Attenuating the crisis: the relationship between media use, prosocial political participation, and holding misinformation beliefs during the COVID-19 pandemic

In a global crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world are dependent on voluntary support of their citizens. Based on a four-wave panel survey conducted in the Netherlands between April and July 2020 (n = 1742), this study investigates the development of citizens’ engagement in prosocial political activities and what motivates such acts of political participation. With previous research indicating strong relationships between news as well as social media use and political participation, we test whether these types of information consumption drive participation over time. The spread of misinformation during the COVID-19 crisis, however, was described as an “infodemic”. The study therefore explores how holding misinformation beliefs directly and indirectly affects participation in COVID-19 related activities

Evaluation of an adaptive implementation program for Cognitive Adaptation Training for people with severe mental illness:Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Cognitive Adaptation Training is a psychosocial intervention that focuses on reducing the negative effects of cognitive disorders, especially executive functions such as planning and targeted action. International research has shown that Cognitive Adaptation Training enhances multiple aspects of daily functioning in people with severe mental illnesses. Despite this evidence, implementation of the intervention into routine care remains a challenge. Objective: In this implementation research, a newly developed implementation program based on previous experience and scientific literature, is tested. The primary aim of this research is to assess the effectiveness of the implementation program. The secondary aim of this study is to evaluate the factors that impede or facilitate the implementation of Cognitive Adaptation Training. Methods: To test the effectiveness of the implementation program, a multicenter cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted comparing the implementation program to a single training program in four mental health institutions in The Netherlands. Focus groups, semistructured interviews, and questionnaires were used at multiple levels of service delivery (service user, professional, team, organization) to identify factors that may hamper or facilitate implementation. The RE-AIM framework was applied to measure the implementation effectiveness. Following this framework, the primary outcomes were Reach, Intervention Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance. These are assessed before, during, and after implementation. The research had a total duration of 14 months, with a follow-up measurement at 14 months. Data will be analyzed using multilevel modeling. Results: The study was funded in April 2018. Data collection occurred between November 2018 and January 2020. In total, 21 teams of 4 mental health institutions agreed to participate. Data analysis is ongoing and results are expected to be published in December 2020. Conclusions: This implementation research may provide important information about the implementation of psychosocial interventions in practice and may result in a program that is useful for Cognitive Adaptation Training, and possibly for psychosocial interventions in general. Trial registration: The Netherlands Trial Register (NL7989); https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/7989. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/17412

Trust in Dutch intensive care networks:the results of a survey

Introduction: Dutch ICUs have been enrolled in network organisations since the Quality Standard of 2016. In networks, intensivists have to cooperate to provide a high quality of care for all patients in their network. Trust is essential to cooperate effectively in a network. It is unknown what the degree of trust is in Dutch ICU networks. Methods: A survey was composed using the questionnaire by Cummings, measuring the experience of trust, and the questionnaire by Currall, measuring the willingness to show behaviour that is consistent with trust. Two overall questions concerning the feeling of being part of the network and the overall level of trust were added. All questions were answered on a 7-point Likert scale. Network managers passed the questionnaire to intensivists in the network. Results: The overall level of trust showed a mean of 5.5 (SD 1.2), similar to the mean of the Cummings questionnaire (5.3; SD 0.9). Academic intensivists had a significantly higher level of trust than intensivists from other hospitals (5.9 vs 5.0 and 5.3; p=0.009). The questions covering `surveillance', which measures the need for control, scored lowest with 3.8 (SD 1.3). Intensivists feel the need to make formal agreements and they experience a relatively intense need to control these agreements. Conclusion: Intensivists experience a reasonable level of trust within their network. However, intensivists feel the need to make formal agreements and they experience a relatively intense need to control these agreements. This suggests that the actual trust is conditional. Academic intensivists showed the highest level of trust

Trust in Dutch intensive care networks:the results of a survey

Introduction: Dutch ICUs have been enrolled in network organisations since the Quality Standard of 2016. In networks, intensivists have to cooperate to provide a high quality of care for all patients in their network. Trust is essential to cooperate effectively in a network. It is unknown what the degree of trust is in Dutch ICU networks. Methods: A survey was composed using the questionnaire by Cummings, measuring the experience of trust, and the questionnaire by Currall, measuring the willingness to show behaviour that is consistent with trust. Two overall questions concerning the feeling of being part of the network and the overall level of trust were added. All questions were answered on a 7-point Likert scale. Network managers passed the questionnaire to intensivists in the network. Results: The overall level of trust showed a mean of 5.5 (SD 1.2), similar to the mean of the Cummings questionnaire (5.3; SD 0.9). Academic intensivists had a significantly higher level of trust than intensivists from other hospitals (5.9 vs 5.0 and 5.3; p=0.009). The questions covering `surveillance', which measures the need for control, scored lowest with 3.8 (SD 1.3). Intensivists feel the need to make formal agreements and they experience a relatively intense need to control these agreements. Conclusion: Intensivists experience a reasonable level of trust within their network. However, intensivists feel the need to make formal agreements and they experience a relatively intense need to control these agreements. This suggests that the actual trust is conditional. Academic intensivists showed the highest level of trust

