online IHC-C programme. A consensus meeting will be held, where members will reach a consensus on the Key Concepts to be included and rank the order in which the prioritised Key Concepts will be addressed in the IHC-C programme. Conclusions: At the end of this process, we will identify which Key Concepts should be included and the order in which they should be addressed in the IHC-C programme

An ultra-wide bandwidth (704 to 4 032 MHz) receiver for the Parkes radio telescope

We describe an ultra-wide-bandwidth, low-frequency receiver recently installed on the Parkes radio telescope. The receiver system provides continuous frequency coverage from 704 to 4032 MHz. For much of the band ( ${∼}60$ ), the system temperature is approximately 22 K and the receiver system remains in a linear regime even in the presence of strong mobile phone transmissions. We discuss the scientific and technical aspects of the new receiver, including its astronomical objectives, as well as the feed, receiver, digitiser, and signal processor design. We describe the pipeline routines that form the archive-ready data products and how those data files can be accessed from the archives. The system performance is quantified, including the system noise and linearity, beam shape, antenna efficiency, polarisation calibration, and timing stability

Exploring barriers and facilitators to the implementation of pet robots for people with dementia in nursing homes: A qualitative research protocol

People living with dementia, especially those who live in nursing homes, are susceptible to social isolation and activity disengagement. Pet robots are technology-based substitutes to animal-assisted therapy that have demonstrated positive impacts on people with dementia in long term care settings, such as reducing agitation, improving mood and increasing social engagement. Nevertheless, knowledge about the issues influencing their implementation is lacking, as there is a scarcity of research that have explicitly investigated the barriers and facilitators influencing their implementation in real-world practice. The objective of this study is to understand the multi-level barriers and facilitators to the implementation of pet robots for people with living dementia in nursing homes, from the perspectives of key stakeholders. A qualitative study employing a descriptive qualitative approach will be used. The Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR) will be used to guide the research process. Multi-level stakeholders, including people living with dementia, healthcare professionals and organisational decision makers in nursing homes, will be recruited for one-to-one interviews. Data will be analysed through framework analysis, using a combination of both deductive (based on the constructs and domains in the CFIR) and inductive approaches. To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first study to explore multi-level determinants to the implementation of pet robots in nursing homes for people living with dementia. Findings will be used to inform the identification of strategies that may be used to guide the implementation of pet robots for people living with dementia in nursing homes

A survey of knowledge, perceptions and use of core outcome sets among clinical trialists

Background: Core outcome sets (COS) are standardised sets of outcomes, which represent the minimum outcomes that should be measured and reported in clinical trials. COS can enhance comparability across health trials by reducing heterogeneity of outcome measurement and reporting and potentially minimising selective outcome reporting. Examining what researchers involved in trials know and think about COS is essential to increase awareness and promote COS uptake. The aim of this study is therefore to examine clinical trialists’ knowledge, perceptions and experiences of COS. Methods: An online survey design was used. Participants were clinical trialists, operationalised for the current study as researchers named as the contact person on a trial registered on the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) Trial repository between 1 January 2019 and 21 July 2020. Survey items assessed clinical trialists’ familiarity with and understanding of COS, along with experiences of COS use and development. Results: Of 1913 clinical trialists contacted to participate, 62 (3%) completed the survey. Forty (65%) participants were familiar with COS and, of those familiar with COS, 21 (55%) had been involved in a trial that used a COS. Of clinical trialists who used COS in a trial(s), less than half (n = 9, 41%) reported that all COS outcomes were used. The main barriers to using COS are poor knowledge about COS (n = 43, 69%) and difficulties identifying relevant COS (n = 42, 68%). Clinical trialists also reported perceptions of COS as restrictive and often containing too many outcomes. The main enablers to using COS are clear understanding (n = 51, 82%) and perceived importance of COS (n = 44, 71%). Conclusions: Enhancing clinical trialists’ use of all COS outcomes is needed to reduce outcome heterogeneity and enhance comparability across trial findings. Enhancing awareness of COS importance among researchers and funders is needed to ensure that COS are developed and used by clinical trialists. Education and training may further promote awareness and understanding of COS

Epidemiology of undiagnosed depression in people with diabetes mellitus: a comparative analysis of Ireland, England and the USA

Objectives Improving detection of depression in people with diabetes is recommended. However, little is known about how different health systems compare in depression detection. We estimated and compared the (1) prevalence of depression detection in people with and without diabetes, and (2) association between diabetes and undiagnosed depression across three health systems. Design Cross-sectional analysis of three nationally representative studies: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing and the Health and Retirement Study. Setting Community-dwelling adults in Ireland, England and the USA

Adapting health interventions for local fit when scaling-up: a realist review protocol.

Introduction Scaling-up is essential to ensure universal access of effective health interventions. Scaling-up is a complex process, which occurs across diverse systems and contexts with no one-size-fits-all approach. To date, little attention has been paid to the process of scaling-up in how to make adaptations for local fit. The aim of this research is to develop theory on what actions can be used to make adaptations to health interventions for local fit when scaling-up across diverse contexts that will have practical application for implementers involved in scalingup. Methods and analysis Given the complexity of this subject, a realist review methodology was selected. Specifically, realist review emphasises an iterative, non-linear process, whereby the review is refined as it progresses. The identification of how the context may activate mechanisms to achieve outcomes is used to generate theories on what works for whom in what circumstances. This protocol will describe the first completed stage of development of an initial programme theory framework, which identified potential actions, contexts, mechanisms and outcomes that could be used to make adaptations when scaling-up. It will then outline the methods for future stages of the review which will focus on identifying case examples of scale-up and adaptation in practice. This realist review consists of six stages: (i) clarifying scope and development of a theoretical framework, (ii) developing a search strategy, (iii) selection and appraisal, (iv) data extraction, (v) data synthesis and analysis and (vi) further theory refinement with stakeholders. Ethics and dissemination This review will develop theory on how adaptations can be made when scalingup. Findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and through stakeholder engagement as part of the research process. Ethical approval has been received through Health Policy and Management/Centre for Global Health Research Ethics Committee of Trinity College Dublin

