Anesthesia for hip arthroscopy: a narrative review.

PubMed

Yu, Hai Chuan; Al-Shehri, Mohammed; Johnston, Kelly D; Endersby, Ryan; Baghirzada, Leyla

2016-11-01

Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure indicated for the treatment of specific hip disorders. In this narrative review, we aim to examine the key components in providing anesthesia for this procedure. MEDLINE(®), PubMed, and EMBASE™ databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles discussing the anesthetic management of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy. The primary anesthetic regimen used for hip arthroscopy should balance patient factors, preferences of the surgeon, and the demands of the procedure itself. Both general and neuraxial anesthetic techniques are well suited for this mostly ambulatory surgical procedure. There is a lack of current literature specifically comparing the benefits and risks of the two techniques in this setting. Postoperative pain management consists mainly of intravenous and oral opioids; however, a variety of regional anesthesia techniques, such as lumbar plexus block and fascia iliaca block, can be performed pre- or postoperatively. Overall, hip arthroscopy is safe, although positioning-related difficulties, extravasation of irrigation fluid, hypothermia, infections, and thromboembolic events are potential perioperative complications that warrant specific monitoring and prompt treatment. Until now, the anesthetic technique for hip arthroscopy has not been well studied. Thus, increasing emphasis should be directed towards examining relevant clinical outcomes that can better inform evidence-based decision-making in the anesthetic management of hip arthroscopy patients. In the meantime, awareness of potential complications and vigilant monitoring are paramount in providing safe anesthetic care for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy.

"Staying safe" - a narrative review of falls prevention in people with Parkinson's - "PDSAFE".

PubMed

Hulbert, Sophia; Rochester, Lynn; Nieuwboer, Alice; Goodwin, Vicki; Fitton, Carolyn; Chivers-Seymour, Kim; Ashburn, Ann

2018-05-18

Parkinson's disease demonstrates a spectrum of motor and non-motor symptoms. Falling is common and disabling. Current medical management shows minimal impact to reduce falls or fall-related risk factors, such as deficits in gait, strength, and postural instability. Despite evidence supporting rehabilitation in reducing fall risk factors, the most appropriate intervention to reduce overall fall rate remains inconclusive. This article aims to 1) synthesise current evidence and conceptual models of falls rehabilitation in Parkinson's in a narrative review; and based on this evidence, 2) introduce the treatment protocol used in the falls prevention and multi-centre clinical trial "PDSAFE". Search of four bibliographic databases using the terms "Parkinson*" and "Fall*" combined with each of the following; "Rehab*, Balanc*, Strength*, Strateg*and Exercis*" and a framework for narrative review was followed. A total of 3557 papers were identified, 416 were selected for review. The majority report the impact of rehabilitation on isolated fall risk factors. Twelve directly measure the impact on overall fall rate. Results were used to construct a narrative review with conceptual discussion based on the "International Classification of Functioning", leading to presentation of the "PDSAFE" intervention protocol. Evidence suggests training single, fall risk factors may not affect overall fall rate. Combining with behavioural and strategy training in a functional, personalised multi-dimensional model, addressing all components of the "International Classification of Functioning" is likely to provide a greater influence on falls reduction. "PDSAFE" is a multi-dimensional, physiotherapist delivered, individually tailored, progressive, home-based programme. It is designed with a strong evidence-based approach and illustrates a model for the clinical delivery of the conceptual theory discussed. Implications for Rehabilitation Parkinson's disease demonstrates a spectrum of motor and

Immigrant women's experiences of postpartum depression in Canada: a protocol for systematic review using a narrative synthesis.

PubMed

Higginbottom, Gina M A; Morgan, Myfanwy; O'Mahony, Joyce; Chiu, Yvonne; Kocay, Deb; Alexandre, Mirande; Forgeron, Joan; Young, Marilyn

2013-08-21

Literature documents that immigrant women in Canada have a higher prevalence of postpartum depression symptomatology than Canadian-born women. There exists a need to synthesize information on the contextual factors and social determinants of health that influence immigrant women's reception of and behavior in accessing existing mental health services. Our research question is: what are the ethnoculturally defined patterns of help-seeking behaviors and decision-making and other predictive factors for therapeutic mental health care access and outcomes with respect to postpartum depression for immigrant women in Canada? Our synthesis incorporates a systematic review using narrative synthesis of reports (peer- and non-peer reviewed) of empirical research and aims to provide stakeholders with perspectives on postpartum mental health care services as experienced by immigrant women. To reach this goal we are using integrated knowledge translation, thus partnering with key stakeholders throughout the planning, implementation and dissemination stages to ensure topic relevancy and impact on future practice and policy. The search and selection strategies draw upon established systematic review methodologies as outlined by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and also incorporate guidelines for selection and appraisal of gray literature. Two search phases (a database and a gray literature phase) will identify literature for screening and final selection based on an inclusion/exclusion checklist. Quality appraisal will be performed using the tools produced by the Centre for Evidence Based Management. The narrative synthesis will be informed by Popay et al. (2006) framework using identified tools for each of its four elements. The integrated knowledge translation plan will ensure key messages are delivered in an audience-specific manner to optimize their impact on policy and practice change throughout health service, public health, immigration and community sectors. The

From the closest observers of patient care: a thematic analysis of online narrative reviews of hospitals.

PubMed

Bardach, Naomi S; Lyndon, Audrey; Asteria-Peñaloza, Renée; Goldman, L Elizabeth; Lin, Grace A; Dudley, R Adams

2016-11-01

Patient-centred care has become a priority in many countries. It is unknown whether current tools capture aspects of care patients and their surrogates consider important. We investigated whether online narrative reviews from patients and surrogates reflect domains in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) and we described additional potential domains. We used thematic analysis to assess online narrative reviews for reference to HCAHPS domains and salient non-HCAHPS domains and compared results by reviewer type (patient vs surrogate). We identified hospitals for review from the American Hospital Association database using a stratified random sampling approach. This approach ensured inclusion of reviews of a diverse set of hospitals. We searched online in February 2013 for narrative reviews from any source for each hospital. We included up to two narrative reviews for each hospital. Outpatient or emergency department reviews, reviews from self-identified hospital employees, or reviews of <10 words. 50.0% (n=122) of reviews (N=244) were from patients and 38.1% (n=93) from friends or family members. Only 57.0% (n=139) of reviews mentioned any HCAHPS domain. Additional salient domains were: Financing, including unexpected out-of-pocket costs and difficult interactions with billing departments; system-centred care; and perceptions of safety. These domains were mentioned in 51.2% (n=125) of reviews. Friends and family members commented on perceptions of safety more frequently than patients. A substantial proportion of consumer reviews do not mention HCAHPS domains. Surrogates appear to observe care differently than patients, particularly around safety. 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/.

Ethical publishing in intensive care medicine: A narrative review

PubMed Central

Wiedermann, Christian J

2016-01-01

Ethical standards in the context of scientific publications are increasingly gaining attention. A narrative review of the literature concerning publication ethics was conducted as found in PubMed, Google Scholar, relevant news articles, position papers, websites and other sources. The Committee on Publication Ethics has produced guidelines and schedules for the handling of problem situations that have been adopted by professional journals and publishers worldwide as guidelines to authors. The defined requirements go beyond the disclosure of conflicts of interest or the prior registration of clinical trials. Recommendations to authors, editors and publishers of journals and research institutions were formulated with regard to issues of authorship, double publications, plagiarism, and conflicts of interest, with special attention being paid to unethical research behavior and data falsification. This narrative review focusses on ethical publishing in intensive care medicine. As scientific misconduct with data falsification damage patients and society, especially if fraudulent studies are considered important or favor certain therapies and downplay their side effects, it is important to ensure that only studies are published that have been carried out with highest integrity according to predefined criteria. For that also the peer review process has to be conducted in accordance with the highest possible scientific standards and making use of available modern information technology. The review provides the current state of recommendations that are considered to be most relevant particularly in the field of intensive care medicine. PMID:27652208

Interpretive analysis of 85 systematic reviews suggests that narrative syntheses and meta‐analyses are incommensurate in argumentation

PubMed Central

O'Mara‐Eves, A.; Thomas, J.; Brunton, G.; Caird, J.; Petticrew, M.

2016-01-01

Using Toulmin's argumentation theory, we analysed the texts of systematic reviews in the area of workplace health promotion to explore differences in the modes of reasoning embedded in reports of narrative synthesis as compared with reports of meta‐analysis. We used framework synthesis, grounded theory and cross‐case analysis methods to analyse 85 systematic reviews addressing intervention effectiveness in workplace health promotion. Two core categories, or ‘modes of reasoning’, emerged to frame the contrast between narrative synthesis and meta‐analysis: practical–configurational reasoning in narrative synthesis (‘what is going on here? What picture emerges?’) and inferential–predictive reasoning in meta‐analysis (‘does it work, and how well? Will it work again?’). Modes of reasoning examined quality and consistency of the included evidence differently. Meta‐analyses clearly distinguished between warrant and claim, whereas narrative syntheses often presented joint warrant–claims. Narrative syntheses and meta‐analyses represent different modes of reasoning. Systematic reviewers are likely to be addressing research questions in different ways with each method. It is important to consider narrative synthesis in its own right as a method and to develop specific quality criteria and understandings of how it is carried out, not merely as a complement to, or second‐best option for, meta‐analysis. © 2016 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:27860329

Interpretive analysis of 85 systematic reviews suggests that narrative syntheses and meta-analyses are incommensurate in argumentation.

PubMed

Melendez-Torres, G J; O'Mara-Eves, A; Thomas, J; Brunton, G; Caird, J; Petticrew, M

2017-03-01

Using Toulmin's argumentation theory, we analysed the texts of systematic reviews in the area of workplace health promotion to explore differences in the modes of reasoning embedded in reports of narrative synthesis as compared with reports of meta-analysis. We used framework synthesis, grounded theory and cross-case analysis methods to analyse 85 systematic reviews addressing intervention effectiveness in workplace health promotion. Two core categories, or 'modes of reasoning', emerged to frame the contrast between narrative synthesis and meta-analysis: practical-configurational reasoning in narrative synthesis ('what is going on here? What picture emerges?') and inferential-predictive reasoning in meta-analysis ('does it work, and how well? Will it work again?'). Modes of reasoning examined quality and consistency of the included evidence differently. Meta-analyses clearly distinguished between warrant and claim, whereas narrative syntheses often presented joint warrant-claims. Narrative syntheses and meta-analyses represent different modes of reasoning. Systematic reviewers are likely to be addressing research questions in different ways with each method. It is important to consider narrative synthesis in its own right as a method and to develop specific quality criteria and understandings of how it is carried out, not merely as a complement to, or second-best option for, meta-analysis. © 2016 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The limits of narrative: provocations for the medical humanities.

PubMed

Woods, Angela

2011-12-01

This paper aims to (re)ignite debate about the role of narrative in the medical humanities. It begins with a critical review of the ways in which narrative has been mobilised by humanities and social science scholars to understand the experience of health and illness. I highlight seven dangers or blind spots in the dominant medical humanities approach to narrative, including the frequently unexamined assumption that all human beings are 'naturally narrative'. I then explore this assumption further through an analysis of philosopher Galen Strawson's influential article 'Against Narrativity'. Strawson rejects the descriptive claim that "human beings typically see or live or experience their lives as a narrative" and the normative claim that "a richly Narrative outlook is essential to a well-lived life, to true or full personhood". His work has been taken up across a range of disciplines, but its implications in the context of health and illness have not yet been sufficiently discussed. This article argues that 'Against Narrativity' can and should stimulate robust debate within the medical humanities regarding the limits of narrative, and concludes by discussing a range of possibilities for venturing 'beyond narrative'.

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, Burning Mouth Syndrome, Cold Stimulus Headache, and HaNDL: Narrative Review.

PubMed

Valença, Marcelo M; de Oliveira, Daniella A; Martins, Hugo André de L

2015-10-01

Unusual headache syndromes are not as infrequent in clinical practice as was generally believed. About three fourths of the classified headache disorders found in the ICHD-II can be considered rare. The aim of this narrative review was to perform a literature review of the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic criteria, and treatment of the following unusual headache disorders: Alice in Wonderland syndrome, burning mouth syndrome, cold stimulus headache, and the syndrome of transient headache and neurologic deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis. A literature review was performed using PubMed for each of the abovementioned headache disorders. The unusual headache syndromes as a distinct group of disorders are not as infrequent in clinical practice as was generally believed. Some of them, albeit considered as unusual, may occur with relative frequency, such as cold stimulus headache and burning mouth syndrome. © 2015 American Headache Society.

Immigrant women’s experiences of postpartum depression in Canada: a protocol for systematic review using a narrative synthesis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Literature documents that immigrant women in Canada have a higher prevalence of postpartum depression symptomatology than Canadian-born women. There exists a need to synthesize information on the contextual factors and social determinants of health that influence immigrant women’s reception of and behavior in accessing existing mental health services. Our research question is: what are the ethnoculturally defined patterns of help-seeking behaviors and decision-making and other predictive factors for therapeutic mental health care access and outcomes with respect to postpartum depression for immigrant women in Canada? Methods/design Our synthesis incorporates a systematic review using narrative synthesis of reports (peer- and non-peer reviewed) of empirical research and aims to provide stakeholders with perspectives on postpartum mental health care services as experienced by immigrant women. To reach this goal we are using integrated knowledge translation, thus partnering with key stakeholders throughout the planning, implementation and dissemination stages to ensure topic relevancy and impact on future practice and policy. The search and selection strategies draw upon established systematic review methodologies as outlined by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and also incorporate guidelines for selection and appraisal of gray literature. Two search phases (a database and a gray literature phase) will identify literature for screening and final selection based on an inclusion/exclusion checklist. Quality appraisal will be performed using the tools produced by the Centre for Evidence Based Management. The narrative synthesis will be informed by Popay et al. (2006) framework using identified tools for each of its four elements. The integrated knowledge translation plan will ensure key messages are delivered in an audience-specific manner to optimize their impact on policy and practice change throughout health service, public health, immigration and

Debates Regarding Lean Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Goyal, Manu; Dawood, Ayman S

2017-01-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex syndrome showing the clinical features of an endocrine/metabolic disorder, including hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism. Two phenotypes are present, either lean or obese, with different biochemical, hormonal, and metabolic profiles. Evidence suggests many treatment modalities that can be applied. However, many of these modalities were found to be not suitable for the lean phenotype of PCOS. Much contradictory research was found regarding lean patients with PCOS. The aim of this narrative review is to shed light on the debate prevailing regarding characteristics, as well as metabolic, hematological, and potential management modalities. Literature review was performed from January 1, 2000 to March 31, 2017 with specific word search such as lean PCOS, hormonal abnormalities in lean PCOS, and the management of lean PCOS. All retrieved articles were carefully assessed, and data were obtained. We could conclude that the debate is still prevailing regarding this specific lean population with PCOS, especially with regard to their characteristics and management modalities. Further studies are still required to resolve this debate on the presence of PCOS in lean women.

Debates Regarding Lean Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Goyal, Manu; Dawood, Ayman S.

2017-01-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex syndrome showing the clinical features of an endocrine/metabolic disorder, including hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism. Two phenotypes are present, either lean or obese, with different biochemical, hormonal, and metabolic profiles. Evidence suggests many treatment modalities that can be applied. However, many of these modalities were found to be not suitable for the lean phenotype of PCOS. Much contradictory research was found regarding lean patients with PCOS. The aim of this narrative review is to shed light on the debate prevailing regarding characteristics, as well as metabolic, hematological, and potential management modalities. Literature review was performed from January 1, 2000 to March 31, 2017 with specific word search such as lean PCOS, hormonal abnormalities in lean PCOS, and the management of lean PCOS. All retrieved articles were carefully assessed, and data were obtained. We could conclude that the debate is still prevailing regarding this specific lean population with PCOS, especially with regard to their characteristics and management modalities. Further studies are still required to resolve this debate on the presence of PCOS in lean women. PMID:29142442

Sleep and menopause: a narrative review.

PubMed

Shaver, Joan L; Woods, Nancy F

2015-08-01

Our overall aim-through a narrative review-is to critically profile key extant evidence of menopause-related sleep, mostly from studies published in the last decade. We searched the database PubMed using selected Medical Subject Headings for sleep and menopause (n = 588 articles). Using similar headings, we also searched the Cochrane Library (n = 1), Embase (n = 449), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (n = 163), Web of Science (n = 506), and PsycINFO (n = 58). Articles deemed most related to the purpose were reviewed. Results were articulated with interpretive comments according to evidence of sleep quality (self-reported) and sleep patterns (polysomnography and actigraphy) impact as related to reproductive aging and in the context of vasomotor symptoms (VMS; self-reported), vasomotor activity (VMA) events (recorded skin conductance), depressed mood, and ovarian hormones. Predominantly, the menopausal transition conveys poor sleep beyond anticipated age effects. Perceptions of sleep are not necessarily translatable from detectable physical sleep changes and are probably affected by an emotional overlay on symptoms reporting. Sleep quality and pattern changes are mostly manifest in wakefulness indicators, but sleep pattern changes are not striking. Likely contributing are VMS of sufficient frequency/severity and bothersomeness, probably with a sweating component. VMA events influence physical sleep fragmentation but not necessarily extensive sleep loss or sleep architecture changes. Lack of robust connections between perceived and recorded sleep (and VMA) could be influenced by inadequate detection. There is a need for studies of women in well-defined menopausal transition stages who have no sleep problems, accounting for sleep-related disorders, mood, and other symptoms, with attention to VMS dimensions, distribution of VMS during night and day, and advanced measurement of symptoms and physiologic manifestations.

Carotid intima-media thickness in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil): a narrative review.

PubMed

Santos, Eduardo Henrique Sena; Santos Neto, Pedro José Dos; Santos, Itamar de Souza

2018-01-01

Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), as measured by ultrasound, has been used in large studies as a non-invasive marker for subclinical atherosclerosis. The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) is a cohort of 15,105 civil servants in six Brazilian cities that included CIMT evaluation in its baseline assessment. The aim of the present narrative review was to provide an overview of ELSA-Brasil CIMT articles published up to July 31, 2017. Narrative review of ELSA-Brasil CIMT studies using baseline assessment data. We searched PubMed for the terms "ELSA-Brasil" and "intima-media". This search yielded 21 published articles using CIMT data from the ELSA-Brasil baseline assessment, which were included in this review. We also present information about intima-media thickness assessment from ongoing onsite reevaluations of the study participants. Most published studies focused on the association with traditional and novel cardiovascular risk factors. Studies also presented information about the ELSA-Brasil CIMT protocol at baseline and CIMT value distribution in this large sample. Analyses on the ELSA-Brasil data led to important insights on CIMT interpretation and physiology. Besides the highlighted contributions which have already been made in this field, new data gathered during the ongoing third onsite assessment will enable investigation of substantially new research questions.

Historical ESWT Paradigms Are Overcome: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Nauck, Tanja; Korakakis, Vasileios; Malliaropoulos, Nikos

2016-01-01

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) is a conservative treatment modality with still growing interest in musculoskeletal disorders. This narrative review aims to present an overview covering 20-year development in the field of musculoskeletal ESWT. Eight historical paradigms have been identified and put under question from a current perspective: energy intensity, focus size, anesthesia, imaging, growth plates, acuteness, calcifications, and number of sessions. All paradigms as set in a historical consensus meeting in 1995 are to be revised. First, modern musculoskeletal ESWT is divided into focused and radial technology and the physical differences are about 100-fold with respect to the applied energy. Most lesions to be treated are easy to reach and clinical focusing plays a major role today. Lesion size is no longer a matter of concern. With the exception of nonunion fractures full, regional, or even local anesthesia is not helpful in musculoskeletal indications. Juvenile patients can also effectively be treated without risk of epiphyseal damage. Further research is needed to answer the question about if and which acute injuries can be managed effectively. Treatment parameters like the number of sessions are still relying on empirical data and have to be further elucidated. PMID:27493955

The Child Attachment Interview: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Privizzini, Antonella

2017-01-01

Attachment theory promoted an impressive body of research on the psychic developmental processes, resulting in studies on both typical and atypical development. Much of the diffusion of the attachment theory in the clinical field was related to the design of reliable instruments to evaluate the organization of attachment in infancy as well as in adulthood. Until recently, the lack of a suitable instrument to assess attachment in middle childhood as well as in adolescence hindered the expansion of research in these developmental phases during which the parent-child relationship takes on a different, albeit still crucial, role. The Child Attachment Interview (CAI), a measure that was recently designed to assess attachment at a representational level in middle childhood and adolescence, filled the measurement gap. The aim of the current review was to summarize previous empirical investigations concerning CAI in order to (a) provide an overview of the state of current research, (b) identify unanswered questions, and (c) propose future research directions. A narrative review was conducted to map the current research findings by searching for the term "Child Attachment Interview" in the Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsychINFO databases, followed by a search in Mendeley. Limits were set to exclude dissertations, chapters in books, and qualitative or theoretical papers, while empirical studies were included if they used the CAI and were published in English language, peer-reviewed journals by July, 2016. The review, which ultimately included 39 studies meeting the criteria, showed that the CAI is a reliable instrument to assess attachment organization in clinical and non-clinical samples, thus providing a worthwhile contribution to the investigation of the influence of the parent-child relationship beyond infancy and early childhood. Nevertheless, the review pointed out a number of relevant open issues, the most critical of which concerned the CAI coding and

Fundamental principles in periodontal plastic surgery and mucosal augmentation--a narrative review.

PubMed

Burkhardt, Rino; Lang, Niklaus P

2014-04-01

To provide a narrative review of the current literature elaborating on fundamental principles of periodontal plastic surgical procedures. Based on a presumptive outline of the narrative review, MESH terms have been used to search the relevant literature electronically in the PubMed and Cochrane Collaboration databases. If possible, systematic reviews were included. The review is divided into three phases associated with periodontal plastic surgery: a) pre-operative phase, b) surgical procedures and c) post-surgical care. The surgical procedures were discussed in the light of a) flap design and preparation, b) flap mobilization and c) flap adaptation and stabilization. Pre-operative paradigms include the optimal plaque control and smoking counselling. Fundamental principles in surgical procedures address basic knowledge in anatomy and vascularity, leading to novel appropriate flap designs with papilla preservation. Flap mobilization based on releasing incisions can be performed up to 5 mm. Flap adaptation and stabilization depend on appropriate wound bed characteristics, undisturbed blood clot formation, revascularization and wound stability through adequate suturing. Delicate tissue handling and tension free wound closure represent prerequisites for optimal healing outcomes. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cheerleading injuries: A narrative review of the literature

PubMed Central

Bagnulo, Angela

2012-01-01

Background: With its increase in participation rate and complex stunts and gymnastic-like maneuvers, cheerleading injuries are on the rise. Objective: A structured narrative review of the literature was performed to discover the status of the literature on a growing yet under recognized sport. Cheerleading injuries are described in terms of distribution, etiology, and prevention. Methods: A literature search was conducted. The articles were then reviewed and included based on broad criteria set out by the author. Results: The search produced 87 articles related to cheerleading injuries or articles with a mention of cheerleading. A total of 26 articles were included in this review based on the inclusion criteria. The most common injury experienced by a cheerleader is an ankle ligament sprain. Summary: The recognition of cheerleading as a sport and a mandatory reporting database are needed along with further research for injury prevention strategies to be implemented. PMID:23204573

Narrative review of EHDI in South Africa

PubMed Central

Storbeck, Claudine

2015-01-01

Background With 17 babies born with hearing loss every day in South Africa, there is a pressing need for systematic Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) services. Progress is being made in offering newborn hearing screening and studies have been conducted to document these processes within South Africa. However, due to the lack of a national and holistic overview of EHDI services to date, an accurate picture of the current status of EHDI within the South African context is required. Objective To document and profile what has been published within the field of EHDI in South Africa over the last two decades (Jan 1995–Sept 2014) in order to gain a comprehensive overview of the current status and practice of screening and diagnosis in the field of paediatric hearing loss. Method A narrative review of peer-reviewed articles related to EHDI in South Africa was conducted by searching the EBSCOHOST, SCOPUS and JSTOR databases for the period January 1995 to September 2014. Results Results indicate that over the last two decades research and publications in the field of EHDI have increased considerably. These publications have revealed extensive knowledge related to paediatric hearing screening and intervention services in South Africa; however, this knowledge seems to be limited primarily to the provinces of Gauteng and the Western Cape. Furthermore, studies pertaining to diagnosis have revealed that, although much has been written on the scientific aspects on tools for diagnosis of hearing loss, there is a lack of comprehensive information on diagnostic protocols and procedures. Conclusion Despite the clear progress being made in South Africa in the field of early hearing detection and intervention, there is a need for comprehensive studies on protocols and procedures in diagnosing paediatric hearing loss. Finally, the narrative review revealed a clear need to ensure that development and growth in the field of EHDI is a national priority and extends beyond the

Families parenting adolescents with substance abuse--recovering the mother's voice: a narrative literature review.

PubMed

Smith, Jackie M; Estefan, Andrew

2014-11-01

Alcohol and substance dependency are complex, problematic phenomena, which are growing worldwide. In particular, drug use and abuse among young people is a significant concern. Although addiction presents as a problem of dependent individuals, families are also profoundly affected by the family member's addiction. In this narrative literature review, we review published research from 1937 to 2014 to capture a narrative and historical perspective of addiction and family. We condense and analyze the experiences of parents with alcohol- and drug-dependent children, to emphasize the need for a more specific, in-depth exploration of mothers' experiences. Such exploration may advance nurses' understandings of individual, familial, and social complexities of parenting an addicted child. © The Author(s) 2014.

A narrative review on cervical interventions in adults with chronic whiplash-associated disorder

PubMed Central

Yeung, Euson; Tong, Tiffany; Reed, Nick

2018-01-01

Introduction Whiplash injuries are common in society, but clinical interventions are inconclusive on the most effective treatment. Research and reviews have been completed with the goal of determining clinical interventions that are effective for whiplash injuries and disorders, but literature has not recently been summarised on best practices for cervical spine interventions for adults with chronic whiplash. Purpose The objective of this narrative review is to update and expand on previous works, to provide recommendations for clinical interventions and future research in the area of cervical spine rehabilitation for adults with chronic whiplash-associated disorder. Method The Arskey and O’Malley methodology was used for this narrative review. CINHAL, EMBASE, Medline, PsychInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, as well as grey literature, were searched from 2003 to April 2017. Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts for relevance to the review, and content analysis summarised the study findings. A total of 14 citations were included in the final review. Findings Exercise-based interventions targeted at the cervical spine appear most beneficial for adults with chronic whiplash-associated disorder (WAD). Invasive interventions still require more rigorous studies to deem their effectiveness for this population. Conclusion Further research is required to investigate and determine clinically relevant results for cervical spine intervention in patients with chronic WAD. PMID:29719724

Music therapy in dementia: a narrative synthesis systematic review.

PubMed

McDermott, Orii; Crellin, Nadia; Ridder, Hanne Mette; Orrell, Martin

2013-08-01

Recent reviews on music therapy for people with dementia have been limited to attempting to evaluate whether it is effective, but there is a need for a critical assessment of the literature to provide insight into the possible mechanisms of actions of music therapy. This systematic review uses a narrative synthesis format to determine evidence for effectiveness and provide insight into a model of action. The narrative synthesis framework consists of four elements: (i) theory development; (ii) preliminary synthesis of findings; (iii) exploration of relationships between studies; and (iv) assessment of the robustness of the synthesis. Electronic and hand searches identified 263 potentially relevant studies. Eighteen studies met the full inclusion criteria. Three distinctive strands of investigations emerged: eight studies explored behavioural and psychological aspects, five studies investigated hormonal and physiological changes, and five studies focused on social and relational aspects of music therapy. The musical interventions in the studies were diverse, but singing featured as an important medium for change. Evidence for short-term improvement in mood and reduction in behavioural disturbance was consistent, but there were no high-quality longitudinal studies that demonstrated long-term benefits of music therapy. Future music therapy studies need to define a theoretical model, include better-focused outcome measures, and discuss how the findings may improve the well-being of people with dementia. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Do Live versus Audio-Recorded Narrative Stimuli Influence Young Children's Narrative Comprehension and Retell Quality?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Young-Suk Grace

2016-01-01

Purpose: The primary aim of the present study was to examine whether different ways of presenting narrative stimuli (i.e., live narrative stimuli versus audio-recorded narrative stimuli) influence children's performances on narrative comprehension and oral-retell quality. Method: Children in kindergarten (n = 54), second grade (n = 74), and fourth…

The Limits of Narrative: Provocations for the Medical Humanities

PubMed Central

Woods, Angela

2014-01-01

This paper aims to (re)ignite debate about the role of narrative in the medical humanities. It begins with a critical review of the ways in which narrative has been mobilised by humanities and social science scholars to understand the experience of health and illness. I highlight seven dangers or blind spots in the dominant medical humanities approach to narrative, including the frequently unexamined assumption that all human beings are “naturally narrative.” I then explore this assumption further through an analysis of philosopher Galen Strawson’s influential article “Against Narrativity.” Strawson rejects the descriptive claim that “human beings typically see or live or experience their lives as a narrative” and the normative claim that “a richly Narrative outlook is essential to a well-lived life, to true or full personhood.” His work has been taken up across a range of disciplines but its implications in the context of health and illness have not yet been sufficiently discussed. This article argues that “Against Narrativity” can and should stimulate robust debate within the medical humanities regarding the limits of narrative, and concludes by discussing a range of possibilities for venturing “beyond narrative.” PMID:22038696

Nutrition, dental caries and periodontal disease: a narrative review.

PubMed

Hujoel, Philippe P; Lingström, Peter

2017-03-01

To provide a narrative review of the role of macro- and micronutrients in relation to dental caries, gingival bleeding and destructive periodontal disease. This review is based on systematic reviews (when available) and comparative human studies. Dental caries cannot develop without the presence of dietary fermentable carbohydrates, in particular sugar. The susceptibility to develop caries in the presence of carbohydrates may be influenced by genetics and micronutrients such as vitamin D. Gingival bleeding and destructive periodontal disease are sensitive markers to both abnormalities in macronutrient content (excessive carbohydrates or poly-unsaturated fat intake, deficient protein intake) and micronutrient intake (e.g. vitamin C and B12). Dental caries and periodontal diseases are a sensitive alarm bell for an unhealthy diet, which predicts the future onset of the diseases of civilizations. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Replication in Second Language Research: Narrative and Systematic Reviews and Recommendations for the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsden, Emma; Morgan-Short, Kara; Thompson, Sophie; Abugaber, David

2018-01-01

Despite its critical role for the development of the field, little is known about replication in second language (L2) research. To better understand replication practice, we first provide a narrative review of challenges related to replication, drawing on recent developments in psychology. This discussion frames and motivates a systematic review,…

Protocol for a systematic review of the use of narrative storytelling and visual-arts-based approaches as knowledge translation tools in healthcare

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The arts are powerful, accessible forms of communication that have the potential to impart knowledge by attracting interest and developing meaningful connections. Knowledge translation aims to reduce the ‘evidence-practice’ gap by developing, implementing and evaluating strategies designed to enhance awareness and promote behavior change congruent with research evidence. Increasingly, innovative approaches such as narrative storytelling and other arts-based interventions are being investigated to bridge the growing gap between practice and research. This study is the first to systematically identify and synthesize current research on narrative storytelling and visual art to translate and disseminate health research. Methods A health research librarian will develop and implement search strategies designed to identify relevant evidence. Studies will be included if they are primary research employing narrative storytelling and/or visual art as a knowledge translation strategy in healthcare. Two reviewers will independently perform study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction using standard forms. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion or third party adjudication. Data will be grouped and analyzed by research design, type of knowledge translation strategy (that is, a narrative or visual-arts-based approach), and target audience. An overall synthesis across all studies will be conducted. Discussion The findings from this research project will describe the ‘state of the science’ regarding the use of narrative storytelling and visual art as knowledge translation strategies. This systematic review will provide critical information for: (1) researchers conducting knowledge translation intervention studies; (2) nursing, medicine, and allied healthcare professionals; (3) healthcare consumers, including patients and families; and (4) decision makers and knowledge users who are charged to increase use of the latest research in

Protocol for a systematic review of the use of narrative storytelling and visual-arts-based approaches as knowledge translation tools in healthcare.

PubMed

Scott, Shannon D; Brett-MacLean, Pamela; Archibald, Mandy; Hartling, Lisa

2013-03-20

The arts are powerful, accessible forms of communication that have the potential to impart knowledge by attracting interest and developing meaningful connections. Knowledge translation aims to reduce the 'evidence-practice' gap by developing, implementing and evaluating strategies designed to enhance awareness and promote behavior change congruent with research evidence. Increasingly, innovative approaches such as narrative storytelling and other arts-based interventions are being investigated to bridge the growing gap between practice and research. This study is the first to systematically identify and synthesize current research on narrative storytelling and visual art to translate and disseminate health research. A health research librarian will develop and implement search strategies designed to identify relevant evidence. Studies will be included if they are primary research employing narrative storytelling and/or visual art as a knowledge translation strategy in healthcare. Two reviewers will independently perform study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction using standard forms. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion or third party adjudication. Data will be grouped and analyzed by research design, type of knowledge translation strategy (that is, a narrative or visual-arts-based approach), and target audience. An overall synthesis across all studies will be conducted. The findings from this research project will describe the 'state of the science' regarding the use of narrative storytelling and visual art as knowledge translation strategies. This systematic review will provide critical information for: (1) researchers conducting knowledge translation intervention studies; (2) nursing, medicine, and allied healthcare professionals; (3) healthcare consumers, including patients and families; and (4) decision makers and knowledge users who are charged to increase use of the latest research in healthcare settings.

Twenty years of assessment in WORK: a narrative review.

PubMed

Shaw, Lynn; Campbell, Heather; Jacobs, Karen; Prodinger, Birgit

2010-01-01

The aim of this review was to gain an understanding of the first 20 years of contributions to WORK within the assessment domain and to reflect on the perspectives underscoring this knowledge base. A narrative review of assessment articles using the WORK ARTicle database was conducted. Assessment articles were searched using issues from 1990 to 2009. Descriptive data was analyzed to examine historical trends of the specific types and dimensions of articles, the regional location of the contributions, and the methodological accordance. A reflective process was used by an editorial board member of WORK to inductively interpret perspectives and contextual issues that underpinned the evolution of the assessment domain in WORK. Over half of $N=$ 108 of the articles on assessment in WORK focused on establishing or reporting reliability and validity of assessments used in clinical practice or evaluation research. The majority of the assessment articles were predominantly focused on the person. Contributions of articles were from 5 regions: North America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Assessment articles in WORK have contributed to the development of evidence to support assessment of the worker. These articles represent a knowledge base that emphasizes evidence-based assessments to evaluate what a person can and cannot do to participate in work. Efforts are needed to expand knowledge generation in assessment to include more evaluations on the workplace and occupation dimensions, and that also considers the worker in context.

Behavioral, cognitive, and emotional coping strategies of women with endometriosis: a critical narrative review.