Network governance of Dutch intensive care units:state of affairs after implementation of the Quality Standard

Objective: To study the current state of affairs concerning Dutch intensive care network governance in relation to known effective governance structures of network organisations. Methods: Six characteristics of intensive care networks were defined to determine the four contingency factors from the Provan & Kenis network governance models. The contingency factors were determined for all Dutch intensive care networks. An overview of the networks and characteristics was created by triangulation, using information from two national intensive care network meetings (November 2017 and June 2018) and semi-structured interviews by telephone with 10 network intensivists and / or network managers. Results: Based on the chosen characteristics, none of the Dutch intensive care networks has a governance structure according to one of the Provan & Kenis successful forms of governance. Each of the present networks has a governance structure with elements from two or three different types. Characteristics of the network administrative organisation and shared governance form overlap in 10 out of 15 networks. All networks have a form of governance in which at least one intensivist is represented. Conclusion: After implementation of the Quality Standard, the presence of networks of intensive care units covering the Netherlands is a fact. The network governance that has developed varies but none of the networks has a governance structure that matches with a proven effective governance structure. Based on theory, the network administrative organisation seems to be the most effective for larger networks, and shared governance for smaller networks

Network governance of Dutch intensive care units:state of affairs after implementation of the Quality Standard

Objective: To study the current state of affairs concerning Dutch intensive care network governance in relation to known effective governance structures of network organisations. Methods: Six characteristics of intensive care networks were defined to determine the four contingency factors from the Provan & Kenis network governance models. The contingency factors were determined for all Dutch intensive care networks. An overview of the networks and characteristics was created by triangulation, using information from two national intensive care network meetings (November 2017 and June 2018) and semi-structured interviews by telephone with 10 network intensivists and / or network managers. Results: Based on the chosen characteristics, none of the Dutch intensive care networks has a governance structure according to one of the Provan & Kenis successful forms of governance. Each of the present networks has a governance structure with elements from two or three different types. Characteristics of the network administrative organisation and shared governance form overlap in 10 out of 15 networks. All networks have a form of governance in which at least one intensivist is represented. Conclusion: After implementation of the Quality Standard, the presence of networks of intensive care units covering the Netherlands is a fact. The network governance that has developed varies but none of the networks has a governance structure that matches with a proven effective governance structure. Based on theory, the network administrative organisation seems to be the most effective for larger networks, and shared governance for smaller networks

Variability in basal metabolic rate of a long-distance migrant shorebird (Red Knot, <i>Calidris canutus</i>) reflects shifts in organ sizes

We studied differences in body composition and basal metabolic rate (BMR, measured in postabsorptive birds under thermoneutral conditions at night) in two subspecies of red knots, Calidris canutus: one that spends the nonbreeding season under energetically costly climatic conditions at temperate latitudes (subspecies islandica in western Europe) and one that winters in the hot and humid tropics (subspecies canutus in West and South Africa). To examine whether the possible differences would be upheld under identical conditions, we kept both groups in captivity as well. Body composition was quantified with respect to the fat and lean components of 10 ''organs'' (breast muscles, leg muscles, stomach, intestine, liver kidneys, lungs, heart, and the skin, and skeleton and attached muscle). Captive birds had lighter lean tissues than wild birds, especially those of the stomach, intestine, kidneys, and liver (the nutritional organs). During the northern winter wild islandica knots had higher lean masses than canutus knots in tropical Africa. Tropically wintering red knots had lower BMRs than their temperate-wintering conspecifics, and birds in long-term captivity had lower BMR values than their free-living counterparts. Average BMR values per category of birds (wild or captive of either subspecies) were strongly correlated with the group averages of lean mass. Prediction of BMR on the basis of total lean mass of red knots undergoing incipient starvation follows this same relationship because metabolically active tissue is being depleted. That the two subspecies converged to similar body composition in captivity indicates that individual red knots may possess considerable flexibility. We argue that red knots, and probably most other long-distance migrants, have metabolic machinery that is able to adjust continuously, depending on the ecological conditions and food types encountered in the course of the year. We further argue that variation in (functional components of) lean mass is the vehicle for seasonal adjustments in metabolic physiology to variable demand levels. Body mass adjustments offer a flexible response enabling red knots to economize on total daily metabolic expenditure whenever conditions allow a relaxation of metabolic scope, such as during winter in the Tropics.</p