The usability and impact of a low-cost pet robot for older adults and people with dementia: qualitative content analysis of user experiences and perceptions on consumer websites

Background: Worldwide, populations are aging exponentially. Older adults and people with dementia are especially at risk of social isolation and loneliness. Social robots, including robotic pets, have had positive impacts on older adults and people with dementia by providing companionship, improving mood, reducing agitation, and facilitating social interaction. Nevertheless, the issue of affordability can hinder technology access. The Joy for All (JfA) robotic pets have showed promise as examples of low-cost alternatives. However, there has been no research that investigated the usability and impact of such low-cost robotic pets based on perceptions and experiences of its use with older adults and people with dementia. Objective: The aim of our study was to explore the usability and impact of the JfA robotic cat, as an example of a low-cost robot, based on perceptions and experiences of using the JfA cat for older adults and people with dementia. Methods: We used a novel methodology of analyzing a large volume of information that was uploaded by reviewers of the JfA cat onto online consumer review sites. Data were collected from 15 consumer websites. This provided a total of 2445 reviews. Next, all reviews were screened. A total of 1327 reviews that contained information about use of the JfA cat for older adults or people with dementia were included for analysis. These were reviews that contained terms relating to “older adults,” “dementia,” and “institutional care” and were published in the English language. Descriptive statistics was used to characterize available demographic information, and textual data were qualitatively analyzed using inductive content analysis. Results: Most reviews were derived from consumer sites in the United States, and most reviewers were family members of users (ie, older adults and people with dementia). Based on the qualitative content analysis, 5 key themes were generated: prior expectations, perceptions, meaningful activities, impacts, and practicalities. Reviewers had prior expectations of the JfA cat, which included circumstantial reasons that prompted them to purchase this technology. Their perceptions evolved after using the technology, where most reported positive perceptions about their appearance and interactivity. The use of the robot provided opportunities for users to care for it and incorporate it into their routine. Finally, reviewers also shared information about the impacts of device and practicalities related to its use. Conclusions: This study provides useful knowledge about the usability and impact of a low-cost pet robot, based on experiences and perceptions of its use. These findings can help researchers, robot developers, and clinicians understand the viability of using low-cost robotic pets to benefit older adults and people with dementia. Future research should consider evaluating design preferences for robotic pets, and compare the effects of low-cost robotic pets with other more technologically advanced robotic pets

Open science and conflict of interest policies of medical and health sciences journals before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A repeat cross-sectional study: Open science policies of medical journals

Objectives To audit the transparent and open science standards of health and medical sciences journal policies and explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Repeat cross-sectional study. Setting 19 journals listed in Google Scholar's Top Publications for health and medical sciences. Participants Blood, Cell, Circulation, European Heart Journal, Gastroenterology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Nature Genetics, Nature Medicine, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, PLoS ONE, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Science Translational Medicine, The British Medical Journal, The Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet, The Lancet Oncology, and The New England Journal of Medicine. Main outcome measures We used the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) guideline and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) requirements for disclosing conflicts of interest (COIs) to evaluate journals standards. Results TOP scores slightly improved during the COVID-19 pandemic, from a median of 5 (IQR: 2–12.5) out of a possible 24 points in February 2020 to 7 (IQR: 4–12) in May 2021, but overall, scores were very low at both time points. Journal policies scored highest for their adherence to data transparency and scored lowest for preregistration of study protocols and analysis plans and the submission of replication studies. Most journals fulfilled all ICMJE provisions for reporting COIs before (84%; n  =  16) and during (95%; n  =  18) the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of practising open science. However, requirements for open science practices in audited policies were overall low, which may impede progress in health and medical research. As key stakeholders in disseminating research, journals should promote a research culture of greater transparency and more robust open science practices

Developing a core outcome set for childhood obesity prevention: a systematic review

Synthesis of effects of infant feeding interventions to prevent childhood obesity is limited by outcome measurement and reporting heterogeneity. Core outcome sets (COSs) represent standardised approaches to outcome selection and reporting. The aim of this review is to identify feeding outcomes used in infant feeding studies to inform an infant feeding COS for obesity prevention interventions. The databases EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and PsycINFO searched from inception to February 2017. Studies eligible for inclusion must examine any infant feeding outcome in children ≤1 year. Feeding outcomes include those measured using self‐report and/or observational methods and include dietary intake, parent–child interaction, and parental beliefs, among others. Data were extracted using a standardised data extraction form. Outcomes were assigned to outcome domains using an inductive, iterative process with a multidisciplinary team. We identified 82 unique outcomes, representing nine outcome domains. Outcome domains were “breast and formula feeding,” “introduction of solids,” “parent feeding practices and styles,” “parent knowledge and beliefs,” “practical feeding,” “food environment,” “dietary intake,” “perceptions of infant behaviour and preferences,” and “child weight outcomes.” Heterogeneity in definition and frequency of outcomes was noted in reviewed studies. “Introduction of solids” (59.5%) and “breastfeeding duration” (55.5%) were the most frequently reported outcomes. Infant feeding studies focus predominantly on consumption of milks and solids and infant weight. Less focus is given to modifiable parental and environmental factors. An infant feeding COS can minimise heterogeneity in selection and reporting of infant feeding outcomes for childhood obesity prevention interventions.ACCEPTEDpeer-reviewe