PubMed

Zarbo, Cristina; Brugnera, Agostino; Frigerio, Luigi; Malandrino, Chiara; Rabboni, Massimo; Bondi, Emi; Compare, Angelo

2018-02-01

Endometriosis is a disabling and long-term medical condition affecting quality of life and mental health. Behavioral, cognitive, and emotional coping strategies, emotional intelligence, and metacognition could in part explain the link between the disease and impaired psychological and life functioning. This critical narrative review aimed at examining the state of the art of the relationships between endometriosis and these factors. According to PRISMA principles, we performed a systematic search for quantitative and qualitative studies on multiple electronic databases as regards coping strategies, emotional intelligence, and metacognition in women with endometriosis. Studies were subjected to interpretative and critical narrative synthesis. A total of 9 papers were included in the review. Three main categories were identified in thematic analysis and resumed in the manuscript. Findings suggested that (a) pain is considered the major stressor; (b) they usually use both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies; (c) women with endometriosis and related chronic pain seem to repress emotions more likely than healthy ones; (d) suppressing own emotions, pain catastrophizing, and having a passive coping style are related to higher self-reported pain; and (e) emotional and avoidance coping styles are associated to poor mental status, while positive coping strategies focusing on the problem or on emotions, detached and rational styles are associated to better mental health. Few studies with mixed results and some methodological flaws have focused on coping strategies in women with endometriosis. No studies focusing on metacognition or emotional intelligence were found. Methodological biases, suggestions for future research, and implications for clinical practice were discussed.

Narratives and Accounts: "Post-Crisis" Narration in Annual Company Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winchester, Jules; Williams, Simon

2014-01-01

This paper aims to provide Business English and EAP practitioners with a rationale for including the analysis of narrative elements in business addresses in their language teaching in order to encourage critical thinking in learners. By studying these elements, and the rhetorical function of the narrative in particular, students can become more…

Communication in healthcare: a narrative review of the literature and practical recommendations.

PubMed

Vermeir, P; Vandijck, D; Degroote, S; Peleman, R; Verhaeghe, R; Mortier, E; Hallaert, G; Van Daele, S; Buylaert, W; Vogelaers, D

2015-11-01

Effective and efficient communication is crucial in healthcare. Written communication remains the most prevalent form of communication between specialised and primary care. We aimed at reviewing the literature on the quality of written communication, the impact of communication inefficiencies and recommendations to improve written communication in healthcare. Narrative literature review. A search was carried out on the databases PubMed, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library by means of the (MeSH)terms 'communication', 'primary health care', 'correspondence', 'patient safety', 'patient handoff' and 'continuity of patient care'. Reviewers screened 4609 records and 462 full texts were checked according following inclusion criteria: (1) publication between January 1985 and March 2014, (2) availability as full text in English, (3) categorisation as original research, reviews, meta-analyses or letters to the editor. A total of 69 articles were included in this review. It was found that poor communication can lead to various negative outcomes: discontinuity of care, compromise of patient safety, patient dissatisfaction and inefficient use of valuable resources, both in unnecessary investigations and physician worktime as well as economic consequences. There is room for improvement of both content and timeliness of written communication. The delineation of ownership of the communication process should be clear. Peer review, process indicators and follow-up tools are required to measure the impact of quality improvement initiatives. Communication between caregivers should feature more prominently in graduate and postgraduate training, to become engraved as an essential skill and quality characteristic of each caregiver. © 2015 The Authors. International Journal of Clinical Practice Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The contribution of nurses to incident disclosure: a narrative review.

PubMed

Harrison, Reema; Birks, Yvonne; Hall, Jill; Bosanquet, Kate; Harden, Melissa; Iedema, Rick

2014-02-01

To explore (a) how nurses feel about disclosing patient safety incidents to patients, (b) the current contribution that nurses make to the process of disclosing patient safety incidents to patients and (c) the barriers that nurses report as inhibiting their involvement in disclosure. A systematic search process was used to identify and select all relevant material. Heterogeneity in study design of the included articles prohibited a meta-analysis and findings were therefore synthesised in a narrative review. A range of text words, synonyms and subject headings were developed in conjunction with the York Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and used to undertake a systematic search of electronic databases (MEDLINE; EMBASE; CENTRAL; PsycINFO; Health Management and Information Consortium; CINAHL; ASSIA; Science Citation Index; Social Science Citation Index; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects; Health Technology Assessment Database; Health Systems Evidence; PASCAL; LILACS). Retrieval of studies was restricted to those published after 1980. Further data sources were: websites, grey literature, research in progress databases, hand-searching of relevant journals and author contact. The title and abstract of each citation was independently screened by two reviewers and disagreements resolved by consensus or consultation with a third person. Full text articles retrieved were further screened against the inclusion and exclusion criteria then checked by a second reviewer (YB). Relevant data were extracted and findings were synthesised in a narrative empirical synthesis. The systematic search and selection process identified 15 publications which included 11 unique studies that emerged from a range of locations. Findings suggest that nurses currently support both physicians and patients through incident disclosure, but may be ill-prepared to disclose incidents independently. Barriers to nurse involvement included a lack of

Yoga and substance use disorders: A narrative review.

PubMed

Sarkar, Siddharth; Varshney, Mohit

2017-02-01

Yoga has been utilized for promotion of health and alleviating distress. It has also been used as a therapeutic measure in the field of mental health, including substance use disorders. This narrative review discusses the literature pertaining to use of yoga in the treatment of substance use disorders. The evidence base especially with regards to randomized trials is presented. The possible mechanisms how yoga might be helpful in the treatment of substance use disorders are explored. Subsequently, implications of yoga in clinical practice are elaborated, followed by examination of the issues in interpretation of the literature of published yoga related studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bivalirudin for Pediatric Procedural Anticoagulation: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Zaleski, Katherine L; DiNardo, James A; Nasr, Viviane G

2018-02-14

Bivalirudin (Angiomax; The Medicines Company, Parsippany, NJ), a direct thrombin inhibitor, has found increasing utilization as a heparin alternative in the pediatric population, most commonly for the treatment of thrombosis secondary to heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Due to the relative rarity of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia as well as the lack of Food and Drug Administration-approved indications in this age group, much of what is known regarding the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of bivalirudin in this population has been extrapolated from adult data. This narrative review will present recommendations regarding the use of bivalirudin for procedural anticoagulation in the pediatric population based on the published literature.

Do Live versus Audio-Recorded Narrative Stimuli Influence Young Children's Narrative Comprehension and Retell Quality?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Young-Suk Grace

2016-01-01

Purpose: The primary aim of the present study was to examine whether different ways of presenting narrative stimuli (i.e., live narrative stimuli versus audio-recorded narrative stimuli) influence children's performances on narrative comprehension and oral-retell quality. Method: Children in kindergarten (n = 54), second grade (n = 74), and fourth…

Measuring Orthographic Transparency and Morphological-Syllabic Complexity in Alphabetic Orthographies: A Narrative Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borleffs, Elisabeth; Maassen, Ben A. M.; Lyytinen, Heikki; Zwarts, Frans

2017-01-01

This narrative review discusses quantitative indices measuring differences between alphabetic languages that are related to the process of word recognition. The specific orthography that a child is acquiring has been identified as a central element influencing reading acquisition and dyslexia. However, the development of reliable metrics to…

A narrative systematic review of factors affecting diabetes prevention in primary care settings

PubMed Central

Eyles, Emily

2017-01-01

Background Type 2 diabetes is impacting millions of people globally; however, many future cases can be prevented through lifestyle changes and interventions. Primary care is an important setting for diabetes prevention, for at-risk populations, because it is a patient’s primary point of contact with the health care system and professionals can provide lifestyle counselling and support, as well as monitoring health outcomes. These are all essential elements for diabetes prevention for at-risk adults. Aim To understand the factors related to the delivery and uptake of type 2 diabetes prevention interventions within primary care in higher income countries. Methods For this narrative systematic review, we combined qualitative and quantitative studies of diabetes prevention within a primary care setting for patients at-risk of developing the condition. We used an iterative approach for evidence collection, which included using several databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Pysch info, BNI, SSCI, CINAHL, ASSIA), where we combined diabetes terms with primary care terms. Narrative and thematic synthesis were utilised to identify the prominent themes emerging from the data. Results A database of 6646 records was screened by the research team, and 18 papers were included. Three major themes were identified in this review. The first theme of context and setting of diabetes progression includes the risk and progression of diabetes, primary care as a setting, and where the responsibility for change is thought to lie. This review also found mixed views on the value of preventative services within primary care. The second theme focused on the various patient factors associated with diabetes prevention such as a patient’s motivation to modify their current lifestyle, perceptions and knowledge (or lack thereof) of the impacts of diabetes, lack of follow-up in healthcare settings, and trust in healthcare professionals. The third theme was centred on professional factors impacting on

Historical trauma as public narrative: A conceptual review of how history impacts present-day health

PubMed Central

Mohatt, Nathaniel Vincent; Thompson, Azure B.; Thai, Nghi D.; Tebes, Jacob Kraemer

2014-01-01

Theories of historical trauma increasingly appear in the literature on individual and community health, especially in relation to racial and ethnic minority populations and groups that experience significant health disparities. As a consequence of this rapid growth, the literature on historical trauma comprises disparate terminology and research approaches. This critical review integrates this literature in order to specify theoretical mechanisms that explain how historical trauma influences the health of individuals and communities. We argue that historical trauma functions as a public narrative for particular groups or communities that connects present-day experiences and circumstances to the trauma so as to influence health. Treating historical trauma as a public narrative shifts the research discourse away from an exclusive search for past causal variables that influence health to identifying how present-day experiences, their corresponding narratives, and their health impacts are connected to public narratives of historical trauma for a particular group or community. We discuss how the connection between historical trauma and present-day experiences, related narratives, and health impacts may function as a source of present-day distress as well as resilience. PMID:24561774

Anxiety and working memory capacity: A meta-analysis and narrative review.

PubMed

Moran, Tim P

2016-08-01

Cognitive deficits are now widely recognized to be an important component of anxiety. In particular, anxiety is thought to restrict the capacity of working memory by competing with task-relevant processes. The evidence for this claim, however, has been mixed. Although some studies have found restricted working memory in anxiety, others have not. Within studies that have found impairments, there is little agreement regarding the boundary conditions of the anxiety/WMC association. The aim of this review is to critically evaluate the evidence for anxiety-related deficits in working memory capacity. First, a meta-analysis of 177 samples (N = 22,061 individuals) demonstrated that self-reported measures of anxiety are reliably related to poorer performance on measures of working memory capacity (g = -.334, p < 10-29). This finding was consistent across complex span (e.g., OSPAN; g = -.342, k = 30, N = 3,196, p = .000001), simple span (e.g., digit span; g = -.318, k = 127, N = 17,547, p < 10-17), and dynamic span tasks (e.g., N-Back; g = -.437, k = 20, N = 1,318, p = .000003). Second, a narrative review of the literature revealed that anxiety, whether self-reported or experimentally induced, is related to poorer performance across a wide variety of tasks. Finally, the review identified a number of methodological limitations common in the literature as well as avenues for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Management of respiratory problems in people with neurodegenerative conditions: a narrative review.

PubMed

Jones, U; Enright, S; Busse, M

2012-03-01

Respiratory failure and dysfunction are common problems in many neurodegenerative conditions. Although physiotherapists manage these problems, it is not known which treatments have been studied and their efficacy. To review evidence on the management of respiratory problems in people with neurodegenerative conditions using the PRISMA approach. Comprehensive searches were conducted using the following electronic databases from inception to May 2010: HUGEnet, SIGLE, British Library Direct, CINAHL, Medline, AMED and Web of Knowledge. Bibliographies of all studies and systematic reviews were searched by hand. Studies were selected based on: self-ventilating participants with neurodegenerative conditions; interventions aimed at improving respiratory function; and any valid and reliable measures of respiratory function as outcomes. Studies were appraised by one reviewer using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Data were synthesised using a narrative approach. Thirty-five studies were included in the review. The strongest evidence was for the use of non-invasive ventilation for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, although this was weak. The evidence for the use of respiratory muscle training and methods to increase peak cough flow showed a positive effect, but was also weak. There is weak evidence for the positive effects of physiotherapeutic interventions for respiratory problems in people with neurodegenerative conditions. Further work is necessary in specific neurodegenerative conditions to identify why respiratory problems occur, and larger scale studies should be undertaken to investigate management of these problems. Copyright © 2011 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrosalpinx: Tubal surgery or in vitro fertilisation? An everlasting dilemma nowadays; a narrative review.

PubMed

Daniilidis, A; Balaouras, D; Chitzios, D; Theodoridis, T; Assimakopoulos, E

2017-07-01

The decision on how to treat tubal diseases, specifically hydrosalpinx, is a difficult one. Ιt involves surgical, medical, social, emotional and economic factors. This narrative review aims to increase awareness of tubal disease diagnosis and treatment, to compare between tubal surgery and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for tubal factor infertility, and to investigate the effect of the combination of both. This way, we can be more effective, safe and provide our patients with better treatment results. The review analysed randomised studies, trials and meta-analysis, which give new aspects on the treatment methods for tubal pathology before IVF. Recent papers published in English have been studied, alongside guidelines and committee opinions from previous years. Tubal surgery and IVF aim to exploit a woman's reproductive potential. IVF and endoscopic tubal surgery must be thought of as complementary, rather than competing techniques in tubal disease cases, in order to improve fertility outcome. The first-line treatment for young women less than 35 years old with minor tubal pathology, is tubal surgery. IVF should be offered if there are other factors in a couple's subfertility, if the patient is >38 years old, if moderate to severe tubal disease is present, and if it has been more than 12 months post-surgery.

Narrative and "anti-narrative" in science: How scientists tell stories, and don't.

PubMed

Padian, Kevin

2018-06-04

Narratives are common to all branches of science, not only to the humanities. Scientists tell stories about how the things we study work, develop, and evolve, and about how we come to be interested in them. Here I add a third domain (Secularity) to Gould's two "non-overlapping magisteria" of Science and Religion, and I review previous work on the parallels in elements between story-telling in literature and science. The stories of each domain have different criteria for judging them valid or useful. In science, especially historical sciences such as biology and geology, particular scientific methods and approaches both structure and test our narratives. Relying on the narrative assumptions of how certain processes, such as natural selection, are supposed to work is treacherous unless they are tested by appropriate historical patterns, such as phylogeny, and rooted in the process of natural mechanisms. The structure of scientific explanation seen in peer-reviewed papers and grant proposals obscures true narrative within a formulaic sequence of "question, methods, materials" and so on that is quite different from the classic narrative of folk-tales and novels, producing an "anti-narrative" that must be "un-learned" before it can be communicated to non-scientists. By adopting some of the techniques of classic story-telling, scientists can become more effective in making our ideas clear, educating the public, and even attracting funding.

Design of an extensive information representation scheme for clinical narratives.

PubMed

Deléger, Louise; Campillos, Leonardo; Ligozat, Anne-Laure; Névéol, Aurélie

2017-09-11

Knowledge representation frameworks are essential to the understanding of complex biomedical processes, and to the analysis of biomedical texts that describe them. Combined with natural language processing (NLP), they have the potential to contribute to retrospective studies by unlocking important phenotyping information contained in the narrative content of electronic health records (EHRs). This work aims to develop an extensive information representation scheme for clinical information contained in EHR narratives, and to support secondary use of EHR narrative data to answer clinical questions. We review recent work that proposed information representation schemes and applied them to the analysis of clinical narratives. We then propose a unifying scheme that supports the extraction of information to address a large variety of clinical questions. We devised a new information representation scheme for clinical narratives that comprises 13 entities, 11 attributes and 37 relations. The associated annotation guidelines can be used to consistently apply the scheme to clinical narratives and are https://cabernet.limsi.fr/annotation_guide_for_the_merlot_french_clinical_corpus-Sept2016.pdf . The information scheme includes many elements of the major schemes described in the clinical natural language processing literature, as well as a uniquely detailed set of relations.

[Maternal and perinatal risk factors for neonatal morbidity: a narrative literature review].

PubMed

Hernández Núñez, Jónathan; Valdés Yong, Magel; Suñol Vázquez, Yoanca de la Caridad; López Quintana, Marelene de la Caridad

2015-07-14

Newborn diseases increase neonatal mortality rates, so a literature review was conducted to establish the risk factors related to maternal and peripartum morbidity affecting the newborn. We searched the following electronic databases: Cumed, EBSCO, LILACS, IBECS and PubMed/MEDLINE. We used specific terms and Boolean operators in Spanish, Portuguese and English. We included longitudinal and cross-sectional descriptive studies, as well as case-control and cohort studies, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, spanning from 2010 to 2015 that responded the topic of interest. The included studies show that multiple maternal and perinatal conditions are risk factors for significant increase of neonatal morbidity, which are described in this narrative review.

Evidence-Based Practice for Children with Speech Sound Disorders: Part 1 Narrative Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Elise; McLeod, Sharynne

2011-01-01

Purpose: This article provides a comprehensive narrative review of intervention studies for children with speech sound disorders (SSD). Its companion paper (Baker & McLeod, 2011) provides a tutorial and clinical example of how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can engage in evidence-based practice (EBP) for this clinical population. Method:…

Promoting physical activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a narrative review of behaviour change theories.

PubMed

Larkin, Louise; Kennedy, Norelee; Gallagher, Stephen

2015-01-01

Despite physical activity having significant health benefits for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), current levels of physical activity in this population are suboptimal. Changing behaviour is challenging and interventions aimed at increasing physical activity in this context have had varying levels of success. This review provides an overview of common behaviour change theories used in interventions to promote physical activity and their application for promoting physical activity in people with RA. A scoping, narrative review was conducted of English language literature, using the search terms "physical activity/exercise" and keywords, which are associated with behaviour change interventions. The theoretical basis of such interventions in people with RA was assessed using the "theory coding scheme". Six theories which have been used in physical activity research are discussed. Further, four studies which aimed to increase physical activity levels in people with RA are explored in detail. To date, behaviour change interventions conducted in RA populations to increase physical activity levels have not had a strong theoretical underpinning. It is proposed that an intervention utilising the theory of planned behaviour is developed with the aim of increasing physical activity in people with RA. Implications for Rehabilitation Interventions to promote physical activity in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) population have failed to change participants' behaviour. A small number of studies have used behaviour change theories in the development and delivery of interventions. The theory of planned behaviour is recommended as the theoretical basis for an intervention to promote physical activity in the RA population.

Classifying injury narratives of large administrative databases for surveillance-A practical approach combining machine learning ensembles and human review.

PubMed

Marucci-Wellman, Helen R; Corns, Helen L; Lehto, Mark R

2017-01-01

Injury narratives are now available real time and include useful information for injury surveillance and prevention. However, manual classification of the cause or events leading to injury found in large batches of narratives, such as workers compensation claims databases, can be prohibitive. In this study we compare the utility of four machine learning algorithms (Naïve Bayes, Single word and Bi-gram models, Support Vector Machine and Logistic Regression) for classifying narratives into Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness event leading to injury classifications for a large workers compensation database. These algorithms are known to do well classifying narrative text and are fairly easy to implement with off-the-shelf software packages such as Python. We propose human-machine learning ensemble approaches which maximize the power and accuracy of the algorithms for machine-assigned codes and allow for strategic filtering of rare, emerging or ambiguous narratives for manual review. We compare human-machine approaches based on filtering on the prediction strength of the classifier vs. agreement between algorithms. Regularized Logistic Regression (LR) was the best performing algorithm alone. Using this algorithm and filtering out the bottom 30% of predictions for manual review resulted in high accuracy (overall sensitivity/positive predictive value of 0.89) of the final machine-human coded dataset. The best pairings of algorithms included Naïve Bayes with Support Vector Machine whereby the triple ensemble NB SW =NB BI-GRAM =SVM had very high performance (0.93 overall sensitivity/positive predictive value and high accuracy (i.e. high sensitivity and positive predictive values)) across both large and small categories leaving 41% of the narratives for manual review. Integrating LR into this ensemble mix improved performance only slightly. For large administrative datasets we propose incorporation of methods based on human-machine pairings such as

Making electronic health records support quality management: A narrative review.

PubMed

Triantafillou, Peter

2017-08-01

Since the 1990s many hospitals in the OECD countries have introduced electronic health record (EHR) systems. A number of studies have examined the factors impinging on EHR implementation. Others have studied the clinical efficacy of EHR. However, only few studies have explored the (intermediary) factors that make EHR systems conducive to quality management (QM). Undertake a narrative review of existing studies in order to identify and discuss the factors conducive to making EHR support three dimensions of QM: clinical outcomes, managerial monitoring and cost-effectiveness. A narrative review of Web of Science, Cochrane, EBSCO, ProQuest, Scopus and three Nordic research databases. most studies do not specify the type of EHR examined. 39 studies were identified for analysis. 10 factors were found to be conducive to make EHR support QM. However, the contribution of EHR to the three specific dimensions of QM varied substantially. Most studies (29) included clinical outcomes. However, only half of these reported EHR to have a positive impact. Almost all the studies (36) dealt with the ability of EHR to enhance managerial monitoring of clinical activities, the far majority of which showed a positive relationship. Finally, only five dealt with cost-effectiveness of which two found positive effects. The findings resonates well with previous reviews, though two factors making EHR support QM seem new, namely: political goals and strategies, and integration of guidelines for clinical conduct. Lacking EHR type specification and diversity in study method imply that there is a strong need for further research on the factors that may make EHR may support QM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in Wellbeing and Professional Values among Medical Undergraduate Students: A Narrative Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benbassat, Jochanan

2014-01-01

Background: Educators are concerned by the high prevalence of emotional distress among medical students, and by the alleged decline in their humanitarian values. Objective To re-examine these concerns by reviewing studies of medical students' wellbeing and development. Method Narrative review of the literature. Main findings: (a) Medical…

Romantic Relationships of People with Borderline Personality: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Navarro-Gómez, Sara; Frías, Álvaro; Palma, Carol

2017-01-01

Romantic relationships are one of the most interesting areas of interpersonal functioning in people with borderline personality. The aim of this narrative review was to synthesise empirical findings on this issue. The PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched for pertinent materials published between 1980 and March 2016. Thirty articles met the inclusion criteria. Several longitudinal and cross-sectional studies showed that people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) or BPD traits had more - but less prolonged - romantic relationships than people without BPD. The stable relationships of people with BPD or with BPD traits were also less satisfying and more hostile than those of people without BPD. People with BPD or BPD traits had relationships characterised by insecure attachment and passive-aggressive communications. Personality disorders and anxious attachment were more prevalent among the partners of people with BPD or with BPD traits when compared with partners of people without BPD. Unstable and chaotic romantic relationships are at the core of interpersonal dysfunction in BPD. More longitudinal research is needed to delineate the relationship between BPD symptoms and romantic relationship dysfunction, including the modulating role of the partner's clinical features in such an association. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Forensic historiography: narratives and science.

PubMed

Drukteinis, Albert M

2014-01-01

Psychiatrists function, in part, as historians who rely on patient narratives to help them understand presenting mental disorders and explain their causes. Forensic psychiatrists have been skeptical of using narratives, raising concerns about their lack of objectivity and potential for bias. They also have criticized narratives as being more performative than scientific. Recent authors, however, have pointed out that narratives may be helpful in forming forensic opinions and supporting oral testimony, while stressing that their use must be consistent with the ethics espoused by forensic psychiatry. This article reviews the role of narratives in understanding human events and the ubiquitous presence of narratives in the judicial process. It delves into the inescapability of using explicit or implicit narratives in the course of forensic practice, as well as how they may be meaningfully incorporated into evaluations and find expression alongside scientific principles. © 2014 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

Professional Ethics Education for Future Teachers: A Narrative Review of the Scholarly Writings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, Bruce; Schwimmer, Marina

2016-01-01

This article provides a narrative review of the scholarly writings on professional ethics education for future teachers. Against the background of a widespread belief among scholars working in this area that longstanding and sustained research and reflection on the ethics of teaching have had little impact on the teacher education curriculum, the…

Undesirable Features of the Medical Learning Environment: A Narrative Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benbassat, Jochanan

2013-01-01

The objective of this narrative review of the literature is to draw attention to four undesirable features of the medical learning environment (MLE). First, students' fears of personal inadequacy and making errors are enhanced rather than alleviated by the hidden curriculum of the clinical teaching setting; second, the MLE projects a denial…

Incisional hernia prevention and use of mesh. A narrative review.

PubMed

Hernández-Granados, Pilar; López-Cano, Manuel; Morales-Conde, Salvador; Muysoms, Filip; García-Alamino, Josep; Pereira-Rodríguez, José Antonio

2018-02-01

Incisional hernias are a very common problem, with an estimated incidence around 15-20% of all laparotomies. Evisceration is another important problem, with a lower rate (2.5-3%) but severe consequences for patients. Prevention of both complications is an essential objective of correct patient treatment due to the improved quality of life and cost savings. This narrative review intends to provide an update on incisional hernia and evisceration prevention. We analyze the current criteria for proper abdominal wall closure and the possibility to add prosthetic reinforcement in certain cases requiring it. Parastomal, trocar-site hernias and hernias developed after stoma closure are included in this review. Copyright © 2018 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Rating Scales for Movement Disorders With Sleep Disturbances: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Rodríguez-Blázquez, Carmen; Forjaz, Maria João; Kurtis, Monica M.; Balestrino, Roberta; Martinez-Martin, Pablo

2018-01-01

Introduction: In recent years, a wide variety of rating scales and questionnaires for movement disorders have been developed and published, making reviews on their contents, and attributes convenient for the potential users. Sleep disorders are frequently present in movement disorders, and some movement disorders are accompanied by specific sleep difficulties. Aim: The aim of this study is to perform a narrative review of the most frequently used rating scales for movement disorders with sleep problems, with special attention to those recommended by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society. Methods: Online databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Google Scholar), related references from papers and websites and personal files were searched for information on comprehensive or global rating scales which assessed sleep disturbances in the following movement disorders: akathisia, chorea, dystonia, essential tremor, myoclonus, multiple system atrophy, Parkinson's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and tics and Tourette syndrome. For each rating scale, its objective and characteristics, as well as a summary of its psychometric properties and recommendations of use are described. Results: From 22 rating scales identified for the selected movement disorders, only 5 included specific questions on sleep problems. Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating scale (MDS-UPDRS), Non-Motor Symptoms Scale and Questionnaire (NMSS and NMSQuest), Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease (SCOPA)-Autonomic and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Rating Scale (PSPRS) were the only rating scales that included items for assessing sleep disturbances. Conclusions: Despite sleep problems are frequent in movement disorders, very few of the rating scales addresses these specific symptoms. This may contribute to an infra diagnosis and mistreatment of the sleep problems in patients with movement disorders.

Pain management strategies and lessons from the military: A narrative review

PubMed Central

Vallerand, April Hazard; Cosler, Patricia; Henningfield, Jack E; Galassini, Pam

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Wounded soldiers often experience substantial pain, which must be addressed before returning to active duty or civilian life. The United States (US) military has instituted several guidelines and initiatives aimed at improving pain management by providing rapid access to medical care, and developing interdisciplinary multimodal pain management strategies based on outcomes observed both in combat and hospital settings. OBJECTIVE: To provide a narrative review regarding US military pain management guidelines and initiatives, which may guide improvements in pain management, particularly chronic pain management and prevention, for the general population. METHODS: A literature review of US military pain management guidelines and initiatives was conducted, with a particular focus on the potential of these guidelines to address shortcomings in chronic pain management in the general population. DISCUSSION: The application of US military pain management guidelines has been shown to improve pain monitoring, education and relief. In addition, the US military has instituted the development of programs and guidelines to ensure proper use and discourage aberrant behaviours with regard to opioid use, because opioids are regarded as a critical part of acute and chronic pain management schemes. Inadequate pain management, particularly inadequate chronic pain management, remains a major problem for the general population in the US. Application of military strategies for pain management to the general US population may lead to more effective pain management and improved long-term patient outcomes. PMID:26448972

Relationship Between Exclusive Breastfeeding and Lower Risk of Childhood Obesity: A Narrative Review of Published Evidence

PubMed Central

Uwaezuoke, Samuel N; Eneh, Chizoma I; Ndu, Ikenna K

2017-01-01

Background: The pattern of infant feeding during the first 1000-day period—from conception to the second birthday—has a significant influence on the child’s growth trajectory. The relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and lower risk of childhood obesity has elicited much scientific interest, given the fact that this form of malnutrition is becoming a global epidemic. Aim: This narrative review aims to examine the evidence in the literature linking exclusive breastfeeding with reduction in obesity in children. Literature search: Using appropriate search terms, PubMed database was searched for relevant articles that met the review objective. Results: Evidence for the protective effect of exclusive breastfeeding against childhood obesity have been provided by studies which explored 5 physiologic mechanisms and those that established the causality between breastfeeding and lower risk of obesity. The few studies that disputed this relationship highlighted the influence of confounding factors. A new insight on molecular mechanisms, however, points to a direct and indirect effect of human milk oligosaccharides on the prevention of overweight and obesity. Conclusions: The preponderance of current evidence strongly suggests that exclusivity in breastfeeding can prevent the development of obesity in children. PMID:28469518

Child, parent, and parent-child emotion narratives: implications for developmental psychopathology.

PubMed

Oppenheim, David

2006-01-01

Studies using narratives with children and parents offer ways to study affective meaning-making processes that are central in many theories of developmental psychopathology. This paper reviews theory regarding affective meaning making, and argues that narratives are particularly suited to examine such processes. The review of narrative studies and methods is organized into three sections according to the focus on child, parent, and parent-child narratives. Within each focus three levels of analysis are considered: (a) narrative organization and coherence, (b) narrative content, and (c) the behavior/interactions of the narrator(s). The implications of this research for developmental psychopathology and clinical work are discussed with an emphasis on parent-child jointly constructed narratives as the meeting point of individual child and parent narratives.

Personal narrative approaches in rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury: A synthesis of qualitative research.

PubMed

D'Cruz, Kate; Douglas, Jacinta; Serry, Tanya

2017-08-09

Although narrative storytelling has been found to assist identity construction, there is little direct research regarding its application in rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim of this review was to identify published evidence on the use of personal narrative approaches in rehabilitation following TBI and to synthesise the findings across this literature. A systematic search of four databases was conducted in December 2016. No limit was set on the start date of the search. Personal narrative approaches were defined as direct client participation in sharing personal stories using written, spoken or visual methods. The search retrieved 12 qualitative research articles on the use of personal narrative approaches in TBI rehabilitation. Thematic synthesis of the narrative data and authors' reported findings of the 12 articles yielded an overall theme of building a strengths-based identity and four sub-themes: 1) expressing and communicating to others; 2) feeling validated by the act of someone listening; 3) reflecting and learning about oneself; and 4) being productive. The findings of this review support the use of personal narrative approaches in addressing loss of identity following TBI. Healthcare professionals and the community are encouraged to seek opportunities for survivors of TBI to share their stories.

Narrative review of the safety and efficacy of marijuana for the treatment of commonly state-approved medical and psychiatric disorders.

PubMed

Belendiuk, Katherine A; Baldini, Lisa L; Bonn-Miller, Marcel O

2015-04-21

The present investigation aimed to provide an objective narrative review of the existing literature pertaining to the benefits and harms of marijuana use for the treatment of the most common medical and psychological conditions for which it has been allowed at the state level. Common medical conditions for which marijuana is allowed (i.e., those conditions shared by at least 80 percent of medical marijuana states) were identified as: Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cachexia/wasting syndrome, cancer, Crohn's disease, epilepsy and seizures, glaucoma, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, multiple sclerosis and muscle spasticity, severe and chronic pain, and severe nausea. Post-traumatic stress disorder was also included in the review, as it is the sole psychological disorder for which medical marijuana has been allowed. Studies for this narrative review were included based on a literature search in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar. Findings indicate that, for the majority of these conditions, there is insufficient evidence to support the recommendation of medical marijuana at this time. A significant amount of rigorous research is needed to definitively ascertain the potential implications of marijuana for these conditions. It is important for such work to not only examine the effects of smoked marijuana preparations, but also to compare its safety, tolerability, and efficacy in relation to existing pharmacological treatments.

E-cigarette use in New Zealand-a systematic review and narrative synthesis.

PubMed

Merry, Sarah; Bullen, Christopher R

2018-02-23

This study aimed to systematically review the literature on e-cigarette use in New Zealand, focusing on prevalence, rationale for use, perceptions and exposure to the devices. Six databases were systematically searched for articles regarding e-cigarette use in New Zealand, supplemented with a grey literature search. Seven hundred and eighteen abstracts were identified and full text of 100 articles reviewed. Studies addressing prevalence of and rationale for use, perceptions of and exposure to e-cigarettes were included. Relevant data were synthesised in a narrative summary. Fourteen studies addressed aspects of e-cigarette use in New Zealand, published between 2010 and 2017. Ever-use of e-cigarettes among adults and adolescents has increased, although current use remains low. Smoking strongly predicts use, and ever-use may decrease with age. Investigation of other predictors has been hindered by low prevalence and small samples. While curiosity is commonly cited for sampling e-cigarettes, many smokers are drawn by harm reduction or cessation. More complex motivators are becoming evident. Although exposure to e-cigarettes is common, many remain uncertain about their harm relative to tobacco. While the available evidence provides an overview of current use, exposure and acceptance of e-cigarettes in New Zealand, it highlights knowledge deficits and informs future monitoring.

Narrative research on mental health recovery: two sister paradigms.

PubMed

Spector-Mersel, Gabriela; Knaifel, Evgeny

2017-06-24

Despite the breadth of narrative studies on individuals with severe mental illness, the suitability of narrative inquiry to exploring mental health recovery (MHR) has not been examined. (1) Examining the appropriateness of narrative inquiry to studying MHR; (2) assessing the extent to which narrative studies on MHR conform to the unique features of narrative research, as a distinctive form of qualitative inquiry. Review of empirical, theoretical and methodological literature on recovery and narrative inquiry. Considering the perspectives of recovery and narrative as paradigms, the similarity between their ontology and epistemology is shown, evident in 10 common emphases: meaning, identity, change and development, agency, holism, culture, uniqueness, context, language and giving voice. The resemblance between these "sister" paradigms makes narrative methodology especially fruitful for accessing the experiences of individuals in recovery. Reviewing narrative studies on MHR suggests that, currently, narrative research's uniqueness, centered on the holistic principle, is blurred on the philosophical, methodological and textual levels. Well-established narrative research has major implications for practice and policy in recovery-oriented mental health care. The narrative inquiry paradigm offers a possible path to enhancing the distinctive virtues of this research, realizing its potential in understanding and promoting MHR.

Protocol - realist and meta-narrative evidence synthesis: Evolving Standards (RAMESES)

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There is growing interest in theory-driven, qualitative and mixed-method approaches to systematic review as an alternative to (or to extend and supplement) conventional Cochrane-style reviews. These approaches offer the potential to expand the knowledge base in policy-relevant areas - for example by explaining the success, failure or mixed fortunes of complex interventions. However, the quality of such reviews can be difficult to assess. This study aims to produce methodological guidance, publication standards and training resources for those seeking to use the realist and/or meta-narrative approach to systematic review. Methods/design We will: [a] collate and summarise existing literature on the principles of good practice in realist and meta-narrative systematic review; [b] consider the extent to which these principles have been followed by published and in-progress reviews, thereby identifying how rigour may be lost and how existing methods could be improved; [c] using an online Delphi method with an interdisciplinary panel of experts from academia and policy, produce a draft set of methodological steps and publication standards; [d] produce training materials with learning outcomes linked to these steps; [e] pilot these standards and training materials prospectively on real reviews-in-progress, capturing methodological and other challenges as they arise; [f] synthesise expert input, evidence review and real-time problem analysis into more definitive guidance and standards; [g] disseminate outputs to audiences in academia and policy. The outputs of the study will be threefold: 1. Quality standards and methodological guidance for realist and meta-narrative reviews for use by researchers, research sponsors, students and supervisors 2. A 'RAMESES' (Realist and Meta-review Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards) statement (comparable to CONSORT or PRISMA) of publication standards for such reviews, published in an open-access academic journal. 3. A

Do Health Consultations for People with Learning Disabilities Meet Expectations? A Narrative Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, Hazel M.; Lovell, Andrew; Bramwell, Ros

2018-01-01

Background: Health consultations are an interpersonal activity that influence health outcomes and attitudes towards self and health professionals for people with learning disabilities. Annual health checks have been introduced to improve health inequalities for people with learning disabilities. Method: A narrative literature review of health care…

The Effects of Altitude Training on Erythropoietic Response and Hematological Variables in Adult Athletes: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Płoszczyca, Kamila; Langfort, Józef; Czuba, Miłosz

2018-01-01

Background: One of the goals of altitude training is to increase blood oxygen-carrying capacity in order to improve sea-level endurance performance in athletes. The elevated erythropoietin (EPO) production in hypoxia is a key factor in the achievement of enhanced hematological variables. The level of the EPO increase and acceleration of erythropoiesis depend on the duration of exposure and degree of hypoxia. Furthermore, many other factors may affect the hematological response to altitude training. Aim: The purpose of this narrative review was to: (1) analyze the kinetics of EPO and hematological variables during and after altitude training; (2) summarize the current state of knowledge about the possible causes of individual or cohort differences in EPO and hematological response to altitude training; (3) formulate practical guidelines for athletes to improve the efficiency of altitude training. Methods: A narrative review was performed following an electronic search of the databases PubMed/MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus via EBSCO for all English-language articles published between 1997 and 2017. Results: Complete unification of results from studies on EPO kinetics was difficult due to different time and frequency of blood sampling by different researchers during and after altitude training, but the data presented in the reviewed literature allowed us to detect certain trends. The results of the reviewed studies were divergent and indicated either increase or no change of hematological variables following altitude training. Factors that may affect the hematological response to altitude training include hypoxic dose, training content, training background of athletes, and/or individual variability of EPO production. Conclusions: Despite the potential benefits arising from altitude training, its effectiveness in improving hematological variables is still debatable. Further research and better understanding of factors influencing the response to altitude, as well as factors

Financial outcomes of transoral robotic surgery: A narrative review.

PubMed

Othman, Sammy; McKinnon, Brian J

2018-04-03

To determine the current cost impact and financial outcomes of transoral robotic surgery in Otolaryngology. A narrative review of the literature with a defined search strategy using Pubmed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science. Using keywords ENT or otolaryngology, cost or economic, transoral robotic surgery or TORs, searches were performed in Pubmed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science and reviewed by the authors for inclusion and analysis. Six total papers were deemed appropriate for analysis. All addressed cost impact of transoral robotic surgery (TORs) as compared to open surgical methods in treating oropharyngeal cancer and/or the identification of the primary tumor within unknown primary squamous cell carcinoma. Results showed TORs to be cost-effective. Transoral robotic surgery is currently largely cost effective for both treatment and diagnostic procedures. However, further studies are needed to qualify long-term data. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The genetics of cholesteatoma. A systematic review using narrative synthesis.

PubMed

Jennings, B A; Prinsley, P; Philpott, C; Willis, G; Bhutta, M F

2018-02-01

A cholesteatoma is a mass of keratinising epithelium in the middle ear. It is a rare disorder that is associated with significant morbidity, and its causative risk factors are poorly understood; on a global scale, up to a million people are affected by this each year. We have conducted a systematic literature review to identify reports about the heritability of cholesteatoma or any constitutional genetic factors that may be associated with its aetiology. A systematic search of MEDLINE (EBSCO) and two databases of curated genetic research (OMIM and Phenopedia) was conducted. The participants and populations of interest for this review were people treated for cholesteatoma and their family members. The studies of interest reported evidence of heritability for the trait, or any association with congenital syndromes and particular genetic variants. The searches identified 449 unique studies, of which 35 were included in the final narrative synthesis. A narrative synthesis was conducted, and data were tabulated to record characteristics, including study design, genetic data and author conclusions. Most of the studies identified in the literature search, and described here, are case reports and so represent the lowest level of evidence. In a few case reports, congenital and acquired cholesteatomas have been shown to segregate within families in the pattern typical of a monogenic or oligogenic disorder with incomplete penetrance. Evidence from syndromic cases could suggest that genes controlling ear morphology may be risk factors for cholesteatoma formation. This is the first systematic review about the genetics of cholesteatoma, and we have identified a small body of relevant literature that provides evidence of a heritable component for its aetiology. Cholesteatoma is a complex and heterogeneous clinical phenotype, and it is often associated with chronic otitis media and with some rare congenital syndromes known to affect ear morphology and related pathologies. © 2017

Factors contributing to registered nurse medication administration error: a narrative review.

PubMed

Parry, Angela M; Barriball, K Louise; While, Alison E

2015-01-01

To explore the factors contributing to Registered Nurse medication administration error behaviour. A narrative review. Electronic databases (Cochrane, CINAHL, MEDLINE, BNI, EmBase, and PsycINFO) were searched from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2012 in the English language. 1127 papers were identified and 26 papers were included in the review. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer. A thematic analysis and narrative synthesis of the factors contributing to Registered Nurses' medication administration behaviour. Bandura's (1986) theory of reciprocal determinism was used as an organising framework. This theory proposes that there is a reciprocal interplay between the environment, the person and their behaviour. Medication administration error is an outcome of RN behaviour. The 26 papers reported studies conducted in 4 continents across 11 countries predominantly in North America and Europe, with one multi-national study incorporating 27 countries. Within both the environment and person domain of the reciprocal determinism framework, a number of factors emerged as influencing Registered Nurse medication administration error behaviour. Within the environment domain, two key themes of clinical workload and work setting emerged, and within the person domain the Registered Nurses' characteristics and their lived experience of work emerged as themes. Overall, greater attention has been given to the contribution of the environment domain rather than the person domain as contributing to error, with the literature viewing an error as an event rather than the outcome of behaviour. The interplay between factors that influence behaviour were poorly accounted for within the selected studies. It is proposed that a shift away from error as an event to a focus on the relationships between the person, the environment and Registered Nurse medication administration behaviour is needed to better understand medication administration error. Copyright © 2014

A Systematic Review of Narrative-Based Language Intervention with Children Who Have Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Douglas B.

2011-01-01

This systematic review focuses on research articles published since 1980 that assess outcomes of narrative-based language intervention for preschool and school-age children with language impairment. The author conducted a comprehensive search of electronic databases and hand searches of other sources for studies using all research designs except…

Exploring the relationship between mentoring and doctors' health and wellbeing: a narrative review.

PubMed

Wilson, Gemma; Larkin, Valerie; Redfern, Nancy; Stewart, Jane; Steven, Alison

2017-05-01

The health and wellbeing of doctors are crucial, both for the individuals themselves and their ability to deliver optimum patient care. With increased pressures on healthcare, support mechanisms that attend to doctors' health and wellbeing may require greater emphasis to safeguard those working in frontline services. To inform future developments, this systematic narrative review aimed to identify, explore and map empirical and anecdotal evidence indicating the relationships between mentoring activities and the health and wellbeing of doctors. Twelve databases were searched for publications printed between January 2006 and January 2016. Articles were included if they involved doctors' engagement in mentoring activities and, either health or wellbeing, or the benefits, barriers or impact of mentoring. The initial search returned 4669 papers, after exclusions a full-text analysis of 37 papers was conducted. Reference lists and citations of each retrieved paper were also searched. Thirteen papers were accepted for review. The Business in the Community model was used as a theoretical framework for analysis. Mentoring influenced collegiate relationships, networking and aspects of personal wellbeing, such as confidence and stress management, and was valued by doctors as a specialist support mechanism. This review contributes to the evidence base concerning mentoring and doctors' health and wellbeing. However, it highlights that focused research is required to explore the relationship between mentoring, and health and wellbeing.

Narrating positive versus negative memories of illness: does narrating influence the emotional tone of memories?

PubMed

Fioretti, C; Smorti, A

2017-05-01

Psychoncological studies have recognised a reduced autobiographical memory in cancer patients, furthermore cognitive studies have found that narrative is an effective instrument to re-elaborate memories. However, it is still unclear whether narrating positive versus negative events can have a different impact on autobiographical memory. The present study aims to explore the emotional experience of autobiographical memory before and after having narrated negative or positive events related to the illness. Of 63 oncological patients, 35 were selected for the present study. Participants completed a Memory Fluency Task twice, before and after having selected and narrated a positive (PN group) or a negative (NN group) memory of illness. They also had to attribute one or more emotions to each memory and to the narrative. The number of emotions and the percentage of emotional tones in both narrated and non-narrated memories were assessed. Narrated memories were more emotionally re-elaborated than non-narrated ones. Negative group participants, more than positive group ones, decreased negative emotions and increased complex ones. Authors discuss these results claiming that narrating works as a rehearsal of autobiographical memories in oncological patients and narrating negative memories eases the emotional re-elaboration of illness. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Narrative Review of Greek Myths as Interpretative Metaphors in Educational Research and Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez-Cano, Antonio; Torralbo, Manuel; Vallejo, Monica; Fernandez-Guerrero, Ines M.

2012-01-01

This paper reviews a series of Greek myths put forward as cultural narratives that could be used as metaphors or interpretative similes for explanatory and evaluative purposes in educational research and evaluation. These myths have been used in educational research literature, and most of them were found by carrying out an exhaustive search of…

Toward a Narrative Pedagogy for Interactive Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazel, Paul

2008-01-01

The use of narrative within interactive learning environments (ILEs) is widespread. Reviewing recent research in the fields of ethnography, cognitive psychology, neurobiology, discourse analysis, and education, this paper proposes a rationale for the use of narrative in ILEs. Starting with a description of the origin of narrative in the brain, the…

Interleukin-1 as a mediator of fatigue in disease: a narrative review.

PubMed

Roerink, Megan E; van der Schaaf, Marieke E; Dinarello, Charles A; Knoop, Hans; van der Meer, Jos W M

2017-01-21

Fatigue is commonly reported in a variety of illnesses, and it has major impact on quality of life. Previously, it was thought that fatigue originates in the skeletal muscles, leading to cessation of activity. However, more recently, it has become clear that the brain is the central regulator of fatigue perception. It has been suggested that pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), play a prominent role in the development of central fatigue, and several studies have been performed to elucidate the connection between inflammation and these central processes.In this narrative review, mechanisms of action of IL-1 are described, with special attention to its effect on the central nervous system. In addition, we present a summary of studies that (i) investigated the relationship between circulating IL-1α and IL-1β and fatigue severity and/or (ii) evaluated the effect of inhibiting IL-1 on fatigue. We aim to improve the understanding of fatigue in both inflammatory and non-inflammatory illnesses, which could help develop strategies to treat fatigue more effectively.Reviewing the studies that have been performed, it appears that there is a limited value of measuring circulating IL-1. However, inhibiting IL-1 has a positive effect on severe fatigue in most studies that have been conducted.

Common risk factors of dry socket (alveolitis osteitis) following dental extraction: A brief narrative review.

PubMed

Rakhshan, V

2018-04-30

Dry socket is a common complication of dental extraction, especially extraction of third molars. Knowledge of the frequent risk factors of alveolitis osteitis is useful in determining high-risk patients, treatment planning, and preparing the patients mentally. The aim of this narrative review was to summarize the common risk factors of dry socket. Unlike surgery difficulty, surgeon's experience, oral contraception use, and oral hygiene which showed stronger evidence, the influences of age, gender, and smoking were rather inconclusive. The case of female or oral contraceptive effect might relate mainly to estrogen levels (when it comes to dry socket) which can differ considerably from case to case. Many risk factors might be actually a combination of various independent variables, which should be targeted instead, in more comprehensive designs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Spa Treatment (Balneotherapy) for Fibromyalgia—A Qualitative-Narrative Review and a Historical Perspective

PubMed Central

Ablin, Jacob N.; Buskila, Dan

2013-01-01

Aim. To perform a narrative review of spa therapy for management of the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), evaluating this traditional time-honored form of therapy in a historical perspective. Methods. Medline was searched using the terms “Spa therapy,” “Balneotherapy,” and “Fibromyalgia” between 1990 (year of ACR fibromyalgia criteria publication) and April 2013. The Cochrane database was also searched. Publications relating to the implementation of spa therapy and related practices over the centuries were identified through references, searched, and reviewed. Results. Reports of balneotherapy were described from diverse locations throughout Europe and Asia, and various forms of water-related therapy have been incorporated for many musculoskeletal indications. In the management of FMS, spa therapy has generally been shown to be well accepted and moderately effective for symptom reduction. Conclusion. While achieving high-quality evidence-based conclusions is difficult for complex natural therapies such as spa therapy, the existing evidence indicates a positive effect in management of FMS. In view of the long history of this modality in the management of rheumatic pain as well as the inherent difficulties related to pharmacological treatment, the role of spa therapy should currently be recognized as part of a therapeutic program for FMS. PMID:23983795

Deconstructing the Mirror's Reflection: Narrative Therapy Groups for Women Dissatisfied with Their Body

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duba, Jill D.; Kindsvatter, Aaron; Priddy, Constance J.

2010-01-01

Women facing middle age and beyond are pressured by a cultural ideal of slimness. The authors review literature pertaining to the factors affecting the societal perceptions of body image and address relevant counseling interventions, specifically, group therapy based on narrative theory, that are aimed at this population.

Narratives about illness and medication: a neglected theme/new methodology within pharmacy practice research. Part II: medication narratives in practice.

PubMed

Ryan, Kath; Bissell, Paul; Morecroft, Charles

2007-08-01

Part 2 of this paper aims to provide a methodological framework for the study of medication narratives, including a semi-structured interview guide and suggested method of analysis, in an attempt to aid the development of narrative scholarship within pharmacy practice research. Examples of medication narratives are provided to illustrate their diversity and usefulness. The framework is derived from the work of other researchers and adapted for our specific purpose. It comes from social psychology, narrative psychology, narrative anthropology, sociology and critical theory and fits within the social constructionist paradigm. The suggested methods of analysis could broadly be described as narrative analysis and discourse analysis. Examples of medication narratives are chosen from a variety of sources and brief interpretations are presented by way of illustration. Narrative analysis, a neglected area of research in pharmacy practice, has the potential to provide new understanding about how people relate to their medicines, how pharmacists are engaged in producing narratives and the importance of narrative in the education of students. IMPACT OF THE ARTICLE: This article aims to have the following impact on pharmacy practice research: Innovative approach to researching and conceptualising the use of medicines. Introduction of a new theoretical perspective and methodology. Incorporation of social science research methods into pharmacy practice research. Development of narrative scholarship within pharmacy.

Narrative writing: Effective ways and best practices

PubMed Central

Ledade, Samir D.; Jain, Shishir N.; Darji, Ankit A.; Gupta, Vinodkumar H.

2017-01-01

A narrative is a brief summary of specific events experienced by patients, during the course of a clinical trial. Narrative writing involves multiple activities such as generation of patient profiles, review of data sources, and identification of events for which narratives are required. A sponsor outsources narrative writing activities to leverage the expertise of service providers which in turn requires effective management of resources, cost, time, quality, and overall project management. Narratives are included as an appendix to the clinical study report and are submitted to the regulatory authorities as a part of dossier. Narratives aid in the evaluation of the safety profile of the investigational drug under study. To deliver high-quality narratives within the specified timeframe to the sponsor can be achieved by standardizing processes, increasing efficiency, optimizing working capacity, implementing automation, and reducing cost. This paper focuses on effective ways to design narrative writing process and suggested best practices, which enable timely delivery of high-quality narratives to fulfill the regulatory requirement. PMID:28447014

Narrative writing: Effective ways and best practices.

PubMed

Ledade, Samir D; Jain, Shishir N; Darji, Ankit A; Gupta, Vinodkumar H

2017-01-01

A narrative is a brief summary of specific events experienced by patients, during the course of a clinical trial. Narrative writing involves multiple activities such as generation of patient profiles, review of data sources, and identification of events for which narratives are required. A sponsor outsources narrative writing activities to leverage the expertise of service providers which in turn requires effective management of resources, cost, time, quality, and overall project management. Narratives are included as an appendix to the clinical study report and are submitted to the regulatory authorities as a part of dossier. Narratives aid in the evaluation of the safety profile of the investigational drug under study. To deliver high-quality narratives within the specified timeframe to the sponsor can be achieved by standardizing processes, increasing efficiency, optimizing working capacity, implementing automation, and reducing cost. This paper focuses on effective ways to design narrative writing process and suggested best practices, which enable timely delivery of high-quality narratives to fulfill the regulatory requirement.

Points of contact: using first-person narratives to help foster empathy in psychiatric residents.

PubMed

Deen, Serina R; Mangurian, Christina; Cabaniss, Deborah L

2010-01-01

The authors aimed to determine if writing narratives in psychiatric training can foster empathy for severely and persistently mentally ill patients. One resident wrote first-person narrative pieces about three different patients at a community mental health clinic. She reviewed these pieces with a writing supervisor weekly. The supervisor and resident examined the style of writing, choice of words, and story line to help the resident learn about her feelings about the patient. In each narrative, different choices were made that provided clues about that particular resident-patient relationship. These writing exercises helped the resident become more connected to her patients, develop interviewing skills, and engage in more self-reflection. Narrative writing effectively fostered empathy in a PGY-1 psychiatric resident working with severely and persistently mentally ill patients. This exercise also fostered understanding of countertransference and improved psychiatric history-taking skills. Psychiatry training programs may want to consider incorporating narrative writing exercises into their curriculum.

The Nature of Competition in Dietetics Education: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Ruhl, Jillian; Lordly, Daphne

2017-09-01

The impact on student development associated with being part of a competitive program is an emerging finding in dietetics research. As such, a narrative review of relevant literature was conducted pertaining to competition in post-secondary programs and the educational experience of students with respect to developing a career in dietetics. The review was guided by 2 questions: How is competition experienced by students? What strategies can reduce competition among dietetics students within the educational experience? A refined literature screening process justified including 32 articles in the review. The overall review findings suggested that, across dietetics programs, the outcomes of competition negatively impacted students' personal identity, motivation in the learning process, and involvement behaviours, including collaboration among students, participation in academic opportunities, and student relationships with faculty. The implementation of strategies conducive to addressing the effects of excessive competition and building a supportive academic environment, for example increasing collegiality and engaging students in intrinsic learning, are important for continued growth of the dietetics profession. Educators can reflect on the complex nature of competition and how the effects of excessive competition may be in opposition with the competencies that students are expected to develop as professionals.

What are Chinese nurses' experiences whilst working overseas? A narrative scoping review.

PubMed

Zhong, Yaping; McKenna, Lisa; Copnell, Beverley

2017-09-01

Transnational nurse migration has become an apparent attribute of the global nurse shortage and it is foreseeable that China will play an increasingly significant role in nurse exports. These nurses have unique cultural and professional needs throughout their journey of migration and in-depth analysis of Chinese migrant nurses' experiences is urgently required to manage and empower an ethnically diverse workforce. To synthesise Chinese migrant nurses' experiences by examining the findings of existing studies. Scoping review methods incorporating narrative synthesis were conducted. Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage scoping review framework was utilised to identify Chinese migrant nurses' experiences. 13 databases were searched, and 5009 articles were retrieved. After screening the titles and abstracts, 169 articles were assessed in full text for eligibility, and finally 22 articles plus 2 manually included ones, representing 19 discrete studies, were further analysed and synthesised with a three-step narrative synthesis. 13 qualitative studies, 5 quantitative studies and 1 mixed- methods study met inclusion criteria. Two main themes were identified. "Contexts and migration" comprised three subthemes: perceptions of nursing, original culture and nursing differences. "The self and migration" included four subthemes: initiating, transition, reality and future. This scoping review revealed the literature on Chinese migrant nurses and provided insight into their stories and circumstances. There were external factors which affected Chinese nurses' interpretations and choices. Throughout their migration journeys, they encountered various challenges and also successes. They responded with positive or negative behavioural and psychosocial changes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morbidity and Mortality Conferences: A Narrative Review of Strategies to Prioritize Quality Improvement.

PubMed

Giesbrecht, Vanessa; Au, Selena

2016-11-01

The morbidity and mortality conference (MMC) provides a valuable opportunity to review patient care processes and safety concerns, aligning with a growing quality improvement (QI) mandate. Yet the structure, processes, and aims of many MMCs are often ill-defined. This review summarizes strategies employed by medical, surgical, and critical care departments in the development of patient safety-centered MMCs. A structured narrative review of literature was conducted using combinations of the search terms "morbidity and mortality conference(s)," "morbidity and mortality meetings," or "morbidity and mortality round(s)." The titles and abstracts of 250 returned articles were screened; 76 articles were reviewed in full, with 32 meeting the full inclusion criteria. The literature review elicited a number of methods used by medical, surgical, and critical care MMCs to emphasize QI and patient safety outcomes. A list of actionable changes made in each article was compiled. Five themes common to QI-centered MMCs were identified: (1) defining the role of the MMC, (2) involving stakeholders, (3) detecting and selecting appropriate cases for presentation, (4) structuring goal-directed discussion, and (5) forming recommendations and assigning follow-up. Innovative methods to pair adverse event screening with MMCs were superior to nonstructured voluntary reporting and case selection for overall morbidity detection. Structured case review, discussion, and follow-up were more likely to lead to implementing systems-based change, and interdisciplinary MMCs were associated with a greater likelihood of forming an action item. The modern patient safety-centered MMC shares common themes of practices that can be adopted by institutions looking to create a venue for analysis of care processes, a platform to launch QI initiatives, and a culture of safety. Copyright 2016 The Joint Commission.

A multidisciplinary approach to scars: a narrative review

PubMed Central

Zanier, Emiliano; Bordoni, Bruno

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to carry out a narrative review regarding the approach to scars through complementary and alternative medicine focusing on osteopathy, naturopathy, and other minor methods and traditional rehabilitative medicines, such as physiotherapy and manual therapies. We analyzed the existing literature regarding the possible influences of techniques relaxing the diaphragm – both manual and psychophysical relaxing techniques – and the consequent local response to events leading to scar tissue healing. The objective of the study is to become a useful instrument of knowledge for those manual therapists and professionals who deal with patients affected by discontinuity of the skin surface due to trauma or surgery. This article also intends to stimulate research in order to find and propose new methods of scar treatment, taking into consideration the information gained so far from other complementary and alternative disciplines. PMID:26316774

Compassion fatigue: A meta-narrative review of the healthcare literature.

PubMed

Sinclair, Shane; Raffin-Bouchal, Shelley; Venturato, Lorraine; Mijovic-Kondejewski, Jane; Smith-MacDonald, Lorraine

2017-04-01

Compassion fatigue describes a work-related stress response in healthcare providers that is considered a 'cost of caring' and a key contributor to the loss of compassion in healthcare. The purpose of this review was to critically examine the construct of compassion fatigue and to determine if it is an accurate descriptor of work-related stress in healthcare providers and a valid target variable for intervention. Meta-narrative review. PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases, Google Scholar, the grey literature, and manual searches of bibliographies. Seminal articles and theoretical and empirical studies on compassion fatigue in the healthcare literature were identified and appraised for their validity and relevance to our review. Sources were mapped according to the following criteria: 1) definitions; 2) conceptual analyses; 3) signs and symptoms; 4) measures; 5) prevalence and associated risk factors; and 6) interventions. A narrative account of included studies that critically examines the concept of compassion fatigue in healthcare was employed, and recommendations for practice, policy and further research were made. 90 studies from the nursing literature and healthcare in general were included in the review. Findings emphasized that the physical, emotional, social and spiritual health of healthcare providers is impaired by cumulative stress related to their work, which can impact the delivery of healthcare services; however, the precise nature of compassion fatigue and that it is predicated on the provision of compassionate care is associated with significant limitations. The conceptualization of compassion fatigue was expropriated from crisis counseling and psychotherapy and focuses on limited facets of compassion. Empirical studies primarily measure compassion fatigue using the Professional Quality of Life Scale, which does not assess any of the elements of compassion. Reported risk factors for compassion fatigue include job

Relationship Between Exclusive Breastfeeding and Lower Risk of Childhood Obesity: A Narrative Review of Published Evidence.

PubMed

Uwaezuoke, Samuel N; Eneh, Chizoma I; Ndu, Ikenna K

2017-01-01

The pattern of infant feeding during the first 1000-day period-from conception to the second birthday-has a significant influence on the child's growth trajectory. The relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and lower risk of childhood obesity has elicited much scientific interest, given the fact that this form of malnutrition is becoming a global epidemic. This narrative review aims to examine the evidence in the literature linking exclusive breastfeeding with reduction in obesity in children. Using appropriate search terms, PubMed database was searched for relevant articles that met the review objective. Evidence for the protective effect of exclusive breastfeeding against childhood obesity have been provided by studies which explored 5 physiologic mechanisms and those that established the causality between breastfeeding and lower risk of obesity. The few studies that disputed this relationship highlighted the influence of confounding factors. A new insight on molecular mechanisms, however, points to a direct and indirect effect of human milk oligosaccharides on the prevention of overweight and obesity. The preponderance of current evidence strongly suggests that exclusivity in breastfeeding can prevent the development of obesity in children.

Narrative-Based Interactive Learning Environments from Modelling Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yearwood, John; Stranieri, Andrew

2007-01-01

Narrative and story telling has a long history of use in structuring, organising and communicating human experience. This paper describes a narrative based interactive intelligent learning environment which aims to elucidate practical reasoning using interactive emergent narratives that can be used in training novices in decision making. Its…

Friends interventions in psychosis: a narrative review and call to action.

PubMed

Harrop, Chris; Ellett, Lyn; Brand, Rachel; Lobban, Fiona

2015-08-01

To highlight the importance of friendships to young people with psychosis, and the need for clinical interventions to help maintain peer relationships during illness. To structure a research agenda for developing evidence-based interventions with friends. An argument is developed through a narrative review of (i) the proven efficacy of family interventions, and (by comparison) a relative absence of friend-based interventions; (ii) the particular primacy of friendships and dating for young people, and typical effects of exclusion; and (iii) reduced friendship networks and dating experiences in psychosis, in pre-, during and post-psychosis phases, also links between exclusion and psychosis. We put forward a model of how poor friendships can potentially be a causal and/or maintenance factor for psychotic symptoms. Given this model, our thesis is that interventions aiming to maintain social networks can be hugely beneficial clinically for young people with psychosis. We give a case study to show how such an intervention can work. We call for 'friends interventions' for young people with psychosis to be developed, where professionals directly work with a young person's authentic social group to support key friendships and maintain social continuity. An agenda for future research is presented that will develop and test theoretically driven interventions. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Infant sleep and its relation with cognition and growth: a narrative review

PubMed Central

Tham, Elaine KH; Schneider, Nora; Broekman, Birit FP

2017-01-01

Objective Infant sleep development is a highly dynamic process occurring in parallel to and in interaction with cognitive and physical growth. This narrative review aims to summarize and discuss recent literature and provide an overview of the relation between infant sleep and cognitive development as well as physical growth. Methods We conducted online literature search using MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. We considered original research on humans published in the English language from January 2005 to December 2015. Search terms included “sleep” AND “infant” AND “cognition” OR “memory” OR “executive functioning”, OR “growth” OR “obesity” OR “growth hormone” OR “stunting”, and combinations thereof. Results Ten studies on infant sleep and cognition were included in this review. Overall, findings indicated a positive association between sleep, memory, language, executive function, and overall cognitive development in typically developing infants and young children. An additional 20 studies support the positive role of infant sleep in physical growth, with the current literature focusing largely on weight gain and obesity rather than healthy growth. Existing evidence in both the domains is mainly based on cross-sectional designs, on association studies, and on parental reports. In contrast, there were limited studies on longitudinal sleep trajectories and intervention effects, or studies have not used more objective sleep measures such as actigraphy and polysomnography. Conclusion The reviewed studies support a critical and positive role of infant sleep in cognition and physical growth. Future studies should consider key environmental and parental confounders, include a combination of more objective (actigraphy) and subjective measures (sleep diaries and questionnaires), and move towards longitudinal trajectory designs of infant sleep and development. PMID:28553151

Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy: a narrative review.

PubMed

Sousa Filho, Daniel de; Kanomata, Elton Yoji; Feldman, Ricardo Jonathan; Maluf Neto, Alfredo

2017-01-01

The Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy are factitious disorders characterized by fabrication or induction of signs or symptoms of a disease, as well as alteration of laboratory tests. People with this syndrome pretend that they are sick and tend to seek treatment, without secondary gains, at different care facilities. Both syndromes are well-recognized conditions described in the literature since 1951. They are frequently observed by health teams in clinics, hospital wards and emergency rooms. We performed a narrative, nonsystematic review of the literature, including case reports, case series, and review articles indexed in MEDLINE/PubMed from 1951 to 2015. Each study was reviewed by two psychiatry specialists, who selected, by consensus, the studies to be included in the review. Although Munchausen syndrome was first described more than 60 years ago, most of studies in the literature about it are case reports and literature reviews. Literature lacks more consistent studies about this syndrome epidemiology, therapeutic management and prognosis. Undoubtedly, these conditions generate high costs and unnecessary procedures in health care facilities, and their underdiagnose might be for lack of health professional's knowledge about them, and to the high incidence of countertransference to these patients and to others, who are exposed to high morbidity and mortality, is due to symptoms imposed on self or on others.

Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy: a narrative review

PubMed Central

de Sousa, Daniel; Kanomata, Elton Yoji; Feldman, Ricardo Jonathan; Maluf, Alfredo

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy are factitious disorders characterized by fabrication or induction of signs or symptoms of a disease, as well as alteration of laboratory tests. People with this syndrome pretend that they are sick and tend to seek treatment, without secondary gains, at different care facilities. Both syndromes are well-recognized conditions described in the literature since 1951. They are frequently observed by health teams in clinics, hospital wards and emergency rooms. We performed a narrative, nonsystematic review of the literature, including case reports, case series, and review articles indexed in MEDLINE/PubMed from 1951 to 2015. Each study was reviewed by two psychiatry specialists, who selected, by consensus, the studies to be included in the review. Although Munchausen syndrome was first described more than 60 years ago, most of studies in the literature about it are case reports and literature reviews. Literature lacks more consistent studies about this syndrome epidemiology, therapeutic management and prognosis. Undoubtedly, these conditions generate high costs and unnecessary procedures in health care facilities, and their underdiagnose might be for lack of health professional's knowledge about them, and to the high incidence of countertransference to these patients and to others, who are exposed to high morbidity and mortality, is due to symptoms imposed on self or on others. PMID:29364370

A narrative review of manual muscle testing and implications for muscle testing research

PubMed Central

Conable, Katharine M.; Rosner, Anthony L.

2011-01-01

Objective Manual muscle testing (MMT) is used for a variety of purposes in health care by medical, osteopathic, chiropractic, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and athletic training professionals. The purpose of this study is to provide a narrative review of variations in techniques, durations, and forces used in MMT putting applied kinesiology (AK) muscle testing in context and highlighting aspects of muscle testing important to report in MMT research. Method PubMed, the Collected Papers of the International College of Applied Kinesiology–USA, and related texts were searched on the subjects of MMT, maximum voluntary isometric contraction testing, and make/break testing. Force parameters (magnitude, duration, timing of application), testing variations of MMT, and normative data were collected and evaluated. Results “Break” tests aim to evaluate the muscle's ability to resist a gradually increasing pressure and may test different aspects of neuromuscular control than tests against fixed resistances. Applied kinesiologists use submaximal manual break tests and a binary grading scale to test short-term changes in muscle function in response to challenges. Many of the studies reviewed were not consistent in reporting parameters for testing. Conclusions To increase the chances for replication, studies using MMT should specify parameters of the tests used, such as exact procedures and instrumentation, duration of test, peak force, and timing of application of force. PMID:22014904

Disrupted narrative and narrative symbol.

PubMed

Vuletić, Georgije

2018-02-01

In this article a specific type of narrative, which often appears in analytic sessions, is discussed. It is characterized by a seemingly ordinary, everyday topic and by a peculiar disruption of the narrative flow. The threefold structure of this type of narrative is described, along with its main characteristics. One element of this type of narrative is very similar to symbolic content or complex symbolic structures, e.g. dreams, the sort of material that can be used for the purpose of interpretation. The similarities as well as the differences are elaborated in the article. Thanks to the observed general structure and 'symbolic' nature of some parts of the narrative, it is easy to notice some of the unconscious elements, which are not familiar to the patient's ego, and to make an interpretation. Because these elements are close to the threshold of consciousness, the patient willingly accepts an interpretation based on them. This is especially true for patients whose dominant function is thinking. A temporary, working name for this type of narrative is proposed in the article: 'disrupted narrative' - and for its disruptive part 'narrative symbol'. © 2018, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

Complementary medicine for treatment of agitation and delirium in older persons: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.

PubMed

Levy, Ilana; Attias, Samuel; Ben-Arye, Eran; Bloch, Boaz; Schiff, Elad

2017-05-01

Agitation and delirium frequently occur in cognitively impaired older people. We conducted a systematic review with narrative synthesis of the literature aiming to assess effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities to address these conditions. Following preliminary search, we included 40 original researches on CAM treatment of delirium and agitation in older persons. Then, the quality of these studies was assessed using the Downs and Black Checklist and Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs, and the effect sizes were calculated. We subsequently conducted a narrative synthesis of the main findings, including theory development, preliminary synthesis, exploration of relationships within and between studies, and assessment of synthesis robustness. Forty articles that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Sixteen of these were randomized controlled trials. One article specifically addressed CAM treatment of delirium in patients without dementia, and the remaining 39 articles described treatments of agitated older persons with dementia. Thirty-five of the 40 included studies suggested that the investigated CAM therapies may ameliorate the severity of agitation and delirium. The physiological surrogates of agitation assessed in these studies included cortisol level, chromogranin A level, and heart rate variability. Very few of the studies systematically assessed safety issues, although no major adverse effects were reported. Overall, the systematic review of the literature suggests that several CAM modalities are potentially beneficial in the treatment of agitation and delirium among older persons. We suggest that promising CAM modalities should be further explored through large-scale randomized controlled trials in different clinical settings. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Information retrieval for systematic reviews in food and feed topics: A narrative review.

PubMed

Wood, Hannah; O'Connor, Annette; Sargeant, Jan; Glanville, Julie

2018-01-09

Systematic review methods are now being used for reviews of food production, food safety and security, plant health, and animal health and welfare. Information retrieval methods in this context have been informed by human health-care approaches and ideally should be based on relevant research and experience. This narrative review seeks to identify and summarize current research-based evidence and experience on information retrieval for systematic reviews in food and feed topics. MEDLINE (Ovid), Science Citation Index (Web of Science), and ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/) were searched in 2012 and 2016. We also contacted topic experts and undertook citation searches. We selected and summarized studies reporting research on information retrieval, as well as published guidance and experience. There is little published evidence on the most efficient way to conduct searches for food and feed topics. There are few available study design search filters, and their use may be problematic given poor or inconsistent reporting of study methods. Food and feed research makes use of a wide range of study designs so it might be best to focus strategy development on capturing study populations, although this also has challenges. There is limited guidance on which resources should be searched and whether publication bias in disciplines relevant to food and feed necessitates extensive searching of the gray literature. There is some limited evidence on information retrieval approaches, but more research is required to inform effective and efficient approaches to searching to populate food and feed reviews. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Narrative review of the UK Patient Safety Research Portfolio.

PubMed

Waring, Justin; Rowley, Emma; Dingwall, Robert; Palmer, Cecily; Murcott, Toby

2010-01-01

The UK Patient Safety Research Portfolio (PSRP) commissioned 38 studies investigating the threats to patient safety in various clinical settings and evaluating safety-related service interventions. This paper reviews 27 of these studies, drawing out emergent and cross-cutting themes in terms of theory, research methods and thematic findings. Given the diversity of PSRP studies, the paper takes a narrative approach that allows for qualitative description, interpretation and synthesis of the studies and their findings. The theoretical review shows the majority of PSRP studies draw upon a patient safety 'orthodoxy', developed from the concepts and models associated with the human factors approach. The methodological review shows that a diverse range of research designs and techniques have been utilized. Although many follow in the 'scientific' tradition, interpretative, mixed and innovative methods have been integral to research. The thematic review of findings highlights significant contributions to knowledge in the areas of 'people', 'organizations', and 'technology'. As well as identifying the various sources of risk in the organization and delivery of patient care, the studies also evaluate and make recommendations about service change and improvement. The PSRP has provided the foundations for significant theoretical, methodological and empirical advances in the area of patient safety. The findings and recommendations make important contributions to policy formulation and implementation as well as professional and managerial practice. Through this body of research the PSRP has supported the formation and growth of a thriving research community across academic, policy and professional communities.

Why Narrating Changes Memory: A Contribution to an Integrative Model of Memory and Narrative Processes.

PubMed

Smorti, Andrea; Fioretti, Chiara

2016-06-01

This paper aims to reflect on the relation between autobiographical memory (ME) and autobiographical narrative (NA), examining studies on the effects of narrating on the narrator and showing how studying these relations can make more comprehensible both memory's and narrating's way of working. Studies that address explicitly on ME and NA are scarce and touch this issue indirectly. Authors consider different trends of studies of ME and NA: congruency vs incongruency hypotheses on retrieving, the way of organizing memories according to gist or verbatim format and their role in organizing positive and negative emotional experiences, the social roots of ME and NA, the rules of conversation based on narrating. Analysis of investigations leads the Authors to point out three basic results of their research. Firstly, NA transforms ME because it narrativizes memories according to a narrative format. This means that memories, when are narrated, are transformed in stories (verbal language) and socialised. Secondly, the narrativization process is determined by the act of telling something within a communicative situation. Thus, relational situation of narrating act, by modifying the story, modifies also memories. The Authors propose the RE.NA.ME model (RElation, NArration, MEmory) to understand and study ME and NA. Finally, this study claims that ME and NA refer to two different types of processes having a wide area of overlapping. This is due to common social, developmental and cultural roots that make NA to include part of ME (narrative of memory) and ME to include part of NA (memory of personal events that have been narrated).

Multidirectional War Narratives in History Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Vlies, Tina

2016-01-01

This article aims to contribute to the field of textbook research by exploring a new approach in textbook analysis. Inspired by Michael Rothberg's concept of multidirectional memory, this article examines multidirectional narratives in history textbooks: narratives that combine different histories, places and times in a productive way. They…

Narrative change, narrative stability, and structural constraint: The case of prisoner reentry narratives

PubMed Central

Harding, David J.; Dobson, Cheyney C.; Wyse, Jessica J. B.; Morenoff, Jeffrey D.

2016-01-01

Cultural sociologists and other social scientists have increasingly used the concept of narrative as a theoretical tool to understand how individuals make sense of the links between their past, present, and future, how individuals construct social identities from cultural building blocks, and how culture shapes social action and individual behavior. Despite its richness, we contend that the narratives literature has yet to grapple with narrative change and stability when structural constraints or barriers challenge personal narratives and narrative identities. Particularly for marginalized groups, the potential incompatibility of personal narratives with daily experiences raises questions about the capacity of narratives to influence behavior and decision-making. In this study we draw on prospective longitudinal data on the reentry narratives and narrative identities of former prisoners to understand how narratives do and not change when confronted with contradictory experiences and structural constraints. We identify and describe the processes generating narrative change and stability among our subjects. These findings inform a framework for studying narrative change and stability based on four factors: the content of the narrative itself, the structural circumstances experienced by the individual, the institutional contexts in which the individual is embedded, and the social networks in which the individual is embedded. PMID:28316785

Public and Healthcare Professionals’ Knowledge and Attitudes toward Binge Eating Disorder: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Reas, Deborah Lynn

2017-01-01

Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by recurrent binge eating and marked distress in the absence of inappropriate compensatory behaviors for weight control. BED is prevalent in men and women, is associated with elevated psychosocial and functional impairment, and is associated strongly with obesity and related medical comorbidities. The aim is to provide a brief, state-of-the-art review of the major and recent findings to inform educational and awareness campaigns, stigma reduction interventions, as well as current clinical practice and future research. A narrative approach was used to synthesize emerging literature on the public and healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes toward individuals with BED in comparison to other eating disorders (EDs) or mental illness. A total of 13 articles were reviewed. Nine studies investigated community samples and four studies investigated healthcare professionals. The reviewed literature suggested that BED is perceived by the public as less impairing, less severe, and “easier-to-treat” than other EDs. Attitudes and beliefs reflecting perceived blameworthiness and lack of self-discipline were ascribed to vignettes with BED. Community studies indicated a low level of public awareness that BED constitutes a discreet eating disorder. The literature on healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes toward BED remains very limited. The few existing studies suggest encouraging trends in recognition and diagnostic accuracy, yet there remains a need for increased clinical awareness of BED-associated medical complications and knowledge of full BED diagnostic criteria. PMID:29160843

Examining narrative transportation to anti-alcohol narratives

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Smita C.; Greene, Kathryn

2016-01-01

This study examined the transportation effects of alcohol consequence narratives varying in source (written by the narrative protagonist vs. protagonist's partner) and type of heath consequence (physical or emotional). Additionally, this study examined the role of narrative transportation and cognitive and discrete affective responses in the persuasion process. In this study, 501 students of a large northern university in the United Kingdom participated and were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions of narratives about alcohol use. Transportation was operationalized as general and self-reflective transportation. Results demonstrated that for narratives written by protagonist, the emotional effect narrative resulted in greater general transportation than the physical effect narrative. However, for narratives written by the protagonist's partner, the physical effect narrative resulted in greater general transportation than the emotional effect narrative. These findings were not substantiated for self-reflective transportation. Finally, results suggest that transportation experienced by anti-alcohol narratives can influence both favourable cognitive response and guilt, which are significant mediators in alcohol-related expectancies. Important theoretical and empirical implications are discussed. PMID:28133436

Online Prevention Aimed at Lifestyle Behaviors: A Systematic Review of Reviews

PubMed Central

Kohl, Leonie FM; de Vries, Nanne K

2013-01-01

Background Interventions aimed at behavior change are increasingly being delivered over the Internet. Although research on intervention effectiveness has been widely conducted, their true public health impact as indicated by reach, effectiveness, and use is unclear. Objective The aim of this paper is to (1) review the current literature on online prevention aimed at lifestyle behaviors, and (2) identify research gaps regarding reach, effectiveness, and use. Methods A systematic search in PubMed revealed relevant literature published between 2005 and 2012 on Internet-delivered behavior change interventions aimed at dietary behaviors, physical activity, alcohol use, smoking, and condom use. Our search yielded 41 eligible reviews, which were analyzed in terms of reach, effectiveness, and use according to the RE-AIM framework. Results According to health priorities, interventions are largely targeted at weight-related behaviors, such as physical activity and dietary behavior. Evaluations are predominantly effect-focused and overall effects are small, variable, and not sustainable. Determinants of effectiveness are unclear; effectiveness cannot yet be unambiguously attributed to isolated elements. Actual reach of interventions is undiversified, mostly reaching participants who are female, highly educated, white, and living in high-income countries. One of the most substantial problems in online prevention is the low use of the interventions, a phenomenon seen across all behavior domains. Conclusions More research is needed on effective elements instead of effective interventions, with special attention to long-term effectiveness. The reach and use of interventions need more scientific input to increase the public health impact of Internet-delivered interventions. PMID:23859884

Electricity and Vital Force: Discussing the Nature of Science Through a Historical Narrative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiffer, Hermann; Guerra, Andreia

2015-05-01

Seeking a historical-philosophical approach to science teaching, narrative texts have been used as pedagogical tools to improve the learning experience of students. A review of the literature of different types of narrative texts and their different rates of effectiveness in science education is presented. This study was developed using the so-called Historical Narrative as a tool to introduce science content from a historical-philosophical approach, aiming to discuss science as a human construction. This project was carried out in a 9th grade Physics class in K-12 school, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The steps involved in constructing a Historical Narrative based on the controversy over animal electrical fluid between Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta is reported herein. Finally, qualitative research results of the activities inspired by this Historical Narrative are presented with the purpose of answering the research question: to what extent do Historical Narratives support and enhance discussions about the Nature of Science (NOS), through teaching the scientific content in a historical-philosophical approach with 9th grade students? The results indicate that Historical Narrative, based on historical episodes, is a good "door opener" to teach scientific content in a historical-philosophical approach, introducing discussions about the Nature of Science without neglecting the scientific content or simplifying the discussions about the NOS.

Migraine Care Challenges and Strategies in US Uninsured and Underinsured Adults: A Narrative Review, Part 1.

PubMed

Charleston, Larry; Royce, Jeffrey; Monteith, Teshamae S; Broner, Susan W; O'Brien, Hope L; Manrriquez, Salvador L; Robbins, Matthew S

2018-04-01

To review the scope of the problem facing individuals with migraine who are under- or uninsured. In this first of a 2-part narrative review, we will explore migraine epidemiology and the challenges that face this vulnerable population. Implementation of the Affordable Care Act has improved access to health care for many individuals who were previously uninsured, but there are many, particularly those of certain demographics, who are at high risk for worse outcomes. A narrative review was performed after a series of discussions within the Underserved Populations in Headache Medicine Special Interest Section meetings of the American Headache Society. Literature was reviewed for key concepts underpinning conceptual boundaries and a broad overview of the subject matter. Published guidelines, state-specific Medicaid websites, headache quality measurement set, literature review, and expert opinion were used to tailor suggested treatment options and therapeutic strategies. Migraine is common, yet remains underdiagnosed and associated with worse outcomes among those of under-represented backgrounds and those who are underinsured or uninsured. Low socioeconomics may play an important role in the disease progression, characteristics, outcome, and quality of life of patients with migraine and other headache disorders. Other barriers to optimal care include time constraints, lack of access to specialty providers, transportation, and financial limitations. There are many barriers and challenges that affect people with migraine who are underinsured or uninsured, particularly those of under-represented racial backgrounds and of lower socioeconomic status. © 2018 American Headache Society.

Sexual Function before and after Total Hip Replacement: Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Meiri, Rotem; Rosenbaum, Talli Y; Kalichman, Leonid

2014-01-01

after total hip replacement: Narrative review. PMID:25548647

Integrating a Narrative Medicine Telephone Interview with Online Life Review Education for Cancer Patients: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Wise, Meg; Marchand, Lucille; Cleary, James F.; Aeschlimann, Elizabeth; Causier, Daniel

2012-01-01

We describe an online narrative and life review education program for cancer patients and the results of a small implementation test to inform future directions for further program development and full-scale evaluation research. The intervention combined three types of psycho-oncology narrative interventions that have been shown to help patients address emotional and existential issues: 1) a physician-led dignity-enhancing telephone interview to elicit the life narrative and delivery of an edited life manuscript, 2) life review education, delivered via 3) a website self-directed instructional materials and expert consultation to help people revise and share their story. Eleven cancer patients tested the intervention and provided feedback in an in-depth exit interview. While everyone said telling and receiving the edited story manuscript was helpful and meaningful, only people with high death salience and prior computer experience used the web tools to enhance and share their story. Computer users prodded us to provide more sophisticated tools and older (>70 years) users needed more staff and family support. We conclude that combining a telephone expert-led interview with online life review education can extend access to integrative oncology services, are most feasible for computer-savvy patients with advanced cancer, and must use platforms that allow patients to upload files and invite their social network. PMID:19476731

Classification and grading of muscle injuries: a narrative review

PubMed Central

Hamilton, Bruce; Valle, Xavier; Rodas, Gil; Til, Luis; Grive, Ricard Pruna; Rincon, Josep Antoni Gutierrez; Tol, Johannes L

2015-01-01

A limitation to the accurate study of muscle injuries and their management has been the lack of a uniform approach to the categorisation and grading of muscle injuries. The goal of this narrative review was to provide a framework from which to understand the historical progression of the classification and grading of muscle injuries. We reviewed the classification and grading of muscle injuries in the literature to critically illustrate the strengths, weaknesses, contradictions or controversies. A retrospective, citation-based methodology was applied to search for English language literature which evaluated or utilised a novel muscle classification or grading system. While there is an abundance of literature classifying and grading muscle injuries, it is predominantly expert opinion, and there remains little evidence relating any of the clinical or radiological features to an established pathology or clinical outcome. While the categorical grading of injury severity may have been a reasonable solution to a clinical challenge identified in the middle of the 20th century, it is time to recognise the complexity of the injury, cease trying to oversimplify it and to develop appropriately powered research projects to answer important questions. PMID:25394420

Educational interventions in peritoneal dialysis: a narrative review of the literature.

PubMed

Schaepe, Christiane; Bergjan, Manuela

2015-04-01

To review the current literature on educational interventions used in peritoneal dialysis (PD). Educational interventions have become increasingly relevant because they play a key role in helping individuals to actively participate in their therapy and to manage their chronic condition. The paper will focus on two areas: (a) educational interventions for individuals living with PD and (b) educational interventions for PD nurses. A narrative review of primary research. Electronic searches of the MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC and Cochrane Library (2006-2013) databases were undertaken using terms such as peritoneal dialysis, insertive training, curriculum, nursing education, train the trainer, coach the coach, tutor the tutor, and patient education were used. All studies were reviewed by two researchers. Titles and abstracts of 555 studies were screened and read. Full text articles retrieved were further screened against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant data on the educational interventions for people receiving PD and nurse training programs were extracted and synthesized narratively. Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Most of them focused on educational intervention programs for people undergoing PD. Findings on the link between the PD trainer's background and peritonitis rates among individuals undergoing PD are inconsistent. PD learners should be taught self-management skills as well as technical skills. They might also benefit from receiving decision-making aids. Older people, people with co-morbidities and people with low educational status need more time to acquire self-care skills and are more likely to develop peritonitis. Home visits have the potential to improve learning outcomes. Re-training needs should be assessed and fulfilled as appropriate. Case and disease management programs have been shown to have positive outcomes for individuals receiving PD. Educational interventions for PD remain an under-researched area, despite the

Chiropractic treatment and the enhancement of sport performance: a narrative literature review

PubMed Central

Miners, Andrew L.

2010-01-01

A literature search and narrative review was carried out with the intent of determining the current level of knowledge regarding the chiropractic treatment of athletes for the purpose of sport performance enhancement. Of the fifty-nine relevant articles retrieved, only 7 articles of variable quality were obtained which specifically investigated/discussed chiropractic treatment and its involvement in sport performance enhancement. The role of the chiropractor in sport, unsubstantiated claims of performance enhancement, theories of how chiropractic treatment may influence sport performance, and the available evidence for the benefit of chiropractic treatment on sport performance are reviewed and discussed. Areas and directions for future studies are postulated. At this time there is insufficient evidence to convincingly support the notion that treatment provided by chiropractors can directly improve sport performance. PMID:21120012

Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of the Effectiveness of Contraceptive Service Interventions for Young People, Delivered in Health Care Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blank, Lindsay; Baxter, Susan K.; Payne, Nick; Guillaume, Louise R.; Squires, Hazel

2012-01-01

A systematic review and narrative synthesis to determine the effectiveness of contraception service interventions for young people delivered in health care premises was undertaken. We searched 12 key health and medical databases, reference lists of included papers and systematic reviews and cited reference searches on included articles. All…

Human rights in childbirth, narratives and restorative justice: a review.

PubMed

Lokugamage, A U; Pathberiya, S D C

2017-02-02

This review describes the emerging global debate on the role of human rights childbirth. It is also tailored to a UK perspective in view of the Montgomery v. Lanarkshire [2015] legal ruling and it implications to practice. We can never underestimate the power of humane care on health. The compassion and evidence based medicine agenda in healthcare is interconnected with human rights in healthcare, feeding into the principles of decision making and patient centred care. When this has not happened and there is been healthcare conflict, the power of storytelling serves to connect disparate parties to their common humanity. Narratives are an important aspect of restorative justice processes and we suggest that this could be beneficial in the field of human rights in childbirth.

Conceptual Models of Social Determinants of Health: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

HOSSEINI SHOKOUH, Sayyed Morteza; ARAB, Mohammad; EMAMGHOLIPOUR, Sara; RASHIDIAN, Arash; MONTAZERI, Ali; ZABOLI, Rouhollah

2017-01-01

Background: There are several conflicting conceptual models to explain social determinants of health (SDH) as responsible for most health inequalities. This study aimed to present these models in historical perspective and provide main component of SDH models as an SES indicators. Methods: This was a narrative study using international databases to retrieve literature dealing with conceptual models of SDH. All publication in English language until Mar 2015 was included. The CASP and PRISMA were used to summarize the literature. Results: Overall, 248 publications were retrieved and screened. After exclusion of irrelevant and duplicates, 94 citations were found to be relevant and 21 publications included in this review. In general, 21 models of SDH were found: some models presented before year 1995(n=4), some models presented between 1995 and 2005 (n=13) and some models presented after 2005 (n=4). However, we found three categories of indicators that contribute to SDH models and that were classic factors, fixed and demographic factors and proxy factors. Conclusion: Reduction of socioeconomic inequalities in health requires understanding of mechanisms and causal pathways; therefore, every country needs to design the specific model. As the available models are for developed countries, lack of a specific model for developing ones is tangible. As there is no gold standard related to SES indicators, therefore, it is proposed to use the various indicators based on life course approach, which leads to understanding and adopting effective policy interventions. PMID:28540259

Oral Narratives in Monolingual and Bilingual Preschoolers with SLI

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rezzonico, Stefano; Chen, Xi; Cleave, Patricia L.; Greenberg, Janice; Hipfner-Boucher, Kathleen; Johnson, Carla J.; Milburn, Trelani; Pelletier, Janette; Weitzman, Elaine; Girolametto, Luigi

2015-01-01

Background: The body of literature on narratives of bilingual children with and without specific language impairment (SLI) is growing. However, little is known about the narrative abilities of bilingual preschool children with SLI and their patterns of growth. Aims: To determine the similarities and differences in narrative abilities between…

Narrative Language in Traumatic Brain Injury

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marini, Andrea; Galetto, Valentina; Zampieri, Elisa; Vorano, Lorenza; Zettin, Marina; Carlomagno, Sergio

2011-01-01

Persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) often show impaired linguistic and/or narrative abilities. The present study aimed to document the features of narrative discourse impairment in a group of adults with TBI. 14 severe TBI non-aphasic speakers (GCS less than 8) in the phase of neurological stability and 14 neurologically intact participants…

Making sense of dying: a review of narratives written since 1950 by people facing death from cancer and other diseases.

PubMed

Bingley, A F; McDermott, E; Thomas, C; Payne, S; Seymour, J E; Clark, D

2006-04-01

This article reviews a sample of narratives written since 1950 by people knowingly facing death as a result of cancer and other diseases, in order to compare experiences and show how these relate to wider changes in practice in end of life care. A bibliographic search of libraries, archives, journals and internet sources located English spoken literature, including books, poems, newspapers, journal articles, diaries, and internet postings of writings by people facing terminal disease. Bibliometric and qualitative content analysis explored changing authorship, experiences, purpose in writing, and reported the impact on readers. The initial search located a wide range of published and unpublished narratives, to which inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, yielding 148 narratives by different authors since 1950. A purposive sub-sample of 63 of these narratives was reviewed. Over the last half century there have been changes in both the volume of available literature and patterns of writing about end of life experience. Therapeutic benefits of writing are reported as a way of making sense of dying combined with a strong sense of purpose in sharing the story. There is a clear awareness of social needs when dying, along with issues of communication with medical staff, symptom control, realities of suffering, and spiritual aspects of dying. Differences are found in the nature and style of writing about cancer in comparison to other illnesses.

Pharmacological treatment of hemorrhoids: a narrative review.

PubMed

Altomare, Donato F; Giannini, Ivana

2013-12-01

Hemorrhoid disease is the cause of most proctologic complaints and hundreds of medical and surgical therapies have been proposed to relieve symptoms. However, the role and the correct indication of medical treatments are still controversial. Further, the utility of conservative measures are rarely scientifically supported by adequate trials. This narrative review is based on the search and analysis of full papers in English language selected from PubMed in the past 30 years using the following MeSH Editing: hemorrhoids, conservative treatment, medical treatment and hemorrhoids, pregnancy and hemorrhoids, thrombosed hemorrhoids, randomized trials and hemorrhoids, postoperative pain and hemorrhoids. Early stages (I/II degrees) of this disease could be effectively managed conservatively with several approaches as lifestyle changes, fiber supplement, topical ointments and phlebotonic drugs. The more advanced hemorrhoid stages (III/IV degrees) need some type of surgery, but medical therapy is still useful to minimize anal symptoms as a bridge-to-surgery treatment. Further, post-hemorrhoidectomy pain, hemorrhoidal crisis even in pregnancy could benefit from the adjunct of local and systemic medical treatment. This expert opinion, based also on long-lasting clinical practice, also supports the use of medical treatment in symptoms relief in patients with hemorrhoid disease.

Narrative methods in quality improvement research

PubMed Central

Greenhalgh, T; Russell, J; Swinglehurst, D

2005-01-01



 This paper reviews and critiques the different approaches to the use of narrative in quality improvement research. The defining characteristics of narrative are chronology (unfolding over time); emplotment (the literary juxtaposing of actions and events in an implicitly causal sequence); trouble (that is, harm or the risk of harm); and embeddedness (the personal story nests within a particular social, historical and organisational context). Stories are about purposeful action unfolding in the face of trouble and, as such, have much to offer quality improvement researchers. But the quality improvement report (a story about efforts to implement change), which is common, must be distinguished carefully from narrative based quality improvement research (focused systematic enquiry that uses narrative methods to generate new knowledge), which is currently none. We distinguish four approaches to the use of narrative in quality improvement research—narrative interview; naturalistic story gathering; organisational case study; and collective sense-making—and offer a rationale, describe how data can be collected and analysed, and discuss the strengths and limitations of each using examples from the quality improvement literature. Narrative research raises epistemological questions about the nature of narrative truth (characterised by sense-making and emotional impact rather than scientific objectivity), which has implications for how rigour should be defined (and how it might be achieved) in this type of research. We offer some provisional guidance for distinguishing high quality narrative research in a quality improvement setting from other forms of narrative account such as report, anecdote, and journalism. PMID:16326792

Top Medical Education Studies of 2016: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Fromme, H Barrett; Ryan, Michael S; Darden, Alix; D'Alessandro, Donna M; Mogilner, Leora; Paik, Steve; Turner, Teri L

2018-02-06

Education, like clinical medicine, should be based on the most current evidence in the field. Unfortunately, medical educators can be overwhelmed by the sheer volume and range of resources for this literature. This article provides an overview of 15 articles from 2016 that the authors consider the top articles in the field of pediatric medical education. The 7 authors, all medical educators with combined leadership and expertise across the continuum of pediatric medical education, used an iterative 3-stage process to review more than 6339 abstracts published in 2016. This process was designed to identify a small subset of articles that were most relevant to educational practices and most applicable to pediatric medical education. In the first 2 stages, pairs of authors independently reviewed and scored abstracts in 13 medical education-related journals and reached consensus to identify the articles that best met these criteria. In the final stage, all articles were discussed using a group consensus model to select the final articles included in this review. This article presents summaries of the 15 articles that were selected. The results revealed a cluster of studies related to observed standardized clinical encounters, self-assessment, professionalism, clinical teaching, competencies/milestones, and graduate medical education management strategies. We provide suggestions on how medical educators can apply the findings to their own practice and educational settings. This narrative review offers a useful tool for educators interested in keeping informed about the most relevant and valuable information in the field. Copyright © 2018 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Relationship between Oral and Written Narratives: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study of Narrative Cohesion, Coherence, and Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinto, Giuliana; Tarchi, Christian; Bigozzi, Lucia

2015-01-01

Background: The relationship between oral language and the writing process at early acquisition stages and the ways the former can enhance or limit the latter has not been researched extensively. Aims: The predictive relationship between kindergarten oral narrative competence and the first- and second-grade written narrative competence was…

Pharmacists' medicines-related interventions for people with intellectual disabilities: a narrative review.

PubMed

O'Dwyer, Máire; Meštrović, Arijana; Henman, Martin

2015-08-01

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) have complex pharmaceutical care needs due to a high prevalence of multimorbidity, a notable degree of polypharmacy and a high risk of adverse drug reactions. Despite this, people with ID often experience significant health disparities compared to the general population. In most developed countries, increasing emphasis on deinstitutionalisation and community integration also means greater utilisation of primary health care services where general practitioners, pharmacists and carers may lack appropriate information about the pharmaceutical needs of this population. Aim of the review To explore what type of pharmaceutical care interventions were being undertaken for people with ID and how pharmacists' contributed to the care of people with ID as part of multidisciplinary teams. Systematic searches of the following electronic databases were carried out; CINAHL, Pubmed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane library, Science Direct and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts. Results were limited to the period 1994-2014 using search terms 'learning disabilities', 'intellectual disabilities', 'mental retardation', 'developmental disabilities', 'learning difficulties' and 'pharmacist intervention', 'pharmaceutical care', 'primary care', 'pharmacy' "pharmacists" "pharmacy technicians". Agreement on studies to be included was arrived at by consensus and by using a pre-determined set of inclusion criteria. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the study aims, methods and presentation of study outcomes found, a narrative review was considered appropriate. In total, after removal of duplicates, 70 abstracts were identified and screened from the initial search. After screening and consensus agreement, eight articles which met the inclusion criteria were included in the review and were analysed under the following three themes; pharmacist interventions, pharmacists collaboration in provision of care, qualitative studies relating to patient, carers

What makes online substance-use interventions engaging? A systematic review and narrative synthesis

PubMed Central

Milward, Joanna; Drummond, Colin; Fincham-Campbell, Stephanie; Deluca, Paolo

2018-01-01

Background Online substance-use interventions are effective in producing reductions in harmful-use. However, low user engagement rates with online interventions reduces overall effectiveness of interventions. Identifying optimal strategies with which to engage users with online substance-use interventions may improve usage rates and subsequent effectiveness. Objectives (1) To identify the most prevalent engagement promoting strategies utilised to increase use of online substance-use interventions. (2) To determine whether the identified engagement promoting strategies increased said use of online substance-use interventions. Review methods The reviewed followed Cochrane methodology. Databases were searched for online substance-use interventions and engagement promoting strategies limited by study type (randomised controlled trial). Due to heterogeneity between engagement promoting strategies and engagement outcomes, meta-analytic techniques were not possible. Narrative synthesis methods were used. Results Fifteen studies were included. Five different engagement promoting strategies were identified: (1) tailoring; (2) delivery strategies; (3) incentives; (4) reminders; (5) social support. The most frequently reported engagement promoting strategies was tailoring (47% of studies), followed by reminders and social support (40% of studies) and delivery strategies (33% of studies). The narrative synthesis demonstrated that tailoring, multimedia delivery of content and reminders are potential techniques for promoting engagement. The evidence for social support was inconclusive and negative for incentives. Conclusions This review was the first to examine engagement promoting strategies in solely online substance-use interventions. Three strategies were identified that may be integral in promoting engagement with online substance-use interventions. However, the small number of eligible extracted studies, inconsistent reporting of engagement outcomes and diversity of

A narrative review of research impact assessment models and methods.

PubMed

Milat, Andrew J; Bauman, Adrian E; Redman, Sally

2015-03-18

Research funding agencies continue to grapple with assessing research impact. Theoretical frameworks are useful tools for describing and understanding research impact. The purpose of this narrative literature review was to synthesize evidence that describes processes and conceptual models for assessing policy and practice impacts of public health research. The review involved keyword searches of electronic databases, including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EBM Reviews, and Google Scholar in July/August 2013. Review search terms included 'research impact', 'policy and practice', 'intervention research', 'translational research', 'health promotion', and 'public health'. The review included theoretical and opinion pieces, case studies, descriptive studies, frameworks and systematic reviews describing processes, and conceptual models for assessing research impact. The review was conducted in two phases: initially, abstracts were retrieved and assessed against the review criteria followed by the retrieval and assessment of full papers against review criteria. Thirty one primary studies and one systematic review met the review criteria, with 88% of studies published since 2006. Studies comprised assessments of the impacts of a wide range of health-related research, including basic and biomedical research, clinical trials, health service research, as well as public health research. Six studies had an explicit focus on assessing impacts of health promotion or public health research and one had a specific focus on intervention research impact assessment. A total of 16 different impact assessment models were identified, with the 'payback model' the most frequently used conceptual framework. Typically, impacts were assessed across multiple dimensions using mixed methodologies, including publication and citation analysis, interviews with principal investigators, peer assessment, case studies, and document analysis. The vast majority of studies relied on principal investigator

A systematic narrative review of consumer-directed care for older people: implications for model development.

PubMed

Ottmann, Goetz; Allen, Jacqui; Feldman, Peter

2013-11-01

Consumer-directed care is increasingly becoming a mainstream option in community-based aged care. However, a systematic review describing how the current evaluation research translates into practise has not been published to date. This review aimed to systematically establish an evidence base of user preferences for and satisfaction with services associated with consumer-directed care programmes for older people. Twelve databases were searched, including MedLine, BioMed Central, Cinahl, Expanded Academic ASAP, PsychInfo, ProQuest, Age Line, Science Direct, Social Citation Index, Sociological Abstracts, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library. Google Scholar and Google were also searched. Eligible studies were those reporting on choice, user preferences and service satisfaction outcomes regarding a programme or model of home-based care in the United States or United Kingdom. This systematic narrative review retrieved literature published from January 1992 to August 2011. A total of 277 references were identified. Of these 17 met the selection criteria and were reviewed. Findings indicate that older people report varying preferences for consumer-directed care with some demonstrating limited interest. Clients and carers reported good service satisfaction. However, research comparing user preferences across countries or investigating how ecological factors shape user preferences has received limited attention. Policy-makers and practitioners need to carefully consider the diverse contexts, needs and preferences of older adults in adopting consumer-directed care approaches in community aged care. The review calls for the development of consumer-directed care programmes offering a broad range of options that allow for personalisation and greater control over services without necessarily transferring the responsibility for administrative responsibilities to service users. Review findings suggest that consumer-directed care approaches have the potential to empower older

Synthesizing the Evidence on Classroom Goal Structures in Middle and Secondary Schools: A Meta-Analysis and Narrative Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Givens Rolland, Rebecca

2012-01-01

This meta-analysis and narrative review synthesizes the literature on classroom goal structures and their relationships with student outcomes, focusing additionally on the ways in which these constructs are operationalized across research studies. Specifically, this study evaluates the relationships between students' perceptions of mastery and…

Soldier occupational load carriage: a narrative review of associated injuries.

PubMed

Orr, Robin Marc; Pope, Rodney; Johnston, Venerina; Coyle, Julia

2014-01-01

This narrative review examines injuries sustained by soldiers undertaking occupational load carriage tasks. Military soldiers are required to carry increasingly heavier occupational loads. These loads have been found to increase the physiological cost to the soldier and alter their gait mechanics. Aggregated research findings suggest that the lower limbs are the most frequent anatomical site of injury associated with load carriage. While foot blisters are common, other prevalent lower limb injuries include stress fractures, knee and foot pain, and neuropathies, like digitalgia and meralgia. Shoulder neuropathies (brachial plexus palsy) and lower back injuries are not uncommon. Soldier occupational load carriage has the potential to cause injuries that impact on force generation and force sustainment. Through understanding the nature of these injuries targeted interventions, like improved physical conditioning and support to specialised organisations, can be employed.

Immigrant women's experiences of maternity-care services in Canada: a systematic review using a narrative synthesis.

PubMed

Higginbottom, Gina M A; Morgan, Myfanwy; Alexandre, Mirande; Chiu, Yvonne; Forgeron, Joan; Kocay, Deb; Barolia, Rubina

2015-02-11

Canada's diverse society and its statutory commitment to multiculturalism means that a synthesis of knowledge related to the healthcare experiences of immigrants is essential to realise the health potential for future Canadians. Although concerns about the maternity experiences of immigrants in Canada are relatively new, recent national guidelines explicitly call for the tailoring of services to user needs. We therefore assessed the experiences of immigrant women accessing maternity-care services in Canada. In particular, we investigated the experiences of immigrant women in Canada in accessing and navigating maternity and related healthcare services from conception to 6 months postpartum in Canada. Our focus was on (a) the accessibility and acceptability of maternity-care services for immigrant women and (b) the effects of the perceptions and experiences of these women on their birth and postnatal outcomes. We conducted a systematic review using a systematic search and narrative synthesis of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed reports of empirical research, with the aim of providing stakeholders with perspectives on maternity-care services as experienced by immigrant women. We partnered with key stakeholders ('integrated knowledge users') to ensure the relevancy of topics and to tailor recommendations for effective translation into future policy, practice and programming. Two search phases and a three-stage selection process for published and grey literature were conducted prior to appraisal of literature quality and narrative synthesis of the findings. Our knowledge synthesis of maternity care among immigrants to Canada provided a coherent evidence base for (a) eliciting a better understanding of the factors that generate disparities in accessibility, acceptability and outcomes during maternity care; and (b) improving culturally based competency in maternity care. Our synthesis also identified pertinent issues in multiple sectors that should be addressed to

Self-management priority setting and decision-making in adults with multimorbidity: A narrative review of literature

PubMed Central

Bratzke, Lisa C.; Muehrer, Rebecca J.; Kehl, Karen A.; Lee, Kyoung Suk; Ward, Earlise C.; Kwekkeboom, Kristine L.

2014-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this narrative review was to synthesize current research findings related to self-management, in order to better understand the processes of priority setting and decision-making in among adults with multimorbidity. Design A narrative literature review was undertaken, synthesizing findings from published, peer-reviewed empirical studies that addressed priority setting and/or decision-making in self-management of multimorbidity. Data sources A search of PubMed, PsychINFO, CINAHL and SocIndex databases was conducted from database inception through December 2013. References lists from selected empirical studies and systematic reviews were evaluated to identify any additional relevant articles. Review methods Full text of potentially eligible articles were reviewed and selected for inclusion if they described empirical studies that addressed priority setting or decision-making in self-management of multimorbidity among adults. Two independent reviewers read each selected article and extracted relevant data to an evidence table. Processes and factors and processes of multimorbidity self-management were identified and sorted into categories of priority setting, decision-making, and facilitators/barriers. Results Thirteen articles were selected for inclusion; most were qualitative studies describing processes, facilitators, and barriers of multimorbidity self-management. The findings revealed that patients prioritize a dominant chronic illness and re-prioritize over time as conditions and treatments change; that multiple facilitators (e.g. support programs) and barriers (e.g. lack of financial resources) impact individuals’ self-management priority setting and decision-making ability; as do individual beliefs, preferences, and attitudes (e.g., perceived personal control, preferences regarding treatment). Conclusions Health care providers need to be cognizant that individuals with multimorbidity engage in day-to-day priority setting and decision

Narrative Aversion: Challenges for the Illness Narrative Advocate.

PubMed

Behrendt, Kathy

2017-02-01

Engaging in self-narrative is often touted as a powerful antidote to the bad effects of illness. However, there are various examples of what may broadly be termed "aversion" to illness narrative. I group these into three kinds: aversion to certain types of illness narrative; aversion to illness narrative as a whole; and aversion to illness narrative as an essentially therapeutic endeavor. These aversions can throw into doubt the advantages claimed for the illness narrator, including the key benefits of repair to the damage illness does to identity and life-trajectory. Underlying these alleged benefits are two key presuppositions: that it is the whole of one's life that is narratively unified, and that one's identity is inextricably bound up with narrative. By letting go of these assumptions, illness narrative advocates can respond to the challenges of narrative aversions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Story Crafting: Strategies for Facilitating Narrative Career Counselling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMahon, Mary; Watson, Mark

2012-01-01

Narrative career counselling is a growing force in career guidance and counselling that offers a direction for the field to respond to the needs of increasingly diverse client groups. In this article, we review established and emerging approaches to narrative career counselling, then focus on the emerging story telling approach. We offer examples…

A narrative review on burnout experienced by medical students and residents.

PubMed

Dyrbye, Liselotte; Shanafelt, Tait

2016-01-01

To summarise articles reporting on burnout among medical students and residents (trainees) in a narrative review. MEDLINE was searched for peer-reviewed, English language articles published between 1990 and 2015 reporting on burnout among trainees. The search used combinations of Medical Subject Heading terms medical student, resident, internship and residency, and burnout, professional. Reference lists of articles were reviewed to identify additional studies. A subset of high-quality studies was selected. Studies suggest a high prevalence of burnout among trainees, with levels higher than in the general population. Burnout can undermine trainees' professional development, place patients at risk, and contribute to a variety of personal consequences, including suicidal ideation. Factors within the learning and work environment, rather than individual attributes, are the major drivers of burnout. Limited data are available regarding how to best address trainee burnout, but multi-pronged efforts, with attention to culture, the learning and work environment and individual behaviours, are needed to promote trainees' wellness and to help those in distress. Medical training is a stressful time. Large, prospective studies are needed to identify cause-effect relationships and the best approaches for improving the trainee experience. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Iranian Native Plants on Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniosis: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

MOGHADDAS, Elham; KHAMESIPOUR, Ali; MOHEBALI, Mehdi; FATA, Abdolmajid

2017-01-01

Background: Chemotherapy still relies on the use of pentavalent antimonials, amphotericin B, paromomycin, miltefosin, and allopurinol. In this study, we explained about the native plant that grows in different regions of Iran and used as anti-leishmanial in Iran and even many other countries. Methods: This narrative review covers all information about local herbal medicine in Iran that used in treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in all the worlds, published in local and international journals from 1996 to 2015 using various databases including PubMed, SID, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Science Direct. Results: Overall, 150 articles in databases were identified. Many local plants grown in some places of Iran were used to treat this endemic disease. Conclusion: The cutaneous leishmaniasis is also a major health problem in Iran, especially in Mashhad (Northeast of Iran). Therefore, many patients seek for herbal therapy that is cheaper and readily available. This review provides information regarding plant that exists in Iran and exhibiting effects on anti-Leishmania activity. Among the anti-leishmanial mentioned in this review, most have never been tested for cytotoxicity and very few have been tested for in vivo activity. PMID:28979340

Migrating Narratives: Pedagogical Possibilities for Relating Difference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galea, Simone

2012-01-01

The use of narratives in making oneself known to others has various political and ethical aims. Narrative is considered to be effective in revealing the particular knowledge of differently positioned persons that have been subjugated. It is hoped that through these subjects' representations of their differently situated lives and selves, dominant…

Experiences of abortion: A narrative review of qualitative studies

PubMed Central

Lie, Mabel LS; Robson, Stephen C; May, Carl R

2008-01-01

Background Although abortion or termination of pregnancy (TOP) has become an increasingly normalized component of women's health care over the past forty years, insufficient attention has been paid to women's experiences of surgical or medical methods of TOP. Objective To undertake a narrative review of qualitative studies of women's experiences of TOP and their perspectives on surgical or medical methods. Methods Keyword searches of Medline, CINAHL, ISI, and IBSS databases. Manual searches of other relevant journals and reference lists of primary articles. Results Qualitative studies (n = 18) on women's experiences of abortion were identified. Analysis of the results of studies reviewed revealed three main themes: experiential factors that promote or inhibit the choice to seek TOP; experiences of TOP; and experiential aspects of the environment in which TOP takes place. Conclusion Women's choices about TOP are mainly pragmatic ones that are related to negotiating finite personal and family and emotional resources. Women who are well informed and supported in their choices experience good psychosocial outcomes from TOP. Home TOP using mifepristone appears attractive to women who are concerned about professionals' negative attitudes and lack of privacy in formal healthcare settings but also leads to concerns about management and safety. PMID:18637178

Australian physiotherapy workforce at a glance: a narrative review.

PubMed

Pretorius, Adri; Karunaratne, Nuresha; Fehring, Susan

2016-09-01

Background The ability of the physiotherapy workforce to meet the growing demand in the Australian community is uncertain, despite increasing tertiary students and numbers of registered physiotherapists annually. Objectives The present narrative literature review investigates what is known about the Australian physiotherapy workforce, what factors contribute to attrition from the profession and what strategies could be implemented to improve retention of skilled physiotherapists. Methods A literature search of five databases identified 24 articles that informed the content of the present review. The articles were reviewed and content summarised according to focus areas and results discussed in the current Australian healthcare context. Results Although many factors of attrition are inevitable, the present review identified some potentially modifiable factors of attrition. Strategies to improve retention of skilled physiotherapists were broadly grouped into improving professional support in the workforce and assisting the re-entry process for physiotherapists seeking to return to the workforce. Conclusion Increasing retention of qualified and skilled physiotherapists nationally will help build workforce capacity, meeting the needs of the growing, changing and aging community. What is known about the topic? The demand for physiotherapists is growing significantly in Australia and the ability of the workforce to meet growing demands is uncertain. What does this paper add? Many physiotherapists in Australia leave the workforce and the profession early in their careers. Addressing modifiable factors of attrition could help improve the retention of practitioners and skills in the profession, building workforce capacity. What are the implications for practitioners? Professional support for current physiotherapists is crucial. Re-entry physiotherapists should be supported with flexible return-to-work programs, refresher training and mentorship.

Lifestyle and Outcomes of Assisted Reproductive Techniques: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Zeinab, Hamzehgardeshi; Zohreh, Shahhosseini; Gelehkolaee, Keshvar Samadaee

2015-01-01

Background: Studies reveal that lifestyles such as physical activity patterns, obesity, nutrition, and smoking, are factors that affect laboratory test results and pregnancy outcomes induced by assisted fertility techniques in infertile couples. The present study is a narrative review of studies in this area. Methods: In this study, researchers conducted their computer search in public databases Google Scholar general search engine, and then more specific: Science Direct, ProQuest, SID, Magiran, Irandoc, Pubmed, Scopus, cochrane library, and Psych info; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) keywords: infertility (sterility, infertility), lifestyle (life behavior, lifestyle), Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART), antioxidant and infertility, social health, spiritual health, mental health, Alcohol and drug abuse, preventive factors, and instruments., and selected relevant articles to the study subject from 2004 to 2013. Firstly, a list of 150 papers generated from the initial search. Then reviewers studied titles and abstracts. Secondly, 111 papers were included. Finally, quality assessment of full text studies was performed by two independent reviewers. Researchers reviewed summary of all articles sought, ultimately used data from 62 full articles to compile this review paper. Results: Review of literature led to arrangement of 9 general categories of ART results’ relationship with weight watch and diet, exercise and physical activity, psychological health, avoiding medications, alcohol and drugs, preventing diseases, environmental health, spiritual health, social health, and physical health. Conclusion: The following was obtained from review of studies: since lifestyle is among important, changeable, and influential factors in fertility, success of these methods can be greatly helped through assessment of lifestyle patterns of infertile couples, and design and implementation of healthy lifestyle

Narrative health psychology: once more unto the breach. Introduction.

PubMed

Sools, Anneke M; Murray, Michael; Westerhof, Gerben J

2015-03-01

In this editorial, we position narrative health psychology as a variety of narrative psychology, a form of qualitative research in health psychology, and a psychological perspective that falls under the interdisciplinary term narrative health research. The aim of this positioning is to explore what are the most important features of the proposed approach and how they are relevant. We illustrate each positioning with the scope and diversity of narrative health psychology brought together in this special issue. Finally, we reflect on where narrative health psychology is now and how it could develop in the future. © The Author(s) 2015.

Injection Drug Use Trajectories Among Migrant Populations: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Melo, Jason S; Mittal, Maria Luisa; Horyniak, Danielle; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Werb, Dan

2018-01-24

Dual epidemics of injection drug use and blood-borne disease, characterized as "syndemics," are present in a range of settings. Behaviors that drive such syndemics are particularly prevalent among mobile drug-using populations, for whom cross-border migration may pose additional risks. This narrative review aims to characterize the risk factors for injection drug use initiation associated with migration, employing a risk environment framework and focusing on the San Diego-Tijuana border region as the most dynamic example of these phenomena. Based on previous literature, we divide migration streams into three classes: intra-urban, internal, and international. We synthesized existing literature on migration and drug use to characterize how mobility and migration drive the initiation of injection drug use, as well as the transmission of hepatitis and HIV, and to delineate how these might be addressed through public health intervention. Population mixing between migrants and receiving communities and the consequent transmission of social norms about injection drug use create risk environments for injection drug use initiation. These risk environments have been characterized as a result of local policy environments, injection drug use norms in receiving communities, migration-related stressors, social dislocation, and infringement on the rights of undocumented migrants. Policies that exacerbate risk environments for migrants may inadvertently contribute to the expansion of epidemics of injection-driven blood-borne disease. Successful interventions that address emerging syndemics in border regions may therefore need to be tailored to migrant populations and distinguish between the vulnerabilities experienced by different migration classes and border settings.

Novel biomarkers for sepsis: A narrative review.

PubMed

Larsen, Frederik Fruergaard; Petersen, J Asger

2017-11-01

Sepsis is a prevalent condition among hospitalized patients that carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Rapid recognition of sepsis as the cause of deterioration is desirable, so effective treatment can be initiated rapidly. Traditionally, diagnosis was based on presence of two or more positive SIRS criteria due to infection. However, recently published sepsis-3 criteria put more emphasis on organ dysfunction caused by infection in the definition of sepsis. Regardless of this, no gold standard for diagnosis exist, and clinicians still rely on a number of traditional and novel biomarkers to discriminate between patients with and without infection, as the cause of deterioration. Narrative review of current literature. A number of the most promising biomarkers for diagnoses and prognostication of sepsis are presented. Procalcitonin, presepsin, CD64, suPAR, and sTREM-1 are the best evaluated biomarkers for diagnosis and prognostication of sepsis to date. All have limitations in differentiation between infected and non-infected patients with SIRS, and their future role in diagnosis needs to be evaluated. It is important to test utility, performance, and validity of future biomarkers before implementing them in routine clinical care. Copyright © 2017 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interface, information, interaction: a narrative review of design and functional requirements for clinical decision support.

PubMed

Miller, Kristen; Mosby, Danielle; Capan, Muge; Kowalski, Rebecca; Ratwani, Raj; Noaiseh, Yaman; Kraft, Rachel; Schwartz, Sanford; Weintraub, William S; Arnold, Ryan

2018-05-01

Provider acceptance and associated patient outcomes are widely discussed in the evaluation of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs), but critical design criteria for tools have generally been overlooked. The objective of this work is to inform electronic health record alert optimization and clinical practice workflow by identifying, compiling, and reporting design recommendations for CDSS to support the efficient, effective, and timely delivery of high-quality care. A narrative review was conducted from 2000 to 2016 in PubMed and The Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society to identify papers that discussed/recommended design features of CDSSs that are associated with the success of these systems. Fourteen papers were included as meeting the criteria and were found to have a total of 42 unique recommendations; 11 were classified as interface features, 10 as information features, and 21 as interaction features. Features are defined and described, providing actionable guidance that can be applied to CDSS development and policy. To our knowledge, no reviews have been completed that discuss/recommend design features of CDSS at this scale, and thus we found that this was important for the body of literature. The recommendations identified in this narrative review will help to optimize design, organization, management, presentation, and utilization of information through presentation, content, and function. The designation of 3 categories (interface, information, and interaction) should be further evaluated to determine the critical importance of the categories. Future work will determine how to prioritize them with limited resources for designers and developers in order to maximize the clinical utility of CDSS. This review will expand the field of knowledge and provide a novel organization structure to identify key recommendations for CDSS.

Resolution of inflammation pathways in preeclampsia-a narrative review.

PubMed

Perucci, Luiza Oliveira; Corrêa, Mário Dias; Dusse, Luci Maria; Gomes, Karina Braga; Sousa, Lirlândia Pires

2017-08-01

Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. This disease is believed to occur in two stages with placental dysfunction in early pregnancy leading to maternal clinical findings after 20 weeks of gestation, as consequence of systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction. Much evidence suggests that PE women display an overshooting inflammatory response throughout pregnancy due to an unbalanced regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Recently, it has been suggested that dysregulation of endogenous protective pathways might be associated with PE etiopathogenesis. Resolution of inflammation is an active process coordinated by mediators from diverse nature that regulate key cellular events to restore tissue homeostasis. Inadequate or insufficient resolution of inflammation is believed to play an important role in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases, like PE. In this narrative review, we discuss possible pro-resolution pathways that might be compromised in PE women, which could be targets to novel therapeutic strategies in this disease.

Measuring orthographic transparency and morphological-syllabic complexity in alphabetic orthographies: a narrative review.

PubMed

Borleffs, Elisabeth; Maassen, Ben A M; Lyytinen, Heikki; Zwarts, Frans

2017-01-01

This narrative review discusses quantitative indices measuring differences between alphabetic languages that are related to the process of word recognition. The specific orthography that a child is acquiring has been identified as a central element influencing reading acquisition and dyslexia. However, the development of reliable metrics to measure differences between language scripts hasn't received much attention so far. This paper therefore reviews metrics proposed in the literature for quantifying orthographic transparency, syllabic complexity, and morphological complexity of alphabetic languages. The review included searches of Web of Science, PubMed, PsychInfo, Google Scholar, and various online sources. Search terms pertained to orthographic transparency, morphological complexity, and syllabic complexity in relation to reading acquisition, and dyslexia. Although the predictive value of these metrics is promising, more research is needed to validate the value of the metrics discussed and to understand the 'developmental footprint' of orthographic transparency, morphological complexity, and syllabic complexity in the lexical organization and processing strategies.

Physical activity in Brazil: lessons from ELSA-Brasil. Narrative review.

PubMed

Pitanga, Francisco José Gondim; Almeida, Maria Conceição Chagas; Queiroz, Ciro Oliveira; Aquino, Estela Maria Leão de; Matos, Sheila Maria Alvim

2017-01-01

The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) was conducted among civil servants at six higher education institutions located in six Brazilian state capitals. The objective of this review was to identify the publications produced within the scope of ELSA-Brasil that analyzed the participants' physical activity. Review study using baseline data from ELSA-Brasil. Narrative review of Brazilian studies on physical activity produced using data from ELSA-Brasil participants. The prevalence of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among ELSA-Brasil participants was low (44.1% among men and 33.8% among women). The main factors associated were social (higher schooling and family income), environmental (living in places with conditions and opportunities for physical activity) and individual (not being obese, being retired, not smoking and positive perception of body image). The perception of facilities for walking in the neighborhood was positively associated with both LTPA and commuting-related physical activity. An active lifestyle was a protective factor against several cardiometa-bolic variables (hypertension, diabetes, lipid abnormalities and cardiovascular risk over the next 10 years). Comparison between LTPA and commuting-related physical activity showed that only LTPA had a protective effect against arterial hypertension. The prevalence of physical activity among ELSA-Brasil participants was low. The main determinants were social, environmental and personal. LTPA had a greater protective efect on cardio-metabolic outcomes than did commuting-related physical activity.

Self-management priority setting and decision-making in adults with multimorbidity: a narrative review of literature.

PubMed

Bratzke, Lisa C; Muehrer, Rebecca J; Kehl, Karen A; Lee, Kyoung Suk; Ward, Earlise C; Kwekkeboom, Kristine L

2015-03-01

The purpose of this narrative review was to synthesize current research findings related to self-management, in order to better understand the processes of priority setting and decision-making among adults with multimorbidity. A narrative literature review was undertaken, synthesizing findings from published, peer-reviewed empirical studies that addressed priority setting and/or decision-making in self-management of multimorbidity. A search of PubMed, PsychINFO, CINAHL and SocIndex databases was conducted from database inception through December 2013. References lists from selected empirical studies and systematic reviews were evaluated to identify any additional relevant articles. Full text of potentially eligible articles were reviewed and selected for inclusion if they described empirical studies that addressed priority setting or decision-making in self-management of multimorbidity among adults. Two independent reviewers read each selected article and extracted relevant data to an evidence table. Processes and factors of multimorbidity self-management were identified and sorted into categories of priority setting, decision-making, and facilitators/barriers. Thirteen articles were selected for inclusion; most were qualitative studies describing processes, facilitators, and barriers of multimorbidity self-management. The findings revealed that patients prioritize a dominant chronic illness and re-prioritize over time as conditions and treatments change; that multiple facilitators (e.g. support programs) and barriers (e.g. lack of financial resources) impact individuals' self-management priority setting and decision-making ability; as do individual beliefs, preferences, and attitudes (e.g., perceived personal control, preferences regarding treatment). Health care providers need to be cognizant that individuals with multimorbidity engage in day-to-day priority setting and decision-making among their multiple chronic illnesses and respective treatments. Researchers

Transportation into narrative worlds: implications for entertainment media influences on tobacco use.

PubMed

Green, Melanie C; Clark, Jenna L

2013-03-01

A growing body of research suggests that smoking portrayals in movies influence adolescent tobacco use. However, the mechanism for this influence remains unclear. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of research on narrative transportation theory, particularly as applied to movies and smoking. We propose that this theory can provide a valuable framework for guiding research on the role of entertainment media in smoking and other addictive behaviors. We review empirical work on transportation theory and highlight the psychological mechanisms underlying transportation effects. 'Transportation into narrative worlds' refers to cognitive, emotional and imagery engagement into a narrative (including movies and entertainment media). We link this work with research on the effects of movie smoking. Research suggests that individuals who are more highly transported into narratives show greater attitude, belief and behavior change. Transportation effects work through reducing counterarguing, creating connections (identification and liking) with characters and increasing perceptions of realism and emotional involvement. We propose several future directions and research challenges for applying a transportation framework to the issue of entertainment media effects on smoking and tobacco disparities. Understanding factors contributing to transportation may provide a more nuanced view of who will be affected by movie smoking, and understanding the psychological processes underlying narrative persuasion may guide intervention efforts. Narrative transportation theory suggests that individuals' cognitive, emotional and imagery immersion in a narrative is a key mechanism of attitude, belief and behavior change. This theory provides a potentially generative and psychologically grounded framework for increasing knowledge about the boundary conditions and processes underlying the effects of entertainment media on tobacco use. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction © 2012 Society for

Broadening our perspectives on complementary and alternative medicine for menopause: A narrative review.

PubMed

Tonob, Dunia; Melby, Melissa K

2017-05-01

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used for menopause, although not all women disclose use to their healthcare providers. This narrative review aims to expand providers' understanding of cross-cultural approaches to treating and managing menopause by providing an overarching framework and perspective on CAM treatments. Increased provider understanding and awareness may improve not only provider-patient communication but also effectiveness of treatments. The distinction between illness (what patients suffer) and disease (what physicians treat) highlights the gap between what patients seek and doctors provide, and may help clarify why many women seek CAM at menopause. For example, CAM is often sought by women for whom biomedicine has been unsuccessful or inaccessible. We review the relevance to menopause of three CAM categories: natural products, mind-body practices including meditation, and other complementary health approaches including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Japanese Kampo. Assessing the effectiveness of CAM is challenging because of the individualized nature of illness patterns and associated treatments, which complicate the design of randomized controlled trials. Because many women seek CAM due to inefficacy of biomedical treatments, or cultural or economic marginalization, biomedical practitioners who make an effort to learn about CAM and ask patients about their CAM use or interest may dramatically improve the patient-provider relationship and rapport, as well as harnessing the 'meaning response' (Moerman, 2002) imbued in the clinical encounter. By working with women to integrate their CAM-related health-seeking behaviors and treatments, providers may also boost the efficacy of their own biomedical treatments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Helping patients to reduce tobacco consumption in oncology: a narrative review.

PubMed

Lucchiari, Claudio; Masiero, Marianna; Botturi, Andrea; Pravettoni, Gabriella

2016-01-01

The present overview focuses on evidence of smoking cessation approaches in oncology settings with the aim to provide health personnel a critical perspective on how to help their patients. This narrative review is structured in two main sections: the first one describes the psycho-cognitive variables involved in the decision to continue smoking after a cancer diagnosis and during the treatment; the second section relates methods and tools may be recommended, being evidence-based, to support smoking cessation in oncology settings. Active smoking increases not only susceptibility to common cancers in the general population, but also increases disease severity and comorbidities in cancer patients. Nowadays, scientific evidence has identified many strategies to give up smoking, but a lack of knowledge exists for treatment of nicotine dependence in the cancer population. Health personnel is often ambiguous when approaching the problem, while their contribution is essential in guiding patients towards healthier choices. We argue that smoking treatments for cancer patients deserve more attention and that clinical features, individual characteristics and needs of the patient should be assessed in order to increase the attempts success rate. Health personnel that daily work and interact with cancer patients and their caregivers have a fundamental role in the promotion of the health changing. For this reason, it is important that they have adequate knowledge and resources in order to support cancer patients to stop tobacco cigarette smoking and promoting and healthier lifestyle.

The use of Pierre Bourdieu's distinction concepts in scientific articles studying food and eating: A narrative review.

PubMed

Sato, Priscila de Morais; Gittelsohn, Joel; Unsain, Ramiro Fernandez; Roble, Odilon José; Scagliusi, Fernanda Baeza

2016-01-01

This article reviews and discusses scientific papers on eating practices that have used Pierre Bourdieu's concepts presented in Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. It aims to synthesize and analyze theoretical and empirical studies on the theme in order to present Bourdieu's contributions to the field, advances in his theories, and directions for future research. Exclusion criteria were: not written in Portuguese, English, Spanish, or French; not published in a peer-reviewed journal; not analyzing food or eating; and not using Bourdieu's concepts as presented in Distinction as the main theoretical framework. In this narrative review, we found 38 articles, which were categorized main themes: food choice and provisioning, taste, social class, food symbolism, the body, and the scientific field of food and eating. The taste of luxury and the taste of necessity were broadly applied on the works found in this review and were observed among the lower and upper classes, manifesting differently in each class. These studies show that while Bourdieu's theories are still highly relevant to understanding contemporary social groups, they may be improved when combined with other frameworks and theorists. We highlight as directions for future research manners in which gender and the environment interact with the habitus and food choices. Finally, this review points to new areas of investigation that may help improve the use of Bourdieu's concepts in exploring health inequalities, such as differences in eating practices and habitus within populations with low socioeconomic status. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Narrative in cancer research and policy: voice, knowledge and context

PubMed Central

Atkinson, Sarah; Rubinelli, Sara

2014-01-01

The potential applications of narrative within medical practice are attracting increased interest. In particular, personal narratives afford rich insights into how encounters with cancer and the associated provision of care are experienced, understood and represeted. Such first-person accounts are practically useful in indicating improvements to cancer care and politically significant in providing a means to enable the patient voice and legitimising experiential knowledge alongside a biomedical paradigm. However, personal narratives are necessarily and always constructed in particular social and political contexts and through existing ‘meta-narratives’ relating to cancer, health, illness and a flourishing life. The paper first examines work on personal cancer narratives to critically review the opportunities for narrative within cancer care. We then reflect on the crucial role of meta-narratives of cancer as framings within which personal narratives can be both enabled and constrained. PMID:23347413

A narrative literature review to direct spinal cord injury patient education programming.

PubMed

van Wyk, Kim; Backwell, Amber; Townson, Andrea

2015-01-01

To summarize the evidence on SCI-related education literature, while looking at potential barriers, solutions, benefits, and patient preferences regarding SCI patient education. A literature review was conducted using 5 electronic databases. Quality appraisal instruments were designed to determine the methodological rigor of the quantitative and qualitative studies found. Selected articles were read in their entirety and themes were abstracted. Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria for this narrative literature review, all of which were based on research studies. Seven of these 14 were quantitative studies, 3 were qualitative studies, and 4 were mixed-methods studies. To improve SCI education during rehabilitation, programs should maximize the receptiveness of newly injured patients to SCI-related information, optimize the delivery of SCI education, increase the number of opportunities for learning, promote and support lifelong learning, and include patient and program evaluation. How these strategies are specifically implemented needs to be determined by program management in consultation with various stakeholders, whilst considering the unique characteristics of the rehabilitation facility.

Adult family member experiences during an older loved one's delirium: a narrative literature review.

PubMed

Day, Jenny; Higgins, Isabel

2015-06-01

To provide a narrative literature review about family experiences during older person delirium. Delirium is a common and serious condition which manifests when older people are unwell. Family members of older people are likely to encounter their loved one and become involved in care during delirium. Narrative literature review. Electronic database and Google Scholar(™) searches were conducted using search terms for delirium, family, experience and older people. Though family members are important partners in the care of older people, there has been little exploration of their experiences during delirium. Current literature identifies that family members experience unexpected, rapid and unpredictable changes in their older loved one, absence of the person they know, distress, not knowing about delirium nor how to help, and supportive and unsupportive relationships with health care staff. Health care staff need understanding about what it means for family to have someone close to them have delirium. Without understanding, it is difficult for staff to respond with compassion, provide support and appropriately include family in the older person's care. There is a need to mitigate family distress and provide support, including information which addresses family concerns. The distress family members experience, the impact of losing connection to their loved one, and the difficulty family face in sustaining hope for their loved one's return needs to be recognised and addressed by health care staff, particularly nurses, during the older person's care. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Narrative in Exergames: Thoughts on Procedure, Mechanism, and Others

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Abstract Narratives are stories with a beginning, middle, and end that provide information about the characters and plot. Exergames are videogames that require players to move or exercise. Narratives and exergames have seldom been examined together. Based on my review of the literature, there are five potential opportunities narratives could bring to exergames: Enhanced engagement with characters and with the plot, increased motivation, repeated play sessions, and better behavioral consequence. However, the rewards offered by these possibilities may be offset by the challenges they pose. These challenges include the difficulty in fully integrating narratives into the gameplay, the players' limited information processing capacity, difficulty in measurement, the lack of full understanding of the player–character identification process, and the narrative saturation effects. Innovative research is needed to bridge the two potentially important domains. PMID:26181676

Knowledge Generated by Audiovisual Narrative Action Research Loops

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bautista Garcia-Vera, Antonio

2012-01-01

We present data collected from the research project funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Spain entitled "Audiovisual Narratives and Intercultural Relations in Education." One of the aims of the research was to determine the nature of thought processes occurring during audiovisual narratives. We studied the possibility of…

Emotions, narratives, and ethical mindfulness.

PubMed

Guillemin, Marilys; Gillam, Lynn

2015-06-01

Clinical care is laden with emotions, from the perspectives of both clinicians and patients. It is important that emotions are addressed in health professions curricula to ensure that clinicians are humane healers as well as technical experts. Emotions have a valuable and generative role in health professional ethics education.The authors have previously described a narrative ethics pedagogy, the aim of which is to develop ethical mindfulness. Ethical mindfulness is a state of being that acknowledges everyday ethics and ethically important moments as significant in clinical care, with the aim of enabling ethical clinical practice. Using a sample narrative, the authors extend this concept to examine five features of ethical mindfulness as they relate to emotions: (1) being sensitized to emotions in everyday practice, (2) acknowledging and understanding the ways in which emotions are significant in practice, (3) being able to articulate the emotions at play during ethically important moments, (4) being reflexive and acknowledging both the generative aspects and the limitations of emotions, and (5) being courageous.The process of writing and engaging with narratives can lead to ethical mindfulness, including the capacity to understand and work with emotions. Strategies for productively incorporating emotions in narrative ethics teaching are described. This can be a challenging domain within medical education for both educators and health care students and thus needs to be addressed sensitively and responsibly. The potential benefit of educating health professionals in a way which addresses emotionality in an ethical framework makes the challenges worthwhile.

Pain in elite athletes-neurophysiological, biomechanical and psychosocial considerations: a narrative review.

PubMed

Hainline, Brian; Turner, Judith A; Caneiro, J P; Stewart, Mike; Lorimer Moseley, G

2017-09-01

Pain is a common problem among elite athletes and is frequently associated with sport injury. Both injury and pain interfere with peak performance. Pain management should be based on the physiological, anatomical and psychosocial influences on the individual's pain and is not equivalent to injury management, which focuses on musculoskeletal recovery and return-to-play. This narrative review provides a foundation for understanding the differing causes and types of pain in elite athletes, thereby serving as a springboard for comprehensive pain management. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Anesthesia awareness: narrative review of psychological sequelae, treatment, and incidence.

PubMed

Bruchas, Robin R; Kent, Christopher D; Wilson, Hilary D; Domino, Karen B

2011-09-01

Awareness during general anesthesia occurs when patients recall events or sensations during their surgeries, although the patients should have been unconscious at the time. Anesthesiologists are cognizant of this phenomenon, but few discussions occur outside the discipline. This narrative review summarizes the patient recollections, psychological sequelae, treatment and follow-up of psychological consequences, as well as incidence and etiology of awareness during general anesthesia. Recalled memories include noises, conversations, images, mental processes, feelings of pain and/or paralysis. Psychological consequences include anxiety, flashbacks, and posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis. Limited discussion for therapeutic treatment after an anesthesia awareness experience exists. The incidence of anesthesia awareness ranges from 0.1 to 0.2% (e.g., 1-2/1000 patients). Increased recognition of awareness during general anesthesia within the psychological/counseling community, with additional research focusing on optimal therapeutic treatment, will improve the care of these patients.

Framing Effects in Narrative and Non-Narrative Risk Messages.

PubMed

Steinhardt, Joseph; Shapiro, Michael A

2015-08-01

Narrative messages are increasingly popular in health and risk campaigns, yet gain/loss framing effects have never been tested with such messages. Three experiments examined framing in narrative messages. Experiment 1 found that only the character's decision, not framing, influenced judgments about characters in a narrative derived from a prospect theory context. Experiment 2 found that a framing effect that occurred when presented in a decision format did not occur when the same situation was presented as a narrative. Using a different story/decision context, Experiment 3 found no significant difference in preference for surgery over radiation therapy in a narrative presentation compared to a non-narrative presentation. The results suggest that health and risk campaigns cannot assume that framing effects will be the same in narrative messages and non-narrative messages. Potential reasons for these differences and suggestions for future research are discussed. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Effectiveness and meaningful use of paediatric surgical safety checklists and their implementation strategies: a systematic review with narrative synthesis

PubMed Central

Lagoo, Janaka; Lopushinsky, Steven R; Haynes, Alex B; Bain, Paul; Flageole, Helene; Skarsgard, Erik D; Brindle, Mary E

2017-01-01

Objective To examine the effectiveness and meaningful use of paediatric surgical safety checklists (SSCs) and their implementation strategies through a systematic review with narrative synthesis. Summary background data Since the launch of the WHO SSC, checklists have been integrated into surgical systems worldwide. Information is sparse on how SSCs have been integrated into the paediatric surgical environment. Methods A broad search strategy was created using Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, Science Citation Index and Conference Proceedings Citation Index. Abstracts and full texts were screened independently, in duplicate for inclusion. Extracted study characteristic and outcomes generated themes explored through subgroup analyses and idea webbing. Results 1826 of 1921 studies were excluded after title and abstract review (kappa 0.77) and 47 after full-text review (kappa 0.86). 20 studies were of sufficient quality for narrative synthesis. Clinical outcomes were not affected by SSC introduction in studies without implementation strategies. A comprehensive SSC implementation strategy in developing countries demonstrated improved outcomes in high-risk surgeries. Narrative synthesis suggests that meaningful compliance is inconsistently measured and rarely achieved. Strategies involving feedback improved compliance. Stakeholder-developed implementation strategies, including team-based education, achieved greater acceptance. Three studies suggest that parental involvement in the SSC is valued by parents, nurses and physicians and may improve patient safety. Conclusions A SSC implementation strategy focused on paediatric patients and their families can achieve high acceptability and good compliance. SSCs’ role in improving measures of paediatric surgical outcome is not well established, but they may be effective when used within a comprehensive implementation strategy especially for high-risk patients in low-resource settings. PMID:29042377

HIV diagnosis rituals and identity narratives.

PubMed

Roth, N L; Nelson, M S

1997-04-01

Using the constitutive view of health communication as a framework, this essay explores the construction of HIV diagnoses in narratives about physician/patient interactions. Narrative analysis reveals the life-changing impact of HIV diagnosis and the incongruence of the routine ways in which most diagnoses are handled. It also highlights the importance of HIV-positive communities in the construction of HIV-positive identities. These analyses suggest a review of how all diagnoses are delivered, and a need for further exploration of the role of supportive communities in construction of identity.

An investigation of the speeding-related crash designation through crash narrative reviews sampled via logistic regression.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, Cole D; Rakasi, Saritha; Knodler, Michael A

2017-01-01

Speed is one of the most important factors in traffic safety as higher speeds are linked to increased crash risk and higher injury severities. Nearly a third of fatal crashes in the United States are designated as "speeding-related", which is defined as either "the driver behavior of exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions." While many studies have utilized the speeding-related designation in safety analyses, no studies have examined the underlying accuracy of this designation. Herein, we investigate the speeding-related crash designation through the development of a series of logistic regression models that were derived from the established speeding-related crash typologies and validated using a blind review, by multiple researchers, of 604 crash narratives. The developed logistic regression model accurately identified crashes which were not originally designated as speeding-related but had crash narratives that suggested speeding as a causative factor. Only 53.4% of crashes designated as speeding-related contained narratives which described speeding as a causative factor. Further investigation of these crashes revealed that the driver contributing code (DCC) of "driving too fast for conditions" was being used in three separate situations. Additionally, this DCC was also incorrectly used when "exceeding the posted speed limit" would likely have been a more appropriate designation. Finally, it was determined that the responding officer only utilized one DCC in 82% of crashes not designated as speeding-related but contained a narrative indicating speed as a contributing causal factor. The use of logistic regression models based upon speeding-related crash typologies offers a promising method by which all possible speeding-related crashes could be identified. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Narrative Style Influences Citation Frequency in Climate Change Science

PubMed Central

Hillier, Ann; Kelly, Ryan P.; Klinger, Terrie

2016-01-01

Peer-reviewed publications focusing on climate change are growing exponentially with the consequence that the uptake and influence of individual papers varies greatly. Here, we derive metrics of narrativity from psychology and literary theory, and use these metrics to test the hypothesis that more narrative climate change writing is more likely to be influential, using citation frequency as a proxy for influence. From a sample of 732 scientific abstracts drawn from the climate change literature, we find that articles with more narrative abstracts are cited more often. This effect is closely associated with journal identity: higher-impact journals tend to feature more narrative articles, and these articles tend to be cited more often. These results suggest that writing in a more narrative style increases the uptake and influence of articles in climate literature, and perhaps in scientific literature more broadly. PMID:27978538

Narrative Style Influences Citation Frequency in Climate Change Science.

PubMed

Hillier, Ann; Kelly, Ryan P; Klinger, Terrie

2016-01-01

Peer-reviewed publications focusing on climate change are growing exponentially with the consequence that the uptake and influence of individual papers varies greatly. Here, we derive metrics of narrativity from psychology and literary theory, and use these metrics to test the hypothesis that more narrative climate change writing is more likely to be influential, using citation frequency as a proxy for influence. From a sample of 732 scientific abstracts drawn from the climate change literature, we find that articles with more narrative abstracts are cited more often. This effect is closely associated with journal identity: higher-impact journals tend to feature more narrative articles, and these articles tend to be cited more often. These results suggest that writing in a more narrative style increases the uptake and influence of articles in climate literature, and perhaps in scientific literature more broadly.

Safety of treatment options for spondyloarthritis: a narrative review.

PubMed

D'Angelo, Salvatore; Carriero, Antonio; Gilio, Michele; Ursini, Francesco; Leccese, Pietro; Palazzi, Carlo

2018-05-01

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) are chronic inflammatory diseases with overlapping pathogenic mechanisms and clinical features. Treatment armamentarium against SpA includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids, conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs, including sulfasalazine, methotrexate, leflunomide, cyclosporine), targeted synthetic DMARDs (apremilast) and biological DMARDs (TNF inhibitors, anti-IL 12/23 and anti-IL-17 agents). Areas covered: A narrative review of published literature on safety profile of available SpA treatment options was performed. Readers will be provided with a comprehensive overview on frequent and rare adverse events associated with each drug listed in current SpA treatment recommendations. Expert opinion: The overall safety profile of such molecules is good and serious adverse events are rare but need to be promptly recognized and treated. However, the monitoring of adverse events is a major challenge for clinicians because it is not adequately addressed by current treatment recommendations. A tailored treatment is crucial and rheumatologists must accurately select patients in order to identify those more susceptible to develop adverse events.

[Public participation in health. A review of reviews].

PubMed

Mira, J J; Carrillo, I; Navarro, I; Guilabert, M; Vitaller, J; Pérez-Jover, V; Aguado, H

2018-04-30

This study aims to synthesize knowledge about the role of the public's participation in the definition, prioritization, rationalization, monitoring or control of policies, plans, governance, investment/disinvestment, and design of health services. Review of review articles (narrative or systematic) about consumer participation indexed in PubMed until August 2016. Forty-two reviews were identified (eighteen systematic and twenty-four narrative). The extent of participation was provincial/regional or national. The issues addressed covered: What is public participation? What benefits are expected? Who participates in the representation of citizens? How and to what extent do citizens participate and with what outcomes? The impact of public participation has hardly been studied. There is moderate evidence in support of the argument that public participation legitimizes decisions of the Health Authorities, and improves outcomes of health policies. There is consensus on how participation techniques should be applied but there is a need to inquire more deeply into the level of impact of this participation.

Physician Assistant Job Satisfaction: A Narrative Review of Empirical Research.

PubMed

Hooker, Roderick S; Kuilman, Luppo; Everett, Christine M

2015-12-01

To examine physician assistant (PA) job satisfaction and identify factors predicting job satisfaction and identify areas of needed research. With a global PA movement underway and a half-century in development, the empirical basis for informing employers of approaches to improve job satisfaction has not received a careful review. A narrative review of empirical research was undertaken to inform stakeholders about PA employment with a goal of improved management. The a priori criteria included published studies that asked PAs about job satisfaction. Articles addressing PA job satisfaction, written in English, were reviewed and categorized according to the Job Characteristics Model. Of 68 publications reviewed, 29 met criteria and were categorized in a Job Characteristics Model. Most studies report a high degree of job satisfaction when autonomy, income, patient responsibility, physician support, and career advancement opportunities are surveyed. Age, sex, specialty, and occupational background are needed to understand the effect on job satisfaction. Quality of studies varies widely. Employers may want to examine their relationships with PAs periodically. The factors of job satisfaction may assist policymakers and health administrators in creating welcoming professional employment environments. The main limitation: no study comprehensively evaluated all the antecedents of job satisfaction. PAs seem to experience job satisfaction supported by low attrition rates and competitive wages. Contributing factors are autonomy, experienced responsibility, pay, and supportive supervising physician. A number of intrinsic rewards derived from the performance of the job within the social environment, along with extrinsic rewards, may contribute to overall job satisfaction. PA job satisfaction research is underdeveloped; investigations should include longitudinal studies, cohort analyses, and economic determinants.

Heart rate variability measurement and clinical depression in acute coronary syndrome patients: narrative review of recent literature

PubMed Central

Harris, Patricia RE; Sommargren, Claire E; Stein, Phyllis K; Fung, Gordon L; Drew, Barbara J

2014-01-01

Aim We aimed to explore links between heart rate variability (HRV) and clinical depression in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), through a review of recent clinical research literature. Background Patients with ACS are at risk for both cardiac autonomic dysfunction and clinical depression. Both conditions can negatively impact the ability to recover from an acute physiological insult, such as unstable angina or myocardial infarction, increasing the risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. HRV is recognized as a reflection of autonomic function. Methods A narrative review was undertaken to evaluate state-of-the-art clinical research, using the PubMed database, January 2013. The search terms “heart rate variability” and “depression” were used in conjunction with “acute coronary syndrome”, “unstable angina”, or “myocardial infarction” to find clinical studies published within the past 10 years related to HRV and clinical depression, in patients with an ACS episode. Studies were included if HRV measurement and depression screening were undertaken during an ACS hospitalization or within 2 months of hospital discharge. Results Nine clinical studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies’ results indicate that there may be a relationship between abnormal HRV and clinical depression when assessed early after an ACS event, offering the possibility that these risk factors play a modest role in patient outcomes. Conclusion While a definitive conclusion about the relevance of HRV and clinical depression measurement in ACS patients would be premature, the literature suggests that these measures may provide additional information in risk assessment. Potential avenues for further research are proposed. PMID:25071372

Economic evaluations and their use in infection prevention and control: a narrative review.

PubMed

Rennert-May, Elissa; Conly, John; Leal, Jenine; Smith, Stephanie; Manns, Braden

2018-01-01

The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the different types of economic evaluations that can be utilized by Infection Prevention and Control practitioners with a particular focus on the use of the quality adjusted life year, and its associated challenges. We also highlight existing economic evaluations published within Infection Prevention and Control, research gaps and future directions. Narrative Review. To date the majority of economic evaluations within Infection Prevention and Control are considered partial economic evaluations. Acknowledging the challenges, which include variable utilities within infection prevention and control, a lack of randomized controlled trials, and difficulty in modelling infectious diseases in general, future economic evaluation studies should strive to be consistent with published guidelines for economic evaluations. This includes the use of quality adjusted life years. Further research is required to estimate utility scores of relevance within Infection Prevention and Control.

Narrativity and enaction: the social nature of literary narrative understanding

PubMed Central

Popova, Yanna B.

2014-01-01

This paper proposes an understanding of literary narrative as a form of social cognition and situates the study of such narratives in relation to the new comprehensive approach to human cognition, enaction. The particular form of enactive cognition that narrative understanding is proposed to depend on is that of participatory sense-making, as developed in the work of Di Paolo and De Jaegher. Currently there is no consensus as to what makes a good literary narrative, how it is understood, and why it plays such an irreplaceable role in human experience. The proposal thus identifies a gap in the existing research on narrative by describing narrative as a form of intersubjective process of sense-making between two agents, a teller and a reader. It argues that making sense of narrative literature is an interactional process of co-constructing a story-world with a narrator. Such an understanding of narrative makes a decisive break with both text-centered approaches that have dominated both structuralist and early cognitivist study of narrative, as well as pragmatic communicative ones that view narrative as a form of linguistic implicature. The interactive experience that narrative affords and necessitates at the same time, I argue, serves to highlight the active yet cooperative and communal nature of human sociality, expressed in the many forms than human beings interact in, including literary ones. PMID:25202286

Narrativity and enaction: the social nature of literary narrative understanding.

PubMed

Popova, Yanna B

2014-01-01

This paper proposes an understanding of literary narrative as a form of social cognition and situates the study of such narratives in relation to the new comprehensive approach to human cognition, enaction. The particular form of enactive cognition that narrative understanding is proposed to depend on is that of participatory sense-making, as developed in the work of Di Paolo and De Jaegher. Currently there is no consensus as to what makes a good literary narrative, how it is understood, and why it plays such an irreplaceable role in human experience. The proposal thus identifies a gap in the existing research on narrative by describing narrative as a form of intersubjective process of sense-making between two agents, a teller and a reader. It argues that making sense of narrative literature is an interactional process of co-constructing a story-world with a narrator. Such an understanding of narrative makes a decisive break with both text-centered approaches that have dominated both structuralist and early cognitivist study of narrative, as well as pragmatic communicative ones that view narrative as a form of linguistic implicature. The interactive experience that narrative affords and necessitates at the same time, I argue, serves to highlight the active yet cooperative and communal nature of human sociality, expressed in the many forms than human beings interact in, including literary ones.

How to improve the teaching of clinical reasoning: a narrative review and a proposal.

PubMed

Schmidt, Henk G; Mamede, Sílvia

2015-10-01

The development of clinical reasoning (CR) in students has traditionally been left to clinical rotations, which, however, often offer limited practice and suboptimal supervision. Medical schools begin to address these limitations by organising pre-clinical CR courses. The purpose of this paper is to review the variety of approaches employed in the teaching of CR and to present a proposal to improve these practices. We conducted a narrative review of the literature on teaching CR. To that end, we searched PubMed and Web of Science for papers published until June 2014. Additional publications were identified in the references cited in the initial papers. We used theoretical considerations to characterise approaches and noted empirical findings, when available. Of the 48 reviewed papers, only 24 reported empirical findings. The approaches to teaching CR were shown to vary on two dimensions. The first pertains to the way the case information is presented. The case is either unfolded to students gradually - the 'serial-cue' approach - or is presented in a 'whole-case' format. The second dimension concerns the purpose of the exercise: is its aim to help students acquire or apply knowledge, or is its purpose to teach students a way of thinking? The most prevalent approach is the serial-cue approach, perhaps because it tries to directly simulate the diagnostic activities of doctors. Evidence supporting its effectiveness is, however, lacking. There is some empirical evidence that whole-case, knowledge-oriented approaches contribute to the improvement of students' CR. However, thinking process-oriented approaches were shown to be largely ineffective. Based on research on how expertise develops in medicine, we argue that students in different phases of their training may benefit from different approaches to the teaching of CR. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Integrating Journalism Into Health Promotion: Creating and Disseminating Community Narratives.

PubMed

Brown, Louis D; Berryhill, Joseph C; Jones, Eric C

2018-06-01

Media coverage of mental health and other social issues often relies on episodic narratives that suggest individualistic causes and solutions, while reinforcing negative stereotypes. Community narratives can provide empowering alternatives, serving as media advocacy tools used to shape the policy debate on a social issue. This article provides health promotion researchers and practitioners with guidance on how to develop and disseminate community narratives to broaden awareness of social issues and build support for particular programs and policy solutions. To exemplify the community narrative development process and highlight important considerations, this article examines a narrative from a mental health consumer-run organization. In the narrative, people with mental health problems help one another while operating a nonprofit organization, thereby countering stigmatizing media portrayals of people with mental illness as dangerous and incompetent. The community narrative frame supports the use of consumer-run organizations, which are not well-known and receive little funding despite evidence of effectiveness. The article concludes by reviewing challenges to disseminating community narratives, such as creating a product of interest to media outlets, and potential solutions, such as engaging media representatives through community health partnerships and using social media to draw attention to the narratives.

The Contribution of Mixed Methods Research to the Field of Childhood Trauma: A Narrative Review Focused on Data Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boeije, Hennie; Slagt, Meike; van Wesel, Floryt

2013-01-01

In mixed methods research (MMR), integrating the quantitative and the qualitative components of a study is assumed to result in additional knowledge (or "yield"). This narrative review examines the extent to which MMR is used in the field of childhood trauma and provides directions for improving mixed methods studies in this field. A…

Patient values and preferences for antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation. A Narrative Systematic Review.

PubMed

Loewen, Peter S; Ji, Angela Tianshu; Kapanen, Anita; McClean, Alison

2017-06-02

Guidelines recommend that patients' values and preferences should be considered when selecting stroke prevention therapy for atrial fibrillation (SPAF). However, doing so is difficult, and tools to assist clinicians are sparse. We performed a narrative systematic review to provide clinicians with insights into the values and preferences of AF patients for SPAF antithrombotic therapy. Narrative systematic review of published literature from database inception. 1) What are patients' AF and SPAF therapy values and preferences? 2) How are SPAF therapy values and preferences affected by patient factors? 3) How does conveying risk information affect SPAF therapy preferences? and 4) What is known about patient values and preferences regarding novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for SPAF? Twenty-five studies were included. Overall study quality was moderate. Severe stroke was associated with the greatest disutility among AF outcomes and most patients value the stroke prevention efficacy of therapy more than other attributes. Utilities, values, and preferences about other outcomes and attributes of therapy are heterogeneous and unpredictable. Patients' therapy preferences usually align with their values when individualised risk information is presented, although divergence from this is common. Patients value the attributes of NOACs but frequently do not prefer NOACs over warfarin when all therapy-related attributes are considered. In conclusion, patients' values and preferences for SPAF antithrombotic therapy are heterogeneous and there is no substitute for directly clarifying patients' individual values and preferences. Research using choice modelling and tools to help clinicians and patients clarify their SPAF therapy values and preferences are needed.

Narrative Pedagogy: Transforming Nursing Education Through 15 Years of Research in Nursing Education.

PubMed

Ironside, Pamela M

This article provides a review of current disciplinary understanding of Narrative Pedagogy and describes the implications for ongoing transformation in nursing education. Narrative Pedagogy has been enacted and investigated by teachers around the world for more than 15 years. Few nursing educational innovations or pedagogies in nursing have been adopted in such an array of settings/levels. A review of the nursing literature was conducted to locate reports of research on and teaching innovations derived from Narrative Pedagogy. Narrative Pedagogy has an extensive and longitudinal body of research describing how the approach contributes to the educational transformation the discipline seeks. Narrative Pedagogy and the growing literature describing how it is enacted provides a way for teachers and students to persist in questioning their current understanding of nursing, the ways they think about the situations they encounter, and how their practice can best be learned.

Central sensitization in chronic low back pain: A narrative review.

PubMed

Sanzarello, Ilaria; Merlini, Luciano; Rosa, Michele Attilio; Perrone, Mariada; Frugiuele, Jacopo; Borghi, Raffaele; Faldini, Cesare

2016-11-21

Low back pain is one of the four most common disorders in all regions, and the greatest contributor to disability worldwide, adding 10.7% of total years lost due to this health state. The etiology of chronic low back pain is, in most of the cases (up to 85%), unknown or nonspecific, while the specific causes (specific spinal pathology and neuropathic/radicular disorders) are uncommon. Central sensitization has been recently recognized as a potential pathophysiological mechanism underlying a group of chronic pain conditions, and may be a contributory factor for a sub-group of patients with chronic low back pain. The purposes of this narrative review are twofold. First, to describe central sensitization and its symptoms and signs in patients with chronic pain disorders in order to allow its recognition in patients with nonspecific low back pain. Second, to provide general treatment principles of chronic low back pain with particular emphasis on pharmacotherapy targeting central sensitization.

Early diagnosis of autism and impact on prognosis: a narrative review

PubMed Central

Fernell, Elisabeth; Eriksson, Mats Anders; Gillberg, Christopher

2013-01-01

Autism spectrum disorders involve a set of clinical phenotypes that mirror an early onset of neurodevelopmental deviations, with core symptoms that can probably be related to a deficiency in the social instinct. Underlying the cognitive impairments there are physiological brain problems, caused by a large number of medical factors. This narrative review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses from the last 5 years (2008–2012) presents aspects from many areas in autism spectrum disorder research, with a particular focus on early intervention and the subsequent impact on prognosis. Other major areas discussed are epidemiology, early symptoms and screening, early diagnosis, neuropsychology, medical factors, and the existence of comorbidities. There is limited evidence that any of the broadband “early intervention” programs are effective in changing the natural long-term outcome for many individuals with an early diagnosis of autism. However, there is some evidence that Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) is an effective treatment for some children with ASD. Nevertheless, there is emerging consensus that early diagnosis and information are needed in order that an autism-friendly environment be “created” around affected individuals. PMID:23459124

The Cinematic Narrator: The Logic and Pragmatics of Impersonal Narration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgoyne, Robert

1990-01-01

Describes "impersonal narration," an approach that defends the concept of the cinematic narrator as a logical and pragmatic necessity. Compares this approach with existing theories of the cinematic narrator, addressing disagreements in the field of film narrative theory. (MM)

Humidification and heating of inhaled gas in patients with artificial airway. A narrative review.

PubMed

Plotnikow, Gustavo Adrián; Accoce, Matias; Navarro, Emiliano; Tiribelli, Norberto

2018-03-01

Instrumentation of the airways in critical patients (endotracheal tube or tracheostomy cannula) prevents them from performing their function of humidify and heating the inhaled gas. In addition, the administration of cold and dry medical gases and the high flows that patients experience during invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation generate an even worse condition. For this reason, a device for gas conditioning is needed, even in short-term treatments, to avoid potential damage to the structure and function of the respiratory epithelium. In the field of intensive therapy, the use of heat and moisture exchangers is common for this purpose, as is the use of active humidification systems. Acquiring knowledge about technical specifications and the advantages and disadvantages of each device is needed for proper use since the conditioning of inspired gases is a key intervention in patients with artificial airway and has become routine care. Incorrect selection or inappropriate configuration of a device can have a negative impact on clinical outcomes. The members of the Capítulo de Kinesiología Intensivista of the Sociedad Argentina de Terapia Intensiva conducted a narrative review aiming to show the available evidence regarding conditioning of inhaled gas in patients with artificial airways, going into detail on concepts related to the working principles of each one.

The emotional impact of loss narratives: event severity and narrative perspectives.

PubMed

Habermas, Tilmann; Diel, Verena

2010-06-01

Out of the complex influences of event, narrative and listener characteristics on narrative emotions, this paper focuses on event severity, narrative perspectives, mood, and dispositions for emotion regulation and empathy. Event severity and perspective representation were systematically varied in sad autobiographical narratives to study their influence on quantity and quality of readers' emotional response. Each of three stories were manipulated to contain elaborated perspectives, only the past protagonists' perspective (dramatic narration), and very little perspectives at all (impersonal narration). We predicted that event severity influences the quantity of emotional response, while degree of perspective representation influences plausibility and whether emotional responses are sympathetic or interactional, that is, directed against the narrator. Hypotheses were confirmed except for plausibility, and perspective representation had an effect only on anger against and dislike of the narrator. In a second study, impersonal narration evoked anger at and negative evaluations of the narrator which were related to blaming the narrator for showing too little emotional involvement. The generalizability of findings across emotions and implications for sharing of emotions in everyday and clinical settings are discussed.

Narrative review of telemedicine consultation in medical practice

PubMed Central

Di Cerbo, Alessandro; Morales-Medina, Julio Cesar; Palmieri, Beniamino; Iannitti, Tommaso

2015-01-01

Background The use of telemedicine has grown across several medical fields, due to the increasing number of “e-patients”. Objective This narrative review gives an overview of the growing use of telemedicine in different medical specialties, showing how its use can improve medical care. Methods A PubMed/Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus search was performed using the following keywords: telemedicine, teleconsultation, telehealth, e-health, and e-medicine. Selected papers from 1996 to 2014 were chosen on the basis of their content (quality and novelty). Results Telemedicine has already been applied to different areas of medical practice, and it is as effective as face-to-face medical care, at least for the diagnosis and treatment of some pathological conditions. Conclusion Telemedicine is time- and cost-effective for both patients and health care professionals, encouraging its use on a larger scale. Telemedicine provides specialist medical care to patients who have poor access to hospitals, and ensures continuity of care and optimal use of available health resources. The use of telemedicine opens new perspectives for patients seeking a medical second opinion for their pathology, since they can have remote access to medical resources that would otherwise require enormous costs and time. PMID:25609928

Could habits hold the key to weight loss maintenance? A narrative review.

PubMed

Cleo, G; Isenring, E; Thomas, R; Glasziou, P

2017-10-01

Despite the significance placed on lifestyle interventions for obesity management, most weight loss is followed by weight regain. Psychological concepts of habitual behaviour and automaticity have been suggested as plausible explanations for this overwhelming lack of long-term weight loss success. Interventions that focus on changing an individual's behaviour are not usually successful at changing an individual's habits because they do not incorporate the strategies required to break unhealthy habits and/or form new healthy habits. A narrative review was conducted and describes the theory behind habit formation in relation to weight regain. The review evaluated the effectiveness of using habits as tools to maintain weight loss. Three specific habit-based weight loss programmes are described: '10 Top Tips', 'Do Something Different' and 'Transforming Your Life'. Participants in these interventions achieved significant weight loss compared to a control group or other conventional interventions. Habit-based interventions show promising results in sustaining behaviour change. Weight loss maintenance may benefit from incorporating habit-focused strategies and should be investigated further. © 2017 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Kampo, A Japanese Traditional Medicinal System for Psychiatric Conditions: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Tatsumi, Laina; Suzuki, Takefumi; Yamada, Kazuo; Mimura, Masaru; Uchida, Hiroyuki

2018-06-25

Kampo is a Japanese traditional medicinal system and is represented by unity of mind and body. It is originally based upon Chinese traditional medicine but has uniquely developed in Japan. A narrative review on the use of Kampo for psychiatric conditions is provided. Kampo formula is a combination of several crude ingredients; most derive from natural plants and some from animals and minerals. These Kampo formulae are widely prescribed in almost all medical disciplines, including psychiatry, in Japan; they have been used for various psychiatric disorders such as dementia, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders. Kampo is a versatile traditional medicine with a variety of positive effects on mental states with relatively benign side effect profiles. Kampo formulae can be adjunctively combined with or substituted for the Western psychotropic drugs, which will provide more treatment options to patients with psychiatric conditions. This review summarizes the current knowledge on Kampo for psychiatric conditions, highlighting a paucity of data and a need for further good-quality evidence on these medications. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Meta-narrative analysis of sports injury reporting practices based on the Injury Definitions Concept Framework (IDCF): A review of consensus statements and epidemiological studies in athletics (track and field).

PubMed

Timpka, Toomas; Jacobsson, Jenny; Ekberg, Joakim; Finch, Caroline F; Bichenbach, Jerome; Edouard, Pascal; Bargoria, Victor; Branco, Pedro; Alonso, Juan Manuel

2015-11-01

Consistency in routines for reporting injury has been a focus of development efforts in sports epidemiology for a long time. To gain an improved understanding of current reporting practices, we applied the Injury Definitions Concept Framework (IDCF) in a review of injury reporting in a subset of the field. Meta-narrative review. An analysis of injury definitions reported in consensus statements for different sports and studies of injury epidemiology in athletics (track and field) published in PubMed between 1980 and 2013 was performed. Separate narratives for each of the three reporting contexts in the IDCF were constructed from the data. Six consensus statements and 14 studies reporting on athletics injury epidemiology fulfilled the selection criteria. The narratives on sports performance, clinical examination, and athlete self-report contexts were evenly represented in the eligible studies. The sports performance and athlete self-report narratives covered both professional and community athletes as well as training and competition settings. In the clinical examination narrative, data collection by health service professionals was linked to studies of professional athletes at international championships. From an application of the IDCF in a review of injury reporting in sports epidemiology we observed a parallel usage of reporting contexts in this field of research. The co-existence of reporting methodologies does not necessarily reflect a problematic situation, but only provided that firm precautions are taken when comparing studies performed in the different contexts. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cocaine and thrombosis: a narrative systematic review of clinical and in-vivo studies

PubMed Central

Wright, Nat MJ; Martin, Matthew; Goff, Tom; Morgan, John; Elworthy, Rebecca; Ghoneim, Shariffe

2007-01-01

Purpose To systematically review the literature pertaining to the link between cocaine and either arterial or venous thrombosis. Procedures Narrative systematic review of Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Psycinfo and Cochrane databases supplemented by hand trawling of relevant journals and reference lists up to April 2007. In-vivo studies and those with clinical endpoints were included in the review. Results A total of 2458 abstracts led to 186 full-text papers being retrieved. 15 met the criteria for inclusion in the review. The weight of evidence would support cocaine as a pro-thrombotic agent. There is evidence of it activating thrombotic pathways. The effect of cocaine upon clinical endpoints has not been quantified though there is evidence of an association between cocaine and myocardial infarction particularly amongst young adults. Cocaine may also be a causal agent in cerebrovascular accident though studies lacked sufficient power to determine a statistically significant effect. There is a gap in the evidence pertaining to the issue of cocaine and venous thrombosis. Conclusion Clinicians should consider questioning for cocaine use particularly amongst young adults who present with cardiac symptoms. More epidemiological work is required to quantify the effect of cocaine upon both arterial and venous clotting mechanisms. PMID:17880705

Teacher Narratives and Student Engagement: Testing Narrative Engagement Theory in Drug Prevention Education

PubMed Central

Miller-Day, Michelle; Hecht, Michael L.; Krieger, Janice L.; Pettigrew, Jonathan; Shin, YoungJu; Graham, John

2015-01-01

Testing narrative engagement theory, this study examines student engagement and teachers’ spontaneous narratives told in a narrative-based drug prevention curriculum. The study describes the extent to which teachers share their own narratives in a narrative-based curriculum, identifies dominant narrative elements, forms and functions, and assesses the relationships among teacher narratives, overall lesson narrative quality, and student engagement. One hundred videotaped lessons of the keepin’ it REAL drug prevention curriculum were coded and the results supported the claim that increased narrative quality of a prevention lesson would be associated with increased student engagement. The quality of narrativity, however, varied widely. Implications of these results for narrative-based prevention interventions and narrative pedagogy are discussed. PMID:26690668

Women's experiences with postpartum anxiety disorders: a narrative literature review.

PubMed

Ali, Elena

2018-01-01

Postpartum anxiety disorders are common and may have significant consequences for mothers and their children. This review examines the literature on women's experiences with postpartum generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), postpartum panic disorder (PD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, PsycINFO, and reference lists were searched. Qualitative and quantitative studies assessing women's experiences with GAD, postpartum PD, OCD, and PTSD were included. Narrative approach to literature synthesis was used. Fourteen studies (among 44 articles) met the criteria for review to identify descriptions of women's cognitive, affective, and somatic experiences related to postpartum anxiety disorders. Loss, frustration, and guilt, accompanied by physical symptoms of tension, were some of the experiences identified across studies. Most women suffered from more than one anxiety disorder, in addition to postpartum depression. To date, research has focused on prevalence rates of postpartum anxiety disorders, and evidence about clinical and subclinical symptoms of postpartum anxiety disorders and outcomes on mother and child is lacking. Postpartum anxiety disorders may have negative effects on parenting and child development; however, the nature of the underlying mechanisms is unclear. More robust longitudinal studies are needed to examine the impact of postpartum GAD, PD, OCD, and PTSD symptoms on the mother and the mother-child relationship to develop targets for therapeutic preventative interventions.

Family carers providing support to a person dying in the home setting: A narrative literature review.

PubMed

Morris, Sara M; King, Claire; Turner, Mary; Payne, Sheila

2015-06-01

This study is based on people dying at home relying on the care of unpaid family carers. There is growing recognition of the central role that family carers play and the burdens that they bear, but knowledge gaps remain around how to best support them. The aim of this study is to review the literature relating to the perspectives of family carers providing support to a person dying at home. A narrative literature review was chosen to provide an overview and synthesis of findings. The following search terms were used: caregiver, carer, 'terminal care', 'supportive care', 'end of life care', 'palliative care', 'domiciliary care' AND home AND death OR dying. During April-May 2013, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Pubmed, Cochrane Reviews and Citation Indexes were searched. Inclusion criteria were as follows: English language, empirical studies and literature reviews, adult carers, perspectives of family carers, articles focusing on family carers providing end-of-life care in the home and those published between 2000 and 2013. A total of 28 studies were included. The overarching themes were family carers' views on the impact of the home as a setting for end-of-life care, support that made a home death possible, family carer's views on deficits and gaps in support and transformations to the social and emotional space of the home. Many studies focus on the support needs of people caring for a dying family member at home, but few studies have considered how the home space is affected. Given the increasing tendency for home deaths, greater understanding of the interplay of factors affecting family carers may help improve community services. © The Author(s) 2015.

The effectiveness of apneic oxygenation during tracheal intubation in various clinical settings: a narrative review.

PubMed

Wong, David T; Yee, Amanda J; Leong, Siaw May; Chung, Frances

2017-04-01

During the process of tracheal intubation, patients are apneic or hypoventilating and are at risk of becoming hypoxemic. This risk is especially high in patients with acute or chronic respiratory failure and accompanying compromised respiratory reserve. To address this concern, apneic oxygenation can be administered during tracheal intubation to aid in maintaining arterial oxygen saturation. The objective of this narrative review is to examine the utilization of apneic oxygenation within the operating room, intensive care unit (ICU), emergency department, and pre-hospital settings and to determine its efficacy compared with controls. For this narrative review, we obtained pertinent articles using MEDLINE ® (1946 to April 2016), EMBASE™ (1974 to April 2016), Google Scholar, and manual searches. Apneic oxygenation was administered using various techniques, including the use of nasal prongs, nasopharyngeal or endotracheal catheters, or laryngoscopes. First, all 12 operating room studies showed that apneic oxygenation significantly prolonged the duration to, and incidence of, desaturation. Second, two of the five ICU studies showed a significantly smaller decline in oxygen saturation with apneic oxygenation, with three studies showing no statistically significant difference vs controls. Lastly, two emergency department or pre-hospital studies showed that the use of apneic oxygenation resulted in a significantly lower incidence of desaturation and smaller declines in oxygen saturation. Sixteen of the 19 studies showed that apneic oxygenation prolongs safe apneic time and reduces the incidence of arterial oxygen desaturation. Overall, studies in this review show that apneic oxygenation prolongs the time to oxygen desaturation during tracheal intubation. Nevertheless, the majority of the studies were small in size, and they neither measured nor were adequately powered to detect adverse respiratory events or other serious rare complications. Prolonged apneic oxygenation

Facebook, Political Narrative, and Political Change: A Case Study of Palestinian Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenderes, Amanda M.

2012-01-01

In this dissertation I aim to advance political narrative theory by exploring the use of political narrative on Facebook and the possibility for Facebook to be used among Palestinian youth for political change. To examine the concepts of political narrative and political change, I developed a model for political change based on the changing…

Pragmatics Abilities in Narrative Production: A Cross-Disorder Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norbury, Courtenay Frazier; Gemmell, Tracey; Paul, Rhea

2014-01-01

We aimed to disentangle contributions of socio-pragmatic and structural language deficits to narrative competence by comparing the narratives of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n=25), non-autistic children with language impairments (LI; n=23), and children with typical development (TD; n=27). Groups were matched for age (6½ to 15…

Association between physical activity and vitamin D: A narrative literature review.

PubMed

Fernandes, Marcos Rassi; Barreto, Waldivino Dos Reis

2017-06-01

This narrative review of the medical literature assessed whether outdoor and indoor physical activity would increase the plasma levels of vitamin D. Synthesis of this liposoluble vitamin is mainly mediated by sunlight on the skin, where it is activated to perform its main action, which is to control the serum levels of calcium as soon as the element is absorbed in the intestines, assisting in the regulation of bone metabolism. Physical activity is any body movement that results in energy expenditure, while outdoor physical activity refers to physical activity carried out at public parks or other open spaces, as is the case of the popular practice of taking walks. Exercising outdoors would have both the benefits of physical activity and of sun exposure, namely the synthesis of vitamin D. However, according to the studies analyzed, increased plasma concentration of vitamin D occurs with physical activity both indoors and outdoors.

Narrative review of provider behavior in primary care behavioral health: How process data can inform quality improvement.

PubMed

Beehler, Gregory P; Lilienthal, Kaitlin R; Possemato, Kyle; Johnson, Emily M; King, Paul R; Shepardson, Robyn L; Vair, Christina L; Reyner, Jacqueline; Funderburk, Jennifer S; Maisto, Stephen A; Wray, Laura O

2017-09-01

Primary care behavioral health (PCBH) is a population-based approach to delivering mental and behavioral health care in the primary care setting. Implementation of the PCBH model varies across practice settings, which can impact how PCBH providers deliver services to patients and in turn may predict a variety of important outcomes. This article aims to characterize PCBH provider engagement in key processes of integrated care as demonstrated in results from empirical studies of real-world clinical practice. For this narrative review of published studies on PCBH provider engagement in processes of care, PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched from January 1990 through May 2016 to identify relevant articles. Provider adherence to the brief, time-limited treatment model appears suboptimal. Common mental health conditions, such as depression, were often the primary focus of provider attention, with less consistent emphasis on behavioral medicine concerns. Whereas providers regularly conducted qualitative functional assessments with patients, routine use of standardized measures was low. Engagement in interprofessional collaboration with the primary care team was also low, but engagement in behaviors that fostered therapeutic relationships was high. This review identified several strengths and weaknesses of typical PCBH provider practices. Results are discussed in relation to their value as areas for future quality improvement initiatives that can improve PCBH service delivery and, ultimately, patient outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

A Study Space Analysis and Narrative Review of Trauma-Informed Mediators of Dating Violence.

PubMed

Cascardi, Michele; Jouriles, Ernest N

2018-07-01

Research linking child maltreatment and dating violence in adolescence and emerging adulthood has proliferated in the past two decades; however, the precise mechanisms by which these experiences are related remain elusive. A trauma-informed perspective suggests four particularly promising mediators: maladaptive attachment, emotion regulation difficulties, emotional distress, and hostility. The current article characterizes the status of the empirical literature examining these four mediators using a study space analysis and a narrative review of existing research. An extensive literature search identified 42 papers (44 studies) that met the following criteria: (1) at least one measure of child maltreatment (emotional, physical, sexual, neglect, or exposure to intimate partner violence); (2) a measure of one of the four mediator variables; (3) a measure of dating violence perpetration or victimization; and (4) a sample of adolescents or young adults. The study space analysis suggested several important observations about the research on this topic, including a dearth of studies examining hostility as a mediator and little research using prospective designs or clinical samples. There are also limitations with the conceptualization and measurement of dating violence, child maltreatment, and some of the mediator variables. In addition, few studies examined more than one mediator variable in the same study. The narrative review suggested that maladaptive attachment (specifically insecure attachment styles), emotion regulation difficulties (specifically regulation of the emotion of anger), and emotional distress construed broadly represent promising mediators of the association between child maltreatment and dating violence, but conclusions about mediation must remain tentative given the state of the literature. The discussion offers recommendations for improved theoretical and empirical rigor to advance future research on mechanisms linking child maltreatment and dating

Neural pathways for colorectal control, relevance to spinal cord injury and treatment: a narrative review.

PubMed

Callaghan, Brid; Furness, John B; Pustovit, Ruslan V

2018-03-01

Narrative review. The purpose is to review the organisation of the nerve pathways that control defecation and to relate this knowledge to the deficits in colorectal function after SCI. A literature review was conducted to identify salient features of defecation control pathways and the functional consequences of damage to these pathways in SCI. The control pathways for defecation have separate pontine centres under cortical control that influence defecation. The pontine centres connect, separately, with autonomic preganglionic neurons of the spinal defecation centres and somatic motor neurons of Onuf's nucleus in the sacral spinal cord. Organised propulsive motor patterns can be generated by stimulation of the spinal defecation centres. Activation of the somatic neurons contracts the external sphincter. The analysis aids in interpreting the consequences of SCI and predicts therapeutic strategies. Analysis of the bowel control circuits identifies sites at which bowel function may be modulated after SCI. Colokinetic drugs that elicit propulsive contractions of the colorectum may provide valuable augmentation of non-pharmacological bowel management procedures.

Text messaging-based smoking cessation intervention: a narrative review.

PubMed

Kong, Grace; Ells, Daniel M; Camenga, Deepa R; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra

2014-05-01

Smoking cessation interventions delivered via text messaging on mobile phones may enhance motivations to quit smoking. The goal of this narrative review is to describe the text messaging interventions' theoretical contents, frequency and duration, treatment outcome, and sample characteristics such as age and motivation to quit, to better inform the future development of this mode of intervention. Studies were included if text messaging was primarily used to deliver smoking cessation intervention and published in English in a peer-reviewed journal. All articles were coded by two independent raters to determine eligibility and to extract data. Twenty-two studies described 15 text messaging interventions. About half of the interventions recruited adults (ages 30-40) and the other half targeted young adults (ages 18-29). Fourteen interventions sent text messages during the quit phase, 10 had a preparation phase and eight had a maintenance phase. The number of text messages and the duration of the intervention varied. All used motivational messages grounded in social cognitive behavioral theories, 11 used behavioral change techniques, and 14 used individually tailored messages. Eleven interventions also offered other smoking cessation tools. Three interventions yielded smoking cessation outcomes greater than the control condition. The proliferation of text messaging in recent years suggests that text messaging interventions may have the potential to improve smoking cessation rates. Detailed summary of the interventions suggests areas for future research and clinical application. More rigorous studies are needed to identify components of the interventions that can enhance their acceptability, feasibility and efficacy. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Text Messaging-Based Smoking Cessation Intervention: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Kong, Grace; Ells, Daniel; Camenga, Deepa R.; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra

2014-01-01

Introduction Smoking cessation interventions delivered via text messaging on mobile phones may enhance motivations to quit smoking. The goal of this narrative review is to describe the text messaging interventions’ theoretical contents, frequency and duration, treatment outcome, and sample characteristics such as age and motivation to quit, to better inform the future development of this mode of intervention. Methods Studies were included if text messaging was primarily used to deliver smoking cessation intervention and published in English in a peer-reviewed journal. All articles were coded by two independent raters to determine eligibility and to extract data. Results Twenty-two studies described 15 text messaging interventions. About half of the interventions recruited adults (ages 30-40s) and the other half targeted young adults (ages 18-29). Fourteen interventions sent text messages during the quit phase, 10 had a preparation phase and eight had a maintenance phase. The number of text messages and the duration of the intervention varied. All used motivational messages grounded in social cognitive behavioral theories, 11 used behavioral change techniques, and 14 used individually tailored messages. Eleven interventions also offered other smoking cessation tools. Three interventions yielded smoking cessation outcomes greater than the control condition. Conclusions The proliferation of text messaging in recent years suggests that text messaging interventions may have the potential to improve smoking cessation rates. Detailed summary of the interventions suggest areas for future research and clinical application. More rigorous studies are needed to identify components of the interventions that can enhance their acceptability, feasibility and efficacy. PMID:24462528

History of cupping (Hijama): a narrative review of literature.

PubMed

Qureshi, Naseem Akhtar; Ali, Gazzaffi Ibrahim; Abushanab, Tamer Shaban; El-Olemy, Ahmed Tawfik; Alqaed, Meshari Saleh; El-Subai, Ibrahim S; Al-Bedah, Abdullah M N

2017-05-01

Cupping (Hijama in Arabic) is an ancient, holistic method for the treatment of a variety of diseases. Though the exact origin of cupping therapy is a matter of controversy, its use has been documented in early Egyptian and Chinese medical practices. Diverse human civilizations have contributed to the historical development and continuation of cupping therapy. This narrative review describes the history of cupping, historical definitions, cupping instruments and uses of cupping therapy. Electronic searches of relevant databases (PubMed, Google Scholar and OvidSP) were conducted using keywords and Boolean operators. Manual searches and references of published articles and books were also conducted. A number of articles (N = 625) were retained for extensive review, and finally 83 articles were included in this paper. The historical descriptions of cupping therapy were found in ancient human civilizations of the Eastern and Western world. There were inconsistent data concerning the origin of cupping, definitions, instruments, procedures, definite advancements and research in Hijama over centuries. Cupping therapy fell out of favor in 17th and mid-18th centuries but recovered popularity in modern medicine. Currently, cupping therapy is used for health promotion, prophylaxis and treatment of a variety of diseases around the world. Cupping therapy with a good safety profile has a checkered history and is a well-recognized traditional method for managing medical conditions. Currently, the scope of cupping therapy is expanding, and a growing body of research is providing additional evidence-based data for the further advancement of cupping therapy in the treatment of a variety of diseases.

A Narrative Review of How Sleep Related Breathing Disorders and Cardiovascular Diseases are Linked: An update for advanced practice registered nurses

PubMed Central

Phelan, Cynthia H.; Lauver, Diane R.; Bratzke, Lisa C.

2016-01-01

Purpose/ Objectives Sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs), including obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea, are common among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but clinicians often do not pay enough attention to SRBDs. The purpose of this narrative review is to update advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) on the literature focusing on the relationship between SRBDs and CVD (e.g., hypertension, heart failure, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, and stroke) and on treatments that can improve SRBDs in patients with CVD. Description of the project We conducted an electronic search of the literature published between1980 and 2016 from PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, and related health resources websites to address the aims of this study. Outcomes Fifty-six primary research articles (42 observational studies and 14 experimental and quasi-experimental studies) were selected based on our study aims and inclusion criteria. The studies revealed that individuals with CVD are at a greater risk for SRBDs and that SRBDs can worsen CVD. The findings from the studies also suggest that positive airway treatment could improve both SRBDs and CVD. Conclusions This review found a close relationship between SRBDs and CVD. APRNs are in key positions to identify and help patients manage SRBDs. In particular, APRNs can educate staff and establish standards of practice to improve outcomes for CVD patients. PMID:27753673

A Narrative Review of How Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders and Cardiovascular Diseases Are Linked: An Update for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.

PubMed

Moon, Chooza; Phelan, Cynthia H; Lauver, Diane R; Bratzke, Lisa C

Sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs), including obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea, are common among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but clinicians often do not pay enough attention to SRBDs. The purpose of this narrative review is to update advanced practice registered nurses on the literature focusing on the relationship between SRBDs and CVD (eg, hypertension, heart failure, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, and stroke) and on treatments that can improve SRBDs in patients with CVD. We conducted an electronic search of the literature published between 1980 and 2016 from PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, and related health resource Web sites to address the aims of this study. Fifty-six primary research articles (42 observational studies and 14 experimental and quasi-experimental studies) were selected based on our study aims and inclusion criteria. The studies revealed that individuals with CVD are at a greater risk for SRBDs and that SRBDs can worsen CVD. The findings from the studies also suggest that positive airway treatment could improve both SRBDs and CVD. This review found a close relationship between SRBDs and CVD. Advanced practice registered nurses are in key positions to identify and help patients manage SRBDs. In particular, advanced practice registered nurses can educate staff and establish standards of practice to improve outcomes for patients with CVD.

Images, Words, and Narrative Epistemology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleckenstein, Kristie S.

1996-01-01

Reviews work suggesting that imagery and language function in tandem to constitute a sense of being, and that metaphors of sight hold as much formative power as metaphors of word. Describes the limitations of language and the ways in which imagery compensates for that limitation. Discusses narrative of epistemology as a fusion of image and…

Visual narrative structure.

PubMed

Cohn, Neil

2013-04-01

Narratives are an integral part of human expression. In the graphic form, they range from cave paintings to Egyptian hieroglyphics, from the Bayeux Tapestry to modern day comic books (Kunzle, 1973; McCloud, 1993). Yet not much research has addressed the structure and comprehension of narrative images, for example, how do people create meaning out of sequential images? This piece helps fill the gap by presenting a theory of Narrative Grammar. We describe the basic narrative categories and their relationship to a canonical narrative arc, followed by a discussion of complex structures that extend beyond the canonical schema. This demands that the canonical arc be reconsidered as a generative schema whereby any narrative category can be expanded into a node in a tree structure. Narrative "pacing" is interpreted as a reflection of various patterns of this embedding: conjunction, left-branching trees, center-embedded constituencies, and others. Following this, diagnostic methods are proposed for testing narrative categories and constituency. Finally, we outline the applicability of this theory beyond sequential images, such as to film and verbal discourse, and compare this theory with previous approaches to narrative and discourse. Copyright © 2012 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Narratives of psychiatric malingering in works of fiction.

PubMed

Kuperman, V

2006-12-01

This paper argues that the representation of psychiatric malingering in literary and cinematographic narratives informs societal stereotypes, and thus influences the clinical phenomenology of malingering. The study aims to identify sociocultural models of malingering in contemporary Western society based on the narrative analysis of about 60 fictional and non-fiction texts. Two behavioural patterns derived from the Foucauldian categories folly and madness are recognisable in naïve conceptualisations of fake insanity. Fabricated significations of deviation originate in grand societal narratives rather than in medical discourse, and construct characters such as animal like underdeveloped simpletons or detached, irrational, violent madmen. Each pattern stems from its own archaic conceptual basis and dictates a distinct framework for strategies of malingering. The semiotic structure of artistic narratives of malingering is discussed in comparison with the symptomatology of existing psychiatric models.

Using Narrative Intervention to Accelerate Canonical Story Grammar and Complex Language Growth in Culturally Diverse Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Douglas B.; Spencer, Trina D.

2016-01-01

Oral narratives are a commonly used, meaningful means of communication that reflects academic language. New state curriculum standards include narrative-related language expectations for young school-age children, including story grammar and complex language. This article provides a review of preschool narrative-based language intervention…

Physical Activity to Reduce Systemic Inflammation Associated With Chronic Pain and Obesity: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Paley, Carole A; Johnson, Mark I

2016-04-01

The increasing prevalence of chronic pain and obesity has significant health and cost implications for economies in the developed and developing world. Evidence suggests that there is a positive correlation between obesity and chronic pain and the link between them is thought to be systemic inflammation. The aim of this narrative review was to explore the physiological links between chronic musculoskeletal pain and obesity and to consider the potential role of regular physical activity in providing a means of managing obesity-related chronic pain. Systemic inflammation, mechanical overload, and autonomic dysfunction are associated with increased prevalence and severity of chronic pain in individuals with obesity. It has been proposed, therefore, that interventions that target systemic inflammation could help to reduce chronic pain in obese individuals. Reduction in abdominal fat has been shown to alleviate pain and reduce the systemic markers of inflammation that contribute to chronic pain. Interventions that include exercise prescription have been shown to reduce both abdominal fat and systemic inflammation. Furthermore, exercise is also known to reduce pain perception and improve mental health and quality of life that also improves pain outcomes. However, adherence to formal exercise prescription is poor and therefore exercise programmes should be tailored to the interests, needs, and abilities of individuals to reduce attrition.

"Response to Comments": Finding the Narrative in Narrative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coulter, Cathy A.

2009-01-01

The author responds to comments by Barone (2009), Clandinin and Murphy (2009), and M. W. Smith (2009) on "The Construction Zone: Literary Elements in Narrative Research" (Coulter & M. L. Smith, 2009). She clarifies issues regarding point of view, authorial surplus, narrative coherence, and the relational qualities of narrative research. She…

Oak Ridge Reservation environmental report for 1992. Volume 1: Narrative

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

Koncinski, W.S.

The two volumes of this report present data and supporting narratives regarding the impact of the US Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) on its environs and the public during 1992. This Volume (Volume 1) includes all narrative descriptions, summaries, and conclusions and is intended to be a ``stand-alone`` report for the reader who does not want to review in detail all of the 1992 data for the ORR. Volume 2 includes the detailed data in formats that ensure all the environmental data are represented. Narratives are not included in Vol. 2.

The value of 'positive' clinical signs for weakness, sensory and gait disorders in conversion disorder: a systematic and narrative review.

PubMed

Daum, Corinna; Hubschmid, Monica; Aybek, Selma

2014-02-01

Experts in the field of conversion disorder have suggested for the upcoming DSM-V edition to put less weight on the associated psychological factors and to emphasise the role of clinical findings. Indeed, a critical step in reaching a diagnosis of conversion disorder is careful bedside neurological examination, aimed at excluding organic signs and identifying 'positive' signs suggestive of a functional disorder. These positive signs are well known to all trained neurologists but their validity is still not established. The aim of this study is to provide current evidence regarding their sensitivity and specificity. We conducted a systematic search on motor, sensory and gait functional signs in Embase, Medline, PsycINfo from 1965 to June 2012. Studies in English, German or French reporting objective data on more than 10 participants in a controlled design were included in a systematic review. Other relevant signs are discussed in a narrative review. Eleven controlled studies (out of 147 eligible articles) describing 14 signs (7 motor, 5 sensory, 2 gait) reported low sensitivity of 8-100% but high specificity of 92-100%. Studies were evidence class III, only two had a blinded design and none reported on inter-rater reliability of the signs. Clinical signs for functional neurological symptoms are numerous but only 14 have been validated; overall they have low sensitivity but high specificity and their use should thus be recommended, especially with the introduction of the new DSM-V criteria.

Why does the need for medication become a barrier to breastfeeding? A narrative review.

PubMed

McClatchey, Alyson K; Shield, Alison; Cheong, Lynn H; Ferguson, Sally L; Cooper, Gabrielle M; Kyle, Gregory J

2017-12-16

The need for medication during lactation can contribute to the early cessation of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding women may require medication for acute or chronic health conditions. For some women this need for medication can become a barrier to breastfeeding; this is despite the fact that the majority of medications are considered to be compatible with lactation. This narrative review aims to investigate factors relating to medicines safety that could contribute to medication unnecessarily becoming a barrier to breastfeeding. A selective literature search using PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar was conducted over a 6-month period using the search terms "breastfeeding", "lactation", "medication" and "information". Articles were assessed to identify whether they addressed the impact of medication use on the decision to breastfeed. Fifty six articles were identified as having appropriate discussion about decision making for the safe use of medication during lactation. Themes identified included variable and conflicting safety advice for medicines; difficulty interpreting risks associated with medicine use; societal pressures faced by the breastfeeding woman; and the varied knowledge and training of health professionals involved in the care of breastfeeding women. Poor quality of information about medicine safety during lactation can contribute to confusion in giving recommendations. This confusion can result in early cessation of breastfeeding or insufficient health care for the breastfeeding woman. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Humidification and heating of inhaled gas in patients with artificial airway. A narrative review

PubMed Central

Plotnikow, Gustavo Adrián; Accoce, Matias; Navarro, Emiliano; Tiribelli, Norberto

2018-01-01

Instrumentation of the airways in critical patients (endotracheal tube or tracheostomy cannula) prevents them from performing their function of humidify and heating the inhaled gas. In addition, the administration of cold and dry medical gases and the high flows that patients experience during invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation generate an even worse condition. For this reason, a device for gas conditioning is needed, even in short-term treatments, to avoid potential damage to the structure and function of the respiratory epithelium. In the field of intensive therapy, the use of heat and moisture exchangers is common for this purpose, as is the use of active humidification systems. Acquiring knowledge about technical specifications and the advantages and disadvantages of each device is needed for proper use since the conditioning of inspired gases is a key intervention in patients with artificial airway and has become routine care. Incorrect selection or inappropriate configuration of a device can have a negative impact on clinical outcomes. The members of the Capítulo de Kinesiología Intensivista of the Sociedad Argentina de Terapia Intensiva conducted a narrative review aiming to show the available evidence regarding conditioning of inhaled gas in patients with artificial airways, going into detail on concepts related to the working principles of each one. PMID:29742220

Virtual Heritage Tours: Developing Interactive Narrative-Based Environments for Historical Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuck, Deborah; Kuksa, Iryna

In the last decade there has been a noticeable growth in the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies for reconstructing cultural heritage sites. However, many of these virtual reconstructions evidence little of sites' social histories. Narrating the Past is a research project that aims to re-address this issue by investigating methods for embedding social histories within cultural heritage sites and by creating narrative based virtual environments (VEs) within them. The project aims to enhance the visitor's knowledge and understanding by developing a navigable 3D story space, in which participants are immersed. This has the potential to create a malleable virtual environment allowing the visitor to configure their own narrative paths.

Discussing the Effects of Poor Health Literacy on Patients Facing HIV: A Narrative Literature Review

PubMed Central

Palumbo, Rocco

2015-01-01

Background: Scholars describe poor health literacy as a "silent epidemic," which is challenging the functioning of healthcare systems all over the world. Health literacy is mainly meant as an individual trait which concerns the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information in order to effectively navigate the health system. Low health literate patients perceive poor self-efficacy dealing with their health conditions, are not willing to be involved in the provision of care, show larger risks of hospitalization and mortality, and are not aware about the determinants of well-being. Hence, limited health literacy has been associated with inadequate management of long-term conditions; nonetheless, several authors argue that health literacy has been an overlooked factor dealing with HIV. Methods: This study is aimed at discussing the effects of poor health literacy on people living with HIV, drawing from the findings of a narrative literature review which involved 41 papers retrieved from the databases "Scopus-Elsevier" and "PubMed." Results: The scientific literature is not consistent dealing with the relationship between health literacy and HIV treatment. For example, health literate patients seem to better understand their health conditions; on the other hand, people living with poor health literacy are likely to report higher compliance with providers’ prescriptions, blindly trusting healthcare professionals. Conclusions: Poor health literacy is a social barrier to access healthcare services and to appropriate health treatment among patients living with HIV. Tailored interventions should be aimed at enhancing the health skills of patients affected by HIV infection to improve their ability to navigate the health system. PMID:26188806

Narrative Review of Statistical Reporting Checklists, Mandatory Statistical Editing, and Rectifying Common Problems in the Reporting of Scientific Articles.

PubMed

Dexter, Franklin; Shafer, Steven L

2017-03-01

Considerable attention has been drawn to poor reproducibility in the biomedical literature. One explanation is inadequate reporting of statistical methods by authors and inadequate assessment of statistical reporting and methods during peer review. In this narrative review, we examine scientific studies of several well-publicized efforts to improve statistical reporting. We also review several retrospective assessments of the impact of these efforts. These studies show that instructions to authors and statistical checklists are not sufficient; no findings suggested that either improves the quality of statistical methods and reporting. Second, even basic statistics, such as power analyses, are frequently missing or incorrectly performed. Third, statistical review is needed for all papers that involve data analysis. A consistent finding in the studies was that nonstatistical reviewers (eg, "scientific reviewers") and journal editors generally poorly assess statistical quality. We finish by discussing our experience with statistical review at Anesthesia & Analgesia from 2006 to 2016.

Rumination and self-reflection in stress narratives and relations to psychological functioning.

PubMed

Marin, Kelly A; Rotondo, Elena K

2017-01-01

The longitudinal study aims to expand what is known about the costs and benefits of narrating stressful experiences by exploring changes in rumination within the narrative process and comparing it to changes in self-reflection. Rumination (e.g., brooding, self-criticism, and negative emotions) and self-reflection were measured in stress narratives of 56 college students. There were several goals: (1) examine changes in narrative rumination and narrative self-reflection over 3 days of writing, (2) examine the relations among the changes in narrative rumination variables and narrative self-reflection and (3) examine how changes in narrative rumination and narrative self-reflection relate to multiple measures of psychological functioning. Overall, individuals increased self-reflection over the 3-day writing task. Individuals who increased ruminative brooding across the 3 days of writing showed lower ego identity development (short term and long term) and self-esteem (short term), while increased self-criticism was positively correlated with identity distress (short term). Implications of the different aspects of narrative rumination, specifically in the context of stressful experiences, are discussed.

Rorty's Social Theory and the Narrative of U.S. History Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Jesse; Montgomery, Sarah; Ables, Connie

2010-01-01

This paper explores the implications for creating a U.S. history narrative from a Rortyan perspective. First, we review Rorty's social theory. Second, we discuss implications of his ideas regarding the creation of a U.S. history narrative based upon his ideas. Finally, we examine two concerns that would likely emerge if a Rortyan U.S. history…

Recent Work on Flourishing as the Aim of Education: A Critical Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kristjánsson, Kristján

2017-01-01

Flourishing, understood along semi-Aristotelian lines, has re-emerged recently as an account of the ideal aim of education, for instance, in works by educational philosophers Brighouse, White and de Ruyter. This article aims at critically reviewing this new paradigm by subjecting it to philosophical and educational scrutiny. Throughout I compare…

Narrative means to manage responsibility in life narratives across adolescence.

PubMed

De Silveira, Cybèle; Habermas, Tilmann

2011-01-01

Adolescence is a passage from dependence to adult responsibility. Alongside identity development, social-cognitive development, and the ability to construct a life story, adolescents become increasingly aware of both their potential responsibility in an expanded sphere of life and of complex, contextual influences on their lives. This was partially tested in a cross-sectional study, both in terms of linguistic means and content expressed in life narratives. Indicators were defined for narrative agency, grading of responsibility, serendipity, and turning points, and tested for age differences in relative frequencies in 102 life narratives from age groups of 8, 12, 16, and 20 years, balanced for gender. Narrative grading of responsibility, serendipity, and turning points increased throughout adolescence. The relative frequency of narrative agency, in contrast, remained constant across age groups. Results are interpreted in the context of adolescent development of narrative identity.

Sexual Positioning Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Dangerfield, Derek T; Smith, Laramie R; Williams, Jeffery; Unger, Jennifer; Bluthenthal, Ricky

2017-05-01

Sexual positioning practices among men who have sex with men (MSM) have not received a thorough discussion in the MSM and HIV literature, given that risks for acquiring or transmitting HIV and STIs via condomless anal sex vary according to sexual positioning. MSM bear a disproportionate burden of HIV compared to the general population in the United States; surveillance efforts suggest that HIV and STIs are increasing among domestic and international populations of MSM. We conducted a narrative review, using a targeted literature search strategy, as an initial effort to explore processes through which sexual positioning practices may contribute to HIV/STI transmission. Peer-reviewed articles were eligible for inclusion if they contained a measure of sexual positioning identity and/or behavior (i.e., "top", "bottom," etc.) or sexual positioning behavior (receptive anal intercourse or insertive anal intercourse), or assessed the relationship between sexual positioning identity with HIV risk, anal sex practice, masculinity, power, partner type, or HIV status. A total of 23 articles met our inclusion criteria. This review highlights dynamic psychosocial processes likely underlying sexual decision making related to sexual positioning identity and practices among MSM and MSM who have sex with women (MSMW), and ways these contexts may influence HIV/STI risk. Despite limited focus in the extant literature, this review notes the important role the contextual factors (masculinity stereotypes, power, partner type, and HIV status) likely to play in influencing sexual positioning identity and practices. Through this review we offer an initial synthesis of the literature describing sexual positioning identities and practices and conceptual model to provide insight into important areas of study through future research.

Sexual Positioning among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Dangerfield, Derek T.; Smith, Laramie R.; Williams, Jeffery; Unger, Jennifer; Bluthenthal, Ricky

2017-01-01

Sexual positioning practices among men who have sex with men (MSM) have not received a thorough discussion in the MSM and HIV literature, given that risks for acquiring or transmitting HIV and STIs via condomless anal sex vary according to sexual positioning. MSM bear a disproportionate burden of HIV compared to the general population in the United States; surveillance efforts suggest that HIV and STIs are increasing among domestic and international populations of MSM. We conducted a narrative review, using a targeted literature search strategy, as an initial effort to explore processes through which sexual positioning practices may contribute to HIV/STI transmission. Peer-reviewed articles were eligible for inclusion if they contained a measure of sexual positioning identity and/or behavior (i.e. “top,” “bottom,” etc.) or sexual positioning behavior (receptive anal intercourse [RAI] or insertive anal intercourse [IAI]), or assessed the relationship between sexual positioning identity with HIV risk, anal sex practice, masculinity, power, partner type, or HIV status. A total of 23 articles met our inclusion criteria. This review highlights dynamic psycho-social processes likely underlying sexual decision-making related to sexual positioning identity and practices among MSM and MSM who have sex with women (MSMW), and ways these contexts may influence HIV/STI risk. Despite limited focus in the extant literature, this review notes the important role contextual factors (masculinity stereotypes, power, partner type, and HIV status) likely play in influencing sexual positioning identity and practices. Through this review we offer an initial synthesis of the literature describing sexual positioning identities and practices and conceptual model to provide insight into important areas of study through future research. PMID:27178171

The centrality of fear extinction in linking risk factors to PTSD: A narrative review.

PubMed

Zuj, Daniel V; Palmer, Matthew A; Lommen, Miriam J J; Felmingham, Kim L

2016-10-01

Recent prospective studies in emergency services have identified impaired fear extinction learning and memory to be a significant predictor of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), complementing a wealth of cross-sectional evidence of extinction deficits associated with the disorder. Additional fields of research show specific risk factors and biomarkers of the disorder, including candidate genotypes, stress and sex hormones, cognitive factors, and sleep disturbances. Studies in mostly nonclinical populations also reveal that the aforementioned factors are involved in fear extinction learning and memory. Here, we provide a comprehensive narrative review of the literature linking PTSD to these risk factors, and linking these risk factors to impaired fear extinction. On balance, the evidence suggests that fear extinction may play a role in the relationship between risk factors and PTSD. Should this notion hold true, this review carries important implications for the improvement of exposure-based treatments, as well as strategies for the implementation of treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The RE-AIM Framework: A Systematic Review of Use Over Time

PubMed Central

Shoup, Jo Ann; Glasgow, Russell E.

2013-01-01

We provided a synthesis of use, summarized key issues in applying, and highlighted exemplary applications in the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. We articulated key RE-AIM criteria by reviewing the published literature from 1999 to 2010 in several databases to describe the application and reporting on various RE-AIM dimensions. After excluding nonempirical articles, case studies, and commentaries, 71 articles were identified. The most frequent publications were on physical activity, obesity, and disease management. Four articles reported solely on 1 dimension compared with 44 articles that reported on all 5 dimensions of the framework. RE-AIM was broadly applied, but several criteria were not reported consistently. PMID:23597377

Clearing the air: protocol for a systematic meta-narrative review on the harms and benefits of e-cigarettes and vapour devices.

PubMed

MacDonald, Marjorie; O'Leary, Renee; Stockwell, Tim; Reist, Dan

2016-05-21

Under the shadow of the tobacco epidemic, the sale and use of e-cigarettes and other vapour devices is increasing dramatically. A contentious debate has risen within public health over the harms and benefits of these devices. Clearing the Air seeks to clarify the issues with a systematic review that informs the pressing regulatory and public health decisions to be made regarding these new products. Using an integrated knowledge translation approach, public health researchers and knowledge users will work collaboratively throughout the project. Our research questions are the following: (1) What are the health risks and benefits of vapour devices, and how do these compare to cigarettes? (2) What is the harm reduction potential of vapour devices for individuals, the environment, and society? (3) Does youth vapour device experimentation lead to cigarette use? (4) Can vapour devices be effective aids for tobacco cessation? and (5) What is the potential toxicity of second-hand vapour? We are using meta-narrative review to synthesize studies from diverse research traditions because of its capacity to address contestations around a topic. The project has six phases. In the planning phase, we finalized the research questions. In the search phase, we are locating academic publications and grey literature aided by a research librarian. The mapping phase involves categorizing these papers into research traditions to understand different perspectives on the evidence for each research question. In the appraisal phase, we will select and evaluate the relevant papers. Finally, in the synthesis phase, using analytic techniques unique to meta-narrative methodology, we will compare and contrast the evidence from different research traditions to answer our research questions, identifying overarching meta-narratives. In the final stage, the full team will draft recommendations to be disseminated through a variety of knowledge translation strategies. Meta-narrative synthesis has the

Pragmatics abilities in narrative production: a cross-disorder comparison.

PubMed

Norbury, Courtenay Frazier; Gemmell, Tracey; Paul, Rhea

2014-05-01

We aimed to disentangle contributions of socio-pragmatic and structural language deficits to narrative competence by comparing the narratives of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 25), non-autistic children with language impairments (LI; n = 23), and children with typical development (TD; n = 27). Groups were matched for age (6½ to 15 years; mean: 10;6) and non-verbal ability; ASD and TD groups were matched on standardized language scores. Despite distinct clinical presentation, children with ASD and LI produced similarly simple narratives that lacked semantic richness and omitted important story elements, when compared to TD peers. Pragmatic errors were common across groups. Within the LI group, pragmatic errors were negatively correlated with story macrostructure scores and with an index of semantic-pragmatic relevance. For the group with ASD, pragmatic errors consisted of comments that, though extraneous, did not detract from the gist of the narrative. These findings underline the importance of both language and socio-pragmatic skill for producing coherent, appropriate narratives.

Narrative and Chaos Acknowledging the Novelty of Lives-in-Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randall, William L.

2007-01-01

In this paper I propose that interest in "narrative" within the human sciences is comparable to interest in "chaos" within the natural sciences. In their respective ways, theories on narrative and theories on chaos are aimed at appreciating the dynamics of complex, multi-dimensional systems which otherwise resist our attempts to predict, measure,…

Metrics for Electronic-Nursing-Record-Based Narratives: cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Kim, Kidong; Jeong, Suyeon; Lee, Kyogu; Park, Hyeoun-Ae; Min, Yul Ha; Lee, Joo Yun; Kim, Yekyung; Yoo, Sooyoung; Doh, Gippeum; Ahn, Soyeon

2016-11-30

We aimed to determine the characteristics of quantitative metrics for nursing narratives documented in electronic nursing records and their association with hospital admission traits and diagnoses in a large data set not limited to specific patient events or hypotheses. We collected 135,406,873 electronic, structured coded nursing narratives from 231,494 hospital admissions of patients discharged between 2008 and 2012 at a tertiary teaching institution that routinely uses an electronic health records system. The standardized number of nursing narratives (i.e., the total number of nursing narratives divided by the length of the hospital stay) was suggested to integrate the frequency and quantity of nursing documentation. The standardized number of nursing narratives was higher for patients aged ≥ 70 years (median = 30.2 narratives/day, interquartile range [IQR] = 24.0-39.4 narratives/day), long (≥ 8 days) hospital stays (median = 34.6 narratives/day, IQR = 27.2-43.5 narratives/day), and hospital deaths (median = 59.1 narratives/day, IQR = 47.0-74.8 narratives/day). The standardized number of narratives was higher in "pregnancy, childbirth, and puerperium" (median = 46.5, IQR = 39.0-54.7) and "diseases of the circulatory system" admissions (median = 35.7, IQR = 29.0-43.4). Diverse hospital admissions can be consistently described with nursing-document-derived metrics for similar hospital admissions and diagnoses. Some areas of hospital admissions may have consistently increasing volumes of nursing documentation across years. Usability of electronic nursing document metrics for evaluating healthcare requires multiple aspects of hospital admissions to be considered.

What has changed in canine pyoderma? A narrative review.

PubMed

Loeffler, A; Lloyd, D H

2018-05-01

Canine pyoderma is a common presentation in small animal practice and frequently leads to prescription of systemic antimicrobial agents. A good foundation of knowledge on pyoderma was established during the 1970s and 1980s, when treatment of infection provided relatively few challenges. However, the ability to treat canine pyoderma effectively is now limited substantially by the emergence of multidrug-resistant, methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) and, in some countries, by restrictions on antimicrobial prescribing for pets. The threat from rising antimicrobial resistance and the zoonotic potential of MRS add a new dimension of public health implications to the management of canine pyoderma and necessitate a revisit and the search for new best management strategies. This narrative review focusses on the impact of MRS on how canine pyoderma is managed and how traditional treatment recommendations need to be updated in the interest of good antimicrobial stewardship. Background information on clinical characteristics, pathogens, and appropriate clinical and microbiological diagnostic techniques, are reviewed in so far as they can support early identification of multidrug-resistant pathogens. The potential of new approaches for the control and treatment of bacterial skin infections is examined and the role of owner education and hygiene is highlighted. Dogs with pyoderma offer opportunities for good antimicrobial stewardship by making use of the unique accessibility of the skin through cytology, bacterial culture and topical therapy. In order to achieve long term success and to limit the spread of multidrug resistance, there is a need to focus on identification and correction of underlying diseases that trigger pyoderma in order to avoid repeated treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Body composition and functional assessment of nutritional status in adults: a narrative review of imaging, impedance, strength and functional techniques.

PubMed

Smith, S; Madden, A M

2016-12-01

The accurate and valid assessment of body composition is essential for the diagnostic evaluation of nutritional status, identifying relevant outcome measures, and determining the effectiveness of current and future nutritional interventions. Developments in technology and our understanding of the influences of body composition on risk and outcome will provide practitioners with new opportunities to enhance current practice and to lead future improvements in practice. This is the second of a two-part narrative review that aims to critically evaluate body composition methodology in diverse adult populations, with a primary focus on its use in the assessment and monitoring of under-nutrition. Part one focused on anthropometric variables [Madden and Smith (2016) J Hum Nutr Diet 29: 7-25] and part two focuses on the use of imaging techniques, bioelectrical impedance analysis, markers of muscle strength and functional status, with particular reference to developments relevant to practice. © 2016 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Effective Strategies for Global Health Research, Training and Clinical Care: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Walker, Rebekah J.; Campbell, Jennifer A.; Egede, Leonard E.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this narrative review was to synthesize the evidence on effective strategies for global health research, training and clinical care in order to identify common structures that have been used to guide program development. A Medline search from 2001 to 2011 produced 951 articles, which were reviewed and categorized. Thirty articles met criteria to be included in this review. Eleven articles discussed recommendations for research, 8 discussed training and 11 discussed clinical care. Global health program development should be completed within the framework of a larger institutional commitment or partnership. Support from leadership in the university or NGO, and an engaged local community are both integral to success and sustainability of efforts. It is also important for program development to engage local partners from the onset, jointly exploring issues and developing goals and objectives. Evaluation is a recommended way to determine if goals are being met, and should include considerations of sustainability, partnership building, and capacity. Global health research programs should consider details regarding the research process, context of research, partnerships, and community relationships. Training for global health should involve mentorship, pre-departure preparation of students, and elements developed to increase impact. Clinical care programs should focus on collaboration, sustainability, meeting local needs, and appropriate process considerations. PMID:25716404

Coherence of Personal Narratives across the Lifespan: A Multidimensional Model and Coding Method

PubMed Central

Reese, Elaine; Haden, Catherine A.; Baker-Ward, Lynne; Bauer, Patricia; Fivush, Robyn; Ornstein, Peter A.

2012-01-01

Personal narratives are integral to autobiographical memory and to identity, with coherent personal narratives being linked to positive developmental outcomes across the lifespan. In this article, we review the theoretical and empirical literature that sets the stage for a new lifespan model of personal narrative coherence. This new model integrates context, chronology, and theme as essential dimensions of personal narrative coherence, each of which relies upon different developmental achievements and has a different developmental trajectory across the lifespan. A multidimensional method of coding narrative coherence (the Narrative Coherence Coding Scheme or NaCCS) was derived from the model and is described here. The utility of this approach is demonstrated by its application to 498 narratives that were collected in six laboratories from participants ranging in age from 3 years to adulthood. The value of the model is illustrated further by a discussion of its potential to guide future research on the developmental foundations of narrative coherence and on the benefits of personal narrative coherence for different aspects of psychological functioning. PMID:22754399

Educational Objectives of International Medical Electives – a narrative literature review

PubMed Central

Cherniak, William A.; Drain, Paul K.; Brewer, Timothy F.

2014-01-01

Purpose Most medical schools and residency programs offer international medical electives [IMEs], but there is little guidance on educational objectives for these rotations. We reviewed the literature to compile and categorize a comprehensive set of educational objectives for IMEs. Methods We conducted a narrative literature review with specified search criteria using SciVerse Scopus online, which includes Embase and Medline databases. From manuscripts that met inclusion criteria, we extracted data on educational objectives and sorted them into pre-elective, intra-elective, and post-elective categories. Results We identified and reviewed 255 articles, of which 11 (4%) manuscripts described 22 unique educational objectives. Among those, 5 (23%), 15 (68%), and 2 (9%) objectives were categorized in the pre-elective, intra-elective, and post-elective periods, respectively. Among pre-elective objectives, only cultural awareness was listed by more than two articles (3/11, 27%). Among intra-elective objectives, the most commonly defined objectives for students were enhancing clinical skills and understanding different health care systems (9/11, 82%). Learning to manage diseases rarely seen at home and increasing cultural awareness were described by nearly half (5/11, 46%) of all papers. Among post-elective objectives, reflecting on experiences through a written project was most common (9/11, 82%). Conclusions We identified 22 unique educational objectives for IMEs in the published literature, some of which were consistent. These consistencies can be used as a framework upon which institutions can build their own IME curriculums, ultimately helping to ensure that their students have a meaningful learning experience while abroad. PMID:24072105

Dissemination of performance information and continuous improvement: A narrative systematic review.

PubMed

Lemire, Marc; Demers-Payette, Olivier; Jefferson-Falardeau, Justin

2013-01-01

Developing a performance measure and reporting the results to support decision making at an individual level has yielded poor results in many health systems. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the factors associated with the dissemination of performance information that generate and support continuous improvement in health organizations. A systematic data collection strategy that includes empirical and theoretical research published from 1980 to 2010, both qualitative and quantitative, was performed on Web of Science, Current Contents, EMBASE and MEDLINE. A narrative synthesis method was used to iteratively detail explicative processes that underlie the intervention. A classification and synthesis framework was developed, drawing on knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) literature. The sample consisted of 114 articles, including seven systematic or exhaustive reviews. Results showed that dissemination in itself is not enough to produce improvement initiatives. Successful dissemination depends on various factors, which influence the way collective actors react to performance information such as the clarity of objectives, the relationships between stakeholders, the system's governance and the available incentives. This review was limited to the process of knowledge dissemination in health systems and its utilization by users at the health organization level. Issues related to improvement initiatives deserve more attention. Knowledge dissemination goes beyond better communication and should be considered as carefully as the measurement of performance. Choices pertaining to intervention should be continuously prompted by the concern to support organizational action. While considerable attention was paid to the public reporting of performance information, this review sheds some light on a more promising avenue for changes and improvements, notably in public health systems.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid use disorder: A narrative review of conceptual models.

PubMed

Danovitch, Itai

2016-01-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder is highly prevalent among individuals who suffer from opioid use disorder. Compared to individuals with opioid use disorder alone, those with post-traumatic stress disorder have a worse course of illness, occupational functioning, and physical health. The neurobiological pathways underlying each disorder overlap substantially, and there are multiple pathways through which these disorders may interact. This narrative review explores evidence underpinning 3 explanatory perspectives on comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid use disorder: The opioid susceptibility model (a.k.a.: the Self-Medication Hypothesis), the post-traumatic stress disorder susceptibility model, and the common factors model. Diagnostic implications, treatment implications, and directions for future research are discussed.

Assuring quality in narrative analysis.

PubMed

Bailey, P H

1996-04-01

Many nurse-researchers using qualitative strategies have been concerned with assuring quality in their work. The early literature reveals that the concepts of validity and reliability, as understood from the positivist perspective, are somehow inappropriate and inadequate when applied to interpretive research. More recent literature suggests that because of the positivist and interpretive paradigms are epistemologically divergent, the transfer of quality criteria from one perspective to the other is not automatic or even reasonable. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to clarify what the terms quality, trustworthiness, credibility, authenticity, and goodness mean in qualitative research findings. The process of assuring quality, validation, in qualitative research will be discussed within the context of the interpretive method, narrative analysis. A brief review of quality in narrative analysis nursing research will also be presented.

[Identity and narration: autobiographical quests].

PubMed

Arfuch, Leonor

2013-01-01

This paper aims to tackle the subtle relation between autobiographical narratives and identity construction, from a non essentialist conception of identity. In a perspective that articulates philosophy of language, psychoanalysis, semiotics and literary critique, we posit the concept of biographical space as an analytical instrument to make a critical update of the reconfiguration of identities and subjectivities in contemporary culture, marked by the predominance of the biographical, the private and a kind of "public intimacy". This look is more symptomatic than descriptive: it intends to account for the rise of auto/biographical narratives and life-stories, from canonic genres to their multiple derivations in the media, social networks and the most diverse artistic practices, a phenomenon that seems to reaffirm the notion of narrative identities by Ricoeur. Our analysis here, from an ethic, aesthetic and political point of view, will focus on two visual arts experiences that have recently taken place for the first time in Buenos Aires: Christian Boltanski's and Tracey Emin's, solo exhibitions, each of them with a different biographical approach.

Developing nursing research in the United Arab Emirates: a narrative review.

PubMed

McCreaddie, M; Kuzemski, D; Griffiths, J; Sojka, E M; Fielding, M; Al Yateem, N; Williams, J J

2018-03-01

This article identified, critically analysed and synthesized the literature on international nursing and midwifery research capacity building and standards. The United Arab Emirates is heavily dependent up on expatriate nurses. Only 4% of nurses working within the country are Emirati. The nation is therefore committed to developing nurses and nursing as a profession. The United Arab Emirates' Nursing and Midwifery Council was formed in 2009 and initially focused on regulation, education and specialization. This review was undertaken to inform the work of the Council's newly established Scientific Research Sub-Committee. A rapid narrative review was conducted using the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature database, key words, Boolean operators, parameters and a journal-specific search. An inclusion/exclusion criterion was identified. The search provided 332 articles with 45 included in the final review. The literature on nursing research 'standards' and 'capacity building' is diverse and inconsistent across continents and in approaches. Nursing research has evolved to varying degrees across the globe. Nevertheless, irrespective of the locale, there are similar problems encountered in growing research, for example nursing faculty shortage, lack of collaborative research, funding. There are also specific challenges in the Middle East and North Africa region. The review was constrained by time and access. There are specific challenges for the United Arab Emirates. However, the country is well placed to learn from the experiences of colleagues elsewhere. Time and commitment is required to build the solid foundations necessary to ensure robust, sustained growth. Identifying research capacity as both a process and outcome at the outset may also assist. Further, it may be prudent to consider initiating a Gulf Coast Countries' collaborative approach to building research capacity to harness scare resources and create a larger critical mass. © 2017

Challenging Colorblindness in Arizona: Latina/o Students' Counter-Narratives of Race and Racism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cammarota, Julio

2014-01-01

This essay reviews Latina/o students' counter-narratives challenging colorblindness. The author highlights the experiences of students from Tucson Unified School District's Mexican American Studies program. By examining student counter-narratives, the author also identifies race-related terms that are more suitable for dialogue among and with…

Yakson touch as a part of early intervention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A systematic narrative review.

PubMed

Parashar, Preeti; Samuel, Asir John; Bansal, Arpna; Aranka, Vencita Priyanka

2016-06-01

Yakson is a Korean therapeutic touch given to neonates and infants by caressing their abdomen with one hand while the other hand is placed on the back of the neonate\\infant either to relieve their pain or to calm them down. It was traditionally used by Koreans by caressing the aching body part of their children with a belief that it would relieve their pain. In spite of clinical evidence of its usefulness, there is limited literature available on Yakson touch. A systematic narrative review (SNR) was undertaken on studies that were carried out on the effectiveness of Yakson touch on infants and neonates. Only seven studies were detected from five major electronic databases, searched with the keywords: "Yakson," "Yakson touch," and "Yakson in neonates". One of the studies has been included in two Cochrane reviews by the same group of researchers published in 2011 and 2015, respectively, and also in a literature review. The evidence from these articles suggests that Yakson touch is able to increase the sleep scores of infants, affects their behavioral response, decreases the stress levels, increases maternal attachment, and has calming effects on them. However, the number of studies is limited, and thus the efficacy of this intervention has not been sufficiently established. Hence, there is a definite need for future studies to prove the efficacy of Yakson to include it in the early intervention programs. This SNR is aimed at compiling the studies which determined to prove the efficacy of the intervention of Yakson.

Yakson touch as a part of early intervention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A systematic narrative review

PubMed Central

Parashar, Preeti; Samuel, Asir John; Bansal, Arpna; Aranka, Vencita Priyanka

2016-01-01

Yakson is a Korean therapeutic touch given to neonates and infants by caressing their abdomen with one hand while the other hand is placed on the back of the neonate\\infant either to relieve their pain or to calm them down. It was traditionally used by Koreans by caressing the aching body part of their children with a belief that it would relieve their pain. In spite of clinical evidence of its usefulness, there is limited literature available on Yakson touch. A systematic narrative review (SNR) was undertaken on studies that were carried out on the effectiveness of Yakson touch on infants and neonates. Only seven studies were detected from five major electronic databases, searched with the keywords: “Yakson,“ “Yakson touch,” and “Yakson in neonates”. One of the studies has been included in two Cochrane reviews by the same group of researchers published in 2011 and 2015, respectively, and also in a literature review. The evidence from these articles suggests that Yakson touch is able to increase the sleep scores of infants, affects their behavioral response, decreases the stress levels, increases maternal attachment, and has calming effects on them. However, the number of studies is limited, and thus the efficacy of this intervention has not been sufficiently established. Hence, there is a definite need for future studies to prove the efficacy of Yakson to include it in the early intervention programs. This SNR is aimed at compiling the studies which determined to prove the efficacy of the intervention of Yakson. PMID:27390459

Interventions aimed at increasing research use in nursing: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Thompson, David S; Estabrooks, Carole A; Scott-Findlay, Shannon; Moore, Katherine; Wallin, Lars

2007-01-01

Background There has been considerable interest recently in developing and evaluating interventions to increase research use by clinicians. However, most work has focused on medical practices; and nursing is not well represented in existing systematic reviews. The purpose of this article is to report findings from a systematic review of interventions aimed at increasing research use in nursing. Objective To assess the evidence on interventions aimed at increasing research use in nursing. Methods A systematic review of research use in nursing was conducted using databases (Medline, CINAHL, Healthstar, ERIC, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Psychinfo), grey literature, ancestry searching (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), key informants, and manual searching of journals. Randomized controlled trials and controlled before- and after-studies were included if they included nurses, if the intervention was explicitly aimed at increasing research use or evidence-based practice, and if there was an explicit outcome to research use. Methodological quality was assessed using pre-existing tools. Data on interventions and outcomes were extracted and categorized using a pre-established taxonomy. Results Over 8,000 titles were screened. Three randomized controlled trials and one controlled before- and after-study met the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of included studies was generally low. Three investigators evaluated single interventions. The most common intervention was education. Investigators measured research use using a combination of surveys (three studies) and compliance with guidelines (one study). Researcher-led educational meetings were ineffective in two studies. Educational meetings led by a local opinion leader (one study) and the formation of multidisciplinary committees (one study) were both effective at increasing research use. Conclusion Little is known about how to increase research use in nursing, and the evidence to

Citation Analysis and Trends in review articles in dentistry.

PubMed

Muniz, Francisco Wilker Mustafa Gomes; Celeste, Roger Keller; Oballe, Harry Juan Rivera; Rösing, Cassiano Kuchenbecker

2018-06-01

This study aimed to describe the trends in dentistry article reviews as well as to compare citation patterns between systematic and narrative reviews. A search strategy was developed, in Scopus database, in order to identify all narrative and systematic reviews published between 2000 and 2015. Original research studies, letters to the editor, editorials, book chapters, and case reports were excluded. From the list of studies available, 30 reviews per year were randomly chosen. The review type, year of publication, number of authors, country of the first author, open access, language, main topic of interest, journal's H index, number of references, and number of citations were extracted by 2 researchers. The number of citations was extracted from the Scopus database. Multivariable regression analysis was used in order to detect the association between citation rate and the independent variables. Overall, 118 and 362 systematic and narrative reviews were included in this study. Throughout the years, the number of systematic reviews has increased from 5.8% to 53.3%. However, the mean number of citations has significantly decreased, and this is affected by the review's year of publication. A trend for lower citation in systematic reviews (Relative risk [RR]: 0.79; 95% confidence interval: 0.75-0.84) has been demonstrated; however, the number of citations of narrative reviews has been increasing over the years (RR: 1.14; 95% confidence interval: 1.08-1.21). From 2000 to 2015, the number of systematic reviews increased substantially. On the other hand, a trend for lower citations of these studies has been observed that is affected over time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Music therapy and musical stimulation in the context of prematurity: A narrative literature review from 2010-2015.

PubMed

Palazzi, Ambra; Nunes, Camila Canani; Piccinini, Cesar Augusto

2018-01-01

To examine empirical studies of musical stimulation and music therapy carried out with preterm infants and their parents published from 2010-2015. Prematurity constitutes a global health problem that can impact the development of the preterm infant and the well-being of the parents. Music-based interventions may benefit the infant, parents and their relationship. In our review, we distinguished between musical stimulation and music therapy, as we found no previous studies that had made this distinction. This is a narrative literature review. A search was undertaken in PubMed, PsycINFO and LILACS using the terms "music," "music therapy," "singing," "prematurity" and "preterm." Thirty studies were included and analysed according to the following categories: (i) aims of the study, (ii) participants, (iii) design, (iv) type of intervention, (v) assessment and measures and (vi) main results. The vast majority of the studies focused on the preterm infants and used an experimental design. Few studies carried out family-centred interventions, despite this having been noted as an important factor in effective interventions. Musical stimulation studies used more recorded music, whereas music therapy studies used more individualised interventions with live music. Both musical stimulation and music therapy demonstrated significant effects on preterm infants and their parents. However, compared to musical stimulation studies, interventions performed by music therapists provided more individualised care and tended to show greater effects on infants' physiological and behavioural responses. Our review showed that music therapy interventions may provide individualised, effective and family-centred care. There is a significant need for these types of interventions in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A narrative review of schemas and schema therapy outcomes in the eating disorders.

PubMed

Pugh, Matthew

2015-07-01

Whilst cognitive-behavioural therapy has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of eating disorders, therapy outcomes and current conceptualizations still remain inadequate. In light of these shortcomings there has been growing interest in the utility of schema therapy applied to eating pathology. The present article first provides a narrative review of empirical literature exploring schemas and schema processes in eating disorders. Secondly, it critically evaluates outcome studies assessing schema therapy applied to eating disorders. Current evidence lends support to schema-focused conceptualizations of eating pathology and confirms that eating disorders are characterised by pronounced maladaptive schemas. Treatment outcomes also indicate that schema therapy, the schema-mode approach, and associated techniques are promising interventions for complex eating disorders. Implications for clinical practice and future directions for research are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Who speaks? Who looks? Who feels? Point of view in autobiographical narratives.

PubMed

Habermas, Tilmann

2006-04-01

In this paper, the author aims to substantiate Freud's claim that neurotic illness creates gaps in autobiographical narratives in terms of the narrator's stating and inducing perspectives. He sketches out the role of narrative perspective and the joint taking of a shared perspective by analyst and patient in psychoanalytic therapy. He introduces four ways of representing perspectives in narratives. Three degrees of narrative distortion are exemplified by three excerpts from life narratives and explored in terms of narrative perspective representation. The most comprehensive perspective representation is achieved in the first example by explicitly stating the present perspective of the narrator as well as the past perspective of the story's protagonist by use of mental verbs. In the second narrative, exclusive use of linguistic forms for inducing the protagonist's perspective both overwhelms the narrator and gives the listener an incomplete picture of what happened. Inconsistent motives, denial of responsibility and omission of detail render the third narrative even more difficult to follow. The author discusses the clinical significance of this exploratory analysis of perspectives in narratives in terms of claiming responsibility for one's past action and of level of defence mechanisms, and by highlighting the emotional impact on listeners, which the author suggests is the stronger the more perspectives are left out. He discusses analogies to countertransference. The analysis of narrative perspectives offers an approach for systematic research in psychoanalytic practice.

Clarifying the Narrative Paradigm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Walter R.

1989-01-01

Replies to Rowland's article (same issue) on Fisher's views of the narrative paradigm. Clarifies the narrative paradigm by discussing three senses in which "narration" can be understood, and by indicating what the narrative paradigm is not. (SR)

Unintended Pregnancy and Its Adverse Social and Economic Consequences on Health System: A Narrative Review Article

PubMed Central

YAZDKHASTI, Mansureh; POURREZA, Abolghasem; PIRAK, Arezoo; ABDI, Fatemeh

2015-01-01

Abstract Unintended pregnancy is among the most troubling public health problems and a major reproductive health issue worldwide imposing appreciable socioeconomic burden on individuals and society. Governments generally plan to control growth of births (especially wanted births as well as orphans and illegitimate births) imposing extra burden on public funding of the governments which inevitably affects economic efficiency and leads to economic slowdown, too. The present narrative review focuses on socioeconomic impacts of unintended pregnancy from the health system perspective. Follow of Computerized searches of Academic, 53 scientific journals were found in various databases including PubMed, EMBASE, ISI, Iranian databases, IPPE, UNFPA (1985-2013). Original articles, review articles, published books about the purpose of the paper were used. During this search, 20 studies were found which met the inclusion criteria. Unintended pregnancy is one of the most critical challenges facing the public health system that imposes substantial financial and social costs on society. On the other hand, affecting fertility indicators, it causes reduced quality of life and workforce efficiency. Therefore lowering the incidence of intended pregnancies correlates with elevating economic growth, socio-economic development and promoting public health. Regarding recent policy changes in Iran on family planning programs and adopting a new approach in increasing population may place the country at a higher risk of increasing the rate of unintended pregnancy. Hence, all governmental plans and initiatives of public policy must be regulated intelligently and logically aiming to make saving in public spending and reduce healthcare cost inflation. PMID:26060771

Unintended Pregnancy and Its Adverse Social and Economic Consequences on Health System: A Narrative Review Article.

PubMed

Yazdkhasti, Mansureh; Pourreza, Abolghasem; Pirak, Arezoo; Abdi, Fatemeh

2015-01-01

Unintended pregnancy is among the most troubling public health problems and a major reproductive health issue worldwide imposing appreciable socioeconomic burden on individuals and society. Governments generally plan to control growth of births (especially wanted births as well as orphans and illegitimate births) imposing extra burden on public funding of the governments which inevitably affects economic efficiency and leads to economic slowdown, too. The present narrative review focuses on socioeconomic impacts of unintended pregnancy from the health system perspective. Follow of Computerized searches of Academic, 53 scientific journals were found in various databases including PubMed, EMBASE, ISI, Iranian databases, IPPE, UNFPA (1985-2013). Original articles, review articles, published books about the purpose of the paper were used. During this search, 20 studies were found which met the inclusion criteria. Unintended pregnancy is one of the most critical challenges facing the public health system that imposes substantial financial and social costs on society. On the other hand, affecting fertility indicators, it causes reduced quality of life and workforce efficiency. Therefore lowering the incidence of intended pregnancies correlates with elevating economic growth, socio-economic development and promoting public health. Regarding recent policy changes in Iran on family planning programs and adopting a new approach in increasing population may place the country at a higher risk of increasing the rate of unintended pregnancy. Hence, all governmental plans and initiatives of public policy must be regulated intelligently and logically aiming to make saving in public spending and reduce healthcare cost inflation.

Event Narratives in 11-14 Year Olds with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Diane; Dockrell, Julie E.; Stuart, Morag

2013-01-01

Background: Children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) are known to have difficulties in narrative language and especially with use of evaluative enrichment devices. However, little is known about their production of event narratives. Aims: To establish if children with ASD differ from typically developing peers in their production of general…

Metrics for Electronic-Nursing-Record-Based Narratives: Cross-sectional Analysis

PubMed Central

Kim, Kidong; Jeong, Suyeon; Lee, Kyogu; Park, Hyeoun-Ae; Min, Yul Ha; Lee, Joo Yun; Kim, Yekyung; Yoo, Sooyoung; Doh, Gippeum

2016-01-01

Summary Objectives We aimed to determine the characteristics of quantitative metrics for nursing narratives documented in electronic nursing records and their association with hospital admission traits and diagnoses in a large data set not limited to specific patient events or hypotheses. Methods We collected 135,406,873 electronic, structured coded nursing narratives from 231,494 hospital admissions of patients discharged between 2008 and 2012 at a tertiary teaching institution that routinely uses an electronic health records system. The standardized number of nursing narratives (i.e., the total number of nursing narratives divided by the length of the hospital stay) was suggested to integrate the frequency and quantity of nursing documentation. Results The standardized number of nursing narratives was higher for patients aged 70 years (median = 30.2 narratives/day, interquartile range [IQR] = 24.0–39.4 narratives/day), long (8 days) hospital stays (median = 34.6 narratives/day, IQR = 27.2–43.5 narratives/day), and hospital deaths (median = 59.1 narratives/day, IQR = 47.0–74.8 narratives/day). The standardized number of narratives was higher in “pregnancy, childbirth, and puerperium” (median = 46.5, IQR = 39.0–54.7) and “diseases of the circulatory system” admissions (median = 35.7, IQR = 29.0–43.4). Conclusions Diverse hospital admissions can be consistently described with nursing-document-derived metrics for similar hospital admissions and diagnoses. Some areas of hospital admissions may have consistently increasing volumes of nursing documentation across years. Usability of electronic nursing document metrics for evaluating healthcare requires multiple aspects of hospital admissions to be considered. PMID:27901174

The use of music intervention in healthcare research: a narrative review of the literature.

PubMed

Tang, Hsin-Yi Jean; Vezeau, Toni

2010-09-01

Although music has been widely used in healthcare, there has been scant review of literature analyzing the use of music as an intervention in healthcare research. The purpose of this article was to provide a narrative review of the literature to explore how "music therapy" has been used in healthcare research to promote healing in adult populations. The following five questions were addressed: (a) In what populations and under what conditions has music intervention been studied? (b) What specific kinds of music have been used for study intervention? (c) How has the music intervention been operationalized? (d) What metrics have been used as outcome measures? (e) Have music interventions been effective? Articles were retrieved from several scientific databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO) using the following search parameters: MeSH search terms "music therapy" in the title field with the search limit to "adults 19 years and older," "humans," "clinical randomized controlled studies," and "English." A total of 33 clinical randomized controlled studies that met the search criteria were reviewed. (a) In the reviewed studies (studied articles), subjects with dementia were the most commonly studied population group, and the predominant aim of the study was to alleviate anxiety. (b) Employed music interventions may be categorized as one of two types: passive (receptive) and active. The passive (receptive) music intervention commonly involved subjects in a resting position listening to music, whereas the active music intervention is usually carried out in a group format in which subjects are actively involved in the music intervention. (c) Intervention frequency, dosing, and duration were highly variable across the reviewed studies. Very few studies described the intervention setting, which made evaluation of these studies difficult. Direct supervision seemed to be an influential factor for adherence. (d) Outcome measures in retrieved articles involved two types

Narrative, emotion and action: analysing 'most memorable' professionalism dilemmas.

PubMed

Rees, Charlotte E; Monrouxe, Lynn V; McDonald, Laura A

2013-01-01

Although previous studies have explored medical learners''most memorable' experiences, these have typically focused on patient deaths or mistakes. Drawing on multiple theoretical perspectives to understand the interplay between narrative, emotion and action, this paper aims to explore the whats and hows of written narratives of most memorable professionalism dilemmas: what types of dilemma are most memorable? When and where do they take place? How do students act? What characteristics relate to these dilemmas? How are dilemmas narrated? A total of 680 students from 29 of 32 UK medical schools provided a written narrative of their most memorable dilemma as part of their responses to an online questionnaire exploring the impact of professionalism dilemmas on moral distress. We employed quantitative thematic and discourse analysis of all narratives using Linguistic Inquiry Word Count software (LIWC) and conducted a narrative analysis of one exemplar. The most common themes across all narratives concerned dilemmas that related to issues of patient care with reference to the actions of health care professionals or students, student abuse, and consent and intimate examination. A total of 41.1% of experiences had occurred over 6 months previously and 80.1% had taken place in hospital settings. Overall, 54.9% of narrators reported having done something in the face of their dilemma, although only 13.2% described taking obvious or direct action. Numerous characteristics were related to most memorable dilemmas (e.g. narratives citing intimate examinations were more likely to take place in surgical settings). A total of 92.6% of narratives included negative emotion talk and numerous significant relationships emerged between types of emotion talk and most memorable dilemmas (e.g. more anger talk in abuse narratives). Our narrative analysis of one exemplar illustrates the richness of emotion talk and more subtle devices to establish emotional tone. Findings extend previous

Patients' and carers' perspectives of palliative care in general practice: A systematic review with narrative synthesis.

PubMed

Green, Emilie; Knight, Selena; Gott, Merryn; Barclay, Stephen; White, Patrick

2018-04-01

General practitioners have overall responsibility for community care, including towards end of life. Current policy places generalists at the centre of palliative care provision. However, little is known about how patients and carers understand the general practitioner's role. To explore patient and carer perspectives of (1) the role of the general practitioner in providing palliative care to adult patients and (2) the facilitators and barriers to the general practitioner's capacity to fulfil this perceived role. Systematic literature review and narrative synthesis. Seven electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, BNI, CINAHL, Cochrane and HMIC) were searched from inception to May 2017. Two reviewers independently screened papers at title, abstract and full-text stages. Grey literature, guideline, hand searches of five journals and reference list/citation searches of included papers were undertaken. Data were extracted, tabulated and synthesised using narrative, thematic analysis. A total of 25 studies were included: 14 employed qualitative methods, 8 quantitative survey methods and 3 mixed-methods. Five key themes were identified: continuity of care, communication between primary and secondary care, contact and accessibility, communication between general practitioner and patient, and knowledge and competence. Although the terminology and context of general practice vary internationally, themes relating to the perceived role of general practitioners were consistent. General practitioners are considered well placed to provide palliative care due to their breadth of clinical responsibility, ongoing relationships with patients and families, and duty to visit patients at home and coordinate healthcare resources. These factors, valued by service users, should influence future practice and policy development.

Autism as Metaphor: Narrative and Counter-Narrative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broderick, Alicia A.; Ne'eman, Ari

2008-01-01

In this paper we explore the significance of metaphor and dominant cultural narratives in current autism discourse. We briefly explore the history of metaphor in autism discourse, and outline the contemporary struggle between the culturally dominant metaphor of autism as disease and the emergent counter-narrative of autism within neurodiversity.…

Health-seeking behaviour in Pakistan: a narrative review of the existing literature.

PubMed

Anwar, M; Green, J; Norris, P

2012-06-01

This narrative review was carried out to collate the work of researchers on health-seeking behaviour in Pakistan, to discuss the methods used, highlight the emerging themes and identify areas that have yet to be studied. Review. An overview of studies on health-seeking behaviour in Pakistan, found via searches on scholarly databases intended to locate material of medical and anthropological relevance. In total, 29 articles were reviewed with a range of different methodologies. A retrospective approach was the most common. A variety of medical conditions have been studied in terms of health-seeking behaviour of people experiencing such conditions. However, a wide range of chronic illnesses have yet to be studied. Nevertheless, some studies highlighting unusual issues such as snake bites and health-seeking behaviour of street children were also found. In terms of geographical area, the majority of studies reviewed were performed in the provinces of Sind and Punjab, with little research targeting the people from the two other provinces (Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) of Pakistan. Predominant utilization of private healthcare facilities, self-medication, involvement of traditional healers in the healthcare system, women's autonomy, and superstitions and fallacies associated with health-seeking behaviour were found to be the themes that repeatedly emerged in the literature reviewed. The sociocultural and religious background of Pakistan means that health-seeking behaviour resembles a mosaic. There is a need to improve the quality of service provided by the public healthcare sector and the recruitment of female staff. Traditional healers should be trained and integrated into the mainstream to provide adequate healthcare. Serious efforts are required to increase the awareness and educational level of the public, especially women in rural areas, in order to fight against myths and superstitions associated with health-seeking behaviour. Copyright © 2012 The Royal

Potential mechanisms linking probiotics to diabetes: a narrative review of the literature.

PubMed

Miraghajani, Maryam; Dehsoukhteh, Somayeh Shahraki; Rafie, Nahid; Hamedani, Sahar Golpour; Sabihi, Sima; Ghiasvand, Reza

2017-01-01

Some studies have suggested a wide range of possible mechanisms through which probiotics may play a role in diabetes prevention and treatment. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We conducted this study to review the potential mechanisms suggested for the effect of probiotics in diabetes. Narrative review conducted at the Food Security Research Center of Isfahan. A search in the electronic databases MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Google scholar was performed up to October 2016. The initial search yielded 1214 reports. After removing duplicates, 704 titles and abstracts were screened. Finally, out of 83 full-text articles that were reviewed for eligibility, 30 articles were included in the final analysis. The anti-diabetic mechanisms for probiotics reported encompass intraluminal and direct effects on the intestinal mucosa and microbiota (n = 13), anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects (n = 10), antioxidative effects (n = 5), effects on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and expression of genes involved in glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance (n = 6), with some studies pointing to more than one mechanism. The results may throw some light on the capacity of probiotics as a novel approach towards controlling diabetes. However, further human studies are warranted to elucidate and confirm the potential role of probiotics in diabetes prevention and treatment. Also, it needs to be ascertained whether the effectiveness of probiotics in diabetes prevention and treatment is dependent on the strain of the microorganisms.

Ethics of End of Life Decisions in Pediatrics: A Narrative Review of the Roles of Caregivers, Shared Decision-Making, and Patient Centered Values.

PubMed

Santoro, Jonathan D; Bennett, Mariko

2018-04-26

Background: This manuscript reviews unique aspects of end of life decision-making in pediatrics. Methods: A narrative literature review of pediatric end of life issues was performed in the English language. Results: While a paternalistic approach is typically applied to children with life-limiting medical prognoses, the cognitive, language, and physical variability in this patient population is wide and worthy of review. In end of life discussions in pediatrics, the consideration of a child’s input is often not reviewed in depth, although a shared decision-making model is ideal for use, even for children with presumed limitations due to age. This narrative review of end of life decision-making in pediatric care explores nomenclature, the introduction of the concept of death, relevant historical studies, limitations to the shared decision-making model, the current state of end of life autonomy in pediatrics, and future directions and needs. Although progress is being made toward a more uniform and standardized approach to care, few non-institutional protocols exist. Complicating factors in the lack of guidelines include the unique facets of pediatric end of life care, including physical age, paternalism, the cognitive and language capacity of patients, subconscious influencers of parents, and normative values of death in pediatrics. Conclusions: Although there have been strides in end of life decision-making in pediatrics, further investigation and research is needed in this field.

A narrative review of undergraduate peer-based healthcare ethics teaching.

PubMed

Hindmarch, Thomas; Allikmets, Silvia; Knights, Felicity

2015-12-12

This study explores the literature in establishing the value of undergraduate peer-based healthcare ethics teaching as an educational methodology. A narrative review of the literature concerning peer-based ethics teaching was conducted. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, SCOPUS databases, and the Cochrane Library, were systematically searched for studies of peer-based ethics or professionalism teaching. Selected studies related peer-based teaching to ethics education outcomes. Ten publications were identified. Selected studies were varied in their chosen intervention methodology and analysis. Collectively, the identified studies suggest peer-based ethics education is an effective and valued educational methodology in training healthcare professionals. One paper suggests peer-based ethics teaching has advantages over traditional didactic methods. Peer-based ethics teaching also receives positive feedback from student participants. However, the limited literature base demonstrates a clear need for more evaluation of this pedagogy. The current literature base suggests that undergraduate peer based healthcare ethics teaching is valuable in terms of efficacy and student satisfaction. We conclude that the medical community should invest in further study in order to capitalise upon the potential of peer-based ethics teaching in undergraduate healthcare education.

A narrative review of undergraduate peer-based healthcare ethics teaching

PubMed Central

Allikmets, Silvia; Knights, Felicity

2015-01-01

Objectives This study explores the literature in establishing the value of undergraduate peer-based healthcare ethics teaching as an educational methodology. Methods A narrative review of the literature concerning peer-based ethics teaching was conducted. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, SCOPUS databases, and the Cochrane Library, were systematically searched for studies of peer-based ethics or professionalism teaching. Selected studies related peer-based teaching to ethics education outcomes. Results Ten publications were identified. Selected studies were varied in their chosen intervention methodology and analysis. Collectively, the identified studies suggest peer-based ethics education is an effective and valued educational methodology in training healthcare professionals. One paper suggests peer-based ethics teaching has advantages over traditional didactic methods. Peer-based ethics teaching also receives positive feedback from student participants. However, the limited literature base demonstrates a clear need for more evaluation of this pedagogy. Conclusions The current literature base suggests that undergraduate peer based healthcare ethics teaching is valuable in terms of efficacy and student satisfaction. We conclude that the medical community should invest in further study in order to capitalise upon the potential of peer-based ethics teaching in undergraduate healthcare education. PMID:26668050

Cardiovascular disease in women living with HIV: A narrative review.

PubMed

Solomon, Danielle; Sabin, Caroline A; Mallon, Patrick W G; Winston, Alan; Tariq, Shema

2018-02-01

Advances in the treatment of HIV have led to increasing numbers of people living with HIV reaching older age. Age-related comorbid conditions, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), are therefore of increasing importance in HIV clinical practice. Over half the global population of people living with HIV are female. We present a narrative literature review of 39 studies exploring CVD in women living with HIV (WLHIV), with particular reference to coronary heart disease, and focusing on: (1) epidemiology, (2) pathophysiology, (3) risk factors (including traditional risk factors and HIV-related risk factors), and (4) management. Although we found significant gaps in the literature on CVD in WLHIV, data suggest that: HIV increases the risk of CVD in women even more than it does in men; certain cardiometabolic risk factors (such as obesity and metabolic syndrome) are more prevalent in WLHIV than their male counterparts; and risk factors such as hyperlipidaemia and hypertension are not optimally managed in this population. Clinicians working with WLHIV therefore need to be aware that this is a patient group at elevated cardiovascular risk, and should be familiar with relevant guidelines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Many Faces of Déjà Vu: a Narrative Review.

PubMed

Bošnjak Pašić, Marija; Horvat Velić, Emina; Fotak, Luka; Pašić, Hanna; Srkalović Imširagić, Azijada; Milat, Davorka; Šarac, Helena; Bjedov, Sarah; Petelin GadŽe, Željka

2018-03-01

French expression standing for the phrase "already seen" is a déjà vu. It is thought that as much as 97% of the population have experienced déjà vu at least once in their lifetime and 67% experience it regularly. The explanations of this phenomenon in novels and poems include reincarnation, dreams, organic factors, and unconscious memories. In this narrative review connection between déjà vu and various other conditions has been mentioned: false memories, temporal lobe epilepsy and other neurological conditions. In psychiatric patients déjà vu phenomenon is more often seen in patients with anxiety and people with derealisation/ depersonalization. It seems that temporal region is the origin of déjà vu phenomena in both healthy individuals and in individuals with neurological and psychiatric conditions, but the exact mechanism of this phenomenon is however still unknown. More attention should also be given to déjà vu from philosophical and religious perspectives as well. Déjà vu is still an enigma which could only be revealed with multidisciplinary approach through cooperation between neurologists, brain scientists, psychiatrists and experimental psychologists.

Fathers’ contributions to the management of their child’s long‐term medical condition: a narrative review of the literature

PubMed Central

Swallow, Veronica; Macfadyen, Ann; Santacroce, Sheila J.; Lambert, Heather

2011-01-01

Abstract Context  Fathers’ contributions to the management of long‐term childhood medical conditions are under‐represented in the literature; therefore, the full extent of their involvement is poorly understood by practitioners and researchers, so strategies for promoting their involvement have not yet been fully considered. Objective  To review studies of fathers’ actual contributions in a wide range of conditions, the potential to optimize their contribution through additional interventions by health professionals and a direction for future research. Design  Narrative review of the literature. Methods  CINAHL, Medline, PsychInfo and ERIC databases were searched electronically between the years 1995–2008. The terms adherence, adjustment, child, chronic, compliance, concordance, condition, coping, disease, father, illness, information, long‐term, management/intervention, mother, role, self‐care and treatment were searched for separately and in combination. English language papers reporting primary research were selected and supplemented by hand‐searching reference lists. