Sample records for african medical research

  1. Embracing an "African Ethos" to facilitate African immigrants participation in medical genetics and genomics research.

    PubMed

    Buseh, Aaron G; Stevens, Patricia E; Millon-Underwood, Sandra; Kelber, Sheryl T; Townsend, Leolia

    Limited published research exists on perceptions and potentials for black African immigrants' participation in medical genetics and genomics research. This study explores the inclination and disinclination of African immigrants to be involved in genetics and genomics research. In-depth qualitative interviews were employed in which a sample of black African immigrants 18 years and older (n = 34) were interviewed. Barriers included contrary beliefs and customs about disease and the human body that differs from Western conceptions, and lack of genuine connection to the health care system. Facilitators included promotion of an "African ethos," wherein Africans unite with one another in a communal extension of self and robust community involvement across the life span of genetic studies. It is important for researchers and genetic counselors to understand the sociocultural underpinnings of African immigrants about genetics and genomics research as an initial step to encouraging their participation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Attitudes and Beliefs of African Americans Toward Participation in Medical Research

    PubMed Central

    Corbie-Smith, Giselle; Thomas, Stephen B; Williams, Mark V; Moody-Ayers, Sandra

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To describe barriers to participation of African Americans in research. DESIGN Focus group interviews conducted in 1997. PATIENTS Thirty-three African-American adults presenting to an urban public hospital for outpatient medical care participated in one of five focus groups. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS African-American patients' attitudes toward medical research were measured. Mistrust of doctors, scientists, and the government was reported consistently by the participants. Many participants described concerns about the ethical conduct of clinicians and investigators when poor or minority patients are involved and cited examples of exploitation as supporting evidence for their mistrust of the medical establishment. While participants were clear about the violation of human rights in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, all were misinformed of the historical facts of the study. Few participants understood the concept of informed consent. Participants saw signing the document as relinquishing their autonomy and as a legal protection for physicians. Despite these concerns, participants gave recommendations to improve minority participation in research. CONCLUSIONS African-American participants in this study described distrust of the medical community as a prominent barrier to participation in clinical research. Participants described real and perceived examples of exploitation to support their distrust of researchers. The goal of the consent process, to inform patients of risks and benefits so as to facilitate self-determination, was misinterpreted by these participants. Understanding the importance of interpersonal trust within the clinical relationship may prove to be a significant factor in enhancing participation in clinical trials. PMID:10491242

  3. Giving voice to African thought in medical research ethics.

    PubMed

    Tangwa, Godfrey B

    2017-04-01

    In this article, I consider the virtual absence of an African voice and perspective in global discourses of medical research ethics against the backdrop of the high burden of diseases and epidemics on the continent and the fact that the continent is actually the scene of numerous and sundry medical research studies. I consider some reasons for this state of affairs as well as how the situation might be redressed. Using examples from the HIV/AIDS and Ebola epidemics, I attempt to show that the marginalization of Africa in medical research and medical research ethics is deliberate rather than accidental. It is causally related, in general terms, to a Eurocentric hegemony derived from colonialism and colonial indoctrination cum proselytization. I end by proposing seven theses for the critical reflection and appraisal of the reader.

  4. Scope and geographical distribution of African medical journals active in 2005.

    PubMed

    Siegfried, Nandi; Busgeeth, Karishma; Certain, Edith

    2006-06-01

    To identify all African medical journals actively publishing in 2005, and to create a geodatabase of these to evaluate and monitor future journal activity. A search was done for relevant African medical journals on electronic databases, library catalogues and internet sites, and a list was compiled of active journals. A survey was conducted via questionnaire of editors of all listed African medical journals defined as having an editorial base on the continent. One hundred and fifty-eight African medical journals were identified, published in 33 countries. One hundred and fifty-three editors were surveyed via email, post and/or fax. There was a 39% response rate from editors based in 17 countries. Fifty-one journals were published in English, 7 in French and 1 in Portuguese. Most journals were owned by an association or a society and were funded from a combination of sources. Journals covered general medical and specialist medical interest equally. Most (41 of 59 journals) had a circulation below 1 000, and most (52/59) published 4 or fewer issues a year. Almost all the journals included original research, and articles were peer reviewed. Few were indexed on Medline (N = 18) and EMBASE (N = 10). Plotting journal location using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software provided a snapshot view of current journal activity. This study is likely to represent the most comprehensive list of current African medical journals. It confirms growth in African health care research and journal activity on the continent. Limited inclusion in international databases and accessibility to African researchers remain challenges in achieving publication of high-quality African research in high-quality African journals.

  5. Perceived racial discrimination, but not mistrust of medical researchers, predicts the heat pain tolerance of African Americans with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis

    PubMed Central

    Pham, Quyen T.; Glover, Toni L.; Sotolongo, Adriana; King, Christopher D.; Sibille, Kimberly T.; Herbert, Matthew S.; Cruz-Almeida, Yenisel; Sanden, Shelley H.; Staud, Roland; Redden, David T.; Bradley, Laurence A.; Fillingim, Roger B.

    2014-01-01

    Objective Studies have shown that perceived racial discrimination is a significant predictor of clinical pain severity among African Americans. It remains unknown whether perceived racial discrimination also alters the nociceptive processing of painful stimuli, which, in turn, could influence clinical pain severity. This study examined associations between perceived racial discrimination and responses to noxious thermal stimuli among African Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Mistrust of medical researchers was also assessed given its potential to affect responses to the noxious stimuli. Method One hundred and thirty (52% African American, 48% non-Hispanic white) community-dwelling older adults with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis completed two study sessions. In session one, individuals provided demographic, socioeconomic, physical and mental health information. They completed questionnaires related to perceived lifetime frequency of racial discrimination and mistrust of medical researchers. In session two, individuals underwent a series of controlled thermal stimulation procedures to assess heat pain sensitivity, particularly heat pain tolerance. Results African Americans were more sensitive to heat pain and reported greater perceived racial discrimination as well as greater mistrust of medical researchers compared to non-Hispanic whites. Greater perceived racial discrimination significantly predicted lower heat pain tolerance for African Americans but not non-Hispanic whites. Mistrust of medical researchers did not significantly predict heat pain tolerance for either racial group Conclusion These results lend support to the idea that perceived racial discrimination may influence the clinical pain severity of African Americans via the nociceptive processing of painful stimuli. PMID:24219416

  6. Perceived racial discrimination, but not mistrust of medical researchers, predicts the heat pain tolerance of African Americans with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

    PubMed

    Goodin, Burel R; Pham, Quyen T; Glover, Toni L; Sotolongo, Adriana; King, Christopher D; Sibille, Kimberly T; Herbert, Matthew S; Cruz-Almeida, Yenisel; Sanden, Shelley H; Staud, Roland; Redden, David T; Bradley, Laurence A; Fillingim, Roger B

    2013-11-01

    Studies have shown that perceived racial discrimination is a significant predictor of clinical pain severity among African Americans. It remains unknown whether perceived racial discrimination also alters the nociceptive processing of painful stimuli, which, in turn, could influence clinical pain severity. This study examined associations between perceived racial discrimination and responses to noxious thermal stimuli among African Americans and non-Hispanic Whites. Mistrust of medical researchers was also assessed given its potential to affect responses to the noxious stimuli. One-hundred and 30 (52% African American, 48% non-Hispanic White) community-dwelling older adults with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis completed two study sessions. In session one, individuals provided demographic, socioeconomic, physical and mental health information. They completed questionnaires related to perceived lifetime frequency of racial discrimination and mistrust of medical researchers. In session two, individuals underwent a series of controlled thermal stimulation procedures to assess heat pain sensitivity, particularly heat pain tolerance. African Americans were more sensitive to heat pain and reported greater perceived racial discrimination as well as greater mistrust of medical researchers compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Greater perceived racial discrimination significantly predicted lower heat pain tolerance for African Americans but not non-Hispanic Whites. Mistrust of medical researchers did not significantly predict heat pain tolerance for either racial group. These results lend support to the idea that perceived racial discrimination may influence the clinical pain severity of African Americans via the nociceptive processing of painful stimuli.

  7. The ethics of improving African traditional medical practice: scientific or African traditional research methods?

    PubMed

    Nyika, Aceme

    2009-11-01

    The disease burden in Africa, which is relatively very large compared with developed countries, has been attributed to various factors that include poverty, food shortages, inadequate access to health care and unaffordability of Western medicines to the majority of African populations. Although for 'old diseases' knowledge about the right African traditional medicines to treat or cure the diseases has been passed from generation to generation, knowledge about traditional medicines to treat newly emerging diseases has to be generated in one way or another. In addition, the existing traditional medicines have to be continuously improved, which is also the case with Western scientific medicines. Whereas one school of thought supports the idea of improving medicines, be they traditional or Western, through scientific research, an opposing school of thought argues that subjecting African traditional medicines to scientific research would be tantamount to some form of colonization and imperialism. This paper argues that continuing to use African traditional medicines for old and new diseases without making concerted efforts to improve their efficacy and safety is unethical since the disease burden affecting Africa may continue to rise in spite of the availability and accessibility of the traditional medicines. Most importantly, the paper commends efforts being made in some African countries to improve African traditional medicine through a combination of different mechanisms that include the controversial approach of scientific research on traditional medicines.

  8. Impact of biomedical research on African Americans.

    PubMed Central

    Harrison, R. W.

    2001-01-01

    Pharmaceutical development and medical research continues at a fevered pitch. Historically, however, African Americans and other minorities have not been adequately represented in the studies determining a drug's safety and efficacy in humans. A history of misuse in the medical research systems (most notably the Tuskeegee study of syphillis in a population of illiterate, poor black men) have left many blacks wary of the health care system. However, attempts to address the health disparities faced by African Americans must include processes for including wider representation of blacks--as patients as well as investigators--in clinical trials. PMID:12653393

  9. Impact of biomedical research on African Americans.

    PubMed

    Harrison, R W

    2001-03-01

    Pharmaceutical development and medical research continues at a fevered pitch. Historically, however, African Americans and other minorities have not been adequately represented in the studies determining a drug's safety and efficacy in humans. A history of misuse in the medical research systems (most notably the Tuskeegee study of syphillis in a population of illiterate, poor black men) have left many blacks wary of the health care system. However, attempts to address the health disparities faced by African Americans must include processes for including wider representation of blacks--as patients as well as investigators--in clinical trials.

  10. Medical informatics in medical research - the Severe Malaria in African Children (SMAC) Network's experience.

    PubMed

    Olola, C H O; Missinou, M A; Issifou, S; Anane-Sarpong, E; Abubakar, I; Gandi, J N; Chagomerana, M; Pinder, M; Agbenyega, T; Kremsner, P G; Newton, C R J C; Wypij, D; Taylor, T E

    2006-01-01

    Computers are widely used for data management in clinical trials in the developed countries, unlike in developing countries. Dependable systems are vital for data management, and medical decision making in clinical research. Monitoring and evaluation of data management is critical. In this paper we describe database structures and procedures of systems used to implement, coordinate, and sustain data management in Africa. We outline major lessons, challenges and successes achieved, and recommendations to improve medical informatics application in biomedical research in sub-Saharan Africa. A consortium of experienced research units at five sites in Africa in studying children with disease formed a new clinical trials network, Severe Malaria in African Children. In December 2000, the network introduced an observational study involving these hospital-based sites. After prototyping, relational database management systems were implemented for data entry and verification, data submission and quality assurance monitoring. Between 2000 and 2005, 25,858 patients were enrolled. Failure to meet data submission deadline and data entry errors correlated positively (correlation coefficient, r = 0.82), with more errors occurring when data was submitted late. Data submission lateness correlated inversely with hospital admissions (r = -0.62). Developing and sustaining dependable DBMS, ongoing modifications to optimize data management is crucial for clinical studies. Monitoring and communication systems are vital in multi-center networks for good data management. Data timeliness is associated with data quality and hospital admissions.

  11. Medical Advocacy and Supportive Environments for African-Americans Following Abnormal Mammograms.

    PubMed

    Molina, Yamile; Hempstead, Bridgette H; Thompson-Dodd, Jacci; Weatherby, Shauna Rae; Dunbar, Claire; Hohl, Sarah D; Malen, Rachel C; Ceballos, Rachel M

    2015-09-01

    African-American women experience disproportionately adverse outcomes relative to non-Latina White women after an abnormal mammogram result. Research has suggested medical advocacy and staff support may improve outcomes among this population. The purpose of the study was to understand reasons African-American women believe medical advocacy to be important and examine if and how staff can encourage and be supportive of medical advocacy. A convenience-based sample of 30-74-year-old women who self-identified as African-American/Black/of African descent and who had received an abnormal mammogram result was recruited from community-based organizations, mobile mammography services, and the local department of health. This qualitative study included semi-structured interviews. Patients perceived medical advocacy to be particularly important for African-Americans, given mistrust and discrimination present in medical settings and their own familiarity with their bodies and symptoms. Respondents emphasized that staff can encourage medical advocacy through offering information in general in a clear, informative, and empathic style. Cultural competency interventions that train staff how to foster medical advocacy may be a strategy to improve racial disparities following an abnormal mammogram.

  12. Knowledge, group-based medical mistrust, future expectations, and perceived disadvantages of medical genetic testing: perspectives of Black African immigrants/refugees.

    PubMed

    Buseh, A; Kelber, S; Millon-Underwood, S; Stevens, P; Townsend, L

    2014-01-01

    Reasons for low participation of ethnic minorities in genetic studies are multifactorial and often poorly understood. Based on published literature, participation in genetic testing is low among Black African immigrants/refugees although they are purported to bear disproportionate disease burden. Thus, research involving Black African immigrant/refugee populations that examine their perspectives on participating in genetic studies is needed. This report examines and describes the knowledge of medical genetics, group-based medical mistrust, and future expectations of genetic research and the influence of these measures on the perceived disadvantages of genetic testing among Black African immigrants/refugees. Using a cross-sectional survey design, a nonprobability sample (n = 212) of Black African immigrants/refugees was administered a questionnaire. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 61 years (mean = 38.91, SD = 9.78). The questionnaire consisted of 5 instruments: (a) sociodemographic characteristics, (b) Knowledge of Medical Genetics scale, (c) Group-Based Medical Mistrust Scale, (d) Future Expectations/Anticipated Consequences of Genetics Research scale, and (e) Perceived Disadvantages of Genetic Testing scale. Participants were concerned that genetic research may result in scientists 'playing God,' interfering with the natural order of life. In multivariate analyses, the perceived disadvantages of genetic testing increased as medical mistrust and anticipated negative impacts of genetic testing increased. Increase in genetic knowledge contributed to a decrease in perceived disadvantages. Our findings suggest that recruitment of Black African immigrants/refugees in genetic studies should address potential low knowledge of genetics, concerns about medical mistrust, the expectations/anticipated consequences of genetic research, and the perceived disadvantages of genetic testing.

  13. THE EAST AFRICAN MEDICAL JOURNAL: ITS HISTORY AND CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL MALARIA RESEARCH DURING THE LAST 75 YEARS

    PubMed Central

    OMBONGI, K S; DOBSON, M; MALOWANY, M; SNOW, R W

    2013-01-01

    SUMMARY Since its inception seventy five years ago, the East African Medical Journal has provided an uninterrupted forum through which medical practitioners and scientists could publish their research. Although the EAMJ was initially prepared for an audience of colonial medical officers, by the 1930s the journal expanded to include subscription and submissions from Northern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and West Africa. Our review begins with a history of the journal’s production, exploring the shifts in editorial composition. We then focus more directly on a discussion of papers and editorials on malaria, a disease that continues to challenge the region of East Africa. Our review highlights the importance of the journal’s commitment to publications on this major health problem within the East African environment. Of particular interest, our review shows that many of today’s concerns, debates and recommendations for control or treatment of malaria in East Africa were discussed and debated in earlier issues of the EAMJ. Medical policy for the region with regard to malaria will benefit from revisiting previous volumes of the EAMJ. These contributions will ensure the journal a significant place in the world of research publications for the coming seventy five years. PMID:24137043

  14. Starting Where the People Are: The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). Carnegie Quarterly, Volume XXXII, Number 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carnegie Quarterly, 1987

    1987-01-01

    This issue of the "Carnegie Quarterly" describes three projects that are being conducted by the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). The projects are the following: (1) building community participation in health care at Lake Kenyatta; (2) the role of community education in disease control among the Turkana people at…

  15. African American Women's Perceptions and Attitudes Regarding Participation in Medical Research: The Mayo Clinic/The Links, Incorporated Partnership

    PubMed Central

    Brewer, LaPrincess C.; Parker, Monica W.; Balls-Berry, Joyce E.; Halyard, Michele Y.; Pinn, Vivian W.; Radecki Breitkopf, Carmen

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Objective: To examine perceptions and attitudes toward health-related research participation among professional African American women. Methods: Participants were members of an African American women's service organization, The Links, Incorporated. Data were collected via self-administered questionnaires at The Links, Incorporated 2012 National Assembly. Sociodemographics, prior research experience, intention to participate (ITP), willingness to participate (WTP) in a variety of research studies and attitudes about research participation were measured. Results: A total of 381 surveys were analyzed. A majority of respondents were married (66%), employed (69%), and college educated (96%). Median age was 59; 38% reported prior research participation. Overall, 78% agreed with the statement, “Participation in research will mean better care,” 24% agreed “Participation in research is risky” and 3% agreed “Scientists cannot be trusted.” Fifty-two percent agreed with the statement, “Research conducted in the U.S. is ethical.” Mean ITP in research was 4.9±1.7 on a rating scale of 1 (“definitely no”) to 7 (“definitely yes”). WTP was highest for an interview study and providing a blood sample, and lowest for clinical trial and medical record review. Conclusion: Attitudes toward research participation were generally favorable among professional African American women; many expressed WTP in a variety of research study types. PMID:25046058

  16. A survey of Sub-Saharan African medical schools

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Sub-Saharan Africa suffers a disproportionate share of the world's burden of disease while having some of the world's greatest health care workforce shortages. Doctors are an important component of any high functioning health care system. However, efforts to strengthen the doctor workforce in the region have been limited by a small number of medical schools with limited enrolments, international migration of graduates, poor geographic distribution of doctors, and insufficient data on medical schools. The goal of the Sub-Saharan African Medical Schools Study (SAMSS) is to increase the level of understanding and expand the baseline data on medical schools in the region. Methods The SAMSS survey is a descriptive survey study of Sub-Saharan African medical schools. The survey instrument included quantitative and qualitative questions focused on institutional characteristics, student profiles, curricula, post-graduate medical education, teaching staff, resources, barriers to capacity expansion, educational innovations, and external relationships with government and non-governmental organizations. Surveys were sent via e-mail to medical school deans or officials designated by the dean. Analysis is both descriptive and multivariable. Results Surveys were distributed to 146 medical schools in 40 of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries. One hundred and five responses were received (72% response rate). An additional 23 schools were identified after the close of the survey period. Fifty-eight respondents have been founded since 1990, including 22 private schools. Enrolments for medical schools range from 2 to 1800 and graduates range from 4 to 384. Seventy-three percent of respondents (n = 64) increased first year enrolments in the past five years. On average, 26% of respondents' graduates were reported to migrate out of the country within five years of graduation (n = 68). The most significant reported barriers to increasing the number of graduates, and improving

  17. Knowledge of the Tuskegee study and its impact on the willingness to participate in medical research studies.

    PubMed

    Shavers, V L; Lynch, C F; Burmeister, L F

    2000-12-01

    The under-representation of racial/ethnic minorities among medical research participants has recently resulted in mandates for their inclusion by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Therefore, there is a need to determine how history, attitudes, cultural beliefs, social issues, and investigator behavior affect minority enrollment in medical research studies. From January 1998 to March 1999, 179 African-American and white residents of the Detroit Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) participated in a mail and telephone survey designed to examine impediments to African-American participation in medical research studies. Chi-square tests were performed to assess differences between the study groups using the Survey Data Analysis Program (SUDAAN). Eighty-one percent of African Americans and 28% of whites had knowledge of the Tuskegee Study (p = <0.001). Knowledge of the Tuskegee Study resulted in less trust of researchers for 51% of African-Americans and 17% of whites (p = 0.02). Forty-six percent of African-Americans and 34% of whites indicated that their knowledge of the study would affect future research participation decisions (p = 0.25). Of these, 49% of African-Americans and 17% of whites would not be willing to participate in future medical research studies (p = 0.05). This study confirms the need for medical researchers to confront the issue of the Tuskegee Study and its continuing impact on African-Americans' trust of medical research studies.

  18. Offering African Americans opportunities to participate in clinical trials research: how social workers can help.

    PubMed

    Mason, Susan E

    2005-11-01

    Historically, African Americans have resisted participation in clinical trials and other research projects because of distrust of the mostly white research establishment. Although there are legitimate reasons for refusing to join clinical trials, most notably the abuses of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, African Americans may be passing up opportunities to obtain needed medications years before they reach the market. This article analyzes 29 empirical articles from medical and mental health journals for their findings on recruiting and maintaining African Americans in clinical trials. Reasons for declining and accepting opportunities to participate are organized into themes that represent the salient findings of these reports. Suggestions for social work interventions and changes in research designs are intended to make the research process more welcoming to African Americans. Interventions are linked to the themes and incorporate social work ethics and values. The premise of this study is that African Americans should be offered realistic opportunities supported by sufficient resources to increase participation.

  19. Medical research at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital.

    PubMed

    Issifou, Saadou; Adegnika, Ayola A; Lell, Bertrand

    2010-03-01

    Built in 1981, the Medical Research Unit is located at the campus of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital. The main scientific activities of this research unit lie on clinical research focusing on antimalarial drugs and vaccines, and basic studies on pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Since 2002 the Medical Research Unit has experience in organising and hosting high quality training in clinical research in collaboration with the Vienna School of Clinical Research and other partners. For the future, this unit is involved as a key partner in the Central African Network on Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria (CANTAM) consortium playing a central role for the excellence in clinical research in Central Africa.

  20. Recruiting intergenerational African American males for biomedical research Studies: a major research challenge.

    PubMed

    Byrd, Goldie S; Edwards, Christopher L; Kelkar, Vinaya A; Phillips, Ruth G; Byrd, Jennifer R; Pim-Pong, Dora Som; Starks, Takiyah D; Taylor, Ashleigh L; Mckinley, Raechel E; Li, Yi-Ju; Pericak-Vance, Margaret

    2011-06-01

    The health and well-being of all individuals, independent of race, ethnicity, or gender, is a significant public health concern. Despite many improvements in the status of minority health, African American males continue to have the highest age-adjusted mortality rate of any race-sex group in the United States. Such disparities are accounted for by deaths from a number of diseases such as diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cancer, and cardiovascular disease, as well as by many historical and present social and cultural constructs that present as obstacles to better health outcomes. Distrust of the medical community, inadequate education, low socioeconomic status, social deprivation, and underutilized primary health care services all contribute to disproportionate health and health care outcomes among African Americans compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Results of clinical research on diseases that disproportionately affect African American males are often limited in their reliability due to common sampling errors existing in the majority of biomedical research studies and clinical trials. There are many reasons for underrepresentation of African American males in clinical trials, including their common recollection and interpretation of relevant historical of biomedical events where minorities were abused or exposed to racial discrimination or racist provocation. In addition, African American males continue to be less educated and more disenfranchised from the majority in society than Caucasian males and females and their African American female counterparts. As such, understanding their perceptions, even in early developmental years, about health and obstacles to involvement in research is important. In an effort to understand perspectives about their level of participation, motivation for participation, impact of education, and engagement in research, this study was designed to explore factors that impact their willingness to participate. Our

  1. Building Research Capacity for African Institutions: Confronting the Research Leadership Gap and Lessons from African Research Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owusu, Francis; Kalipeni, Ezekiel; Awortwi, Nicholas; Kiiru, Joy Mueni Maina

    2017-01-01

    This study explores the meaning and competencies of "research leadership" in the African context and investigates strategies for developing it. Data for the study were gathered through an online survey that targeted recipients of research grants/support from key research funders to selected African institutions. The recipients of these…

  2. If We Would Only Ask: How Henrietta Lacks Continues to Teach Us About Perceptions of Research and Genetic Research Among African Americans Today.

    PubMed

    Jones, Bridgette L; Vyhlidal, Carrie A; Bradley-Ewing, Andrea; Sherman, Ashley; Goggin, Kathy

    2017-08-01

    African Americans are under-represented in research, and there are perceptions of unwillingness among African Americans to participate in research. We explored barriers to African American research participation. We conducted a cross-sectional survey to explore knowledge and beliefs regarding medical and genetic research among adults (n = 169) at urban community events. Descriptive data were summarized by frequencies for survey responses. Only 13 % of respondents had ever been approached for research; 93 % of those who had been approached for research had participated. Eighty-six percent of those who had previous research experience indicated willingness to participate again vs. only 30 % among those with no research experience. Seventy-four percent had altruistic views of research; 28 % were concerned about truthfulness of researchers; 52 % feared incidental discoveries. African Americans have favorable views of research; however, few are being engaged in studies. Effective interventions to address identified barriers may improve participation and lead to better health outcomes among African Americans.

  3. Barriers and strategies to participation in tissue research among African-American men

    PubMed Central

    Boyd, Danielle; Carter, Kimberly; Gehlert, Sarah; Thompson, Vetta Sanders

    2015-01-01

    Before the burgeoning field of biospecimen collection can advance prevention and treatment methods, researchers must access diverse molecular data samples. However minorities, especially African American men, remain reticent to join these studies. This study, using theory based approaches, investigated African American men’s barriers to participating in biorepository research. Fourteen focus groups were conducted among 70 African American men (ages 40 to 80). The groups were stratified by prostate cancer history and educational attainment background. Participants identified perceived factors that promoted or hindered study participation when questioned about their knowledge and attitudes about biospecimen research. Ninety-four percent of participants indicated never participating in a study that collected biological samples. Barriers to their participation included lack of knowledge and understanding regarding biospecimen research practices and uses. In addition they extensively cited a prevalent mistrust of the medical community and discomfort with study recruitment practices. African American males were more willing to participate in biorepository studies with physician endorsement or if they understood that participation could benefit future generations. Men also wanted more recruitment and advertising done in familiar places. PMID:26341221

  4. Masculinity, medical mistrust, and preventive health services delays among community-dwelling African-American men.

    PubMed

    Hammond, Wizdom Powell; Matthews, Derrick; Mohottige, Dinushika; Agyemang, Amma; Corbie-Smith, Giselle

    2010-12-01

    The contribution of masculinity to men's healthcare use has gained increased public health interest; however, few studies have examined this association among African-American men, who delay healthcare more often, define masculinity differently, and report higher levels of medical mistrust than non-Hispanic White men. To examine associations between traditional masculinity norms, medical mistrust, and preventive health services delays. A cross-sectional analysis using data from 610 African-American men age 20 and older recruited primarily from barbershops in the North, South, Midwest, and West regions of the U.S. (2003-2009). Independent variables were endorsement of traditional masculinity norms around self-reliance, salience of traditional masculinity norms, and medical mistrust. Dependent variables were self-reported delays in three preventive health services: routine check-ups, blood pressure screenings, and cholesterol screenings. We controlled for socio-demography, healthcare access, and health status. After final adjustment, men with a greater endorsement of traditional masculinity norms around self-reliance (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.60-0.98) were significantly less likely to delay blood pressure screening. This relationship became non-significant when a longer BP screening delay interval was used. Higher levels of traditional masculinity identity salience were associated with a decreased likelihood of delaying cholesterol screening (OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.45-0.86). African-American men with higher medical mistrust were significantly more likely to delay routine check-ups (OR: 2.64; 95% CI: 1.34-5.20), blood pressure (OR: 3.03; 95% CI: 1.45-6.32), and cholesterol screenings (OR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.03-4.23). Contrary to previous research, higher traditional masculinity is associated with decreased delays in African-American men's blood pressure and cholesterol screening. Routine check-up delays are more attributable to medical mistrust. Building on African-American men

  5. Glaucoma Medication Adherence among African Americans: Program Development

    PubMed Central

    Dreer, Laura E.; Girkin, Christopher A.; Campbell, Lisa; Wood, Andy; Gao, Liyan; Owsley, Cynthia

    2014-01-01

    Purpose To elucidate barriers and facilitators related to glaucoma medication adherence among African Americans (AA) with glaucoma and to elicit input from a community-based participatory research team in order to guide the development of a culturally informed, health promotion program for improving glaucoma medication adherence among AA’s. Methods The nominal group technique (NGT), a highly structured focus group methodology, was implemented with 12 separate groups of AA’s patients with glaucoma (N = 89) to identify barriers and facilitators related to glaucoma medication usage. Participant rank-ordering votes were summed across groups and categorized into themes. Next, an individually and culturally targeted health promotion program promoting appropriate medication adherence was developed based on focus group results and input from a community-based participatory research team. Results The top five barriers included problems with 1) forgetfulness, 2) side effects, 3) cost/affordability, 4) eye drop administration, and 5) the eye drop schedule. The most salient top five facilitators were 1) fear or thoughts about the consequences of not taking eye drops, 2) use of memory aids, cues, or strategies, 3) maintaining a regular routine or schedule for eye drop administration, 4) ability to afford eye drops, and 5) keeping eye drops in the same area. The resulting health promotion program was based on a multi-component empowerment framework that included glaucoma education, motivational interviewing, and problem-solving training to improve glaucoma medication adherence. Conclusions Barriers and facilitators related to glaucoma medication adherence among AA’s are multifactorial. Based on the NGT themes and input from the community-based participatory research team, a culturally informed, health promotion program was designed and holds great promise for improving medication adherence among this vulnerable population. PMID:23873033

  6. Hemodialysis knowledge and medical adherence in African Americans diagnosed with end stage renal disease: results of an educational intervention.

    PubMed

    Wells, Janie R

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this three-group quasi-experimental research study was to describe the relationship between hemodialysis knowledge and perceived medical adherence to a prescribed treatment regimen in African Americans diagnosed with end stage renal disease and to determine if an educational intervention improved hemodialysis knowledge and medical adherence. Eighty-five African Americans participated in this study using the Life Options Hemodialysis Knowledge Test and the Medical Outcomes Study Measures of Patient Adherence tools. No significant correlation was found between hemodialysis knowledge and medical adherence. Paired sample t-tests revealed significantly higher hemodialysis knowledge scores in the post-test group compared to the pre-test group, t(26) = -3.79, p < 0.01. Additionally, no significant differences were found between pre- and post-intervention in medical adherence. This study suggests that more education is needed to improve the knowledge level of African-American patients on hemodialysis.

  7. In/dependent Collaborations: Perceptions and Experiences of African Scientists in Transnational HIV Research

    PubMed Central

    Moyi Okwaro, Ferdinand; Geissler, P. W.

    2015-01-01

    This article examines collaboration in transnational medical research from the viewpoint of African scientists working in partnerships with northern counterparts. It draws on ethnographic fieldwork in an HIV laboratory of an East African state university, with additional data from interviews with scientists working in related research institutions. Collaboration is today the preferred framework for the mechanisms by which northern institutions support research in the south. The concept signals a shift away from the legacy of unequal (post‐) colonial power relations, although, amid persisting inequalities, the rhetorical emphasis on equality might actually hinder critical engagement with conflicts of interest and injustice. To collaborate, African scientists engage various strategies: They establish a qualified but flexible, non‐permanent workforce, diversify collaborators and research areas, source complementary funding to assemble infrastructures, and maintain prospective research populations to attract transnational clinical trials. Through this labor of collaboration, they sustain their institutions under prevailing conditions of scarcity. PMID:25800667

  8. Masculinity, Medical Mistrust, and Preventive Health Services Delays Among Community-Dwelling African-American Men

    PubMed Central

    Matthews, Derrick; Mohottige, Dinushika; Agyemang, Amma; Corbie-Smith, Giselle

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND The contribution of masculinity to men’s healthcare use has gained increased public health interest; however, few studies have examined this association among African-American men, who delay healthcare more often, define masculinity differently, and report higher levels of medical mistrust than non-Hispanic White men. OBJECTIVE To examine associations between traditional masculinity norms, medical mistrust, and preventive health services delays. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS A cross-sectional analysis using data from 610 African-American men age 20 and older recruited primarily from barbershops in the North, South, Midwest, and West regions of the U.S. (2003-2009). MEASUREMENTS Independent variables were endorsement of traditional masculinity norms around self-reliance, salience of traditional masculinity norms, and medical mistrust. Dependent variables were self-reported delays in three preventive health services: routine check-ups, blood pressure screenings, and cholesterol screenings. We controlled for socio-demography, healthcare access, and health status. RESULTS After final adjustment, men with a greater endorsement of traditional masculinity norms around self-reliance (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.60–0.98) were significantly less likely to delay blood pressure screening. This relationship became non-significant when a longer BP screening delay interval was used. Higher levels of traditional masculinity identity salience were associated with a decreased likelihood of delaying cholesterol screening (OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.45–0.86). African-American men with higher medical mistrust were significantly more likely to delay routine check-ups (OR: 2.64; 95% CI: 1.34–5.20), blood pressure (OR: 3.03; 95% CI: 1.45–6.32), and cholesterol screenings (OR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.03–4.23). CONCLUSIONS Contrary to previous research, higher traditional masculinity is associated with decreased delays in African-American men’s blood pressure and cholesterol screening. Routine

  9. Social and Cultural Factors Influence African American Men's Medical Help Seeking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Griffith, Derek M.; Allen, Julie Ober; Gunter, Katie

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To examine the factors that influenced African American men's medical help seeking. Method: Thematic analysis of 14 focus groups with 105 older, urban African American men. Results: African American men described normative expectations that they did not go to the doctor and that they were afraid to go, with little explanation. When they…

  10. Creating a segregated medical profession: African American physicians and organized medicine, 1846-1910.

    PubMed

    Baker, Robert B; Washington, Harriet A; Olakanmi, Ololade; Savitt, Todd L; Jacobs, Elizabeth A; Hoover, Eddie; Wynia, Matthew K; Blanchard, Janice; Boulware, L Ebony; Braddock, Clarence; Corbie-Smith, Giselle; Crawley, LaVera; LaVeist, Thomas A; Maxey, Randall; Mills, Charles; Moseley, Kathryn L; Williams, David R

    2009-06-01

    An independent panel of experts, convened by the American Medical Association (AMA) Institute for Ethics, analyzed the roots of the racial divide within American medical organizations. In this, the first of a 2-part report, we describe 2 watershed moments that helped institutionalize the racial divide. The first occurred in the 1870s, when 2 medical societies from Washington, DC, sent rival delegations to the AMA's national meetings: an all-white delegation from a medical society that the US courts and Congress had formally censured for discriminating against black physicians; and an integrated delegation from a medical society led by physicians from Howard University. Through parliamentary maneuvers and variable enforcement of credentialing standards, the integrated delegation was twice excluded from the AMA's meetings, while the all-white society's delegations were admitted. AMA leaders then voted to devolve the power to select delegates to state societies, thereby accepting segregation in constituent societies and forcing African American physicians to create their own, separate organizations. A second watershed involved AMA-promoted educational reforms, including the 1910 Flexner report. Straightforwardly applied, the report's population-based criterion for determining the need for phySicians would have recommended increased training of African American physicians to serve the approximately 9 million African Americans in the segregated south. Instead, the report recommended closing all but 2 African American medical schools, helping to cement in place an African American educational system that was separate, unequal, and destined to be insufficient to the needs of African Americans nationwide.

  11. Medical Debt and Related Financial Consequences Among Older African American and White Adults

    PubMed Central

    Elder, Keith; Kiefe, Catarina; Allison, Jeroan J.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives. To evaluate African American–White differences in medical debt among older adults and the extent to which economic and health factors explained these. Methods. We used nationally representative data from the 2007 and 2010 US Health Tracking Household Survey (n = 5838) and computed population-based estimates of medical debt attributable to economic and health factors with adjustment for age, gender, marital status, and education. Results. African Americans had 2.6 times higher odds of medical debt (odds ratio = 2.62; 95% confidence interval = 1.85, 3.72) than did Whites. Health status explained 22.8% of the observed disparity, and income and insurance explained 19.4%. These factors combined explained 42.4% of the observed disparity. In addition, African Americans were more likely to be contacted by a collection agency and to borrow money because of medical debt, whereas Whites were more likely to use savings. Conclusions. African Americans incur substantial medical debt compared with Whites, and more than 40% of this is mediated by health status, income, and insurance disparities. Public health implications. In Medicare, low-income beneficiaries, especially low-income African Americans with poor health status, should be protected from the unintended financial consequences of cost-reduction strategies. PMID:27077346

  12. Colonialism, Biko and AIDS: reflections on the principle of beneficence in South African medical ethics.

    PubMed

    Braude, Hillel David

    2009-06-01

    This paper examines the principle of beneficence in the light of moral and epistemological concerns that have crystallized in the South African context around clinical care. Three examples from the South African experience affecting the development of bioethics are examined: medical colonialism, the death in detention of Steve Biko, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Michael Gelfand's book [(1948). The sick African: a clinical study. Cape Town: Stewart Printing Company.] on African medical conditions captures the ambiguous nature of colonial medicine that linked genuine medical treatment with the civilizing mission. Biko's death was a key historical event that deeply implicated the medical profession under apartheid. The present HIV/AIDS epidemic presents the gravest social and political crisis for South African society. All three experiences influence the meaning and relevance of beneficence as a bioethics principle in the South African context. This paper argues for a South African bioethics informed by a critical humanism that takes account of the colonial past, and that does not model itself on an "original wound" or negation, but on positive care-giving practices.

  13. African Americans' views on research and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.

    PubMed

    Freimuth, V S; Quinn, S C; Thomas, S B; Cole, G; Zook, E; Duncan, T

    2001-03-01

    The participation of African Americans in clinical and public health research is essential. However, for a multitude of reasons, participation is low in many research studies. This article reviews the literature that substantiates barriers to participation and the legacy of past abuses of human subjects through research. The article then reports the results of seven focus groups with 60 African Americans in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Atlanta during the winter of 1997. In order to improve recruitment and retention in research, the focus group study examined knowledge of and attitudes toward medical research, knowledge of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and reactions to the Home Box Office production, Miss Evers' Boys, a fictionalized version of the Tuskegee Study, that premiered in February, 1997. The study found that accurate knowledge about research was limited; lack of understanding and trust of informed consent procedures was problematic; and distrust of researchers posed a substantial barrier to recruitment. Additionally, the study found that, in general, participants believed that research was important, but they clearly distinguished between types of research they would be willing to consider participating in and their motivations for doing so.

  14. The Attitude of Medical and Pharmacy Students towards Research Activities: A Multicenter Approach

    PubMed Central

    Bandari, Deepak Kumar; Tefera, Yonas Getaye; Elnour, Asim Ahmed; Shehab, Abdulla

    2017-01-01

    Aim: To assess the attitude of medical and pharmacy students in Asian and African universities towards scholarly research activities. Methods: An anonymous, cross-sectional, self-reported online survey questionnaire was administered to medical and pharmacy students studying in various Asian and African universities through social media between May and July 2016. A 68-item close-ended questionnaire consisting of Likert-scale options assessed the students’ research-specific experiences, and their attitudes towards scholarly research publications. Results: A total of 512 questionnaires were completed, with a response rate of 92% from Asia and 94% from Africa. More pharmacy students (70.8%) participated than medical students (29.2%). Overall 52.2% of the pharmacy students and 40% of medical students believed that research activities provided a means of gaining respect from their faculty members. Lack of encouragement, paucity of time, gaps in research activities and practices, and lack of research funding were some of the most common barriers acknowledged by the students. A nonparametric Mann-Whitney test showed that a statistically significant difference was observed, in that more than 80% of the pharmacy students viewed scientific writing and research activities as valuable experiences (p = 0.001) and would like to involve their co-students in scholarly research activities (p = 0.002); whereas the majority of the medical students desired to be involved more in scholarly research publications (p = 0.033). Conclusion: Pharmacy students had good attitudes towards research activities and a higher number of medical students desired to be involved more in research publications. Faculties may consider taking special research initiatives to address the barriers and improve the involvement of medical and pharmacy students in scholarly research activities. PMID:29019923

  15. Adverse Drug Events and Medication Errors in African Hospitals: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Mekonnen, Alemayehu B; Alhawassi, Tariq M; McLachlan, Andrew J; Brien, Jo-Anne E

    2018-03-01

    Medication errors and adverse drug events are universal problems contributing to patient harm but the magnitude of these problems in Africa remains unclear. The objective of this study was to systematically investigate the literature on the extent of medication errors and adverse drug events, and the factors contributing to medication errors in African hospitals. We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and Global Health databases from inception to 31 August, 2017 and hand searched the reference lists of included studies. Original research studies of any design published in English that investigated adverse drug events and/or medication errors in any patient population in the hospital setting in Africa were included. Descriptive statistics including median and interquartile range were presented. Fifty-one studies were included; of these, 33 focused on medication errors, 15 on adverse drug events, and three studies focused on medication errors and adverse drug events. These studies were conducted in nine (of the 54) African countries. In any patient population, the median (interquartile range) percentage of patients reported to have experienced any suspected adverse drug event at hospital admission was 8.4% (4.5-20.1%), while adverse drug events causing admission were reported in 2.8% (0.7-6.4%) of patients but it was reported that a median of 43.5% (20.0-47.0%) of the adverse drug events were deemed preventable. Similarly, the median mortality rate attributed to adverse drug events was reported to be 0.1% (interquartile range 0.0-0.3%). The most commonly reported types of medication errors were prescribing errors, occurring in a median of 57.4% (interquartile range 22.8-72.8%) of all prescriptions and a median of 15.5% (interquartile range 7.5-50.6%) of the prescriptions evaluated had dosing problems. Major contributing factors for medication errors reported in these studies were individual practitioner factors (e.g. fatigue and inadequate knowledge

  16. Racial Identity and Mental Well-Being: The Experience of African American Medical Students, A Report from the Medical Student CHANGE Study.

    PubMed

    Hardeman, Rachel R; Perry, Sylvia P; Phelan, Sean M; Przedworski, Julia M; Burgess, Diana J; van Ryn, Michelle

    2016-06-01

    Diversification of the physician workforce continues to be a national priority; however, a paucity of knowledge about the medical school experience for African American medical students limits our ability to achieve this goal. Previous studies document that African American medical students are at greater risk for depression and anxiety. This study moves beyond these findings to explore the role of racial identity (the extent to which a person normatively defines her/himself with regard to race) and its relationship to well-being for African American medical students in their first year of training. This study used baseline data from the Medical Student Cognitive Habits and Growth Evaluation (CHANGE) Study; a large national longitudinal cohort study of 4732 medical students at 49 medical schools in the US racial identity for African American students (n = 301) was assessed using the centrality sub-scale of the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity. Generalized linear regression models with a Poisson regression family distribution were used to estimate the relative risks of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress. First year African American medical students who had lower levels of racial identity were less likely to experience depressive and anxiety symptoms in their first year of medical school. After controlling for other important social predictors of poor mental health (gender and SES), this finding remained significant. Results increase knowledge about the role of race as a core part of an individual's self-concept. These findings provide new insight into the relationship between racial identity and psychological distress, particularly with respect to a group of high-achieving young adults.

  17. Addressing social responsibility in medical education: the African way.

    PubMed

    Kwizera, Enoch N; Iputo, Jehu E

    2011-01-01

    Indigenous sub-Saharan societies have, over the millennia, lived and socialised within the unwritten 'rules' of the 'Ubuntu' or similar philosophies that emphasises holistic 'humanness', and which is a form of 'social responsibility'. This article looks into some relevant social responsibility aspects of medical education in the South African context, with particular emphasis on how these aspects have been addressed. Apartheid was, by its very nature, incompatible with social responsibility for the majority of South Africans, but one medical school that was a non-complicit product of apartheid succeeded in fulfilling a socially responsible mission. Thus, this article implicitly identifies what South Africa, Africa and the global Health Professions Education community could learn from these trail-blazing experiences.

  18. Primitive African Medical Lore and Witchcraft *

    PubMed Central

    Thompson, Ethel E.

    1965-01-01

    This article presents a comprehensive study of the methods, practices, equipment, and paraphernalia of African witch doctors in carrying out primitive medical practices. The chief tribes studied are the Azandes of the Sudan, the Manos of Liberia, the Congo tribes, the Bundas of Angola, and the Zulus and other Bantu tribes of South Africa. Primitive beliefs and customs are discussed only insofar as they have a direct bearing on medical practices. The medical practices considered deal mainly with the application of general remedies for ailments and diseases, but certain specialized fields such as obstetrics, surgery, treatment for fractures, and dentistry are also included. Primitive medicaments are presented with reference to their application for various illnesses. An alphabetical list of these medicaments is given at the end of the article. PMID:14223742

  19. Unexpected findings in the exploration of African American underrepresentation in biospecimen collection and biobanks

    PubMed Central

    Hagiwara, Nao; Berry-Bobovski, Lisa; Francis, Carie; Ramsey, Lauren; Chapman, Robert A.; Albrecht, Terrance L.

    2014-01-01

    Racial/ethnic minorities are underrepresented in current biobanking programs. The current study utilized community-based participatory research to identify motivating factors and barriers that affect older African Americans’ willingness to donate biospecimens. The standardized phone survey was administered to 78 African Americans who are 55 years old or older and live in the metropolitan Detroit area to assess their overall willingness to donate biospecimens and what factors were associated with it. The majority of the participants were willing to donate biospecimens, along with their personal information, for medical research and indicated that they did donate biospecimens when they were asked. However, African Americans were rarely asked to participate in biobanking programs. Furthermore, African Americans were not as concerned with research exploitation or as mistrusting of medical researchers as previously thought by the medical researchers. Even if African Americans were concerned over potential research exploitation or mistrust of medical researchers, these concerns or mistrust did not translate into an actual unwillingness to participate in biobanking programs. Rather, transparency in medical research and biobanking programs was more important when predicting African Americans’ willingness to donate biospecimens for medical research. The findings suggest that underrepresentation of African Americans in current biobanking programs may not be due to their willingness/unwillingness to participate in such programs, but rather due to a failure of medical researchers to approach them. Additionally, researchers and clinicians should focus on increasing the transparency of medical research and biobanking programs rather than changing African Americans’ potential negative attitudes toward them. PMID:24243440

  20. Critical Race Theory: A Counternarrative of African American Male Medical Students Attending Predominately White Medical Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morgan, Adrienne L.

    2013-01-01

    The history of African Americans seeking medical education in the United States is rooted in a legacy of racial segregation, cultural constructs, and legal doctrine that differs from other ethnic and racial groups. The disturbing results of this legacy are that while African Americans account for 12.9% of the U.S. population, they only account for…

  1. Assimilating South African medical students trained in Cuba into the South African medical education system: reflections from an identity perspective.

    PubMed

    Donda, B M; Hift, R J; Singaram, V S

    2016-10-24

    In terms of the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Medical Collaboration programme, an agreement between the governments of South Africa and Cuba, cohorts of South African students receive their initial five years medical training at a Cuban university before returning to South Africa for a six to twelve months orientation before integration into the local final year class. It is common for these students to experience academic difficulty on their return. Frequently this is viewed merely as a matter of a knowledge deficit. We argue that the problem arises from a fundamental divergence in the outcomes of the Cuban and South African medical curricula, each of which is designed with a particular healthcare system in mind. Using the discrepancy theory of identity proposed by Higgins in 1987, we discuss the challenges experienced by the returning Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Medical Collaboration students in terms of a potential crisis of identity and suggest interventions which may prove valuable in promoting academic success and successful integration. Though providing additional training to address the gap in skills and knowledge in returning students is an important part of their successful reintegration, this could be insufficient on its own and must be complemented by a range of measures designed to ameliorate the discrepancies in identity which arise from the transition from one educational model to another.

  2. Adequacy of pharmacological information provided in pharmaceutical drug advertisements in African medical journals

    PubMed Central

    Oshikoya, Kazeem A.; Senbanjo, Idowu O.; Soipe, Ayo

    2008-01-01

    Pharmaceutical advertisement of drugs is a means of advocating drug use and their selling but not a substitute for drug formulary to guide physicians in safe prescribing. Objectives: To evaluate drug advertisements in Nigerian and other African medical journals for their adequacy of pharmacological information. Methods: Twenty four issues from each of West African Journal of Medicine (WAJM), East African Medical Journal (EAMJ), South African Medical Journal (SAMJ), Nigerian Medical Practitioner (NMP), Nigerian Quarterly Journal of Hospital Medicine (NQJHM) and Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal (NPMJ) were reviewed. While EAMJ, SAMJ and NMP are published monthly, the WAJM, NQJHM and NPMJ are published quarterly. The monthly journals were reviewed between January 2005 and December 2006, and the quarterly journals between January 2001 and December 2006. The drug information with regards to brand/non-proprietary name, pharmacological data, clinical information, pharmaceutical information and legal aspects was evaluated as per World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria. Counts in all categories were collated for each advertiser. Results: Forty one pharmaceutical companies made 192 advertisements. 112 (58.3%) of these advertisements were made in the African medical journals. Pfizer (20.3%) and Swipha (12.5%) topped the list of the advertising companies. Four (2.1%) adverts mentioned generic names only, 157 (81.8%) mentioned clinical indications. Adults and children dosage (39.6%), use in special situations such as pregnancy and renal or liver problems (36.5%), adverse effects (30.2%), average duration of treatment (26.0%), and potential for interaction with other drugs (18.7%) were less discussed. Pharmaceutical information such as available dosage forms and product and package information {summary of the generic and proprietary names, the formulation strength, active ingredient, route of administration, batch number, manufactured and expiry dates, and the manufacturer

  3. African Primary Care Research: Participatory action research

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Abstract This article is part of the series on African primary care research and focuses on participatory action research. The article gives an overview of the emancipatory-critical research paradigm, the key characteristics and different types of participatory action research. Following this it describes in detail the methodological issues involved in professional participatory action research and running a cooperative inquiry group. The article is intended to help students with writing their research proposal. PMID:26245439

  4. Analysing post-apartheid gender and racial transformation in medical education in a South African province.

    PubMed

    Khan, Taskeen; Thomas, Leena S; Naidoo, Shan

    2013-01-24

    In light of global concerns about insufficient numbers of doctors, midwives, and nurses, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the scale-up of the production of medical professionals who are competent and responsive to community needs as urgent and necessary. Coincident with this imperative, South African medical schools have also had to consider redressing apartheid-era inequities in access to medical education and changing the racial and gender profile of medical graduates to be representative of the population. In this article, we explore progress and challenges with regard to transformation, defined as intentional and planned changes aimed at addressing historical disadvantages, in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. A cross-sectional, descriptive analysis was conducted using data on medical school admissions and graduations from the Health and Education Departments for the period 1999-2011. Admission and graduation statistics of 1999, 2005, 2008, and 2011 were analysed according to race and gender. The results show that there has been progress in transforming the race and gender composition of medical students and graduates, in line with the transformation strategies of the South African government. In 1999, black African enrolments and graduates were conspicuously low in two of the three medical schools in the Gauteng province. By 2011, an almost six-fold increase in black African student enrolments was seen in one medical school that was previously designated as a white institution. In contrast, at the historically black medical school, whites only represented 0.40% of enrolments in 1999 and 7.4% in 2011. Since 1999, the number and proportion of female medical enrolments and graduates has also increased substantially. While there has been progress with redressing historical disparities and inequities in terms of race and gender, further efforts are needed to ensure that student intakes and graduations are in line with the South African

  5. A paradigm for understanding trust and mistrust in medical research: The Community VOICES study.

    PubMed

    Smirnoff, M; Wilets, I; Ragin, D F; Adams, R; Holohan, J; Rhodes, R; Winkel, G; Ricci, E M; Clesca, C; Richardson, L D

    2018-01-01

    To promote justice in research practice and rectify health disparities, greater diversity in research participation is needed. Lack of trust in medical research is one of the most significant obstacles to research participation. Multiple variables have been identified as factors associated with research participant trust/mistrust. A conceptual model that provides meaningful insight into the interplay of factors impacting trust may promote more ethical research practice and provide an enhanced, actionable understanding of participant mistrust. A structured survey was developed to capture attitudes toward research conducted in emergency situations; this article focuses on items designed to assess respondents' level of trust or mistrust in medical research in general. Community-based interviews were conducted in English or Spanish with 355 New York City residents (white 42%, African American 29%, Latino 22%). Generally favorable attitudes toward research were expressed by a majority (85.3%), but many respondents expressed mistrust. Factor analysis yielded four specific domains of trust/mistrust, each of which was associated with different demographic variables: general trustworthiness (older age, not disabled); perceptions of discrimination (African American, Latino, Spanish language preference); perceptions of deception (prior research experience, African American); and perceptions of exploitation (less education). The four domains identified in the analysis provide a framework for understanding specific areas of research trust/mistrust among disparate study populations. This model offers a conceptual basis for the design of tailored interventions that target specific groups to promote trust of individual researchers and research institutions as well as to facilitate broader research participation.

  6. African American Culture and Heritage in Higher Education Research and Practice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freeman, Kassie, Ed.

    Fifteen papers examine the cultural context and history of African Americans in higher education research and practice. Papers are grouped in three parts: African American culture in higher education research; African American higher education research issues and paradigms; and African American culture and higher education policy and practice.…

  7. An Ethno-medical Perspective on Research Participation: A Qualitative Pilot Study

    PubMed Central

    Calderón, José L.; Baker, Richard S.; Fabrega, Horacio; Conde, José G.; Hays, Ron D.; Fleming, Erik; Norris, Keith

    2006-01-01

    Background Recruitment of racial/ethnic minorities for clinical research continues to be problematic, yet critical to ensuring that research data will be applicable to diverse populations. There is a paucity of information about culturally appropriate methods for recruiting and retaining racial/ethnic minorities in research. Objective To cross-culturally assess perceptions of research participation by African American and immigrant Latinos living in the inner-city community of Watts, Los Angeles, California, using qualitative methods. Design Focus groups using ethnically matched moderators were convened with African American and immigrant Latino participants. Discussion was facilitated using a script that focused on perceived “feelings” and “perceptions” about research. Discussions were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using manual and computerized statistically based software (mixed) methods. Results African Americans and immigrant Latinos shared several barriers and motivators to research. However, they also reported barriers and motivators to research that were distinct to each group. Latinos were more interested in healthcare and health information, and African Americans were more concerned with issues of trust and quality of care. Most participants said they would participate in research if they were better informed, or if they or a family member had an illness. Improving communication was reported as being important for motivating participation in clinical research. Overall, socioecologically and socioeconomically based domains were shared, whereas historically and/or socioculturally based domains were distinct. Conclusions Using an ethno-medical science model, we demonstrated that it is possible to identify shared barriers and motivators to research participation between 2 distinct cultural groups. This approach can be useful in developing targeted community-based strategies to increase minority participation in clinical trials. PMID:16926762

  8. Analysing post-apartheid gender and racial transformation in medical education in a South African province

    PubMed Central

    Khan, Taskeen; Thomas, Leena S.; Naidoo, Shan

    2013-01-01

    Introduction In light of global concerns about insufficient numbers of doctors, midwives, and nurses, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the scale-up of the production of medical professionals who are competent and responsive to community needs as urgent and necessary. Coincident with this imperative, South African medical schools have also had to consider redressing apartheid-era inequities in access to medical education and changing the racial and gender profile of medical graduates to be representative of the population. In this article, we explore progress and challenges with regard to transformation, defined as intentional and planned changes aimed at addressing historical disadvantages, in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Methods A cross-sectional, descriptive analysis was conducted using data on medical school admissions and graduations from the Health and Education Departments for the period 1999–2011. Admission and graduation statistics of 1999, 2005, 2008, and 2011 were analysed according to race and gender. Results The results show that there has been progress in transforming the race and gender composition of medical students and graduates, in line with the transformation strategies of the South African government. In 1999, black African enrolments and graduates were conspicuously low in two of the three medical schools in the Gauteng province. By 2011, an almost six-fold increase in black African student enrolments was seen in one medical school that was previously designated as a white institution. In contrast, at the historically black medical school, whites only represented 0.40% of enrolments in 1999 and 7.4% in 2011. Since 1999, the number and proportion of female medical enrolments and graduates has also increased substantially. Conclusion While there has been progress with redressing historical disparities and inequities in terms of race and gender, further efforts are needed to ensure that student intakes and graduations

  9. Some Growth Points in African Child Development Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Serpell, Robert; Marfo, Kofi

    2014-01-01

    We reflect on ways in which research presented in earlier chapters responds to challenges of generating an African child development field and identify additional issues calling for the field's attention. The chapters collectively display a variety of African contexts and reflexive evidence of the authors' African cultural roots. Connecting…

  10. Reported Racial Discrimination, Trust in Physicians, and Medication Adherence Among Inner-City African Americans With Hypertension

    PubMed Central

    Hargraves, J. Lee; Rosal, Milagros; Briesacher, Becky A.; Schoenthaler, Antoinette; Person, Sharina; Hullett, Sandral; Allison, Jeroan

    2013-01-01

    Objectives. We sought to determine if reported racial discrimination was associated with medication nonadherence among African Americans with hypertension and if distrust of physicians was a contributing factor. Methods. Data were obtained from the TRUST project conducted in Birmingham, Alabama, 2006 to 2008. All participants were African Americans diagnosed with hypertension and receiving care at an inner city, safety net setting. Three categories of increasing adherence were defined based on the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Trust in physicians was measured with the Hall General Trust Scale, and discrimination was measured with the Experiences of Discrimination Scale. Associations were quantified by ordinal logistic regression, adjusting for gender, age, education, and income. Results. The analytic sample consisted of 227 African American men and 553 African American women, with a mean age of 53.7 ±9.9 years. Mean discrimination scores decreased monotonically across increasing category of medication adherence (4.1, 3.6, 2.9; P = .025), though the opposite was found for trust scores (36.5, 38.5, 40.8; P < .001). Trust mediated 39% (95% confidence interval = 17%, 100%) of the association between discrimination and medication adherence. Conclusions. Within our sample of inner city African Americans with hypertension, racial discrimination was associated with lower medication adherence, and this association was partially mediated by trust in physicians. Patient, physician and system approaches to increase “earned” trust may enhance existing interventions for promoting medication adherence. PMID:24028222

  11. Expenditures on health research in sub-Saharan African countries: results of a questionnaire-based survey.

    PubMed

    Kebede, Derege; Zielinski, Chris; Mbondji, Peter Ebongue; Sanou, Issa; Kouvividila, Wenceslas; Lusamba-Dikassa, Paul-Samson

    2014-05-01

    To estimate the sources of funds for health research (revenue) and the uses of these funds (expenditure). A structured questionnaire was used to solicit financial information from health research institutions. Forty-two sub-Saharan African countries. Key informants in 847 health research institutions in the 42 sub-Saharan African countries. Expenditure on health research by institutions, funders and subject areas. An estimated total of US$ 302 million was spent on health research by institutions that responded to the survey in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region for the biennium 2005-2006. The most notable funders for health research activities were external funding, ministries of health, other government ministries, own funds and non-profit institutions. Most types of health research performers spent significant portions of their resources on in-house research, with medical schools spending 82% and government agencies 62%. Hospitals spent 38% of their resources on management, and other institutions (universities, firms, etc.) spent 87% of their resources on capital investment. Research on human immunodeficiency virus/tuberculosis and malaria accounted for 30% of funds, followed by research on other communicable diseases and maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions (23%). Research on major health problems of the Region, such as communicable diseases, accounts for most of the research expenditures. However, the total expenditure is very low compared with other WHO regions. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

  12. Addiction research centres and the nurturing of creativity: The Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research Unit at the South African Medical Research Council - strengthening substance abuse research and policy in South Africa.

    PubMed

    Parry, Charles; Morojele, Neo; Myers, Bronwyn; Plüddemann, Andreas

    2013-01-01

    The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Unit (ADARU) was established at the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) at the beginning of 2001, although its origins lie in the activities of the Centre for Epidemiological Research in Southern Africa and other MRC entities. Initial challenges included attracting external funding, recruiting new staff, developing the skills of junior staff, publishing in international journals and building national and international collaborative networks. ADARU currently comprises a core staff of 33 members who work on 22 projects spanning substance use epidemiology and associated consequences, intervention studies with at-risk populations and services research. A large component of this portfolio focuses on the link between alcohol and other drug use and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviour, with funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Junior staff members are encouraged to develop independent research interests and pursue PhD studies. Research outputs, such as the 20 papers that were published in 2010 and the 35 conference presentations from that year, form an important part of the unit's research translation activities. We engage actively with policy processes at the local, provincial, national and international levels, and have given particular attention to alcohol policy in recent years. The paper includes an analysis of major challenges currently facing the unit and how we are attempting to address them. It ends with some thoughts on what the unit intends doing to enhance the quality of its research, the capacity of its staff and its international standing. © 2011 The Authors, Addiction © 2011 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  13. The Impact of Everyday Discrimination and Racial Identity Centrality on African American Medical Student Well-Being: a Report from the Medical Student CHANGE Study

    PubMed Central

    Hardeman, Rachel; Burke, Sara E.; Cunningham, Brooke; Burgess, Diana J.; van Ryn, Michelle

    2015-01-01

    Positive psychological well-being is an important predictor of and contributor to medical student success. Previous work showed that first-year African American medical students whose self-concept was highly linked to their race (high racial identity centrality) were at greater risk for poor well-being. The current study extends this work by examining (a) whether the psychological impact of racial discrimination on well-being depends on African American medical students' racial identity centrality and (b) whether this process is explained by how accepted students feel in medical school. This study used baseline data from the Medical Student Cognitive Habits and Growth Evaluation (CHANGE) Study, a large national longitudinal cohort study of 4732 medical students at 49 medical schools in the USA (n = 243). Regression analyses were conducted to test whether medical student acceptance mediated an interactive effect of discrimination and racial identity centrality on self-esteem and well-being. Both racial identity centrality and everyday discrimination were associated with negative outcomes for first-year African American medical students. Among participants who experienced higher, but not lower, levels of everyday discrimination, racial identity centrality was associated with negative outcomes. When everyday discrimination was high, but not low, racial identity was negatively related to perceived acceptance in medical school, and this in turn was related to increased negative outcomes. Our results suggest that discrimination may be particularly harmful for African American students who perceive their race to be central to their personal identity. Additionally, our findings speak to the need for institutional change that includes commitment and action towards inclusivity and the elimination of structural racism. PMID:27294743

  14. The Impact of Everyday Discrimination and Racial Identity Centrality on African American Medical Student Well-Being: a Report from the Medical Student CHANGE Study.

    PubMed

    Perry, Sylvia P; Hardeman, Rachel; Burke, Sara E; Cunningham, Brooke; Burgess, Diana J; van Ryn, Michelle

    2016-09-01

    Positive psychological well-being is an important predictor of and contributor to medical student success. Previous work showed that first-year African American medical students whose self-concept was highly linked to their race (high racial identity centrality) were at greater risk for poor well-being. The current study extends this work by examining (a) whether the psychological impact of racial discrimination on well-being depends on African American medical students' racial identity centrality and (b) whether this process is explained by how accepted students feel in medical school. This study used baseline data from the Medical Student Cognitive Habits and Growth Evaluation (CHANGE) Study, a large national longitudinal cohort study of 4732 medical students at 49 medical schools in the USA (n = 243). Regression analyses were conducted to test whether medical student acceptance mediated an interactive effect of discrimination and racial identity centrality on self-esteem and well-being. Both racial identity centrality and everyday discrimination were associated with negative outcomes for first-year African American medical students. Among participants who experienced higher, but not lower, levels of everyday discrimination, racial identity centrality was associated with negative outcomes. When everyday discrimination was high, but not low, racial identity was negatively related to perceived acceptance in medical school, and this in turn was related to increased negative outcomes. Our results suggest that discrimination may be particularly harmful for African American students who perceive their race to be central to their personal identity. Additionally, our findings speak to the need for institutional change that includes commitment and action towards inclusivity and the elimination of structural racism.

  15. A review of the integration of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine into the curriculum of South African medical schools

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Traditional, complementary and alternative (TCAM) medicine is consumed by a large majority of the South African population. In the context of increasing overall demand for healthcare this paper investigates the extent to which South African medical schools have incorporated TCAM into their curriculum because of the increased legislative and policy interest in formally incorporating TCAM into the health care system since democracy in 1994. Methods Heads of School from seven South African medical schools were surveyed telephonically. Results One school was teaching both Traditional African Medicine (TM) and CAM, five were teaching either TM or CAM and another was not teaching any aspect of TCAM. Conclusions In conclusion, there is a paucity of curricula which incorporate TCAM. Medical schools have not responded to government policies or the contextual realities by incorporating TCAM into the curriculum for their students. South African medical schools need to review their curricula to increase their students’ knowledge of TCAM given the demands of the population and the legislative realities. PMID:24575843

  16. Disentangling the Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Differences Between African American and White Women in Unmet Medical Needs

    PubMed Central

    Person, Sharina D.; Kiefe, Catarina I.; Allison, Jeroan J.

    2009-01-01

    Objectives. We sought to disentangle the relationships between race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and unmet medical care needs. Methods. Data from the 2003–2004 Community Tracking Study Household Survey were used to examine associations between unmet medical needs and SES among African American and White women. Results. No significant racial/ethnic differences in unmet medical needs (24.8% of Whites, 25.9% of African Americans; P = .59) were detected in bivariate analyses. However, among women with 12 years of education or less, African Americans were less likely than were Whites to report unmet needs (odds ratio [OR] = 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.42, 0.79). Relative to African American women with 12 years of education or less, the odds of unmet needs were 1.69 (95% CI = 1.24, 2.31) and 2.18 (95% CI = 1.25, 3.82) among African American women with 13 to 15 years of education and 16 years of education or more, respectively. In contrast, the relationship between educational level and unmet needs was nonsignificant among White women. Conclusions. Among African American women, the failure to recognize unmet medical needs is related to educational attainment and may be an important driver of health disparities, representing a fruitful area for future interventions. PMID:19608942

  17. Money versus mission at an African-American medical school: Knoxville College Medical Department, 1895-1900.

    PubMed

    Savitt, T L

    2001-01-01

    Knoxville College Medical Department (KCMD) was, to all appearances, a missionary medical school established in 1895 by a small black Presbyterian college in the Tennessee mountains to train African-American physicians. In reality, it functioned as a proprietary medical school organized and operated by a group of local white physicians who were more interested in making money than in furthering the school's mission of educating black Christian physicians. KCMD limped along until 1900 when the college's new president reported to the trustees about the white faculty's greed, irreligious behavior, poor teaching, and bad medical reputation, and about how the presence of the medical school on campus undermined the college's overall mission. KCMD graduated two students before closing its doors in 1900. A group of faculty then reopened the school off-campus as the Knoxville Medical College. That school closed in 1910.

  18. Clinical nursing and midwifery research: grey literature in African countries.

    PubMed

    Sun, C; Dohrn, J; Omoni, G; Malata, A; Klopper, H; Larson, E

    2016-03-01

    This study reviewed grey literature to assess clinical nursing and midwifery research conducted in southern and eastern African countries over the past decade. The shortage of published nursing research from African countries severely limits the ability of practicing nurses and midwives to base clinical decisions on solid evidence. However, little is known regarding unpublished or unindexed clinical research ('grey literature'), a potentially rich source of information. Identifying these sources may reveal resources to assist nurses in providing evidence-based care. This scoping review of grey literature on clinical nursing and midwifery research in southern and eastern African countries helped to identify gaps in research and assess whether these gaps differ from published research. Systematic searches of grey literature were performed. Research was included if it was conducted by nurses in 1 of 25 southern or eastern African countries, between 2004 and 2014 and included patient outcomes. Data were extracted on location, institution, research topic, institutional connections and author information. Chi-square tests were performed to compare differences between indexed and non-indexed literature. We found 262 studies by 287 authors from 17 southern and eastern African countries covering 13 topics. Although all topics were also found in indexed literature and there were statistically significant differences between the number of times, fewer topics were covered in grey literature vs. indexed. Patient satisfaction and experience and traditional health practices were more likely to be published, whereas chronic disease, assault and paediatric-related research were less often published. Generally, there is a paucity of clinical nursing research in this region. This could reflect the shortage of nurses prepared to conduct research in this region. Nurses may find additional resources for evidence in the grey literature. A complete understanding of the state of nursing

  19. Lessons Learned: Research within an Urban, African American District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, Kimberly Ann

    2012-01-01

    For an African American female researcher whose race, class, and gender work as oppressive intersecting units shaping my contextualized experiences, meaning-making, and self-definition, the implications of my work with African American communities are complicated. In this article, I draw on culturally sensitive research practices, critical race…

  20. Medical School Research Pipeline: Medical Student Research Experience in Psychiatry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balon, Richard; Heninger, George; Belitsky, Richard

    2006-01-01

    Objective: The authors discuss the importance of introducing research training in psychiatry and neurosciences to medical students. Methods: A review of existing models of research training in psychiatry with focus on those providing research training to medical students is presented. Results: Two research-training models for medical students that…

  1. Driving forces of biomedical science education and research in state-of-the arts academic medical centres: the United States as example.

    PubMed

    John, T A

    2011-06-01

    Basic science departments in academic medical centres are influenced by changes that are commonly directed at medical education and financial gain. Some of such changes may have been detrimental to or may have enhanced basic science education. They may have determined basic science research focus or basic science research methods. However, there is lack of research on the educational process in the basic sciences including training of PhD's while there is ample research on medical education pertaining to training of medical doctors. The author here identifies, from university websites and available literature, some forces that have driven teaching and research focus and methods in state-of-the-arts academic medical centres in recent times with a view of seeing through their possible influences on basic science education and research, using the United States of America as an example. The "forces" are: Changes in medical schools; Medical educational philosophies: problem based learning, evidence based medicine, cyberlearning and self-directed learning; Shifting impressions of the value of basic sciences in medical schools; Research trends in Basic Sciences: role of antivivisectionists, alternative experimentations, explosion of molecular and cell biology; Technological advancements; Commercialization of research; and Funding agencies. The author encourages African leaders in academia to pay attention to such forces as the leadership seeks to raise African Universities as centres of knowledge that have a major role in acquiring, preserving, imparting, and utilizing knowledge.

  2. The differences between medical trust and mistrust and their respective influences on medication beliefs and ART adherence among African-Americans living with HIV.

    PubMed

    Pellowski, Jennifer A; Price, Devon M; Allen, Aerielle M; Eaton, Lisa A; Kalichman, Seth C

    2017-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between medical mistrust and trust and to determine if these measures differentially predict antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication adherence for African-American adults living with HIV. A total of 458 HIV positive African-Americans completed a cross-sectional survey. Self-reported ART adherence was collected using the visual-analog scale. The Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire was used to assess medication necessity and concern beliefs. All measures of medical mistrust and trust were significantly negatively correlated, ranging from r = -.339 to -.504. Race-based medical mistrust significantly predicted medication necessity and concern beliefs, whereas general medical mistrust only significantly predicted medication concerns. Both measures of trust significantly predicted medication necessity beliefs and medication concerns. Higher levels of race-based medical mistrust predicted lower medication adherence, whereas, neither trust in own physician nor trust in health care provider significantly predicted medication adherence. However, trust in own physician significantly predicted medication necessity beliefs, which predicted medication adherence. Trust and mistrust are not simply opposites of one another. These findings provide evidence for the complexity of understanding the relationship between health care trust, mistrust and patient-related health beliefs and behaviours.

  3. Plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin in African grey parrots treated with medicated water.

    PubMed

    Flammer, K; Aucoin, D P; Whitt, D A; Prus, S A

    1990-01-01

    Plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin were measured four times during a 7-day treatment period in African grey parrots that were fed with enrofloxacin-medicated drinking water. Water medicated at doubling doses of 0.09, 0.19, 0.38, 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 mg/ml achieved mean concentrations (+/- SEM) of 0.10 (+/- 0.05), 0.12 (+/- 0.05), 0.12 (+/- 0.03), 0.15 (+/- 0.05), 0.30 (+/- 0.11), and 0.20 (+/- 0.06) micrograms/ml, respectively. A portion of the administered enrofloxacin was metabolized to an equipotent metabolite, ciprofloxacin. Mean ciprofloxacin concentrations paralleled enrofloxacin concentrations but were lower, ranging from 0.04 to 0.27 micrograms/ml. Acceptance of medicated water was adequate at lower doses; however, at doses of 1.5 and 3.0 mg/ml, acceptance was unsatisfactory, and mean weight loss in these groups was significantly higher than the control group. Based on the concentrations achieved in these preliminary trials and the susceptibility patterns of gram-negative bacteria isolated from psittacine birds, drinking water medicated with enrofloxacin at 0.19-0.75 mg/ml might be effective for treating highly susceptible gram-negative bacterial infections in African grey parrots.

  4. Cultural Barriers to African American Participation in Anxiety Disorders Research

    PubMed Central

    Williams, Monnica T.; Beckmann-Mendez, Diana A.; Turkheimer, Eric

    2014-01-01

    Anxiety disorders are understudied, underdiagnosed, and undertreated in African Americans. Research focused on the phenomenology, etiology, and treatment of anxiety in African Americans has been hampered by lack of inclusion of this population in clinical research studies. The reason for exclusion is not well understood, although cultural mistrust has been hypothesized as a major barrier to research participation. This article reviews the relevant literature to date and examines the experience of 6 African American adults who participated in a larger clinical assessment study about anxiety. Drawing upon in-depth semistructured interviews about their subjective experiences, we examined participant perspectives about the assessment process, opinions about African American perception of anxiety studies, and participant-generated ideas about how to improve African American participation. Based on a qualitative analysis of responses, feelings of mistrust emerged as a dominant theme. Concerns fell under 6 categories, including not wanting to speak for others, confidentiality, self and group presentation concerns, repercussions of disclosure, potential covert purposes of the study, and the desire to confide only in close others. Suggestions for increasing African American participation are discussed, including assurances of confidentiality, adequate compensation, and a comfortable study environment. PMID:23862294

  5. Financial hardship, unmet medical need, and health self-efficacy among African American men.

    PubMed

    Tucker-Seeley, Reginald D; Mitchell, Jamie A; Shires, Deirdre A; Modlin, Charles S

    2015-06-01

    Health self-efficacy (the confidence to take care of one's health) is a key component in ensuring that individuals are active partners in their health and health care. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between financial hardship and health self-efficacy among African American men and to determine if unmet medical need due to cost potentially mediates this association. Cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from a convenience sample of African American men who attended a 1-day annual community health fair in Northeast Ohio (N = 279). Modified Poisson regression models were estimated to obtain the relative risk of reporting low health self-efficacy. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, those reporting financial hardship were 2.91 times, RR = 2.91 (confidence interval [1.24, 6.83]; p < .05), more likely to report low health self-efficacy. When unmet medical need due to cost was added to the model, the association between financial hardship and low health self-efficacy was no longer statistically significant. Our results suggest that the association between financial hardship and health self-efficacy can be explained by unmet medical need due to cost. Possible intervention efforts among African American men with low financial resources should consider expanding clinical and community-based health assessments to capture financial hardship and unmet medical need due to cost as potential contributors to low health self-efficacy. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

  6. Communication Development and Disorders in African American Children: Research, Assessment, and Intervention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kamhi, Alan G., Ed.; And Others

    The collection of papers on language development and African-American children includes: "The Challenges of Conducting Language Research with African American Children" (Holly K. Craig); "Issues in Recruiting African American Participants for Research" (Joyce L. Harris); "Issues in Assessing the Language Abilities of…

  7. Pilot study of quality of care training and knowledge in Sub-Saharan African medical schools

    PubMed Central

    Abbas, Yasmin; Odunleye, Temitope; Broughton, Edward; Bossert, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To identify the level of knowledge and competencies related to quality of care during medical education in sub-Saharan African medical schools.  Methods A cross-sectional study design was utilized to examine the capacity of medical schools in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries to teach about the concepts of quality of care and the inclusion of these concepts in their curriculum. A purposeful convenience sampling technique was used to select participants from 25 medical schools in 5 sub-Saharan African countries. Respondents included medical school deans or senior academic personnel.  A survey was developed using the Institute of Medicine’s definition of quality of care as the guiding framework.  Sample means and summary statistics were used to present the results of the survey responses. Results While 45% of the schools surveyed are teaching on at least one of the six domains of the Institute of Medicine’s definition of quality of care, there are some schools who report not teaching about quality at all, or that they “do not know”. Despite these low numbers, when asked about topics related to quality of care, many schools are teaching applied management related topics and almost all schools teach about equity and patient-centered care. Conclusions The results have important impacts both for incorporating quality of care into medical education and for practitioners.  The tool developed for this study can be used in future qualitative and quantitative studies to further understanding of how to improve the teaching and learning about quality of care in medical schools. Keywords: quality of care, medical schools, sub-Saharan Africa, medical errors, healthcare improvement PMID:28753130

  8. How students perceive medical competences: a cross-cultural study between the medical course in Portugal and African Portuguese speaking countries.

    PubMed

    Barbosa, Joselina; Severo, Milton; Fresta, Mário; Ismail, Mamudo; Ferreira, Maria Amélia; Barros, Henrique

    2011-05-25

    A global effort has been made in the last years to establish a set of core competences that define the essential professional competence of a physician. Regardless of the environment, culture or medical education conditions, a set of core competences is required for medical practice worldwide. Evaluation of educational program is always needed to assure the best training for medical students and ultimately best care for patients. The aim of this study was to determine in what extent medical students in Portugal and Portuguese speaking African countries, felt they have acquired the core competences to start their clinical practice. For this reason, it was created a measurement tool to evaluate self-perceived competences, in different domains, across Portuguese and Portuguese-speaking African medical schools. The information was collected through a questionnaire that defines the knowledge, attitudes and skills that future doctors should acquire. The Cronbach's Alpha and Principal Components Analysis (PCA) were used to evaluate the reliability of the questionnaire. In order to remove possible confounding effect, individual scores were standardized by country. The order of the domain's scores was similar between countries. After standardization, Personal Attitudes and Professional Behavior showed median scores above the country global median and Knowledge alone showed median score below the country global median. In Portugal, Clinical Skills showed score below the global median. In Angola, Clinical Skills and General Skills showed a similar result. There were only significant differences between countries in Personal Attitudes (p < 0.001) and Professional Behavior (p = 0.043). The reliability of the instrument in Portuguese and Portuguese-speaking African medical schools was confirmed. Students have perceived their level of competence in personal attitudes in a high level and in opposite, knowledge and clinical skills with some weaknesses.

  9. How students perceive medical competences: a cross-cultural study between the Medical Course in Portugal and African Portuguese Speaking Countries

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background A global effort has been made in the last years to establish a set of core competences that define the essential professional competence of a physician. Regardless of the environment, culture or medical education conditions, a set of core competences is required for medical practice worldwide. Evaluation of educational program is always needed to assure the best training for medical students and ultimately best care for patients. The aim of this study was to determine in what extent medical students in Portugal and Portuguese speaking African countries, felt they have acquired the core competences to start their clinical practice. For this reason, it was created a measurement tool to evaluate self-perceived competences, in different domains, across Portuguese and Portuguese-speaking African medical schools. Methods The information was collected through a questionnaire that defines the knowledge, attitudes and skills that future doctors should acquire. The Cronbach's Alpha and Principal Components Analysis (PCA) were used to evaluate the reliability of the questionnaire. In order to remove possible confounding effect, individual scores were standardized by country. Results The order of the domain's scores was similar between countries. After standardization, Personal Attitudes and Professional Behavior showed median scores above the country global median and Knowledge alone showed median score below the country global median. In Portugal, Clinical Skills showed score below the global median. In Angola, Clinical Skills and General Skills showed a similar result. There were only significant differences between countries in Personal Attitudes (p < 0.001) and Professional Behavior (p = 0.043). Conclusions The reliability of the instrument in Portuguese and Portuguese-speaking African medical schools was confirmed. Students have perceived their level of competence in personal attitudes in a high level and in opposite, knowledge and clinical skills with some

  10. Research capacity building: a US–South African partnership

    PubMed Central

    Airhihenbuwa, Collins O.; Shisana, Olive; Zungu, Nompumelelo; BeLue, Rhonda; Makofani, Daisy M.; Shefer, Tammy; Smith, Edward; Simbayi, Leickness

    2012-01-01

    Research capacity building engenders assets that allow communities (and, in this case, student fellows) to respond adequately to health issues and problems that are contextual, cultural and historical in nature. In this paper, we present a US–South African partnership that led to research training for 30 postgraduate students at two South African universities. We begin by exploring the nature of research capacity building in a partnership research project designed to promote HIV and AIDS-related stigma reduction. We examine methodological issues and their relevance to training of postgraduate students in South Africa. We conclude with recommendations for a successful model of partnership for building capacity of health researchers in Africa with the goal of developing research that informs policies and helps to bridge the health inequity gap globally. PMID:21596937

  11. Clinical nursing and midwifery research in African countries: a scoping review.

    PubMed

    Sun, Carolyn; Larson, Elaine

    2015-05-01

    Globally, the nursing shortage has been deemed a crisis, but African countries have been hit hardest. Therefore, it is of utmost importance nurses use the best available evidence and that nursing research is targeted to address gaps in the evidence. To achieve this, an understanding of what is currently available and identification of gaps in clinical nursing research is critical. We performed a scoping review of existing literature to assess clinical nursing research conducted in all African countries over the past decade, identify gaps in clinical nursing and midwifery research, determine whether they match with health priorities for countries, and define priorities for regional clinical nursing research agendas to improve health outcomes. This is a scoping review of published clinical nursing research conducted in African countries. Systematic searches of literature published between January 01, 2004 and September 15, 2014 were performed in PubMed, Medline, CINHAL, and Embase. Research was included if it was conducted by nurses, included data obtained in African countries or regions within the African continent, published in a peer-reviewed journal with an abstract, and included patient outcomes. Abstracts were independently reviewed for inclusion by two authors. The following data were extracted: countries of publication and study, study type and design, journal, language, and topics of research. Gaps in the literature were identified. Initially, 1091 papers were identified with a final sample of 73 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Studies used 12 designs, were published in 35 journals published in five countries (including two African countries); 29% of the research was published in a single journal (Curatonis). Research was mostly qualitative (57%) and included twenty countries in Africa (38%). There were 12 major topics of study, most often midwifery/maternal/child health (43%), patient experiences (38%), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV

  12. Weight-based discrimination and medication adherence among low-income African Americans with hypertension: how much of the association is mediated by self-efficacy?

    PubMed

    Richardson, Michael P; Waring, Molly E; Wang, Monica L; Nobel, Lisa; Cuffee, Yendelela; Person, Sharina D; Hullett, Sandral; Kiefe, Catarina I; Allison, Jeroan J

    2014-01-01

    Much of the excessive morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease among African Americans results from low adherence to anti-hypertensive medications. Therefore, we examined the association between weight-based discrimination and medication adherence. We used cross-sectional data from low-income African Americans with hypertension. Ordinal logistic regression estimated the odds of medication non-adherence in relation to weight-based discrimination adjusted for age, sex, education, income, and weight. Of all participants (n = 780), the mean (SD) age was 53.7 (9.9) years and the mean (SD) weight was 210.1 (52.8) lbs. Reports of weight-based discrimination were frequent (28.2%). Weight-based discrimination (but not weight itself) was associated with medication non-adherence (OR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.41-2.67). A substantial portion 38.9% (95% CI: 19.0%-79.0%) of the association between weight-based discrimination and medication non-adherence was mediated by medication self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a potential explanatory factor for the association between reported weight-based discrimination and medication non-adherence. Future research should develop and test interventions to prevent weight-based discrimination at the societal, provider, and institutional levels.

  13. Willingness to Participate in Clinical Trials Among African Americans and Whites Previously Exposed To Clinical Research

    PubMed Central

    Durant, Raegan W.; Legedza, Anna T.; Marcantonio, Edward R.; Freeman, Marcie B.; Landon, Bruce E.

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this study was to identify racial differences in willingness to participate in a population with previous exposure to clinical research. A survey instrument was administered to community-dwelling whites and African Americans who were voluntarily receiving a lay research and health education newsletter from a local Boston geriatric clinical research institution. The survey instrument assessed willingness to participate in 3 hypothetical clinical trials (diet trial for obesity, medication trial for hypertension [HTN], chemotherapy trial for cancer). Surveys were received from 473 whites and 279 African Americans (53% response rate) with mean age 74 (SD ± 9). In multivariate models, race was not significantly related to willingness to participate in the multivariate models for any of the 3 trials. Previous trial participation was related to a higher odds of willingness to participate in the diet trial only (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2,2.6). Lower levels of trust in one’s primary care physician were associated with a lower odds of willingness to participate in clinical trials for the diet and HTN trials (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3,0.8 and OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.3,0.9, respectively). These findings suggest that, within populations previously exposed to clinical research, African Americans are no less willing to participate in clinical trials compared to whites. PMID:21526582

  14. Recruitment and retention of rural African Americans in diabetes research: lessons learned.

    PubMed

    Loftin, Wanda Anderson; Barnett, Steven K; Bunn, Peggy Summers; Sullivan, Patra

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this article was to describe lessons learned about recruitment and retention of rural African Americans from published literature, the authors' research, and research experience. Two rural, community-based research studies with African Americans with diabetes are used to illustrate different issues and strategies in recruitment and retention. Relevant MEDLINE articles and clinical studies were reviewed, and the design, implementation, and results of the 2 community-based studies were evaluated. Information from the literature, research results, and sample selection, participation, and attrition experiences were synthesized to determine effective approaches for recruitment and retention. Research funding, design, and implementation; recruitment methods; culturally competent approaches; caring, trusting provider-patient relationships; incentives; follow-up; and factors in the rural environment emerged as important issues influencing recruitment and retention. Recruitment and retention of African Americans in rural diabetes research is a significant challenge, and adequate funding should be sought early in the research process. Culturally competent approaches; caring, trusting relationships; incentives; and follow-up are important concepts in successful recruitment, participation, and retention of African Americans. The lessons learned may be applicable to the more widespread issue of recruitment and retention of rural African Americans in diabetes education programs.

  15. Barriers and Facilitators of African American Participation in Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker Research

    PubMed Central

    Williams, Monique M.; Scharff, Darcell P.; Mathews, Katherine J.; Hoffsuemmer, Jonathan S.; Jackson, Pamela; Morris, John C.; Edwards, Dorothy F.

    2010-01-01

    African Americans experience a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but are underrepresented in AD research. Our study examined barriers and facilitators of AD research participation among African Americans. Investigators conducted 11 focus groups with African American participants (n=70) who discussed barriers and facilitators to AD research participation including lumbar puncture (LP) studies. The moderator and co-moderator independently reviewed transcripts, identified themes, and coded transcripts for analysis. Participants were predominately female (73%) with a mean age of 52y (range 21–86y). Concerns and attitudes were consistent across education, socioeconomic status, and gender. Mistrust was a fundamental reason for nonparticipation. Additional barriers included insufficient information dissemination in the African American community, inconvenience, and reputation of the researcher and research institution. Barriers to participation in AD biomarker studies were fear of the unknown and adverse effects. Altruism and relevance of research projects to the individual, family members, or the African American community facilitate participation. Increased participation results from relationships with the community that extend beyond immediate research interests, dissemination of research findings, and emphasis on relevance of proposed studies. Pervasive barriers impede African American participation in AD research but can be overcome through a sustained presence in the community. PMID:20711059

  16. Understanding participation by African Americans in cancer genetics research.

    PubMed

    McDonald, Jasmine A; Barg, Frances K; Weathers, Benita; Guerra, Carmen E; Troxel, Andrea B; Domchek, Susan; Bowen, Deborah; Shea, Judy A; Halbert, Chanita Hughes

    2012-01-01

    Understanding genetic factors that contribute to racial differences in cancer outcomes may reduce racial disparities in cancer morbidity and mortality. Achieving this goal will be limited by low rates of African American participation in cancer genetics research. We conducted a qualitative study with African American adults (n = 91) to understand attitudes about participating in cancer genetics research and to identify factors that are considered when making a decision about participating in this type of research. Participants would consider the potential benefits to themselves, family members, and their community when making a decision to participate in cancer genetics research. However, concerns about exploitation, distrust of researchers, and investigators' motives were also important to participation decisions. Individuals would also consider who has access to their personal information and what would happen to these data. Side effects, logistical issues, and the potential to gain knowledge about health issues were also described as important factors in decision making. African Americans may consider a number of ethical, legal, and social issues when making a decision to participate in cancer genetics research. These issues should be addressed as part of recruitment efforts.

  17. Differential response to targeted recruitment strategies to fitness promotion research by African-American women of varying body mass index.

    PubMed

    Yancey, A K; Miles, O L; McCarthy, W J; Sandoval, G; Hill, J; Leslie, J J; Harrison, G G

    2001-01-01

    To assess patterns of recruitment into a community-based NCI-funded physical activity and dietary lifestyle change program targeting African-American women. Acquisition of a convenience sample to be screened for participation in a randomized, controlled prevention intervention. African-American-owned and -operated health club located in an area of Los Angeles in which African Americans are concentrated. 893 African-American women. RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES: Social networking/word-of-mouth, staff presentations, mass and targeted media, and physician referral. Completion of screening questionnaire indicating a desire to enroll in the study. Screening questionnaire domains included self-reported height and weight, recent participation in organized weight loss programs, ability to walk one mile unassisted, current medication use, smoking status, personal medical history of cancer, sociodemographic variables, and recruitment source. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics distinguished between respondents obtained through different recruitment strategies. In particular, women with a higher body mass index (BMI) were more likely than those with lower BMIs (P = .014) to be recruited through more personalized methods (eg, social networking). Culturally tailored recruitment strategies are critical in securing the participation of members of "hard-to-reach" populations, who are both under-represented in health promotion research and at high risk for chronic diseases.

  18. Cultural Attitudes and Body Dissatisfaction: Morgan State Researchers Find that Perceptions of Body Image among Young African Americans May Be Life Threatening

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawkins, B. Denise

    2005-01-01

    Young African Americans don't appear to perceive obesity in the way the medical community does, putting them at greater risk for developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer, says a first-ever study led by researchers at the Morgan State University Prevention Sciences Research Center. The pilot study, which provides a rare…

  19. African Primary Care Research: writing a research report.

    PubMed

    Couper, Ian; Mash, Bob

    2014-06-06

    Presenting a research report is an important way of demonstrating one's ability to conduct research and is a requirement of most research-based degrees. Although known by various names across academic institutions, the structure required is mostly very similar, being based on the Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion format of scientific articles.This article offers some guidance on the process of writing, aimed at helping readers to start and to continue their writing; and to assist them in presenting a report that is received positively by their readers, including examiners. It also details the typical components of the research report, providing some guidelines for each, as well as the pitfalls to avoid.This article is part of a series on African Primary Care Research that aims to build capacity for research particularly at a Master's level.

  20. African-American Medical Personnel in the US Army in the First World War.

    PubMed

    Marble, Sanders

    2018-02-01

    In WWI, the United States was segregated by custom and law, and the Army obeyed the laws, reducing opportunities for Black medical professionals to serve their country in uniform. This article surveys African-American medical personnel serving in the US Army in World War I. It includes physicians, dentists, veterinarians, and other commissioned officers, as well as medical enlisted men. Overall, despite segregation and associated professional limitations, determined individuals still served with distinction in a variety of roles, opening doors for future advances. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  1. Implementation of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative: medical students' perspective.

    PubMed

    Bagala, John Paul; Macheka, Nyasha D; Abebaw, Hiwot; Wen, Leana S

    2014-08-01

    The Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is contributing to the transformation of medical training in Africa. In this paper, medical students present their perspective on how MEPI initiatives have influenced five key areas related to African medical trainees: educational infrastructure, information technology, community-based training, scientific research, and professional outlook and goals. They propose three new areas of focus that could further assist MEPI in bettering medical training in Africa.

  2. Medical Education in Decentralized Settings: How Medical Students Contribute to Health Care in 10 Sub-Saharan African Countries.

    PubMed

    Talib, Zohray; van Schalkwyk, Susan; Couper, Ian; Pattanaik, Swaha; Turay, Khadija; Sagay, Atiene S; Baingana, Rhona; Baird, Sarah; Gaede, Bernhard; Iputo, Jehu; Kibore, Minnie; Manongi, Rachel; Matsika, Antony; Mogodi, Mpho; Ramucesse, Jeremais; Ross, Heather; Simuyeba, Moses; Haile-Mariam, Damen

    2017-12-01

    African medical schools are expanding, straining resources at tertiary health facilities. Decentralizing clinical training can alleviate this tension. This study assessed the impact of decentralized training and contribution of undergraduate medical students at health facilities. Participants were from 11 Medical Education Partnership Initiative-funded medical schools in 10 African countries. Each school identified two clinical training sites-one rural and the other either peri-urban or urban. Qualitative and quantitative data collection tools were used to gather information about the sites, student activities, and staff perspectives between March 2015 and February 2016. Interviews with site staff were analyzed using a collaborative directed approach to content analysis, and frequencies were generated to describe site characteristics and student experiences. The clinical sites varied in level of care but were similar in scope of clinical services and types of clinical and nonclinical student activities. Staff indicated that students have a positive effect on job satisfaction and workload. Respondents reported that students improved the work environment, institutional reputation, and introduced evidence-based approaches. Students also contributed to perceived improvements in quality of care, patient experience, and community outreach. Staff highlighted the need for resources to support students. Students were seen as valuable resources for health facilities. They strengthened health care quality by supporting overburdened staff and by bringing rigor and accountability into the work environment. As medical schools expand, especially in low-resource settings, mobilizing new and existing resources for decentralized clinical training could transform health facilities into vibrant service and learning environments.

  3. South African medical schools: Current state of selection criteria and medical students' demographic profile.

    PubMed

    van der Merwe, L J; van Zyl, G J; St Clair Gibson, A; Viljoen, M; Iputo, J E; Mammen, M; Chitha, W; Perez, A M; Hartman, N; Fonn, S; Green-Thompson, L; Ayo-Ysuf, O A; Botha, G C; Manning, D; Botha, S J; Hift, R; Retief, P; van Heerden, B B; Volmink, J

    2015-12-16

    Selection of medical students at South African (SA) medical schools must promote equitable and fair access to students from all population groups, while ensuring optimal student throughput and success, and training future healthcare practitioners who will fulfil the needs of the local society. In keeping with international practices, a variety of academic and non-academic measures are used to select applicants for medical training programmes in SA medical schools. To provide an overview of the selection procedures used by all eight medical schools in SA, and the student demographics (race and gender) at these medical schools, and to determine to what extent collective practices are achieving the goals of student diversity and inclusivity. A retrospective, quantitative, descriptive study design was used. All eight medical schools in SA provided information regarding selection criteria, selection procedures, and student demographics (race and gender). Descriptive analysis of data was done by calculating frequencies and percentages of the variables measured. Medical schools in SA make use of academic and non-academic criteria in their selection processes. The latter include indices of socioeconomic disadvantage. Most undergraduate medical students in SA are black (38.7%), followed by white (33.0%), coloured (13.4%) and Indian/Asian (13.6%). The majority of students are female (62.2%). The number of black students is still proportionately lower than in the general population, while other groups are overrepresented. Selection policies for undergraduate medical programmes aimed at redress should be continued and further refined, along with the provision of support to ensure student success.

  4. African Primary Care Research: Writing a research report

    PubMed Central

    Mash, Bob

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Presenting a research report is an important way of demonstrating one's ability to conduct research and is a requirement of most research-based degrees. Although known by various names across academic institutions, the structure required is mostly very similar, being based on the Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion format of scientific articles. This article offers some guidance on the process of writing, aimed at helping readers to start and to continue their writing; and to assist them in presenting a report that is received positively by their readers, including examiners. It also details the typical components of the research report, providing some guidelines for each, as well as the pitfalls to avoid. This article is part of a series on African Primary Care Research that aims to build capacity for research particularly at a Master's level. PMID:26245441

  5. Capacity development for health research in Africa: experiences managing the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship Program

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Africa's progress depends on her capacity to generate, adapt, and use scientific knowledge to meet regional health and development needs. Yet, Africa's higher education institutions that are mandated to foster this capacity lack adequate resources to generate and apply knowledge, raising the need for innovative approaches to enhance research capacity. In this paper, we describe a newly-developed program to support PhD research in health and population sciences at African universities, the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship (ADDRF) Program. We also share our experiences implementing the program. As health research capacity-strengthening in Africa continues to attract attention and as the need for such programs to be African-led is emphasized, our experiences in developing and implementing the ADDRF offer invaluable lessons to other institutions undertaking similar initiatives. PMID:20587016

  6. Participation in medical research as a resource-seeking strategy in socio-economically vulnerable communities: call for research and action.

    PubMed

    Ravinetto, Raffaella M; Afolabi, Muhammed O; Okebe, Joseph; Van Nuil, Jennifer Ilo; Lutumba, Pascal; Mavoko, Hypolite Muhindo; Nahum, Alain; Tinto, Halidou; Addissie, Adamu; D'Alessandro, Umberto; Grietens, Koen Peeters

    2015-01-01

    The freedom to consent to participate in medical research is a complex subject, particularly in socio-economically vulnerable communities, where numerous factors may limit the efficacy of the informed consent process. Informal consultation among members of the Switching the Poles Clinical Research Network coming from various sub-Saharan African countries, that is Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Benin, seems to support the hypothesis that in socio-economical vulnerable communities with inadequate access to health care, the decision to participate in research is often taken irrespectively of the contents of the informed consent interview, and it is largely driven by the opportunity to access free or better quality care and other indirect benefits. Populations' vulnerability due to poverty and/or social exclusion should obviously not lead to exclusion from medical research, which is most often crucially needed to address their health problems. Nonetheless, to reduce the possibility of exploitation, there is the need to further investigate the complex links between socio-economical vulnerability, access to health care and individual freedom to decide on participation in medical research. This needs bringing together clinical researchers, social scientists and bioethicists in transdisciplinary collaborative research efforts that require the collective input from researchers, research sponsors and funders. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. African Americans Respond Poorly to Hepatitis C Treatment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black Issues in Higher Education, 2004

    2004-01-01

    African Americans have a significantly lower response rate to treatment for chronic hepatitis C than non-Hispanic Whites, according to a new study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers. Some African Americans--19 percent--did respond to the drug combination of peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin. But in non-Hispanic Whites with the…

  8. Enhancing research capacity of African institutions through social networking.

    PubMed

    Jimenez-Castellanos, Ana; Ramirez-Robles, Maximo; Shousha, Amany; Bagayoko, Cheick Oumar; Perrin, Caroline; Zolfo, Maria; Cuzin, Asa; Roland, Alima; Aryeetey, Richmond; Maojo, Victor

    2013-01-01

    Traditionally, participation of African researchers in top Biomedical Informatics (BMI) scientific journals and conferences has been scarce. Looking beyond these numbers, an educational goal should be to improve overall research and, therefore, to increase the number of scientists/authors able to produce and publish high quality research. In such scenario, we are carrying out various efforts to expand the capacities of various institutions located at four African countries - Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon and Mali - in the framework of a European Commission-funded project, AFRICA BUILD. This project is currently carrying out activities such as e-learning, collaborative development of informatics tools, mobility of researchers, various pilot projects, and others. Our main objective is to create a self-sustained South-South network of BMI developers.

  9. Poor Access for African Researchers to African Emergency Care Publications: A Cross-sectional Study.

    PubMed

    Bruijns, Stevan R; Maesela, Mmapeladi; Sinha, Suniti; Banner, Megan

    2017-10-01

    Based on relative population size and burden of disease, emergency care publication outputs from low- and middle-income regions are disproportionately lower than those of high-income regions. Ironically, outputs from regions with higher publication rates are often less relevant in the African context. As a result, the dissemination of and access to local research is essential to local researchers, but the cost of this access (actual and cost-wise) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to describe access to African emergency care publications in terms of publisher-based access (open access or subscription) and alternate access (self-archived or author provided), as well as the cost of access. We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study using all emergency medicine publications included in Scopus between 2011 and 2015. A sequential search strategy described access to each article, and we calculated mean article charges against the purchasing power parity index (used to describe out-of-pocket expense). We included 666 publications from 49 journals, of which 395 (59.3%) were open access. For subscription-based articles, 106 (39.1%) were self-archived, 60 (22.1%) were author-provided, and 105 (38.8%) were inaccessible. Mean article access cost was $36.44, and mean processing charge was $2,319.34. Using the purchasing power parity index it was calculated that equivalent out-of-pocket expenditure for South African, Ghanaian and Tanzanian authors would respectively be $15.77, $10.44 and $13.04 for access, and $1,004.02, $664.36 and $830.27 for processing. Based on this, the corrected cost of a single-unit article access or process charge for South African, Ghanaian and Tanzanian authors, respectively, was 2.3, 3.5 and 2.8 times higher than the standard rate. One in six African emergency care publications are inaccessible outside institutional library subscriptions; additionally, the cost of access to publications in low- and middle-income countries appears

  10. Differences in Problems Paying Medical Bills between African Americans and Whites from 2007 and 2009: the Underlying Role of Health Status.

    PubMed

    Wiltshire, Jacqueline C; Elder, Keith; Allison, Jeroan J

    2016-06-01

    Although the proportion of people reporting problems paying medical bills has declined in the aftermath of the Great Recession, it is unclear if this decline has been caused by self-rationing of care, particularly among disadvantaged groups. We examined African American-White differences in problems paying medical bills prevalence along with factors which may account for observed differences. We used cross-sectional data from 2007 (N = 13,064) and 2010 (N = 11,873) waves of the nationally representative, Health Tracking Household Survey. Logistic regression analyses, accounting for complex survey design and weights, were performed to compute population-based estimates. Overall, the prevalence of problems paying medical bills was 18.3 % in 2007 and 19.8 % in 2010. African Americans more frequently reported having problems paying medical bills than Whites. Among African Americans, problems paying medical bills decreased from 30 % in 2007 to 25 % in 2010, which was largely explained by fewer problems reported by those in poor/fair health. Problems paying medical bills significantly declined from 44 % in 2007 to 33 % in 2010 for African Americans in poor/fair health, but remained almost constant for those in good health and very good/excellent health. Our findings suggest that African Americans in poor health may be rationing or forgoing necessary care as a result of the recession, which could increase existing health disparities and future health spending. Efforts to reduce racial/ethnic disparities may depend on the extent to which the lingering effects of the Great Recession are mitigated.

  11. Positionality of African Americans and a Theoretical Accommodation of It: Rethinking Science Education Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parsons, Eileen R. Carlton

    2008-01-01

    This essay addresses a call for research involving African Americans to interpret data from the historical, contemporary, and cultural experiences of African Americans. The essay argues for a science education research approach that explicitly considers the positionality of African Americans in the United States. This positionality involves the…

  12. Trends in Themes of African American Family Research 1939-1989: A Synopsis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Lenwood G.

    1990-01-01

    Themes in research on African-American families between 1939 and 1989 are discussed, and the following recently developed themes are highlighted: (1) stress, (2) aging, (3) adoption, (4) prison, (5) polygamy, and (6) violence. Much more research is needed to provide better understanding of the African-American family. (SLD)

  13. Informed consent comprehension in African research settings.

    PubMed

    Afolabi, Muhammed O; Okebe, Joseph U; McGrath, Nuala; Larson, Heidi J; Bojang, Kalifa; Chandramohan, Daniel

    2014-06-01

    Previous reviews on participants' comprehension of informed consent information have focused on developed countries. Experience has shown that ethical standards developed on Western values may not be appropriate for African settings where research concepts are unfamiliar. We undertook this review to describe how informed consent comprehension is defined and measured in African research settings. We conducted a comprehensive search involving five electronic databases: Medline, Embase, Global Health, EthxWeb and Bioethics Literature Database (BELIT). We also examined African Index Medicus and Google Scholar for relevant publications on informed consent comprehension in clinical studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. 29 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria; meta-analysis was possible in 21 studies. We further conducted a direct comparison of participants' comprehension on domains of informed consent in all eligible studies. Comprehension of key concepts of informed consent varies considerably from country to country and depends on the nature and complexity of the study. Meta-analysis showed that 47% of a total of 1633 participants across four studies demonstrated comprehension about randomisation (95% CI 13.9-80.9%). Similarly, 48% of 3946 participants in six studies had understanding about placebo (95% CI 19.0-77.5%), while only 30% of 753 participants in five studies understood the concept of therapeutic misconception (95% CI 4.6-66.7%). Measurement tools for informed consent comprehension were developed with little or no validation. Assessment of comprehension was carried out at variable times after disclosure of study information. No uniform definition of informed consent comprehension exists to form the basis for development of an appropriate tool to measure comprehension in African participants. Comprehension of key concepts of informed consent is poor among study participants across Africa. There is a vital need to develop a uniform definition for

  14. Race/ethnicity and economic differences in cost-related medication underuse among insured adults with diabetes: the Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes Study.

    PubMed

    Tseng, Chien-Wen; Tierney, Edward F; Gerzoff, Robert B; Dudley, R Adams; Waitzfelder, Beth; Ackermann, Ronald T; Karter, Andrew J; Piette, John; Crosson, Jesse C; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen; Chung, Richard; Mangione, Carol M

    2008-02-01

    To examine racial/ethnic and economic variation in cost-related medication underuse among insured adults with diabetes. We surveyed 5,086 participants from the multicenter Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes Study. Respondents reported whether they used less medication because of cost in the past 12 months. We examined unadjusted and adjusted rates of cost-related medication underuse, using hierarchical regression, to determine whether race/ethnicity differences still existed after accounting for economic, health, and other demographic variables. Participants were 48% white, 14% African American, 14% Latino, 15% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 8% other. Overall, 14% reported cost-related medication underuse. Unadjusted rates were highest for Latinos (23%) and African Americans (17%) compared with whites (13%), Asian/Pacific Islanders (11%), and others (15%). In multivariate analyses, race/ethnicity significantly predicted cost-related medication underuse (P = 0.048). However, adjusted rates were only slightly higher for Latinos (14%) than whites (10%) (P = 0.026) and were not significantly different for African Americans (11%), Asian/Pacific Islanders (7%), and others (11%). Income and out-of-pocket drug costs showed the greatest differences in adjusted rates of cost-related medication underuse (15 vs. 5% for participants with income $50,000 and 24 vs. 7% for participants with out-of-pocket costs >$150 per month vs. medication underuse. Rates were highest among African Americans and Latinos but were related to lower incomes and higher out-of-pocket drug costs in these groups. Interventions to decrease racial/ethnic disparities in cost-related medication underuse should focus on decreasing financial barriers to medications.

  15. Timing is everything: methodologic issues locating and recruiting medically underserved women for abnormal mammography follow-up research

    PubMed Central

    Fair, Alecia Malin; Wujcik, Debra; Lin, Jin-Mann S.; Egan, Kathleen M.; Grau, Ana M.; Zheng, Wei

    2008-01-01

    Objectives Recruiting underserved women in breast cancer research studies remains a significant challenge. We present our experience attempting to locate and recruit minority and medically underserved women identified in a Nashville, Tennessee public hospital for a mammography follow-up study. Study Design The study design was a retrospective hospital based case-control study. Methods We identified 227 women (88 African American, 65 Caucasian, 36 other minority, 38 race undocumented in the medical record) who had undergone screening mammography and received an abnormal result during 2003–2004. Of the 227 women identified, 159 women were successfully located with implementation of a tracking protocol and more rigorous attempts to locate the women using online directory assistance and public record search engines. Women eligible for the study were invited to participate in a telephone research survey. Study completion was defined as fully finishing the telephone survey. Results An average of 4.6 telephone calls (range 1–19) and 2.7 months (range 1–490 days) were required to reach the 159 women contacted. Within three contact attempts, more cases were located than controls (61% cases vs. 49% controls, p=0.03). African-American women cases were four times likely to be recruited than African-American controls, (OR, 4.07; 95% CI, 1.59–10.30) (p=0.003). After three months of effort, we located 67% of African-American women, 63% of Caucasian women, and 56% of other minorities. Ultimately, after a maximum of 12 attempts to contact women, 77% of African-American women and 71% of Caucasian women were eventually found. Of these, 59% of African-American women, 69% Caucasian women, and 50% other minorities were located and completed the study survey for an overall response rate of 59%, 71%, and 47% respectively. Conclusions Data collection and study recruitment efforts were more challenging in racial and ethnic minorities. Continuing attempts to contact women may

  16. Receipt of mammography among women with intellectual disabilities: medical record data indicate substantial disparities for African American women.

    PubMed

    Parish, Susan L; Swaine, Jamie G; Son, Esther; Luken, Karen

    2013-01-01

    Little information exists on the receipt of mammography by African American women with intellectual disabilities. Given the high rates of mortality from breast cancer among African American women and low screening rates among women with intellectual disabilities, it is important to understand the health screening behavior of this population. We compared rates of mammography receipt among African American and White women with intellectual disabilities (n = 92) living in community settings in one Southeastern state in the United States. Data were collected from women's medical records or abstraction forms obtained from medical practices. Multivariate logistic regressions were modeled for receipt of mammography in one year, one of two years, or both study years (2008- 2009). Covariates included the women's age, living arrangement, severity of impairment, and urban/rural residence location. In 2009, 29% of African American women and 59% of White women in the sample received mammograms. Similar disparities were found for receipt of mammography in either 2008 or 2009 and both 2008 and 2009. These disparities persisted after inclusion of model covariates. White women with intellectual disabilities received mammograms at adjusted rates that were nearly three to five times higher than African American women. African American women with intellectual disabilities receive mammography at significantly lower rates than White women with intellectual disabilities. Assertive measures to improve the screening rates for African American women with intellectual disabilities are urgently needed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Poor Access for African Researchers to African Emergency Care Publications: A Cross-sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Bruijns, Stevan R.; Maesela, Mmapeladi; Sinha, Suniti; Banner, Megan

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Based on relative population size and burden of disease, emergency care publication outputs from low- and middle-income regions are disproportionately lower than those of high-income regions. Ironically, outputs from regions with higher publication rates are often less relevant in the African context. As a result, the dissemination of and access to local research is essential to local researchers, but the cost of this access (actual and cost-wise) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to describe access to African emergency care publications in terms of publisher-based access (open access or subscription) and alternate access (self-archived or author provided), as well as the cost of access. Methods We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study using all emergency medicine publications included in Scopus between 2011 and 2015. A sequential search strategy described access to each article, and we calculated mean article charges against the purchasing power parity index (used to describe out-of-pocket expense). Results We included 666 publications from 49 journals, of which 395 (59.3%) were open access. For subscription-based articles, 106 (39.1%) were self-archived, 60 (22.1%) were author-provided, and 105 (38.8%) were inaccessible. Mean article access cost was $36.44, and mean processing charge was $2,319.34. Using the purchasing power parity index it was calculated that equivalent out-of-pocket expenditure for South African, Ghanaian and Tanzanian authors would respectively be $15.77, $10.44 and $13.04 for access, and $1,004.02, $664.36 and $830.27 for processing. Based on this, the corrected cost of a single-unit article access or process charge for South African, Ghanaian and Tanzanian authors, respectively, was 2.3, 3.5 and 2.8 times higher than the standard rate. Conclusion One in six African emergency care publications are inaccessible outside institutional library subscriptions; additionally, the cost of access to publications in low

  18. The Benefits of Higher Income in Protecting against Chronic Medical Conditions Are Smaller for African Americans than Whites

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Background: Blacks’ diminished return is defined as smaller protective effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on health of African Americans compared to Whites. Aim: Using a nationally representative sample, the current study aimed to examine if the protective effect of income on chronic medical conditions (CMC) differs for African Americans compared to Whites. Methods: With a cross-sectional design, the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), 2003, included 3570 non-Hispanic African Americans and 891 non-Hispanic Whites. The dependent variable was CMC, treated as a continuous measure. The independent variable was income. Race was the focal moderator. Age, education, and marital status were covariates. Linear regressions were used to test if the protective effect of income against CMC varies by race. Results: High income was associated with a lower number of CMC in the pooled sample. We found a significant interaction between race and income, suggesting that income has a smaller protective effect against CMC for African Americans than it does for Whites. Conclusion: Blacks’ diminished return also holds for the effects of income on CMC. Blacks’ diminished return is a contributing mechanism to the racial disparities in health in the United States that is often overlooked. More research is needed on the role of diminished health return of SES resources among other minority groups. PMID:29315227

  19. Understanding Experiences of Diabetes Medications Among African Americans Living With Type 2 Diabetes.

    PubMed

    Bockwoldt, Denise; Staffileno, Beth A; Coke, Lola; Hamilton, Rebekah; Fogg, Lou; Calvin, Donna; Quinn, Lauretta

    2017-07-01

    African American (AA) adults are disproportionally affected by type 2 diabetes and are diagnosed at an earlier age, but are less adherent to diabetes medications compared with the general population. This qualitative study sought to describe the experiences of taking diabetes medications among midlife AA men and women with type 2 diabetes and to identify factors that influence these experiences. Fifteen AAs completed semistructured interviews. Using the Roy adaptation model, thematic analysis coded for both adaptive and ineffective experiences. Adaptive experiences included self-confidence in one's ability to control diabetes, a belief in the value of diabetes medication, assuming responsibility for one's health, developing a routine for taking medication, and positive relationships with the care team. Ineffective experiences for medication taking included: feeling powerless over diabetes, self-blame, and fear. One's self-concept as a person with diabetes, as well as assuming the role of "medication taker," were prominent themes.

  20. African American Alumni Feelings of Attachment to a Predominately White Research Intensive University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burley, Hansel; Butner, Bonita; Causey-Bush, Tonia; Bush, Lawson, V

    2007-01-01

    The authors examined African American alumni opinions of their experience at a predominately white research intensive university from the development office's perspective. Research on decades of African American alumni opinions of their alma mater is nonexistent. Gender, financial aid and matriculation period were the independent variables. The…

  1. Oppression, Reflection, and Advocacy in the Classroom: One Teacher-Researcher Reflects on Her Research and Practices Involving African American Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haj-Broussard, Michelle

    2006-01-01

    In this article, I--a White, French-immersion teacher-researcher--engage in a reflective examination of my research and teaching practices involving African American students. My critical reflection of my research examines the instruments used in my comparative study of African American students' experiences in the French-immersion context and the…

  2. WE-A-16A-01: International Medical Physics Symposium: Increasing Access to Medical Physics Education/Training and Research Excellence

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bortfeld, T; Ngoma, T; Odedina, F

    and professional development of Medical Physicists and other Radiation Oncology professionals in global health Wilfred Ngwa, Harvard Medical School, University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA The 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) Cancer report highlights an alarming increase in the global burden of cancer. It also highlights what it terms “the cancer divide”, or disparities, evinced by a substantially higher cancer burden in low and middle income countries (LMIC) in Asia, Central/South America and Africa. The WHO even predicts a potential African cancer epidemic by 2020 if significant progress is not made in global cancer control efforts. Evidence that collaborative global health approaches have led to major progress in controlling infectious diseases including in LMIC suggests that similar approaches will be useful for non-communicable diseases like cancer. In consonance with this, leaders in cancer policy from the USA and 14 economically diverse countries recently concluded that successful campaigns to control cancers with existing methods and to improve current strategies will increasingly depend onconcerted multinational collaborations (Sci Transl Med 5, p. 175, 2013). Hence there is growing urgency for increasing collaborative global cancer Care Research and Education (CaRE), as well as support for greater effectiveness of already existing initiatives involving partners from different nations, diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. The good news is that there is a growing awareness of the importance of global health and growing interest including amongst Medical Physicists and other Radiation oncology (RadOnc) professionals to participate in global health. However, many are unaware of currently existing opportunities for participation that even with small effort could have a high impact. Over 50% of cancer patients in the developed world depend on RadOnc professionals for their treatment, and hence participation of RadOnc professionals in global health

  3. The Effect of Message Framing on African American Women's Intention to Participate in Health-Related Research.

    PubMed

    Balls-Berry, Joyce E; Hayes, Sharonne; Parker, Monica; Halyard, Michele; Enders, Felicity; Albertie, Monica; Pinn, Vivian; Radecki Breitkopf, Carmen

    2016-05-01

    This study examined the effect of message framing on African American women's intention to participate in health-related research and actual registration in ResearchMatch (RM), a disease-neutral, national volunteer research registry. A community-engaged approach was used involving collaboration between an academic medical center and a volunteer service organization formed by professional women of color. A self-administered survey that contained an embedded message framing manipulation was distributed to more than 2,000 African American women attending the 2012 national assembly of The Links, Incorporated. A total of 391 surveys were completed (381 after exclusion: 187 containing the gain-framed message and 194 containing the loss-framed message). The majority (57%) of women expressed favorable intentions to participate in health-related research, and 21% subsequently enrolled in RM. The effect of message framing on intention was moderated by self-efficacy. There was no effect of message framing on RM registration; however, those with high self-efficacy were more than 2 times as likely as those with low self-efficacy to register as a potential study volunteer in RM (odds ratio = 2.62, 95% confidence interval [1.29, 5.33]). This investigation makes theoretical and practical contributions to the field of health communication and informs future strategies to meaningfully and effectively include women and minorities in health-related research.

  4. Understanding the Subjective Experience of Medication Adherence for Older Urban African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes and a History of Illicit Drug Addiction.

    PubMed

    Wallace, Brandy Harris; Reese, Ashante M; Chard, Sarah; Roth, Erin G; Quinn, Charlene; Eckert, J Kevin

    2017-04-01

    African Americans experience high rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Self-management strategies, such as medication adherence, are key to mitigating negative T2D outcomes. This article addresses a gap in the literature by examining the intersections of drug abuse histories and medication adherence among urban, older African Americans with T2D. In-depth interview data were collected as part of a larger ethnographic study examining the subjective experience of T2D among urban older adults. Two representative focal cases were selected and thematic analysis performed to illustrate how former illicit drug addicts perceive prescription medication usage. Narratives reveal that participants are displeased about having to take prescription drugs and are making lifestyle changes to reduce medication usage and maintain sobriety. Previous drug abuse not only complicates medication adherence but is also a significant part of how older African Americans who are former drug users frame their understanding of T2D more broadly.

  5. Naval Medical Research Institute Summaries of Research 1991

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-01-01

    This SUMMARIES OF RESEARCH is composed of citations to publications, an author index , and a subject index from the Naval Medical Research Institute for the Calendar Year 1991.... Medical Research, Bibliography

  6. Relative solidarity: Conceptualising communal participation in genomic research among potential research participants in a developing Sub-Saharan African setting

    PubMed Central

    Woolfall, Kerry; Gabbay, Mark

    2018-01-01

    Objective As genomic research gathers momentum in sub-Saharan Africa, it has become increasingly important to understand the reasons why individuals wish to participate in this kind of medical research. Against the background of communitarianism conceived as typical of African communities, it is often suggested that individuals consent to participate on the grounds of solidarity and to further the common good. In this paper, we seek to explore this contention by presenting data from focus groups with potential research participants about what would influence their decisions to participate in genomic research. Methods and results These focus groups were conducted as part of a larger qualitative study with a purposively selected group of participants from a community situated in south west Nigeria. We conducted fifteen focus group sessions comprising 50 participants organized by age and sex, namely: 1) adult (>30 years) males, 2) adult females, 3) youth (18–30 years) males, and 4) youth females. A mixed age-group was conducted to probe different views between the age groups. There was discordance and clear division between the adults and youths regarding the decision to participate in genomic research based on commitment to communal values. Adults based their decision to participate on altruism and furthering the common good while youths based their decisions on personal benefits and preferences and also took into account the views and welfare of family members and neighbours. Conclusions This discordance suggests a ‘generational shift’ and we advance a model of ‘relative solidarity’ among the youths, which is different from the communal solidarity model typical of African communitarianism. Our findings suggest the need for a closer look at strategies for implementation of community engagement and informed consent in genomic research in this region, and we recommend further studies to explore this emerging trend. PMID:29621313

  7. Relative solidarity: Conceptualising communal participation in genomic research among potential research participants in a developing Sub-Saharan African setting.

    PubMed

    Ogunrin, Olubunmi; Woolfall, Kerry; Gabbay, Mark; Frith, Lucy

    2018-01-01

    As genomic research gathers momentum in sub-Saharan Africa, it has become increasingly important to understand the reasons why individuals wish to participate in this kind of medical research. Against the background of communitarianism conceived as typical of African communities, it is often suggested that individuals consent to participate on the grounds of solidarity and to further the common good. In this paper, we seek to explore this contention by presenting data from focus groups with potential research participants about what would influence their decisions to participate in genomic research. These focus groups were conducted as part of a larger qualitative study with a purposively selected group of participants from a community situated in south west Nigeria. We conducted fifteen focus group sessions comprising 50 participants organized by age and sex, namely: 1) adult (>30 years) males, 2) adult females, 3) youth (18-30 years) males, and 4) youth females. A mixed age-group was conducted to probe different views between the age groups. There was discordance and clear division between the adults and youths regarding the decision to participate in genomic research based on commitment to communal values. Adults based their decision to participate on altruism and furthering the common good while youths based their decisions on personal benefits and preferences and also took into account the views and welfare of family members and neighbours. This discordance suggests a 'generational shift' and we advance a model of 'relative solidarity' among the youths, which is different from the communal solidarity model typical of African communitarianism. Our findings suggest the need for a closer look at strategies for implementation of community engagement and informed consent in genomic research in this region, and we recommend further studies to explore this emerging trend.

  8. An Interdisciplinary Outreach Model of African American Recruitment for Alzheimer's Disease Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Monique M.; Meisel, Marie M.; Williams, James; Morris, John C.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: The African American Outreach Satellite (Satellite) provides educational outreach to facilitate African American recruitment for longitudinal studies at the Washington University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). This descriptive article characterizes the Satellite's recruitment methods, plan for community engagement, results of…

  9. Promoting research integrity in Africa: an African voice of concern on research misconduct and the way forward.

    PubMed

    Kombe, Francis; Anunobi, Eucharia Nkechinyere; Tshifugula, Nyanyukweni Pandeni; Wassenaar, Douglas; Njadingwe, Dimpho; Mwalukore, Salim; Chinyama, Jonathan; Randrianasolo, Bodo; Akindeh, Perpetua; Dlamini, Priscilla S; Ramiandrisoa, Felasoa Noroseheno; Ranaivo, Naina

    2014-12-01

    African researchers and their collaborators have been making significant contributions to useful research findings and discoveries in Africa. Despite evidence of scientific misconduct even in heavily regulated research environments, there is little documented information that supports prevalence of research misconduct in Africa. Available literature on research misconduct has focused on the developed world, where credible research integrity systems are already in place. Public attention to research misconduct has lately increased, calling for attention to weaknesses in current research policies and regulatory frameworks. Africa needs policies, structural and governance systems that promote responsible conduct of research. To begin to offset this relative lack of documented evidence of research misconduct, contributors working in various research institutions from nine African countries agreed to share their experiences to highlight problems and explore the need to identify strategies to promote research integrity in the African continent. The experiences shared include anecdotal but reliable accounts of previously undocumented research misconduct, including some 'normal misbehavior' of frontline staff in those countries. Two broad approaches to foster greater research integrity are proposed including promotion of institutional and individual capacity building to instil a culture of responsible research conduct in existing and upcoming research scientist and developing deterrent and corrective policies to minimize research misconduct and other questionable research practices. By sharing these experiences and through the strategies proposed, the authors hope to limit the level of research misconduct and promote research integrity in Africa. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. PROMOTING RESEARCH INTEGRITY IN AFRICA: AN AFRICAN VOICE OF CONCERN ON RESEARCH MISCONDUCT AND THE WAY FORWARD

    PubMed Central

    Kombe, Francis; Anunobi, Eucharia Nkechinyere; Tshifugula, Nyanyukweni Pandeni; Wassenaar, Douglas; Njadingwe, Dimpho; Mwalukore, Salim; Chinyama, Jonathan; Randrianasolo, Bodo; Akindeh, Perpetua; Dlamini, Priscilla S.; Ramiandrisoa, Felasoa Noroseheno; Ranaivo, Naina

    2013-01-01

    African researchers and their collaborators have been making significant contributions to useful research findings and discoveries in Africa. Despite evidence of scientific misconduct even in heavily regulated research environments, there is little documented information that supports prevalence of research misconduct in Africa. Available literature on research misconduct has focused on the developed world, where credible research integrity systems are already in place. Public attention to research misconduct has lately increased, calling for attention to weaknesses in current research policies and regulatory frameworks. Africa needs policies, structural and governance systems that promote responsible conduct of research. To begin to offset this relative lack of documented evidence of research misconduct, contributors working in various research institutions from nine African countries agreed to share their experiences to highlight problems and explore the need to identify strategies to promote research integrity in the African continent. The experiences shared include anecdotal but reliable accounts of previously undocumented research misconduct, including some ‘normal misbehavior’ of frontline staff in those countries. Two broad approaches to foster greater research integrity are proposed including promotion of institutional and individual capacity building to instil a culture of responsible research conduct in existing and upcoming research scientist and developing deterrent and corrective policies to minimize research misconduct and other questionable research practices. By sharing these experiences and through the strategies proposed, the authors hope to limit the level of research misconduct and promote research integrity in Africa. PMID:23594261

  11. Exploring the influence of demographic and medical characteristics of African-American and Latinas on enrollment in a behavioral intervention study for breast cancer survivors.

    PubMed

    Ashing, Kimlin; Rosales, Monica; Fernandez, Alejandro

    2015-02-01

    To better understand research participation among hard-to-reach populations, this exploratory investigation examined characteristics of enrollees and non-enrollees from a population-based longitudinal study with African-American and Latina-American breast cancer survivors. A mixed-method recruitment approach was utilized to enroll participants from cancer registries and community groups who were 1-6 years post-diagnosis. Four hundred and sixty-eight participants agreed to participate constituting an 81% participation rate; 65 and 55% completed Time-1, and both Time-1 and Time-2 assessments, respectively. African-Americans were more likely to agree to participate and complete the T1 assessment (73%) than Latinas (62%) (p < 0.05). Participation was influenced by educational attainment and comorbidities (p < 0.05) for African-Americans. Among Latinas, language proficiency, comorbidities and psychological difficulties (p < 0.01) influenced participation. Our findings suggest that enrollment in research studies may be influenced by complex and multi-dimensional factors stemming from subjects' characteristics including ethnicity, culture, language proficiency and literary, and socioeconomic status, as well as medical characteristics including co-occurring chronic illness and psychological status. Thus, comprehensive, multi-method research studies are urgently needed to better understand and address the challenge of minority recruitment in biomedical research. To increase research participation among cancer survivors, it is imperative to implement focused strategies that will support and encourage individuals' enrollment and continued participation in studies.

  12. Medical care employment in the United States, 1968 to 1993: The importance of health sector jobs for African Americans and women.

    PubMed

    Himmelstein, D U; Lewontin, J P; Woolhandler, S

    1996-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to elucidate the social and economic impact of health sector employment. US medical care employment was analyzed for each year between 1968 and 1993, with data from the March Current Population Survey. Between 1968 and 1993, medical care employment grew from 4.32 million to 11.40 million persons, accounting for 5.7% of all jobs in 1968 and 8.4% in 1993. Today, one seventh of employed women work in medical care; they hold 78% of medical care jobs. One fifth of all employed African-American women work in medical care. African-Americans hold 15.5% of jobs in the health sector: they hold 24.1% of the jobs in nursing homes, 15.9% of the jobs in hospitals, but only 5.6% of the jobs in practitioners' offices. Hispanics constitute 6.4% of medical care employees. Real wages rose 25% to 50% between 1968 and 1993 for most health occupations. Wages of registered nurses rose 86%; physicians' incomes rose 22%. Wages of nursing home workers were far lower than those of comparable hospital workers, and the gap has widened. In 1993, 11.7% of all medical care workers lacked health insurance and 597 000 lived in poverty. Hospital cuts and the continuing neglect of long-term care exacerbate unemployment and poverty among women and African Americans.

  13. Assessment of the Status of African-Americans. Volume V: Health and Medical Care of African-Americans.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reed, Wornie L.; Darity, William, Sr.; Roman, Stanford; Baquet, Claudia; Roberson, Norma L.

    In 1987 a project was undertaken to assess the status of African Americans in the United States in the topical areas to be addressed by the National Research Council's Study Committee on the Status of Black Americans: education, employment, income and occupations, political participation and the administration of justice, social and cultural…

  14. DrosAfrica: Building an African biomedical research community using Drosophila.

    PubMed

    Martín-Bermudo, María D; Gebel, Luka; Palacios, Isabel M

    2017-10-01

    The impact that research has on shaping the future of societies is perhaps as significant as never before. One of the problems for most regions in Africa is poor quality and quantity of research-based education, as well as low level of funding. Hence, African researchers produce only around one percent of the world's research. We believe that research with Drosophila melanogaster can contribute to changing that. As seen before in other places, Drosophila can be used as a powerful and cost-effective model system to scale-up and improve both academia and research output. The DrosAfrica project was founded to train and establish a connected community of researchers using Drosophila as a model system to investigate biomedical problems in Africa. Since founding, the project has trained eighty scientists from numerous African countries, and continues to grow. Here, we describe the DrosAfrica project, its conception and its mission. We also give detailed insights into DrosAfrica's approaches to achieve its aims, as well as future perspectives, and opportunities beyond Africa. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Conducting Precision Medicine Research with African Americans.

    PubMed

    Halbert, Chanita Hughes; McDonald, Jasmine; Vadaparampil, Susan; Rice, LaShanta; Jefferson, Melanie

    2016-01-01

    Precision medicine is an approach to detecting, treating, and managing disease that is based on individual variation in genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Precision medicine is expected to reduce health disparities, but this will be possible only if studies have adequate representation of racial minorities. It is critical to anticipate the rates at which individuals from diverse populations are likely to participate in precision medicine studies as research initiatives are being developed. We evaluated the likelihood of participating in a clinical study for precision medicine. Observational study conducted between October 2010 and February 2011 in a national sample of African Americans. Intentions to participate in a government sponsored study that involves providing a biospecimen and generates data that could be shared with other researchers to conduct future studies. One third of respondents would participate in a clinical study for precision medicine. Only gender had a significant independent association with participation intentions. Men had a 1.86 (95% CI = 1.11, 3.12, p = 0.02) increased likelihood of participating in a precision medicine study compared to women in the model that included overall barriers and facilitators. In the model with specific participation barriers, distrust was associated with a reduced likelihood of participating in the research described in the vignette (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.34, 0.96, p = 0.04). African Americans may have low enrollment in PMI research. As PMI research is implemented, extensive efforts will be needed to ensure adequate representation. Additional research is needed to identify optimal ways of ethically describing precision medicine studies to ensure sufficient recruitment of racial minorities.

  16. How Can the Operating Environment for Nutrition Research Be Improved in Sub-Saharan Africa? The Views of African Researchers

    PubMed Central

    Van Royen, Kathleen; Lachat, Carl; Holdsworth, Michelle; Smit, Karlien; Kinabo, Joyce; Roberfroid, Dominique; Nago, Eunice; Garimoi Orach, Christopher; Kolsteren, Patrick

    2013-01-01

    Optimal nutrition is critical for human development and economic growth. Sub-Saharan Africa is facing high levels of food insecurity and only few sub-Saharan African countries are on track to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. Effective research capacity is crucial for addressing emerging challenges and designing appropriate mitigation strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. A clear understanding of the operating environment for nutrition research in sub-Saharan Africa is a much needed prerequisite. We collected data on the barriers and requirements for conducting nutrition research in sub-Saharan Africa through semi-structured interviews with 144 participants involved in nutrition research in 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 133 interviews were retained for coding. The main barriers identified for effective nutrition research were the lack of funding due to poor recognition by policymakers of the importance of nutrition research and under-utilisation of research findings for developing policy, as well as an absence of research priority setting from within Africa. Current research topics were perceived to be mainly determined by funding bodies from outside Africa. Nutrition researchers argued for more commitment from policymakers at national level. The low capacity for nutrition research was mainly seen as a consequence of insufficient numbers of nutrition researchers, limited skills and a poor research infrastructure. In conclusion, African nutrition researchers argued how research priorities need to be identified by African stakeholders, accompanied by consensus building to enable creating a problem-driven national research agenda. In addition, it was considered necessary to promote interactions among researchers, and between researchers and policymakers. Multidisciplinary research and international and cross-African collaboration were seen as crucial to build capacity in sub-Saharan nutrition research. PMID:23776663

  17. Bibliometric Assessment of European and Sub-Saharan African Research Output on Poverty-Related and Neglected Infectious Diseases from 2003 to 2011

    PubMed Central

    Gurney, Karen A.; Mgone, Charles S.

    2015-01-01

    Background The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) is a partnership of European and sub-Saharan African countries that aims to accelerate the development of medical interventions against poverty-related diseases (PRDs). A bibliometric analysis was conducted to 1) measure research output from European and African researchers on PRDs, 2) describe collaboration patterns, and 3) assess the citation impact of clinical research funded by EDCTP. Methodology/Principal Findings Disease-specific research publications were identified in Thomson Reuters Web of Science using search terms in titles, abstracts and keywords. Publication data, including citation counts, were extracted for 2003–2011. Analyses including output, share of global papers, normalised citation impact (NCI), and geographical distribution are presented. Data are presented as five-year moving averages. European EDCTP member countries accounted for ~33% of global research output in PRDs and sub-Saharan African countries for ~10% (2007–2011). Both regions contributed more to the global research output in malaria (43.4% and 22.2%, respectively). The overall number of PRD papers from sub-Saharan Africa increased markedly (>47%) since 2003, particularly for HIV/AIDS (102%) and tuberculosis (TB) (81%), and principally involving Southern and East Africa. For 2007–2011, European and sub-Saharan African research collaboration on PRDs was highly cited compared with the world average (NCI in brackets): HIV/AIDS 1.62 (NCI: 1.16), TB 2.11 (NCI: 1.06), malaria 1.81 (NCI: 1.22), and neglected infectious diseases 1.34 (NCI: 0.97). The NCI of EDCTP-funded papers for 2003–2011 was exceptionally high for HIV/AIDS (3.24), TB (4.08) and HIV/TB co-infection (5.10) compared with global research benchmarks (1.14, 1.05 and 1.35, respectively). Conclusions The volume and citation impact of papers from sub-Saharan Africa has increased since 2003, as has collaborative research between Europe and

  18. Bibliometric Assessment of European and Sub-Saharan African Research Output on Poverty-Related and Neglected Infectious Diseases from 2003 to 2011.

