European Union digital education framework : a quality standard to guide the design of healthcare apps

Digital Education Initiatives and Timely Solutions (DIG-IT) is an Erasmus+ project collaboration between university academics, clinical educators, industry partners, healthcare professionals, and technology experts over 5 European Union (EU) states. The objectives are to create digital educational capacity for academic faculty and mobile learning opportunities for continuing professional healthcare education. The first deliverable of this project was the innovative European Union Digital Education Quality Standards Framework and Toolkit or EU-DEF. This framework can be used to consider all principle and secondary aspects when designing, delivering, and evaluating digital education resources. In this article we explore the framework efficacy in collaboratively developing two open access, mobile healthcare apps, ECG Interpretation for Nurses and Nurse Leadership and Management. We describe the teamwork needed and steps taken during this process, and demonstrate the adaptability, usability, and value of this tool for other online development projects. The EU-DEF is an evidence-based, comprehensive framework that can be used as a starting point for individuals or teams when developing digital educational projects. Considering all variables helps focus the expertise required to produce robust end-products.peer-reviewe

Fernmetastasierte neuroendokrine Tumoren des Pankreas: Ansprechen auf Radiopeptidtherapie mit ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTA-Octreotat

Neuroendokrine Tumoren des Pankreas sind eine klinisch seltene Tumorentität mit einer jährlichen Inzidenz von < 1 pro 100.000. Bei Diagnosestellung können 60-80 % der P-NET metastasiert sein. Die Therapie von lokal fortgeschrittenen und/oder metastasierten P-NET ist multimodal. Bis vor wenigen Jahren gab es für die Behandlung von fortgeschrittenen P-NET nur limitierte Therapiemöglichkeiten. Eine Chemotherapie ist mit erheblicher Toxizität und nur limitiertem Erfolg verbunden. Diese Promotionsarbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Evaluation der Peptid Radiorezeptortherapie mit 177Lutetium-Octreotat bei Patienten mit fortgeschrittenen pankreatischen neuroendokrinen Tumoren im metastasierten Stadium (Stadium IV). als Alternative bzw. Ergänzung zu etablierten, in den Leitlinien empfohlenen systemischen oder lokoregionalen Therapiemodalitäten, welche einen limitierten Effekt mit breitem Nebenwirkungsprofil haben. Die Hauptfrage, die wir durch diese Arbeit beantworten wollten, war, ob die Therapie mit 177Lutetium-Octreotat eine sichere und effektive Therapiemodalität für Patienten mit pankreatischen neuroendokrinen Tumoren im Stadium IV darstellt. Zusätzlich wollten wir die patienten- oder tumorspezifischen Faktoren identifizieren, welche zu einem besseren Ansprechen auf die Therapie beitragen, damit eine bessere Selektion der Peptid Radiorezeptortherapie-Kandidaten in der Zukunft erfolgen kann

European Union digital education quality standard framework and companion evaluation toolkit

The Covid-19 pandemic positioned digital education in a new light. The need for educational institutions to develop strategies, standards and establish quality assurance across digital education became even more evident. This paper describes the four-step process of designing an interactive European Union (EU) Digital Education Quality Standard Framework and Companion Evaluation Toolkit to guide the design, delivery and evaluation of effective digital education. (1) A review of literature of existing digital education frameworks and models is presented. (2) Variables and sub-variables inherent in designing, delivering and evaluating effective digital education are identified. (3) Next the variables and sub-variables in the framework are defined. (4) The process of designing the interactive framework diagram is described with the companion evaluation toolkit outlined. The proposed framework is flexible and applicable to entities and audiences regardless of where they are in the online learning adoption process

Randomized Control of Sympathetic Drive With Continuous Intravenous Esmolol in Patients With Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction The BEtA-Blocker Therapy in Acute Myocardial Infarction (BEAT-AMI) Trial

OBJECTIVES This study sought to evaluate the role of esmolol-induced tight sympathetic control in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). BACKGROUND Elevated sympathetic drive has a detrimental effect on patients with acute STEMI. The effect of beta-blocker-induced heart rate mediated sympathetic control on myocardial damage is unknown. METHODS The authors conducted a prospective, randomized, single-blind trial involving patients with STEMI and successful percutaneous intervention (Killip class I and II). Patients were randomly allocated to heart rate control with intravenous esmolol for 24 h or placebo. The primary outcome was the maximum change in troponin T release as a prognostic surrogate marker for myocardial damage. A total of 101 patients were enrolled in the study