    PubMed

    Breugelmans, J Gabrielle; Makanga, Michael M; Cardoso, Ana Lúcia V; Mathewson, Sophie B; Sheridan-Jones, Bethan R; Gurney, Karen A; Mgone, Charles S

    2015-08-01

    The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) is a partnership of European and sub-Saharan African countries that aims to accelerate the development of medical interventions against poverty-related diseases (PRDs). A bibliometric analysis was conducted to 1) measure research output from European and African researchers on PRDs, 2) describe collaboration patterns, and 3) assess the citation impact of clinical research funded by EDCTP. Disease-specific research publications were identified in Thomson Reuters Web of Science using search terms in titles, abstracts and keywords. Publication data, including citation counts, were extracted for 2003-2011. Analyses including output, share of global papers, normalised citation impact (NCI), and geographical distribution are presented. Data are presented as five-year moving averages. European EDCTP member countries accounted for ~33% of global research output in PRDs and sub-Saharan African countries for ~10% (2007-2011). Both regions contributed more to the global research output in malaria (43.4% and 22.2%, respectively). The overall number of PRD papers from sub-Saharan Africa increased markedly (>47%) since 2003, particularly for HIV/AIDS (102%) and tuberculosis (TB) (81%), and principally involving Southern and East Africa. For 2007-2011, European and sub-Saharan African research collaboration on PRDs was highly cited compared with the world average (NCI in brackets): HIV/AIDS 1.62 (NCI: 1.16), TB 2.11 (NCI: 1.06), malaria 1.81 (NCI: 1.22), and neglected infectious diseases 1.34 (NCI: 0.97). The NCI of EDCTP-funded papers for 2003-2011 was exceptionally high for HIV/AIDS (3.24), TB (4.08) and HIV/TB co-infection (5.10) compared with global research benchmarks (1.14, 1.05 and 1.35, respectively). The volume and citation impact of papers from sub-Saharan Africa has increased since 2003, as has collaborative research between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. >90% of publications from EDCTP

  19. Challenges facing young African scientists in their research careers: A qualitative exploratory study.

    PubMed

    Kumwenda, Save; Niang, El Hadji A; Orondo, Pauline W; William, Pote; Oyinlola, Lateefah; Bongo, Gedeon N; Chiwona, Bernadette

    2017-03-01

    Africa accounts for 14% of world's population, and the economies of most African countries are considered to be growing, but this is not reflected in the amount of research published by Africans. This study aimed at identifying the challenges that young African scientists face in their career development. This was a qualitative exploratory study involving young researchers who attended the Teaching and Research in Natural Sciences for Development (TReND) in Africa scientific writing and communication workshop, which was held in Malawi in September 2015. A semi-structured questionnaire was sent to all workshop participants who consented to taking part in the survey. In total, 28 questionnaires were sent via email and 15 were returned, representing a response rate of 53.6%. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Young Africans develop their research interests various ways. The most common career-promoting factors identified by the study participants included formal classroom learning, aspirations to attain academic qualifications, work satisfaction, and the desire to fulfill parents' dreams. Challenges cited by survey respondents included a lack of mentorship, funds, and research and writing skills. Lack of interest in research by policymakers, lack of motivation by peers, and heavy workload (leaving little time for research) were also reported as challenges. Respondents suggested that grants specifically targeting young scientists would be beneficial. Participants also urged for the establishment of mentorship programmes, increasing motivation for research, and more frequent training opportunities. There is need for improved funding for institutional and research network strengthening in Africa, with particular attention given to expanding opportunities for young researchers.

  20. Medical education practice-based research networks: Facilitating collaborative research.

    PubMed

    Schwartz, Alan; Young, Robin; Hicks, Patricia J

    2016-01-01

    Research networks formalize and institutionalize multi-site collaborations by establishing an infrastructure that enables network members to participate in research, propose new studies, and exploit study data to move the field forward. Although practice-based clinical research networks are now widespread, medical education research networks are rapidly emerging. In this article, we offer a definition of the medical education practice-based research network, a brief description of networks in existence in July 2014 and their features, and a more detailed case study of the emergence and early growth of one such network, the Association of Pediatric Program Directors Longitudinal Educational Assessment Research Network (APPD LEARN). We searched for extant networks through peer-reviewed literature and the world-wide web. We identified 15 research networks in medical education founded since 2002 with membership ranging from 8 to 120 programs. Most focus on graduate medical education in primary care or emergency medicine specialties. We offer four recommendations for the further development and spread of medical education research networks: increasing faculty development, obtaining central resources, studying networks themselves, and developing networks of networks.

  1. Understanding Medical Research

    MedlinePlus

    ... hear about the results of a new medical research study. Sometimes the results of one study seem ... a randomized controlled clinical trial? Where was the research done? If a new treatment was being tested, ...

  2. Using mixed methods research in medical education: basic guidelines for researchers.

    PubMed

    Schifferdecker, Karen E; Reed, Virginia A

    2009-07-01

    Mixed methods research involves the collection, analysis and integration of both qualitative and quantitative data in a single study. The benefits of a mixed methods approach are particularly evident when studying new questions or complex initiatives and interactions, which is often the case in medical education research. Basic guidelines for when to use mixed methods research and how to design a mixed methods study in medical education research are not readily available. The purpose of this paper is to remedy that situation by providing an overview of mixed methods research, research design models relevant for medical education research, examples of each research design model in medical education research, and basic guidelines for medical education researchers interested in mixed methods research. Mixed methods may prove superior in increasing the integrity and applicability of findings when studying new or complex initiatives and interactions in medical education research. They deserve an increased presence and recognition in medical education research.

  3. African primary care research: choosing a topic and developing a proposal.

    PubMed

    Mash, Bob

    2014-02-06

    This is the first in a series of articles on primary care research in the African context. The aim of the series is to help build capacity for primary care research amongst the emerging departments of family medicine and primary care on the continent. Many of the departments are developing Masters of Medicine programmes in Family Medicine and their students will all be required to complete research studies as part of their degree. This series is being written with this audience in particular in mind--both the students who must conceptualise and implement a research project as well as their supervisors who must assist them.This article gives an overview of the African primary care context, followed by a typology of primary care research. The article then goes on to assist the reader with choosing a topic and defining their research question. Finally the article addresses the structure and contents of a research proposal and the ethical issues that should be considered.

  4. African Primary Care Research: Choosing a topic and developing a proposal

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Abstract This is the first in a series of articles on primary care research in the African context. The aim of the series is to help build capacity for primary care research amongst the emerging departments of family medicine and primary care on the continent. Many of the departments are developing Masters of Medicine programmes in Family Medicine and their students will all be required to complete research studies as part of their degree. This series is being written with this audience in particular in mind – both the students who must conceptualise and implement a research project as well as their supervisors who must assist them. This article gives an overview of the African primary care context, followed by a typology of primary care research. The article then goes on to assist the reader with choosing a topic and defining their research question. Finally the article addresses the structure and contents of a research proposal and the ethical issues that should be considered. PMID:26245432

  5. Appropriateness of no-fault compensation for research-related injuries from an African perspective: an appeal for action by African countries.

    PubMed

    Kamalo, Patrick Dongosolo; Manda-Taylor, Lucinda; Rennie, Stuart

    2016-08-01

    Compensation for research-related injuries (RRIs) remains a challenge in the current environment of global collaborative biomedical research as exemplified by the continued reluctance of the US government, a major player in international biomedical research, to enact regulation for mandatory compensation for RRIs. This stance is in stark contrast to the mandatory compensation policies adopted by other democracies like the European Union (EU) countries. These positions taken by the USA and the EU create a nexus of confusion when research is exported to low-income and middle-income countries which have no laws guiding compensation for RRIs. In this paper, we begin by exploring the background to policies concerning RRIs, how they reflect on the traditional dispute resolution mechanisms in African societies, and how this compares with the no-fault compensation model. We then explore the underlying African ethical framework of Ubuntu in the sub-Saharan region, guiding traditional practices of dispute resolution and compensation, and how this framework can help to form the moral justification for no-fault compensation as the preferred compensation model for RRIs for African countries. Finally, we call upon countries in the African Union (AU), to adopt a no-fault policy for compensation of RRIs, and enact it into a regulatory requirement for insurance-based no-fault compensation for biomedical research, which will then be enforced by member states of the AU. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  6. Comparative effectiveness research and medical informatics.

    PubMed

    D'Avolio, Leonard W; Farwell, Wildon R; Fiore, Louis D

    2010-12-01

    As is the case for environmental, ecological, astronomical, and other sciences, medical practice and research finds itself in a tsunami of data. This data deluge, due primarily to the introduction of digitalization in routine medical care and medical research, affords the opportunity for improved patient care and scientific discovery. Medical informatics is the subdiscipline of medicine created to make greater use of information in order to improve healthcare. The 4 areas of medical informatics research (information access, structure, analysis, and interaction) are used as a framework to discuss the overlap in information needs of comparative effectiveness research and potential contributions of medical informatics. Examples of progress from the medical informatics literature and the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System are provided. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  7. An integrative research review of instruments measuring religious involvement: implications for nursing research with African Americans.

    PubMed

    Mokel, Melissa Jennifer; Shellman, Juliette M

    2013-01-01

    Many instruments in which religious involvement is measured often (a) contain unclear, poorly developed constructs; (b) lack methodological rigor in scale development; and (c) contain language and content culturally incongruent with the religious experiences of diverse ethnic groups. The primary aims of this review were to (a) synthesize the research on instruments designed to measure religious involvement, (b) evaluate the methodological quality of instruments that measure religious involvement, and (c) examine these instruments for conceptual congruency with African American religious involvement. An updated integrative research review method guided the process (Whittemore & Knafl, 2005). 152 articles were reviewed and 23 articles retrieved. Only 3 retained instruments were developed under methodologically rigorous conditions. All 3 instruments were congruent with a conceptual model of African American religious involvement. The Fetzer Multidimensional Measure of Religious Involvement and Spirituality (FMMRS; Idler et al., 2003) was found to have favorable characteristics. Further examination and psychometric testing is warranted to determine its acceptability, readability, and cultural sensitivity in an African American population.

  8. African Primary Care Research: qualitative interviewing in primary care.

    PubMed

    Reid, Steve; Mash, Bob

    2014-06-05

    This article is part of a series on African Primary Care Research and focuses on the topic of qualitative interviewing in primary care. In particular it looks at issues of study design, sample size, sampling and interviewing in relation to individual and focus group interviews.There is a particular focus on helping postgraduate students at a Masters level to write their research proposals.

  9. Sources influencing patients in their HIV medication decisions.

    PubMed

    Meredith, K L; Jeffe, D B; Mundy, L M; Fraser, V J

    2001-02-01

    The authors surveyed 202 patients (54.5% male; 62.4% African American) enrolled at St. Louis HIV clinics to identify the importance of various sources of influence in their HIV medication decisions. Physicians were the most important source for 122 (60.4%) respondents, whereas prayer was most important for 24 respondents (11.9%). In multivariate tests controlling for CD4 counts, Caucasian men were more likely than Caucasian women and African Americans of both genders to select a physician as the most important source. African Americans were more likely than Caucasians to mention prayer as the most important source. Caucasians and those rating physicians as the most important source were more likely to be using antiretroviral medications. Respondents identified multiple important influences-hence the potential for conflicting messages about HIV medications. These findings have implications for health education practices and behavioral research in the medical setting.

  10. Supporting medical education research quality: the Association of American Medical Colleges' Medical Education Research Certificate program.

    PubMed

    Gruppen, Larry D; Yoder, Ernie; Frye, Ann; Perkowski, Linda C; Mavis, Brian

    2011-01-01

    The quality of the medical education research (MER) reported in the literature has been frequently criticized. Numerous reasons have been provided for these shortcomings, including the level of research training and experience of many medical school faculty. The faculty development required to improve MER can take various forms. This article describes the Medical Education Research Certificate (MERC) program, a national faculty development program that focuses exclusively on MER. Sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges and led by a committee of established medical education researchers from across the United States, the MERC program is built on a set of 11 interactive workshops offered at various times and places across the United States. MERC participants can customize the program by selecting six workshops from this set to fulfill requirements for certification. This article describes the history, operations, current organization, and evaluation of the program. Key elements of the program's success include alignment of program content and focus with needs identified by prospective users, flexibility in program organization and logistics to fit participant schedules, an emphasis on practical application of MER principles in the context of the participants' activities and interests, consistency in program content and format to ensure standards of quality, and a sustainable financial model. The relationship between the national MERC program and local faculty development initiatives is also described. The success of the MERC program suggests that it may be a possible model for nationally disseminated faculty development programs in other domains.

  11. Retention and Attrition Among African Americans in the STAR*D Study: What Causes Research Volunteers to Stay or Stray?

    PubMed Central

    Murphy, Eleanor J; Kassem, Layla; Chemerinski, Anat; Rush, A. John; Laje, Gonzalo; McMahon, Francis J.

    2013-01-01

    Background High attrition rates among African-Americans (AA) volunteers are a persistent problem that makes clinical trials less representative and complicates estimation of treatment outcomes. Many studies contrast AA with other ethnic/racial groups, but few compare the AA volunteers who remain in treatment with those who leave. Here, in addition to comparing patterns of attrition between African Americans and whites, we identify predictors of overall and early attrition among African Americans. Method Sample comprised non-Hispanic African-American (n=673) and white (n=2,549) participants in the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study. Chi-square tests were used to examine racial group differences in reasons for exit. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine predictors of overall attrition, early attrition (by Level 2) and top reasons cited for attrition among African Americans. Results For both African-American and white dropouts, non-compliance reasons for attrition were most commonly cited during the earlier phases of the study while reasons related to efficacy and medication side effects were cited later in the study. Satisfaction with treatment strongly predicted overall attrition among African Americans independent of socioeconomic, clinical, medical or psychosocial factors. Early attrition among African American dropouts was associated with less psychiatric comorbidity, and higher perceived physical functioning but greater severity of clinician-rated depression. Conclusions The decision to drop out is a dynamic process that changes over the course of a clinical trial. Strategies aimed at retaining African Americans in such trials should emphasize engagement with treatment and patient satisfaction immediately following enrollment and after treatment initiation. PMID:23723044

  12. Retention and attrition among African Americans in the STAR*D study: what causes research volunteers to stay or stray?

    PubMed

    Murphy, Eleanor J; Kassem, Layla; Chemerinski, Anat; Rush, A John; Laje, Gonzalo; McMahon, Francis J

    2013-11-01

    High attrition rates among African-Americans (AA) volunteers are a persistent problem that makes clinical trials less representative and complicates estimation of treatment outcomes. Many studies contrast AA with other ethnic/racial groups, but few compare the AA volunteers who remain in treatment with those who leave. Here, in addition to comparing patterns of attrition between African Americans and Whites, we identify predictors of overall and early attrition among African Americans. Sample comprised non-Hispanic African-American (n = 673) and White (n = 2,549) participants in the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study. Chi-square tests were used to examine racial group differences in reasons for exit. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine predictors of overall attrition, early attrition (by level 2) and top reasons cited for attrition among African Americans. Both African-American and White dropouts most commonly cited noncompliance reasons for attrition during the earlier phases of the study, while citing reasons related to efficacy and medication side effects later in the study. Satisfaction with treatment strongly predicted overall attrition among African Americans independent of socioeconomic, clinical, medical or psychosocial factors. Early attrition among African American dropouts was associated with less psychiatric comorbidity, and higher perceived physical functioning but greater severity of clinician-rated depression. Compliance, efficacy, and side effects are important factors that vary in relative importance during the course of a clinical trial. For African Americans in such trials, retention strategies should be broadened to emphasize patient engagement and satisfaction during the critical periods immediately following enrollment and treatment initiation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. History and perspectives of medical research at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon.

    PubMed

    Ramharter, Michael; Adegnika, Ayola A; Agnandji, Selidji T; Matsiegui, Pierre Blaise; Grobusch, Martin P; Winkler, Stefan; Graninger, Wolfgang; Krishna, Sanjeev; Yazdanbakhsh, Maria; Mordmüller, Benjamin; Lell, Bertrand; Missinou, Michel A; Mavoungou, Elie; Issifou, Saadou; Kremsner, Peter G

    2007-01-01

    In 1913 Albert Schweitzer founded one of the first modern hospitals in Africa dedicated to the health of the local population. The Albert Schweitzer Hospital is located in Lambaréné, a small town in Gabon. In 1981 a research department--the Medical Research Unit--was established with the aim to perform research in the field of infectious diseases ( www.lambarene.org ). The main focus lies on clinical research on malaria and other parasitic diseases. Studies on the molecular biology and immunology of parasitic diseases are fostered since the inauguration of a novel building dedicated for basic science. A training program in clinical research in tropical diseases for African scientists has been set up recently.

  14. African American Men, Inequality and Family Structure: A Research Note.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zuberi, Tukufu

    Research into the social history of African American men in deteriorating socioeconomic conditions has enhanced the understanding of the family. This research helps to understand the different experiences of diverse groups within the society and different group reactions to social change. Yet, social scientists and policymakers have shown a…

  15. [Research interest and recruitment potential--medical students and research].

    PubMed

    Lehmann, A K; Hexeberg, E; Engebråten, O; Bjugn, R

    1992-06-30

    A questionnaire survey on scientific interest among 324 medical students at the University of Bergen in 1990 showed that 14% of the students had already participated in medical research programmes (10% still research trainees). In addition, 45% had considered starting working as a research trainee while a student. Many were discouraged, however, by the problem of finding a suitable supervisor. Relatively more of the male students expressed considerable interest in science (32 versus 22% of the females). The medical students already recruited to scientific work stressed the importance of scientific experience for their future career. The faculty has recently made participation in research projects compulsory. The personal supervision during this short period (6-8 weeks) will probably have major impact on the interest in research and the recruitment of future medical research trainees.

  16. The African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer: historical perspective

    PubMed Central

    Mohammed, S.I.; Williams, C.K.; Ndom, P.; Holland, J.F.

    2012-01-01

    The African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (aortic) is a bilingual (English and French) nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of cancer control and palliation in Africa. Its mission in respect to cancer control in Africa includes support of research and training;provision of relevant and accurate information on the prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and palliation of cancer;promotion of public awareness about cancer and reduction of the stigma associated with it. In seeking to achieve its goal of cancer control in Africa, aortic strives to unite the continent and to make a positive impact throughout the region by collaboration with health ministries and global cancer organizations. The organization’s key objectives are to further research relating to cancers prevalent in Africa, to support training programs in oncology for health care workers, to deal with the challenges of creating cancer control and prevention programs, and to raise public awareness of cancer in Africa. It also plans to organize symposia, workshops, meetings, and conferences that support its mission. Founded in September 1982, aortic was active only between 1983 (when its inaugural conference was held in the City of Lome, Togo, West Africa) and the late 1980s. The organization subsequently became inactive and moribund. In 2000, a group of expatriate African physicians and scientists joined in an effort with their non-African friends and colleagues to reactivate the dormant organization. Since its reactivation, aortic has succeeded in putting cancer on the public health agenda in many African countries by highlighting Africa’s urgent need for cancer control and by holding meetings every two years in various African cities. National and international cancer control organizations worldwide have recognized the challenges facing Africa and have joined in aortic’s mission. PMID:23144576

  17. The African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer: historical perspective.

    PubMed

    Mohammed, S I; Williams, C K; Ndom, P; Holland, J F

    2012-10-01

    The African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (aortic) is a bilingual (English and French) nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of cancer control and palliation in Africa. Its mission in respect to cancer control in Africa includes support of research and training;provision of relevant and accurate information on the prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and palliation of cancer;promotion of public awareness about cancer and reduction of the stigma associated with it.In seeking to achieve its goal of cancer control in Africa, aortic strives to unite the continent and to make a positive impact throughout the region by collaboration with health ministries and global cancer organizations. The organization's key objectives are to further research relating to cancers prevalent in Africa, to support training programs in oncology for health care workers, to deal with the challenges of creating cancer control and prevention programs, and to raise public awareness of cancer in Africa. It also plans to organize symposia, workshops, meetings, and conferences that support its mission.Founded in September 1982, aortic was active only between 1983 (when its inaugural conference was held in the City of Lome, Togo, West Africa) and the late 1980s. The organization subsequently became inactive and moribund. In 2000, a group of expatriate African physicians and scientists joined in an effort with their non-African friends and colleagues to reactivate the dormant organization. Since its reactivation, aortic has succeeded in putting cancer on the public health agenda in many African countries by highlighting Africa's urgent need for cancer control and by holding meetings every two years in various African cities. National and international cancer control organizations worldwide have recognized the challenges facing Africa and have joined in aortic's mission.

  18. Medical education practice-based research networks: Facilitating collaborative research

    PubMed Central

    Schwartz, Alan; Young, Robin; Hicks, Patricia J.; APPD LEARN, For

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background: Research networks formalize and institutionalize multi-site collaborations by establishing an infrastructure that enables network members to participate in research, propose new studies, and exploit study data to move the field forward. Although practice-based clinical research networks are now widespread, medical education research networks are rapidly emerging. Aims: In this article, we offer a definition of the medical education practice-based research network, a brief description of networks in existence in July 2014 and their features, and a more detailed case study of the emergence and early growth of one such network, the Association of Pediatric Program Directors Longitudinal Educational Assessment Research Network (APPD LEARN). Methods: We searched for extant networks through peer-reviewed literature and the world-wide web. Results: We identified 15 research networks in medical education founded since 2002 with membership ranging from 8 to 120 programs. Most focus on graduate medical education in primary care or emergency medicine specialties. Conclusions: We offer four recommendations for the further development and spread of medical education research networks: increasing faculty development, obtaining central resources, studying networks themselves, and developing networks of networks. PMID:25319404

  19. African Primary Care Research: Reviewing the literature

    PubMed Central

    Mash, Bob

    2014-01-01

    Abstract This is the second article in the series on African primary care research. The article focuses on how to search for relevant evidence in the published literature that can be used in the development of a research proposal. The article addresses the style of writing required and the nature of the arguments for the social and scientific value of the proposed study, as well as the use of literature in conceptual frameworks and in the methods. Finally, the article looks at how to keep track of the literature used and to reference it appropriately. PMID:26245433

  20. Arab Americans, African Americans, and infertility: barriers to reproduction and medical care.

    PubMed

    Inhorn, Marcia C; Fakih, Michael Hassan

    2006-04-01

    To compare barriers to infertility care among African Americans and Arab Americans. Qualitative study using semi-structured reproductive histories and open-ended ethnographic interviews. Infertile volunteers in a private IVF clinic in Dearborn, Michigan, an Arab American ethnic enclave community in metropolitan Detroit. Arab American men presenting for infertility diagnosis and treatment, including assisted reproductive technologies. None. Perceived barriers to effective infertility care. Arab Americans and African Americans living in metropolitan Detroit are at increased risk of infertility and share similar histories of poverty, racism, and cultural barriers to medical treatment. This study, which focused on infertile Arab American men living in or near Dearborn (an ethnic enclave community composed mainly of recent immigrants and war refugees), revealed significant barriers to effective infertility care, including economic constraints, linguistic and cultural barriers, and social marginalization in mainstream U.S. society, particularly after September 11, 2001. Arab Americans experience disparities in access to infertility care, largely because of poverty and social marginalization in post-September 11th America.

  1. Research-oriented medical education for graduate medical students.

    PubMed

    Deo, Madhav G

    2013-01-01

    In most parts of the world, medical education is predominantly geared to create service personnel for medical and health services. Training in research is ignored, which is a major handicap for students who are motivated to do research. The main objective of this study was to develop, for such students, a cost-effective 'in-study' research training module that could be adopted even by medical colleges, which have a modest research infrastructure, in different regions of India. Short-duration workshops on the clinical and laboratory medicine research methods including clinical protocol development were held in different parts of India to facilitate participation of students from various regions. Nine workshops covering the entire country were conducted between July 2010 and December 2011. Participation was voluntary and by invitation only to the recipients of the Indian Council of Medical Research-Short-term Studentship programme (ICMR- STS), which was taken as an index of students' research motivation. Faculty was drawn from the medical institutions in the region. All expenses on students, including their travel, and that of the faculty were borne by the academy. Impact of the workshop was judged by the performance of the participants in pre- and post-workshop tests with multiple-choice questions (MCQs) containing the same set of questions. There was no negative marking. Anonymous student feedback was obtained using a questionnaire. Forty-one per cent of the 1009 invited students attended the workshops. These workshops had a positive impact on the participants. Only 20% students could pass and just 2.3% scored >80% marks in the pre-workshop test. There was a three-fold increase in the pass percentage and over 20% of the participants scored >80% marks (A grade) in the post-workshop test. The difference between the pre- and post- workshop performance was statistically significant at all the centres. In the feedback from participants, the workshop received an average

  2. Community based participatory research of breastfeeding disparities in African American women.

    PubMed

    Kulka, Tamar Ringel; Jensen, Elizabeth; McLaurin, Sue; Woods, Elizabeth; Kotch, Jonathan; Labbok, Miriam; Bowling, Mike; Dardess, Pamela; Baker, Sharon

    2011-08-01

    OBJECTIVE: Lack of support for breastfeeding mothers has been consistently identified in the literature as a barrier for breastfeeding across racial and ethnic groups. Using a community-based participatory approach, academic and community-based partners conducted an iterative process to assess barriers, facilitators and potential mediating interventions for breastfeeding in the African-American community in Durham, North Carolina. METHODS: Eight focus groups were conducted with African-American mothers, fathers and grandmothers. Researchers transcribed and coded each focus group and analyzed using Atlas ti. 5.2. Patterns and themes that emerged informed the development of community stakeholder interviews; 41 interviews were conducted with community representatives. These findings informed the development of a support group pilot intervention. The pilot support groups were evaluated for increase in knowledge of attendees. RESULTS: Focus group and community interviews indicate that African Americans may disproportionately experience inadequate support for breastfeeding. This lack of support was reported in the home, the workplace, among peers, and from healthcare providers. The pilot support groups resulted in increased knowledge of breastfeeding among group participants OR=3.6 (95% CI: 2.5, 5.2). CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this research underscore the importance of a multi-level approach to breastfeeding support for African American women to address breastfeeding disparities.

  3. Perceptions in health and medical research careers: the Australian Society for Medical Research Workforce Survey.

    PubMed

    Kavallaris, Maria; Meachem, Sarah J; Hulett, Mark D; West, Catherine M; Pitt, Rachael E; Chesters, Jennifer J; Laffan, Warren S; Boreham, Paul R; Khachigian, Levon M

    2008-05-05

    To report on the sentiments of the Australian health and medical research (HMR) workforce on issues related to employment and funding opportunities. In August 2006, the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) invited all of its members to participate in an online survey. The survey took the form of a structured questionnaire that focused on career aspirations, career development and training opportunities, attitudes toward moving overseas to work, and employment conditions for medical researchers. Researchers' views on career opportunities, funding opportunities, salary and quality of the working environment; impact of these views on retaining a skilled medical research workforce in Australia. Of the 1258 ASMR members, 379 responded (30% response rate). Ninety-six per cent of respondents were currently based in Australia; 70% had a PhD or equivalent; and 58% were women. Most respondents worked at hospital research centres (37%), independent research institutes (28%) or university departments (24%). Sixty-nine per cent had funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, with the remainder funded by other sources. Over the previous 5 years, 6% of respondents had left active research and 73% had considered leaving. Factors influencing decisions about whether to leave HMR included shortage of funding (91%), lack of career development opportunities (78%) and poor financial rewards (72%). Fifty-seven per cent of respondents were directly supported by grants or fellowships, with only 16% not reliant on grants for their continuing employment; 62% believed that funding had increased over the previous 5 years, yet only 30% perceived an increase in employment opportunities in HMR. Among the respondents, twice as many men as women held postgraduate qualifications and earned >or= dollars 100 000 a year. Employment insecurity and lack of funding are a cause of considerable anxiety among Australian health and medical researchers. This may have important

  4. Offering African Americans Opportunities to Participate in Clinical Trials Research: How Social Workers Can Help

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mason, Susan E.

    2005-01-01

    Historically, African Americans have resisted participation in clinical trials and other research projects because of distrust of the mostly white research establishment. Although there are legitimate reasons for refusing to join clinical trials, most notably the abuses of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, African Americans may be passing up…

  5. Crowdsourced 'R&D' and medical research.

    PubMed

    Callaghan, Christian William

    2015-09-01

    Crowdsourced R&D, a research methodology increasingly applied to medical research, has properties well suited to large-scale medical data collection and analysis, as well as enabling rapid research responses to crises such as disease outbreaks. Multidisciplinary literature offers diverse perspectives of crowdsourced R&D as a useful large-scale medical data collection and research problem-solving methodology. Crowdsourced R&D has demonstrated 'proof of concept' in a host of different biomedical research applications. A wide range of quality and ethical issues relate to crowdsourced R&D. The rapid growth in applications of crowdsourced R&D in medical research is predicted by an increasing body of multidisciplinary theory. Further research in areas such as artificial intelligence may allow better coordination and management of the high volumes of medical data and problem-solving inputs generated by the crowdsourced R&D process. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Challenges and Opportunities: Recruitment and Retention of African Americans for Alzheimer's disease Research: Lessons Learned

    PubMed Central

    Ballard, Edna L.; Gwyther, Lisa P.; Edmonds, Henry L

    2013-01-01

    For more than three decades, recruitment and retention of African Americans for research in Alzheimer's disease have been regarded as difficult undertakings with poor results. The typical explanation for failure to respond to research participation options is widespread mistrust of research and the biomedical community. Mistrust is a reasonable response given the historical reality of malfeasance, victimization, and mistreatment over the course of the research participation history of African Americans. The challenges are real but there are opportunities for successful recruitment and retention of African Americans for research including research on Alzheimer's disease. Participation, however, comes with specific terms and considerations. Two of the most prominent criteria for research recruitment and retention are the transparency and accountability of the investigator which may determine how he or she proceeds from the start of the process throughout the steps of recruitment, retention and subsequent follow-up with the community. PMID:20711060

  7. Research and its governance in health research institutions in sub-Saharan African countries: results of a questionnaire-based survey.

    PubMed

    Kebede, Derege; Zielinski, Chris; Mbondji, Peter Ebongue; Sanou, Issa; Kouvividila, Wenceslas; Lusamba-Dikassa, Paul-Samson

    2014-05-01

    Objective: To describe governance and stewardship of research in health research institutions in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region. Design: A structured questionnaire was used to solicit information on governance and stewardship from health research institutions. Setting: Forty-two Member States of the WHO African Region. Participants: Key informants from the respondent health research institutions in the respondent sub-Saharan African countries. Main outcome measures: Institutions' participation in setting the national health research agenda. Institutional research priorities, scientific reviews and governance structure. Results: During the previous 12 months, the heads of 49% of respondent health research institutions participated in the setting or coordination of national research priorities. The most frequently cited priorities for contributing to or performing research were improving health programmes, producing new knowledge, influencing health policies and conducting operational research. For 78% of respondent institutions, scientific review was required for research funded directly by the institution, and for 73% of respondent institutions, scientific review was required for research not funded by the institution. However, most respondent institutions did not have written policies or guidelines, either for the scientific review of proposals (70%) or regarding conflict of interest on scientific review committees (80%). Conclusions: Some health research institutions demonstrate good practice in terms of the establishment of structures and processes for governance and stewardship, many others do not. There is a need for the strengthening of the stewardship capacity of research institutions in the Region. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

  8. Research and its governance in health research institutions in sub-Saharan African countries: results of a questionnaire-based survey

    PubMed Central

    Zielinski, Chris; Mbondji, Peter Ebongue; Sanou, Issa; Kouvividila, Wenceslas; Lusamba-Dikassa, Paul-Samson

    2014-01-01

    Summary Objective: To describe governance and stewardship of research in health research institutions in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region. Design: A structured questionnaire was used to solicit information on governance and stewardship from health research institutions. Setting: Forty-two Member States of the WHO African Region. Participants: Key informants from the respondent health research institutions in the respondent sub-Saharan African countries. Main outcome measures: Institutions’ participation in setting the national health research agenda. Institutional research priorities, scientific reviews and governance structure. Results: During the previous 12 months, the heads of 49% of respondent health research institutions participated in the setting or coordination of national research priorities. The most frequently cited priorities for contributing to or performing research were improving health programmes, producing new knowledge, influencing health policies and conducting operational research. For 78% of respondent institutions, scientific review was required for research funded directly by the institution, and for 73% of respondent institutions, scientific review was required for research not funded by the institution. However, most respondent institutions did not have written policies or guidelines, either for the scientific review of proposals (70%) or regarding conflict of interest on scientific review committees (80%). Conclusions: Some health research institutions demonstrate good practice in terms of the establishment of structures and processes for governance and stewardship, many others do not. There is a need for the strengthening of the stewardship capacity of research institutions in the Region. PMID:24914129

  9. The Amistad Research Center: Documenting the African American Experience.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chepesiuk, Ron

    1993-01-01

    Describes the Amistad Research Center housed at Tulane University which is a repository of primary documents on African-American history. Topics addressed include the development and growth of the collection; inclusion of the American Missionary Association archives; sources of support; civil rights; and collecting for the future. (LRW)

  10. Medication adherence and visit-to-visit variability of systolic blood pressure in African Americans with chronic kidney disease in the AASK trial.

    PubMed

    Hong, K; Muntner, P; Kronish, I; Shilane, D; Chang, T I

    2016-01-01

    Lower adherence to antihypertensive medications may increase visit-to-visit variability of blood pressure (VVV of BP), a risk factor for cardiovascular events and death. We used data from the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) trial to examine whether lower medication adherence is associated with higher systolic VVV of BP in African Americans with hypertensive chronic kidney disease (CKD). Determinants of VVV of BP were also explored. AASK participants (n=988) were categorized by self-report or pill count as having perfect (100%), moderately high (75-99%), moderately low (50-74%) or low (<50%) proportion of study visits with high medication adherence over a 1-year follow-up period. We used multinomial logistic regression to examine determinants of medication adherence, and multivariable-adjusted linear regression to examine the association between medication adherence and systolic VVV of BP, defined as the coefficient of variation or the average real variability (ARV). Participants with lower self-reported adherence were generally younger and had a higher prevalence of comorbid conditions. Compared with perfect adherence, moderately high, moderately low and low adherence was associated with 0.65% (±0.31%), 0.99% (±0.31%) and 1.29% (±0.32%) higher systolic VVV of BP (defined as the coefficient of variation) in fully adjusted models. Results were qualitatively similar when using ARV or when using pill counts as the measure of adherence. Lower medication adherence is associated with higher systolic VVV of BP in African Americans with hypertensive CKD; efforts to improve medication adherence in this population may reduce systolic VVV of BP.

  11. Fraud and deceit in medical research.

    PubMed

    Sarwar, Umran; Nicolaou, Marios

    2012-11-01

    Publication of medical research is the cornerstone for the propagation and dissemination of medical knowledge, culminating in significant effects on the health of the world's population. However, instances of individuals and institutions subverting the ethos of honesty and integrity on which medical research is built in order to advance personal ambitions have been well documented. Many definitions to describe this unethical behavior have been postulated, although the most descriptive is the "FFP" (fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism) model put forward by the United States' Office of Research Integrity. Research misconduct has many ramifications of which the world's media are all too keen to demonstrate. Many high-profile cases the world over have demonstrated this lack of ethics when performing medical research. Many esteemed professionals and highly regarded world institutions have succumbed to the ambitions of a few, who for personal gains, have behaved unethically in pursuit of their own ideals. Although institutions have been set up to directly confront these issues, it would appear that a lot more is still required on the part of journals and their editors to combat this behavioral pattern. Individuals starting out at very junior positions in medical research ought to be taught the basics of medical research ethics so that populations are not failed by the very people they are turning to for assistance at times of need. This article provides a review of many of the issues of research misconduct and allows the reader to reflect and think through their own experiences of research. This hopefully will allow individuals to start asking questions on, what is an often, a poorly discussed topic in medical research.

  12. Suppressor Effects in Coping Research with African American Adolescents from Low-Income Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gaylord-Harden, Noni K.; Cunningham, Jamila A.; Holmbeck, Grayson N.; Grant, Kathryn E.

    2010-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of the current study was to demonstrate the replicable nature of statistical suppressor effects in coping research through 2 examples with African American adolescents from low-income communities. Method: Participants in the 1st example included 497 African American adolescents (mean age = 12.61 years, SD = 0.99; 57% female)…

  13. Adherence to Analgesics for Cancer Pain: A Comparative Study of African Americans and Whites Using an Electronic Monitoring Device.

    PubMed

    Meghani, Salimah H; Thompson, Aleda M L; Chittams, Jesse; Bruner, Deborah W; Riegel, Barbara

    2015-09-01

    Despite well-documented disparities in cancer pain outcomes among African Americans, surprisingly little research exists on adherence to analgesia for cancer pain in this group. We compared analgesic adherence for cancer-related pain over a 3-month period between African Americans and whites using the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS). Patients (N = 207) were recruited from outpatient medical oncology clinics of an academic medical center in Philadelphia (≥18 years of age, diagnosed with solid tumors or multiple myeloma, with cancer-related pain, and at least 1 prescription of oral around-the-clock analgesic). African Americans reported significantly greater cancer pain (P < .001), were less likely than whites to have a prescription of long-acting opioids (P < .001), and were more likely to have a negative Pain Management Index (P < .001). There were considerable differences between African Americans and whites in the overall MEMS dose adherence, ie, percentage of the total number of prescribed doses that were taken (53% vs 74%, P < .001). On subanalysis, analgesic adherence rates for African Americans ranged from 34% (for weak opioids) to 63% (for long-acting opioids). Unique predictors of analgesic adherence varied by race; income levels, analgesic side effects, and fear of distracting providers predicted analgesic adherence for African Americans but not for whites. Perspective: Despite evidence of disparities in cancer pain outcomes among African Americans, surprisingly little research exists on African Americans' adherence to analgesia for cancer pain. This prospective study uses objective measures to compare adherence to prescribed pain medications between African American and white patients with cancer pain. Copyright © 2015 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. The Violence Epidemic in the African American Community: A Call by the National Medical Association for Comprehensive Reform.

    PubMed

    Frazer, Eva; Mitchell, Roger A; Nesbitt, LaQuandra S; Williams, Mallory; Mitchell, Edith P; Williams, Richard Allen; Browne, Doris

    2018-02-01

    While much progress has occurred since the civil rights act of 1964, minorities have continued to suffer disparate and discriminatory access to economic opportunities, education, housing, health care and criminal justice. The latest challenge faced by the physicians and public health providers who serve the African American community is the detrimental, and seemingly insurmountable, causes and effects of violence in impoverished communities of color. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number one killer of black males ages 10-35 is homicide, indicating a higher rate of violence than any other group. Black females are four times more likely to be murdered by a boyfriend or girlfriend than their white counterparts, and although intimate partner violence has declined for both black and white females, black women are still disproportionately killed. In addition, anxiety and depression that can lead to suicide is on the rise among African American adolescents and adults. Through an examination of the role of racism in the perpetuation of the violent environment and an exploration of the effects of gang violence, intimate partner violence/child maltreatment and police use of excessive force, this work attempts to highlight the repercussions of violence in the African American community. The members of the National Medical Association have served the African American community since 1895 and have been advocates for the patients they serve for more than a century. This paper, while not intended to be a comprehensive literature review, has been written to reinforce the need to treat violence as a public health issue, to emphasize the effect of particular forms of violence in the African American community and to advocate for comprehensive policy reforms that can lead to the eradication of this epidemic. The community of African American physicians must play a vital role in the treatment and prevention of violence as well as advocating for

  15. Southern Coup: Recruiting African American Faculty Members at an Elite Private Southern Research University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrett, Thomas Gregory; Smith, Theophus

    2008-01-01

    Competition for highly qualified African American faculty members among elite universities in the United States remains keen. Two of the most successful research universities at recruiting African American faculty members are located in the Southeast. Employing a conceptual framework grounded in organizational culture and climate literature, in…

  16. Research Plan for the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Inst. of Child Health and Human Development (NIH), Bethesda, MD.

    This research plan describes a framework for defining and developing the field of rehabilitation sciences and research opportunities for the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) and other agencies funding medical rehabilitation research. The plan addresses the needs of both persons who are involved in habilitation and in…

  17. Why medical research needs a new specialty of 'pure medical science'.

    PubMed

    Charlton, Bruce G

    2006-01-01

    Sciences tend to go through boom and bust phases. Following decades of rapid expansion, medical science is now due for a collapse in overall funding. Furthermore, there has been a decline in the rate of therapeutic innovation, with fewer significant breakthroughs and little progress in several major areas of medicine such as oncology, psychiatry and autoimmune disorders. Mainstream medical research has gradually evolved into a form similar to industrial research and development (R&D), aiming at steady, reliable, predictable progress by ringing minor variations on existing approaches. Where this risk-averse approach is failing, a more speculative strategy is indicated. A new research specialty of 'pure medical science' would aim to seek radical new theories, technologies and therapies, and subject these to professional evaluation to the point where they can be applied in practice by more mainstream 'applied' medical scientists. A specialty of 'pure medical science' might be launched by financial support from patrons who wish to be associated with an elite new medical research discipline.

  18. Exploring the financial impact of breast cancer for African American medically underserved women: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Darby, Kathleen; Davis, Cindy; Likes, Wendy; Bell, John

    2009-08-01

    In addition to the physical suffering experienced by cancer survivors, there are considerable financial hardships and access barriers to quality health care. The current study explored the financial burden of breast cancer on African American medically underserved women. Four focus groups were conducted in three major cities across Tennessee. Research participants (N=36) were recruited by the staff of cancer support and treatment programs in the area. Findings revealed that participants' lack of insurance or inadequate insurance resulted in missed, delayed, or fewer treatment opportunities. The financial burden of cancer was not limited to the acute treatment phase. The women in the current study reported extreme economic hardship resulting from this disease into long-term survivorship. This exploratory study confirms the importance of providing care across the continuum to address the complex needs of low-income cancer survivors.

  19. Qualitative study of African-American job satisfaction in a scientific/technical research environment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Krossa, Cheryl Delemos

    1996-09-01

    Many studies have been conducted in the area of job satisfaction. Its necessary attributes sor components have been studied, analyzed, validated, standardized, and normed, onpredominantly white male populations. Few of these studies have focused on people of color, specifically African-Americans, and fewer still on those African-Americans working in a high-tech, scientific and research environments. The researchers have defined what is necessary for the current dominent culture`s population, but are their findings applicable and valid for our nation`s other cultures and ethnic groups? Among the conclusions: the subjects felt that there was no real difference in job satisfiers from their whitemore » colleagues; however the subjects had the sense of community (African-American) and the need to give back to it. Frustrations included politics, funding, and lack of control.« less

  20. I too, am America: a review of research on systemic lupus erythematosus in African-Americans

    PubMed Central

    Williams, Edith M; Bruner, Larisa; Adkins, Alyssa; Vrana, Caroline; Logan, Ayaba; Kamen, Diane; Oates, James C

    2016-01-01

    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ autoimmune disorder that can cause significant morbidity and mortality. A large body of evidence has shown that African-Americans experience the disease more severely than other racial-ethnic groups. Relevant literature for the years 2000 to August 2015 were obtained from systematic searches of PubMed, Scopus, and the EBSCOHost platform that includes MEDLINE, CINAHL, etc. to evaluate research focused on SLE in African-Americans. Thirty-six of the 1502 articles were classified according to their level of evidence. The systematic review of the literature reported a wide range of adverse outcomes in African-American SLE patients and risk factors observed in other mono and multi-ethnic investigations. Studies limited to African-Americans with SLE identified novel methods for more precise ascertainment of risk and observed novel findings that hadn't been previously reported in African-Americans with SLE. Both environmental and genetic studies included in this review have highlighted unique African-American populations in an attempt to isolate risk attributable to African ancestry and observed increased genetic influence on overall disease in this cohort. The review also revealed emerging research in areas of quality of life, race-tailored interventions, and self-management. This review reemphasizes the importance of additional studies to better elucidate the natural history of SLE in African-Americans and optimize therapeutic strategies for those who are identified as being at high risk. PMID:27651918

  1. Global informetric perspective studies on translational medical research

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Translational medical research literature has increased rapidly in the last few decades and played a more and more important role during the development of medicine science. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the global performance of translational medical research during the past few decades. Methods Bibliometric, social network analysis, and visualization technologies were used for analyzing translational medical research performance from the aspects of subject categories, journals, countries, institutes, keywords, and MeSH terms. Meanwhile, the co-author, co-words and cluster analysis methods were also used to trace popular topics in translational medical research related work. Results Research output suggested a solid development in translational medical research, in terms of increasing scientific production and research collaboration. We identified the core journals, mainstream subject categories, leading countries, and institutions in translational medical research. There was an uneven distribution of publications at authorial, institutional, and national levels. The most commonly used keywords that appeared in the articles were “translational research”, “translational medicine”, “biomarkers”, “stroke”, “inflammation”, “cancer”, and “breast cancer”. Conclusions The subject categories of “Research & Experimental Medicine”, “Medical Laboratory Technology”, and “General & Internal Medicine” play a key role in translational medical research both in production and in its networks. Translational medical research and CTS, etc. are core journals of translational research. G7 countries are the leading nations for translational medical research. Some developing countries, such as P.R China, also play an important role in the communication of translational research. The USA and its institutions play a dominant role in the production, collaboration, citations and high quality articles. The research trends in

  2. Grounded Theory in Medical Education Research.

    PubMed

    Tavakol, Mohsen; Torabi, Sima; Akbar Zeinaloo, Ali

    2006-12-01

    The grounded theory method provides a systematic way to generate theoretical constructs or concepts that illuminate psychosocial processes common to individual who have a similar experience of the phenomenon under investigation. There has been an increase in the number of published research reports that use the grounded theory method. However, there has been less medical education research, which is based on the grounded theory tradition. The purpose of this paper is to introduce basic tenants of qualitative research paradigm with specific reference to ground theory. The paper aims to encourage readers to think how they might possibly use the grounded theory method in medical education research and to apply such a method to their own areas of interest. The important features of a grounded theory as well as its implications for medical education research are explored. Data collection and analysis are also discussed. It seems to be reasonable to incorporate knowledge of this kind in medical education research.

  3. Medical Science and Research in Iran.

    PubMed

    Akhondzadeh, Shahin; Ebadifar, Asghar; Baradaran Eftekhari, Monir; Falahat, Katayoun

    2017-11-01

    During the last 3 decades, Iran has experienced a rapid population growth and at the same time the health of Iranian people has improved greatly. This achievement was mainly due to training and availability of health manpower, well organized public health network and medical science and research improvement. In this article, we aimed to report the relevant data about the medical science and research situation in Iran and compare them with other countries. In this study, after reviewing science development and research indicators in medical sciences with participation of key stakeholders, we selected 3 main hybrid indexes consisting of "Research and Development (R&D) expenditures," "Personnel in Science and Technology sector" and "knowledge generation" for evaluation of medical science and research situation. Data was extracted from reliable databases. Over the past decade, Iran has achieved significant success in medical sciences and for the first time in 2015 based on Scopus index, Iran ranked first in the number of published scientific papers and number of citations in the region and among all Islamic countries. Also, 2% of the world's publications belong to Iran. Regarding innovation, the number of Iranian patents submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) was 3 and 43 in 2008 and 2013, respectively. In these years, the number of personnel in science and technology sectors including post graduate students, researchers and academic members in universities of medical sciences (UMSs) have increased. The female students in medical sciences field account for about twothirds of all students. Also, women comprise about one-third of faculty members. Since 5 years ago, Iran has had growth in science and technology parks. These achievements were attained in spite of the fact that research spending in Iran was still very low (0.5% of gross domestic product [GDP]) due to economic hardships and sanctions. Medical science and research development has

  4. African-American and Hispanic perceptions of HIV vaccine clinical research: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Toledo, Lauren; McLellan-Lemal, Eleanor; Arreola, Sonya; Campbell, Chadwick; Sutton, Madeline

    2014-01-01

    To examine perceptions of phase-I human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine trial participation among African-Americans and Hispanics in San Francisco, California. Qualitative, semistructured interviews. San Francisco Department of Health. Thirty-six African-American and Hispanic men and women, 18 to 50 years of age, residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Purposive sampling using advertisements, community-based organization rosters, and snowball referrals. Thematic analysis of transcripts identified salient themes and patterns. Participants viewed participation in HIV research as important; however, they held that HIV was not a health priority given limited awareness about HIV research or beliefs that only infected or high-risk persons were eligible for participation. Altruism and personal gain, trustworthy trial staff, convenient schedules and facilities, and involvement of trusted community groups in recruitment were perceived to motivate participants. Concerns about the social consequences of participating in HIV research and product-related side effects were seen as discouraging participation. Limitations include the possibility that participants in interview research have more favorable views of biomedical research than those who refuse to participate. Historically, African-Americans and Hispanics in the United States have had limited participation in HIV trials. Understanding their perceptions of HIV biomedical research, identifying facilitators and barriers to participation, addressing misinformation about HIV, distorted risk perceptions, HIV stigma, and providing accessible opportunities to participate are imperative to ensure health equity and generalizability of findings.

  5. The Use of Sociocultural Constructs in Cancer Screening Research Among African Americans

    PubMed Central

    Deshpande, Anjali D.; Sanders Thompson, Vetta L.; Vaughn, Kimberlee P.; Kreuter, Matthew W.

    2013-01-01

    Background Studies are increasingly examining the role of sociocultural values, beliefs, and attitudes in cancer prevention. However, these studies vary widely in how sociocultural constructs are defined and measured, how they are conceived as affecting cancer beliefs, behaviors, and screening, and how they are applied in interventions. Methods To characterize the current state of this research literature, we conducted a critical review of studies published between 1990 and 2006 to describe the current use of sociocultural constructs in cancer screening research among African Americans. We included quantitative and qualitative studies with cancer as a primary focus that included African American participants, assessed screening behaviors, reported race-specific analyses, and considered one or more sociocultural factors. Studies were evaluated for type of cancer and screening analyzed, study population, methodology, sociocultural constructs considered, definitions of constructs, provision of psychometric data for measures, and journal characteristics. Results Of 94 studies identified for review, 35 met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated. Most focused on breast cancer screening, and thus African American women. Sociocultural constructs were seldom clearly defined, and the sources and psychometric properties of sociocultural measures were rarely reported. Conclusions A multidisciplinary approach to developing a common language and a standardized set of measures for sociocultural constructs will advance research in this area. Specific recommendations are made for future research. PMID:19556966

  6. Correlation Research of Medical Security Management System Network Platform in Medical Practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jie, Wang; Fan, Zhang; Jian, Hao; Li-nong, Yu; Jun, Fei; Ping, Hao; Ya-wei, Shen; Yue-jin, Chang

    Objective-The related research of medical security management system network in medical practice. Methods-Establishing network platform of medical safety management system, medical security network host station, medical security management system(C/S), medical security management system of departments and sections, comprehensive query, medical security disposal and examination system. Results-In medical safety management, medical security management system can reflect the hospital medical security problem, and can achieve real-time detection and improve the medical security incident detection rate. Conclusion-The application of the research in the hospital management implementation, can find hospital medical security hidden danger and the problems of medical disputes, and can help in resolving medical disputes in time and achieve good work efficiency, which is worth applying in the hospital practice.

  7. Implementation of the medical research curriculum in graduate medical school.

    PubMed

    Park, Kwi Hwa; Kim, Tae-Hee; Chung, Wook-Jin

    2011-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of the medical research curriculum on the students' satisfaction and the research self-efficacy. The curriculum was implemented to 79 graduate medical school students who entered in 2007 and 2008. This curriculum is implemented through 3 years consisting of 5 different sub-courses: Research design, Research ethics, Medical statistics, Writing medical paper, and Presentation. The effect of this program was measured with 2 self-administered surveys to students: the course satisfaction survey and the self-efficacy inventories. The Research Self-Efficacy Scale consisted of 18 items from 4 categories: Research design, Research ethics, Data analysis, and Result presentation. The descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were implemented. The average point of satisfaction of the course was 2.74 out of 4, which told us that students generally satisfied with the course. The frequencies of tutoring for research course were 2 or 3 times on average and each session of tutorial lasted 1.5 to 2 hours. The research self-efficacy in three categories (Research design, Research ethics, and Result presentation) increased significantly (p<0.1). The self-efficacy of the male students was higher than females' one. The self-efficacy was not significantly different by the experience of research paper writing at undergraduate level. The curriculum showed positive results in cultivating research self-efficacy of students. There is a need for improvement of the class of Statistical analysis as students reported that it was difficult.

  8. Validation of the Beck Depression Inventory-II in a Low-Income African American Sample of Medical Outpatients

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grothe, Karen B.; Dutton, Gareth R.; Jones, Glenn N.; Bodenlos, Jamie; Ancona, Martin; Brantley, Phillip J.

    2005-01-01

    The psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) are well established with primarily Caucasian samples. However, little is known about its reliability and validity with minority groups. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the BDI-II in a sample of low-income African American medical outpatients (N = 220).…

  9. Prevention-Related Research Targeting African American Alternative Education Program Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carswell, Steven B.; Hanlon, Thomas E.; Watts, Amy M.; O'Grady, Kevin E.

    2014-01-01

    This article reports on a program of research that examined the background, planning, implementation, and evaluation of an after-school preventive intervention program within an ongoing urban alternative education program targeting African American students referred to the school because of their problematic behavior in regular schools. The…

  10. Undergraduate medical research: the student perspective

    PubMed Central

    Burgoyne, Louise N.; O'Flynn, Siun; Boylan, Geraldine B.

    2010-01-01

    Background Research training is essential in a modern undergraduate medical curriculum. Our evaluation aimed to (a) gauge students' awareness of research activities, (b) compare students' perceptions of their transferable and research-specific skills competencies, (c) determine students' motivation for research and (d) obtain students' personal views on doing research. Methods Undergraduate medical students (N=317) completed a research skills questionnaire developed by the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Applied Undergraduate Research Skills (CETL-AURS) at Reading University. The questionnaire assessed students' transferable skills, research-specific skills (e.g., study design, data collection and data analysis), research experience and attitude and motivation towards doing research. Results The majority of students are motivated to pursue research. Graduate entrants and male students appear to be the most confident regarding their research skills competencies. Although all students recognise the role of research in medical practice, many are unaware of the medical research activities or successes within their university. Of those who report no interest in a career incorporating research, a common perception was that researchers are isolated from patients and clinical practice. Discussion Students have a narrow definition of research and what it entails. An explanation for why research competence does not align more closely with research motivation is derived from students' lack of understanding of the concept of translational research, as well as a lack of awareness of the research activity being undertaken by their teachers and mentors. We plan to address this with specific research awareness initiatives. PMID:20844608

  11. Biomedical research competencies for osteopathic medical students

    PubMed Central

    Cruser, des Anges; Dubin, Bruce; Brown, Sarah K; Bakken, Lori L; Licciardone, John C; Podawiltz, Alan L; Bulik, Robert J

    2009-01-01

    Background Without systematic exposure to biomedical research concepts or applications, osteopathic medical students may be generally under-prepared to efficiently consume and effectively apply research and evidence-based medicine information in patient care. The academic literature suggests that although medical residents are increasingly expected to conduct research in their post graduate training specialties, they generally have limited understanding of research concepts. With grant support from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and a grant from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) is incorporating research education in the osteopathic medical school curriculum. The first phase of this research education project involved a baseline assessment of students' understanding of targeted research concepts. This paper reports the results of that assessment and discusses implications for research education during medical school. Methods Using a novel set of research competencies supported by the literature as needed for understanding research information, we created a questionnaire to measure students' confidence and understanding of selected research concepts. Three matriculating medical school classes completed the on-line questionnaire. Data were analyzed for differences between groups using analysis of variance and t-tests. Correlation coefficients were computed for the confidence and applied understanding measures. We performed a principle component factor analysis of the confidence items, and used multiple regression analyses to explore how confidence might be related to the applied understanding. Results Of 496 total incoming, first, and second year medical students, 354 (71.4%) completed the questionnaire. Incoming students expressed significantly more confidence than first or second year students (F = 7.198, df = 2, 351, P = 0.001) in their ability to understand the

  12. Prostate cancer community collaboration and partnership: education, awareness, recruitment, and outreach to southern African-American males.

    PubMed

    Hughes, Gail D; Sellers, Denethia B; Fraser, Lionel; Teague, Robert; Knight, Bern'Nadette

    2007-01-01

    Prostate cancer is a significant health problem for African-American men intensified by low participation in screenings, clinical trials, and prospective cohort studies. Ten focus groups were conducted with African-American males and their female partners/spouses. Perceptions and knowledge about prostate cancer, as well as willingness to participate in screening and research studies were measured. Participants had a basic level of knowledge about prostate cancer, and the importance of education was a unified theme. Dialogue with targeted African-American men and their partners/spouses may increase awareness and retention in medical research, while influencing health promotion, education and behavior.

  13. Research Needs to Improve Hypertension Treatment and Control in African Americans

    PubMed Central

    Whelton, Paul K.; Einhorn, Paula T.; Muntner, Paul; Appel, Lawrence J.; Cushman, William C.; Diez Roux, Ana V.; Ferdinand, Keith C.; Rahman, Mahboob; Taylor, Herman A.; Ard, Jamy; Arnett, Donna K.; Carter, Barry L.; Davis, Barry R.; Freedman, Barry I.; Cooper, Lisa A.; Cooper, Richard; Desvigne-Nickens, Patrice; Gavini, Nara; Go, Alan S.; Hyman, David J.; Kimmel, Paul L.; Margolis, Karen L.; Miller, Edgar R.; Mills, Katherine T.; Mensah, George A.; Navar, Ann M.; Ogedegbe, Gbenga; Rakotz, Michael K.; Thomas, George; Tobin, Jonathan N.; Wright, Jackson T.; Yoon, Sung Sug (Sarah); Cutler, Jeffrey A.

    2016-01-01

    Summary Additional targeted research and customized training programs could spearhead strategies for elimination of the disparities in prevalence and control of high BP between African Americans and the remainder of the US general population. PMID:27620388

  14. Equity in international health research collaborations in Africa: Perceptions and expectations of African researchers.

    PubMed

    Munung, Nchangwi Syntia; Mayosi, Bongani M; de Vries, Jantina

    2017-01-01

    Africa is currently host to a number of international genomics research and biobanking consortia, each with a mandate to advance genomics research and biobanking in Africa. Whilst most of these consortia promise to transform the way international health research is done in Africa, few have articulated exactly how they propose to go about this. In this paper, we report on a qualitative interviewing study in which we involved 17 genomics researchers in Africa. We describe their perceptions and expectations of international genomics research and biobanking initiatives in Africa. All interviewees were of the view that externally funded genomics research and biobanking initiatives in Africa, have played a critical role in building capacity for genomics research and biobanking in Africa and in providing an opportunity for researchers in Africa to collaborate and network with other researchers. Whilst the opportunity to collaborate was seen as a benefit, some interviewees stressed the importance of recognizing that these collaborations carry mutual benefits for all partners, including their collaborators in HICs. They also voiced two major concerns of being part of these collaborative initiatives: the possibility of exploitation of African researchers and the non-sustainability of research capacity building efforts. As a way of minimising exploitation, researchers in Africa recommended that genuine efforts be made to create transparent and equitable international health research partnerships. They suggested that this could be achieved through,: having rules of engagement, enabling African researchers to contribute to the design and conduct of international health projects in Africa, and mutual and respectful exchange of experience and capacity between research collaborators. These were identified as hallmarks to equitable international health research collaborations in Africa. Genomics research and biobanking initiatives in Africa such as H3Africa have gone some way in

  15. Equity in international health research collaborations in Africa: Perceptions and expectations of African researchers

    PubMed Central

    Mayosi, Bongani M.; de Vries, Jantina

    2017-01-01

    Introduction and method Africa is currently host to a number of international genomics research and biobanking consortia, each with a mandate to advance genomics research and biobanking in Africa. Whilst most of these consortia promise to transform the way international health research is done in Africa, few have articulated exactly how they propose to go about this. In this paper, we report on a qualitative interviewing study in which we involved 17 genomics researchers in Africa. We describe their perceptions and expectations of international genomics research and biobanking initiatives in Africa. Results All interviewees were of the view that externally funded genomics research and biobanking initiatives in Africa, have played a critical role in building capacity for genomics research and biobanking in Africa and in providing an opportunity for researchers in Africa to collaborate and network with other researchers. Whilst the opportunity to collaborate was seen as a benefit, some interviewees stressed the importance of recognizing that these collaborations carry mutual benefits for all partners, including their collaborators in HICs. They also voiced two major concerns of being part of these collaborative initiatives: the possibility of exploitation of African researchers and the non-sustainability of research capacity building efforts. As a way of minimising exploitation, researchers in Africa recommended that genuine efforts be made to create transparent and equitable international health research partnerships. They suggested that this could be achieved through,: having rules of engagement, enabling African researchers to contribute to the design and conduct of international health projects in Africa, and mutual and respectful exchange of experience and capacity between research collaborators. These were identified as hallmarks to equitable international health research collaborations in Africa. Conclusion Genomics research and biobanking initiatives in

  16. Enslaved Africans and doctors in South Carolina.

    PubMed

    Goodson, Martia Graham

    2003-03-01

    This interpretation of the relationship between enslavement and American medicine in 19th century South Carolina reveals the intimacy that existed between Africans enslaved in that state and the doctors who practiced and taught there. Enslaved Africans were resourceful and reliable medical figures in the slave community. Their knowledge of medical botany permeated the slave quarters and plantation hospitals and was appropriated into southern medical knowledge. The trajectories of the careers of three South Carolina physicians are tied to their practice around and on the enslaved. The beginnings of gynecological surgery are linked to 1840s experimentation on enslaved African women performed by one of them.

  17. Research of medical gases in Poland

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Research of medical gases is well established in Poland and has been marked with the foundation of several professional societies. Numerous academic centers including those dealing with hyperbaric and diving medicine conduct studies of medical gases, in vast majority supported with intramural funds. In general, Polish research of medical gases is very much clinical in nature, covering new applications and safety of medical gases in medicine; on the other hand there are several academic centers pursuing preclinical studies, and elaborating basic theories of gas physiology and mathematical modeling of gas exchange. What dominates is research dealing with oxygen and ozone as well as studies of anesthetic gases and their applications. Finally, several research directions involving noble gas, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide for cell protection, only begin to gain recognition of basic scientists and clinicians. However, further developments require more monetary spending on research and clinical testing as well as formation of new collective bodies for coordinating efforts in this matter. PMID:23916016

  18. Medical research misconduct need regulatory reforms.

    PubMed

    Bedi, Neeraj

    2014-10-01

    The medical research misconduct has become a global problem. Except from countries like the USA, China, and Germany the exact figures of misconduct are not available. The research misconduct include fabricating the data, falsifying data, and plagiarism. The irresponsible research practices are publishing research data more than once, conflicts of interest is not declared, selective reporting of data and including an author who has not contributed at all and many more. About 2% of scientists have been found to admit the fabricating the data and 33% researchers were involved in irresponsible research practices. There is no formal regulatory programs available to monitor the research projects. Few developed countries like the USA, Germany, and China tried to develop programs which can monitor the medical research misconduct. There is a need to develop a regulatory system at national and institutional level to regulate the research activity to ensure that good ethical and scientific standards are practiced by medical researchers.

  19. Medical Informatics Education & Research in Greece.

    PubMed

    Chouvarda, I; Maglaveras, N

    2015-08-13

    This paper aims to present an overview of the medical informatics landscape in Greece, to describe the Greek ehealth background and to highlight the main education and research axes in medical informatics, along with activities, achievements and pitfalls. With respect to research and education, formal and informal sources were investigated and information was collected and presented in a qualitative manner, including also quantitative indicators when possible. Greece has adopted and applied medical informatics education in various ways, including undergraduate courses in health sciences schools as well as multidisciplinary postgraduate courses. There is a continuous research effort, and large participation in EU-wide initiatives, in all the spectrum of medical informatics research, with notable scientific contributions, although technology maturation is not without barriers. Wide-scale deployment of eHealth is anticipated in the healthcare system in the near future. While ePrescription deployment has been an important step, ICT for integrated care and telehealth have a lot of room for further deployment. Greece is a valuable contributor in the European medical informatics arena, and has the potential to offer more as long as the barriers of research and innovation fragmentation are addressed and alleviated.

  20. Transition of Research into Medical Practice

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Polk, James D.; Johnson-Throop, Kathy A.

    2010-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the process of transforming medical research into practical medicine for astronauts and for every day people. Several examples of medical practices that started in space medical research and then were proved useful in other settings: Actigraphy, bone density scanning, the use of Potassium Citrate as a countermeasure used to lessen the risk of kidney stone formation, and ultrasound uses in remote and telemedicine,

  1. Evaluation of an mHealth Medication Regimen Self-Management Program for African American and Hispanic Uncontrolled Hypertensives.

    PubMed

    Davidson, Tatiana M; McGillicuddy, John; Mueller, Martina; Brunner-Jackson, Brenda; Favella, April; Anderson, Ashley; Torres, Magaly; Ruggiero, Kenneth J; Treiber, Frank A

    2015-11-17

    African Americans and Hispanics have disproportionate rates of uncontrolled essential hypertension (EH) compared to Non-Hispanic Whites. Medication non-adherence (MNA) is the leading modifiable behavior to improved blood pressure (BP) control. The Smartphone Medication Adherence Stops Hypertension (SMASH) program was developed using a patient-centered, theory-guided, iterative design process. Electronic medication trays provided reminder signals, and Short Message Service [SMS] messaging reminded subjects to monitor BP with Bluetooth-enabled monitors. Motivational and reinforcement text messages were sent to participants based upon levels of adherence. Thirty-eight African-American (18) and Hispanic (20) uncontrolled hypertensives completed clinic-based anthropometric and resting BP evaluations prior to randomization, and again at months 1, 3 and 6. Generalized linear mixed modeling (GLMM) revealed statistically significant time-by-treatment interactions (p < 0.0001) indicating significant reductions in resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) for the SMASH group vs. the standard care (SC) control group across all time points. 70.6% of SMASH subjects vs. 15.8% of the SC group reached BP control (< 140/90 mmH) at month 1 (p < 0.001). At month 6, 94.4% of the SMASH vs. 41.2% of the SC group exhibited controlled BP (p < 0.003). Our findings provide encouraging evidence that efficacious mHealth, chronic disease, medical regimen, self-management programs can be developed following principles of patient-centered, theory-guided design.

  2. A Researcher "Called" to "Taboo" Places?: A Burgeoning Research Method in African-Centered Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shockley, Kmt G.

    2009-01-01

    This article presents a self-reflexive analysis of the complexities of conducting Afrocentric education research while living with a "double consciousness." Having been "called" to places that are considered to be "taboo" the author takes readers on a journey that begins in his busy mind and ends in on the African continent in a "rabbit hole."…

  3. The Detroit Young Adult Asthma Project: Pilot of a Technology-Based Medication Adherence Intervention for African-American Emerging Adults.

    PubMed

    Kolmodin MacDonell, Karen; Naar, Sylvie; Gibson-Scipio, Wanda; Lam, Phebe; Secord, Elizabeth

    2016-10-01

    To conduct a randomized controlled pilot of a multicomponent, technology-based intervention promoting adherence to controller medication in African-American emerging adults with asthma. The intervention consisted of two computer-delivered sessions based on motivational interviewing combined with text messaged reminders between sessions. Participants (N = 49) were 18-29 years old, African-American, with persistent asthma requiring controller medication. Participants had to report poor medication adherence and asthma control. Youth were randomized to receive the intervention or an attention control. Data were collected through computer-delivered self-report questionnaires at baseline, 1, and 3 months. Ecological Momentary Assessment via two-way text messaging was also used to collect "real-time" data on medication use and asthma control. The intervention was feasible and acceptable to the target population, as evidenced by high retention rates and satisfaction scores. Changes in study outcomes from pre- to postintervention favored the intervention, particularly for decrease in asthma symptoms, t (42) = 2.22, p < .05 (Cohen's d = .071). Results suggest that the intervention is feasible and effective. However, findings are preliminary and should be replicated with a larger sample and more sophisticated data analyses. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. The West African Health Organization's experience in improving the health research environment in the ECOWAS region.

    PubMed

    Aidam, Jude; Sombié, Issiaka

    2016-04-20

    The West African Health Organization (WAHO) implemented a research development program in West Africa during 2009-2013 using the Knowledge for Better Health Research Capacity Development Framework, developed by Pang et al. (Bull World Health Organ 81(11):815-820, 2003), on strategies used to improve the research environment. The framework has the following components: stewardship, financing, sustainable resourcing and research utilization. This paper describes how WAHO implemented this research development program in the West African region to help improve the research environment and lessons learnt. This is a retrospective review of the regional research development program using a triangulation of activity reports, an independent evaluation and the authors' experiences with stakeholders. This program was designed to address gaps along the components of the framework and to improve partnership. The activities, results and challenges are summarised for each component of the framework. The independent evaluation was conducted using over 180 semi-structured interviews of key stakeholders in the West African region and activity reports. WAHO and major stakeholders validated these findings during a regional meeting. All 15 ECOWAS countries benefited from this regional research development program. WAHO provided technical and financial support to eight countries to develop their policies, priorities and plans for research development to improve their research governance. WAHO, along with other technical and financial partners, organised many capacity-strengthening trainings in health systems research methodology, resource mobilization, ethical oversight and on HRWeb, a research information management platform. WAHO helped launch a regional network of health research institutions to improve collaboration between regional participating institutions. Further, WAHO developed strategic research partnerships and mobilised additional funding to support the program. The program

  5. Research ethics policies and practices in health research institutions in sub-Saharan African countries: results of a questionnaire-based survey.

    PubMed

    Zielinski, Chris; Kebede, Derege; Mbondji, Peter Ebongue; Sanou, Issa; Kouvividila, Wenceslas; Lusamba-Dikassa, Paul-Samson

    2014-05-01

    To describe the state of research ethics policies and practices in health research institutions in sub-Saharan African countries. A structured questionnaire was used to solicit information on research ethics from health research institutions. Forty-two sub-Saharan African countries. Key informants from the health research institutions. Existence of institutional ethics review policies and mechanisms. About half (51%) of respondent institutions reported having policies on research ethics and 58% had written policies requiring that researchers obtain informed consent of research participants. About one-third of respondent institutions (34%) had established ethics review committees, 42% required that studies went through ethics review committees and 46% had linkages with national or regional ethics organisations. Regarding operating procedures for ethics review committees, 53% had adopted standard operating procedures. Less than one-quarter of respondent institutions reported having policies in place to monitor ongoing research. Of the institutions that monitored ongoing research, 34% did an annual ethical review and 74% required a periodic written report. Only 36% provided any type of ethics training for staff, including those conducting health research and those who were not members of the ethics review committee. There are substantial gaps in the capacity of health research institutions in the WHO African Region to undertake ethical review of studies before, during and after studies conducted. There is a need to strengthen such capacity in order to ensure the wellbeing of individuals enrolled in studies and that of communities that host these studies. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

  6. Predicting the admission into medical school of African American college students who have participated in summer academic enrichment programs.

    PubMed

    Hesser, A; Cregler, L L; Lewis, L

    1998-02-01

    To identify cognitive and noncognitive variables as predictors of the admission into medical school of African American college students who have participated in summer academic enrichment programs (SAEPs). The study sample comprised 309 African American college students who participated in SAEPs at the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine from 1980 to 1989 and whose educational and occupational statuses were determined by follow-up tracking. A three-step logistic regression was used to analyze the data (with alpha = .05); the criterion variable was admission to medical school. The 17 predictor variables studied were one of two types, cognitive and noncognitive. The cognitive variables were (1) Scholastic Aptitude Test mathematics (SAT-M) score, (2) SAT verbal score, (3) college grade-point average (GPA), (4) college science GPA, (5) SAEP GPA, and (6) SAEP basic science GPA (BSGPA). The noncognitive variables were (1) gender, (2) highest college level at the time of the last SAEP application, (3) type of college attended (historically African American or predominately white), (4) number of SAEPs attended, (5) career aspiration (physician or another health science option) (6) parents who were professionals, (7) parents who were health care role models, (8) evidence of leadership, (9) evidence of community service, (10) evidence of special motivation, and (11) strength of letter of recommendation in the SAEP application. For each student the rating scores for the last four noncognitive variables were determined by averaging the ratings of two judges who reviewed relevant information in each student's file. In step 1, which explained 20% of the admission decision variance, SAT-M score, SAEP BSGPA, and college GPA were the three significant cognitive predictors identified. In step 2, which explained 31% of the variance, the three cognitive predictors identified in step 1 were joined by three noncognitive predictors: career aspiration, type of college, and

  7. Medical education departments: a study of four medical schools in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    PubMed

    Kiguli-Malwadde, Elsie; Talib, Zohray M; Wohltjen, Hannah; Connors, Susan C; Gandari, Jonathan; Banda, Sekelani S; Maggio, Lauren A; van Schalkwyk, Susan C

    2015-07-01

    Many African countries are investing in medical education to address significant health care workforce shortages and ultimately improve health care. Increasingly, training institutions are establishing medical education departments as part of this investment. This article describes the status of four such departments at sub-Saharan African medical schools supported by the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI). This article will provide information about the role of these institutional structures in fostering the development of medical education within the African context and highlight factors that enable or constrain their establishment and sustainability. In-depth interviews were conducted with the heads or directors of the four medical education departments using a structured interview protocol developed by the study group. An inductive approach to analysis of the interview transcripts was adopted as the texts were subjected to thematic content analysis. Medical education departments, also known as units or centers, were established for a range of reasons including: to support curriculum review, to provide faculty development in Health Professions Education, and to improve scholarship in learning and teaching. The reporting structures of these departments differ in terms of composition and staff numbers. Though the functions of departments do vary, all focus on improving the quality of health professions education. External and internal funding, where available, as well as educational innovations were key enablers for these departments. Challenges included establishing and maintaining the legitimacy of the department, staffing the departments with qualified individuals, and navigating dependence on external funding. All departments seek to expand the scope of their services by offering higher degrees in HPE, providing assistance to other universities in this domain, and developing and maintaining a medical education research agenda. The establishment of

  8. Research priorities for Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

    PubMed

    2012-01-01

    This report provides a review and analysis of the research landscape for three diseases - Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis - that disproportionately afflict poor and remote populations with limited access to health services. It represents the work of the disease reference group on Chagas Disease, Human African Trypanosomiasis and Leishmaniasis (DRG3) which was established to identify key research priorities through review of research evidence and input from stakeholders' consultations. The diseases, which are caused by related protozoan parasites, are described in terms of their epidemiology and diseases burden, clinical forms and pathogenesis, HIV coinfection, diagnosis, drugs and drug resistance, vaccines, vector control, and health-care interventions. Priority areas for research are identified based on criteria such as public health relevance, benefit and impact on poor populations and equity, and feasibility. The priorities are found in the areas of diagnostics, drugs, vector control, asymptomatic infection, economic analysis of treatment and vector control methods, and in some specific issues such as surveillance methods or transmission-blocking vaccines for particular diseases. This report will be useful to researchers, policy and decision-makers, funding bodies, implementation organizations, and civil society. This is one of ten disease and thematic reference group reports that have come out of the TDR Think Tank, all of which have contributed to the development of the Global Report for Research on Infectious Diseases of Poverty, available at: www.who.int/tdr/stewardship/global_report/en/index.html.

  9. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Resident Research Associateship Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-05-01

    Award Number: W81XWH-12-2-0033 TITLE: Army Medical Research & Materiel Command Resident Research Associateship Program PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...PREPARED FOR: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702-5012 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Approved for Public...SUBTITLE NRC/AMRMC Resident Research Associateship Program 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-12-2-0033 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S

  10. Medical Research | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

    MedlinePlus

    ... this page please turn Javascript on. Feature: Medical Research Research Results in the News: A Users Guide Past ... scientists the most reliable results. Where was the research done? Scientists at a medical school or large ...

  11. Medical Informatics Education & Research in Greece

    PubMed Central

    Chouvarda, I.

    2015-01-01

    Summary Objectives This paper aims to present an overview of the medical informatics landscape in Greece, to describe the Greek ehealth background and to highlight the main education and research axes in medical informatics, along with activities, achievements and pitfalls. Methods With respect to research and education, formal and informal sources were investigated and information was collected and presented in a qualitative manner, including also quantitative indicators when possible. Results Greece has adopted and applied medical informatics education in various ways, including undergraduate courses in health sciences schools as well as multidisciplinary postgraduate courses. There is a continuous research effort, and large participation in EU-wide initiatives, in all the spectrum of medical informatics research, with notable scientific contributions, although technology maturation is not without barriers. Wide-scale deployment of eHealth is anticipated in the healthcare system in the near future. While ePrescription deployment has been an important step, ICT for integrated care and telehealth have a lot of room for further deployment. Conclusions Greece is a valuable contributor in the European medical informatics arena, and has the potential to offer more as long as the barriers of research and innovation fragmentation are addressed and alleviated. PMID:26123910

  12. Funding of Medical Research in Australia by the National Health & Medical Research Council.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCloskey, Ian

    1994-01-01

    The role of Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council, an independent statutory body, in distribution of funds for research projects, programs, units, and major institutes. The agency's evaluation system, resource allocation practices, and training and career support system are described briefly. (MSE)

  13. Black Boys Can Write: Challenging Dominant Framings of African American Adolescent Males in Literacy Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haddix, Marcelle

    2009-01-01

    In this article, the author considers how dominant cultural framings of African American adolescent males intersect with literacy research, policy, and practice. The overrepresentation of statistical and policy reports that place African American males and their low academic performance in the center of the frame risks further reifying and…

  14. Qualitative research methods for medical educators.

    PubMed

    Hanson, Janice L; Balmer, Dorene F; Giardino, Angelo P

    2011-01-01

    This paper provides a primer for qualitative research in medical education. Our aim is to equip readers with a basic understanding of qualitative research and prepare them to judge the goodness of fit between qualitative research and their own research questions. We provide an overview of the reasons for choosing a qualitative research approach and potential benefits of using these methods for systematic investigation. We discuss developing qualitative research questions, grounding research in a philosophical framework, and applying rigorous methods of data collection, sampling, and analysis. We also address methods to establish the trustworthiness of a qualitative study and introduce the reader to ethical concerns that warrant special attention when planning qualitative research. We conclude with a worksheet that readers may use for designing a qualitative study. Medical educators ask many questions that carefully designed qualitative research would address effectively. Careful attention to the design of qualitative studies will help to ensure credible answers that will illuminate many of the issues, challenges, and quandaries that arise while doing the work of medical education. Copyright © 2011 Academic Pediatric Association. All rights reserved.

  15. Ethics in Medical Research and Publication

    PubMed Central

    Masic, Izet; Hodzic, Ajla; Mulic, Smaila

    2014-01-01

    To present the basic principles and standards of Ethics in medical research and publishing, as well as the need for continuing education in the principles and ethics in science and publication in biomedicine. An analysis of relevant materials and documents, sources from the published literature. Investing in education of researches and potential researches, already in the level of medical schools. Educating them on research ethics, what constitutes research misconduct and the seriousness of it repercussion is essential for finding a solution to this problem and ensuring careers are constructed on honesty and integrity. PMID:25317288

  16. Medical Research in Stalin's Gulag.

    PubMed

    Alexopoulos, Golfo

    2016-01-01

    Recently declassified Gulag archives reveal for the first time that the Stalinist leadership established medical research laboratories in the camps. The present work offers an initial reading of the medical research conducted by and on prisoners in Stalin's Gulag. Although Gulag science did not apparently possess the lethal character of Nazi medicine, neither was this work entirely benign. I argue that the highly constrained environment of the Stalinist camps distorted medical science. Scientists were forced to produce work agreeable to their Gulag administrators. Thus they remained silent regarding the context of mass starvation and forced labor, and often perpetuated Gulag myths concerning the nature of diseases and the threat of deceptive patients. Rather than aggressive treatment to save lives, they often engaged in clinical observations of dead or dying patients. At the same time, a few courageous scientists challenged the Gulag system in their research, in both subtle and overt ways.

  17. Management and care of African dormice (Graphiurus kelleni).

    PubMed

    Kastenmayer, Robin J; Moak, Hannah B; Jeffress, Erin J; Elkins, William R

    2010-03-01

    African dormice (Graphiurus spp.) are small nocturnal rodents that currently are uncommon in laboratory settings. Their use may increase as they have recently been shown to develop an infection with monkeypox virus and may prove to be a valuable animal model for infectious disease research. Because African dormice are not commercially available, an extensive breeding colony is required to produce the animals needed for research use. Husbandry modifications that increased the production of offspring were the use of a high-protein diet, increased cage enrichment, and decreased animal density. To optimize consumption of a high-protein diet, we tested the palatability of several high-protein foods in a series of preference trials. Dormice preferred wax worm larva, cottage cheese, roasted soy nuts, and canned chicken. Issues related to medical management of Graphiurus kelleni include potential complications from traumatic injury. The development of a program for the husbandry and care of African dormice at our institution typifies the experiences of many laboratory animal facilities that are asked to support the development of animal models using novel species.

  18. Modelling Medications for Public Health Research

    PubMed Central

    van Gaans, D.; Ahmed, S.; D’Onise, K.; Moyon, J.; Caughey, G.; McDermott, R.

    2016-01-01

    Most patients with chronic disease are prescribed multiple medications, which are recorded in their personal health records. This is rich information for clinical public health researchers but also a challenge to analyse. This paper describes the method that was undertaken within the Public Health Research Data Management System (PHReDMS) to map medication data retrieved from individual patient health records for population health researcher’s use. The PHReDMS manages clinical, health service, community and survey research data within a secure web environment that allows for data sharing amongst researchers. The PHReDMS is currently used by researchers to answer a broad range of questions, including monitoring of prescription patterns in different population groups and geographic areas with high incidence/prevalence of chronic renal, cardiovascular, metabolic and mental health issues. In this paper, we present the general notion of abstraction network, a higher level network that sits above a terminology and offers compact and more easily understandable view of its content. We demonstrate the utilisation of abstraction network methodology to examine medication data from electronic medical records to allow a compact and more easily understandable view of its content. PMID:28149446

  19. Women in medical research: headaches and hurdles.

    PubMed

    Hart, P

    1996-09-01

    Very few women have professorial status in Australian medical schools. However, there are approximately equal numbers of male and female PhD students in biomedical research at Australian universities. At Flinders University of South Australia, females comprise approximately 25% of academics in the School of Medicine, with 75% of general staff (including research staff without academic status, e.g. research assistants, research officers) being female. Females comprise 29% of Fellows in the highly competitive Career Awards Scheme of the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC; 26% excluding those of the lowest rank, namely RD Wright Fellows). In both systems, a higher percentage of women are appointed to the lower levels. The statistics suggest that the main hurdle for women in medical research is the inability to progress in the postdoctoral ranks (e.g. appointment to, or promotion from, academic Level A/B positions (Tutor/Lecturer) or appointment to the NHMRC Research Fellowships Scheme). This may reflect the conflicts that women face in their debate of the priorities of family (children and partner) versus career, or research versus teaching and professional activities. All medical research is time-demanding and continuing research funds are difficult to obtain. Women and men have similar success rates for obtaining funds from the NHMRC. However, a greater percentage of women academics do not apply for grants. Why? Can women be helped to play a larger role in medical research?

  20. Strategic Planning for Recruitment and Retention of Older African Americans in Health Promotion Research Programs.

    PubMed

    Dreer, Laura E; Weston, June; Owsley, Cynthia

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to 1) describe a strategic plan for recruitment and retention used in conducting eye health education research with African-Americans living in urban and rural areas of Alabama and 2) characterize recruitment and retention patterns for this community-based project. We evaluated an eye health education program tailored specifically to older African Americans. InCHARGE© was designed to promote eye disease prevention by conveying the personal benefits of annual, dilated, comprehensive eye care and teaching strategies to minimize barriers to regular eye care. The InCHARGE© program or a social contact control program was delivered at 20 senior centers in predominately African American urban and rural communities. From pooled data across three studies, 380 African Americans completed a questionnaire about knowledge and attitudes/beliefs about eye disease and eye care before the program and by telephone at either 3 or 6 months after the presentation. The project consisted of 4 phases and a total of 10 strategic objectives for recruitment as well as retention of older African Americans that were implemented in a systematic fashion. Overall, retention rates for follow-up at either 3 or 6 months were 75% and 66% respectively. African Americans from rural areas were more likely to be lost to follow-up compared to those from urban areas. We discuss the benefits of utilizing a strategic plan that serves to address problems with underrepresentation of minorities in clinical research.

  1. Perceptions, Knowledge, Incentives, and Barriers of Brain Donation among African American Elders Enrolled in an Alzheimer's Research Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lambe, Susan; Cantwell, Nicole; Islam, Fareesa; Horvath, Kathy; Jefferson, Angela L.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To learn about African American older adults' knowledge and perceptions of brain donation, factors that relate to participating or not participating in a brain donation research program, and methods to increase African American brain donation commitment rates in the context of an Alzheimer's disease (AD) research program. Design and…

  2. Medical Mistrust among Social Network Members May Contribute to Antiretroviral Treatment Nonadherence in African Americans Living with HIV

    PubMed Central

    Bogart, Laura M.; Wagner, Glenn J.; Green, Harold D.; Mutchler, Matt G.; Klein, David J.; McDavitt, Bryce; Lawrence, Sean J.; Hilliard, Charles L.

    2016-01-01

    Rationale African Americans living with HIV are less likely to adhere to antiretroviral treatment (ART) compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Medical mistrust is thought to be a factor in this disparity. Objective We examined (1) whether exposure to HIV conspiracy beliefs, a specific type of HIV-related mistrust (about the origins and treatment of HIV) in social networks is associated with ART nonadherence among African Americans living with HIV; and (2) the characteristics of individuals who discuss HIV-related mistrust in the social networks of African Americans living with HIV. Methods At baseline and 6- and 12-months post-baseline, 175 African Americans living with HIV on ART completed egocentric social network assessments, from which we assessed the structure and composition of their personal networks (the social context immediately surrounding them). HIV-related mistrust was operationalized with an indicator of whether any social network member had expressed HIV conspiracy beliefs to the participant. Daily medication adherence was monitored electronically. Results At baseline, 63% of participants agreed with at least one conspiracy belief, and 55% reported hearing at least one social network member (“alter”) express conspiracy beliefs. In a multivariate linear repeated measures regression, expression of conspiracy beliefs by similar others in the network (in terms of age, gender, HIV status, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity) was associated with ART nonadherence (i.e., percentage of prescribed doses taken). In a multivariate logistic regression, expression of conspiracy beliefs was more likely among social network members who were HIV-positive, who knew the participants’ serostatus, and with whom participants interacted frequently, and less likely among more well-connected social network members. Conclusion HIV-related mistrust in the network may be most influential when expressed by similar others who may be HIV-positive themselves. PMID

  3. The use of pathological grief outcomes in bereavement studies on African Americans.

    PubMed

    Granek, Leeat; Peleg-Sagy, Tal

    2017-06-01

    Pathological bereavement outcomes (i.e., complicated grief, traumatic grief, prolonged grief disorder) are a robust and growing research area in the psychological and medical sciences. Although grief is considered to be a universal phenomenon, it is well documented that grieving processes and outcomes are culturally and contextually bound. The objectives of this study were: (a) to examine representations of African Americans in the grief and mourning literature and to assess the extent to which this research utilizes pathological grief outcomes; and (b) to examine the characteristics of pathological grief constructs in the literature to assess their relevance for African American populations. We conducted comprehensive searches of three scientific databases including PsycNET, Medline, and CINAHL, which contain the majority of grief and mourning literature published between January 1998 and February 2014. We found 59 studies addressing grief and mourning in African Americans. Thirteen of these studies used pathological grief outcomes. Pathological grief outcomes that were constructed and validated on White populations were frequently used as outcome variables with African American participants. We discuss the implications for the grief and mourning field and argue that the failure to use culturally sensitive outcome measures in research studies is a form of epistemological violence that may have negative research and clinical implications for African Americans and other ethnic minorities.

  4. Assessment of the Status of African-Americans. Volume II: Research on the African-American Family: A Holistic Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Robert B.; Billingsley, Andrew; Ingram, Eleanor; Malson, Michelene R.; Rubin, Robert H.; Stack, Carol B.; Stewart, James B.; Teele, James E.

    In 1987 a project was undertaken to assess the status of African Americans in the United States in the topical areas to be addressed by the National Research Council's Study Committee on the Status of Black Americans: education, employment, income and occupations, political participation and the administration of justice, social and cultural…

  5. Issues and priorities of medical education research in Asia.

    PubMed

    Majumder, M A A

    2004-03-01

    This article addresses the roles, issues, approaches, rationale, pitfalls, priorities and balance of research in medical education, particularly its "disarray" status in Asia. Research in medical education has influenced education in many ways. Most importantly, it provides legitimate evidences to stakeholders on which to make educational decisions. It also has a wider social impact on teaching practice and subsequent clinical practice. However, in Asia, medical educational research has not substantially influenced educational policy and medical practices. Moreover, it fails to receive comparable attention as in developed countries. A number of constraints that have hampered the development of educational research in Asia are identified: low socio-economic condition of the region; cultural and religious values and beliefs of the people; lack of congruence between the mission and vision of medical schools; leadership crisis; lack of financial resources; inadequate exposure to medical educational research in undergraduate training; lack of collaboration and commitment; and unforeseeable short-term outcome of medical education. The article concludes with some specific recommendations to strengthen research and to create a research culture in the region, including active leadership and commitment of the institutes/organisations, careful assessment and strategic settings of the priorities of medical educational research, establishment of a regional centre for medical education research, availability of financial resources, wider dissemination of research findings, collaboration with the developed countries and initiative to publish regional-based medical education journals, including electronic journals. Appropriate research environment and culture will enable stakeholders to obtain evidence-based information from educational research to increase the relevance, quality, cost-effectiveness and equity of medical education and practice in Asia.

  6. Assessment of Research Interests of First-Year Osteopathic Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Carter, John; McClellan, Nicholas; McFaul, Derek; Massey, Blaine; Guenther, Elisabeth; Kisby, Glen

    2016-07-01

    According to a 2014 survey, 59% of students entering allopathic medical school reported previous research experience. However, limited data exist on the amount of research experience that students have before entering osteopathic medical school. A strong understanding of the research skills and level of interest of first-year osteopathic medical students is essential for developing research programs at osteopathic medical schools. Limited data exist on the amount of research experience that students have before starting osteopathic medical school. A strong understanding of the research skills and level of interest of first-year medical students is essential for developing research programs at osteopathic medical schools. To determine the amount of previous research experience of first-year osteopathic medical students, their level of interest in participating in research during medical school, the factors influencing their interest in research, and their research fields of interest. First-year osteopathic medical students (class of 2019) at the Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, California (WesternU/COMP), and Pacific-Northwest in Lebanon, Oregon (WesternU/COMP-Northwest), campuses were surveyed about their previous research experiences and whether they were interested in participating in research during medical school. Surveys were administered through an anonymous online portal. Responses were evaluated for evidence of interest in conducting research. Of the 346 osteopathic medical students invited to participate in the study, the response rate was 77% (N=266). A total of 167 from WesternU/COMP and 99 from the WesternU/COMP-Northwest responded. More than 215 students (81%) reported they had participated in research before entering medical school. In addition, 200 students (75%) either expressed a strong interest in participating in research during medical school or were currently conducting research

  7. Cumulative Psychosocial and Medical Risk as Predictors of Early Infant Development and Parenting Stress in an African-American Preterm Sample

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Candelaria, Margo A.; O'Connell, Melissa A.; Teti, Douglas M.

    2006-01-01

    The present study examined predictive linkages between cumulative psychosocial and medical risk, assessed neonatally, and infant development and parenting stress at 4 months of infant corrected age. Predominantly low-income, African-American mothers and their preterm infants served as participants. Cumulative psychosocial risk predicted early…

  8. Current Practice in Research Ethics: Global Trends and New Opportunities for African Universities. Research and Innovation Policy Series. Number 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Liam

    2007-01-01

    Research Ethics has emerged as one of the most well-developed policy areas within the sphere of Research and Innovation Management. As such, for African institutions looking to strengthen their policy frameworks, develop increased collaborations, and increase research outputs, a thorough understanding of global trends in Ethics will be vital.…

  9. Informed consent in paediatric critical care research--a South African perspective.

    PubMed

    Morrow, Brenda M; Argent, Andrew C; Kling, Sharon

    2015-09-09

    Medical care of critically ill and injured infants and children globally should be based on best research evidence to ensure safe, efficacious treatment. In South Africa and other low and middle-income countries, research is needed to optimise care and ensure rational, equitable allocation of scare paediatric critical care resources. Ethical oversight is essential for safe, appropriate research conduct. Informed consent by the parent or legal guardian is usually required for child research participation, but obtaining consent may be challenging in paediatric critical care research. Local regulations may also impede important research if overly restrictive. By narratively synthesising and contextualising the results of a comprehensive literature review, this paper describes ethical principles and regulations; potential barriers to obtaining prospective informed consent; and consent options in the context of paediatric critical care research in South Africa. Voluntary prospective informed consent from a parent or legal guardian is a statutory requirement for child research participation in South Africa. However, parents of critically ill or injured children might be incapable of or unwilling to provide the level of consent required to uphold the ethical principle of autonomy. In emergency care research it may not be practical to obtain consent when urgent action is required. Therapeutic misconceptions and sociocultural and language issues are also barriers to obtaining valid consent. Alternative consent options for paediatric critical care research include a waiver or deferred consent for minimal risk and/or emergency research, whilst prospective informed consent is appropriate for randomised trials of novel therapies or devices. We propose that parents or legal guardians of critically ill or injured children should only be approached to consent for their child's participation in clinical research when it is ethically justifiable and in the best interests of both

  10. Medical student perceptions of research and research-orientated careers: An international questionnaire study.

    PubMed

    Funston, Garth; Piper, Rory J; Connell, Claire; Foden, Philip; Young, Adam M H; O'Neill, Paul

    2016-10-01

    Engaging and inspiring the next generation of physician-scientists at an early stage is recognised as key to ensure the future of medical research. However, little is known about medical student perceptions of research. We attempted to ascertain perceptions of research and research-orientated careers from medical students studying in different countries. An online questionnaire was developed, piloted, and promoted to medical students in various countries. 1625 responses were collected from 38 countries. Analysis was restricted to data collected from countries with >100 responses (n = 890). Less than half the respondents felt their medical school provided adequate research training. Key perceived barriers to research participation as a student included lack of time and difficulty finding mentors or projects. A significant gender disparity existed in research ambitions of students with females desiring less research involvement. The importance of barriers and satisfaction with research training differed significantly between countries. Students perceive a number of key barriers to research involvement and pursuit of research-orientated careers. Programmes designed to engage students with research should focus on overcoming identified barriers. Greater effort is needed to engage female students who report more significant barriers and less desire to follow research-orientated careers.

  11. Harnessing microbiome and probiotic research in sub-Saharan Africa: recommendations from an African workshop

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    To augment capacity-building for microbiome and probiotic research in Africa, a workshop was held in Nairobi, Kenya, at which researchers discussed human, animal, insect, and agricultural microbiome and probiotics/prebiotics topics. Five recommendations were made to promote future basic and translational research that benefits Africans. PMID:24739094

  12. Problem-based learning in undergraduate medical education: can we really implement it in the West African subregion?

    PubMed

    Gukas, I D

    2007-01-01

    A major global pedagogical shift has occurred in the way medicine is taught over the last half a century. Problem-based learning (PBL) has emerged as one of the most popular, of these learner-centred new methods. To examine the evolution and educational principles of PBL and the feasibility of implementing it in the West African subregion. Key literature detailing the history, educational value and principle behind PBL were reviewed. Issues regarding the implication of implementing PBL to West Africa were deduced and suggestions made for the way forward. Since its introduction in McMaster University in Canada in the 60s, PBL has spread all over world. It is rooted in sound educational theories like the Kolb's experiential learning, adult education, collaborative learning, contextual learning and constructivism. Compared to traditionally trained students, PBL students find learning more enjoyable and develop better relational and professional skills. They show more causal reasoning in diagnosis and become better lifelong learners. Issues that may affect its implementation in West Africa include high start up costs, lack of supporting educational technology and relative lack of medical school managers with appropriate medical education background to assess and evaluate such innovations. The evidence for the need for a change from the traditional method of training is overwhelming. Implementation of PBL as an educational method in medical training in the West African subregion is both desirable and practicable if we address some of the issues outlined above.

  13. Creating a Pipeline for African American Computing Science Faculty: An Innovative Faculty/Research Mentoring Program Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Charleston, LaVar J.; Gilbert, Juan E.; Escobar, Barbara; Jackson, Jerlando F. L.

    2014-01-01

    African Americans represent 1.3% of all computing sciences faculty in PhD-granting departments, underscoring the severe underrepresentation of Black/African American tenure-track faculty in computing (CRA, 2012). The Future Faculty/Research Scientist Mentoring (FFRM) program, funded by the National Science Foundation, was found to be an effective…

  14. An Investigation of High-Achieving African-American Students Attending Community Colleges: A Mixed Methods Research Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gipson, John; Mitchell, Donald, Jr.; McLean, Carolyn

    2018-01-01

    While much more research has been conducted about African-American college students in recent decades, there still exists a need for further explorations concerning factors related to student success and retention. For example, articles often explore the experiences of African-American students at four-year institutions and often use deficit…

  15. Youth in the New South Africa. Towards Policy Formulation. Main Report of the Co-operative Research Programme: South African Youth.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Zyl Slabbert, F., Ed.; And Others

    In view of the sweeping political and social changes in South Africa, the Human Sciences Research Council and other agencies established the Co-operative Research Programme: South African Youth, a program to undertake research on the problems, challenges, and opportunities facing South African youth. This report presents the information base of…

  16. Viewpoint discrimination and contestation of ideas on its merits, leadership and organizational ethics: expanding the African bioethics agenda.

    PubMed

    Chima, Sylvester C; Mduluza, Takafira; Kipkemboi, Julius

    2013-01-01

    The 3rd Pan-African Ethics Human Rights and Medical Law (3rd EHRML) conference was held in Johannesburg on July 7, 2013, as part of the Africa Health Congress. The conference brought together bioethicists, researchers and scholars from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Nigeria working in the field of bioethics as well as students and healthcare workers interested in learning about ethical issues confronting the African continent. The conference which ran with a theme of "Bioethical and legal perspectives in biomedical research and medical practice in Africa with a focus on: Informed consent, HIV-AIDS & Tuberculosis, leadership & organizational ethics, patients and healthcare workers rights," was designed to expand the dialogue on African bioethics beyond the traditional focus on research ethics and the ethical dilemmas surrounding the conduct of biomedical research in developing countries. This introductory article highlights some of areas of focus at the conference including issues of leadership, organizational ethics and patients and healthcare workers rights in Africa. We analyze the importance of free speech, public debate of issues, argumentation and the need to introduce the teaching and learning of ethics to students in Africa in accordance with UNESCO guidelines. This article also focuses on other challenges confronting Africa today from an ethical standpoint, including the issues of poor leadership and organizational ethics which are main contributors to the problems prevalent in African countries, such as poverty, poor education and healthcare delivery systems, terrorism, social inequities, infrastructural deficits and other forms of 'structural violence' confronting vulnerable African communities. We believe that each of the eight articles included in this supplement, which have been rigorously peer-reviewed are a good example of current research on bioethics in Africa, and explore some new directions towards broadening the African bioethics agenda as we

  17. Viewpoint discrimination and contestation of ideas on its merits, leadership and organizational ethics: expanding the African bioethics agenda

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    The 3rd Pan-African Ethics Human Rights and Medical Law (3rd EHRML) conference was held in Johannesburg on July 7, 2013, as part of the Africa Health Congress. The conference brought together bioethicists, researchers and scholars from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Nigeria working in the field of bioethics as well as students and healthcare workers interested in learning about ethical issues confronting the African continent. The conference which ran with a theme of "Bioethical and legal perspectives in biomedical research and medical practice in Africa with a focus on: Informed consent, HIV-AIDS & Tuberculosis, leadership & organizational ethics, patients and healthcare workers rights," was designed to expand the dialogue on African bioethics beyond the traditional focus on research ethics and the ethical dilemmas surrounding the conduct of biomedical research in developing countries. This introductory article highlights some of areas of focus at the conference including issues of leadership, organizational ethics and patients and healthcare workers rights in Africa. We analyze the importance of free speech, public debate of issues, argumentation and the need to introduce the teaching and learning of ethics to students in Africa in accordance with UNESCO guidelines. This article also focuses on other challenges confronting Africa today from an ethical standpoint, including the issues of poor leadership and organizational ethics which are main contributors to the problems prevalent in African countries, such as poverty, poor education and healthcare delivery systems, terrorism, social inequities, infrastructural deficits and other forms of 'structural violence' confronting vulnerable African communities. We believe that each of the eight articles included in this supplement, which have been rigorously peer-reviewed are a good example of current research on bioethics in Africa, and explore some new directions towards broadening the African bioethics agenda as we

  18. Alcohol dependence and health care utilization in African Americans.

    PubMed

    Marshall, Vanessa J; Kalu, Nnenna; Kwagyan, John; Scott, Denise M; Cain, Gloria E; Hill, Karen; Hesselbrock, Victor; Ferguson, Clifford L; Taylor, Robert E

    2013-01-01

    Ethnic and cultural differences in patterns of alcohol use disorders must be understood in order to address improvement in prevention of such disorders and accessibility to health care services. The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors that influence the utilization of medical and mental health services among alcohol-dependent and non-alcohol-dependent African Americans. A cohort of 454 African Americans was evaluated. Alcohol-dependent participants were recruited from various inpatient treatment facilities in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and through advertisement and word of mouth. Non-alcohol-dependent participants were recruited by advertisements. Each participant was administered the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism to assess alcohol dependency and the Family History Assessment module to access family history of alcoholism. Xl Test and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Alcohol dependence was more prevalent among men, those with lower income, those with less education, and they utilized mental health counseling as opposed to medical-based therapy. Increased reports of medical conditions such as migraine (p<.001), loss of consciousness (p=.001), and sexually transmitted diseases: (p<.001) were also associated with alcohol dependency. Other factors, including visits to inpatient treatment programs, were directly related to incidence of alcohol dependency regardless of gender status (p<.001). This study suggests an association exists among alcohol dependence, medical conditions, health care, and mental care utilization among African Americans. Future research may benefit from investigating if an association exists between alcohol use disorders and health care utilization for other ethnic groups.

  19. Alcohol Dependence and Health Care Utilization in African Americans

    PubMed Central

    Marshall, Vanessa J.; Kalu, Nnenna; Kwagyan, John; Scott, Denise M.; Cain, Gloria E.; Hill, Karen; Hesselbrock, Victor; Ferguson, Clifford L.; Taylor, Robert E.

    2013-01-01

    Objective Ethnic and cultural differences in patterns of alcohol use disorders must be understood in order to address improvement in prevention of such disorders and accessibility to health care services. The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors that influence the utilization of medical and mental health services among alcohol-dependent and non alcohol–dependent African Americans. Method A cohort of 454 African Americans was evaluated. Alcohol-dependent participants were recruited from various inpatient treatment facilities in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and through advertisement and word of mouth. Non–alcohol-dependent participants were recruited by advertisements. Each participant was administered the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism to assess alcohol dependency and the Family History Assessment module to access family history of alcoholism. χ2 Test and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Results Alcohol dependence was more prevalent among men, those with lower income, those with less education, and they utilized mental health counseling as opposed to medical-based therapy. Increased reports of medical conditions such as migraine (p < .001), loss of consciousness (p = .001), and sexually transmitted diseases (p < .001) were also associated with alcohol dependency. Other factors, including visits to inpatient treatment programs, were directly related to incidence of alcohol dependency regardless of gender status (p < .001). Conclusions This study suggests an association exists among alcohol dependence, medical conditions, health care, and mental care utilization among African Americans. Future research may benefit from investigating if an association exists between alcohol use disorders and health care utilization for other ethnic groups. PMID:23862295

  20. “Mama just won’t accept this”: Adult Perspectives on Engaging Depressed African American Teens in Clinical Research and Treatment

    PubMed Central

    Bell, Carl C.; Burriss, Antoinette

    2013-01-01

    This manuscript focuses on qualitative data collected for AAKOMA Project, a 2-phase treatment engagement intervention trial for depressed African American adolescents and families. Data are presented from our phase I study of adult perspectives on African American adolescent depression, depression treatment, and research engagement. The research team conducted four focus groups (N = 24) and generated major themes from the data including ideas regarding the manifestations of depression in African American youth and psychosocial barriers to participation in depression research and treatment. Findings indicate that success in recruiting and retaining African American youth in depression research and treatment may include using innovative means to overcome the culturally embedded attributions of depression to non-biological causes, beliefs about the cultural insensitivity of treatments and challenges in the logistics of obtaining care. Adults report that encouraging youth and familial involvement in treatments and research should include targeted, community-partnered activities involving diverse staff in leadership roles and including community members as equal partners. PMID:21512751

  1. Effect of two Howard Hughes Medical Institute research training programs for medical students on the likelihood of pursuing research careers.

    PubMed

    Fang, Di; Meyer, Roger E

    2003-12-01

    To assess the effect of Howard Hughes Medical Institute's (HHMI) two one-year research training programs for medical students on the awardees' research careers. Awardees of the HHMI Cloister Program who graduated between 1987 and 1995 and awardees of the HHMI Medical Fellows Program who graduated between 1991 and 1995 were compared with unsuccessful applicants to the programs and MD-PhD students who graduated during the same periods. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess research career outcomes while controlling for academic and demographic variables that could affect selection to the programs. Participation in both HHMI programs increased the likelihood of receiving National Institutes of Health postdoctoral support. Participation in the Cloister Program also increased the likelihood of receiving a faculty appointment with research responsibility at a medical school. In addition, awardees of the Medical Fellows Program were not significantly less likely than Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) and non-MSTP MD-PhD program participants to receive a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral award, and awardees of the Cloister Program were not significantly less likely than non-MSTP MD-PhD students to receive a faculty appointment with research responsibility. Women and underrepresented minority students were proportionally represented among awardees of the two HHMI programs whereas they were relatively underrepresented in MD-PhD programs. The one-year intensive research training supported by the HHMI training programs appears to provide an effective imprinting experience on medical students' research careers and to be an attractive strategy for training physician-scientists.

  2. An Evaluation of Research Ethics in Undergraduate Health Science Research Methodology Programs at a South African University.

    PubMed

    Coetzee, Tanya; Hoffmann, Willem A; de Roubaix, Malcolm

    2015-10-01

    The amended research ethics policy at a South African University required the ethics review of undergraduate research projects, prompting the need to explore the content and teaching approach of research ethics education in health science undergraduate programs. Two qualitative data collection strategies were used: document analysis (syllabi and study guides) and semi-structured interviews with research methodology coordinators. Five main themes emerged: (a) timing of research ethics courses, (b) research ethics course content, (c) sub-optimal use of creative classroom activities to facilitate research ethics lectures, (d) understanding the need for undergraduate project research ethics review, and (e) research ethics capacity training for research methodology lecturers and undergraduate project supervisors. © The Author(s) 2015.

  3. Depressive symptoms and diabetes control in African Americans.

    PubMed

    Wagner, Julie A; Abbott, Gina L; Heapy, Alicia; Yong, Lynne

    2009-02-01

    This study of African Americans with diabetes investigated: (1) the relationship between depressive symptoms and glycemic control; (2) the relationship between depressive symptoms and long-term diabetes complications; (3) the relationship between depressive symptoms and medication usage; and (4) the effects of demographic and diabetes variables on these relationships. One-hundred twenty five African American diabetic adults who were attending health fairs reported demographic and medical history and provided blood samples for A1c assessment of glycemic control. They also completed the Centers for Epidemiological Studies Depression questionnaire, and the Diabetes Self-Care Inventory. After controlling for confounders, higher depressive symptoms were associated with higher A1c, more long-term diabetes complications, and more diabetes medications. Diabetes self-care did not fully account for these relationships. The relationship between depression and poor diabetes control exists in African Americans as it does in Whites. Providers are encouraged to attend to depression in their African American patients with diabetes.

  4. Research in medical education: balancing service and science.

    PubMed

    Albert, Mathieu; Hodges, Brian; Regehr, Glenn

    2007-02-01

    Since the latter part of the 1990's, the English-speaking medical education community has been engaged in a debate concerning the types of research that should have priority. To shed light on this debate and to better understand its implications for the practice of research, 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted with "influential figures" from the community. The results were analyzed using the concept of "field" developed by the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. The results reveal that a large majority of these influential figures believe that research in medical education continues to be of insufficient quality despite the progress that has taken place over the past 2 decades. According to this group, studies tend to be both redundant and opportunistic, and researchers tend to have limited understanding of both theory and methodological practice from the social sciences. Three factors were identified by the participants to explain the current problems in research: the working conditions of researchers, budgetary restraints in financing research in medical education, and the conception of research in the medical environment. Two principal means for improving research are presented: intensifying collaboration between PhD's and clinicians, and encouraging the diversification of perspectives brought to bear on research in medical education.

  5. 4th Annual Conference for African-American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS4). Preliminary Program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tapia, Richard

    1998-06-01

    In June, The Center for Research on Parallel Computation (CRPC), an NSF-funded Science and Technology Center, hosted the 4th Annual Conference for African-American Reserachers in the Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS4) at Rice University. The main goal of this conference was to highlight current work by African-American researchers and graduate students in mathematics. This conference strengthened the mathematical sciences by encouraging the increased participation of African-American and underrepresented groups into the field, facilitating working relationships between them and helping to cultivate their careers. In addition to the talks there was a graduate student poster session and tutorials on topics in mathematics andmore » computer science. These talks, presentations, and discussions brought a broader perspective to the critical issues involving minority participation in mathematics.« less

  6. Willingness of African American Women to Participate in e-Health/m-Health Research.

    PubMed

    James, Delores C S; Harville, Cedric; Whitehead, Nicole; Stellefson, Michael; Dodani, Sunita; Sears, Cynthia

    2016-03-01

    Due to high rates of technology adoption, African American women are well positioned to benefit from e-health/mobile health (m-health) interventions; yet, there are limited data on understanding their use of technology and willingness to participate in e-health/m-health research. A self-administered survey was completed by 589 African American women. Survey items measured sociodemographics, technology use and access, and willingness to participate in e-health/m-health research. Multinomial logistic regression examined associations among three age groups (18-29, 30-50, and 51+years old) and technology access, as well as motivators and barriers to participating in e-health/m-health research. Most participants were willing to receive text messages as part of a research study. Many reported using a health-related application in the past 30 days, with younger women more likely to do so than older women (p<0.0001). Younger women were more likely than older women to be motivated for the greater good (p<0.01) and for financial incentives (p=0.02), whereas older women were more likely than younger women to be motivated if referred by a healthcare provider (p=0.02). Younger women were more likely than older women to report concerns about data plans (p<0.01 for all), whereas older women were more likely to report a lack of a smartphone (p=0.048) and privacy concerns (p<0.001). Culturally tailored e-health/m-health research using smartphones may be of interest to African American women who are interested in risk reduction and chronic disease self-management. Barriers such as smartphone data plans and privacy will need to be addressed.

  7. Literature search in medical publications.

    PubMed

    Solagberu, Babatunde A

    2002-01-01

    The quality of a medical publication rests as much on the research paper as on the literature search prior to writing for publication. The art of literature search and its importance to the various steps in scientific writing have been emphasised in this paper. Many medical authors in West African sub-region learned the art of publishing research work through their senior professional colleagues or by trial and error through the peer review experience of their work. This article is expected to fill this gap in training. It should guide trainee specialists or new entrants, who must do literature search towards publishing research works for earning promotion, advancing knowledge, obtaining grants and fellowship awards, into the "publish or perish" syndrome existing in academic institutions. The current trend of electronic writing has called for a new style of referencing in medical publications, which has been suggested in this paper.

  8. An intensely sympathetic awareness: Experiential similarity and cultural norms as means for gaining older African Americans’ trust of scientific research

    PubMed Central

    Sabir, Myra G.; Pillemer, Karl A.

    2014-01-01

    Well-known trust-building methods are routinely used to recruit and retain older African Americans into scientific research studies, yet the quandary over how to overcome this group’s hesitance to participate in research remains. We present two innovative and testable methods for resolving the dilemma around increasing older African Americans’ participation in scientific research studies. Certain specific and meaningful experiential similarities between the primary researcher and the participants, as well as clear recognition of the elders’ worth and dignity, improved older African Americans’ willingness to adhere to a rigorous research design. Steps taken in an intervention study produced a potentially replicable strategy for achieving strong results in recruitment, retention and engagement of this population over three waves of assessment. Sixty-two (n = 62) older African Americans were randomized to treatment and control conditions of a reminiscence intervention. Sensitivity to an African-American cultural form of respect for elders (recognition of worth and dignity), and intersections between the lived experience of the researcher and participants helped dispel this population’s well-documented distrust of scientific research. Results suggest that intentional efforts to honor the worth and dignity of elders through high level hospitality and highlighting meaningful experiential similarities between the researcher and the participants can improve recruitment and retention results. Experiential similarities, in particular, may prove more useful to recruitment and retention than structural similarities such as age, race, or gender, which may not in themselves result in the trust experiential similarities elicit. PMID:24655682

  9. The "race" concept in smoking: a review of the research on African Americans.

    PubMed

    King, G

    1997-10-01

    This paper presents an analysis of the "race" concept as used by researchers who have studied the smoking behavior of African Americans. Most researchers in the field have failed to address the conceptual dimensions and meanings of "race" and accept uncritically the use of the term. This practice is viewed as an impediment in explaining inter- and intra-racial group differences and intervening effectively to reduce consumption of tobacco products. Adopting the majority-minority intergroup relations paradigm, the conceptual and practical meanings of "race" are reviewed by focusing on the history of relations between blacks and tobacco, conceptions of "race," "biology" and cigarette smoking, and the sociological nucleus (e.g. social class, racism and culture) of "race." Genetic or biologic assumptions and meanings of "race" in research on the smoking behavior of African Americans are critically examined. It is argued that "race" is a dynamic social construct reflecting societal transformations in relations between racially classified social groups (RCSGs).

  10. Medical Research for All Americans

    MedlinePlus

    ... we want to offer you and your family good, helpful health information that is based on the very best medical research conducted by and for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This issue focuses on several topics in which NIH-funded research continues to make ...

  11. Accessing and managing open medical resources in Africa over the Internet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hussein, Rada; Khalifa, Aly; Jimenez-Castellanos, Ana; de la Calle, Guillermo; Ramirez-Robles, Maximo; Crespo, Jose; Perez-Rey, David; Garcia-Remesal, Miguel; Anguita, Alberto; Alonso-Calvo, Raul; de la Iglesia, Diana; Barreiro, Jose M.; Maojo, Victor

    2014-10-01

    Recent commentaries have proposed the advantages of using open exchange of data and informatics resources for improving health-related policies and patient care in Africa. Yet, in many African regions, both private medical and public health information systems are still unaffordable. Open exchange over the social Web 2.0 could encourage more altruistic support of medical initiatives. We have carried out some experiments to demonstrate the feasibility of using this approach to disseminate open data and informatics resources in Africa. After the experiments we developed the AFRICA BUILD Portal, the first Social Network for African biomedical researchers. Through the AFRICA BUILD Portal users can access in a transparent way to several resources. Currently, over 600 researchers are using distributed and open resources through this platform committed to low connections.

  12. Medical Research System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1993-01-01

    Based on Johnson Space Flight Center's development of a rotating bioreactor cell culture apparatus for Space Shuttle medical research, Johnson Space Flight Center engineers who worked on the original project formed a company called Synthecon, with the intention of commercializing the bioreactor technology. Synthecon grows three dimensional tissues in the bioreactor. These are superior to previous two-dimensional tissue samples in the study of human cell growth. A refined version of the Johnson Space Center technology, Synthecon's Rotary Cell Culture System includes a cell culture chamber that rotates around a horizontal axis. The cells establish an orbit that approximates free fall through the liquid medium in the chamber. The technology has significant applications for cancer research and treatment as well as AIDS research.

  13. Summer Research Training for Medical Students: Impact on Research Self‐Efficacy

    PubMed Central

    Black, Michelle L.; Curran, Maureen C.; Golshan, Shahrokh; Daly, Rebecca; Depp, Colin; Kelly, Carolyn

    2013-01-01

    Abstract There is a well‐documented shortage of physician researchers, and numerous training programs have been launched to facilitate development of new physician scientists. Short‐term research training programs are the most practical form of research exposure for most medical students, and the summer between their first and second years of medical school is generally the longest period they can devote solely to research. The goal of short‐term training programs is to whet the students’ appetite for research and spark their interest in the field. Relatively little research has been done to test the effectiveness of short‐term research training programs. In an effort to examine short‐term effects of three different NIH‐funded summer research training programs for medical students, we assessed the trainees’ (N = 75) research self‐efficacy prior to and after the programs using an 11‐item scale. These hands‐on training programs combined experiential, didactic, and mentoring elements. The students demonstrated a significant increase in their self‐efficacy for research. Trainees’ gender, ranking of their school, type of research, and specific content of research project did not predict improvement. Effect sizes for different types of items on the scale varied, with the largest gain seen in research methodology and communication of study findings. PMID:24330695

  14. Use of CAM in local African-American communities: community-partnered research.

    PubMed Central

    Barnett, Marina C.; Cotroneo, Margaret; Purnell, Joseph; Martin, Danielle; Mackenzie, Elizabeth; Fishman, Alfred

    2003-01-01

    Although previous national surveys have shown an increase in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the U.S. population, racial and ethnic minority populations were under-represented in these surveys. As a result, a profile of the CAM user as white, female, affluent, middle-aged and well educated has emerged. Representing the mainstream population, these previous studies did not take into account the racial and ethnic minority populations who may have their own healing traditions and who may hold different beliefs, use different terminology, and have unique patterns of CAM use. In partnership with community-based organizations and community residents, a culturally sensitive survey instrument and protocols were designed and tested to gather data on lower income, urban African-Americans' use of, attitudes toward, and understanding of CAM. The major findings of this pilot research are 1.) Community-partnered research can help researchers gain access to sensitive data and design culturally appropriate studies; 2.) CAM terminology varies by cultural group; 3.) Certain forms of CAM (folk or family practices) are commonly found in African-American populations; and 4.) Factors that affect CAM use--including age, lack of access to conventional medicine, cultural heritage, and dissatisfaction with conventional medicine. PMID:14620706

  15. Promoting African American women and sexual assertiveness in reducing HIV/AIDS: an analytical review of the research literature.

    PubMed

    Kennedy, Bernice Roberts; Jenkins, Chalice C

    2011-01-01

    African American women, including adolescents and adults, are disproportionately affected by the transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). HIV/AID is a health disparity issue for African American females in comparison to other ethnic groups. According to data acquired from 33 states in 2005, 64% of women who have HIV/ AIDS are African American women. It is estimated that during 2001-2004, 61% of African Americans under the age of 25 had been living with HIV/AIDS. This article is an analytical review of the literature emphasizing sexual assertiveness of African American women and the gap that exists in research literature on this population. The multifaceted model of HIV risk posits that an interpersonal predictor of risky sexual behavior is sexual assertiveness. The critical themes extracted from a review of the literature reveal the following: (a) sexual assertiveness is related to HIV risk in women, (b) sexual assertiveness and sexual communication are related, and (c) women with low sexual assertiveness are at increased risk of HIV As a result of this comprehensive literature, future research studies need to use models in validating sexual assertiveness interventions in reducing the risk of HIV/AIDS in African American women. HIV/AIDs prevention interventions or future studies need to target reducing the risk factors of HIV/AIDS of African Americans focusing on gender and culture-specific strategies.

  16. African-American and white head and neck carcinoma patients in a university medical center setting. Are treatments provided and are outcomes similar or disparate?

    PubMed

    Murdock, J M; Gluckman, J L

    2001-01-01

    Racial and ethnic disparities occur in many areas of the health care management system in the United States. These disparities include disease incidence, access to health and medical services, treatments provided, and disease outcomes. Health care delivery organizations have limited resources. Encounters between patients and providers in health care delivery organizations typically are cross-cultural. Access to care, quality of care, and equity may be affected by limited resources and cross-cultural encounters. This impacts the diagnosis, treatments provided, and outcomes, with African-American patients faring poorly compared with white patients. African Americans are 15% more likely to develop cancer than whites and are about 34% more likely to die of cancer than whites in the United States. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the characteristics of African-American patients and white patients with carcinoma of the head and neck at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, an equal-access facility, reporting similarities and disparities in disease stage at the time of diagnosis, treatment received, and patient outcomes. Copyright 2001 American Cancer Society.

  17. Bridging the Gap: Racial concordance as a strategy to increase African American participation in breast cancer research.

    PubMed

    Frierson, Georita M; Pinto, Bernardine M; Denman, Deanna C; Leon, Pierre A; Jaffe, Alex D

    2017-11-01

    Lack of African American females in breast cancer research has been receiving substantial attention. This study seeks to identify research perceptions and motivating factors needed to increase racial/ethnic minority participation in breast cancer research. A total of 57 African American women (Σ = 47.8 years), from Rhode Island and Texas, completed a questionnaire and focus group. While many participants were not breast cancer survivors, they reported knowledge of their racial group's risk for breast cancer. One major finding that could be seen as both a facilitator and barrier is racial concordance between participant and researcher. Cultural sensitivity and trust building is recommended to increase minority participation.

  18. Narrative inquiry: a relational research methodology for medical education.

    PubMed

    Clandinin, D Jean; Cave, Marie T; Berendonk, Charlotte

    2017-01-01

    Narrative research, an inclusive term for a range of methodologies, has rapidly become part of medical education scholarship. In this paper we identify narrative inquiry as a particular theoretical and methodological framework within narrative research and outline its characteristics. We briefly summarise how narrative research has been used in studying medical learners' identity making in medical education. We then turn to the uses of narrative inquiry in studying medical learners' professional identity making. With the turn to narrative inquiry, the shift is to thinking with stories instead of about stories. We highlight four challenges in engaging in narrative inquiry in medical education and point toward promising future research and practice possibilities. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

  19. The African Connection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oguntoyinbo, Lekan

    2012-01-01

    From student and faculty exchanges to joint research projects, U.S. universities maintain a broad spectrum of collaborative relationships with African universities. It's unclear how many U.S. colleges and universities have partnerships with African universities. The African Studies Association, an organization of scholars, doesn't keep that kind…

  20. Medical technology advances from space research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pool, S. L.

    1972-01-01

    Details of medical research and development programs, particularly an integrated medical laboratory, as derived from space technology are given. The program covers digital biotelemetry systems, automatic visual field mapping equipment, sponge electrode caps for clinical electroencephalograms, and advanced respiratory analysis equipment. The possibility of using the medical laboratory in ground based remote areas and regional health care facilities, as well as long duration space missions is discussed.

  1. ADHD--To Medicate or Not? Research Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Karen

    2009-01-01

    What does the research indicate are the effects of medicating or not medicating adolescents with ADHD? Many parents and health care providers are rethinking and questioning the long-term effects of medication on children. Whether or not to medicate adolescents with ADHD is a conundrum that many parents face. Some parents believe their child will…

  2. Developing information technology at the Medical Research Unit of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon.

    PubMed

    Dibacka, Paterne Lessihuin; Bounda, Yann; Nguema, Davy Ondo; Lell, Bertrand

    2010-03-01

    Information technology has become a key resource for research institutions, providing services such as hardware, software and network maintenance, as well as data management services. The IT department of the Medical Research Unit (MRU) of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon is a good example of how IT has developed at African Research Centres in recent years and demonstrates the scope of work that a modern research centre needs to offer. It illustrates the development in the past 15 years--from single computers maintained by investigators to the present situation of a group of well-trained local IT personal who are in charge of a variety of hardware and software and who also develop applications for use in a research environment. Open source applications are particularly suited for these needs and various applications are used in data management, data analysis, accounting, administration and quality management.

  3. Medical Research Volunteer Program (MRVP): innovative program promoting undergraduate research in the medical field.

    PubMed

    Dagher, Michael M; Atieh, Jessica A; Soubra, Marwa K; Khoury, Samia J; Tamim, Hani; Kaafarani, Bilal R

    2016-06-06

    Most educational institutions lack a structured system that provides undergraduate students with research exposure in the medical field. The objective of this paper is to describe the structure of the Medical Research Volunteer Program (MRVP) which was established at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, as well as to assess the success of the program. The MRVP is a program that targets undergraduate students interested in becoming involved in the medical research field early on in their academic career. It provides students with an active experience and the opportunity to learn from and support physicians, clinical researchers, basic science researchers and other health professionals. Through this program, students are assigned to researchers and become part of a research team where they observe and aid on a volunteer basis. This paper presents the MRVP's four major pillars: the students, the faculty members, the MRVP committee, and the online portal. Moreover, details of the MRVP process are provided. The success of the program was assessed by carrying out analyses using information gathered from the MRVP participants (both students and faculty). Satisfaction with the program was assessed using a set of questions rated on a Likert scale, ranging from 1 (lowest satisfaction) to 5 (highest satisfaction). A total of 211 students applied to the program with a total of 164 matches being completed. Since the beginning of the program, three students have each co-authored a publication in peer-reviewed journals with their respective faculty members. The majority of the students rated the program positively. Of the total number of students who completed the program period, 35.1 % rated the effectiveness of the program with a 5, 54.8 % rated 4, and 8.6 % rated 3. A small number of students gave lower ratings of 2 and 1 (1.1 % and 0.4 %, respectively). The MRVP is a program that provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to learn about research firsthand

  4. Nazi Medical Research in Neuroscience: Medical Procedures, Victims, and Perpetrators.

    PubMed

    Loewenau, Aleksandra; Weindling, Paul J

    Issues relating to the euthanasia killings of the mentally ill, the medical research conducted on collected body parts, and the clinical investigations on living victims under National Socialism are among the best-known abuses in medical history. But to date, there have been no statistics compiled regarding the extent and number of the victims and perpetrators, or regarding their identities in terms of age, nationality, and gender. "Victims of Unethical Human Experiments and Coerced Research under National Socialism," a research project based at Oxford Brookes University, has established an evidence-based documentation of the overall numbers of victims and perpetrators through specific record linkages of the evidence from the period of National Socialism, as well as from post-WWII trials and other records. This article examines the level and extent of these unethical medical procedures as they relate to the field of neuroscience. It presents statistical information regarding the victims, as well as detailing the involvement of the perpetrators and Nazi physicians with respect to their post-war activities and subsequent court trials.

  5. An intensely sympathetic awareness: experiential similarity and cultural norms as means for gaining older African Americans' trust of scientific research.

    PubMed

    Sabir, Myra G; Pillemer, Karl A

    2014-04-01

    Well-known trust-building methods are routinely used to recruit and retain older African Americans into scientific research studies, yet the quandary over how to overcome this group's hesitance to participate in research remains. We present two innovative and testable methods for resolving the dilemma around increasing older African Americans' participation in scientific research studies. Certain specific and meaningful experiential similarities between the primary researcher and the participants, as well as clear recognition of the elders' worth and dignity, improved older African Americans' willingness to adhere to a rigorous research design. Steps taken in an intervention study produced a potentially replicable strategy for achieving strong results in recruitment, retention and engagement of this population over three waves of assessment. Sixty-two (n=62) older African Americans were randomized to treatment and control conditions of a reminiscence intervention. Sensitivity to an African American cultural form of respect for elders (recognition of worth and dignity), and intersections between the lived experience of the researcher and participants helped dispel this population's well-documented distrust of scientific research. Results suggest that intentional efforts to honor the worth and dignity of elders through high level hospitality and highlighting meaningful experiential similarities between the researcher and the participants can improve recruitment and retention results. Experiential similarities, in particular, may prove more useful to recruitment and retention than structural similarities such as age, race, or gender, which may not in themselves result in the trust experiential similarities elicit. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Depression over the adult life course for African American men: toward a framework for research and practice.

    PubMed

    Watkins, Daphne C

    2012-05-01

    Rarely are within-group differences among African American men explored in the context of mental health and well-being. Though current conceptual and empirical studies on depression among African American men exists, these studies do not offer a framework that considers how this disorder manifests over the adult life course for African American men. The purpose of this article is to examine the use of an adult life course perspective in understanding the complexity of depression for African American men. The proposed framework underscores six social determinants of depression (socioeconomic status, stressors, racial and masculine identity, kinship and social support, self-esteem and mastery, and access to quality health care) to initiate dialogue about the risk and protective factors that initiate, prolong, and exacerbate depression for African American men. The framework presented here is meant to stimulate discussion about the social determinants that influence depression for African American men to and through adulthood. Implications for the utility and applicability of the framework for researchers and health professionals who work with African American men are discussed.

  7. Depression Over the Adult Life Course for African American Men: Toward a Framework for Research and Practice

    PubMed Central

    Watkins, Daphne C.

    2014-01-01

    Rarely are within-group differences among African American men explored in the context of mental health and well-being. Though current conceptual and empirical studies on depression among African American men exists, these studies do not offer a framework that considers how this disorder manifests over the adult life course for African American men. The purpose of this article is to examine the use of an adult life course perspective in understanding the complexity of depression for African American men. The proposed framework underscores six social determinants of depression (socioeconomic status, stressors, racial and masculine identity, kinship and social support, self-esteem and mastery, and access to quality health care) to initiate dialogue about the risk and protective factors that initiate, prolong, and exacerbate depression for African American men. The framework presented here is meant to stimulate discussion about the social determinants that influence depression for African American men to and through adulthood. Implications for the utility and applicability of the framework for researchers and health professionals who work with African American men are discussed. PMID:22105067

  8. Many facets of reluctance: African Americans and the decision (not) to donate organs.

    PubMed Central

    Morgan, Susan E.

    2006-01-01

    Although the body of research on African Americans and organ donation continues to grow, the literature still suffers from a lack of reliance on theory to guide research as well as a surfeit of advanced statistical analytical strategies. A more sophisticated approach to understanding the barriers and facilitating factors that African Americans experience in the process of making the decision to become potential organ donors would yield more sound campaign strategies to increase donation. In this study, a sample of 310 African-American adult members of the NAACP was surveyed about their attitudes, knowledge and beliefs about organ donation. Logistic regression demonstrated that the level of knowledge, attitudes, social norms and altruism resulted in correct classification of organ donor card status in 69.3% of cases. When variables such as medical mistrust, bodily integrity and religiosity were added, an even more powerful model resulted, with 73.2% of the cases correctly classified according to organ donor card status. Recommendations for campaigns targeting African Americans' willingness to donate organs are offered. PMID:16749644

  9. Strategies to Build Trust and Recruit African American and Latino Community Residents for Health Research: A Cohort Study.

    PubMed

    Sankaré, Ibrahima C; Bross, Rachelle; Brown, Arleen F; Del Pino, Homero E; Jones, Loretta F; Morris, D'Ann M; Porter, Courtney; Lucas-Wright, Aziza; Vargas, Roberto; Forge, Nell; Norris, Keith C; Kahn, Katherine L

    2015-10-01

    This study used Community Partnered Participatory Research (CPPR) to address low participation of racial and ethnic minorities in medical research and the lack of trust between underrepresented communities and researchers. Using a community and academic partnership in July 2012, residents of a South Los Angeles neighborhood were exposed to research recruitment strategies: referral by word-of-mouth, community agencies, direct marketing, and extant study participants. Among 258 community members exposed to recruitment strategies, 79.8% completed the study. Exposed individuals identified their most important method for learning about the study as referral by study participants (39.8%), community agencies (30.6%), word-of-mouth (17.5%), or direct marketing promotion (12.1%). Study completion rates varied by recruitment method: referral by community agencies (88.7%), referral by participants (80.4%), direct marketing promotion (86.2%), word of mouth (64.3%). Although African American and Latino communities are often described as difficult to engage in research, we found high levels of research participation and completion when recruitment strategies emerged from the community itself. This suggests recruitment strategies based on CPPR principles represent an important opportunity for addressing health disparities and our high rates of research completion should provide optimism and a road map for next steps. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Strategies to Build Trust and Recruit African American and Latino Community Residents for Health Research: A Cohort Study

    PubMed Central

    Sankaré, Ibrahima C.; Bross, Rachelle; Brown, Arleen F.; del Pino, Homero E.; Jones, Loretta F.; Morris, D'Ann M.; Porter, Courtney; Lucas‐Wright, Aziza; Vargas, Roberto; Forge, Nell; Norris, Keith C.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Background This study used Community Partnered Participatory Research (CPPR) to address low participation of racial and ethnic minorities in medical research and the lack of trust between underrepresented communities and researchers. Methods Using a community and academic partnership in July 2012, residents of a South Los Angeles neighborhood were exposed to research recruitment strategies: referral by word‐of‐mouth, community agencies, direct marketing, and extant study participants. Results Among 258 community members exposed to recruitment strategies, 79.8% completed the study. Exposed individuals identified their most important method for learning about the study as referral by study participants (39.8%), community agencies (30.6%), word‐of‐mouth (17.5%), or direct marketing promotion (12.1%). Study completion rates varied by recruitment method: referral by community agencies (88.7%), referral by participants (80.4%), direct marketing promotion (86.2%), word of mouth (64.3%). Conclusions Although African American and Latino communities are often described as difficult to engage in research, we found high levels of research participation and completion when recruitment strategies emerged from the community itself. This suggests recruitment strategies based on CPPR principles represent an important opportunity for addressing health disparities and our high rates of research completion should provide optimism and a road map for next steps. PMID:26094679

  11. African-American teen smokers: issues to consider for cessation treatment.

    PubMed Central

    Moolchan, E. T.; Berlin, I.; Robinson, M. L.; Cadet, J. L.

    2000-01-01

    Previous reports have indicated ethnic differences in both tobacco-related morbidity and treatment outcome for smoking cessation among adults. We assessed smoking-related characteristics in African-American and non-African American teenagers applying to a cessation trial. 115 teens (15.9 +/- 1.8 years, 68% females, 27% African-American) responded via telephone to media ads. Self-reported sociodemographic, medical and smoking-related data were obtained to determine pre-eligibility for a full intake screen prior to trial participation. Compared to non-African American, African American teen applicants were older (16.4 +/- 1.7 years versus 15.6 +/- 1.6; p = 0.015), had lower Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scores (5.3 +/- 2.3 versus 6.1 +/- 1.8; p = 0.018, ANOVA controlling for age) and smoked fewer cigarettes on the weekend (27 +/- 16 versus 38 +/- 17; p = 0.001). African American teens reported similar duration of smoking (3.3 +/- 1.4 versus 3.1 +/- 1.5 years) and time elapsed between first cigarette ever smoked and daily smoking (0.7 +/- 0.9 versus 0.6 +/- 0.7 years). African American and non-African American teens had similar motivation to quit scores and frequency of reported health problems (e.g., asthma, psychiatric conditions). These data suggest that cessation treatment programs designed for African American youth should include lower Fagerstrom-defined levels, and possibly other criteria for tobacco dependence. These observations also highlight the importance of ethnocultural issues in treatment research programs. PMID:11202758

  12. Public support for medical research in the 21st century.

    PubMed

    Smith, P M

    2000-01-01

    Key public policies that have contributed to the rise of modern medical research in the 20th Century are reviewed, focusing especially on the United States and the post-World War II period. Drawing on this history, the question is posed: "Are these policies sufficient to insure vigorous medical research in the 21st Century?" Although radical policy changes are not needed, several proposals for policy and medical research portfolio redirection are offered, including a rebalancing of public supported research in all fields of science that contribute to medical advances. Medical research must also invest in a national and international information infrastructure that will allow the linking of researchers, clinical experimenters, practicing physicians, and the public in ways heretofore not imagined. Medical researchers must be leaders and advocates for the whole research enterprise in the 21st Century.

  13. Researching Transformation at a South African University--Ethical Dilemmas in the Politics of Representation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ismail, Salma

    2011-01-01

    This article focuses on the complexity of researching institutional culture and the ethical dilemmas posed in representing staff according to race and gender, drawing on three qualitative studies undertaken at a previously white South African university between 2000 and 2007. During the research process, issues of representation became a concern…

  14. The African Genome Variation Project shapes medical genetics in Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gurdasani, Deepti; Carstensen, Tommy; Tekola-Ayele, Fasil; Pagani, Luca; Tachmazidou, Ioanna; Hatzikotoulas, Konstantinos; Karthikeyan, Savita; Iles, Louise; Pollard, Martin O.; Choudhury, Ananyo; Ritchie, Graham R. S.; Xue, Yali; Asimit, Jennifer; Nsubuga, Rebecca N.; Young, Elizabeth H.; Pomilla, Cristina; Kivinen, Katja; Rockett, Kirk; Kamali, Anatoli; Doumatey, Ayo P.; Asiki, Gershim; Seeley, Janet; Sisay-Joof, Fatoumatta; Jallow, Muminatou; Tollman, Stephen; Mekonnen, Ephrem; Ekong, Rosemary; Oljira, Tamiru; Bradman, Neil; Bojang, Kalifa; Ramsay, Michele; Adeyemo, Adebowale; Bekele, Endashaw; Motala, Ayesha; Norris, Shane A.; Pirie, Fraser; Kaleebu, Pontiano; Kwiatkowski, Dominic; Tyler-Smith, Chris; Rotimi, Charles; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Sandhu, Manjinder S.

    2015-01-01

    Given the importance of Africa to studies of human origins and disease susceptibility, detailed characterization of African genetic diversity is needed. The African Genome Variation Project provides a resource with which to design, implement and interpret genomic studies in sub-Saharan Africa and worldwide. The African Genome Variation Project represents dense genotypes from 1,481 individuals and whole-genome sequences from 320 individuals across sub-Saharan Africa. Using this resource, we find novel evidence of complex, regionally distinct hunter-gatherer and Eurasian admixture across sub-Saharan Africa. We identify new loci under selection, including loci related to malaria susceptibility and hypertension. We show that modern imputation panels (sets of reference genotypes from which unobserved or missing genotypes in study sets can be inferred) can identify association signals at highly differentiated loci across populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Using whole-genome sequencing, we demonstrate further improvements in imputation accuracy, strengthening the case for large-scale sequencing efforts of diverse African haplotypes. Finally, we present an efficient genotype array design capturing common genetic variation in Africa.

  15. The African Genome Variation Project shapes medical genetics in Africa.

    PubMed

    Gurdasani, Deepti; Carstensen, Tommy; Tekola-Ayele, Fasil; Pagani, Luca; Tachmazidou, Ioanna; Hatzikotoulas, Konstantinos; Karthikeyan, Savita; Iles, Louise; Pollard, Martin O; Choudhury, Ananyo; Ritchie, Graham R S; Xue, Yali; Asimit, Jennifer; Nsubuga, Rebecca N; Young, Elizabeth H; Pomilla, Cristina; Kivinen, Katja; Rockett, Kirk; Kamali, Anatoli; Doumatey, Ayo P; Asiki, Gershim; Seeley, Janet; Sisay-Joof, Fatoumatta; Jallow, Muminatou; Tollman, Stephen; Mekonnen, Ephrem; Ekong, Rosemary; Oljira, Tamiru; Bradman, Neil; Bojang, Kalifa; Ramsay, Michele; Adeyemo, Adebowale; Bekele, Endashaw; Motala, Ayesha; Norris, Shane A; Pirie, Fraser; Kaleebu, Pontiano; Kwiatkowski, Dominic; Tyler-Smith, Chris; Rotimi, Charles; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Sandhu, Manjinder S

    2015-01-15

    Given the importance of Africa to studies of human origins and disease susceptibility, detailed characterization of African genetic diversity is needed. The African Genome Variation Project provides a resource with which to design, implement and interpret genomic studies in sub-Saharan Africa and worldwide. The African Genome Variation Project represents dense genotypes from 1,481 individuals and whole-genome sequences from 320 individuals across sub-Saharan Africa. Using this resource, we find novel evidence of complex, regionally distinct hunter-gatherer and Eurasian admixture across sub-Saharan Africa. We identify new loci under selection, including loci related to malaria susceptibility and hypertension. We show that modern imputation panels (sets of reference genotypes from which unobserved or missing genotypes in study sets can be inferred) can identify association signals at highly differentiated loci across populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Using whole-genome sequencing, we demonstrate further improvements in imputation accuracy, strengthening the case for large-scale sequencing efforts of diverse African haplotypes. Finally, we present an efficient genotype array design capturing common genetic variation in Africa.

  16. More than Tuskegee: understanding mistrust about research participation.

    PubMed

    Scharff, Darcell P; Mathews, Katherine J; Jackson, Pamela; Hoffsuemmer, Jonathan; Martin, Emeobong; Edwards, Dorothy

    2010-08-01

    This paper describes results of a qualitative study that explored barriers to research participation among African American adults. A purposive sampling strategy was used to identify African American adults with and without previous research experience. A total of 11 focus groups were conducted. Groups ranged in size from 4-10 participants (N=70). Mistrust of the health care system emerged as a primary barrier to participation in medical research among participants in our study. Mistrust stems from historical events including the Tuskegee syphilis study and is reinforced by health system issues and discriminatory events that continue to this day. Mistrust was an important barrier expressed across all groups regardless of prior research participation or socioeconomic status. This study illustrates the multifaceted nature of mistrust, and suggests that mistrust remains an important barrier to research participation. Researchers should incorporate strategies to reduce mistrust and thereby increase participation among African Americans.

  17. African Scientific Network: A model to enhance scientific research in developing countries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kebede, Abebe

    2002-03-01

    Africa has over 350 higher education institutions with a variety of experiences and priorities. The primary objectives of these institutions are to produce white-collar workers, teachers, and the work force for mining, textiles, and agricultural industries. The state of higher education and scientific research in Africa have been discussed in several conferences. The proposals that are generated by these conferences advocate structural changes in higher education, North-South institutional linkages, mobilization of the African Diaspora and funding. We propose a model African Scientific Network that would facilitate and enhance international scientific partnerships between African scientists and their counterparts elsewhere. A recent article by James Lamout (Financial Times, August 2, 2001) indicates that emigration from South Africa alone costs $8.9 billion in lost human resources. The article also stated that every year 23,000 graduates leave Africa for opportunities overseas, mainly in Europe, leaving only 20,000 scientists and engineers serving over 600 million people. The International Organization for Migration states that the brain drain of highly skilled professionals from Africa is making economic growth and poverty alleviation impossible across the continent. In our model we will focus on a possible networking mechanism where the African Diaspora will play a major role in addressing the financial and human resources needs of higher education in Africa

  18. Recruitment and retention strategies for longitudinal African American caregiving research: the Family Caregiving Project.

    PubMed

    Dilworth-Anderson, Peggye; Williams, Sharon Wallace

    2004-11-01

    This article provides a detailed discussion, guided by a culturally competent approach, on recruitment and retention strategies used to study caregiving to older dependent elders in African American families. The study (lasting from 1995 through 2000) included collecting three waves of data, 9 months apart, among 202 caregiving units (containing a maximum of three caregivers per unit). Four key strategies were identified as useful in recruiting and retaining the sample: (a) assigning the same interviewers to communicate with and interview study participants for each wave of data collection, (b) ensuring that all interviewers are knowledgeable of possible family dynamics and social issues within the African American community (e.g., access to health care, income and education issues, and discrimination), (c) providing a mechanism by way of a toll-free number for all participants to contact the project staff at the participant's convenience, and (d) allowing flexibility in scheduling and rescheduling interviews at the participant's convenience. Researchers need to acquire knowledge and develop skills that will foster culturally competent approaches when studying diverse cultural groups, which involves incorporating the beliefs, values, and attitudes of a cultural group in every phase of the research project, from conceptualization to interpretation of findings. Additionally, a genuine interest in, knowledge of, and respect for the population are necessary to help improve participant involvement in longitudinal research among African American caregivers.

  19. Trust Building Recruitment Strategies for Researchers Conducting Studies in African American (AA) Churches: Lessons Learned

    PubMed Central

    Bonner, Gloria; Williams, Sharon; Wilkie, Diana; Hart, Alysha; Burnett, Glenda; Peacock, Geraldine

    2017-01-01

    Background An initial and vital important step in recruiting participants for church-based hospice and palliative care research is the establishment of trust and credibility within the church community. Mistrust of medical research is an extremely important barrier hindering recruitment in African American (AA) communities. A church-based EOL dementia education project is currently being conducted at four large urban AA churches. Church leaders voiced mistrust concerns of previous researchers who conducted investigations in their faith-based institutions. We explored strategies to ameliorate the mistrust concerns. Specific aim To identify trust-rebuilding elements for researchers following others who violated trust of AA church leaders. Methods Face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted from a convenient sample of four established AA church leaders. Interviews were held in the informants’ churches to promote candor and comfort in revealing sensitive information about trust/mistrust. Content analysis framework was used to analyze the data. Elements identified from the analysis were then used to create themes. Results Multidimensional overarching themes emerged from the analysis included: Experience with researchers (positive and extremely negative), violation of trust and trust building strategies. Conclusions Findings suggest that researchers who wish to conduct successful studies in the AA religious institutions must implement trust rebuilding strategies that include mutual respect, collaboration and partnership building. If general moral practices continue to be violated, threat to future hospice and palliative care research within the institutions may prevail. Thus, potential benefits are thwarted for the church members, AA community, and advancement of EOL care scholarship. PMID:27577723

  20. Trust Building Recruitment Strategies for Researchers Conducting Studies in African American (AA) Churches: Lessons Learned.

    PubMed

    Bonner, Gloria; Williams, Sharon; Wilkie, Diana; Hart, Alysha; Burnett, Glenda; Peacock, Geraldine

    2017-12-01

    An initial and vital important step in recruiting participants for church-based hospice and palliative care research is the establishment of trust and credibility within the church community. Mistrust of medical research is an extremely important barrier hindering recruitment in African American (AA) communities. A church-based EOL dementia education project is currently being conducted at four large urban AA churches. Church leaders voiced mistrust concerns of previous researchers who conducted investigations in their faith-based institutions. We explored strategies to ameliorate the mistrust concerns. Specific aim: To identify trust-rebuilding elements for researchers following others who violated trust of AA church leaders. Face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted from a convenient sample of four established AA church leaders. Interviews were held in the informants' churches to promote candor and comfort in revealing sensitive information about trust /mistrust. Content analysis framework was used to analyze the data. Elements identified from the analysis were then used to create themes. Multidimensional overarching themes emerged from the analysis included: Experience with researchers (positive and extremely negative), violation of trust and trust building strategies. Findings suggest that researchers who wish to conduct successful studies in the AA religious institutions must implement trust rebuilding strategies that include mutual respect, collaboration and partnership building. If general moral practices continue to be violated, threat to future hospice and palliative care research within the institutions may prevail. Thus, potential benefits are thwarted for the church members, AA community, and advancement of EOL care scholarship.

  1. Text Messaging to Improve Hypertension Medication Adherence in African Americans From Primary Care and Emergency Department Settings: Results From Two Randomized Feasibility Studies

    PubMed Central

    Hirzel, Lindsey; Dawood, Rachelle M; Dawood, Katee L; Nichols, Lauren P; Artinian, Nancy T; Schwiebert, Loren; Yarandi, Hossein N; Roberson, Dana N; Plegue, Melissa A; Mango, LynnMarie C; Levy, Phillip D

    2017-01-01

    Background Hypertension (HTN) is an important problem in the United States, with an estimated 78 million Americans aged 20 years and older suffering from this condition. Health disparities related to HTN are common in the United States, with African Americans suffering from greater prevalence of the condition than whites, as well as greater severity, earlier onset, and more complications. Medication adherence is an important component of HTN management, but adherence is often poor, and simply forgetting to take medications is often cited as a reason. Mobile health (mHealth) strategies have the potential to be a low-cost and effective method for improving medication adherence that also has broad reach. Objective Our goal was to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary clinical effectiveness of BPMED, an intervention designed to improve medication adherence among African Americans with uncontrolled HTN, through fully automated text messaging support. Methods We conducted two parallel, unblinded randomized controlled pilot trials with African-American patients who had uncontrolled HTN, recruited from primary care and emergency department (ED) settings. In each trial, participants were randomized to receive either usual care or the BPMED intervention for one month. Data were collected in-person at baseline and one-month follow-up, assessing the effect on medication adherence, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), medication adherence self-efficacy, and participant satisfaction. Data for both randomized controlled pilot trials were analyzed separately and combined. Results A total of 58 primary care and 65 ED participants were recruited with retention rates of 91% (53/58) and 88% (57/65), respectively. BPMED participants consistently showed numerically greater, yet nonsignificant, improvements in measures of medication adherence (mean change 0.9, SD 2.0 vs mean change 0.5, SD 1.5, P=.26), SBP (mean change –12.6, SD 24.0 vs mean change

  2. Tobacco control: consensus report of the National Medical Association.

    PubMed

    Marable, Sharon; Crim, Courtney; Dennis, Gary C; Epps, Roselyn Payne; Freeman, Harold; Mills, Sherry; Coolchan, Eric T; Robinson, Lawrence; Robinson, Robert; Cole, Lorraine; Payne, Pamela H

    2002-02-01

    Tobacco Control remains one of the greatest determinants for reducing the morbidity and mortality of African Americans. To examine the scope and consequences of tobacco use among African Americans and characterize its implications for the National Medical Association physician membership and their patients, and identify policy, education, advocacy and research issues in Tobacco Control for the organization. Literature review using the MEDLINE database from January 1966 to August 1999 Week 1, searching Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) reading combined with text words "Black" or "African American" and "Tobacco" as a search term, identified 130 articles/110 abstracts published between 1988 and February 1999. The panel selected 61 appropriate articles and a paper summarizing the literature review was developed. The summary paper was used as background material for a formal consensus panel discussion on July 16-17, 1999. Consensus among committee members was reached via mail, fax and e-mail using the summary review paper, annotated bibliographies key informant surveys, and previous NMA resolutions on tobacco control. A formal working session was held on July 16-17, 1999 in which four areas of concentration of issues were determined: Policy, Advocacy, Education and Research. All committee members approved the final report. Because tobacco control issues in African Americans are both complex and poorly understood, the panel views the NMA's role as pivotal in the coordination of resources and capacity-building to address all four areas identified. Stronger partner-ships with traditional federal and nonprofit agencies associated with tobacco control/advocacy in African Americans as well as nontraditional organizations (i.e., churches, academia, marketing and media organizations) also must occur to strengthen the infra-structure needed to assess needs, design appropriate interventions and evaluate the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficacy of tobacco control efforts in

  3. Division of Biological and Medical Research research summary 1984-1985

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Barr, S.H.

    1985-08-01

    The Division of Biological and Medical Research at Argonne National Laboratory conducts multidisciplinary research aimed at defining the biological and medical hazards to man from energy technologies and new energy options. These technically oriented studies have a strong base in fundamental research in a variety of scientific disciplines, including molecular and cellular biology, biophysics, genetics, radiobiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, chemistry, environmental toxicology, and epidemiology. This research summary is organized into six parts. The first five parts reflect the Divisional structure and contain the scientific program chapters, which summarize the activities of the individual groups during the calendar year 1984 and themore » first half of 1985. To provide better continuity and perspective, previous work is sometimes briefly described. Although the summaries are short, efforts have been made to indicate the range of research activities for each group.« less

  4. Individual and community determinants of calling 911 for stroke among African Americans in an urban community

    PubMed Central

    Skolarus, Lesli E.; Murphy, Jillian B.; Zimmerman, Marc A.; Bailey, Sarah; Fowlkes, Sophronia; Brown, Devin L.; Lisabeth, Lynda D.; Greenberg, Emily; Morgenstern, Lewis B.

    2013-01-01

    Background African Americans receive acute stroke treatment less often than non-Hispanic Whites. Interventions to increase stroke preparedness (recognizing stroke warning signs and calling 911) may decrease the devastating effects of stroke by allowing more patients to be candidates for acute stroke therapy. In preparation for such an intervention, we used a community-based participatory research approach to conduct a qualitative study exploring perceptions of emergency medical care and stroke among urban African American youth and adults. Methods and Results Community partners, church health teams, and church leaders identified and recruited focus group participants from 3 African American churches in Flint, Michigan. We conducted 5 youth (11-16 years) and 4 adult focus groups from November 2011 to March 2012. A content analysis approach was taken for analysis. Thirty nine youth and 38 adults participated. Women comprised 64% of youth and 90% of adult focus group participants. All participants were African American. Three themes emerged from the adult and youth data: 1) recognition that stroke is a medical emergency; 2) perceptions of difficulties within the medical system in an under resourced community and; 3) need for greater stroke education in the community. Conclusions African American adults and youth have a strong interest in stroke preparedness. Designing behavioral interventions to increase stroke preparedness should be sensitive to both individual and community factors contributing to the likelihood of seeking emergency care for stroke. PMID:23674311

  5. Medical Applications of Non-Medical Research: Applications Derived from BES-Supported Research and Research at BES Facilities

    DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

    1998-07-01

    This publication contains stories that illustrate how the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) research and major user facilities have impacted the medical sciences in the selected topical areas of disease diagnosis, treatment (including drug development, radiation therapy, and surgery), understanding, and prevention.

  6. Researching the Link Between Biomass Burning and Drought Across the Northern Sub-Saharan African Savanna/Sahel Belt

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ichoku, Charles; Ellison, Luke

    2012-01-01

    The northern sub-Saharan African (NSSA) region, bounded by the Sahara, Equator, and the West and East African coastlines, is subjected to intense biomass burning every year during the dry season. This is believed to be one of the drivers of the regional carbon and energy cycles, with serious implications for the water cycle anomalies that probably contribute to drought and desertification. In this presentation, we will discuss a new multi-disciplinary research in the NSSA region, review progress, evaluate preliminary results, and interact with the research and user communities to examine how best to coordinate with other research activities in order to address related environmental issues most effectively.

  7. Conducting Quantitative Medical Education Research: From Design to Dissemination.

    PubMed

    Abramson, Erika L; Paul, Caroline R; Petershack, Jean; Serwint, Janet; Fischel, Janet E; Rocha, Mary; Treitz, Meghan; McPhillips, Heather; Lockspeiser, Tai; Hicks, Patricia; Tewksbury, Linda; Vasquez, Margarita; Tancredi, Daniel J; Li, Su-Ting T

    2018-03-01

    Rigorous medical education research is critical to effectively develop and evaluate the training we provide our learners. Yet many clinical medical educators lack the training and skills needed to conduct high-quality medical education research. We offer guidance on conducting sound quantitative medical education research. Our aim is to equip readers with the key skills and strategies necessary to conduct successful research projects, highlighting new concepts and controversies in the field. We utilize Glassick's criteria for scholarship as a framework to discuss strategies to ensure that the research question of interest is worthy of further study and how to use existing literature and conceptual frameworks to strengthen a research study. Through discussions of the strengths and limitations of commonly used study designs, we expose the reader to particular nuances of these decisions in medical education research and discuss outcomes generally focused on, as well as strategies for determining the significance of consequent findings. We conclude with information on critiquing research findings and preparing results for dissemination to a broad audience. Practical planning worksheets and comprehensive tables illustrating key concepts are provided in order to guide researchers through each step of the process. Medical education research provides wonderful opportunities to improve how we teach our learners, to satisfy our own intellectual curiosity, and ultimately to enhance the care provided to patients. Copyright © 2018 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Use of automated medication adherence monitoring in bipolar disorder research: pitfalls, pragmatics, and possibilities.

    PubMed

    Levin, Jennifer B; Sams, Johnny; Tatsuoka, Curtis; Cassidy, Kristin A; Sajatovic, Martha

    2015-04-01

    Medication nonadherence occurs in 20-60% of persons with bipolar disorder (BD) and is associated with serious negative outcomes, including relapse, hospitalization, incarceration, suicide and high healthcare costs. Various strategies have been developed to measure adherence in BD. This descriptive paper summarizes challenges and workable strategies using electronic medication monitoring in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) in patients with BD. Descriptive data from 57 nonadherent individuals with BD enrolled in a prospective RCT evaluating a novel customized adherence intervention versus control were analyzed. Analyses focused on whole group data and did not assess intervention effects. Adherence was assessed with the self-reported Tablets Routine Questionnaire and the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS). The majority of participants were women (74%), African American (69%), with type I BD (77%). Practical limitations of MEMS included misuse in conjunction with pill minders, polypharmacy, cost, failure to bring to research visits, losing the device, and the device impacting baseline measurement. The advantages were more precise measurement, less biased recall, and collecting data from past time periods for missed interim visits. Automated devices such as MEMS can assist investigators in evaluating adherence in patients with BD. Knowing the anticipated pitfalls allows study teams to implement preemptive procedures for successful implementation in BD adherence studies and can help pave the way for future refinements as automated adherence assessment technologies become more sophisticated and readily available.

  9. Strengthening human genetics research in Africa: report of the 9th meeting of the African Society of Human Genetics in Dakar in May 2016.

    PubMed

    Ndiaye Diallo, R; Gadji, M; Hennig, B J; Guèye, M V; Gaye, A; Diop, J P D; Sylla Niang, M; Lopez Sall, P; Guèye, P M; Dem, A; Faye, O; Dieye, A; Cisse, A; Sembene, M; Ka, S; Diop, N; Williams, S M; Matovu, E; Ramesar, R S; Wonkam, A; Newport, M; Rotimi, C; Ramsay, M

    2017-01-01

    The 9th meeting of the African Society of Human Genetics, in partnership with the Senegalese Cancer Research and Study Group and the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Consortium, was held in Dakar, Senegal. The theme was Strengthening Human Genetics Research in Africa. The 210 delegates came from 21 African countries and from France, Switzerland, UK, UAE, Canada and the USA. The goal was to highlight genetic and genomic science across the African continent with the ultimate goal of improving the health of Africans and those across the globe, and to promote the careers of young African scientists in the field. A session on the sustainability of genomic research in Africa brought to light innovative and practical approaches to supporting research in resource-limited settings and the importance of promoting genetics in academic, research funding, governmental and private sectors. This meeting led to the formation of the Senegalese Society for Human Genetics.

  10. With or without us? An audit of disability research in the southern African region

    PubMed Central

    Mji, Gubela; Gcaza, Siphokazi

    2014-01-01

    Background Disability research in the global South has not received significant critical consideration as to how it can be used to challenge the oppression and marginalisation of people with disabilities in low-income and middle-income countries. The Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD) embarked on a programme to use research to influence policy and practice relating to people with disabilities in Southern Africa, and commissioned an audit on research expertise in the region. In this article, a research audit is reported on and situated in a framework of emancipatory research. Objectives This article sets out to describe a preliminary audit of disability research in the southern African region and to draw conclusions about the current state of disability research in the region and make recommendations. Method The research method entailed working with disability researchers in the ten SAFOD member countries and utilising African disability networks hosted on electronic media. Disability researchers working in the region completed 87 questionnaires, which were reviewed through a thematic analysis. Results The discussion of results provides a consideration of definitions of disability; the understanding of disability rights, research topics and methodologies; the participation of people with disabilities in research; and the challenges and opportunities for using research to inform disability activism. Conclusion The conclusion highlights critical issues for future research in the region, and considers how a disability researcher database can be used as a tool for disability organisations to prioritise research that serves a disability rights agenda. PMID:28730009

  11. The Quality of Medication Use in Older Adults: Methods of a Longitudinal Study

    PubMed Central

    Roth, Mary T.; Moore, Charity G.; Ivey, Jena L.; Esserman, Denise A.; Campbell, William H.; Weinberger, Morris

    2009-01-01

    Background The quality of medication use in older adults is a recurring problem of substantial concern. Efforts to both measure and improve the quality of medication use often define quality too narrowly and fall short of addressing the complexity of an older adult's medication regimen. Objective In an effort to more comprehensively define the quality of medication use in older adults, we conducted a prospective cohort study to: 1) describe the quality of medication use in community-residing older adults at baseline, examining differences between Whites and African Americans; 2) examine the effect of race on medication-related problems[mtr1], and 3) assess the change in quality medication use between Whites and African Americans over time. This paper presents the research design and methods of this longitudinal study. Methods We interviewed 100 White and 100 African-American community-residing older adults three times over one year (baseline, 6, and 12 months). We oversampled African Americans so that we could estimate racial differences in the quality of medication use. We collected information on the quality of medication use, relying on a clinical pharmacist's assessment of quality and the Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE) quality indicators. We also collected data on demographic characteristics, health literacy, functional status, and participant-reported drug therapy concerns. Results Two hundred older adults were enrolled into the study and completed a baseline visit. Of the 200, 92% completed the 6-month visit (n=183) and 88% completed the 12-month visit (n=176). We present baseline demographic characteristics for the 200 older adults enrolled in the study. Conclusion This longitudinal study is an initial step toward developing more comprehensive, patient-centered measures and interventions to improve the quality of medication use in older adults. PMID:19028378

  12. Combined Medication and CBT for Generalized Anxiety Disorder with African American Participants: Reliability and Validity of Assessments and Preliminary Outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Markell, Hannah M.; Newman, Michelle G.; Gallop, Robert; Gibbons, Mary Beth Connolly; Rickels, Karl; Crits-Christoph, Paul

    2014-01-01

    Using data from a study of combined cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and venlafaxine XR in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the current article examines the reliability and convergent validity of scales, and preliminary outcomes, for African American compared to European American patients. Internal consistency and short-term stability coefficients for African Americans (n=42) were adequate and similar or higher compared to those found for European Americans (n=164) for standard scales used in GAD treatment research. Correlations among outcome measures among African Americans were in general not significantly different for African Americans compared to European Americans. A subset of patients with DSM-IV–diagnosed GAD (n = 24 African Americans; n = 52 European Americans) were randomly selected to be offered the option of adding 12 sessions of CBT to venlafaxine XR treatment. Of those offered CBT, 33.3% (n = 8) of the African Americans, and 32.6% (n = 17) of the European Americans accepted and attended at least one CBT treatment session. The outcomes for African Americans receiving combined treatment were not significantly different from European Americans receiving combined treatment on primary or secondary efficacy measures. PMID:24912462

  13. A phenomenographic approach to research in medical education.

    PubMed

    Stenfors-Hayes, Terese; Hult, Hakan; Dahlgren, Madeleine A

    2013-03-01

    Phenomenography is a qualitative approach to research which has revolutionised the way that researchers and teachers think about the processes and outcomes of learning in higher education. Phenomenography has also been used successfully in medical and health care research for the last 20 years. Phenomenography provides a lens through which to view certain types of research question. It also provides direction for how to empirically carry out the research. This paper introduces phenomenography as a viable qualitative approach for use in medical education research. A phenomenographic study maps the qualitatively different ways in which people experience a phenomenon. This type of study can have an important impact on, for example, patient communication, clinical practice and health care education. We suggest that a phenomenographic approach can be used to explore many medical education research issues, and can facilitate more solid links between research and educational development and change. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2013.

  14. A Pilot Trial Examining African American and White Responses to Algorithm-Guided Smoking Cessation Medication Selection in Persons Living with HIV.

    PubMed

    Valera, Pamela; McClernon, F Joseph; Burkholder, Greer; Mugavero, Michael J; Willig, James; O'Cleirigh, Conall; Cropsey, Karen L

    2017-07-01

    Algorithm-based treatments (AT) may be an effective clinical tool to aid HIV clinicians in prescribing pharmacotherapy to increase smoking cessation among people living with HIV (PLWH). Initial results from AT indicated significant increases in abstinence self-efficacy and medication utilization and declines in cigarettes smoked per day across time. Given historical racial disparities, it is unclear if both African Americans and White smokers would benefit equally from this type of intervention. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine racial differences in response to AT guided smoking cessation for African American and White smokers living with HIV. One hundred PLWH smokers (n = 100) were randomized to receive either AT guided smoking cessation or Treatment as Usual (TAU) which consisted of instructing participants to talk to a provider about smoking cessation assistance when ready to make a quit attempt. Participants were African American (75%) and White (25%) and majority men (71%) who had never been married (56%). African Americans smoked fewer cigarettes and were more likely to smoke mentholated cigarettes compared to White smokers at baseline. African Americans increased their use of other tobacco products (cigars/cigarillos) over time relative to White smokers. A significant interaction between race and quit goal was observed, with White smokers who reported complete abstinence as their goal having higher quit rates, while African Americans who reported a goal other than complete abstinence demonstrating higher quit rates. The increased use of cigars/cigarillos during quit attempts as well as having a goal other than complete abstinence should be considered when applying algorithm based interventions for PLWH African American smokers.

  15. Ethics and the ethnography of medical research in Africa

    PubMed Central

    Molyneux, Sassy; Geissler, P. Wenzel

    2008-01-01

    The ethics of medical research have grown as an area of expertise and debate in recent years, with two broad approaches emerging in relation to transnational research: (1) the refinement of guidelines and strengthening of review, processes primarily to protect the right of individual research participants and strengthen interpersonal relations at the micro-level; and (2) considering more centrally, as crucial ethical concerns, the wider interests of whole populations, the functioning of research institutions, the processes of collaboration, and the ethics of inequitable international relations. We see the two areas of debate and action as complementary, and believe that social science conducted in and around transnational medical research environments can bring these two perspectives together in a more ‘situated ethics’ of research. To explore this idea for medical research in Africa, we organized a conference in December 2005 in Kilifi, Kenya. In this introduction we outline the two emerging approaches to medical ethics, summarise each of seven papers selected from the conference for inclusion in this special issue on ethics and ethnography, and finally highlight two areas of lively debate at the conference itself: the appropriateness and value of ethics guidelines and review boards for medical research; and the ethical review of social science research. Together, the papers and debates point to the importance of focusing on the ethics of relationships and on justice in both biomedicine and social science research, and on giving greater voice and visibility to the field staff who often play a crucial and under-supported role in ‘doing ethics’ in the field. They also point to the potential value of social science research on the range of relationships operating at different levels and time scales in medical research, including those surrounding community engagement activities, and the role and functioning of ethics review boards. We conclude by highlighting

  16. Decline of clinical research in academic medical centers.

    PubMed

    Meador, Kimford J

    2015-09-29

    Marked changes in US medical school funding began in the 1960s with progressively increasing revenues from clinical services. The growth of clinical revenues slowed in the mid-1990s, creating a funding crisis for US academic health care centers, who responded by having their faculty increase their clinical duties at the expense of research activities. Surveys document the resultant stresses on the academic clinician researcher. The NIH provides greater funding for basic and translational research than for clinical research, and the new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute is inadequately funded to address the scope of needed clinical research. An increasing portion of clinical research is funded by industry, which leaves many important clinical issues unaddressed. There is an inadequate supply of skilled clinical researchers and a lack of external support for clinical research. The impact on the academic environment in university medical centers is especially severe on young faculty, who have a shrinking potential to achieve successful academic careers. National health care research funding policies should encourage the right balance of life-science investigations. Medical universities need to improve and highlight education on clinical research for students, residents, fellows, and young faculty. Medical universities also need to provide appropriate incentives for clinical research. Without training to ensure an adequate supply of skilled clinical researchers and a method to adequately fund clinical research, discoveries from basic and translational research cannot be clinically tested and affect patient care. Thus, many clinical problems will continue to be evaluated and treated with inadequate or even absent evidence-based knowledge. © 2015 American Academy of Neurology.

  17. Decline of clinical research in academic medical centers

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Marked changes in US medical school funding began in the 1960s with progressively increasing revenues from clinical services. The growth of clinical revenues slowed in the mid-1990s, creating a funding crisis for US academic health care centers, who responded by having their faculty increase their clinical duties at the expense of research activities. Surveys document the resultant stresses on the academic clinician researcher. The NIH provides greater funding for basic and translational research than for clinical research, and the new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute is inadequately funded to address the scope of needed clinical research. An increasing portion of clinical research is funded by industry, which leaves many important clinical issues unaddressed. There is an inadequate supply of skilled clinical researchers and a lack of external support for clinical research. The impact on the academic environment in university medical centers is especially severe on young faculty, who have a shrinking potential to achieve successful academic careers. National health care research funding policies should encourage the right balance of life-science investigations. Medical universities need to improve and highlight education on clinical research for students, residents, fellows, and young faculty. Medical universities also need to provide appropriate incentives for clinical research. Without training to ensure an adequate supply of skilled clinical researchers and a method to adequately fund clinical research, discoveries from basic and translational research cannot be clinically tested and affect patient care. Thus, many clinical problems will continue to be evaluated and treated with inadequate or even absent evidence-based knowledge. PMID:26156509

  18. Evaluation of the medical student research programme in Norwegian medical schools. A survey of students and supervisors

    PubMed Central

    Hunskaar, Steinar; Breivik, Jarle; Siebke, Maje; Tømmerås, Karin; Figenschau, Kristian; Hansen, John-Bjarne

    2009-01-01

    Background The Medical Student Research Programme is a national education and grant scheme for medical students who wish to carry out research in parallel with their studies. The purpose of the programme is to increase recruitment of people with a standard medical degree to medical research. The Research Programme was established in 2002 and underwent a thorough evaluation during the spring of 2007. The evaluation should investigate if the programme had fulfilled its objectives of increased recruitment to medical research, in addition to the students' and supervisors' satisfaction of the programme, and unwanted differences between the universities. Methods Data was collected from students, supervisors and administrative staff via web-based questionnaires. Information about admission, implementation, results achieved and satisfaction was analysed and compared between the four Norwegian medical schools. In addition, the position of the scheme in relation to the national Quality Reform of Higher Education was analysed. Results At the end of 2006, the Medical Student Research Programme had recruited 265 medical students to research. These consisted of 214 active students, 35 who had completed their studies and only 17 who had dropped out. Both students and supervisors were generally very satisfied with the scheme, including the curriculum, the results achieved and the administrative service. The majority of students wanted to continue their research towards a PhD and, of those who had completed the Medical Student Research Programme, practically all had published one or several scientific papers. The survey showed only small differences between the four medical schools, despite their choice of somewhat different solutions in terms of administration and organisation. The Medical Student Research Programme satisfies the majority of the demands of the Quality Reform, however as an integrated research programme aimed at a PhD it presupposes access to PhD courses before the

  19. [Medical research and vulnerable subjects: unemployed people].

    PubMed

    Niebrój, Lesław

    2006-01-01

    Although the importance of medical research for the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases is unquestionable, the use of human subjects, however, still presents a complex ethical problem. Moral difficulties occur in particular when the medical research deals with vulnerable subjects. Vulnerable individuals are defined as those who experience diminished actual autonomy. Among the groups which should be considered as being vulnerable are usually listed the following: children, pregnant women, mentally or emotionally disabled, physically disabled, homeless, and institutionalized people. This study addresses key concerns that gave rise to the question of whether unemployed people had to be recognized as vulnerable subjects. The term "vulnerability" was clarified and it was assumed that the "vulnerability" of medical research subjects' had to be understood as a form of continuum from potential, through the circumstantial, temporal, episodic, permanent to inevitable vulnerability. The conclusion was drawn that unemployed people were, at least, potentially vulnerable subjects. Research involving unemployed people presents important moral challenges to researchers and should be undertaken very carefully, following special ethical guidelines.

  20. More than Tuskegee: Understanding Mistrust about Research Participation

    PubMed Central

    Scharff, Darcell P.; Mathews, Katherine J.; Jackson, Pamela; Hoffsuemmer, Jonathan; Martin, Emeobong; Edwards, Dorothy

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes results of a qualitative study that explored barriers to research participation among African American adults. A purposive sampling strategy was used to identify African American adults with and without previous research experience. A total of 11 focus groups were conducted. Groups ranged in size from 4–10 participants (N = 70). Mistrust of the health care system emerged as a primary barrier to participation in medical research among participants in our study. Mistrust stems from historical events including the Tuskegee syphilis study and is reinforced by health system issues and discriminatory events that continue to this day. Mistrust was an important barrier expressed across all groups regardless of prior research participation or socioeconomic status. This study illustrates the multifaceted nature of mistrust, and suggests that mistrust remains an important barrier to research participation. Researchers should incorporate strategies to reduce mistrust and thereby increase participation among African Americans. PMID:20693733

  1. US Army Medical Research and Development Report.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-10-01

    RI) US ARMY MEDICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT REPORT. Colonel/John Jr DTIC JUL 1 5 1980; A USL &MY MEDICAL BIOENGINEERING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT...pollutants in water or soil . Pollutant by-products and breakdown products in water, air or soil will be isolated, characterized, and quantified. Where...determination of selected low-level pollutants io soil and water. Degradation products and secondary pollutants arising from munitions manufacture or pest

  2. Calixarenes in bio-medical researches.

    PubMed

    Rodik, Roman V; Boyko, Vyacheslav I; Kalchenko, Vitaly I

    2009-01-01

    Application of calixarene derivatives in bio-medical researches is reviewed in this article. Antiviral, bactericidal, antithrombothic, antituberculosis, anticancer activity as well as specific protein complexation, membranotropic properties and toxicity of modified calixarenes are discussed.

  3. Engaging Gatekeeper-Stakeholders in Development of a Mobile Health Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence Among African American and Pacific Islander Elderly Patients With Hypertension

    PubMed Central

    Bazargan, Mohsen; Jones, Loretta; Vawer, May; Seto, Todd B; Farooq, Summer; Taira, Deborah A

    2016-01-01

    Background Approximately 70 million people in the United States have hypertension. Although antihypertensive therapy can reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension, often patients do not take their medication as prescribed. Objective The goal of this study was to better understand issues affecting the acceptability and usability of mobile health technology (mHealth) to improve medication adherence for elderly African American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander patients with hypertension. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 gatekeeper-stakeholders using targeted open-ended questions. Interviews were deidentified, transcribed, organized, and coded manually by two independent coders. Analysis of patient interviews used largely a deductive approach because the targeted open-ended interview questions were designed to explore issues specific to the design and acceptability of a mHealth intervention for seniors. Results A number of similar themes regarding elements of a successful intervention emerged from our two groups of African American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander gatekeeper-stakeholders. First was the need to teach participants both about the importance of adherence to antihypertensive medications. Second, was the use of mobile phones for messaging and patients need to be able to access ongoing technical support. Third, messaging needs to be short and simple, but personalized, and to come from someone the participant trusts and with whom they have a connection. There were some differences between groups. For instance, there was a strong sentiment among the African American group that the church be involved and that the intervention begin with group workshops, whereas the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander group seemed to believe that the teaching could occur on a one-to-one basis with the health care provider. Conclusions Information from our gatekeeper-stakeholder (key informant) interviews suggests that the

  4. Enhancing the African bioethics initiative.

    PubMed

    Ogundiran, Temidayo O

    2004-10-15

    Medical ethics has existed since the time of Hippocrates. However, formal training in bioethics did not become established until a few decades ago. Bioethics has gained a strong foothold in health sciences in the developed world, especially in Europe and North America. The situation is quite different in many developing countries. In most African countries, bioethics - as established and practiced today in the west- is either non-existent or is rudimentary. Though bioethics has come of age in the developed and some developing countries, it is still largely "foreign" to most African countries. In some parts of Africa, some bioethics conferences have been held in the past decade to create research ethics awareness and ensure conformity to international guidelines for research with human participants. This idea has arisen in recognition of the genuine need to develop capacity for reviewing the ethics of research in Africa. It is also a condition required by external sponsors of collaborative research in Africa. The awareness and interest that these conferences have aroused need to be further strengthened and extended beyond research ethics to clinical practice. By and large, bioethics education in schools that train doctors and other health care providers is the hook that anchors both research ethics and clinical ethics. This communication reviews the current situation of bioethics in Africa as it applies to research ethics workshops and proposes that in spite of the present efforts to integrate ethics into biomedical research in Africa, much still needs to be done to accomplish this. A more comprehensive approach to bioethics with an all-inclusive benefit is to incorporate formal ethics education into health training institutions in Africa.

  5. Enhancing the African bioethics initiative

    PubMed Central

    Ogundiran, Temidayo O

    2004-01-01

    Background Medical ethics has existed since the time of Hippocrates. However, formal training in bioethics did not become established until a few decades ago. Bioethics has gained a strong foothold in health sciences in the developed world, especially in Europe and North America. The situation is quite different in many developing countries. In most African countries, bioethics – as established and practiced today in the west- is either non-existent or is rudimentary. Discussion Though bioethics has come of age in the developed and some developing countries, it is still largely "foreign" to most African countries. In some parts of Africa, some bioethics conferences have been held in the past decade to create research ethics awareness and ensure conformity to international guidelines for research with human participants. This idea has arisen in recognition of the genuine need to develop capacity for reviewing the ethics of research in Africa. It is also a condition required by external sponsors of collaborative research in Africa. The awareness and interest that these conferences have aroused need to be further strengthened and extended beyond research ethics to clinical practice. By and large, bioethics education in schools that train doctors and other health care providers is the hook that anchors both research ethics and clinical ethics. Summary This communication reviews the current situation of bioethics in Africa as it applies to research ethics workshops and proposes that in spite of the present efforts to integrate ethics into biomedical research in Africa, much still needs to be done to accomplish this. A more comprehensive approach to bioethics with an all-inclusive benefit is to incorporate formal ethics education into health training institutions in Africa. PMID:15488145

  6. Medical students as human subjects in educational research

    PubMed Central

    Sarpel, Umut; Hopkins, Mary Ann; More, Frederick; Yavner, Steven; Pusic, Martin; Nick, Michael W.; Song, Hyuksoon; Ellaway, Rachel; Kalet, Adina L.

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Special concerns often arise when medical students are themselves the subjects of education research. A recently completed large, multi-center randomized controlled trial of computer-assisted learning modules for surgical clerks provided the opportunity to explore the perceived level of risk of studies where medical students serve as human subjects by reporting on: 1) the response of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) at seven institutions to the same study protocol; and 2) the thoughts and feelings of students across study sites about being research subjects. Methods From July 2009 to August 2010, all third-year medical students at seven collaborating institutions were eligible to participate. Patterns of IRB review of the same protocol were compared. Participation burden was calculated in terms of the time spent interacting with the modules. Focus groups were conducted with medical students at each site. Transcripts were coded by three independent reviewers and analyzed using Atlas.ti. Results The IRBs at the seven participating institutions granted full (n=1), expedited (n=4), or exempt (n=2) review of the WISE Trial protocol. 995 (73% of those eligible) consented to participate, and 207 (20%) of these students completed all outcome measures. The average time to complete the computer modules and associated measures was 175 min. Common themes in focus groups with participant students included the desire to contribute to medical education research, the absence of coercion to consent, and the low-risk nature of the research. Discussion Our findings demonstrate that risk assessment and the extent of review utilized for medical education research vary among IRBs. Despite variability in the perception of risk implied by differing IRB requirements, students themselves felt education research was low risk and did not consider themselves to be vulnerable. The vast majority of eligible medical students were willing to participate as research subjects

  7. Global medical education partnerships to expand specialty expertise: a case report on building neurology clinical and research capacity.

    PubMed

    Kaddumukasa, Mark; Katabira, Elly; Salata, Robert A; Costa, Marco A; Ddumba, Edward; Furlan, Anthony; Kakooza-Mwesige, Angelina; Kamya, Moses R; Kayima, James; Longenecker, Chris T; Mayanja-Kizza, Harriet; Mondo, Charles; Moore, Shirley; Pundik, Svetlana; Sewankambo, Nelson; Simon, Daniel I; Smyth, Kathleen A; Sajatovic, Martha

    2014-12-30

    Neurological disorders are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan African, but resources for their management are scarce. Collaborations between training institutions in developed and resource-limited countries can be a successful model for supporting specialty medical education and increasing clinical and research capacity. This report describes a US National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) to enhance expertise in neurology, developed between Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Kampala, Uganda, and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH, USA. This collaborative model is based on a successful medical education and research model that has been developed over the past two decades. The Ugandan and US teams have accumulated knowledge and 'lessons learned' that facilitate specialty expertise in neurological conditions, which are widespread and associated with substantial disability in resource-limited countries. Strengths of the model include a focus on community health care settings and a strong research component. Key elements include strong local leadership; use of remote technology, templates to standardize performance; shared exchanges; mechanisms to optimize sustainability and of dissemination activities that expand impact of the original initiative. Efficient collaborations are further enhanced by external and institutional support, and can be sequentially refined. Models such as the Makerere University College of Health Sciences - Case Western Reserve University partnership may help other groups initiate collaborative education programmes and establish successful partnerships that may provide the opportunity to expand to other chronic diseases. A benefit of collaboration is that learning is two-directional, and interaction with other international medical education collaborators is likely to be of benefit to the larger global health community.

  8. Prescriptions for medical research. I--Management within the Medical Research Council.

    PubMed Central

    Gillett, R; Harrow, J

    1993-01-01

    In their submission to the government in advance of the white paper on science policy in the United Kingdom the Medical Research Council commends the MRC's own approach to managing directly funded research. But a series of semi-structured interviews with the directors of some of the MRC's units suggests a gap between the MRC's model of managed research and the reality. Although such units are theoretically managed from MRC head office (and units are charged an overhead for this), in practice each unit runs its own affairs. Between major reviews average contact time with the head office contact person is seven hours a year. The first paper argues that a purchaser-provider split would recognise the benefits of decentralisation and allow units to bid for research funds from several sources, the successful ones guaranteeing their survival through a rolling series of research programmes. The second paper criticises the MRC's cumbersome peer review system. Reliance on outside experts atrophies the scientific skills of head office staff and builds delays into decision making. A purchaser-provider model would allow the head office scientific staff to act like commercial research and development managers, commissioning research, and using the outcome, rather than peer review, as a criterion for continued funding. PMID:8324441

  9. A history of health and medical research in Australia.

    PubMed

    Dyke, Timothy; Anderson, Warwick P

    2014-07-07

    Health and medical research has played an important role in improving the life of Australians since before the 20th century, with many Australian researchers contributing to important advances both locally and internationally. The establishment of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to support research and to work to achieve the benefits of research for the community was significant. The NHMRC has also provided guidance in research and health ethics. Australian research has broadened to include basic biomedical science, clinical medicine and science, public health and health services. In October 2002, the NHMRC adopted Indigenous health research as a strategic priority. In 2013, government expenditure through the NHMRC was $852.9 million. This article highlights some important milestones in the history of health and medical research in Australia.

  10. Quality assurance in military medical research and medical radiation accident management.

    PubMed

    Hotz, Mark E; Meineke, Viktor

    2012-08-01

    The provision of quality radiation-related medical diagnostic and therapeutic treatments cannot occur without the presence of robust quality assurance and standardization programs. Medical laboratory services are essential in patient treatment and must be able to meet the needs of all patients and the clinical personnel responsible for the medical care of these patients. Clinical personnel involved in patient care must embody the quality assurance process in daily work to ensure program sustainability. In conformance with the German Federal Government's concept for modern departmental research, the international standard ISO 9001, one of the relevant standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), is applied in quality assurance in military medical research. By its holistic approach, this internationally accepted standard provides an excellent basis for establishing a modern quality management system in line with international standards. Furthermore, this standard can serve as a sound basis for the further development of an already established quality management system when additional standards shall apply, as for instance in reference laboratories or medical laboratories. Besides quality assurance, a military medical facility must manage additional risk events in the context of early recognition/detection of health risks of military personnel on deployment in order to be able to take appropriate preventive and protective measures; for instance, with medical radiation accident management. The international standard ISO 31000:2009 can serve as a guideline for establishing risk management. Clear organizational structures and defined work processes are required when individual laboratory units seek accreditation according to specific laboratory standards. Furthermore, international efforts to develop health laboratory standards must be reinforced that support sustainable quality assurance, as in the exchange and comparison of test results within

  11. Research priorities in medical education: A national study.

    PubMed

    Tootoonchi, Mina; Yamani, Nikoo; Changiz, Tahereh; Yousefy, Alireza

    2012-01-01

    One preliminary step to strengthen medical education research would be determining the research priorities. The aim of this study was to determine the research priorities of medical education in Iran in 2007-2008. This descriptive study was carried out in two phases. Phase one was performed in 3 stages and used Delphi technique among academic staffs of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The three stages included a brainstorming workshop for 140 faculty members and educational experts resulting in a list of research priorities, then, in the second and third stages 99 and 76 questionnaires were distributed among faculty members. In the second phase, the final questionnaires were mailed to educational research center managers of universities type I, II and III, and were distributed among 311 academic members and educational experts to rate the items on a numerical scale ranging from 1 to 10. The most important research priorities included faculty members' development methods, faculty members' motives, satisfaction and welfare, criteria and procedures of faculty members' promotion, teaching methods and learning techniques, job descriptions and professional skills of graduates, quality management in education, second language, clinical education, science production in medicine, faculty evaluation and information technology. This study shows the medial education research priorities in national level and in different types of medical universities in Iran. It is recommended that faculty members and research administrators consider the needs and requirements of education and plan the researches in education according to these priorities.

  12. Research priorities in medical education: A national study

    PubMed Central

    Tootoonchi, Mina; Yamani, Nikoo; Changiz, Tahereh; Yousefy, Alireza

    2012-01-01

    BACKGROUND: One preliminary step to strengthen medical education research would be determining the research priorities. The aim of this study was to determine the research priorities of medical education in Iran in 2007-2008. METHODS: This descriptive study was carried out in two phases. Phase one was performed in 3 stages and used Delphi technique among academic staffs of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The three stages included a brainstorming workshop for 140 faculty members and educational experts resulting in a list of research priorities, then, in the second and third stages 99 and 76 questionnaires were distributed among faculty members. In the second phase, the final questionnaires were mailed to educational research center managers of universities type I, II and III, and were distributed among 311 academic members and educational experts to rate the items on a numerical scale ranging from 1 to 10. RESULTS: The most important research priorities included faculty members’ development methods, faculty members’ motives, satisfaction and welfare, criteria and procedures of faculty members’ promotion, teaching methods and learning techniques, job descriptions and professional skills of graduates, quality management in education, second language, clinical education, science production in medicine, faculty evaluation and information technology. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the medial education research priorities in national level and in different types of medical universities in Iran. It is recommended that faculty members and research administrators consider the needs and requirements of education and plan the researches in education according to these priorities. PMID:23248661

  13. Role of non-government organizations in engaging medical students in research.

    PubMed

    Manoranjan, Branavan; Dey, Ayan K; Wang, Xin; Kuzyk, Alexandra; Petticrew, Karen; Carruthers, Chris; Arnold, Ian

    2017-03-01

    The continued decline in medical trainees entering the workforce as clinician-scientists has elevated the need to engage medical students in research. While past studies have shown early exposure to generate interest among medical students for research and academic careers, financial constraints have limited the number of such formal research training programs. In light of recent government budget cuts to support research training for medical students, non-government organizations (NGOs) may play a progressively larger role in supporting the development of clinician-scientists. Since 2005, the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation has sponsored 621 Canadian medical student research projects, which represents the largest longitudinal data set of Canadian medical students engaged in research. We present the results of the pre- and post-research studentship questionnaires, program evaluation survey and the 5-year and 10-year follow-up questionnaires of past recipients. This paper provides insight into the role of NGOs as stakeholders in the training of clinician-scientists and evaluates the impact of such programs on the attitudes and career trajectory of medical students. While the problem of too few physicians entering academic and research-oriented careers continues to grow, alternative-funding strategies from NGOs may prove to be an effective approach in developing and maintaining medical student interest in research. Copyright © 2017 American Federation for Medical Research.

  14. Challenges for data storage in medical imaging research.

    PubMed

    Langer, Steve G

    2011-04-01

    Researchers in medical imaging have multiple challenges for storing, indexing, maintaining viability, and sharing their data. Addressing all these concerns requires a constellation of tools, but not all of them need to be local to the site. In particular, the data storage challenges faced by researchers can begin to require professional information technology skills. With limited human resources and funds, the medical imaging researcher may be better served with an outsourcing strategy for some management aspects. This paper outlines an approach to manage the main objectives faced by medical imaging scientists whose work includes processing and data mining on non-standard file formats, and relating those files to the their DICOM standard descendents. The capacity of the approach scales as the researcher's need grows by leveraging the on-demand provisioning ability of cloud computing.

  15. [Assessment of research papers in medical university staff evaluation].

    PubMed

    Zhou, Qing-hui

    2012-06-01

    Medical university staff evaluation is a substantial branch of education administration for medical university. Output number of research papers as a direct index reflecting the achievements in academic research, plays an important role in academic research evaluation. Another index, influence of the research paper, is an indirect index for academic research evaluation. This paper mainly introduced some commonly used indexes in evaluation of academic research papers currently, and analyzed the applicability and limitation of each index. The author regards that academic research evaluation in education administration, which is mainly based on evaluation of academic research papers, should combine the evaluation of journals where the papers are published with peer review of the papers, and integrate qualitative evaluation with quantitative evaluation, for the purpose of setting up an objective academic research evaluation system for medical university staff.

  16. Senator Arlen Specter: Backing Medical Research and Battling Lymphoma

    MedlinePlus

    ... Story: Leukemia/Lymphoma Senator Arlen Specter: Backing Medical Research and Battling Lymphoma Past Issues / Summer 2008 Table ... a long-time supporter and proponent of medical research. Recently, he underwent his second round of chemotherapy ...

  17. Development of an Asset Map of Medical Education Research Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christiaanse, Mary E.; Russell, Eleanor L.; Crandall, Sonia J.; Lambros, Ann; Manuel, Janeen C.; Kirk, Julienne K.

    2008-01-01

    Introduction: Medical education research is gaining recognition as scholarship within academic medical centers. This survey was conducted at a medium-sized academic medical center in the United States. The purpose of the study was to learn faculty interest in research in medical education, so assets could be used to develop educational scholarship…

  18. Race and Ethnic Group Differences in Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Chronic Medical Conditions.

    PubMed

    Watkins, Daphne C; Assari, Shervin; Johnson-Lawrence, Vicki

    2015-09-01

    This study tested whether race and ethnic group differences exist for lifetime major depressive disorder and/or general anxiety disorder with one or more chronic medical conditions. Data from the National Survey of American Life, which included 3570 African American, 1438 Caribbean Black, and 891 non-Hispanic White adults were analyzed. Outcomes included at least one and multiple chronic medical conditions, from a list of 14 medical conditions (e.g., arthritis, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke, heart disease, etc.). Logistic regressions were fitted to data to determine how the association between major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder, and one or more chronic medical conditions vary across race and ethnicity. Lifetime major depressive disorder (but not lifetime general anxiety disorder) was associated with at least one chronic medical condition among African Americans and Caribbean Blacks, but not non-Hispanic Whites. Lifetime major depressive disorder was similarly associated with multiple chronic medical conditions among African Americans, Caribbean Blacks, and non-Hispanic Whites. For Caribbean Blacks, stronger associations were found between major depressive disorder and general anxiety disorder with one or more chronic medical conditions compared to African Americans and non-Hispanic Whites. Findings suggest that race and ethnicity may shape the links between comorbid psychiatric disorders and chronic medical conditions. Mental health screening of individuals with chronic medical conditions in primary health-care settings may benefit from tailoring based on race and ethnicity. More research is needed to understand why associations between physical and mental health vary among race and ethnic groups.

  19. Stranger to friend enabler: creating a community of caring in African American research using ethnonursing methods.

    PubMed

    Plowden, K O; Wenger, A F

    2001-01-01

    African Americans are facing a serious health crisis. They are disproportionately affected by most chronic illnesses. The disparity among ethic groups as it relates to health and illness is related to psychosocial and biological factors within the African American culture. Many African Americans are sometimes reluctant to participate in studies. This article discusses the process of creating a caring community when conducting research within an African American community based on the experience of the authors with two faith communities in a southern metropolitan area in the United States. The process is identified as unknowing, reflection, presence, and knowing. The process is based on Leininger's theory of culture care diversity and universality and her stranger to friend enabler. When the theory and method are used, the investigator moves from a stranger within the community to a trusted friend and begins to collect rich and valuable data for analysis from the informants' point of view.

  20. [Title, abstract and keywords: essential issues in medical bibliographic research].

    PubMed

    Bonciu, Carmen

    2005-01-01

    Medical information, conveyed either by books, journal articles, conference and congress papers or posters, represents the product, the result of the medical research. Note that the informational cycle can be shown schematically as Bibliographic information --> Medical research --> Research results --> Bibliographic information. The result of the scientific research (articles, posters, etc.) re-enters the informational cycle, as bibliographic information for a new medical research. The bibliographic research is still a time, and effort consuming activity, despite the explosive growth of information technology. It requires specific medical, information technology and bibliographic knowledge. The present work aims to emphasize the importance of title, keywords and abstract terms selection, to article writing and publication in medical journals, and the proper choice of meta-information in web pages. The bibliographic research was made using two databases with English language information about articles from international medical journals: MEDLINE (PUBMED) and PROQUEST MEDICAL LIBRARY. The results were compared with GOOGLE and YAHOO search. These searching engines are common now in all types of Internet users (including researchers, librarians, etc.). It is essential for the researchers to know the article registration mechanism in a database and the modalities of bibliographic investigation of online databases, so that the title, keyword and abstract terms are selected properly. The use of words not related to the subject, in title, keywords or abstract, results in ambiguities. The writing and the translation of scientific words must also be accurate, mainly when article authors are non-native English speakers: e.g., chimiotherapy (sic)--20 articles in Medline, 270 articles in Google; morphopathology (sic)-- 78 articles in Medline, and 294 in Google; morphopatology (sic)--2 articles in Medline, and 12 articles in Google.

  1. From the NIH Director: The Value of Medical Research

    MedlinePlus

    ... to note that modern medical science, based on molecular biology, only began in earnest with the discovery of ... infancy of medical research. After 50 years of molecular biology and genetic research, we realize that you don' ...

  2. Status of national health research systems in ten countries of the WHO African Region.

    PubMed

    Kirigia, Joses M; Wambebe, Charles

    2006-10-19

    The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, in 1998, passed a resolution (AFR/RC48/R4) which urged its Member States in the Region to develop national research policies and strategies and to build national health research capacities, particularly through resource allocation, training of senior officials, strengthening of research institutions and establishment of coordination mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to take stock of some aspects of national resources for health research in the countries of the Region; identify current constraints facing national health research systems; and propose the way forward. A questionnaire was prepared and sent by pouch to all the 46 Member States in the WHO African Region through the WHO Country Representatives for facilitation and follow up. The health research focal person in each of the countries Ministry of Health (in consultation with other relevant health research bodies in the country) bore the responsibility for completing the questionnaire. The data were entered and analysed in Excel spreadsheet. The key findings were as follows: the response rate was 21.7% (10/46); three countries had a health research policy; one country reported that it had a law relating to health research; two countries had a strategic health research plan; three countries reported that they had a functional national health research system (NHRS); two countries confirmed the existence of a functional national health research management forum (NHRMF); six countries had a functional ethical review committee (ERC); five countries had a scientific review committee (SRC); five countries reported the existence of health institutions with institutional review committees (IRC); two countries had a health research programme; and three countries had a national health research institute (NHRI) and a faculty of health sciences in the national university that conducted health research. Four out of the ten countries reported that

  3. Status of national health research systems in ten countries of the WHO African Region

    PubMed Central

    Kirigia, Joses M; Wambebe, Charles

    2006-01-01

    Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, in 1998, passed a resolution (AFR/RC48/R4) which urged its Member States in the Region to develop national research policies and strategies and to build national health research capacities, particularly through resource allocation, training of senior officials, strengthening of research institutions and establishment of coordination mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to take stock of some aspects of national resources for health research in the countries of the Region; identify current constraints facing national health research systems; and propose the way forward. Methods A questionnaire was prepared and sent by pouch to all the 46 Member States in the WHO African Region through the WHO Country Representatives for facilitation and follow up. The health research focal person in each of the countries Ministry of Health (in consultation with other relevant health research bodies in the country) bore the responsibility for completing the questionnaire. The data were entered and analysed in Excel spreadsheet. Results The key findings were as follows: the response rate was 21.7% (10/46); three countries had a health research policy; one country reported that it had a law relating to health research; two countries had a strategic health research plan; three countries reported that they had a functional national health research system (NHRS); two countries confirmed the existence of a functional national health research management forum (NHRMF); six countries had a functional ethical review committee (ERC); five countries had a scientific review committee (SRC); five countries reported the existence of health institutions with institutional review committees (IRC); two countries had a health research programme; and three countries had a national health research institute (NHRI) and a faculty of health sciences in the national university that conducted health research. Four out of the ten

  4. Empirical research in medical ethics: how conceptual accounts on normative-empirical collaboration may improve research practice.

    PubMed

    Salloch, Sabine; Schildmann, Jan; Vollmann, Jochen

    2012-04-13

    The methodology of medical ethics during the last few decades has shifted from a predominant use of normative-philosophical analyses to an increasing involvement of empirical methods. The articles which have been published in the course of this so-called 'empirical turn' can be divided into conceptual accounts of empirical-normative collaboration and studies which use socio-empirical methods to investigate ethically relevant issues in concrete social contexts. A considered reference to normative research questions can be expected from good quality empirical research in medical ethics. However, a significant proportion of empirical studies currently published in medical ethics lacks such linkage between the empirical research and the normative analysis. In the first part of this paper, we will outline two typical shortcomings of empirical studies in medical ethics with regard to a link between normative questions and empirical data: (1) The complete lack of normative analysis, and (2) cryptonormativity and a missing account with regard to the relationship between 'is' and 'ought' statements. Subsequently, two selected concepts of empirical-normative collaboration will be presented and how these concepts may contribute to improve the linkage between normative and empirical aspects of empirical research in medical ethics will be demonstrated. Based on our analysis, as well as our own practical experience with empirical research in medical ethics, we conclude with a sketch of concrete suggestions for the conduct of empirical research in medical ethics. High quality empirical research in medical ethics is in need of a considered reference to normative analysis. In this paper, we demonstrate how conceptual approaches of empirical-normative collaboration can enhance empirical research in medical ethics with regard to the link between empirical research and normative analysis.

  5. African American and Black Caribbean Feelings of Closeness to Africans

    PubMed Central

    Thornton, Michael C.; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Chatters, Linda M.; Forsythe-Brown, Ivy

    2016-01-01

    African American and Black Caribbean relations dominate research on interactions across black ethnic divides. Using National Survey of American Life data, we explore a different aspect of black interethnic attitudes: how close these groups feel toward Africans. African Americans and Black Caribbeans were largely similar in their feelings of closeness to Africans. For Black Caribbeans, younger and male respondents, those reporting higher levels of financial strain, living in the northeast and persons who immigrated to the United States at least 11 years ago, report feeling especially close to Africans. Being male was the only significant correlate among African Americans. The findings are discussed in relation to how race, ethnicity and national origin shape personal identities within the U.S. and their significance for intergroup perceptions. These broader issues warrant further consideration in light of assertions that race as a defining feature of American life and intergroup relations is obsolete. PMID:28943747

  6. The UCAR Africa Initiative: Enabling African Solutions to African Needs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandya, R.; Bruintjes, R.; Foote, B.; Heck, S.; Hermann, S.; Hoswell, L.; Konate, M.; Kucera, P.; Laing, A.; Lamptey, B.; Moncrieff, M.; Ramamurthy, M.; Roberts, R.; Spangler, T.; Traoré, A.; Yoksas, T.; Warner, T.

    2007-12-01

    The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Africa Initiative (AI) is a coordinated effort aimed at building sustainable partnerships between UCAR and African institutions in order to pursue research and applications for the benefit of the African people. The initiative is based on four fundamental operating principles, concisely summarized by the overall philosophy of enabling African solutions to African needs. The four principles are: • Collaborate with African institutions • Focus on institutional capacity building and research support • Explore science research themes critical to Africa and important for the world • Leverage the research infrastructure in UCAR to add value These principles are realized in a set of pilot activities, chosen for their high probability of short-term results and ability to set the stage for longer-term collaboration. The three pilot activities are listed below. 1. A modest radar network and data-distribution system in Mali and Burkina Faso, including a data-sharing MOU between the Mail and Burkina Faso Weather Services. 2. A partnership among UCAR, the Ghana Meteorological Agency, and the Ghana university community to develop an operational Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for West Africa. The output is used by researchers and operational forecasters in Africa. Model output is also part of a demonstration project that aims to allow humanitarian agencies to share geo-referenced information in Africa via a web portal. 3. A workshop in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso from April 2-6, 2007, with the theme Improving Lives by Understanding Weather. The workshop, co-organized with Programme SAAGA and the Commité Permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte Contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS), included over 80 participants from 18 countries, and produced a set of recommendations for continued collaboration. Our presentation will provide an update of these pilot activities and point to future directions. Recognizing

  7. African Primary Care Research: Qualitative data analysis and writing results

    PubMed Central

    Govender, Indiran; Ogunbanjo, Gboyega A.; Mash, Bob

    2014-01-01

    Abstract This article is part of a series on African primary care research and gives practical guidance on qualitative data analysis and the presentation of qualitative findings. After an overview of qualitative methods and analytical approaches, the article focuses particularly on content analysis, using the framework method as an example. The steps of familiarisation, creating a thematic index, indexing, charting, interpretation and confirmation are described. Key concepts with regard to establishing the quality and trustworthiness of data analysis are described. Finally, an approach to the presentation of qualitative findings is given. PMID:26245437

  8. African Primary Care Research: qualitative data analysis and writing results.

    PubMed

    Mabuza, Langalibalele H; Govender, Indiran; Ogunbanjo, Gboyega A; Mash, Bob

    2014-06-05

    This article is part of a series on African primary care research and gives practical guidance on qualitative data analysis and the presentation of qualitative findings. After an overview of qualitative methods and analytical approaches, the article focuses particularly on content analysis, using the framework method as an example. The steps of familiarisation, creating a thematic index, indexing, charting, interpretation and confirmation are described. Key concepts with regard to establishing the quality and trustworthiness of data analysis are described. Finally, an approach to the presentation of qualitative findings is given.

  9. The ''Complex Reality'' of Research Capacity Development in Mathematics Education in Southern African Development Community Countries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Julie, Cyril; Mikalsen, Oyvind; Persens, Jan

    2005-01-01

    This paper explores how an aid-funded Ph.D.-programme in mathematics education instituted in some Southern African Development Community countries measures up to issues related to research capacity development projects. The research capacity development programme is described and reflected against mutual benefit, relevance, sustainability and…

  10. Statistical competencies for medical research learners: What is fundamental?

    PubMed

    Enders, Felicity T; Lindsell, Christopher J; Welty, Leah J; Benn, Emma K T; Perkins, Susan M; Mayo, Matthew S; Rahbar, Mohammad H; Kidwell, Kelley M; Thurston, Sally W; Spratt, Heidi; Grambow, Steven C; Larson, Joseph; Carter, Rickey E; Pollock, Brad H; Oster, Robert A

    2017-06-01

    It is increasingly essential for medical researchers to be literate in statistics, but the requisite degree of literacy is not the same for every statistical competency in translational research. Statistical competency can range from 'fundamental' (necessary for all) to 'specialized' (necessary for only some). In this study, we determine the degree to which each competency is fundamental or specialized. We surveyed members of 4 professional organizations, targeting doctorally trained biostatisticians and epidemiologists who taught statistics to medical research learners in the past 5 years. Respondents rated 24 educational competencies on a 5-point Likert scale anchored by 'fundamental' and 'specialized.' There were 112 responses. Nineteen of 24 competencies were fundamental. The competencies considered most fundamental were assessing sources of bias and variation (95%), recognizing one's own limits with regard to statistics (93%), identifying the strengths, and limitations of study designs (93%). The least endorsed items were meta-analysis (34%) and stopping rules (18%). We have identified the statistical competencies needed by all medical researchers. These competencies should be considered when designing statistical curricula for medical researchers and should inform which topics are taught in graduate programs and evidence-based medicine courses where learners need to read and understand the medical research literature.

  11. Cardiovascular Health in African Americans: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

    PubMed

    Carnethon, Mercedes R; Pu, Jia; Howard, George; Albert, Michelle A; Anderson, Cheryl A M; Bertoni, Alain G; Mujahid, Mahasin S; Palaniappan, Latha; Taylor, Herman A; Willis, Monte; Yancy, Clyde W

    2017-11-21

    Population-wide reductions in cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality have not been shared equally by African Americans. The burden of cardiovascular disease in the African American community remains high and is a primary cause of disparities in life expectancy between African Americans and whites. The objectives of the present scientific statement are to describe cardiovascular health in African Americans and to highlight unique considerations for disease prevention and management. The primary sources of information were identified with PubMed/Medline and online sources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The higher prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors (eg, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk) underlies the relatively earlier age of onset of cardiovascular diseases among African Americans. Hypertension in particular is highly prevalent among African Americans and contributes directly to the notable disparities in stroke, heart failure, and peripheral artery disease among African Americans. Despite the availability of effective pharmacotherapies and indications for some tailored pharmacotherapies for African Americans (eg, heart failure medications), disease management is less effective among African Americans, yielding higher mortality. Explanations for these persistent disparities in cardiovascular disease are multifactorial and span from the individual level to the social environment. The strategies needed to promote equity in the cardiovascular health of African Americans require input from a broad set of stakeholders, including clinicians and researchers from across multiple disciplines. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  12. The African Genome Variation Project shapes medical genetics in Africa

    PubMed Central

    Gurdasani, Deepti; Carstensen, Tommy; Tekola-Ayele, Fasil; Pagani, Luca; Tachmazidou, Ioanna; Hatzikotoulas, Konstantinos; Karthikeyan, Savita; Iles, Louise; Pollard, Martin O.; Choudhury, Ananyo; Ritchie, Graham R. S.; Xue, Yali; Asimit, Jennifer; Nsubuga, Rebecca N.; Young, Elizabeth H.; Pomilla, Cristina; Kivinen, Katja; Rockett, Kirk; Kamali, Anatoli; Doumatey, Ayo P.; Asiki, Gershim; Seeley, Janet; Sisay-Joof, Fatoumatta; Jallow, Muminatou; Tollman, Stephen; Mekonnen, Ephrem; Ekong, Rosemary; Oljira, Tamiru; Bradman, Neil; Bojang, Kalifa; Ramsay, Michele; Adeyemo, Adebowale; Bekele, Endashaw; Motala, Ayesha; Norris, Shane A.; Pirie, Fraser; Kaleebu, Pontiano; Kwiatkowski, Dominic; Tyler-Smith, Chris; Rotimi, Charles; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Sandhu, Manjinder S.

    2014-01-01

    Given the importance of Africa to studies of human origins and disease susceptibility, detailed characterisation of African genetic diversity is needed. The African Genome Variation Project (AGVP) provides a resource to help design, implement and interpret genomic studies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and worldwide. The AGVP represents dense genotypes from 1,481 and whole genome sequences (WGS) from 320 individuals across SSA. Using this resource, we find novel evidence of complex, regionally distinct hunter-gatherer and Eurasian admixture across SSA. We identify new loci under selection, including for malaria and hypertension. We show that modern imputation panels can identify association signals at highly differentiated loci across populations in SSA. Using WGS, we show further improvement in imputation accuracy supporting efforts for large-scale sequencing of diverse African haplotypes. Finally, we present an efficient genotype array design capturing common genetic variation in Africa, showing for the first time that such designs are feasible. PMID:25470054

  13. Proceedings of the African Pathologists Summit; March 22-23, 2013; Dakar, Senegal: a summary.

    PubMed

    2015-01-01

    This report presents the proceedings of the African Pathologists Summit, held under the auspices of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer. To deliberate on the challenges and constraints of the practice of pathology in Sub-Saharan Africa and the avenues for addressing them. Collaborating organizations included the American Society for Clinical Pathology; Association of Pathologists of Nigeria; British Division of the International Academy of Pathology; College of Pathologists of East, Central and Southern Africa; East African Division of the International Academy of Pathology; Friends of Africa-United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology Initiative; International Academy of Pathology; International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research; National Cancer Institute; National Health and Laboratory Service of South Africa; Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College; Royal College of Pathologists; West African Division of the International Academy of Pathology; and Faculty of Laboratory Medicine of the West African College of Physicians. Information on the status of the practice of pathology was based on the experience of the participants, who are current or past practitioners of pathology or are involved in pathology education and research in Sub-Saharan Africa. The deliberations were carried out through presentations and working discussion groups. The significant lack of professional and technical personnel, inadequate infrastructure, limited training opportunities, poor funding of pathology services in Sub-Saharan Africa, and their significant impact on patient care were noted. The urgency of addressing these issues was recognized, and the recommendations that were made are contained in this report.

  14. Research and Evaluation in Medical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferris, Helena A.; Collins, Mary E.

    2015-01-01

    The landscape of medical education is continuously evolving, as are the needs of the learner. The appropriate use of research and evaluation is key when assessing the need for change and instituting one's innovative endeavours. This paper demonstrates how research seeks to generate new knowledge, whereas evaluation uses information acquired from…

  15. Preliminary thoughts on research in medical humanities.

    PubMed

    Yun, Xiaojing; Guo, Jiawei; Qian, Haihong

    2017-05-23

    Medical humanities (MH) is an interdisciplinary field of medicine which includes the humanities (literature, philosophy, ethics, history, and religion), social sciences (anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, sociology, and health geography), and the arts (literature, theater, film, and visual arts) and their application to medical education and practice. Studies of MH should not be limited to theoretical discussions. Research results must be translated into use of methodologies to formulate medical policies, guide clinical practices, and help resolve physical or mental problems. MH has a critical role in addressing medicine-related issues, such as human cloning legislation and the treatment of Ebola virus infection. Recently, MH has also been included in the "Healthy China 2030" project, indicating that MH has garnered more attention in China. Medical colleges, research institutes, and non-profit organizations are focusing on MH studies. Over the past few years, financial support for MH studies has also increased. Although the development of MH currently lags behind medicine and health sciences, MH has promise.

  16. Growing Research Among Osteopathic Residents and Medical Students: A Consortium-Based Research Education Continuum Model.

    PubMed

    Brannan, Grace D

    2016-05-01

    In general, physicians' interest in research continues to be a challenge. The lack of research culture is more pronounced in the osteopathic medical profession, which is historically not research oriented. With increasing focus on evidence-based medicine and with the single accreditation system for graduate medical education in motion, growing research and scholarly activities among osteopathic physicians and students and residents becomes imperative. This article illustrates how an educational consortium, such as an osteopathic postdoctoral training institution, can play a pivotal role in creating a culture of research through broad-based training of medical students and residents.

  17. Ireland and medical research with minors: some medico-legal aspects.

    PubMed

    Sheikh, Asim A

    2008-07-01

    The practice of medical research with minors in Ireland consist of practices pertaining to therapeutic and non-therapeutic medical research. Clinical trials (a category of therapeutic research), is governed by legislation. However, any other therapeutic research (non-clinical trials research) and non-therapeutic research, e.g. observational medical research such as a longitudinal study of children or non-therapeutic research such as blood sample collection for analysis of cause of disease, are unregulated by legislation. This, article will outline and describe some of the medico-legal issues involved in both types of research and will comment on matters such as what national law exists, how the directive on good clinical practice has been implemented, what guidelines, if any, exist.

  18. The African Union and Conflict Management

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-03-02

    USAWC STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT THE AFRICAN UNION AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT by Lieutenant Colonel Flemming Mathiasen Royal Danish Army Colonel Patrick...AUTHOR: Lieutenant Colonel Flemming Mathiasen TITLE: The African Union and Conflict Management FORMAT: Strategy Research Project DATE: 2 March 2006...WORD COUNT: 5850 PAGES: 28 KEY TERMS: African Union, Africa, Conflict Management , Capabilities CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified Africa is a continent with a

  19. Empirical research in medical ethics: How conceptual accounts on normative-empirical collaboration may improve research practice

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The methodology of medical ethics during the last few decades has shifted from a predominant use of normative-philosophical analyses to an increasing involvement of empirical methods. The articles which have been published in the course of this so-called 'empirical turn' can be divided into conceptual accounts of empirical-normative collaboration and studies which use socio-empirical methods to investigate ethically relevant issues in concrete social contexts. Discussion A considered reference to normative research questions can be expected from good quality empirical research in medical ethics. However, a significant proportion of empirical studies currently published in medical ethics lacks such linkage between the empirical research and the normative analysis. In the first part of this paper, we will outline two typical shortcomings of empirical studies in medical ethics with regard to a link between normative questions and empirical data: (1) The complete lack of normative analysis, and (2) cryptonormativity and a missing account with regard to the relationship between 'is' and 'ought' statements. Subsequently, two selected concepts of empirical-normative collaboration will be presented and how these concepts may contribute to improve the linkage between normative and empirical aspects of empirical research in medical ethics will be demonstrated. Based on our analysis, as well as our own practical experience with empirical research in medical ethics, we conclude with a sketch of concrete suggestions for the conduct of empirical research in medical ethics. Summary High quality empirical research in medical ethics is in need of a considered reference to normative analysis. In this paper, we demonstrate how conceptual approaches of empirical-normative collaboration can enhance empirical research in medical ethics with regard to the link between empirical research and normative analysis. PMID:22500496

  20. Resisting Dominant Discourses: Implications of Indigenous, African Feminist Theory and Methods for Gender and Education Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chilisa, Bagele; Ntseane, Gabo

    2010-01-01

    In this paper we explore tensions between Western gender theory and research, and post-colonial and indigenous feminist standpoints, which challenge us to re-define our roles as feminist-activist educators and researchers working with formerly colonised and historically marginalised communities. We discuss how African and Black feminist approaches…

  1. Biomedical research, a tool to address the health issues that affect African populations

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Traditionally, biomedical research endeavors in low to middle resources countries have focused on communicable diseases. However, data collected over the past 20 years by the World Health Organization (WHO) show a significant increase in the number of people suffering from non-communicable diseases (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, cancer and pulmonary diseases). Within the coming years, WHO predicts significant decreases in communicable diseases while non-communicable diseases are expected to double in low and middle income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The predicted increase in the non-communicable diseases population could be economically burdensome for the basic healthcare infrastructure of countries that lack resources to address this emerging disease burden. Biomedical research could stimulate development of healthcare and biomedical infrastructure. If this development is sustainable, it provides an opportunity to alleviate the burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases through diagnosis, prevention and treatment. In this paper, we discuss how research using biomedical technology, especially genomics, has produced data that enhances the understanding and treatment of both communicable and non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. We further discuss how scientific development can provide opportunities to pursue research areas responsive to the African populations. We limit our discussion to biomedical research in the areas of genomics due to its substantial impact on the scientific community in recent years however, we also recognize that targeted investments in other scientific disciplines could also foster further development in African countries. PMID:24143865

  2. Inclination towards research and the pursuit of a research career among medical students: an international cohort study.

    PubMed

    Ha, Tam Cam; Ng, Sheryl; Chen, Cynthia; Yong, Sook Kwin; Koh, Gerald C H; Tan, Say Beng; Malhotra, Rahul; Altermatt, Fernando; Seim, Arnfinn; Biderman, Aya; Woolley, Torres; Østbye, Truls

    2018-05-02

    Involvement of clinicians in biomedical research is imperative for the future of healthcare. Several factors influence clinicians' inclination towards research: the medical school experience, exposure to research article reading and writing, and knowledge of research. This cohort study follows up medical students at time of graduation to explore changes in their inclination towards research and pursuing a research career compared to their inclination at time of entry into medical school. Students from medical schools in six different countries were enrolled in their first year of school and followed-up upon graduation in their final year. Students answered the same self-administered questionnaire at both time points. Changes in inclination towards research and pursuing a research career were assessed. Factors correlated with these changes were analysed. Of the 777 medical students who responded to the study questionnaire at entry into medical school, 332 (42.7%) completed the follow-up survey. Among these 332 students, there was no significant increase in inclination towards research or pursuing a research career over the course of their medical schooling. Students from a United States based school, in contrast to those from schools other countries, were more likely to report having research role models to guide them (51.5% vs. 0%-26.4%) and to have published in a peer-reviewed journal (75.7% vs. 8.9%-45%). Absence of a role model was significantly associated with a decrease in inclination towards research, while an increased desire to learn more about statistics was significantly associated with an increase in inclination towards pursuing a research career. Most medical students did not experience changes in their inclination towards research or pursuing a research career over the course of their medical schooling. Factors that increased their inclination to undertaking research or pursuing a research career were availability of a good role model, and a good

  3. [Significance of COI disclosure in medical research in Japan].

    PubMed

    Sone, Saburo

    2011-11-01

    In medical research, remarkable increase in collaboration with industry, public organizations such as universities, research institutions, and academic societies makes researchers to be more deeply involved with the activities of commercial entities. Activities of education and research, which are the responsibilities of academic institutions and societies, conflict with the interests of individuals associated with industrial-academic collaboration. Management of such conflict of interest (COI) is of much importance for academic institutions and societies to appropriately promote industrial-academic collaborative activities. Particularly, participation not only by healthy individuals, but also patients, is essential in the medical field as subjects of clinical research. For those involved in medical research, the deeper the level of COI with commercial entities, who are the financial or benefit provider, becomes serious, the more human rights of subjects could be violated, safety of life could be endangered, and research methods, data analysis and interpretation of results could be distorted. It is also possible that research may be unfairly evaluated or not published, even if the results are accurate, sometimes resulting in the ascertained effects of reporting bias included the overestimation of efficacy and the underestimation of safety risks of interventions. According to the COI management guideline of the Japanese Association of Medical Science (JAMS), significance of COI management is discussed.

  4. Medical and biomedical research productivity from Palestine, 2002 - 2011.

    PubMed

    Sweileh, Waleed M; Zyoud, Sa'ed H; Sawalha, Ansam F; Abu-Taha, Adham; Hussein, Ayman; Al-Jabi, Samah W

    2013-02-02

    Medical research productivity reflects the level of medical education and practice in a particular country. The objective of this study was to examine the quantity and quality of medical and biomedical research published from Palestine. Comprehensive review of the literature indexed by Scopus was conducted. Data from Jan 01, 2002 till December 31, 2011 was searched for authors affiliated with Palestine or Palestinian authority. Results were refined to limit the search to medical and biomedical subjects. The quality of publication was assessed using Journal Citation Report. The total number of publications was 2207. A total of 770 publications were in the medical and biomedical subject areas. The annual rate of publication was 0.077 articles per gross domestic product/capita. The 770 publications have an h-index of 32. One hundred and thirty eight (18%) articles were published in 46 journals that were not indexed in the web of knowledge. Twenty two (22/770; 2.9%) articles were published in journals with an IF > 10. The quantity and quality of research originating from Palestinian institutions is promising given the scarce resources of Palestine. However, more effort is needed to bridge the gap in medical research productivity and to promote better health in Palestine.

  5. Applied Research Centres at South African Universities. The Relationship between 'Base' Internal Structures and Network 'Superstructures'

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, David

    2005-01-01

    This article considers the way in which applied research centres and units at South African higher education institutions enhance their networks with industry, government and community organizations. The findings from 12 case studies of research groupings at higher education institutions in Cape Town support the author's argument for a more…

  6. South-South medical tourism and the quest for health in Southern Africa.

    PubMed

    Crush, Jonathan; Chikanda, Abel

    2015-01-01

    Intra-regional South-South medical tourism is a vastly understudied subject despite its significance in many parts of the Global South. This paper takes issue with the conventional notion of South Africa purely as a high-end "surgeon and safari" destination for medical tourists from the Global North. It argues that South-South movement to South Africa for medical treatment is far more significant, numerically and financially, than North-South movement. The general lack of access to medical diagnosis and treatment in SADC countries has led to a growing temporary movement of people across borders to seek help at South African institutions in border towns and in the major cities. These movements are both formal (institutional) and informal (individual) in nature. In some cases, patients go to South Africa for procedures that are not offered in their own countries. In others, patients are referred by doctors and hospitals to South African facilities. But the majority of the movement is motivated by lack of access to basic healthcare at home. The high demand and large informal flow of patients from countries neighbouring South Africa has prompted the South African government to try and formalise arrangements for medical travel to its public hospitals and clinics through inter-country agreements in order to recover the cost of treating non-residents. The danger, for 'disenfranchised' medical tourists who fall outside these agreements, is that medical xenophobia in South Africa may lead to increasing exclusion and denial of treatment. Medical tourism in this region and South-South medical tourism in general are areas that require much additional research. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. The research imperative revisited: considerations for advancing the debate surrounding medical research as moral imperative.

    PubMed

    Wayne, Katherine; Glass, Kathleen Cranley

    2010-01-01

    Medical research is frequently regarded as not only laudable, but even obligatory. However, the moral foundation for such an obligation is far from clear. Lively debate concerning the viability of an obligation to conduct and support medical research is transpiring among a small number of scholars speaking from a variety of backgrounds, yet the current discussion is predominantly situated within several discrete academic and professional circles, allowing only sporadic engagement within and between scholarly disciplines and the medical realm. We aim to lay the groundwork for a focused critique of the "research imperative" by examining (1) its commitments within ideologies of science, medicine, and progress: and (2) its normative theoretical underpinnings. Our analysis finds no solid grounding for the research imperative and exposes problems in the attitudes and arguments supporting it. We believe these concerns present compelling reasons for devoting greater critical attention to the research imperative and to the morality of the medical research enterprise as a whole.

  8. Study shows aspirin reduces the risk and recurrence of prostate cancer in African-American men | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    African-American men who take a daily dose of aspirin experience a significantly lower risk of developing advanced prostate cancer – the aggressive and deadly form of the disease – than African-American men who do not regularly use aspirin, according to a study from the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis. Learn more...

  9. Health Care Information in African-American Churches

    PubMed Central

    Harmon, Brook E.; Kim, Sei-Hill; Blake, Christine E.; Hébert, James R.

    2014-01-01

    Churches are a trusted resource in African American communities; however, little is known about their presentation of health care information. This study characterized health care information disseminated by 11 African American churches. Content analysis conducted on print media systematically collected over one year used a coding scheme with .77 intercoder reliability. Health care information was identified in 243 items and represented three topics (screening, medical services, health insurance). Screening was the most common topic (n=156), flyers/handouts most often used (n=90), and the church the most common source (n=71). Using chi-square tests, information was assessed over time with health insurance information showing a statistically significant increase (χ2=6.08, p <.05). Study churches provided health care information at varying levels of detail with most coming from church and community publications. Future research should examine additional characteristics of health care information, its presence in other churches and community settings, and how exposure influences behaviors. PMID:24509024

  10. Highlights in emergency medicine medical education research: 2008.

    PubMed

    Farrell, Susan E; Coates, Wendy C; Khun, Gloria J; Fisher, Jonathan; Shayne, Philip; Lin, Michelle

    2009-12-01

    The purpose of this article is to highlight medical education research studies published in 2008 that were methodologically superior and whose outcomes were pertinent to teaching and education in emergency medicine. Through a PubMed search of the English language literature in 2008, 30 medical education research studies were independently identified as hypothesis-testing investigations and measurements of educational interventions. Six reviewers independently rated and scored all articles based on eight anchors, four of which related to methodologic criteria. Articles were ranked according to their total rating score. A ranking agreement among the reviewers of 83% was established a priori as a minimum for highlighting articles in this review. Five medical education research studies met the a priori criteria for inclusion and are reviewed and summarized here. Four of these employed experimental or quasi-experimental methodology. Although technology was not a component of the structured literature search employed to identify the candidate articles for this review, 14 of the articles identified, including four of the five highlighted articles, employed or studied technology as a focus of the educational research. Overall, 36% of the reviewed studies were supported by funding; three of the highlighted articles were funded studies. This review highlights quality medical education research studies published in 2008, with outcomes of relevance to teaching and education in emergency medicine. It focuses on research methodology, notes current trends in the use of technology for learning in emergency medicine, and suggests future avenues for continued rigorous study in education.

  11. Developing research criteria to define medical necessity in emergency medical services.

    PubMed

    Cone, David C; Schmidt, Terri A; Mann, N Clay; Brown, Lawrence

    2004-01-01

    "The Neely Conference: Developing Research Criteria to Define Medical Necessity in EMS" convened emergency medical services (EMS) physicians, researchers, administrators, providers, and federal agency representatives to begin the development of a set of uniform triage criteria and outcome measures that could be used to study and evaluate medical necessity among EMS patients. These standardized criteria might be used in research studies examining EMS dispatch and response (e.g., dispatch triage protocols, alternative response configurations), and EMS treatment and transport (e.g., field triage protocols, alternative care destinations). The conference process included review and analysis of the literature, expert judgment, and consensus building. There was general agreement on the following: 1. Any dispatch triage or field triage system that is developed must be designed to offer patients alternatives to EMS, not to refuse care to patients. 2. It is theoretically possible to develop a set of clinical criteria for need. Some groups of patients will clearly need a traditional EMS response and other groups will not, but this has yet to be defined. 3. In addition to clinical criteria, certain social and other nonclinical criteria such as pain or potential abuse may be used to justify a response. 4. Communication barriers, patient age, special needs, and other conditions complicate patient assessment but should not exclude patients from consideration for alternate triage or transport. 5. These research questions are important, and standard sets of outcome measures are needed so that different studies and innovative programs can be compared.

  12. Data repositories for medical education research: issues and recommendations.

    PubMed

    Schwartz, Alan; Pappas, Cleo; Sandlow, Leslie J

    2010-05-01

    The authors explore issues surrounding digital repositories with the twofold intention of clarifying their creation, structure, content, and use, and considering the implementation of a global digital repository for medical education research data sets-an online site where medical education researchers would be encouraged to deposit their data in order to facilitate the reuse and reanalysis of the data by other researchers. By motivating data sharing and reuse, investigators, medical schools, and other stakeholders might see substantial benefits to their own endeavors and to the progress of the field of medical education.The authors review digital repositories in medicine, social sciences, and education, describe the contents and scope of repositories, and present extant examples. The authors describe the potential benefits of a medical education data repository and report results of a survey of the Society for Directors of Research in Medicine Education, in which participants responded to questions about data sharing and a potential data repository. Respondents strongly endorsed data sharing, with the caveat that principal investigators should choose whether or not to share data they collect. A large majority believed that a repository would benefit their unit and the field of medical education. Few reported using existing repositories. Finally, the authors consider challenges to the establishment of such a repository, including taxonomic organization, intellectual property concerns, human subjects protection, technological infrastructure, and evaluation standards. The authors conclude with recommendations for how a medical education data repository could be successfully developed.

  13. Symposium 'Methodology in Medical Education Research' organised by the Methodology in Medical Education Research Committee of the German Society of Medical Education May, 25th to 26th 2013 at Charité, Berlin.

    PubMed

    Schüttpelz-Brauns, Katrin; Kiessling, Claudia; Ahlers, Olaf; Hautz, Wolf E

    2015-01-01

    In 2013, the Methodology in Medical Education Research Committee ran a symposium on "Research in Medical Education" as part of its ongoing faculty development activities. The symposium aimed to introduce to participants educational research methods with a specific focus on research in medical education. Thirty-five participants were able to choose from workshops covering qualitative methods, quantitative methods and scientific writing throughout the one and a half days. The symposium's evaluation showed participant satisfaction with the format as well as suggestions for future improvement. Consequently, the committee will offer the symposium again in a modified form in proximity to the next annual Congress of the German Society of Medical Education.

  14. The formation of a medical student research committee and its impact on involvement in departmental research.

    PubMed

    Schexnayder, Stuart; Starring, Hunter; Fury, Matt; Mora, Arthur; Leonardi, Claudia; Dasa, Vinod

    2018-12-01

    Over the past ten years, medical students have increased their research activity to be competitive for orthopaedic residency positions throughout the country. This increase may favor students at institutions with a strong history of research production and well-established research departments with supporting staff. To compete with these institutions, a Musculoskeletal Research Committee was developed at a southern academic institution to provide a mutually beneficial link between orthopaedic research faculty and medical students. This manuscript describes the formation of this committee and the resultant involvement of young medical students in departmental research over a one year period. Composed of students and faculty, the committee developed a Research Guide for Medical Students, Research Database and Student List, Medical Students' Webpage, and Routing Form, and holds quarterly meetings for those students active in orthopaedic research. With this platform, the committee aimed to increase young student involvement in research and provide a stratified level of study participation among upper-level students for continued mentorship. In one calendar year, the total number of first and second-year students participating in department research increased 460% (5 to 28). Also, the total number of research projects with student involvement from these two classes increased 780% (5 to 44). The introduction of a research committee is an effective method of stimulating student interest in departmental research. Early participation results are promising, and this method may be applicable to other departments and institutions hoping to increase research productivity. IRB: Institutional Review Board.

  15. Setting priorities for research in medical nutrition education: an international approach.

    PubMed

    Ball, Lauren; Barnes, Katelyn; Laur, Celia; Crowley, Jennifer; Ray, Sumantra

    2016-12-14

    To identify the research priorities for medical nutrition education worldwide. A 5-step stakeholder engagement process based on methodological guidelines for identifying research priorities in health. 277 individuals were identified as representatives for 30 different stakeholder organisations across 86 countries. The stakeholder organisations represented the views of medical educators, medical students, doctors, patients and researchers in medical education. Each stakeholder representative was asked to provide up to three research questions that should be deemed as a priority for medical nutrition education. Research questions were critically appraised for answerability, sustainability, effectiveness, potential for translation and potential to impact on disease burden. A blinded scoring system was used to rank the appraised questions, with higher scores indicating higher priority (range of scores possible 36-108). 37 submissions were received, of which 25 were unique research questions. Submitted questions received a range of scores from 62 to 106 points. The highest scoring questions focused on (1) increasing the confidence of medical students and doctors in providing nutrition care to patients, (2) clarifying the essential nutrition skills doctors should acquire, (3) understanding the effectiveness of doctors at influencing dietary behaviours and (4) improving medical students' attitudes towards the importance of nutrition. These research questions can be used to ensure future projects in medical nutrition education directly align with the needs and preferences of research stakeholders. Funders should consider these priorities in their commissioning of research. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  16. Systematic reviews in context: highlighting systematic reviews relevant to Africa in the Pan African Medical Journal.

    PubMed

    Wiysonge, Charles Shey; Kamadjeu, Raoul; Tsague, Landry

    2016-01-01

    contribute in enhancing the value of research in Africa, the Pan African Medical Journal will start a new regular column that will highlight priority systematic reviews relevant to the continent.

  17. Research trends in studies of medical students’ characteristics: a scoping review

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate domestic and international research trends in studies of medical students’ characteristics by using the scoping review methods. This study adopted the scoping review to assess papers on the characteristics of medical students. The procedure of research was carried out according to the five steps of the scoping review. The full texts of 100 papers are obtained and are read closely, after which suitable 88 papers are extracted by us for this research. The review is mapped by the year of the study, source, location, author, research design, research subject, objective, and key results. The frequency is analyzed by using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. We found 70 papers (79.5%) on a single medical school, 15 (17.0%) on multiple medical schools, and three (3.4%) on mixed schools, including medical and nonmedical schools. Sixty-nine (79.5%) were cross-sectional studies and 18 (20.5%) were longitudinal studies. Eighty-two papers (93.2%) adopted questionnaire surveys. We summarized research trends of studies on medical students in Korea and overseas by topic, and mapped them into physical health, mental health, psychological characteristics, cognitive characteristics, social characteristics, and career. This study provides insights into the future directions of research for the characteristics of medical students. PMID:28870017

  18. Research trends in studies of medical students' characteristics: a scoping review.

    PubMed

    Jung, Sung Soo; Park, Kwi Hwa; Roh, HyeRin; Yune, So Jung; Lee, Geon Ho; Chun, Kyunghee

    2017-09-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate domestic and international research trends in studies of medical students' characteristics by using the scoping review methods. This study adopted the scoping review to assess papers on the characteristics of medical students. The procedure of research was carried out according to the five steps of the scoping review. The full texts of 100 papers are obtained and are read closely, after which suitable 88 papers are extracted by us for this research. The review is mapped by the year of the study, source, location, author, research design, research subject, objective, and key results. The frequency is analyzed by using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. We found 70 papers (79.5%) on a single medical school, 15 (17.0%) on multiple medical schools, and three (3.4%) on mixed schools, including medical and nonmedical schools. Sixty-nine (79.5%) were cross-sectional studies and 18 (20.5%) were longitudinal studies. Eighty-two papers (93.2%) adopted questionnaire surveys. We summarized research trends of studies on medical students in Korea and overseas by topic, and mapped them into physical health, mental health, psychological characteristics, cognitive characteristics, social characteristics, and career. This study provides insights into the future directions of research for the characteristics of medical students.

  19. Antarctica: a review of recent medical research.

    PubMed

    Olson, James J

    2002-10-01

    This article reviews recent developments and areas of research in Antarctic medical science. Nineteen nations are part of the Antarctic treaty and undertake research programmes in Antarctica. Medical science is a small but important part of these programmes. Areas that have been studied include aspects of cold physiology, ultraviolet light effects, endocrine changes (including polar T3 syndrome), alterations in immune function, chronobiology, psychology, microbiology, epidemiology and telemedicine. Antarctica has been recognized as the closest thing on Earth to a testing ground for aspects of space exploration and as such has been termed a space analogue.

  20. Improving Defense Health Program Medical Research Processes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-08-08

    needed for DHP medical research , such as the Army’s Clinical and Translational Research Program Office, 38 the Navy’s Research Methods Training Program... research stated, “key infrastructure for a learning health system will encompass three core elements: data networks, methods , and workforce.” 221 A 2012... Research Methods Training Program, 132 which will be further discussed in Appendix D.2. AIR FORCE Air Force Instruction 40-402, Protection of

  1. Qualitative interviews in medical research.

    PubMed Central

    Britten, N.

    1995-01-01

    Much qualitative research is interview based, and this paper provides an outline of qualitative interview techniques and their application in medical settings. It explains the rationale for these techniques and shows how they can be used to research kinds of questions that are different from those dealt with by quantitative methods. Different types of qualitative interviews are described, and the way in which they differ from clinical consultations is emphasised. Practical guidance for conducting such interviews is given. Images p252-a PMID:7627048

  2. Transportation-related barriers to care among African American women living with HIV/AIDS: “What you getting out of the cab for?”

    PubMed Central

    Evans, Shenell D.; Williams, Bryman E.

    2015-01-01

    Transportation-related problems have been consistently reported as barriers to accessing and remaining in HIV medical care, particularly among African American women living in under-resourced areas. With emphasis on the Southern region of the United States, this commentary presents a brief overview of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among African Americans, barriers to remaining in HIV care, and pilot data from a study conducted among African American women living in Mississippi. A small focus group study was conducted to examine the relative influence of transportation-related barriers on attendance and motivation to attend HIV medical care appointments. Eight African American women (mean age of 43.50, SD = 10.82) who were engaged in medical care participated in one focus group session. Time since diagnosis ranged from 6 to 17 years. Participants reported transportation-related barriers that were generally consistent with previous research, including lack of personal transportation, limited financial resources to pay family and friends for transportation or gasoline, and inconveniences associated with sharing van services with other patients. Participants appeared to have learned how to successfully navigate these barriers in order to remain in care. Interestingly, participants reported significant fear of disclosure related to use of transportation services provided by insurance providers and community organizations. Specifically, many of the women indicated that family, friends, and neighbors questioned them about where they were going and why they used taxis. These types of encounters might influence whether individuals utilize available transportation services. Participants provided several recommendations for improving the transportation system. Additional research is warranted to obtain a more representative sampling of opinions among African American women living in under-resourced areas. PMID:26523160

  3. A bibliometric analysis of natural language processing in medical research.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xieling; Xie, Haoran; Wang, Fu Lee; Liu, Ziqing; Xu, Juan; Hao, Tianyong

    2018-03-22

    Natural language processing (NLP) has become an increasingly significant role in advancing medicine. Rich research achievements of NLP methods and applications for medical information processing are available. It is of great significance to conduct a deep analysis to understand the recent development of NLP-empowered medical research field. However, limited study examining the research status of this field could be found. Therefore, this study aims to quantitatively assess the academic output of NLP in medical research field. We conducted a bibliometric analysis on NLP-empowered medical research publications retrieved from PubMed in the period 2007-2016. The analysis focused on three aspects. Firstly, the literature distribution characteristics were obtained with a statistics analysis method. Secondly, a network analysis method was used to reveal scientific collaboration relations. Finally, thematic discovery and evolution was reflected using an affinity propagation clustering method. There were 1405 NLP-empowered medical research publications published during the 10 years with an average annual growth rate of 18.39%. 10 most productive publication sources together contributed more than 50% of the total publications. The USA had the highest number of publications. A moderately significant correlation between country's publications and GDP per capita was revealed. Denny, Joshua C was the most productive author. Mayo Clinic was the most productive affiliation. The annual co-affiliation and co-country rates reached 64.04% and 15.79% in 2016, respectively. 10 main great thematic areas were identified including Computational biology, Terminology mining, Information extraction, Text classification, Social medium as data source, Information retrieval, etc. CONCLUSIONS: A bibliometric analysis of NLP-empowered medical research publications for uncovering the recent research status is presented. The results can assist relevant researchers, especially newcomers in

  4. Perceived Social Standing, Medication Nonadherence, and Systolic Blood Pressure in the Rural South.

    PubMed

    Cummings, Doyle M; Wu, Jia-Rong; Cene, Crystal; Halladay, Jacquie; Donahue, Katrina E; Hinderliter, Alan; Miller, Cassandra; Garcia, Beverly; Penn, Dolly; Tillman, Jim; DeWalt, Darren

    2016-01-01

    Little is known about how perceived social standing versus traditional socioeconomic characteristics influence medication adherence and blood pressure (BP) among African American and white patients with hypertension in the rural southeastern United States. Perceived social standing, socioeconomic characteristics, self-reported antihypertensive medication adherence, and BP were measured at baseline in a cohort of rural African American and white patients (n = 495) with uncontrolled hypertension attending primary care practices. Multivariate models examined the relationship of perceived social standing and socioeconomic indicators with medication adherence and systolic BP. Medication nonadherence was reported by 40% of patients. Younger age [β = 0.20; P = .001], African American race [β = -0.30; P = .03], and lower perceived social standing [β = 0.08; P = .002] but not sex or traditional socioeconomic characteristics including education and household income, were significantly associated with lower medication adherence. Race-specific analyses revealed that this pattern was limited to African Americans and not observed in whites. In stepwise modeling, older age [β = 0.57, P = .001], African American race [β = 4.4; P = .03], and lower medication adherence [β = -1.7, P = .01] but not gender, education, or household income, were significantly associated with higher systolic BP. Lower perceived social standing and age, but not traditional socioeconomic characteristics, were significantly associated with lower medication adherence in African Americans. Lower medication adherence was associated with higher systolic BP. These findings suggest the need for tailored, culturally relevant medication adherence interventions in rural communities. © 2015 National Rural Health Association.

  5. Needles and Haystacks: Finding Funding for Medical Education Research.

    PubMed

    Gruppen, Larry D; Durning, Steven J

    2016-04-01

    Medical education research suffers from a significant and persistent lack of funding. Although adequate funding has been shown to improve the quality of research, there are a number of factors that continue to limit it. The competitive environment for medical education research funding makes it essential to understand strategies for improving the search for funding sources and the preparation of proposals. This article offers a number of resources, strategies, and suggestions for finding funding. Investigators must be able to frame their research in the context of significant issues and principles in education. They must set their proposed work in the context of prior work and demonstrate its potential for significant new contributions. Because there are few funding sources earmarked for medical education research, researchers much also be creative, flexible, and adaptive as they seek to present their ideas in ways that are appealing and relevant to the goals of funders. Above all, the search for funding requires persistence and perseverance.

  6. Fostering research skills in undergraduate medical students through mentored students projects: example from an Indian medical school.

    PubMed

    Devi, V; Abraham, R R; Adiga, A; Ramnarayan, K; Kamath, A

    2010-01-01

    Healthcare decision-making is largely reliant on evidence-based medicine; building skills in scientific reasoning and thinking among medical students becomes an important part of medical education. Medical students in India have no formal path to becoming physicians, scientists or academicians. This study examines students' perceptions regarding research skills improvement after participating in the Mentored Student Project programme at Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Campus, India. Additionally, this paper describes the initiatives taken for the continual improvement of the Mentored Student Project programme based on faculty and student perspectives. At Melaka Manipal Medical College, Mentored Student Project was implemented in the curriculum during second year of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme with the intention of developing research skills essential to the career development of medical students. The study design was cross-sectional. To inculcate the spirit of team work students were grouped (n=3 to 5) and each group was asked to select a research project. The students' research projects were guided by their mentors. A questionnaire (Likert's five point scale) on students' perceptions regarding improvement in research skills after undertaking projects and guidance received from the mentor was administered to medical students after they had completed their Mentored Student Project. The responses of students were summarised using percentages. The median grade with inter-quartile range was reported for each item in the questionnaire. The median grade for all the items related to perceptions regarding improvement in research skills was 4 which reflected that the majority of the students felt that Mentored Student Project had improved their research skills. The problems encountered by the students during Mentored Student Project were related to time management for the Mentored Student Project and mentors. This study shows that students

  7. Symposium 'methodology in medical education research' organised by the Methodology in Medical Education Research Committee of the German Society of Medical Education May, 25th to 26th 2013 at Charité, Berlin

    PubMed Central

    Schüttpelz-Brauns, Katrin; Kiessling, Claudia; Ahlers, Olaf; Hautz, Wolf E.

    2015-01-01

    In 2013, the Methodology in Medical Education Research Committee ran a symposium on “Research in Medical Education” as part of its ongoing faculty development activities. The symposium aimed to introduce to participants educational research methods with a specific focus on research in medical education. Thirty-five participants were able to choose from workshops covering qualitative methods, quantitative methods and scientific writing throughout the one and a half days. The symposium’s evaluation showed participant satisfaction with the format as well as suggestions for future improvement. Consequently, the committee will offer the symposium again in a modified form in proximity to the next annual Congress of the German Society of Medical Education. PMID:25699106

  8. Genetic Engineering of Animals for Medical Research: Students' Views.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Ruaraidh; Stanisstreet, Martin; O'Sullivan, Helen; Boyes, Edward

    1999-01-01

    Reports on the results of a survey meant to ascertain the views of 16- to 18-year-old students (n=778) on using animals in medical research. Suggests that students have no greater objection to the use of genetically engineered animals over naturally bred animals in medical research. Contains 16 references. (Author/WRM)

  9. Medical Researchers' Ancillary Care Obligations: The Relationship-Based Approach.

    PubMed

    Olson, Nate W

    2016-06-01

    In this article, I provide a new account of the basis of medical researchers' ancillary care obligations. Ancillary care in medical research, or medical care that research participants need but that is not required for the validity or safety of a study or to redress research injuries, is a topic that has drawn increasing attention in research ethics over the last ten years. My view, the relationship-based approach, improves on the main existing theory, Richardson and Belsky's 'partial-entrustment model', by avoiding its problematic restriction on the scope of health needs for which researchers could be obligated to provide ancillary care. Instead, it grounds ancillary care obligations in a wide range of morally relevant features of the researcher-participant relationship, including the level of engagement between researchers and participants, and weighs these factors against each other. I argue that the level of engagement, that is, the duration and intensity of interactions, between researchers and participants matters for ancillary care because of its connection to the meaningfulness of a relationship, and I suggest that other morally relevant features can be grounded in researchers' role obligations. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Collaborative research in medical education: a discussion of theory and practice.

    PubMed

    O'Sullivan, Patricia S; Stoddard, Hugh A; Kalishman, Summers

    2010-12-01

    Medical education researchers are inherently collaborators. This paper presents a discussion of theoretical frameworks, issues and challenges around collaborative research to prepare medical education researchers to enter into successful collaborations. It gives emphasis to the conceptual issues associated with collaborative research and applies these to medical education research. Although not a systematic literature review, the paper provides a rich discussion of issues which medical education researchers might consider when undertaking collaborative studies. Building on the work of others, we have classified collaborative research in three dimensions according to: the number of administrative units represented; the number of academic fields present, and the manner in which knowledge is created. Although some literature on collaboration focuses on the more traditional positivist perspective and emphasises outcomes, other literature comes from the constructivist framework, in which research is not driven by hypotheses and the approaches emphasised, but by the interaction between investigator and subject. Collaborations are more effective when participants overtly clarify their motivations, values, definitions of appropriate data and accepted methodologies. These should be agreed upon prior to commencing a study. The way we currently educate researchers should be restructured if we want them to be able to undertake interdisciplinary research. Despite calls for researchers to be educated differently, most training programmes for developing researchers have demonstrated a limited, if not contrary, response to these calls. Collaborative research in medical education should be driven by the problem being investigated, by the new knowledge gained and by the interpersonal interactions that may be achieved. Success rests on recognising that many of the research problems we, as medical educators, address are fundamentally interdisciplinary in nature. This represents a

  11. A Multiagent System for Dynamic Data Aggregation in Medical Research

    PubMed Central

    Urovi, Visara; Barba, Imanol; Aberer, Karl; Schumacher, Michael Ignaz

    2016-01-01

    The collection of medical data for research purposes is a challenging and long-lasting process. In an effort to accelerate and facilitate this process we propose a new framework for dynamic aggregation of medical data from distributed sources. We use agent-based coordination between medical and research institutions. Our system employs principles of peer-to-peer network organization and coordination models to search over already constructed distributed databases and to identify the potential contributors when a new database has to be built. Our framework takes into account both the requirements of a research study and current data availability. This leads to better definition of database characteristics such as schema, content, and privacy parameters. We show that this approach enables a more efficient way to collect data for medical research. PMID:27975063

  12. Improving the Quality of Host Country Ethical Oversight of International Research: The Use of a Collaborative 'Pre-Review' Mechanism for a Study of Fexinidazole for Human African Trypanosomiasis.

    PubMed

    Coleman, Carl H; Ardiot, Chantal; Blesson, Séverine; Bonnin, Yves; Bompart, Francois; Colonna, Pierre; Dhai, Ames; Ecuru, Julius; Edielu, Andrew; Hervé, Christian; Hirsch, François; Kouyaté, Bocar; Mamzer-Bruneel, Marie-France; Maoundé, Dionko; Martinent, Eric; Ntsiba, Honoré; Pelé, Gérard; Quéva, Gilles; Reinmund, Marie-Christine; Sarr, Samba Cor; Sepou, Abdoulaye; Tarral, Antoine; Tetimian, Djetodjide; Valverde, Olaf; Van Nieuwenhove, Simon; Strub-Wourgaft, Nathalie

    2015-12-01

    Developing countries face numerous barriers to conducting effective and efficient ethics reviews of international collaborative research. In addition to potentially overlooking important scientific and ethical considerations, inadequate or insufficiently trained ethics committees may insist on unwarranted changes to protocols that can impair a study's scientific or ethical validity. Moreover, poorly functioning review systems can impose substantial delays on the commencement of research, which needlessly undermine the development of new interventions for urgent medical needs. In response to these concerns, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), an independent nonprofit organization founded by a coalition of public sector and international organizations, developed a mechanism to facilitate more effective and efficient host country ethics review for a study of the use of fexinidazole for the treatment of late stage African Trypanosomiasis (HAT). The project involved the implementation of a novel 'pre-review' process of ethical oversight, conducted by an ad hoc committee of ethics committee representatives from African and European countries, in collaboration with internationally recognized scientific experts. This article examines the process and outcomes of this collaborative process. © 2014 The Authors. Developing World Bioethics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Current thinking in medical education research: an overview.

    PubMed

    Elledge, R

    2018-04-28

    Medical education is fast becoming a separate focus, and together with their clinical commitments, many clinicians now seek higher qualifications and professional accreditation in the field. Research is also developing, and there is a need for evidence-based practice in education, just as in clinical work. This review gives an overview of research into medical education, and explains the fundamentals of educational theory and the specific considerations for the quantitative and qualitative research methods that pertain to it. It also explains the application of these methods to two growing areas of research: technology-enhanced learning (TEL) and normative ethics in training. Copyright © 2018 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Impact of elective versus required medical school research experiences on career outcomes.

    PubMed

    Weaver, Alice N; McCaw, Tyler R; Fifolt, Matthew; Hites, Lisle; Lorenz, Robin G

    2017-06-01

    Many US medical schools have added a scholarly or research requirement as a potential intervention to increase the number of medical students choosing to become academic physicians and physician scientists. We designed a retrospective qualitative survey study to evaluate the impact of medical school research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) on career choices. A survey tool was developed consisting of 74 possible questions with built-in skip patterns to customize the survey to each participant. The survey was administered using the web-based program Qualtrics to UAB School of Medicine alumni graduating between 2000 and 2014. Alumni were contacted 3 times at 2-week intervals during the year 2015, resulting in 168 completed surveys (11.5% response rate). MD/PhD graduates were excluded from the study. Most respondents completed elective research, typically for reasons relating to career advancement. 24 per cent said medical school research increased their desire for research involvement in the future, a response that positively correlated with mentorship level and publication success. Although completion of medical school research was positively correlated with current research involvement, the strongest predictor for a physician scientist career was pre-existing passion for research (p=0.008). In contrast, students motivated primarily by curricular requirement were less likely to pursue additional research opportunities. Positive medical school research experiences were associated with increased postgraduate research in our study. However, we also identified a strong relationship between current research activity and passion for research, which may predate medical school. Copyright © 2017 American Federation for Medical Research.

  15. News media coverage of medication research: reporting pharmaceutical company funding and use of generic medication names.

    PubMed

    Hochman, Michael; Hochman, Steven; Bor, David; McCormick, Danny

    2008-10-01

    The news media are an important source of information about medical research for patients and even some physicians. Little is known about how frequently news articles report when medication research has received funding from pharmaceutical companies or how frequently news articles use generic vs brand medication names. To assess the reporting of pharmaceutical company funding and generic medication name use in news articles about medication studies and to determine the views of newspaper editors about these issues. We reviewed US news articles from newspaper and online sources about all pharmaceutical company-funded medication studies published in the 5 most prominent general medical journals between April 1, 2004, and April 30, 2008. We also surveyed editors at the 100 most widely circulated newspapers in the United States. The percentage of news articles indicating when studies have been pharmaceutical company-funded and the percentage that refer to medications by their generic vs brand names. Also the percentage of newspaper editors who indicate that their articles report pharmaceutical company funding; the percentage of editors who indicate that their articles refer to medications by generic names; and the percentage of newspapers with policies about these issues. Of the 306 news articles about medication research identified,130 (42%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 37%-48%) did not report that the research had received company funding. Of the 277 of these articles reporting on medications with both generic and brand names, 186 (67%; 95% CI, 61%-73%) referred to the study medications by their brand names in at least half of the medication references. Eighty-two of the 93 (88%) newspaper editors who responded to our survey reported that articles from their publications always or often indicated when studies had received company funding (95% CI, 80%-94%), and 71 of 92 (77%) responding editors also reported that articles from their publications always or often

  16. Research output of health research institutions and its use in 42 sub-Saharan African countries: results of a questionnaire-based survey.

    PubMed

    Kebede, Derege; Zielinski, Chris; Mbondji, Peter Ebongue; Sanou, Issa; Kouvividila, Wenceslas; Lusamba-Dikassa, Paul-Samson

    2014-05-01

    To describe and analyse research output from surveyed national health research institutions in Africa. The survey used a structured questionnaire to solicit information from 847 health research institutions in 42 countries of the World Health Organization African Region. Eight hundred and forty-seven health research institutions in 42 sub-Saharan African countries. Key informants from the health research institutions. Volume, type and medium of publications, and distribution of research outputs. Books or chapters for books accounted for the highest number of information products published (on average 16.7 per respondent institution), followed by patents registered in country (8.2), discussion or working papers (6.5) and conference proceedings (6.4). Publication in a peer-reviewed journal constituted only a minor part of research output (on average about 1 paper per institution). Radio and TV broadcasts on health research accounted for the highest number of products issued by institution staff (on average 5.5 per institution), followed by peer-reviewed journals indexed internationally (3.8) or nationally (3.1). There were, on average, 1.5 press releases, 1.5 newspaper or magazine articles, and 1.4 policy briefs per institution. Over half of respondent institutions (52%) developed briefs and summaries of articles to share with their target audiences, 43% developed briefs for possible actions and 37% provided articles and reports upon request. Only a small proportion of information products produced were available in institutional databases. The research output of health research institutions in the Region is significant, but more effort is needed to strengthen research capacity, including human and financial resources. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

  17. Use of complementary and alternative medicine for treatment among African-Americans: a multivariate analysis.

    PubMed

    Barner, Jamie C; Bohman, Thomas M; Brown, Carolyn M; Richards, Kristin M

    2010-09-01

    The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is substantial among African-Americans; however, research on characteristics of African-Americans who use CAM to treat specific conditions is scarce. To determine what predisposing, enabling, need, and disease-state factors are related to CAM use for treatment among a nationally representative sample of African-Americans. A cross-sectional study design was employed using the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). A nationwide representative sample of adult (> or =18 years) African-Americans who used CAM in the past 12 months (n=16,113,651 weighted; n=2,952 unweighted) was included. The Andersen Health Care Utilization Model served as the framework with CAM use for treatment as the main outcome measure. Independent variables included the following: predisposing (eg, age, gender, and education); enabling (eg, income, employment, and access to care); need (eg, health status, physician visits, and prescription medication use); and disease state (ie, most prevalent conditions among African-Americans) factors. Multivariate logistic regression was used to address the study objective. Approximately 1 in 5 (20.2%) who used CAM in the past 12 months used CAM to treat a specific condition. Ten of the 15 CAM modalities were used primarily for treatment by African-Americans. CAM for treatment was significantly (P<.05) associated with the following factors: graduate education, smaller family size, higher income, region (northeast, midwest, west more likely than south), depression/anxiety, more physician visits, less likely to engage in preventive care, more frequent exercise behavior, more activities of daily living (ADL) limitations, and neck pain. Twenty percent of African-Americans who used CAM in the past year were treating a specific condition. Alternative medical systems, manipulative and body-based therapies, and folk medicine, prayer, biofeedback, and energy/Reiki were used most often. Health care

  18. Africanizing Science in Post-colonial Kenya: Long-Term Field Research in the Amboseli Ecosystem, 1963-1989.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Amanda E

    2017-11-08

    Following Kenya's independence in 1963, scientists converged on an ecologically sensitive area in southern Kenya on the northern slope of Mt. Kilimanjaro called Amboseli. This region is the homeland of the Ilkisongo Maasai who grazed this ecosystem along with the wildlife of interest to the scientists. Biologists saw opportunities to study this complex community, an environment rich in biological diversity. The Amboseli landscape proved to be fertile ground for testing new methods and lines of inquiry in the biological sciences that were generalizable and important for shaping natural resource management policies in Kenya. However, the local community was in the midst of its own transformation from a primarily transhumant lifestyle to a largely sedentary one, a complex political situation between local and national authorities, and the introduction of a newly educated generation. This article examines the intersection of African history and field science through the post-colonial Africanization of Kenyan politics, the broadening of scientific practices in Amboseli in previously Western-occupied spaces to include Kenyan participants, and an increasing awareness of the role of local African contexts in the results, methods, and implications of biological research. "Africanization" as an idea in the history of science is multifaceted encompassing not just Africans in the scientific process, but it needs an examination of the larger political and social context on both a local and national level.

  19. Barriers to treatment adherence among African American and white women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

    PubMed

    Mosley-Williams, Angelia; Lumley, Mark A; Gillis, Mazy; Leisen, James; Guice, Deena

    2002-12-15

    To determine whether African Americans with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have poorer treatment adherence than whites, and to determine ethnic group differences in barriers to adherence, and how barriers affect adherence. We compared 68 African American and 54 white women with SLE on 19 potential barriers, on 2 adherence behaviors during the past year, and on how the potential barriers relate to each nonadherence behavior. African Americans and whites were similar on most barriers, although African Americans were more likely to rely on religion and were more concerned about long-term medication effects. The 2 ethnic groups were comparable on medication nonadherence, but whites tended to have poorer clinic appointment adherence than African Americans. Finally, we found that barriers related to negative affect (depression, medication concerns, physical symptoms) as well as short-term memory problems and the need for child or elder care were associated with nonadherence among African Americans, whereas perceived treatment inefficacy and lacking trust in physicians were associated with nonadherence among whites. Relationships between adherence barriers and nonadherence may be ethnicity specific, suggesting that interventions to address barriers should be targeted to specific groups.

  20. Essential competencies in global health research for medical trainees: A narrative review.

    PubMed

    White, Mary T; Satterfield, Caley A; Blackard, Jason T

    2017-09-01

    Participation in short-term educational experiences in global health (STEGHs) among medical trainees is increasingly accompanied by interest in conducting research while abroad. Because formal training in both global health and research methods is currently under-represented in most medical curricula, trainees are often unfamiliar with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to design and conduct research successfully. This narrative review identifies essential global health research competencies for medical trainees engaged in STEGHs. The authors searched the literature using the terms global health, competency, research, research methods/process/training, scholarly project, medical student, and medical education/education. Because articles directly addressing global health research competencies for medical trainees were limited, the authors additionally drew on the broader literature addressing general research competencies and global health competencies. Articles yielded by the literature search, combined with established guidelines in research ethics and global health ethics, were used to identify six core domains and twenty discrete competencies fundamental to global health research at a level appropriate for medical trainees enrolled in STEGHs. Consideration was given to diverse research modalities, varying levels of training, and the availability of mentoring and on-site support. Research may provide important benefits to medical trainees and host partners. These competencies provide a starting point; however, circumstances at any host site may necessitate additional competencies specific to that setting. These competencies are also limited by the methodology employed in their development and the need for additional perspectives from host partners. The competencies identified outline basic knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for medical trainees to conduct limited global health research while participating in STEGHS. They may also be used as a

  1. The under-representation of minority ethnic groups in UK medical research.

    PubMed

    Smart, Andrew; Harrison, Eric

    2017-02-01

    Objectives . The paper investigates differences in engagement with medical research between White British and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups in the UK, using data from the Wellcome Trust Monitor (WTM). The study used two waves of the WTM (n = 2575) to examine associations between ethnic group and participation in medical research, and willingness to participate (WP) in medical research. Logistic regression models controlled for socio-economic and demographic factors, and relevant outlooks and experiences that are assumed to be markers of engagement. Respondents from the BAME group were less likely to have participated in medical research compared to those from the White British group, but there was only patchy evidence of small ethnic group differences in WP. Influences on engagement with medical research varied somewhat between the White British and BAME groups, in particular in relation to occupation, education, health, attitudes to medical science and belief. These findings consolidate previously context-specific evidence of BAME group under-representation in the UK, and highlight heterogeneity in that group. Efforts to address the under-representation of those from BAME groups might benefit from targeted strategies for recruitment and advocacy, although improved data sets are required to fully understand ethnic differences in engagement with medical research.

  2. A multifaceted program to encourage medical students' research.

    PubMed

    Zier, K; Stagnaro-Green, A

    2001-07-01

    Clinician-scientists are important members of a research community that has more opportunities than ever before to solve problems important to patients. Nevertheless, the number of physicians applying for and receiving grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has dropped. Introducing medical students to research and relevant support mechanisms early in their education may help to reverse this trend. In 1995, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine created its Office of Student Research Opportunities (OSRO) to stimulate students to engage in research. It also appointed a new dean to direct the OSRO; the person who filled this new position was a senior faculty member involved in patient-oriented research. The OSRO advises students, identifies faculty who want to mentor students, sponsors the Distinction in Research program, organizes an annual research day, helps fund summer and full-time research, and has created an endowment to support student travel to national meetings. Between 1997 and 2000 the number of students who participated in the research day increased from 18 to 74, and the number of publications by the graduating classes increased from 34 to 58 between 1997 and 1999. Participants have presented both basic and clinical projects. The authors' experience has shown that medical students can be motivated to carry out research with appropriate encouragement from the administration and the faculty, something that may help to reverse a troubling national trend. Based upon these early successes, Mount Sinai is developing a novel five-year program to provide medical students with research training.

  3. Implicit Stereotyping and Medical Decisions: Unconscious Stereotype Activation in Practitioners' Thoughts About African Americans

    PubMed Central

    Stone, Jeff; Childs, Amanda

    2012-01-01

    Objectives. We investigated whether stereotypes unconsciously influence the thinking and behavior of physicians, as they have been shown to do in other professional settings, such as among law enforcement personnel and teachers. Methods. We conducted 2 studies to examine whether stereotypes are implicitly activated in physicians. Study 1 assessed what diseases and treatments doctors associate with African Americans. Study 2 presented these (and control terms) to doctors as part of a computerized task. Subliminal images of African American and White men appeared prior to each word, and reaction times to words were recorded. Results. When primed with an African American face, doctors reacted more quickly for stereotypical diseases, indicating an implicit association of certain diseases with African Americans. These comprised not only diseases African Americans are genetically predisposed to, but also conditions and social behaviors with no biological association (e.g., obesity, drug abuse). Conclusions. We found implicit stereotyping among physicians; faces they never consciously saw altered performance. This suggests that diagnoses and treatment of African American patients may be biased, even in the absence of the practitioner's intent or awareness. PMID:22420815

  4. Implicit stereotyping and medical decisions: unconscious stereotype activation in practitioners' thoughts about African Americans.

    PubMed

    Moskowitz, Gordon B; Stone, Jeff; Childs, Amanda

    2012-05-01

    We investigated whether stereotypes unconsciously influence the thinking and behavior of physicians, as they have been shown to do in other professional settings, such as among law enforcement personnel and teachers. We conducted 2 studies to examine whether stereotypes are implicitly activated in physicians. Study 1 assessed what diseases and treatments doctors associate with African Americans. Study 2 presented these (and control terms) to doctors as part of a computerized task. Subliminal images of African American and White men appeared prior to each word, and reaction times to words were recorded. When primed with an African American face, doctors reacted more quickly for stereotypical diseases, indicating an implicit association of certain diseases with African Americans. These comprised not only diseases African Americans are genetically predisposed to, but also conditions and social behaviors with no biological association (e.g., obesity, drug abuse). We found implicit stereotyping among physicians; faces they never consciously saw altered performance. This suggests that diagnoses and treatment of African American patients may be biased, even in the absence of the practitioner's intent or awareness.

  5. Medical education research in the context of translational science.

    PubMed

    Santen, Sally A; Deiorio, Nicole M; Gruppen, Larry D

    2012-12-01

    Health care struggles to transfer recent discoveries into high-quality medical care. Therefore, translational science seeks to improve the health of patients and communities by studying and promoting the translation of findings from bench research into clinical care. Similarly, medical education practice may be slow to adopt proven evidence of better learning and assessment. The Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM) consensus conference was designed to promote the dissemination of evidence-based education research and practice. We will pull from the work developed by the consensus conference as a means to create a roadmap for future medical education research using the framework of translational science. © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

  6. Undergraduate research in medical education: a descriptive study of students' views.

    PubMed

    Oliveira, Cristiano C; de Souza, Renata C; Abe, Erika H Sassaki; Silva Móz, Luís E; de Carvalho, Lidia R; Domingues, Maria A C

    2014-03-17

    Medical students engage in curricular and extracurricular activities, including undergraduate research (UR). The advantages, difficulties and motivations for medical students pursuing research activities during their studies have rarely been addressed. In Brazil, some medical schools have included undergraduate research into their curriculum. The present study aimed to understand the reality of scientific practice among medical students at a well-established Brazilian medical school, analyzing this context from the students' viewpoint. A cross-sectional survey based on a questionnaire applied to students from years one to six enrolled in an established Brazilian medical school that currently has no curricular UR program. The questionnaire was answered by 415 students, 47.2% of whom were involved in research activities, with greater participation in UR in the second half of the course. Independent of student involvement in research activities, time constraints were cited as the main obstacle to participation. Among students not involved in UR, 91.1% said they favored its inclusion in the curriculum, since this would facilitate the development of such activity. This approach could signify an approximation between the axes of teaching and research. Among students who had completed at least one UR project, 87.7% said they would recommend the activity to students entering the course. Even without an undergraduate research program, students of this medical school report strong involvement in research activities, but discussion of the difficulties inherent in its practice is important to future developments.

  7. "You Have to Approach Us Right": A Qualitative Framework Analysis for Recruiting African Americans into mHealth Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    James, Delores C. S.; Harville, Cedric, II; Efunbumi, Orisatalabi; Babazadeh, Ida; Ali, Sheriza

    2017-01-01

    Background: Despite the high ownership of smartphones, African Americans (AAs) remain underrepresented in health research and specifically mobile health (mHealth) research. This may be due to ineffective recruitment efforts. Purpose: To explore strategies for recruiting AAs into mHealth research and examine how these strategies may vary by gender…

  8. [Conflict of interest in medical practice and research].

    PubMed

    Youn, Young Hoon; Lee, Ilhak

    2012-09-25

    In recent years, medical professionals are in charge with multiple roles. They have to work as an educator, researcher, and administrator, as well as medical practitioner. In addition, they experience a conflict between the primary responsibilities that each role requires of them. A conflict of interest (COI) is a set of circumstances that creates a risk that professional judgment or actions regarding a primary interest will be unduly influenced by a secondary interest. It occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other. The COI should be managed appropriately to preserve the value of public trust, scientific objectivity, and the benefit and safety of patients. Primary interest of medical professionals refers to the principal goals of the medical profession, such as the health and safety of patients, and the integrity of research. Secondary interest includes not only financial gain but also such motives as the desire for professional advancement and the wish to do favors for family and friends, but COI rules usually focus on financial relationships because they are relatively more objective, fungible, and quantifiable. This article will briefly review the COI in medical practice and research, discuss about what is COI, why we should manage it, and how we can manage it.

  9. Life-science research within US academic medical centers.

    PubMed

    Zinner, Darren E; Campbell, Eric G

    2009-09-02

    Besides the generic "basic" vs "applied" labels, little information is known about the types of life-science research conducted within academic medical centers (AMCs). To determine the relative proportion, characteristics, funding, and productivity of AMC faculty by the type of research they conduct. Mailed survey conducted in 2007 of 3080 life-science faculty at the 50 universities with medical schools that received the most funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2004. Response rate was 74%. Research faculty affiliated with a medical school or teaching hospital, representing 77% of respondents (n = 1663). Type of research (basic, translational, clinical trials, health services research/clinical epidemiology, multimode, other), total funding, industry funding, publications, professional activities, patenting behavior, and industry relationships. Among AMC research faculty, 33.6% exclusively conducted basic science research as principal investigators compared with translational researchers (9.1%), clinical trial investigators (7.1%), and health services researchers/clinical epidemiologists (9.0%). While principal investigators garnered a mean of $410,755 in total annual research funding, 22.1% of all AMC research faculty were unsponsored, a proportion that ranged from 11.5% for basic science researchers to 46.8% for health services researchers (P < .001). The average AMC faculty member received $33,417 in industry-sponsored funding, with most of this money concentrated among clinical trial ($110,869) and multimode ($59,916) principal investigators. Translational (61.3%), clinical trial (67.3%), and multimode (70.9%) researchers were significantly more likely than basic science researchers (41.9%) to report a relationship with industry and that these relationships contributed to their most important scientific work (P < .05 for all comparisons). The research function of AMCs is active and diverse, incorporating a substantial proportion of faculty who are

  10. Medical ethics, bioethics and research ethics education perspectives in South East Europe in graduate medical education.

    PubMed

    Mijaljica, Goran

    2014-03-01

    Ethics has an established place within the medical curriculum. However notable differences exist in the programme characteristics of different schools of medicine. This paper addresses the main differences in the curricula of medical schools in South East Europe regarding education in medical ethics and bioethics, with a special emphasis on research ethics, and proposes a model curriculum which incorporates significant topics in all three fields. Teaching curricula of Medical Schools in Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro were acquired and a total of 14 were analyzed. Teaching hours for medical ethics and/or bioethics and year of study in which the course is taught were also analyzed. The average number of teaching hours in medical ethics and bioethics is 27.1 h per year. The highest national average number of teaching hours was in Croatia (47.5 h per year), and the lowest was in Serbia (14.8). In the countries of the European Union the mean number of hours given to ethics teaching throughout the complete curriculum was 44. In South East Europe, the maximum number of teaching hours is 60, while the minimum number is 10 teaching hours. Research ethics topics also show a considerable variance within the regional medical schools. Approaches to teaching research ethics vary, even within the same country. The proposed model for education in this area is based on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Bioethics Core Curriculum. The model curriculum consists of topics in medical ethics, bioethics and research ethics, as a single course, over 30 teaching hours.

  11. Comparison of outcomes for African Americans, Hispanics, and Non-Hispanic Whites in the CATIE study.

    PubMed

    Arnold, Jodi Gonzalez; Miller, Alexander L; Cañive, José M; Rosenheck, Robert A; Swartz, Marvin S; Mintz, Jim

    2013-06-01

    Medication outcome literature in schizophrenia across racial-ethnic groups is sparse, with inconsistent findings. The Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) study provided an opportunity for exploratory analyses of racial-ethnic outcomes. The study objective was to examine race-ethnicity outcomes for CATIE's main outcome (study discontinuation) and secondary outcomes. CATIE participants included whites (non-Hispanic) (N=722), African Americans (N=506), and Hispanics (N=170). Survival analyses and mixed-effects regression modeling were conducted, with adjustment for baseline sociodemographic differences and baseline scores of the secondary outcomes. Racial-ethnic groups had unique patterns of outcomes. Hispanics were much more likely to discontinue for lack of efficacy from perphenazine (64% versus 42% non-Hispanic whites and 24% African Americans) and ziprasidone (71% versus 40% non-Hispanic whites and 24% African Americans); Hispanics' quality of life also declined on these medications. Non-Hispanic whites were more likely to discontinue for lack of efficacy in general (averaging olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone discontinuation rates). African Americans were less likely to continue after the first phase (32% continuing versus 40% for non-Hispanic whites and 41% Hispanics). Discontinuations were driven by research burden, personal issues, and unspecified loss to follow-up. Non-Hispanic whites had higher depression scores during the follow-up period. African Americans had fewer side effects. CATIE results did not show disparities favoring non-Hispanic whites. CATIE may have provided state-of-the-art treatment and thus reduced disparate treatments observed in community clinics. African Americans discontinued even after consideration of socioeconomic differences. Why perphenazine and ziprasidone may be less effective with Hispanics should be explored.

  12. National Museum of Dentistry exhibition: the future is now! African Americans in dentistry.

    PubMed

    Dummett, Clifton O

    2003-09-01

    Inspired by recently published NDA II: The Story of America's Second National Dental Association and sponsored jointly by the National Dental Association Foundation and the Colgate-Palmolive Company, an historical exhibit on dentistry in the African-American community was one of the celebrations for the Golden Anniversary of the American Academy of the History of Dentistry. This exhibit premiered on Sept. 27, 2002 in the National Museum of Dentistry located on the medical/dental campus of the University of Maryland in Baltimore. The Museum recently became an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Contents of the exhibit were photographs, charts, artifacts, memorabilia, etc. These materials presented an overview of African-American activities in dental education, research, patient care, general practice, dental specialities, military service, and public health. Also included were inter-racial relationships, socioeconomic developments, and participation in civil rights endeavors that played a major role in changing out-dated accepted customs. The exhibit's purpose was to celebrate dentistry's ministrations as a health professional among African Americans in particular and the nation at large over the past two centuries. Respect for and progress of black dentists paralleled that of black physicians who were instrumental in including dentist and pharmacists as equal members in the National Medical Association since the latter's inception in 1895.

  13. Overview on health research ethics in Egypt and North Africa.

    PubMed

    Marzouk, Diaa; Abd El Aal, Wafaa; Saleh, Azza; Sleem, Hany; Khyatti, Meriem; Mazini, Loubna; Hemminki, Kari; Anwar, Wagida A

    2014-08-01

    Developing countries, including Egypt and North African countries, need to improve their quality of research by enhancing international cooperation and exchanges of scientific information, as well as competing for obtaining international funds to support research activities. Research must comply with laws and other requirements for research that involves human subjects. The purpose of this article is to overview the status of health research ethics in Egypt and North African countries, with reference to other Middle Eastern countries. The EU and North African Migrants: Health and Health Systems project (EUNAM) has supported the revision of the status of health research ethics in Egypt and North African countries, by holding meetings and discussions to collect information about research ethics committees in Egypt, and revising the structure and guidelines of the committees, as well as reviewing the literature concerning ethics activities in the concerned countries. This overview has revealed that noticeable efforts have been made to regulate research ethics in certain countries in the Middle East. This can be seen in the new regulations, which contain the majority of protections mentioned in the international guidelines related to research ethics. For most of the internationally registered research ethics committees in North African countries, the composition and functionality reflect the international guidelines. There is growing awareness of research ethics in these countries, which extends to teaching efforts to undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

  14. An Action Research Approach to Fear as an Impact on Water Safety Outcomes among Adult African Americans in South Carolina

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haynsworth, Nancy M.

    2017-01-01

    Research shows that compared to other groups, African Americans have historically had less access to swimming skills and thereby have a higher rate of drowning while swimming. Knowing how to swim is an important drowning prevention strategy, yet many African Americans residing in a county in South Carolina do not know how to swim, despite living…

  15. The role of social networking sites in medical genetics research.

    PubMed

    Reaves, Allison Cook; Bianchi, Diana W

    2013-05-01

    Social networking sites (SNS) have potential value in the field of medical genetics as a means of research subject recruitment and source of data. This article examines the current role of SNS in medical genetics research and potential applications for these sites in future studies. Facebook is the primary SNS considered, given the prevalence of its use in the United States and role in a small but growing number of studies. To date, utilization of SNS in medical genetics research has been primarily limited to three studies that recruited subjects from populations of Facebook users [McGuire et al. (2009); Am J Bioeth 9: 3-10; Janvier et al. (2012); Pediatrics 130: 293-298; Leighton et al. (2012); Public Health Genomics 15: 11-21]. These studies and a number of other medical and public health studies that have used Facebook as a context for recruiting research subjects are discussed. Approaches for Facebook-based subject recruitment are identified, including paid Facebook advertising, snowball sampling, targeted searching and posting. The use of these methods in medical genetics research has the potential to facilitate cost-effective research on both large, heterogeneous populations and small, hard-to-access sub-populations. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Using databases in medical education research: AMEE Guide No. 77.

    PubMed

    Cleland, Jennifer; Scott, Neil; Harrild, Kirsten; Moffat, Mandy

    2013-05-01

    This AMEE Guide offers an introduction to the use of databases in medical education research. It is intended for those who are contemplating conducting research in medical education but are new to the field. The Guide is structured around the process of planning your research so that data collection, management and analysis are appropriate for the research question. Throughout we consider contextual possibilities and constraints to educational research using databases, such as the resources available, and provide concrete examples of medical education research to illustrate many points. The first section of the Guide explains the difference between different types of data and classifying data, and addresses the rationale for research using databases in medical education. We explain the difference between qualitative research and qualitative data, the difference between categorical and quantitative data, and the difference types of data which fall into these categories. The Guide reviews the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative research. The next section is structured around how to work with quantitative and qualitative databases and provides guidance on the many practicalities of setting up a database. This includes how to organise your database, including anonymising data and coding, as well as preparing and describing your data so it is ready for analysis. The critical matter of the ethics of using databases in medical educational research, including using routinely collected data versus data collected for research purposes, and issues of confidentiality, is discussed. Core to the Guide is drawing out the similarities and differences in working with different types of data and different types of databases. Future AMEE Guides in the research series will address statistical analysis of data in more detail.

  17. Bupropion for Smoking Cessation in African American Light Smokers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    PubMed Central

    Nollen, Nicole L.; Mayo, Matthew S.; Choi, Won S.; Faseru, Babalola; Benowitz, Neal L.; Tyndale, Rachel F.; Okuyemi, Kolawole S.; Ahluwalia, Jasjit S.

    2012-01-01

    Background Previous research demonstrated the efficacy of sustained release bupropion (bupropion SR) for smoking cessation in whites as well as moderate to heavy (≥10 cigarettes per day [CPD]) African American smokers. We evaluated whether bupropion SR was effective for smoking cessation among African American light smokers (≤10 CPD). Methods A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted from December 27, 2007, to May 13, 2010. All participants were African American light smokers (≤10 CPD), aged 18 years or older. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 300 mg bupropion SR (150 mg once daily for 3 days and then 150 mg twice daily) (n = 270 participants) or placebo (n = 270 participants) for 7 weeks, and up to six sessions of health education counseling. Serum cotinine was measured at baseline (week 0). The primary outcome was salivary cotinine–verified 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence at week 26; a cut point of 15 ng/mL differentiated smokers from nonsmokers. Salivary cotinine–verified smoking abstinence at end of medication treatment at week 7 was also examined. Odds ratios (OR) for smoking abstinence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression models. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results Participants at baseline visit (week 0) smoked an average of 8.0 CPD and had a mean serum cotinine level of 275.8 ng/mL (SD = 155.8 ng/mL); most used menthol cigarettes (83.7%) and smoked within 30 minutes of waking (72.2%). After imputing those lost to follow-up as smokers, no statistically significant difference in long-term smoking abstinence rates at week 26 was observed between bupropion SR and placebo groups (13.3% vs 10.0%, OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 0.82 to 2.35, P = .23). Cotinine-verified smoking abstinence rate at end of medication week 7 was higher in the bupropion SR vs placebo group (23.7% vs 9.6%, OR = 2.92, 95% CI = 1.78 to 4.77, P < .001). Conclusions Bupropion SR was effective in

  18. Paraphilia and sex offending - A South African criminal law perspective.

    PubMed

    Carstens, Pieter; Stevens, Philip

    2016-01-01

    Historically, the link between sexual deviance and criminality has been described and documented, asserted by psychiatry, and manifested in law. Laws that have regulated sexual behaviour have referred to terms such as 'sexual deviation', 'sexual perversion' or even archaic moral terms such as 'unnatural acts and unspeakable crimes against nature'. A possible link between sexual perversion, psychopathy, and criminality, specifically manifesting in sexual homicide, has been the subject of remarkable research in forensic psychiatry. This contribution examines the phenomenon of paraphilia with specific reference to its definition, diagnostic classification and characteristics, as well as a few selections of incidences of paraphilia in South African criminal case law. A brief assessment is made of how South African criminal courts have dealt with paraphilia. In this regard, an analysis is made of the criminal liability of the paraphiliac. The South African response to sexual deviation as addressed in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007 will also be addressed with reference to its efficacy in addressing paraphilia within South African criminal law. The interface between criminal law and medical ethics within the context of this theme will also be canvassed. In conclusion, recommendations for possible reform are canvassed. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  19. Identifying tagging SNPs for African specific genetic variation from the African Diaspora Genome

    PubMed Central

    Johnston, Henry Richard; Hu, Yi-Juan; Gao, Jingjing; O’Connor, Timothy D.; Abecasis, Gonçalo R.; Wojcik, Genevieve L; Gignoux, Christopher R.; Gourraud, Pierre-Antoine; Lizee, Antoine; Hansen, Mark; Genuario, Rob; Bullis, Dave; Lawley, Cindy; Kenny, Eimear E.; Bustamante, Carlos; Beaty, Terri H.; Mathias, Rasika A.; Barnes, Kathleen C.; Qin, Zhaohui S.; Preethi Boorgula, Meher; Campbell, Monica; Chavan, Sameer; Ford, Jean G.; Foster, Cassandra; Gao, Li; Hansel, Nadia N.; Horowitz, Edward; Huang, Lili; Ortiz, Romina; Potee, Joseph; Rafaels, Nicholas; Ruczinski, Ingo; Scott, Alan F.; Taub, Margaret A.; Vergara, Candelaria; Levin, Albert M.; Padhukasahasram, Badri; Williams, L. Keoki; Dunston, Georgia M.; Faruque, Mezbah U.; Gietzen, Kimberly; Deshpande, Aniket; Grus, Wendy E.; Locke, Devin P.; Foreman, Marilyn G.; Avila, Pedro C.; Grammer, Leslie; Kim, Kwang-Youn A.; Kumar, Rajesh; Schleimer, Robert; De La Vega, Francisco M.; Shringarpure, Suyash S.; Musharoff, Shaila; Burchard, Esteban G.; Eng, Celeste; Hernandez, Ryan D.; Pino-Yanes, Maria; Torgerson, Dara G.; Szpiech, Zachary A.; Torres, Raul; Nicolae, Dan L.; Ober, Carole; Olopade, Christopher O; Olopade, Olufunmilayo; Oluwole, Oluwafemi; Arinola, Ganiyu; Song, Wei; Correa, Adolfo; Musani, Solomon; Wilson, James G.; Lange, Leslie A.; Akey, Joshua; Bamshad, Michael; Chong, Jessica; Fu, Wenqing; Nickerson, Deborah; Reiner, Alexander; Hartert, Tina; Ware, Lorraine B.; Bleecker, Eugene; Meyers, Deborah; Ortega, Victor E.; Maul, Pissamai; Maul, Trevor; Watson, Harold; Ilma Araujo, Maria; Riccio Oliveira, Ricardo; Caraballo, Luis; Marrugo, Javier; Martinez, Beatriz; Meza, Catherine; Ayestas, Gerardo; Francisco Herrera-Paz, Edwin; Landaverde-Torres, Pamela; Erazo, Said Omar Leiva; Martinez, Rosella; Mayorga, Alvaro; Mayorga, Luis F.; Mejia-Mejia, Delmy-Aracely; Ramos, Hector; Saenz, Allan; Varela, Gloria; Marina Vasquez, Olga; Ferguson, Trevor; Knight-Madden, Jennifer; Samms-Vaughan, Maureen; Wilks, Rainford J.; Adegnika, Akim; Ateba-Ngoa, Ulysse; Yazdanbakhsh, Maria

    2017-01-01

    A primary goal of The Consortium on Asthma among African-ancestry Populations in the Americas (CAAPA) is to develop an ‘African Diaspora Power Chip’ (ADPC), a genotyping array consisting of tagging SNPs, useful in comprehensively identifying African specific genetic variation. This array is designed based on the novel variation identified in 642 CAAPA samples of African ancestry with high coverage whole genome sequence data (~30× depth). This novel variation extends the pattern of variation catalogued in the 1000 Genomes and Exome Sequencing Projects to a spectrum of populations representing the wide range of West African genomic diversity. These individuals from CAAPA also comprise a large swath of the African Diaspora population and incorporate historical genetic diversity covering nearly the entire Atlantic coast of the Americas. Here we show the results of designing and producing such a microchip array. This novel array covers African specific variation far better than other commercially available arrays, and will enable better GWAS analyses for researchers with individuals of African descent in their study populations. A recent study cataloging variation in continental African populations suggests this type of African-specific genotyping array is both necessary and valuable for facilitating large-scale GWAS in populations of African ancestry. PMID:28429804

  20. Use of administrative medical databases in population-based research.

    PubMed

    Gavrielov-Yusim, Natalie; Friger, Michael

    2014-03-01

    Administrative medical databases are massive repositories of data collected in healthcare for various purposes. Such databases are maintained in hospitals, health maintenance organisations and health insurance organisations. Administrative databases may contain medical claims for reimbursement, records of health services, medical procedures, prescriptions, and diagnoses information. It is clear that such systems may provide a valuable variety of clinical and demographic information as well as an on-going process of data collection. In general, information gathering in these databases does not initially presume and is not planned for research purposes. Nonetheless, administrative databases may be used as a robust research tool. In this article, we address the subject of public health research that employs administrative data. We discuss the biases and the limitations of such research, as well as other important epidemiological and biostatistical key points specific to administrative database studies.

  1. Methodological and Ethical Issues in Pediatric Medication Safety Research.

    PubMed

    Carpenter, Delesha; Gonzalez, Daniel; Retsch-Bogart, George; Sleath, Betsy; Wilfond, Benjamin

    2017-09-01

    In May 2016, the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill convened the PharmSci conference to address the topic of "methodological and ethical issues in pediatric medication safety research." A multidisciplinary group of experts representing a diverse array of perspectives, including those of the US Food and Drug Administration, children's hospitals, and academia, identified important considerations for pediatric medication safety research and opportunities to advance the field. This executive summary describes current challenges that clinicians and researchers encounter related to pediatric medication safety research and identifies innovative and ethically sound methodologies to address these challenges to improve children's health. This article addresses 5 areas: (1) pediatric drug development and drug trials; (2) conducting comparative effectiveness research in pediatric populations; (3) child and parent engagement on study teams; (4) improving communication with children and parents; and (5) assessing child-reported outcomes and adverse drug events. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  2. Predicting Non-African American Lesbian and Heterosexual Preadoptive Couples' Openness to Adopting an African American Child

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldberg, Abbie E.; Smith, JuliAnna Z.

    2009-01-01

    Despite increases in transracial adoption, African American children remain the least likely to be adopted. No research has examined the factors that predict prospective adopters' willingness to adopt an African American child. This study used multilevel modeling to examine predictors of willingness to adopt an African American child in a sample…

  3. An international basic science and clinical research summer program for medical students.

    PubMed

    Ramjiawan, Bram; Pierce, Grant N; Anindo, Mohammad Iffat Kabir; Alkukhun, Abedalrazaq; Alshammari, Abdullah; Chamsi, Ahmad Talal; Abousaleh, Mohannad; Alkhani, Anas; Ganguly, Pallab K

    2012-03-01

    An important part of training the next generation of physicians is ensuring that they are exposed to the integral role that research plays in improving medical treatment. However, medical students often do not have sufficient time to be trained to carry out any projects in biomedical and clinical research. Many medical students also fail to understand and grasp translational research as an important concept today. In addition, since medical training is often an international affair whereby a medical student/resident/fellow will likely train in many different countries during his/her early training years, it is important to provide a learning environment whereby a young medical student experiences the unique challenges and value of an international educational experience. This article describes a program that bridges the gap between the basic and clinical research concepts in a unique international educational experience. After completing two semester curricula at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, six medical students undertook a summer program at St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. The program lasted for 2 mo and addressed advanced training in basic science research topics in medicine such as cell isolation, functional assessment, and molecular techniques of analysis and manipulation as well as sessions on the conduct of clinical research trials, ethics, and intellectual property management. Programs such as these are essential to provide a base from which medical students can decide if research is an attractive career choice for them during their clinical practice in subsequent years. An innovative international summer research course for medical students is necessary to cater to the needs of the medical students in the 21st century.

  4. Health-related quality of life and care satisfaction outcomes: Informing psychosocial oncology care among Latina and African-American young breast cancer survivors.

    PubMed

    Ashing, Kimlin Tam; George, Marshalee; Jones, Veronica

    2018-04-01

    When breast cancer occurs in young women, the medical, physical, psychosocial, and overall impacts can be more severe warranting targeted medical and psychosocial oncology care. Yet, despite their risk for poorer survival and survivorship outcomes, little research has focused on this group with critical gaps concerning ethnic minorities who are particularly medically vulnerable. Therefore, this preliminary study examined demographic characteristics and patient centered outcomes, ie, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), quality care satisfaction to inform targeted psychosocial oncology care among African-American and Latinas young breast cancer survivors (YBCS). A total of 116 African-American and Latina YBCS aged ≥21 to 50 years were recruited from cancer registries and community agencies. Based on prior research and the literature, Latinas were categorized into English language proficient (ELP) and Spanish language proficient (SLP) based on their choice of language to conduct the study including completion of the measures. SLP Latinas reported lower educational attainment and income (P < 0.001) and were more likely to report having a mastectomy (P < 0.01) but less likely to report breast reconstruction (P < 0.05). Satisfaction with care was correlated with patient-provider communication and overall HRQOL (P < 0.01) and physical, social/family, emotional and functional wellbeing (P < 0.01). SLP Latinas had lower emotional wellbeing than African-American YBCS (P < 0.01) and lower functional wellbeing than ELP Latina YBCS (P < 0.05). SLP Latina YBCS were less satisfied with their care compared with African-American and ELP Latina YBCS (P < 0.01). Financial toxicity seems to directly influence both access to care and quality care and survivorship outcomes. Investigating demographic characteristics and medical outcomes including HRQOL outcomes and satisfaction with care among ethnic minority YBCS is needed to advance the science as well as assist

  5. Portal of medical data models: information infrastructure for medical research and healthcare.

    PubMed

    Dugas, Martin; Neuhaus, Philipp; Meidt, Alexandra; Doods, Justin; Storck, Michael; Bruland, Philipp; Varghese, Julian

    2016-01-01

    Information systems are a key success factor for medical research and healthcare. Currently, most of these systems apply heterogeneous and proprietary data models, which impede data exchange and integrated data analysis for scientific purposes. Due to the complexity of medical terminology, the overall number of medical data models is very high. At present, the vast majority of these models are not available to the scientific community. The objective of the Portal of Medical Data Models (MDM, https://medical-data-models.org) is to foster sharing of medical data models. MDM is a registered European information infrastructure. It provides a multilingual platform for exchange and discussion of data models in medicine, both for medical research and healthcare. The system is developed in collaboration with the University Library of Münster to ensure sustainability. A web front-end enables users to search, view, download and discuss data models. Eleven different export formats are available (ODM, PDF, CDA, CSV, MACRO-XML, REDCap, SQL, SPSS, ADL, R, XLSX). MDM contents were analysed with descriptive statistics. MDM contains 4387 current versions of data models (in total 10,963 versions). 2475 of these models belong to oncology trials. The most common keyword (n = 3826) is 'Clinical Trial'; most frequent diseases are breast cancer, leukemia, lung and colorectal neoplasms. Most common languages of data elements are English (n = 328,557) and German (n = 68,738). Semantic annotations (UMLS codes) are available for 108,412 data items, 2453 item groups and 35,361 code list items. Overall 335,087 UMLS codes are assigned with 21,847 unique codes. Few UMLS codes are used several thousand times, but there is a long tail of rarely used codes in the frequency distribution. Expected benefits of the MDM portal are improved and accelerated design of medical data models by sharing best practice, more standardised data models with semantic annotation and better information

  6. Competency-based medical education in two Sub-Saharan African medical schools

    PubMed Central

    Kiguli-Malwadde, Elsie; Olapade-Olaopa, E Oluwabunmi; Kiguli, Sarah; Chen, Candice; Sewankambo, Nelson K; Ogunniyi, Adesola O; Mukwaya, Solome; Omaswa, Francis

    2014-01-01

    Background Relatively little has been written on Medical Education in Sub-Saharan Africa, although there are over 170 medical schools in the region. A number of initiatives have been started to support medical education in the region to improve quality and quantity of medical graduates. These initiatives have led to curricular changes in the region, one of which is the introduction of Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME). Institutional reviews This paper presents two medical schools, Makerere University College of Health Sciences and College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, which successfully implemented CBME. The processes of curriculum revision are described and common themes are highlighted. Both schools used similar processes in developing their CBME curricula, with early and significant stakeholder involvement. Competencies were determined taking into consideration each country’s health and education systems. Final competency domains were similar between the two schools. Both schools established medical education departments to support their new curricula. New teaching methodologies and assessment methods were needed to support CBME, requiring investments in faculty training. Both schools received external funding to support CBME development and implementation. Conclusion CBME has emerged as an important change in medical education in Sub-Saharan Africa with schools adopting it as an approach to transformative medical education. Makerere University and the University of Ibadan have successfully adopted CBME and show that CBME can be implemented even for the low-resourced countries in Africa, supported by external investments to address the human resources gap. PMID:25525404

  7. African-American and Caucasian disparities in colorectal cancer mortality and survival by data source: an epidemiologic review.

    PubMed

    Alexander, Dominik D; Waterbor, John; Hughes, Timothy; Funkhouser, Ellen; Grizzle, William; Manne, Upender

    2007-01-01

    Over the past four decades in the United States, there has been a divergent trend in mortality rates between African-Americans and Caucasians with colorectal cancer (CRC). Rates among Caucasians have been steadily declining, whereas rates among African-Americans have only started a gradual decline in recent years. We reviewed epidemiologic studies of CRC racial disparities between African-Americans and Caucasians, including studies from SEER and population-based cancer registries, Veterans Affairs (VA) databases, healthcare coverage databases, and university and other medical center data sources. Elevated overall and stage-specific risks of CRC mortality and shorter survival for African-Americans compared with Caucasians were reported across all data sources. The magnitude of racial disparities varied across study groups, with the strongest associations observed in university and non-VA hospital-based medical center studies, while an attenuated discrepancy was found in VA database studies. An advanced stage of disease at the time of diagnosis among African-Americans is a major contributing factor to the racial disparity in survival. Several studies, however, have shown that an increased risk of CRC death among African-Americans remains even after controlling for tumor stage at diagnosis, socioeconomic factors, and co-morbidity. Despite advances in treatment, improvements in the standard of care, and increased screening options, racial differences persist in CRC mortality and survival. Therefore, continued research efforts are necessary to disentangle the clinical, social, biological, and environmental factors that constitute the racial disparity. In addition, results across data sources should be considered when evaluating racial differences in cancer outcomes.

  8. African-American and Caucasian disparities in colorectal cancer mortality and survival by data source: An epidemiologic review

    PubMed Central

    Alexander, Dominik D.; Waterbor, John; Hughes, Timothy; Funkhouser, Ellen; Grizzle, William; Manne, Upender

    2009-01-01

    Over the past four decades in the United States, there has been a divergent trend in mortality rates between African-Americans and Caucasians with colorectal cancer (CRC). Rates among Caucasians have been steadily declining, whereas rates among African-Americans have only started a gradual decline in recent years. We reviewed epidemiologic studies of CRC racial disparities between African-Americans and Caucasians, including studies from SEER and population-based cancer registries, Veterans Affairs (VA) databases, healthcare coverage databases, and university and other medical center data sources. Elevated overall and stage-specific risks of CRC mortality and shorter survival for African-Americans compared with Caucasians were reported across all data sources. The magnitude of racial disparities varied across study groups, with the strongest associations observed in university and non-VA hospital-based medical center studies, while an attenuated discrepancy was found in VA database studies. An advanced stage of disease at the time of diagnosis among African-Americans is a major contributing factor to the racial disparity in survival. Several studies, however, have shown that an increased risk of CRC death among African-Americans remains even after controlling for tumor stage at diagnosis, socioeconomic factors, and comorbidity. Despite advances in treatment, improvements in the standard of care, and increased screening options, racial differences persist in CRC mortality and survival. Therefore, continued research efforts are necessary to disentangle the clinical, social, biological, and environmental factors that constitute the racial disparity. In addition, results across data sources should be considered when evaluating racial differences in cancer outcomes. PMID:18048968

  9. Reprioritizing current research trends in medical education: a reflection on research activities in Saudi Arabia.

    PubMed

    Obeidat, Akef S; Alhaqwi, Ali Ibrahim; Abdulghani, Hamza Mohammad

    2015-04-01

    There are numerous national efforts to determine and develop research priorities of medical education in Saudi Arabia. These priorities were first proposed in 2010 by "Dr Al-Khuli's Chair for Developing Medical Education in Saudi Arabia". The proposed priority domains were: curriculum, students, faculty, and quality assurance and accreditation. To investigate publications in medical education at the national and international levels in areas relating to these proposed priorities. Electronic search within PubMed database for papers relating to each domain of priority was conducted at national and international levels in the last three years, using the same keywords as the priority domains, but only confined to undergraduate medical education. Out of 3145 articles retrieved when searching with keyword as broad as "undergraduate medical curriculum" only 81 articles worldwide and 3 articles from Saudi Arabia were dealing with curriculum related issues as a whole. Further search on the sub-domains "effective strategies to manage undergraduate curriculum" and "undergraduate medical education models", resulted in the retrieval of few articles worldwide and none from Saudi Arabia. At the national level, there were 63 publications from Saudi Arabia that were either course (topic)-specific or could not be classified under the four domains specified by Dr Al-Khuli's Chair. Research activities in medical education in Saudi Arabia in the last 3 years showed diversity and lack of focus in the research priorities. Efforts of academic and research centers should continue to monitor and encourage these activities toward achieving the recommended priorities.

  10. Founders hope new venture-capital fund will spur medical, biotechnology research

    PubMed Central

    Gray, Charlotte

    1995-01-01

    Lack of a coherent industrial strategy and venture capital have hindered scientific researchers in Canada, but the Canadian Medical Discoveries Fund (CMDF) Inc. hopes to change that. Under the leadership of Dr. Henry Friesen, president of the Medical Research Council of Canada, and Dr. Calvin Stiller, head of the multiorgan transplant unit at University Hospital, London, Ont., the new fund proposes to invest in promising medical and biotechnology research companies in Canada. The research council's peerreview system gives the new fund scientific credibility.

  11. Burkitt lymphoma research in East Africa: highlights from the 9th African organization for research and training in cancer conference held in Durban, South Africa in 2013

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    A one-day workshop on Burkitt lymphoma (BL) was held at the 9th African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) conference in 2013 in Durban, South Africa. The workshop featured 15 plenary talks by delegates representing 13 institutions that either fund or implement research on BL targeting AORTIC delegates primarily interested in pediatric oncology. The main outcomes of the meeting were improved sharing of knowledge and experience about ongoing epidemiologic BL research, BL treatment in different settings, the role of cancer registries in cancer research, and opportunities for African scientists to publish in scientific journals. The idea of forming a consortium of BL to improve coordination, information sharing, accelerate discovery, dissemination, and translation of knowledge and to build capacity, while reducing redundant efforts was discussed. Here, we summarize the presentations and discussions from the workshop. PMID:25686906

  12. Autonomy of the child in the South African context: is a 12 year old of sufficient maturity to consent to medical treatment?

    PubMed

    Ganya, Wandile; Kling, Sharon; Moodley, Keymanthri

    2016-11-02

    A child is a developing person with evolving capacities that include autonomy, mental (decisional) capacity and capacity to assume responsibility. Hence, children are entitled to participatory (autonomy) rights in South Africa as observed in the Children's Act 38 of 2005. According to section 129 of the Act a child may consent to his or her own medical treatment provided that he or she is over the age of 12 years and is of sufficient maturity and decisional capacity to understand the various implications of the treatment including the risks and benefits thereof. However, the Act does not provide a definition for what qualifies as 'sufficient maturity' nor does it stipulate how health professionals ought to assess the decisional capacity of a child. In addition, South Africa is a culturally diverse country. The Western liberal notion of autonomy may not necessarily find equal prominence in the mores of people with a different worldview. Hence we demonstrate a few salient comparisons between legal liberal moral theory and African communitarianism as pertinent to the autonomy of the child. Children are rights-holders by virtue of their humanity. Their dignity as individual human persons affords them the entitlement to human rights as contemplated under the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. However, contrary to the traditional Western notion of individual autonomous persons African societies hold a communalistic notion of person hence there is less regard for individual autonomy and rights with more emphasis on the communal good and maintaining the continuity of relationships and interdependencies shared within a community. A child considered in this view is not regarded as a full person. This implies that decisions concerning the child, including consent to medical treatment are discussed and determined by the community to which the child belongs. Lastly, in this article, we draw on the notion of capacity for responsibility to produce a pragmatic

  13. Why a Medical Career? "What Makes Sudanese Students to Join a Medical College and Pursue a Medical Career"?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mutwali, Ismat Mohammed; Omer, Aisha Ibrahim A.; Abdalhalim, Sadigh Mohammed

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Career selection and decision to pursue a medical career is a multi factorial process. It is influenced by the personal capabilities and the available resources as well as the social, educational, economical and cultural factors. Sudan is one of the African countries with a high number of medical colleges and an increasing number of…

  14. Association of learning styles with research self-efficacy: study of short-term research training program for medical students.

    PubMed

    Dumbauld, Jill; Black, Michelle; Depp, Colin A; Daly, Rebecca; Curran, Maureen A; Winegarden, Babbi; Jeste, Dilip V

    2014-12-01

    With a growing need for developing future physician scientists, identifying characteristics of medical students who are likely to benefit from research training programs is important. This study assessed if specific learning styles of medical students, participating in federally funded short-term research training programs, were associated with research self-efficacy, a potential predictor of research career success. Seventy-five first-year medical students from 28 medical schools, selected to participate in two competitive NIH-supported summer programs for research training in aging, completed rating scales to evaluate learning styles at baseline, and research self-efficacy before and after training. We examined associations of individual learning styles (visual-verbal, sequential-global, sensing-intuitive, and active-reflective) with students' gender, ranking of medical school, and research self-efficacy. Research self-efficacy improved significantly following the training programs. Students with a verbal learning style reported significantly greater research self-efficacy at baseline, while visual, sequential, and intuitive learners demonstrated significantly greater increases in research self-efficacy from baseline to posttraining. No significant relationships were found between learning styles and students' gender or ranking of their medical school. Assessments of learning styles may provide useful information to guide future training endeavors aimed at developing the next generation of physician-scientists. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Perceptions of genetics research as harmful to society: differences among samples of African-Americans and European-Americans.

    PubMed

    Furr, L Allen

    2002-01-01

    Genetics has the potential not only to find cures for diseases, but to possess the mechanisms to change the bio-social make-up of populations. A specific question that has arisen on this issue is how developments in genetic technology may intersect with existing race and ethnic relations. Evidence of the racialization of some genetic disorders has been demonstrated elsewhere. The purpose of this study is to compare and contrast African-American and European-American attitudes on the benefits of genetics research for society. Findings show that African-Americans were more likely to say genetics research is harmful for society. This relationship remained statistically significant after controls were introduced in a regression model. Demographic characteristics and self-rated knowledge of genetics had no effect on attitudes among African-Americans. A willingness to use genetic services correlated with favorable attitudes. Differences in social position may lead some groups to opposing interpretations and symbolic meanings of genetics. This may be true in the context of this study because the social meanings of genetics may be tainted by racialization, historical attempts at eugenics, and the potential abuse of genetics targeting groups partially defined by superficial genetic characteristics.

  16. Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and the "Big Five" South African Research Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boshoff, N.

    2009-01-01

    This article critically examines the methodology of the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by generating raw scores for the "big five" South African research universities (Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Kwazulu-Natal, Pretoria and the Witwatersrand, henceforth referred to as SU, UCT, UKZN, UP and WITS) using the ARWU…

  17. An assessment of home remedy use by African Americans.

    PubMed

    Boyd, E L; Taylor, S D; Shimp, L A; Semler, C R

    2000-07-01

    This analysis represents the first national look at family and individual use of home remedies by African Americans. The purpose is to examine home remedy usage by African-American individuals and their families and assess the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and home remedy usage for African-American families and African-American individuals. Using logistic regression, a secondary analysis of the National Survey on Black Americans (NSBA) data (N = 2107) was conducted to examine factors associated with home remedy use. Multivariate analysis indicated that parent's education, importance of religion, living with a grandparent, and living in a rural area were associated with families' use of home remedies. Age, gender, living with a grandparent, education, and geographic region were associated with individual home remedy use. The results of this research may provide insight to health care practitioners in their challenge of appropriately integrating self-care practices (i.e., home remedy use) and the use of the formal health care system among the patients that utilize both "scientific" and "folk" medical systems. When possible, treatment plans should be adapted to consider patients' demographics, health beliefs, and self-care practices. Health care providers should encourage patient and family involvement and dialogue regarding therapeutic approaches. As more information becomes available, health care practitioners will be better able to ascertain the possible health consequences of concurrent usage of home remedies and prescription drug therapies.

  18. The effect of medical mathematics retention strategies in decreasing attrition rate among African American licensed practical nursing students in a community college.

    PubMed

    Barra, Maryanne

    2013-01-01

    This education evidence based study examined African American students entering the Practical Nursing program and the strategies of medical mathematics bridge and tutoring programs to reduce attrition. To increase retention in the fundamentals of nursing courses, augmenting the program completion rate. DATA/OBSERVATIONS: Two groups of students (n = 105) participated for this one-year study over three semesters. Data revealed passing rates of 87%-92% for the nursing course and 75%-92% on medical mathematics when consistently attending programs. The attrition rate plummeting to 8% -34% contrasting previous years 43%-65%. Retention intervention programs can have a positive impact on minority students' academic performance.

  19. Medical ethics research between theory and practice.

    PubMed

    ten Have, H A; Lelie, A

    1998-06-01

    The main object of criticism of present-day medical ethics is the standard view of the relationship between theory and practice. Medical ethics is more than the application of moral theories and principles, and health care is more than the domain of application of moral theories. Moral theories and principles are necessarily abstract, and therefore fail to take account of the sometimes idiosyncratic reality of clinical work and the actual experiences of practitioners. Suggestions to remedy the illness of contemporary medical ethics focus on re-establishing the connection between the internal and external morality of medicine. This article discusses the question how to develop a theoretical perspective on medical ethical issues that connects philosophical reflection with the everyday realities of medical practice. Four steps in a comprehensive approach of medical ethics research are distinguished: (1) examine health care contexts in order to obtain a better understanding of the internal morality of these practices; this requires empirical research; (2) analyze and interpret the external morality governing health care practices; sociological study of prevalent values, norms, and attitudes concerning medical-ethical issues is required; (3) creation of new theoretical perspectives on health care practices; Jensen's theory of healthcare practices will be useful here; (4) develop a new conception of bioethics that illuminates and clarifies the complex interaction between the internal and external morality of health care practices. Hermeneutical ethics can be helpful for integrating the experiences disclosed in the empirical ethical studies, as well as utilizing the insights gained from describing the value-contexts of health care practices. For a critical and normative perspective, hermeneutical ethics has to examine and explain the moral experiences uncovered, in order to understand what they tell us.

  20. Education and research in medical optronics in France

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demongeot, Jacques; Fleute, M.; Herve, T.; Lavallee, Stephane

    2000-06-01

    First we present here the main post-graduate courses proposed in France both for physicians and engineers in medical optronics. After we explain which medical domains are concerned by this teaching, essentially computer assisted surgery, telemedicine and functional exploration. Then we show the main research axes in these fields, in which new jobs have to be invented and new educational approaches have to be prepared in order to satisfy the demand coming both from hospitals (mainly referent hospitals) and from industry (essentially medical imaging and instrumentation companies). Finally we will conclude that medical optronics is an important step in an entire chain of acquisition and processing of medical data, capable to create the medical knowledge a surgeon or a physician needs for diagnosis or therapy purposes. Optimizing the teaching of medical optronics needs a complete integration from acquiring to modeling the medical reality. This tendency to give a holistic education in medical imaging and instrumentation is called `Model driven Acquisition' learning.

  1. Medical and biomedical research productivity from Palestine, 2002 – 2011

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Medical research productivity reflects the level of medical education and practice in a particular country. The objective of this study was to examine the quantity and quality of medical and biomedical research published from Palestine. Findings Comprehensive review of the literature indexed by Scopus was conducted. Data from Jan 01, 2002 till December 31, 2011 was searched for authors affiliated with Palestine or Palestinian authority. Results were refined to limit the search to medical and biomedical subjects. The quality of publication was assessed using Journal Citation Report. The total number of publications was 2207. A total of 770 publications were in the medical and biomedical subject areas. The annual rate of publication was 0.077 articles per gross domestic product/capita. The 770 publications have an h-index of 32. One hundred and thirty eight (18%) articles were published in 46 journals that were not indexed in the web of knowledge. Twenty two (22/770; 2.9%) articles were published in journals with an IF > 10. Conclusions The quantity and quality of research originating from Palestinian institutions is promising given the scarce resources of Palestine. However, more effort is needed to bridge the gap in medical research productivity and to promote better health in Palestine. PMID:23375070

  2. Gender differences in medical advice and health behavior of obese African Americans with and without type 2 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Vaccaro, Joan A; Huffman, Fatma G

    2012-09-01

    This study examined gender differences in medical advice related to diet and physical activity for obese African American adults (N = 470) with and without diabetes. Data from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed using logistic regression analyses. Even after sociodemographic adjustments, men were less likely to report receiving medical advice as compared with women. Both men and women given dietary and physical activity advice were more likely to follow it. Men were less likely to report currently reducing fat or calories, yet men with diabetes were 5 times more likely to state that they were reducing fat and calories as compared with women with diabetes. Gender- and disease state-specific interventions are needed comparing standard care with enhanced patient education. Moreover, these findings necessitate studies that characterize the role of the health care professional in the diagnosis and treatment of obesity and underscore patient-provider relationships.

  3. 'Walk with your head high': African and African-Caribbean fatherhood, children's mental well-being and social capital.

    PubMed

    Williams, Robert; Hewison, Alistair; Wagstaff, Chris; Randall, Duncan

    2012-01-01

    The findings presented in this article were unanticipated and came to light during a study which investigated African and African-Caribbean fathers' views about preventive primary care services. This article reports findings which indicate that African and African-Caribbean fathers strive to enable and protect children's mental well-being and create social, cultural and symbolic forms of capital. It also seeks to identify implications for health and social care policy and practice in England. There is limited literature examining African and African-Caribbean fathers' health experiences in England. Consequently an exploratory research approach was required. This involved nine, in-depth, semi-structured qualitative group interviews undertaken with 46 African and African-Caribbean fathers. The data were analysed thematically using abductive reasoning, informed by Bourdieu's theoretical work. Fathers were striving to enable and protect children's mental well-being through providing authoritative, loving, affectionate fatherhood involving reasoning, good communication and promoting self-esteem. These practices were seen to be necessary if children were to prosper in a harsh social world characterised by structural hazards including racism, negative stereotypes and limited opportunities. The fathers reported their efforts to develop what Bourdieu has termed symbolic, cultural and social capital as means of promoting the mental well-being of their children and the children of others. The implications for theory, future research, public health policy and practice, in relation to the needs of African and African-Caribbean fathers and families, are also discussed, with specific focus on how to realise the potential of African and African-Caribbean fathers' positive contributions to family and community health.

  4. Impact of elective versus required medical school research experiences on career outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Weaver, Alice N; McCaw, Tyler R; Fifolt, Matthew; Hites, Lisle; Lorenz, Robin G

    2018-01-01

    Many US medical schools have added a scholarly or research requirement as a potential intervention to increase the number of medical students choosing to become academic physicians and physician scientists. We designed a retrospective qualitative survey study to evaluate the impact of medical school research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) on career choices. A survey tool was developed consisting of 74 possible questions with built-in skip patterns to customize the survey to each participant. The survey was administered using the web-based program Qualtrics to UAB School of Medicine alumni graduating between 2000 and 2014. Alumni were contacted 3 times at 2-week intervals during the year 2015, resulting in 168 completed surveys (11.5% response rate). MD/PhD graduates were excluded from the study. Most respondents completed elective research, typically for reasons relating to career advancement. 24 per cent said medical school research increased their desire for research involvement in the future, a response that positively correlated with mentorship level and publication success. Although completion of medical school research was positively correlated with current research involvement, the strongest predictor for a physician scientist career was pre-existing passion for research (p=0.008). In contrast, students motivated primarily by curricular requirement were less likely to pursue additional research opportunities. Positive medical school research experiences were associated with increased postgraduate research in our study. However, we also identified a strong relationship between current research activity and passion for research, which may predate medical school. PMID:28270407

  5. An Analysis of the Recruitment and Participation of African American Men in Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Research: A Review of the Published Literature.

    PubMed

    Sherman, Ledric D; Hawkins, Jaclynn Marie; Bonner, Timethia

    2017-01-02

    Research studies have shown that African American men have experienced higher rates of serious complications of type 2 diabetes, due in part to poor disease management. Although type 2 diabetes research among minority populations is consistently advancing, there still remains a scarcity of African American male representation within these studies. It is unclear if this scarcity stems from lack of interest among men, location of recruitment, or ways in which these men are motivated to participate in research studies. As a result, an analysis of recruitment methods and locations of literature that includes African American men with type 2 diabetes is needed. The purpose of this review of the literature is threefold: (a) determine the number of published empirical studies specific to type 2 diabetes self-management that included African Americans in the sample, (b) to evaluate the percentage of men that were represented in the study sample as compared to how many women, and (c) identify the method of recruitment of each study.

  6. To Your Health: NLM update transcript - Improving medical research rigor?

    MedlinePlus

    ... be a well-tailored solution to enhance the quantitative rigor of medical research, suggests a viewpoint recently published in the Journal ... about 96 percent of medical and public health research articles (that report ... more quantitative rigor would attract widespread attention — if not high ...

  7. A Course in Medical Research Study Design and Analysis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Linskey, Mark E.; And Others

    1987-01-01

    A course to familiarize medical students with the principles of good medical research study design and analysis focuses on three types of studies: clinical trials, laboratory science, and epidemiology and biostatistics. (MSE)

  8. Long QT syndrome in African-Americans.

    PubMed

    Fugate, Thomas; Moss, Arthur J; Jons, Christian; McNitt, Scott; Mullally, Jamie; Ouellet, Gregory; Goldenberg, Ilan; Zareba, Wojciech; Robinson, Jennifer L

    2010-01-01

    We evaluated the risk factors and clinical course of Long QT syndrome (LQTS) in African-American patients. The study involved 41 African-Americans and 3456 Caucasians with a QTc > or = 450 ms from the U.S. portion of the International LQTS Registry. Data included information about the medical history and clinical course of the LQTS patients with end points relating to the occurrence of syncope, aborted cardiac arrest, or LQTS-related sudden cardiac death from birth through age 40 years. The statistical analyses involved Kaplan-Meier time to event graphs and Cox regression models for multivariable risk factor evaluation. The QTc was 29 ms longer in African-Americans than Caucasians. Multivarite Cox analyses with adjustment for decade of birth revealed that the cardiac event rate was similar in African-Americans and Caucasians with LQTS and that beta-blockers were equally effective in reducing cardiac events in the two racial groups. The clinical course of LQTS in African-Americans is similar to that of Caucasians with comparable risk factors and benefit from beta-blocker therapy in the two racial groups.

  9. Unpacking the Predominance of Case Study Methodology in South African Postgraduate Educational Research, 1995-2004

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rule, P.; Davey, B.; Balfour, R. J.

    2011-01-01

    The Project Postgraduate Educational Research (PPER) data indicate that case study is the most popular methodology among South African education masters and doctorate students in the period 1995-2004. This article reflects on the reasons for the preference for case study by considering epistemological and contextual factors. It unpacks the links…

  10. PREVALENCE OF BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA AND PROSTATE CANCER IN AFRICANS AND AFRICANS IN THE DIASPORA.

    PubMed

    Yeboah, E D

    2016-01-01

    There have been several publications on population or community prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer from various countries and races but few reports are from Africa on Africans. A review on the prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer in Africans and other races. The current literature on prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer (PC), and benign prostatic hyperplasia co-existing with prostate cancer in Africans and other races is reviewed. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) prevalence in Ghana is responsible for 60% acute retention of urine and 28.6% of haematuria. Worldwide prevalence of BPH varies from 20 - 62% in men over 50 years and this includes USA, UK, Japan and Ghana. Reports from South Africa indicate prevalence of over 50% in adult males of 60 years. BPH co-existing with PC - Reports from USA, UK and Japan and Ghana reveal moderate association of BPH and PC. The co-existence of PC in patients being treated for BPH is 3 - 20% Prostate Cancer prevalence - There is high prevalence in USA, Scandinavian Countries, African Americans (AA) and Caribbean blacks. Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago have reported high prevalence of 6 -10% in men aged 50 years and above but others reported low prevalence in Africans from Africa. The low reporting from Africa of 10 - 40:100,000 is attributable to under reporting, absence of PSA screening/testing, lack of reliable cancer registries and poor medical facilities. Economic Costs of BPH and PC: BPH in the USA national direct costs are estimated at U$4Billion and individual costs of US$1536 annually. In Ghana, individual costs for BPH medications range from US$300 - 550 per year and cost for simple prostatectomy/TURP is estimated at US$1100. For prostate cancer, individual direct costs from Europe range from 6,575 - 12,000 euros, £2818.00 UK and over U$12,000 - 20,000 in USA per annum. In Ghana, individual direct costs ranges, for radical prostatectomy and

  11. African, Asian or Indian enigma, the East Asian Helicobacter pylori: facts or medical myths

    PubMed Central

    GRAHAM, David Y; LU, Hong; YAMAOKA, Yoshio

    2010-01-01

    Helicobacter pylori is etiologically related to peptic ulcer disease and gastric adenocarcinomas. Reports of geographical enigmas (African, Asian, Indian and Costa Rican enigmas) are based on perceptions that clinical presentations in a population or region are not as the authors expected. We discuss the background for these enigmas and examine the evidence whether they are real or are medical myths. The African enigma was challenged almost as soon as it was proposed and recent analyses of endoscopic data have confirmed it is a myth, as H. pylori-related diseases occur in Africa at the expected frequencies. The Asian and Indian enigmas relate to gastric cancer and peptic ulcers, respectively, and when one takes the patterns of gastritis in the different regions, these enigmas disappear. The pattern of gastritis underlies and predicts the clinical outcome and the predominant pattern of gastritis has been observed to change much more rapidly than can be accounted for by changes in host genetics. There is also no evidence that these changes relate to changes in the predominant H. pylori strain. The factors that link most closely to preventing an atrophic corpus are environmental, with food preservation and diet currently assuming the most prominent roles. This focus on diseases (cancer vs duodenal ulcers) instead of the underlying patterns of gastritis has fostered, and possibly helped to perpetuate, these mythical enigmas. We suggest that a better strategy would be to focus on the pathogenesis of underlying histopathologic differences which could also lead to the identification of specific chemoprevention strategies. PMID:19426388

  12. International travel as medical research: architecture and the modern hospital.

    PubMed

    Logan, Cameron; Willis, Julie

    2010-01-01

    The design and development of the modern hospital in Australia had a profound impact on medical practice and research at a variety of levels. Between the late 1920s and the 1950s hospital architects, administrators, and politicians travelled widely in order to review the latest international developments in the hospital field They were motivated by Australia's geographic isolation and a growing concern with how to govern the population at the level of physical health. While not 'medical research' in the conventional sense of the term, this travel was a powerful generator of medical thinking in Australia and has left a rich archival legacy. This paper draws on that archive to demonstrate the ways in which architectural research and international networks of hospital specialists profoundly shaped the provision of medical infrastructure in Australia.

  13. Patient- and Family-Centered Care as an approach to reducing disparities in asthma outcomes in urban African American children: A review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Harper, Felicity W K; Eggly, Susan; Crider, Beverly; Kobayashi, Hitomi; Kathleen, R N; Meert, L; Ball, Allison; Penner, Louis A; Gray, Herman; Albrecht, Terrance L

    2015-06-01

    We thank Cathy Eames (Director, Library Services, Detroit Medical Center) for valuable input and assistance with the search strategy. Funding for this research was supported by a grant from Children's Hospital of Michigan Research Foundation (Principal Investigator: Terrance L. Albrecht, Ph.D.). Patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) has the potential to address disparities in access and quality of healthcare for African American pediatric asthma patients by accommodating and responding to the individual needs of patients and families. To identify and evaluate research on the impact of family-provider interventions that reflect elements of PFCC on reducing disparities in the provision, access, quality, and use of healthcare services for African American pediatric asthma patients. Electronic searches were conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, and Psyclnfo databases. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed, English-language articles on family-provider interventions that (a) reflected one or more elements of PFCC and (b) addressed healthcare disparities in urban African American pediatric asthma patients (≤18years). Thirteen interventions or programs were identified and reviewed. Designs included randomized clinical trials, controlled clinical trials, pre- and post-interventions, and program evaluations. Few interventions were identified as explicitly providing PFCC in a pediatric asthma context, possibly because of a lack of consensus on what constitutes PFCC in practice. Some studies have demonstrated that PFCC improves satisfaction and communication during clinical interactions. More empirical research is needed to understand whether PFCC interventions reduce care disparities and improve the provision, access, and quality of asthma healthcare for urban African American children. PubMed, CINAHL, and Psyclnfo AA-African American: CCT-Controlled clinical trial; ED-Emergency Department; ETS-Environmental tobacco smoke; FCC- Family Centered Care; PFCC-Patient and Family

  14. Medical teachers' attitudes towards science and motivational orientation for medical research.

    PubMed

    Cvek, Mario; Hren, Darko; Sambunjak, Dario; Planinc, Mislav; Macković, Maja; Marusić, Ana; Marusić, Matko

    2009-01-01

    Research is an important motivating factor for pursuing a career in academic medicine, but the relation between motivation and other factors involved in scientific research are not clear. To explore the motivational orientation for doing research and its relation with attitudes towards science and publication practice among members of faculty at a medical school. We used a Science Attitude Survey and the Work Preference Inventory (intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientation using 4 Likert-type scales of motivation, possible range 1-5) to survey two groups of teachers at the Zagreb University School of Medicine (n = 327, 66% response rate): professors, elected to tenure-track positions (n = 150), and instructor/research fellows working on or just completing their thesis (n = 177). Overall, teachers scored highest on the Enjoyment subscale of intrinsic motivational orientation (mean score +/- standard deviation 4.3 +/- 0.42 for professors vs 4.1 +/- 0.42 for instructors/research fellows, P = 0.001, t-test). Professors also scored higher than instructors/research fellows on the Challenge subscale of intrinsic motivational orientation (3.8 +/- 0.55 vs. 3.5 +/- 0.64, P < 0.001, t-test), whereas instructors/research fellows scored higher on the Compensation subscale of extrinsic motivational orientation (3.5 +/- 0.74 vs. 3.1 +/- 0.71, P < 0.001, t-test). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the number of publications was positively associated with scores on the Science Attitude Survey and the Challenge subscale of intrinsic motivation, and negatively associated with scores on the Compensation subscale of extrinsic motivation. Members of the medical faculty differ in motivational orientation for research depending on their academic status, and their motivation is associated more with requirements for academic advancement than with research. These findings have important implications for developing strategies for enhancing academic research production.

  15. Emerging medical informatics research trends detection based on MeSH terms.

    PubMed

    Lyu, Peng-Hui; Yao, Qiang; Mao, Jin; Zhang, Shi-Jing

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study is to analyze the research trends of medical informatics over the last 12 years. A new method based on MeSH terms was proposed to identify emerging topics and trends of medical informatics research. Informetric methods and visualization technologies were applied to investigate research trends of medical informatics. The metric of perspective factor (PF) embedding MeSH terms was appropriately employed to assess the perspective quality for journals. The emerging MeSH terms have changed dramatically over the last 12 years, identifying two stages of medical informatics: the "medical imaging stage" and the "medical informatics stage". The focus of medical informatics has shifted from acquisition and storage of healthcare data by integrating computational, informational, cognitive and organizational sciences to semantic analysis for problem solving and clinical decision-making. About 30 core journals were determined by Bradford's Law in the last 3 years in this area. These journals, with high PF values, have relative high perspective quality and lead the trend of medical informatics.

  16. [Research Progress of Multi-Model Medical Image Fusion at Feature Level].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Junjie; Zhou, Tao; Lu, Huiling; Wang, Huiqun

    2016-04-01

    Medical image fusion realizes advantage integration of functional images and anatomical images.This article discusses the research progress of multi-model medical image fusion at feature level.We firstly describe the principle of medical image fusion at feature level.Then we analyze and summarize fuzzy sets,rough sets,D-S evidence theory,artificial neural network,principal component analysis and other fusion methods’ applications in medical image fusion and get summery.Lastly,we in this article indicate present problems and the research direction of multi-model medical images in the future.

  17. Medical Genetics at McGill: The History of a Pioneering Research Group.

    PubMed

    Canning, Christopher; Weisz, George; Tone, Andrea; Cambrosio, Alberto

    2013-01-01

    The McGill Group in Medical Genetics was formed in 1972, supported by the Medical Research Council and successor Canadian Institutes for Health Research until September 2009, making it the longest active biomedical research group in the history of Canada. We document the history of the McGill Group and situate its research within a broader history of medical genetics. Drawing on original oral histories with the Group's members, surviving documents, and archival materials, we explore how the Group's development was structured around epistemological trends in medical genetics, policy choices made by research agencies, and the development of genetics at McGill University and its hospitals.

  18. Seeking to Improve African American Girls' Attitudes toward Science: A Participatory Action Research Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buck, Gayle A.; Cook, Kristin L.; Quigley, Cassie F.; Prince, Pearl; Lucas, Yvonne

    2014-01-01

    In this participatory action research study, we answered the question, How can we improve attitudes toward science education of the African American girls at an elementary school? Girls in grades 3-6 completed the Modified Attitudes toward Science Inventory. A purposeful sample of 30 girls participated in several focus-group interviews throughout…

  19. Collecting and Utilizing Evaluation Research for Public Good and on Behalf of African American Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, Veronica G.; McKie, Brooke K.

    2006-01-01

    A study indicates that researchers entrusted with evaluating the educational outcomes of African American children must engage their practice for the public good and on behalf of these students. The Howard University Evaluation Training Institute is used as a guide to describe the steps for conducting quality evaluations, and to highlight the…

  20. TU-AB-204-03: Research Activities in Medical Physics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Badano, A.

    The responsibilities of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have increased since the inception of the Food and Drugs Act in 1906. Medical devices first came under comprehensive regulation with the passage of the 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. In 1971 FDA also took on the responsibility for consumer protection against unnecessary exposure to radiation-emitting devices for home and occupational use. However it was not until 1976, under the Medical Device Regulation Act, that the FDA was responsible for the safety and effectiveness of medical devices. This session will be presented by the Division of Radiological Health (DRH) andmore » the Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability (DIDSR) from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) at the FDA. The symposium will discuss on how we protect and promote public health with a focus on medical physics applications organized into four areas: pre-market device review, post-market surveillance, device compliance, current regulatory research efforts and partnerships with other organizations. The pre-market session will summarize the pathways FDA uses to regulate the investigational use and commercialization of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy medical devices in the US, highlighting resources available to assist investigators and manufacturers. The post-market session will explain the post-market surveillance and compliance activities FDA performs to monitor the safety and effectiveness of devices on the market. The third session will describe research efforts that support the regulatory mission of the Agency. An overview of our regulatory research portfolio to advance our understanding of medical physics and imaging technologies and approaches to their evaluation will be discussed. Lastly, mechanisms that FDA uses to seek public input and promote collaborations with professional, government, and international organizations, such as AAPM, International Electrotechnical Commission

  1. The aging African-American face.

    PubMed

    Brissett, Anthony E; Naylor, Michelle C

    2010-05-01

    With the desire to create a more youthful appearance, patients of all races and ethnicities are increasingly seeking nonsurgical and surgical rejuvenation. In particular, facial rejuvenation procedures have grown significantly within the African-American population. This increase has resulted in a paradigm shift in facial plastic surgery as one considers rejuvenation procedures in those of African descent, as the aging process of various racial groups differs from traditional models. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the facial features unique to those of African descent and the role these features play in the aging process, taking care to highlight the differences from traditional models of facial aging. In addition, this article will briefly describe the nonsurgical and surgical options for facial rejuvenation taking into consideration the previously discussed facial aging differences and postoperative considerations. Thieme Medical Publishers.

  2. Teaching in Medical Education | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    Many postdoctoral fellows are considering an academic career at a medical school. In addition to conducting research, new faculty members must learn effective teaching methodologies. This course will focus on good teaching practices, including basic strategies for developing and organizing a course. The purpose of the "Teaching in Medical Education (TIME)" course is to increase the scientist's ability to teach in medical education. The course will provide basic knowledge in teaching methods, course planning, writing a syllabus and developing examinations.

  3. Critical Medical Anthropology in Midwifery Research

    PubMed Central

    Newnham, Elizabeth C.; Pincombe, Jan I.; McKellar, Lois V.

    2016-01-01

    In this article, we discuss the use of critical medical anthropology (CMA) as a theoretical framework for research in the maternity care setting. With reference to the doctoral research of the first author, we argue for the relevance of using CMA for research into the maternity care setting, particularly as it relates to midwifery. We then give an overview of an existing analytic model within CMA that we adapted for looking specifically at childbirth practices and which was then used in both analyzing the data and structuring the thesis. There is often no clear guide to the analysis or writing up of data in ethnographic research; we therefore offer this Critical analytic model of childbirth practices for other researchers conducting ethnographic research into childbirth or maternity care. PMID:28462347

  4. Teaching in Medical Education | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    Many postdoctoral fellows are considering an academic career at a medical school. In addition to conducting research, new faculty members must learn effective teaching methodologies. This course will focus on good teaching practices, including basic strategies for developing and organizing a course. The purpose of the "Teaching in Medical Education (TIME)" course is to

  5. Getting started on your research: practical advice for medical educators.

    PubMed

    Markert, Ronald J

    2010-10-01

    Guidance and mentorship benefit faculty who having little or no background conducting research in medical education. From his experience the author suggests three characteristics that distinguish medical educators who are especially productive in their scholarly activities: intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation, collaboration with colleagues, and the personal qualities of patience and organization. He then expands on these characteristics by offering practical advice in the form of eight tips for faculty seeking to acquire or improve their medical education research skills.

  6. A pilot survey of African-American physician perceptions about clinical trials.

    PubMed

    Lynch, G F; Gorelick, P B; Raman, R; Leurgans, S

    2001-12-01

    African Americans have been underrepresented in clinical trials. However, African-American physician attitudes about clinical trials may influence patient recruitment. We identified the perceptions of African-American physician members of the Cook County Physicians Association (CCPA) about clinical trials in the Chicago Metropolitan area using a self-administered questionnaire. An 18-item, 2-page survey that included information about physician demographics, practice type, and specialty, and perceptions regarding clinical research was sent to each of the 609 active or inactive members of the CCPA, a predominantly African-American physician organization. Each survey was accompanied by a letter of explanation and a self-addressed, return envelope. Data from the surveys were stored and analyzed in a database. A total of 166 members (27%) completed the survey. Fifty percent of the respondents were men and 50% were women. The mean age of the group was 45 years, and almost half had participated previously as a local investigator, or assisted on a clinical or laboratory study. Factors identified by the members as possibly being disadvantages to participation in a clinical trial, or factors influencing African-American recruitment included: (a) lack of patient awareness of clinical trials (93%); (b) patient mistrust of the medical community (92%); (c) additional administrative tasks in conjunction with a patient enrolled in a study (56%); (d) blind drug assignment (41.6%). African-American physicians perceive inherent disadvantages from participation in clinical trials and have pinpointed factors that may influence patient recruitment. These factors may be addressed by focused physician and community education.

  7. Genetic structure of a unique admixed population: implications for medical research.

    PubMed

    Patterson, Nick; Petersen, Desiree C; van der Ross, Richard E; Sudoyo, Herawati; Glashoff, Richard H; Marzuki, Sangkot; Reich, David; Hayes, Vanessa M

    2010-02-01

    Coloured individuals and made comparisons with historically predicted founder populations. We show that there is substantial genetic contribution from at least four distinct population groups: Europeans, South Asians, Indonesians and a population genetically close to the isiXhosa sub-Saharan Bantu. This is in good accord with the historical record. We briefly examine the implications of determining the genetic diversity of this population, not only for furthering understanding of human evolution out of Africa, but also for genome-wide association studies using admixture mapping. In conclusion, we define the genetic structure of a uniquely admixed population that holds great potential to advance genetic-based medical research.

  8. Accession Medical Standards Analysis and Research Activity (AMSARA)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-01-01

    young adults with psychiatric disorders 15. SUBJECT TERMS Accession, medical, standards, attrition, waiver, discharge, hospitalization, disability...86 Research to Develop a Screening Test for Detection of Psychiatric Disorders in Young Adults ...secondary to organic or functional mental disorders that interfere with work or school after age 12 or current use of medication to improve or maintain

  9. Clinician scientist training program: a proposal for training medical students in clinical research.

    PubMed

    Mark, A L; Kelch, R P

    2001-11-01

    There is national alarm about a decline in the number of clinician scientists. Most of the proposed solutions have focused on housestaff and junior faculty. We propose a new national program for training medical students in clinical research. This program, coined "Clinician Scientist Training Program" (CSTP), would consist of a combined degree program in medicine (MD) and clinical research (eg, masters in translational research or masters in clinical epidemiology). Students could enroll in the program at any stage during medical school. After 3 years of medical school, students would spend at least 2 years in a combined didactic and mentored clinical research training program and then complete medical school. Students could elect to pursue more prolonged clinical research training toward a combined PhD and MD. The CSTP is designed to meet six critical challenges: 1) engage students early in clinical research training; 2) provide a didactic clinical research curriculum; 3) expose students to several years of mentored clinical research training; 4) promote debt prevention by providing tuition payments during medical education and a stipend during clinical research training; 5) facilitate prolonged exposure to a community of peers and mentors in a program with national and institutional identity and respect; and 6) permit enrollment in the program as students enter medical school or at any stage during medical school. If the success of the Medical Scientist Training Program in training medical students in basic research is a guide, the CSTP could become a linchpin for training future generations of clinician scientists.

  10. African American Enrollment in Independent Schools, 1988-89. Research Notes on Education. No. 6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Institute for Independent Education, Inc., Washington, DC.

    This report discusses the enrollment of African-American students in independent neighborhood schools across the country. Students in these schools constitute the second largest group of African-Americans outside the nation's public school systems. Over 52,000 African-American students are enrolled in independent schools. Data for African-American…

  11. The Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program: innovations in the federal funding of biomedical research.

    PubMed

    Young-McCaughan, Stacey; Rich, Irene M; Lindsay, Gaylord C; Bertram, Kenneth A

    2002-04-01

    In response to the lobbying efforts of the women's advocacy movement, in 1993 Congress authorized funds for a substantial increase in support of new and promising research aimed at the eradication of breast cancer. This appropriation resulted in a major expansion of the United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. The Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs was established within the United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command to facilitate the management of the expanded extramural research program. Since that time, the programs have grown to include not just breast cancer but also prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and neurofibromatosis. The unique appropriations to the Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs has resulted in a number of programmatic innovations. These include development of unique mechanisms of grant support, inclusion of consumer advocates on peer and programmatic review panels, and the introduction of criteria-based evaluation and scoring in peer review. This article describes these novel scientific management strategies and outlines their success in meeting program visions and goals.

  12. Religion, health and medicine in African Americans: implications for physicians.

    PubMed

    Levin, Jeff; Chatters, Linda M; Taylor, Robert Joseph

    2005-02-01

    Recent years have seen a burgeoning of research and writing on the connections between religion and health. The very best of this work comes from epidemiologic studies of African Americans. This paper summarizes results of these investigations, including findings identifying effects of religious participation on both physical and mental health outcomes. Evidence mostly supports a protective religious effect on morbidity and mortality and on depressive symptoms and overall psychological distress among African Americans. This paper also carefully discusses what the results of these studies mean and do not mean, an important consideration due to frequent misinterpretations of findings on this topic. Because important distinctions between epidemiologic and clinical studies tend to get glossed over, reports of religion-health associations oftentimes draw erroneous conclusions that foster unrealistic expectations about the role of faith and spirituality in health and healing. Finally, implications are discussed for clinical practice, medical education and public health.

  13. Mechanisms of Vowel Variation in African American English

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holt, Yolanda Feimster

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: This research explored mechanisms of vowel variation in African American English by comparing 2 geographically distant groups of African American and White American English speakers for participation in the African American Shift and the Southern Vowel Shift. Method: Thirty-two male (African American: n = 16, White American controls: n =…

  14. Research priorities in medical education at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences:categories and subcategories in the Iranian context

    PubMed Central

    NABEIEI, PARISA; AMINI, MITRA; GHANAVATI, SHIRIN; MARHAMATI, SAADAT

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Research in education is a globally significant issue without a long history. Due to the importance of the issue in Health System Development programs, this study intended to determine research priorities in medical education, considering their details and functions. By determining barriers existing in research in education progress, it is tried to make research priorities more functional by recommending acceptable strategies. Methods This is a qualitative-descriptive study in two descriptive phases. The goal of these phases was to determine research priorities subcategories in medical education by Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and two rounds of Delphi method. Through the first phase, subcategories of research priorities were determined, using Nominal Group Technique under medical education experts’ supervision. Through two rounds of Delphi, a questionnaire was constructed based on the subcategories. Eventually, research priorities were determined based on their highest score (scores more than 7 out of 10). Results In the first phase (NGT), 35 priorities in 5 major fields of medical education were presented. In the second phase, priorities were scored, using Delphi method. Medical Ethics and professionalism gained the highest scores (7.63±1.26) and educational evaluation the lowest (7.28±1.52). In this stage, 7 items were omitted but 2 of them were added again after experts’ revision in the third round of Delphi. Conclusion According to the results of the present study and based on previous studies, it really seems that the fields of “Learning and Teaching Approaches” and “Medical Ethics and Professionalism” were more important. Because of financial and resource limitations in our country and the importance of research priorities, it is recommended to frequently study “research priorities determination program” at universities. PMID:26793723

  15. Research on patient safety: falls and medications.

    PubMed

    Boddice, Sandra Dawn; Kogan, Polina

    2009-10-01

    Below you will find summaries of published research describing investigations into patient safety issues related to falls and medications. The first summary provides details on the incidence of falls associated with the use of walkers and canes. This is followed by a summary of a fall-prevention intervention study that evaluated the effectiveness of widespread dissemination of evidence-based strategies in a community in Connecticut. The third write up provides information on three classes of medications that are associated with a significant number of emergency room visits. The last summary describes a pharmacist-managed medication reconciliation intervention pilot program. For additional details about the study findings and interventions, we encourage readers to review the original articles.

  16. Content Analysis of Research in Undergraduate Medical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dimitroff, Alexandra; Davis, Wayne K.

    1996-01-01

    Analysis of 773 journal articles on undergraduate medical education found curriculum, teaching, and student assessment most frequently discussed, with 45% reporting research activities. Research studies were generally conducted in a naturalistic environment; were evaluative or comparative; used observation, testing, or questionnaires for data…

  17. The U.S. Public's Investment in Medical Research: An Evolving Social Contract.

    PubMed

    Heinig, Stephen J; Dev, Anurupa; Bonham, Ann C

    2016-01-01

    Medical researchers and their institutions are operating under extraordinary financial stress. More than a decade after completion of the 5-year doubling of the National Institutes of Health budget, the medical research community must confront a significant loss in National Institutes of Health purchasing power and downward pressures in federal discretionary spending. In part, this trend results from a federal budget stalemate over the growth in entitlement programs, particularly spending on medical care. This article considers the changing nature of the federal investment in medical research and the potential for medical researchers and institutions conducting the full spectrum of research to improve health system performance and health equity. In our view, continued federal investments reflect an evolving social contract for research serving the public good; the term contract is used metaphorically to represent a figurative, implicit agreement between the scientific community and the public's representatives in government. Under this conceptual contract, the American people--who are ultimately the funders of research, research training and infrastructure--expect outcomes that lead to better health, security or other benefits. The evolving contract includes expectations for more accountability, transparency, sharing of results and resources, and better integration of research systems and cultures that used to take pride in boundaries and distinctions. We outline here some of the major movements of organizations realigning to social support, which are increasingly essential to sustain public investment in medical research. Copyright © 2016 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Characteristics of Medical Research News Reported on Front Pages of Newspapers

    PubMed Central

    Lai, William Yuk Yeu; Lane, Trevor

    2009-01-01

    Background The placement of medical research news on a newspaper's front page is intended to gain the public's attention, so it is important to understand the source of the news in terms of research maturity and evidence level. Methodology/Principal Findings We searched LexisNexis to identify medical research reported on front pages of major newspapers published from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2002. We used MEDLINE and Google Scholar to find journal articles corresponding to the research, and determined their evidence level. Of 734 front-page medical research stories identified, 417 (57%) referred to mature research published in peer-reviewed journals. The remaining 317 stories referred to preliminary findings presented at scientific or press meetings; 144 (45%) of those stories mentioned studies that later matured (i.e. were published in journals within 3 years after news coverage). The evidence-level distribution of the 515 journal articles quoted in news stories reporting on mature research (3% level I, 21% level II, 42% level III, 4% level IV, and 31% level V) differed from that of the 170 reports of preliminary research that later matured (1%, 19%, 35%, 12%, and 33%, respectively; chi-square test, P = .0009). No news stories indicated evidence level. Fewer than 1 in 5 news stories reporting preliminary findings acknowledged the preliminary nature of their content. Conclusions/Significance Only 57% of front-page stories reporting on medical research are based on mature research, which tends to have a higher evidence level than research with preliminary findings. Medical research news should be clearly referenced and state the evidence level and limitations to inform the public of the maturity and quality of the source. PMID:19568422

  19. The Chronic Underrepresentation of African Americans in Medicine. ETS Policy Notes. Volume 12, Number 1, Winter 2004

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barton, Paul E.

    2004-01-01

    This issue of "ETS Policy Notes" examines the underrepresentation of African Americans in medical school, focusing on trends in enrollment and graduation at all levels of education. African American college students' interest in the medical profession, their pursuit of degrees in biological sciences, and the growing gender differences in…

  20. Research Resources for the Study of African-American and Jewish Relations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gubert, Betty Kaplan

    1994-01-01

    Discusses New York City library resources for the study of African American and Jewish American relations. Highlights include library collections, access to materials, audio and visual materials, international newspapers, clippings, archives, children's books, and acquisitions. A list of the major libraries for the study of African American and…

  1. Data integrity, reliability and fraud in medical research.

    PubMed

    Baerlocher, Mark Otto; O'Brien, Jeremy; Newton, Marshall; Gautam, Tina; Noble, Jason

    2010-02-01

    Data reliability in original research requires collective trust from the academic community. Standards exist to ensure data integrity, but these safeguards are applied non-uniformly so errors or even fraud may still exist in the literature. To examine the prevalence and consequences of data errors, data reliability safeguards and fraudulent data among medical academics. Corresponding authors of every fourth primary research paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2001-2003), Canadian Medical Association Journal (2001-2003), British Medical Journal (1998-2000), and Lancet (1998-2000) were surveyed electronically. Questions focused on each author's personal experience with data reliability, data errors and data interpretation. Sixty-five percent (127/195) of corresponding authors responded. Ninety-four percent of respondents accepted full responsibility for the integrity of the last manuscript on which they were listed as co-author; however, 21% had discovered incorrect data after publication in previous manuscripts they had co-authored. Fraudulent data was discovered by 4% of respondents in their previous work. Four percent also noted 'smudged' data. Eighty-seven percent of respondents used data reliability safeguards in their last published manuscript, typically data review by multiple authors or double data entry. Twenty-one percent were involved in a paper that was submitted despite disagreement about the interpretation of the results, although the disagreeing author commonly withdrew from authorship. Data reliability remains a difficult issue in medical literature. A significant proportion of respondents did not use data reliability safeguards. Research fraud does exist in academia; however, it was not reported to be highly prevalent. Copyright 2009 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Inaugural editorial: Military Medical Research.

    PubMed

    Ren, Guo-Quan

    2014-01-01

    Military medicine is one of the most innovative part of human civilization. Along with the rapid development of medicine and advances in military techniques, military medicine has become the focus and intersection of new knowledge and new technologies. Innovation and development within military medicine are always ongoing, with a long and challenging path ahead. The establishment of "Military Medical Research" is expected to be a bounden responsibility in the frontline of Chinese military medicine.

  3. Human resources in health research institutions in sub-Saharan African countries: results of a questionnaire-based survey.

    PubMed

    Kebede, Derege; Zielinski, Chris; Mbondji, Peter Ebongue; Sanou, Issa; Kouvividila, Wenceslas; Lusamba-Dikassa, Paul-Samson

    2014-05-01

    To describe human capacity and staff movement in national health research institutions in 42 sub-Saharan African countries. A structured questionnaire was used to solicit information on governance and stewardship from health research institutions. Eight hundred and forty-seven health research institutions in 42 sub-Saharan African countries. Key informants from 847 health research institutions. The availability, mix and quality of human resources in health research institutions. On average, there were 122 females employed per respondent health research institution, compared with 159 males. For researchers, the equivalent figures were nine females to 17 males. The average annual gross salary of researchers varied between US$ 12,260 for staff with 5-10 years of experience and US$ 14,772 for the institution head. Of those researchers who had joined the institution in the previous 12 months, 55% were employed on a full-time basis. Of the researchers who left the institutions in the same period, 71% had a full-time contract. Among all those who left, those who left to a non-research sector and to another country accounted for two-thirds. The study revealed significant gaps in the area of human capacity development for research in Africa. The results showed a serious shortage of qualified staff engaged in health research, with a dearth of staff that held at least a master's degree or doctoral degree. Major efforts will be required to strengthen human resource capacity, including addressing the lack of motivation or time for research on the part of existing capable staff. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

  4. Evaluating U.S. medical schools' efforts to educate faculty researchers on research integrity and research misconduct policies and procedures.

    PubMed

    Titus, Sandra Larsen

    2014-01-01

    This paper examines how well U.S. medical school institutions are doing to promote research integrity. It is an important question to ask in order to determine whether there are sufficient and adequate protections in place to protect the U.S. Public Health Service's (PHS) resources devoted to medical research. This paper focuses on 5,100 medical school researchers' knowledge of what constitutes research misconduct as well as their willingness to report it to the research integrity officer (RIO) and educate their Ph.D. trainees. We learned that 5.6% of researchers could correctly distinguish seven or more of the nine scenarios that depicted likely research misconduct, as defined by the PHS regulations, from scenarios describing other ethical issues. Instead, researchers had expansive definitions and often inappropriately identified infractions such as conflicts of interest, Institutional Review Board (IRB) violations, and other breaches in ethical standards to be research misconduct. In addition, researchers who correctly identified four instances of likely research misconduct in the test items were highly unlikely to report their observations to a RIO. Researchers also provided insight on the factors they believe influence their decision making process of whether to report research misconduct. In addition, this paper also reports on the guidance that faculty said they provided their trainees on research misconduct issues. We conclude with a discussion and recommendations on what institutional leaders might consider doing in order to enhance their research integrity efforts and protect their institution's reputation.

  5. Disproportionate Diagnosis of Mental Disorders among African American versus European American Clients: Implications for Counseling Theory, Research, and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwartz, Robert C.; Feisthamel, Kevin P.

    2009-01-01

    Research generated by the professions of psychiatry and psychology reveals that African Americans are more often diagnosed with specific mental disorders (e.g., psychotic disorders) compared with European Americans. No research to date, however, has investigated whether professional counselors make differential diagnoses according to client race.…

  6. Creating a medical education enterprise: leveling the playing fields of medical education vs. medical science research within core missions

    PubMed Central

    Thammasitboon, Satid; Ligon, B. Lee; Singhal, Geeta; Schutze, Gordon E.; Turner, Teri L.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: Unlike publications of medical science research that are more readily rewarded, clinician-educators’ scholarly achievements are more nebulous and under-recognized. Objective:Create an education enterprise that empowers clinician-educators to engage in a broad range of scholarly activities and produce educational scholarship using strategic approaches to level the playing fields within an organization. Design: The authors analyzed the advantages and disadvantages experienced by medical science researchers vs. clinician educators using Bolman and Deal’s (B&D) four frames of organization (structural, human resource, political, symbolic). The authors then identified organizational approaches and activities that align with each B&D frame and proposed practical strategies to empower clinician-educators in their scholarly endeavors. Results: Our medical education enterprise enhanced the structural frame by creating a decentralized medical education unit, incorporated the human resource component with an endowed chair to support faculty development, leveraged the political model by providing grant supports and expanding venues for scholarship, and enhanced the symbolic frame by endorsing the value of education and public recognition from leaderships. In five years, we saw an increased number of faculty interested in becoming clinician-educators, had an increased number of faculty winning Educational Awards for Excellence and delivering conference presentations, and received 12 of the 15 college-wide awards for educational scholarship. These satisfactory trends reflect early success of our educational enterprise. Conclusions: B&D’s organizational frames can be used to identify strategies for addressing the pressing need to promote and recognize clinician-educators’ scholarship. We realize that our situation is unique in several respects, but this approach is flexible within an institution and transferable to any other institution and its medical

  7. Creating a medical education enterprise: leveling the playing fields of medical education vs. medical science research within core missions.

    PubMed

    Thammasitboon, Satid; Ligon, B Lee; Singhal, Geeta; Schutze, Gordon E; Turner, Teri L

    2017-01-01

    Unlike publications of medical science research that are more readily rewarded, clinician-educators' scholarly achievements are more nebulous and under-recognized. Create an education enterprise that empowers clinician-educators to engage in a broad range of scholarly activities and produce educational scholarship using strategic approaches to level the playing fields within an organization. The authors analyzed the advantages and disadvantages experienced by medical science researchers vs. clinician educators using Bolman and Deal's (B&D) four frames of organization (structural, human resource, political, symbolic). The authors then identified organizational approaches and activities that align with each B&D frame and proposed practical strategies to empower clinician-educators in their scholarly endeavors. Our medical education enterprise enhanced the structural frame by creating a decentralized medical education unit, incorporated the human resource component with an endowed chair to support faculty development, leveraged the political model by providing grant supports and expanding venues for scholarship, and enhanced the symbolic frame by endorsing the value of education and public recognition from leaderships. In five years, we saw an increased number of faculty interested in becoming clinician-educators, had an increased number of faculty winning Educational Awards for Excellence and delivering conference presentations, and received 12 of the 15 college-wide awards for educational scholarship. These satisfactory trends reflect early success of our educational enterprise. B&D's organizational frames can be used to identify strategies for addressing the pressing need to promote and recognize clinician-educators' scholarship. We realize that our situation is unique in several respects, but this approach is flexible within an institution and transferable to any other institution and its medical education program. B&D: Bolman and Deal; CRIS: Center for Research

  8. ["AGAINST ALL ODDS" - PROMOTING RESEARCH, CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT AND MEDICAL SERVICES OF THE CONFLICT IN THE GALILEE MEDICAL CENTER].

    PubMed

    Bornstein, Jacob

    2017-05-01

    The Galilee Medical Center (GMC) is unique in several aspects. Firstly, in the clinical aspect: In recent years, led by the Director of Medical Center, Dr. Masad Barhoum, a considerable momentum of development has taken place to reduce health discrepancies between the center and the periphery. Despite the under- financing of the health system in the Galilee, the GMC opened new clinical departments, introduced advanced medical technology and key staff members were added. This approach is depicted in publications presented in the current issue. Secondly, the aspect of medicine standoff: The GMC is the nearest hospital to the border with neighboring countries. It is also a tertiary center for trauma, due to the establishment of the Department of Neurosurgery, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the Departments of Orthopedic Surgery, general invasive radiology and invasive radiology of the brain. In recent years, the medical center treated hundreds of victims of the civil war in Syria, a third of them - women and children. The injured patients presented unique medical problems that are described in the papers in this issue. Thirdly, the research aspect: The medical center is the main teaching facility of medical students of the Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee of Bar-Ilan University. The Faculty of Medicine, led by the Dean, Prof. Ran Tur-Kaspa, promotes research and teaching in the medical center. Even before the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine, former hospital director, Prof. Shaul Shasha, not only extolled the importance of research, but established a research laboratory years ago. The laboratory continues to pursue translational research by the physicians of the medical center, led by Dr. Shifra Sela and Prof. Batya Kristal, and supported by the current medical center director, Dr. Masad Barhoum. Several studies conducted in this research laboratory are published herewith. With these unique aspects and despite the discrimination in funding

  9. Nursing contributions to the elimination of health disparities among African-Americans: review and critique of a decade of research--Part III.

    PubMed

    Underwood, Sandra Millon; Buseh, Aaron G; Canales, Mary K; Powe, Barbara; Dockery, Brenda; Kather, Tiffany; Kent, Nicole

    2005-12-01

    The excessive burden of disease experienced by African-Americans has long been described by authorities in the public, private, and professional sector as a national health concern. Several reports have been published in the peer-reviewed literature that describe the outcomes of nurse-directed studies aimed at addressing the factors associated with the disparities experienced by African-Americans and these reports were also aimed toward the design of interventions to reduce and/or eliminate them. However, little is known about the scope, quality, and impact of these efforts relative to the promotion of health and the prevention of disease among African-American population groups. This report presents the results of a review, analysis, and critique of reports of outcomes of nursing research aimed toward reducing health-related disparities among African-Americans. These reports were described in a selected group of African-American nursing organizations and journals dedicated to providing a forum for the discussion of issues focused on cultural diversity, transcultural nursing, and multicultural health care issues. Included among the journals were the Journal of the National Black Nurses Association, the Journal of the Association of Black Nursing Faculty, the Journal of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, the Journal of Cultural Diversity, the Journal of Transcultural Nursing, and the Journal of Multicultural Nursing and Health. Results of the review will be reported in three parts. The first part was reported in an earlier edition (Journal of National Black Nurses Association, Volume 15, No. 1), the second part was reported in Volume 16, No 1, of the Journal of National Black Nurses Association, and the third part is reported here. The results of this critique revealed that this body of nursing research provides the profession with a broad base of knowledge and insights. This knowledge is relative to the individual and familial impact of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes

  10. Gout Self-Management in African American Veterans: A Qualitative Exploration of Challenges and Solutions From Patients' Perspectives.

    PubMed

    Singh, Jasvinder A; Herbey, Ivan; Bharat, Aseem; Dinnella, Janet E; Pullman-Mooar, Sally; Eisen, Seth; Ivankova, Nataliya

    2017-11-01

    To explore gout self-management and associated challenges and solutions in African Americans. We conducted semistructured interviews with 35 African American veterans with gout, who received health care at Birmingham or Philadelphia Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, had filled urate-lowering therapy (ULT; most commonly allopurinol) for at least 6 months, and had a ULT medication possession ratio ≥80%. The interview protocol was constructed to explore key concepts related to gout self-management, including initial diagnosis of gout, beginning medical care for gout, the course of the gout, ULT medication adherence, dietary strategies, comorbidity and side effects, and social support. Thirty-five African American male veterans with gout who had ≥80% ULT adherence (most commonly, allopurinol) were interviewed at Birmingham (n = 18) or Philadelphia (n = 17) VA medical centers. Mean age was 65 years, mean body mass index was 31.9 kg/m 2 , 97% had hypertension, 23% had coronary artery disease, and 31% had renal failure. The main themes motivating African American veterans to better gout self-management were fear of pain, adherence to medications, self-discipline, lifestyle changes, information gathering, and developing a positive outlook. Birmingham participants more frequently revealed skipping gout medications. More Philadelphia participants discussed lifestyle/diet changes to prevent gout flares, indicated limiting social activities that involved drinking, and sought more information about gout self-management from health care providers and internet sources. Identified themes, including cultural differences by site, led to the development of a patient-centered intervention to improve gout self-management in African American men with gout. © 2017, American College of Rheumatology.

  11. Evaluation of medical research performance--position paper of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF).

    PubMed

    Herrmann-Lingen, Christoph; Brunner, Edgar; Hildenbrand, Sibylle; Loew, Thomas H; Raupach, Tobias; Spies, Claudia; Treede, Rolf-Detlef; Vahl, Christian-Friedrich; Wenz, Hans-Jürgen

    2014-01-01

    The evaluation of medical research performance is a key prerequisite for the systematic advancement of medical faculties, research foci, academic departments, and individual scientists' careers. However, it is often based on vaguely defined aims and questionable methods and can thereby lead to unwanted regulatory effects. The current paper aims at defining the position of German academic medicine toward the aims, methods, and consequences of its evaluation. During the Berlin Forum of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF) held on 18 October 2013, international experts presented data on methods for evaluating medical research performance. Subsequent discussions among representatives of relevant scientific organizations and within three ad-hoc writing groups led to a first draft of this article. Further discussions within the AWMF Committee for Evaluation of Performance in Research and Teaching and the AWMF Executive Board resulted in the final consented version presented here. The AWMF recommends modifications to the current system of evaluating medical research performance. Evaluations should follow clearly defined and communicated aims and consist of both summative and formative components. Informed peer reviews are valuable but feasible in longer time intervals only. They can be complemented by objective indicators. However, the Journal Impact Factor is not an appropriate measure for evaluating individual publications or their authors. The scientific "impact" rather requires multidimensional evaluation. Indicators of potential relevance in this context may include, e.g., normalized citation rates of scientific publications, other forms of reception by the scientific community and the public, and activities in scientific organizations, research synthesis and science communication. In addition, differentiated recommendations are made for evaluating the acquisition of third-party funds and the promotion of junior scientists. With the

  12. The Strong African American Families Program: Translating Research into Prevention Programming

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brody, Gene H.; Murry, Velma McBride; Gerrard, Meg; Gibbons, Frederick X.; Molgaard, Virginia; McNair, Lily; Brown, Anita C.; Wills, Thomas A.; Spoth, Richard L.; Luo, Zupei; Chen, Yi-fu; Neubaum-Carlan, Eileen

    2004-01-01

    A randomized prevention trial contrasted families who took part in the Strong African American Families Program (SAAF), a preventive intervention for rural African American mothers and their 11-year-olds, with control families. SAAF is based on a contextual model positing that regulated, communicative parenting causes changes in factors protecting…

  13. Medical Education and Research: The Foundations of Quality Health Care

    PubMed Central

    Mustard, J. F.; Laidlaw, J. C.; Godden, J. O.

    1966-01-01

    In May 1964 the Royal Commission on Health Services declared that “health research is essential to health progress”. However, since that time the means of providing adequate health care have received far less attention than have methods of payment for physicians' services. Because medical education and research is the source from which all other health benefits flow, urgent attention must be paid to the adequate support of teacher-scientists, as set forth in the Woods, Gordon (Gundy) report. It is the numbers and quality of these men and women, more than any other factor, that will determine the shape of medical science and, hence, medical practice in Canada in the future. Expensive as it is, Canadian medicine and Canadian medical scientists must have generous support if medical care in this country is to be of high quality. PMID:5908724

  14. Qualitative study to develop processes and tools for the assessment and tracking of African institutions’ capacity for operational health research

    PubMed Central

    Cole, Donald C; Gaye, Oumar; Mmbaga, Blandina T; Mwapasa, Victor; Tagbor, Harry

    2017-01-01

    Objectives Research is key to achieving global development goals. Our objectives were to develop and test an evidence-informed process for assessing health research management and support systems (RMSS) in four African universities and for tracking interventions to address capacity gaps. Setting Four African universities. Participants 83 university staff and students from 11 cadres. Intervention/methods A literature-informed ‘benchmark’ was developed and used to itemise all components of a university’s health RMSS. Data on all components were collected during site visits to four African universities using interview guides, document reviews and facilities observation guides. Gaps in RMSS capacity were identified against the benchmark and institutional action plans developed to remedy gaps. Progress against indicators was tracked over 15 months and common challenges and successes identified. Results Common gaps in operational health research capacity included no accessible research strategy, a lack of research e-tracking capability and inadequate quality checks for proposal submissions and contracts. Feedback indicated that the capacity assessment was comprehensive and generated practical actions, several of which were no-cost. Regular follow-up helped to maintain focus on activities to strengthen health research capacity in the face of challenges. Conclusions Identification of each institutions’ strengths and weaknesses against an evidence-informed benchmark enabled them to identify gaps in in their operational health research systems, to develop prioritised action plans, to justify resource requests to fulfil the plans and to track progress in strengthening RMSS. Use of a standard benchmark, approach and tools enabled comparisons across institutions which has accelerated production of evidence about the science of research capacity strengthening. The tools could be used by institutions seeking to understand their strengths and to address gaps in research

  15. Plea to African heads-of-state: join the fight.

    PubMed

    Tyson, R

    1997-10-01

    Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, is the only African head-of-state who has led an all-out, extended campaign against AIDS, and Uganda is the only African country to realize a decline in HIV rates since the epidemic began spreading across central and southern Africa in the 1980s. While South Africa's President Nelson Mandela has spoken about AIDS in international forums, his country's programs against AIDS are in disarray. Rather than adopt a position of leadership against HIV/AIDS, African leaders have most often tried to cover up or ignore the AIDS threat. Zimbabwe and Nigeria are briefly discussed as examples. More than 100 delegates attended the HIV/AIDS workshop at the fourth African-African American Summit held in Harare, July 1997. After listening for 2 days to medical experts describe how the epidemic is destroying African economies and social structures, task force members called upon leaders of the 40 sub-Saharan African countries to acknowledge the threat of AIDS in their countries and to fight against the epidemic.

  16. African American Men, Identity, and Participation in Adult Basic Education and Literacy Programs. Research Brief #6

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drayton, Brendaly; Prins, Esther

    2011-01-01

    Although the national graduation rate for African American males is only 47% (Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2010), few studies have explored their experiences in adult basic and literacy education (ABEL) programs. This study draws on prior research to explore the relationship between literacy and identity and its potential for…

  17. [Medical ecology: some results and research perspectives].

    PubMed

    Efimova, N V; Rukavishnikov, V S

    2010-01-01

    The article summarizes materials of long-standing research evaluating influence of environmental (natural and anthropogenous) factors on health state of various population groups (exemplified by Siberia). The authors defined leading problems and ways of medical ecology development.

  18. Improving breast cancer services for African-American women living in St. Louis.

    PubMed

    Noel, Lailea; Connors, Shahnjayla K; Goodman, Melody S; Gehlert, Sarah

    2015-11-01

    A mixed methods, community-based research study was conducted to understand how provider-level factors contribute to the African-American and white disparity in breast cancer mortality in a lower socioeconomic status area of North St. Louis. This study used mixed methods including: (1) secondary analysis of Missouri Cancer Registry data on all 885 African-American women diagnosed with breast cancer from 2000 to 2008 while living in the geographic area of focus; (2) qualitative interviews with a subset of these women; (3) analysis of data from electronic medical records of the women interviewed; and (4) focus group interviews with community residents, patient navigators, and other health care professionals. 565 women diagnosed with breast cancer from 2000 to 2008 in the geographic area were alive at the time of secondary data analysis; we interviewed (n = 96; 17 %) of these women. Provider-level obstacles to completion of prescribed treatment included fragmented navigation (separate navigators at Federally Qualified Health Centers, surgical oncology, and medical oncology, and no navigation services in surgical oncology). Perhaps related to the latter, women described radiation as optional, often in the same words as they described breast reconstruction. Discontinuous and fragmented patient navigation leads to failure to associate radiation therapy with vital treatment recommendations. Better integrated navigation that continues throughout treatment will increase treatment completion with the potential to improve outcomes in African Americans and decrease the disparity in mortality.

  19. The Development of a Taxonomy of Wrongdoing in Medical Practice and Research

    PubMed Central

    DuBois, James M.; Yates, Elena; Vasher, Meghan

    2011-01-01

    “Ethical disasters” or egregious violations of professional ethics in medicine often receive substantial amounts of publicity, leading to mistrust of the medical system. Efforts to understand wrongdoing in medical practice and research are hampered by the absence of a clear taxonomy. This article describes the authors’ process of developing a taxonomy based on: (1) reviews of academic literature, ethics codes, government regulations, and cases of wrongdoing; (2) consultation with experts in health law and healthcare ethics; and (3) application of the taxonomy to published cases of wrongdoing in medical research and practice. The resulting taxonomy includes 14 categories of wrongdoing in medical practice, and 15 categories of wrongdoing in medical research. This taxonomy may be useful to oversight bodies, researchers who seek to understand and reduce the prevalence of wrongdoing in medicine, and librarians who index literature on wrongdoing. PMID:22176853

  20. African American Teachers and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, Michele

    An overview is presented of research on African American teachers, addressing the large body of literature written by policy analysts, first-person narratives, and the sociological and anthropological literature. Policy research has identified the small number of African American teachers and has studied some reasons for this shortage and some of…

  1. African American Women’s Preparation for Childbirth From the Perspective of African American Health-Care Providers

    PubMed Central

    Abbyad, Christine; Robertson, Trina Reed

    2011-01-01

    Preparation for birthing has focused primarily on Caucasian women. No studies have explored African American women’s birth preparation. From the perceptions of 12 African American maternity health-care providers, this study elicited perceptions of the ways in which pregnant African American women prepare for childbirth. Focus group participants answered seven semistructured questions. Four themes emerged: connecting with nurturers, traversing an unresponsive system, the need to be strong, and childbirth classes not a priority. Recommendations for nurses and childbirth educators include: (a) self-awareness of attitudes toward African Americans, (b) empowering of clients for birthing, (c) recognition of the role that pregnant women’s mothers play, (d) tailoring of childbirth classes for African American women, and (e) research on how racism influences pregnant African American women’s preparation for birthing. PMID:22211059

  2. African and Non-African Admixture Components in African Americans and An African Caribbean Population

    PubMed Central

    Murray, Tanda; Beaty, Terri H.; Mathias, Rasika A.; Rafaels, Nicholas; Grant, Audrey Virginia; Faruque, Mezbah U.; Watson, Harold R.; Ruczinski, Ingo; Dunston, Georgia M.; Barnes, Kathleen C.

    2013-01-01

    Admixture is a potential source of confounding in genetic association studies, so it becomes important to detect and estimate admixture in a sample of unrelated individuals. Populations of African descent in the US and the Caribbean share similar historical backgrounds but the distributions of African admixture may differ. We selected 416 ancestry informative markers (AIMs) to estimate and compare admixture proportions using STRUCTURE in 906 unrelated African Americans (AAs) and 294 Barbadians (ACs) from a study of asthma. This analysis showed AAs on average were 72.5% African, 19.6% European and 8% Asian, while ACs were 77.4% African, 15.9% European, and 6.7% Asian which were significantly different. A principal components analysis based on these AIMs yielded one primary eigenvector that explained 54.04% of the variation and captured a gradient from West African to European admixture. This principal component was highly correlated with African vs. European ancestry as estimated by STRUCTURE (r2 = 0.992, r2 = 0.912, respectively). To investigate other African contributions to African American and Barbadian admixture, we performed PCA on ~14,000 (14k) genome-wide SNPs in AAs, ACs, Yorubans, Luhya and Maasai African groups, and estimated genetic distances (FST). We found AAs and ACs were closest genetically (FST = 0.008), and both were closer to the Yorubans than the other East African populations. In our sample of individuals of African descent, ~400 well-defined AIMs were just as good for detecting substructure as ~14,000 random SNPs drawn from a genome-wide panel of markers. PMID:20717976

  3. Summaries of research projects for fiscal years 1996 and 1997, medical applications and biophysical research

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    The Medical Applications and Biophysical Research Division of the Office of Biological and Environmental Research supports and manages research in several distinct areas of science and technology. The projects described in this book are grouped by the main budgetary areas: General Life Sciences (structural molecular biology), Medical Applications (primarily nuclear medicine) and Measurement Science (analytical chemistry instrumentation), Environmental Management Science Program, and the Small Business Innovation Research Program. The research funded by this division complements that of the other two divisions in the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER): Health Effects and Life Sciences Research, and Environmental Sciences. Mostmore » of the OBER programs are planned and administered jointly by the staff of two or all three of the divisions. This summary book provides information on research supported in these program areas during Fiscal Years 1996 and 1997.« less

  4. Community Needs, Concerns, and Perceptions About Health Research: Findings From the Clinical and Translational Science Award Sentinel Network

    PubMed Central

    McCloskey, Donna Jo; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Bennett, Nancy M.; Strelnick, Hal; Dwyer-White, Molly; Collyar, Deborah E.; Ajinkya, Shaun; Seifer, Sarena D.; O’Leary, Catina Callahan; Striley, Catherine W.; Evanoff, Bradley

    2013-01-01

    Objectives. We used results generated from the first study of the National Institutes of Health Sentinel Network to understand health concerns and perceptions of research among underrepresented groups such as women, the elderly, racial/ethnic groups, and rural populations. Methods. Investigators at 5 Sentinel Network sites and 2 community-focused national organizations developed a common assessment tool used by community health workers to assess research perceptions, health concerns, and conditions. Results. Among 5979 individuals assessed, the top 5 health concerns were hypertension, diabetes, cancer, weight, and heart problems; hypertension was the most common self-reported condition. Levels of interest in research participation ranged from 70.1% among those in the “other” racial/ethnic category to 91.0% among African Americans. Overall, African Americans were more likely than members of other racial/ethnic groups to be interested in studies requiring blood samples (82.6%), genetic samples (76.9%), or medical records (77.2%); staying overnight in a hospital (70.5%); and use of medical equipment (75.4%). Conclusions. Top health concerns were consistent across geographic areas. African Americans reported more willingness to participate in research even if it required blood samples or genetic testing. PMID:23409875

  5. Needs assessment to strengthen capacity in water and sanitation research in Africa: experiences of the African SNOWS consortium.

    PubMed

    Hunter, Paul R; Abdelrahman, Samira H; Antwi-Agyei, Prince; Awuah, Esi; Cairncross, Sandy; Chappell, Eileen; Dalsgaard, Anders; Ensink, Jeroen H J; Potgieter, Natasha; Mokgobu, Ingrid; Muchiri, Edward W; Mulogo, Edgar; van der Es, Mike; Odai, Samuel N

    2014-12-15

    Despite its contribution to global disease burden, diarrhoeal disease is still a relatively neglected area for research funding, especially in low-income country settings. The SNOWS consortium (Scientists Networked for Outcomes from Water and Sanitation) is funded by the Wellcome Trust under an initiative to build the necessary research skills in Africa. This paper focuses on the research training needs of the consortium as identified during the first three years of the project. We reviewed the reports of two needs assessments. The first was a detailed needs assessment led by one northern partner, with follow-up visits which included reciprocal representation from the African universities. The second assessment, led by another northern partner, focused primarily on training needs. The reports from both needs assessments were read and stated needs were extracted and summarised. Key common issues identified in both assessments were supervisory skills, applications for external research funding, research management, and writing for publication in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. The bureaucratisation of university processes and inconsistencies through administration processes also caused problems. The lack of specialist laboratory equipment presented difficulties, particularly of inaccessibility through a lack of skilled staff for operation and maintenance, and of a budget provision for repairs and running costs. The lack of taught PhD modules and of research training methods also caused problems. Institutionally, there were often no mechanisms for identifying funding opportunities. On the other hand, grantees were often unable to understand or comply with the funders' financial and reporting requirements and were not supported by their institution. Skills in staff recruitment, retention, and performance were poor, as were performance in proposal and paper writing. The requirements for ethical clearance were often not known and governance issues not understood

  6. Integrating consumer engagement in health and medical research - an Australian framework.

    PubMed

    Miller, Caroline L; Mott, Kathy; Cousins, Michael; Miller, Stephanie; Johnson, Anne; Lawson, Tony; Wesselingh, Steve

    2017-02-10

    Quality practice of consumer engagement is still in its infancy in many sectors of medical research. The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) identified, early in its development, the opportunity to integrate evidence-driven consumer and community engagement into its operations. SAHMRI partnered with Health Consumers Alliance and consumers in evidence generation. A Partnership Steering Committee of researchers and consumers was formed for the project. An iterative mixed-method qualitative process was used to generate a framework for consumer engagement. This process included a literature review followed by semi-structured interviews with experts in consumer engagement and lead medical researchers, group discussions and a consensus workshop with the Partnership Steering Committee, facilitated by Health Consumer Alliance. The literature revealed a dearth of evidence about effective consumer engagement methodologies. Four organisational dimensions are reported to contribute to success, namely governance, infrastructure, capacity and advocacy. Key themes identified through the stakeholder interviews included sustained leadership, tangible benefits, engagement strategies should be varied, resourcing, a moral dimension, and challenges. The consensus workshop produced a framework and tangible strategies. Comprehensive examples of consumer participation in health and medical research are limited. There are few documented studies of what techniques are effective. This evidence-driven framework, developed in collaboration with consumers, is being integrated in a health and medical research institute with diverse programs of research. This framework is offered as a contribution to the evidence base around meaningful consumer engagement and as a template for other research institutions to utilise.

  7. Cradle to third life: An autobiography of an African-American science educator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caruthers-Jackson, Sarah

    This inquiry used reflective autobiographical research to reveal my beliefs, values, and practices of science teaching by using participatory action research with two students of my science tutoring organization. Also, I conducted an ethnographic inquiry using African-American teachers to understand how my early schooling experiences influenced my beliefs, values, and science practices. I collected data for this inquiry from three African-American teachers through interview-conversation that were videotaped and audiotaped. In addition, I audiotaped two African-American students' tutoring practices along with students' and researcher's journals. The findings indicate that African-American teachers during the school years 1942-1954 used families, churches, and communities to secure teaching resources to provide equal education for their African-American students who received limited resources from the board of education. Also indicated was how African-American teachers instilled in their African-American students a level of motivation that remained with some African-American students for their future endeavors. This researcher's beliefs/values similar to those of her segregated teachers emerged from this action research. Researcher's additional beliefs/values arose out of emerging technologies in teaching science. However, I, as the researcher, believe that the origin of my beliefs/values occurred during those segregated, public school experiences at Monitor Schools during the school years 1942-1954.

  8. Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations in Medical Research: Perceptions and Experiences of Older Italians, Their Families, Ethics Administrators and Researchers

    PubMed Central

    Woodward-Kron, Robyn; Hughson, Jo-anne; Parker, Anna; Bresin, Agnese; Hajek, John; Knoch, Ute; Phan, Tuong Dien; Story, David

    2016-01-01

    Background Low-participation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients in medical research remains a problem in migrant and refugee destination countries such as Australia. The aims of this study were to explore i) CALD persons’ perceptions and experiences of the medical system and medical research, in this case, older Italian Australians; and ii) the views of research professionals on CALD patient participation in medical research. Design and Methods A qualitative study was conducted in Melbourne, Australia, in 2015 utilising in-depth interviews and focus groups with four stakeholder groups: older Italian Australians (n=21); adult children of older Italian Australians (n=10); hospital Human Research Ethics Committee administrators (n=4); and clinical researchers (n=4). The data were analysed for content and thematic analysis. Results Themes for the CALD and family group were getting by in medical interactions; receptivity to medical research: testing the waters; and, receptivity to technology for support: passive versus active. Themes for the researcher and HREC groups about CALD patient participation in research were: exclusion; cultural factors; and e-consent. Conclusions Our findings from four stakeholder perspectives and experiences confirm that there were considerable cultural, linguistic, and resourcing barriers hindering the participation of older Italian-Australians in medical research. Furthermore, our findings showed that in this study setting there were few enabling strategies in place to address these barriers despite the national ethics guidelines for equitable participation in research. The findings informed the creation of a multimedia tool whose purpose is to address and improve representation of CALD groups in clinical research. Significance for public health Many people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds remain excluded from medical research such as clinical trials due to a range of language and

  9. Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations in Medical Research: Perceptions and Experiences of Older Italians, Their Families, Ethics Administrators and Researchers.

    PubMed

    Woodward-Kron, Robyn; Hughson, Jo-Anne; Parker, Anna; Bresin, Agnese; Hajek, John; Knoch, Ute; Phan, Tuong Dien; Story, David

    2016-04-26

    Low-participation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients in medical research remains a problem in migrant and refugee destination countries such as Australia. The aims of this study were to explore i) CALD persons' perceptions and experiences of the medical system and medical research, in this case, older Italian Australians; and ii) the views of research professionals on CALD patient participation in medical research. A qualitative study was conducted in Melbourne, Australia, in 2015 utilising in-depth interviews and focus groups with four stakeholder groups: older Italian Australians (n=21); adult children of older Italian Australians (n=10); hospital Human Research Ethics Committee administrators (n=4); and clinical researchers (n=4). The data were analysed for content and thematic analysis. Themes for the CALD and family group were getting by in medical interactions; receptivity to medical research: testing the waters; and, receptivity to technology for support: passive versus active. Themes for the researcher and HREC groups about CALD patient participation in research were: exclusion; cultural factors; and e-consent. Our findings from four stakeholder perspectives and experiences confirm that there were considerable cultural, linguistic, and resourcing barriers hindering the participation of older Italian-Australians in medical research. Furthermore, our findings showed that in this study setting there were few enabling strategies in place to address these barriers despite the national ethics guidelines for equitable participation in research. The findings informed the creation of a multimedia tool whose purpose is to address and improve representation of CALD groups in clinical research. Significance for public healthMany people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds remain excluded from medical research such as clinical trials due to a range of language and cultural factors that can be amplified when this population

  10. Retreat from Nuremberg: can we prevent unethical medical research?

    PubMed

    Horner, J S

    1999-09-01

    The prosecution of doctors guilty of appalling human rights abuses at Nuremberg was achieved on the mistaken premise that the research community already had a code of conduct which, if applied, would have made such abuses impossible. In fact, not only was there no such code but when the 'Nuremberg Code' was published after the trial it continued to be ignored by many doctors for some thirty years afterwards. Indeed its central principle of informed consent has itself been eroded by subsequent international agreements on the ethics of medical research. This review shows that the mechanisms for approval of medical research which have now been promulgated in England and Wales, in practice, are applied on a very variable basis. Research in vulnerable groups unable to give fully informed consent such as children, prisoners and the incompetent elderly require the application of more rigorous standards of ethical control than those currently in operation. The use of vulnerable populations in the developing world and the application of international standards to them is also considered. A number of suggestions for improvements in current procedures in all these areas are put forward. The proposals for the United Kingdom would meet the requirements of the European Convention on bioethical research and the recent government consultation paper on medical treatment and research in incompetent adults.

  11. Compensation for harm: the implications for medical research.

    PubMed

    Harvey, I; Chadwick, R

    1992-06-01

    The rising incidence of medical litigation in the 1980's led to a relatively minor modification in January 1990 of the United Kingdom's negligence-based system of medical compensation, as a result of which employing Health Authorities now accept full vicarious liability for the negligent (but not other) actions of employed clinicians (Crown indemnity). During the same period, by contrast, bodies such as the Royal College of Physicians have strongly influenced locally established Research Ethics Committees towards favouring no-fault compensation for harm resulting from medical research. The discordance between these two approaches to compensation has caused anxiety during the last year. There has been particular concern about the possible discouragement of non-commercially sponsored research. Hitherto however, no data has been available to inform this discussion. This paper reports the findings of a questionnaire survey of all research ethics committees in the United Kingdom (64% response rate), which indicates that 61% of committees require no-fault compensation for at least some projects and that 33% of these committees have rejected projects solely or mainly due to the lack of such provision. Rejection is significantly more common in Health Districts which contain teaching hospitals. Our critical analysis of the arguments advanced in favour of no-fault provision for research subjects suggests that they do not place adequate emphasis upon respect for the autonomy of individuals. We consider that it is in general more consistent with such respect fully to inform research subjects of the available compensation arrangements, rather than for ethics committees to make no-fault compensation a general requirement before ethical approval is given.

  12. Research on Employment in the Rural Nonfarm Sector in Africa. African Rural Employment Paper No. 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liedholm, Carl

    Within the context of the role of rural employment in overall economic development, the objectives were to summarize existing knowledge of the rural African nonfarm sector and to develop an analytical framework for examing utilization of labor in this sector, using a descriptive profile, a theoretical model, and a research approach to rural…

  13. Enrolling African-American and Latino patients with asthma in comparative effectiveness research: Lessons learned from 8 patient-centered studies.

    PubMed

    Kramer, C Bradley; LeRoy, Lisa; Donahue, Sara; Apter, Andrea J; Bryant-Stephens, Tyra; Elder, John P; Hamilton, Winifred J; Krishnan, Jerry A; Shelef, Deborah Q; Stout, James W; Sumino, Kaharu; Teach, Stephen J; Federman, Alex D

    2016-12-01

    African-American and Latino patients are often difficult to recruit for asthma studies. This challenge is a barrier to improving asthma care and outcomes for these populations. We sought to examine the recruitment experiences of 8 asthma comparative effectiveness studies that specifically targeted African-American and Latino patients, and identify the solutions they developed to improve recruitment. Case report methodology was used to gather and evaluate information on study design, recruitment procedures and outcomes from study protocols and annual reports, and in-depth interviews with each research team. Data were analyzed for themes, commonalities, and differences. There were 4 domains of recruitment challenges: individual participant, institutional, research team, and study intervention. Participants had competing demands for time and some did not believe they had asthma. Institutional challenges included organizational policies governing monetary incentives and staff hiring. Research team challenges included ongoing training needs of recruitment staff, and intervention designs often were unappealing to participants because of inconveniences. Teams identified a host of strategies to address these challenges, most importantly engagement of patients and other stakeholders in study design and troubleshooting, and flexibility in data collection and intervention application to meet the varied needs of patients. Asthma researchers may have greater success with recruitment by addressing uncertainty among patients about asthma diagnosis, engaging stakeholders in all aspects of study design and implementation, and maximizing flexibility of study and intervention protocols. However, even with such efforts, engagement of African-American and Latino patients in asthma research may remain low. Greater investment in research on engaging these populations in asthma research may ultimately be needed to improve their asthma care and outcomes. Copyright © 2016 American

  14. Integration of Educational and Research Activities of Medical Students (Experience of the Medical Faculty of Saint Petersburg State University).

    PubMed

    Balakhonov, Aleksei V; Churilov, Leonid P; Erman, Mikhail V; Shishkin, Aleksandr N; Slepykh, Lyudmila A; Stroev, Yuri I; Utekhin, Vladimir J; Basantsova, Natalia Y

    2017-12-01

    The article is devoted to the role of research activity of the medical students in higher education of physicians. The teaching of physicians in classical universities and specialized medical schools is compared. The history of physicians' training in Russia in imperial, Soviet and post-Soviet periods is reviewed and compared to development of higher medical education in other countries. Article gives the the description of all failed attempts to establish a Medical Faculty within oldest classical university of Russia, crowned by history of last and successful attempt of its establishment. Authors' experience of adjoining education and research in curriculum and extra-curricular life of this Medical Faculty is discussed. The problems of specialization and fundamentalization of medical education are subjected to analysis. Clinical reasoning and reasoning of scholar-experimentalist are compared. The article reviews the role of term and course papers and significance of self-studies and graduation thesis in education of a physician. The paper gives original definition of interactive learning, and discusses the methods and pathways of intermingling the fundamental science and clinical medicine in medical teaching for achievement of admixed competencies of medical doctor and biomedical researcher.

  15. A Phenomenological Study: African-American Males in the Educational Profession

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Kristopher

    2012-01-01

    This phenomenological research study explored the perceptions and lived experiences of African-American male teachers related to the underrepresentation of African-American males in the teaching profession. The study was guided by four research questions. The data was collected from 15 African-American male teachers at the elementary school level,…

  16. Mild Cognitive Dysfunction: An Epidemiological Perspective with an Emphasis on African Americans

    PubMed Central

    Unverzagt, Frederick W.; Gao, Sujuan; Lane, Kathleen A.; Callahan, Christopher; Ogunniyi, Adesola; Baiyewu, Olusegun; Gureje, Oye; Hall, Kathleen S.; Hendrie, Hugh C.

    2009-01-01

    In this review, we begin with a historical accounting of the evolution of the concept of mild cognitive dysfunction including nomenclature and criteria from Kral to Petersen. A critical analysis of the main elements relating to assessment and diagnosis of mild cognitive dysfunction are described. Methodological limitations in design, measurement, and characterization, especially as they relate to older African Americans, are identified. Data from a 15-year longitudinal study of community-dwelling, African Americans in Indianapolis indicate 23% prevalence of all-cause mild cognitive dysfunction with approximately 25% progressing to dementia in 2 years and another 25% reverting to normal in the same interval. Factors contributing to this longitudinal variability in outcome are reviewed including the role of medical health factors. We close with suggestions for next steps in the epidemiological research of mild cognitive impairment. PMID:18004008

  17. Twenty-first Century ethics of medical research involving human subjects: achievements and challenges.

    PubMed

    Tzamaloukas, Antonios H; Konstantinov, Konstantin N; Agaba, Emmanuel I; Raj, Dominic S C; Murata, Glen H; Glew, Robert H

    2008-01-01

    The field of ethics in medical research has seen important developments in the last three decades, but it also faces great challenges in the new century. The purposes of this report are to examine the current status of ethics of medical research involving human subjects and the nature of the ethical challenges facing this research, to identify the weakness of the current system of safeguards for ethical research, and to stress the importance of the ethical character of the researcher, which is the safeguard that has the greatest potential for protecting the research subjects. Researchers appreciate the risks of human medical research that create ethical dilemmas and the need for an ethical compromise in order to proceed with the research. The main elements of the compromise, formulated primarily from experiences in the Second World War, include: (1) the dominant position of the ethical principle of autonomy; (2) the demand for a signed informed consent; (3) the likelihood of improving health with the research protocol, which must be approved by a duly appointed supervising committee; and (4) an acceptable risk/benefit ratio. The main weakness of this set of safeguards is the difficulty with obtaining a truly informed consent. The new challenges to ethical medical research stem from certain types of research, such as genetic and stem cell research, and from the increasing involvement of the industry in planning and funding the research studies. Developing medical researchers with an ethical character and knowledge about ethics in medicine may be the most effective safeguard in protecting participants of medical research experiments.

  18. An International Basic Science and Clinical Research Summer Program for Medical Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramjiawan, Bram; Pierce, Grant N.; Anindo, Mohammad Iffat Kabir; AlKukhun, Abedalrazaq; Alshammari, Abdullah; Chamsi, Ahmad Talal; Abousaleh, Mohannad; Alkhani, Anas; Ganguly, Pallab K.

    2012-01-01

    An important part of training the next generation of physicians is ensuring that they are exposed to the integral role that research plays in improving medical treatment. However, medical students often do not have sufficient time to be trained to carry out any projects in biomedical and clinical research. Many medical students also fail to…

  19. Perceptions of cancer clinical research among African American men in North Carolina

    PubMed Central

    Trantham, Laurel C.; Carpenter, William R; DiMartino, Lisa D.; White, Brandolyn; Green, Melissa; Teal, Randall; Corbie-Smith, Giselle; Godley, Paul A.

    2015-01-01

    Objective The problem of cancer health disparities is substantial. Clinical trials are widely advocated as a means of reducing disparities and bringing state-of-the-art care to the broader community, where most cancer care is delivered. This study sought to develop a better understanding of why disproportionately few African American men enroll in clinical trials given their substantial cancer burden. Design This study applied community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods to design and conduct four focus groups of African American male cancer survivors and their caregivers in North Carolina. Results Among major themes, participants expressed confusion about the relationship between clinical trials, treatment, and research, signifying patient confusion and misinterpretation of common clinical trial terminology. Social norms including gender barriers and generational differences remain problematic; participants often reported that men do not talk about health issues, are unwilling to go to the doctor, and exhibit misapprehension and distrust regarding trials. Participants perceived this as detrimental to community health and expressed the need for more clarity in clinical trials information and a more fundamental social openness and communication about cancer detection and treatment. Conclusion Findings indicate the importance of clinical trials education in both traditional provider referral to trials and also in general patient navigation. To dispel pervasive misapprehension regarding placebos, clinical trials information should emphasize the role of standard care in modern cancer treatment trials. Many participants described willingness to participate in a trial upon physician recommendation, suggesting merit in improving patient-physician communication through culturally competent terminology and trial referral systems. PMID:26113749

  20. African-American Males' Health Perceptions and Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNeal, CoSandra; Perkins, Isaac; Lyons, Shenia

    2006-01-01

    Research on African American men's health is limited. Perception and knowledge of health may have a significant effect on health seeking behavior and self care. This study was designed to examine factors that may influence health perception and knowledge among African American males. This is a cross-sectional study of 343 African American males…

  1. Religion, health and medicine in African Americans: implications for physicians.

    PubMed Central

    Levin, Jeff; Chatters, Linda M.; Taylor, Robert Joseph

    2005-01-01

    Recent years have seen a burgeoning of research and writing on the connections between religion and health. The very best of this work comes from epidemiologic studies of African Americans. This paper summarizes results of these investigations, including findings identifying effects of religious participation on both physical and mental health outcomes. Evidence mostly supports a protective religious effect on morbidity and mortality and on depressive symptoms and overall psychological distress among African Americans. This paper also carefully discusses what the results of these studies mean and do not mean, an important consideration due to frequent misinterpretations of findings on this topic. Because important distinctions between epidemiologic and clinical studies tend to get glossed over, reports of religion-health associations oftentimes draw erroneous conclusions that foster unrealistic expectations about the role of faith and spirituality in health and healing. Finally, implications are discussed for clinical practice, medical education and public health. PMID:15712787

  2. Successful snakebite treatment in three juvenile African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) with polyvalent antivenom: a Namibian case report.

    PubMed

    Weise, Florian J; van Vuuren, Rudie J; Echement, Katherine E; Cleverley, Matthew P; van Vuuren, Marlice

    2013-03-27

    This article reports the first documented treatment of venomous snakebite with a polyvalent snake antivenom from the South African Institute for Medical Research in endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). Three juvenile male animals (6.5 months of age) showed clinical signs after being bitten by an unidentified venomous snake. The signs included loss of appetite, disorientation, impaired locomotion, excessive facial swelling, profuse salivation, reduced respiratory effort and an apparent depressed mental state. Intravenous treatment with isotonic Ringer lactate solution, hetastarch 6% and dexamethazone, subcutaneous administration of procaine benzylpenicillin and benzathine benzylpenicillin, and ultimately intravenous administration of the polyvalent snake antivenom resulted in the complete recovery of all three wild dogs.

  3. MIRASS: medical informatics research activity support system using information mashup network.

    PubMed

    Kiah, M L M; Zaidan, B B; Zaidan, A A; Nabi, Mohamed; Ibraheem, Rabiu

    2014-04-01

    The advancement of information technology has facilitated the automation and feasibility of online information sharing. The second generation of the World Wide Web (Web 2.0) enables the collaboration and sharing of online information through Web-serving applications. Data mashup, which is considered a Web 2.0 platform, plays an important role in information and communication technology applications. However, few ideas have been transformed into education and research domains, particularly in medical informatics. The creation of a friendly environment for medical informatics research requires the removal of certain obstacles in terms of search time, resource credibility, and search result accuracy. This paper considers three glitches that researchers encounter in medical informatics research; these glitches include the quality of papers obtained from scientific search engines (particularly, Web of Science and Science Direct), the quality of articles from the indices of these search engines, and the customizability and flexibility of these search engines. A customizable search engine for trusted resources of medical informatics was developed and implemented through data mashup. Results show that the proposed search engine improves the usability of scientific search engines for medical informatics. Pipe search engine was found to be more efficient than other engines.

  4. [Medical research-ethics applied to social sciences: relevance, limits, issues and necessary adjustments].

    PubMed

    Desclaux, A

    2008-04-01

    Social sciences are concretely concerned by the ethics of medical research when they deal with topics related to health, since they are subjected to clearance procedures specific to this field. This raises at least three questions: - Are principles and practices of medical research ethics and social science research compatible? - Are "research subjects" protected by medical research ethics when they participate in social science research projects? - What can social sciences provide to on-going debates and reflexion in this field? The analysis of the comments coming from ethics committees about social science research projects, and of the experience of implementation of these projects, shows that the application of international ethics standards by institutional review boards or ethics committees raises many problems in particular for researches in ethnology anthropology and sociology. These problems may produce an impoverishment of research, pervert its meaning, even hinder any research. They are not only related to different norms, but also to epistemological divergences. Moreover, in the case of studies in social sciences, the immediate and differed risks, the costs, as well as the benefits for subjects, are very different from those related to medical research. These considerations are presently a matter of debates in several countries such as Canada, Brasil, and USA. From another hand, ethics committees seem to have developed without resorting in any manner to the reflexion carried out within social sciences and more particularly in anthropology Still, the stakes of the ethical debates in anthropology show that many important and relevant issues have been discussed. Considering this debate would provide openings for the reflexion in ethics of health research. Ethnographic studies of medical research ethics principles and practices in various sociocultural contexts may also contribute to the advancement of medical ethics. A "mutual adjustment" between ethics of

  5. Medical Student Research: An Integrated Mixed-Methods Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Amgad, Mohamed; Man Kin Tsui, Marco; Liptrott, Sarah J.; Shash, Emad

    2015-01-01

    Importance Despite the rapidly declining number of physician-investigators, there is no consistent structure within medical education so far for involving medical students in research. Objective To conduct an integrated mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies about medical students' participation in research, and to evaluate the evidence in order to guide policy decision-making regarding this issue. Evidence Review We followed the PRISMA statement guidelines during the preparation of this review and meta-analysis. We searched various databases as well as the bibliographies of the included studies between March 2012 and September 2013. We identified all relevant quantitative and qualitative studies assessing the effect of medical student participation in research, without restrictions regarding study design or publication date. Prespecified outcome-specific quality criteria were used to judge the admission of each quantitative outcome into the meta-analysis. Initial screening of titles and abstracts resulted in the retrieval of 256 articles for full-text assessment. Eventually, 79 articles were included in our study, including eight qualitative studies. An integrated approach was used to combine quantitative and qualitative studies into a single synthesis. Once all included studies were identified, a data-driven thematic analysis was performed. Findings and Conclusions Medical student participation in research is associated with improved short- and long- term scientific productivity, more informed career choices and improved knowledge about-, interest in- and attitudes towards research. Financial worries, gender, having a higher degree (MSc or PhD) before matriculation and perceived competitiveness of the residency of choice are among the factors that affect the engagement of medical students in research and/or their scientific productivity. Intercalated BSc degrees, mandatory graduation theses and curricular research components may

  6. Appraising the quality of medical education research methods: the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale-Education.

    PubMed

    Cook, David A; Reed, Darcy A

    2015-08-01

    The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale-Education (NOS-E) were developed to appraise methodological quality in medical education research. The study objective was to evaluate the interrater reliability, normative scores, and between-instrument correlation for these two instruments. In 2014, the authors searched PubMed and Google for articles using the MERSQI or NOS-E. They obtained or extracted data for interrater reliability-using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)-and normative scores. They calculated between-scale correlation using Spearman rho. Each instrument contains items concerning sampling, controlling for confounders, and integrity of outcomes. Interrater reliability for overall scores ranged from 0.68 to 0.95. Interrater reliability was "substantial" or better (ICC > 0.60) for nearly all domain-specific items on both instruments. Most instances of low interrater reliability were associated with restriction of range, and raw agreement was usually good. Across 26 studies evaluating published research, the median overall MERSQI score was 11.3 (range 8.9-15.1, of possible 18). Across six studies, the median overall NOS-E score was 3.22 (range 2.08-3.82, of possible 6). Overall MERSQI and NOS-E scores correlated reasonably well (rho 0.49-0.72). The MERSQI and NOS-E are useful, reliable, complementary tools for appraising methodological quality of medical education research. Interpretation and use of their scores should focus on item-specific codes rather than overall scores. Normative scores should be used for relative rather than absolute judgments because different research questions require different study designs.

  7. Measuring research impact in medical research institutes: a qualitative study of the attitudes and opinions of Australian medical research institutes towards research impact assessment frameworks.

    PubMed

    Deeming, Simon; Reeves, Penny; Ramanathan, Shanthi; Attia, John; Nilsson, Michael; Searles, Andrew

    2018-03-16

    The question of how to measure, assess and optimise the returns from investment in health and medical research (HMR) is a highly policy-relevant issue. Research Impact Assessment Frameworks (RIAFs) provide a conceptual measurement framework to assess the impact from HMR. The aims of this study were (1) to elicit the views of Medical Research Institutes (MRIs) regarding objectives, definitions, methods, barriers, potential scope and attitudes towards RIAFs, and (2) to investigate whether an assessment framework should represent a retrospective reflection of research impact or a prospective approach integrated into the research process. The wider objective was to inform the development of a draft RIAF for Australia's MRIs. Purposive sampling to derive a heterogeneous sample of Australian MRIs was used alongside semi-structured interviews with senior executives responsible for research translation or senior researchers affected by research impact initiatives. Thematic analysis of the interview transcriptions using the framework approach was then performed. Interviews were conducted with senior representatives from 15 MRIs. Participants understood the need for greater research translation/impact, but varied in their comprehension and implementation of RIAFs. Common concerns included the time lag to the generation of societal impacts from basic or discovery science, and whether impact reflected a narrow commercialisation agenda. Broad support emerged for the use of metrics, case study and economic methods. Support was also provided for the rationale of both standardised and customised metrics. Engendering cultural change in the approach to research translation was acknowledged as both a barrier to greater impact and a critical objective for the assessment process. Participants perceived that the existing research environment incentivised the generation of academic publications and track records, and often conflicted with the generation of wider impacts. The potential to

  8. [Role of researchers and employees of the Military Medical Academy in development of the system of military medical supply].

    PubMed

    Miroshnichenko, Iu V; Kononov, V N; Perfil'ev, A B

    2013-12-01

    The Military Medical Academy has been solving theoretical and practical issues, concerning development of military medical supply, for 215 years. At different time periods and according to needs of military medicine and pharmacy researches and employees of the Academy aimed efforts to: development of the theory and practice of medical supply organization, regulatory basis of the system of medical supply, development of new samples of medical equipment, development of medicine manufacturing technologies and methods of quality control, researches in the area of medicine radiochemistry, forensic chemistry and toxicology, herbal and mineral water analysis and etc. At the present time there are the following education programs at the Academy: "Pharmacy", magister program "Management of medical supply", program for resident physicians "Management and economics of pharmacy".

  9. A Tool for Medical Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    California Measurements, Inc.'s PC-2 Aerosol Particle Analyzer, developed by William Chiang, a former Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) engineer, was used in a study to measure the size of particles in the medical environment. Chiang has a NASA license for the JPL crystal oscillator technology and originally built the instrument for atmospheric research. In the operating room, it enabled researchers from the University of California to obtain multiple sets of data repeatedly and accurately. The study concluded that significant amounts of aerosols are generated during surgery when power tools are employed, and most of these are in the respirable size. Almost all contain blood and are small enough to pass through surgical masks. Research on the presence of blood aerosols during oral surgery had similar results. Further studies are planned to determine the possibility of HIV transmission during surgery, and the PC-2H will be used to quantify blood aerosols.

  10. Conspiracy Beliefs about HIV Are Related to Antiretroviral Treatment Nonadherence among African American Men with HIV

    PubMed Central

    Bogart, Laura M.; Wagner, Glenn; Galvan, Frank H.; Banks, Denedria

    2009-01-01

    Background Medical mistrust is prevalent among African Americans and may influence health care behaviors such as treatment adherence. We examined whether a specific form of medical mistrust – HIV conspiracy beliefs (e.g., HIV is genocide against African Americans) – was associated with antiretroviral treatment nonadherence among African American men with HIV. Methods On baseline surveys, 214 African American men with HIV reported their agreement with 9 conspiracy beliefs, socio-demographic characteristics, depression symptoms, substance use, disease characteristics, medical mistrust, and health care barriers. Antiretroviral medication adherence was monitored electronically for one-month post-baseline among 177 men in the baseline sample. Results Confirmatory factor analysis revealed two distinct conspiracy belief subscales: genocidal beliefs (e.g., HIV is manmade) and treatment-related beliefs (e.g., people who take antiretroviral treatments are human guinea pigs for the government). Both subscales were related to nonadherence in bivariate tests. In a multivariate logistic regression, only treatment-related conspiracies were associated with a lower likelihood of optimal adherence at one-month follow-up (Odds ratio = 0.60, 95% confidence interval = 0.37 to 0.96, p < 0.05). Conclusions HIV conspiracy beliefs, especially those related to treatment mistrust, can contribute to health disparities by discouraging appropriate treatment behavior. Adherence-promoting interventions targeting African Americans should openly address such beliefs. PMID:19952767

  11. Mental Well-Being in First Year Medical Students: A Comparison by Race and Gender: A Report from the Medical Student CHANGE Study.

    PubMed

    Hardeman, Rachel R; Przedworski, Julia M; Burke, Sara E; Burgess, Diana J; Phelan, Sean M; Dovidio, John F; Nelson, Dave; Rockwood, Todd; van Ryn, Michelle

    2015-09-01

    In this study, authors sought to characterize race and gender disparities in mental health in a national sample of first year medical students early in their medical school experience. This study used cross-sectional baseline data of Medical Student CHANGES, a large national longitudinal study of a cohort of medical students surveyed in the winter of 2010. Authors ascertained respondents via the American Association of Medical Colleges questionnaire, a third-party vendor-compiled list, and referral sampling. A total of 4732 first year medical students completed the baseline survey; of these, 301 were African American and 2890 were White. Compared to White students and after adjusting for relevant covariates, African American students had a greater risk of being classified as having depressive (relative risk (RR)=1.59 [95 % confidence interval, 1.37-2.40]) and anxiety symptoms (RR=1.66 [1.08-2.71]). Women also had a greater risk of being classified as having depressive (RR=1.36 [1.07-1.63]) and anxiety symptoms (RR-1.95 [1.39-2.84]). At the start of their first year of medical school, African American and female medical students were at a higher risk for depressive symptoms and anxiety than their White and male counterparts, respectively. The findings of this study have practical implications as poor mental and overall health inhibit learning and success in medical school, and physician distress negatively affects quality of clinical care.

  12. eHealth Literacy, Online Help-Seeking Behavior, and Willingness to Participate in mHealth Chronic Disease Research Among African Americans, Florida, 2014-2015.

    PubMed

    James, Delores C S; Harville, Cedric

    2016-11-17

    The high rate of ownership of smartphones among African Americans provides researchers with opportunities to use digital technologies to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases in this population. This study aimed to assess the association between eHealth literacy (EHL) and access to technology, health information-seeking behavior, and willingness to participate in mHealth (mobile health) research among African Americans. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 881 African American adults from April 2014 to January 2015 in north central Florida. EHL was assessed by using the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) with higher scores (range, 8-40) indicating greater perceived skills at using online health information to help solve health problems. Overall eHEALS scores ranged from 8 to 40, with a mean of 30.4 (standard deviation, 7.8). The highest score was for the item "I know how to find helpful health resources on the Internet," and the lowest score was for "I can tell high quality from low quality health resources on the Internet." Most respondents owned smartphones (71%) and searched online for health information (60%). Most were also willing to participate in health research that used text messages (67%), smartwatches/health tracking devices (62%), and health apps (57%). We found significantly higher eHEALS scores among women, smartphone owners, those who use the Internet to seek health information, and those willing to participate in mHealth research (P < .01 for all). Most participants owned smartphones, used the Internet as a source of information, and were willing to participate in mHealth research. Opportunities exist for improving EHL and conducting mHealth research among African Americans to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases.

  13. Lives in isolation: stories and struggles of low-income African American women with panic disorder.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Michael; Mills, Terry L; Deleon, Jessica M; Hartzema, Abraham G; Haddad, Judella

    2009-01-01

    Research evidence points to the existence of racial-ethnic disparities in both access to and quality of mental health services for African Americans with panic disorder. Current panic disorder evaluation and treatment paradigms are not responsive to the needs of many African Americans. The primary individual, social, and health-care system factors that limit African Americans' access to care and response to treatment are not well understood. Low-income African American women with panic disorder participated in a series of focus-group sessions designed to elicit (1) their perspectives regarding access and treatment barriers and (2) their recommendations for designing a culturally consistent panic treatment program. Fear of confiding to others about panic symptoms, fear of social stigma, and lack of information about panic disorder were major individual barriers. Within their social networks, stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness and the mentally ill, discouragement about the use of psychiatric medication, and perceptions that symptoms were the result of personal or spiritual weakness had all interfered with the participants' treatment seeking efforts and contributed to a common experience of severe social isolation. None of the focus-group members had developed fully effective therapeutic relationships with either medical or mental health providers. They described an unmet need for more interactive and culturally authentic relationships with treatment providers. Although the focus-group sessions were not intended to be therapeutic, the women reported that participation in the meetings had been an emotionally powerful and beneficial experience. They expressed a strong preference for the utilization of female-only, panic disorder peer-support groups as an initial step in the treatment/recovery process. Peer-support groups for low-income African American women with panic disorder could address many of the identified access and treatment barriers.

  14. [Trends of research articles in the Korean Journal of Medical Education by social network analysis].

    PubMed

    Yoo, Hyo Hyun; Shin, Sein

    2015-12-01

    This aim of this study is to examine trends in medical education research in the Korean Journal of Medical Education(KJME) and suggest improvements for medical education research. The main variables were keywords from research papers that were published in KJME. Abstracts of papers (n=499) that were published from 1991 through 2015 were analyzed by social network analysis (NetMiner 4.0) a common research methodfor trends in academic subjects. The most central keywords were "medical education," "clinical competence," "medical student," and "curriculum." After introduction into graduate medical school, newly appearing keywords were "professional behavior," "medical humanities," "communication,"and "physician-patient relation." Based on these results, we generated a schematic of the network, in which the five groups before introduction to graduate medical school expanded to nine groups after introduction. Medical education research has been improving qualitatively and quantitatively, and research subjects have been expanded, subdivided, and specific. While KJME has encompassed medical education studies comprehensively, studies on medical students have risen in number. Thus, the studies that are published in KJME were consistent with the direction of journal and a new study on the changes in medical education is being conducted.

  15. Shifting Paradigms of Research in Medical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Irby, David M.; Edwards, Janine C. Ed.

    1990-01-01

    Medical educators debate which models of scientific research should be applied to problems in academic medicine. The reigning model was derived from the first scientific revolution of Newtonian physics. The emerging model is grounded in the second scientific revolution of Einstein's quantum physics. (Author/MSE)

  16. Community-Based Participatory Research to Promote Healthy Diet and Nutrition and Prevent and Control Obesity Among African-Americans: a Literature Review.

    PubMed

    Coughlin, Steven S; Smith, Selina A

    2017-04-01

    The literature on community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches for promoting healthy diet and nutrition and preventing and controlling obesity in African-American communities was systematically reviewed as part of the planning process for new research. CBPR studies of diet, nutrition, and weight management among African-Americans were identified from 1989 through October 31, 2015, using PubMed and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases and MeSH term and keyword searches. A total of 16 CBPR studies on healthy diet, nutrition, and weight management among African-Americans were identified; outcome evaluation results were available for all but two. Of the remaining 14 studies, 11 focused on adults, 1 on children, and 2 on both children and adults. Eight studies employed CBPR methods to address diet, nutrition, and weight management in church settings. Four had a cluster-randomized controlled design. Others had a pre-post test, quasi-experimental, or uncontrolled design. Only one study addressed four levels of the socioecological model; none addressed all five levels of the model. The studies identified in this review indicate that CBPR approaches can be effective for promoting healthy diet, nutrition, and weight management among African-American adults, but there is a need for additional studies with rigorous study designs that overcome methodologic limitations of many existing studies. There is only limited evidence for the effectiveness of CBPR approaches for promoting healthy eating and weight control among African-American children and adolescents. To address health disparities, additional CBPR studies are needed to promote healthy diet, nutrition, and weight management in African-American communities. Of particular interest are multilevel CBPR studies that include interventions aimed at multiple levels of the socioecological model.

  17. The African American Public Policy Update.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McAlpine, Robert; And Others

    1992-01-01

    Reviews actions of the 102nd Congress of particular interest to African Americans, including the (1) Domestic Marshall Plan House Resolution; (2) Unemployment Benefits extension; (3) Job Training Partnership Act; (4) Workplace Fairness Act; (5) Family and Medical Leave Act; and (6) Civil Rights Act of 1991. (SLD)

  18. Twelve tips for getting started using mixed methods in medical education research.

    PubMed

    Lavelle, Ellen; Vuk, Jasna; Barber, Carolyn

    2013-04-01

    Mixed methods research, which is gaining popularity in medical education, provides a new and comprehensive approach for addressing teaching, learning, and evaluation issues in the field. The aim of this article is to provide medical education researchers with 12 tips, based on consideration of current literature in the health professions and in educational research, for conducting and disseminating mixed methods research. Engaging in mixed methods research requires consideration of several major components: the mixed methods paradigm, types of problems, mixed method designs, collaboration, and developing or extending theory. Mixed methods is an ideal tool for addressing a full range of problems in medical education to include development of theory and improving practice.

  19. Community-based participatory research and user-centered design in a diabetes medication information and decision tool.

    PubMed

    Henderson, Vida A; Barr, Kathryn L; An, Lawrence C; Guajardo, Claudia; Newhouse, William; Mase, Rebecca; Heisler, Michele

    2013-01-01

    Together, community-based participatory research (CBPR), user-centered design (UCD), and health information technology (HIT) offer promising approaches to improve health disparities in low-resource settings. This article describes the application of CBPR and UCD principles to the development of iDecide/Decido, an interactive, tailored, web-based diabetes medication education and decision support tool delivered by community health workers (CHWs) to African American and Latino participants with diabetes in Southwest and Eastside Detroit. The decision aid is offered in English or Spanish and is delivered on an iPad in participants' homes. The overlapping principles of CBPR and UCD used to develop iDecide/Decido include a user-focused or community approach, equitable academic and community partnership in all study phases, an iterative development process that relies on input from all stakeholders, and a program experience that is specified, adapted, and implemented with the target community. Collaboration between community members, researchers, and developers is especially evident in the program's design concept, animations, pictographs, issue cards, goal setting, tailoring, and additional CHW tools. The principles of CBPR and UCD can be successfully applied in developing health information tools that are easy to use and understand, interactive, and target health disparities.

  20. [The relevance of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) for medical publishing and research].

    PubMed

    Reyes, Humberto B

    2014-01-01

    The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors is a leading independent institution providing guidance for the report of biomedical research and health related topics in medical journals. Established in 1978, it is currently constituted by editors of fourteen general medical journals from different countries, plus one representative for the US National Library of Medicine and one representative for the World Association of Biomedical Journal Editors. Since 1978 the Committee provides a document, originally named "Uniform Requirements…", "to help authors, editors, and others involved in peer review and biomedical publishing create and distribute accurate, clear, unbiased medical journal articles". This document has been updated several times and the last version was released in August 2013, now renamed "Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals", available in www.icmje.org and citable as "ICMJE Recommendations". A vast proportion of medical journals, worldwide, have adopted these recommendations as rules. The ICMJE discusses and provides guidance on several relevant aspects including criteria on authorship, peer review, scientific misconduct, conflicts of interest, clinical trials registration, good editorial practices, the relations between editors and journal owners, the protection of individuals subject to medical research, the solvency of electronic publications, among others. The 2013 ICMJE Annual Meeting took place in Santiago, Chile, in November 4 and 5. The photograph shows attendants to the final session.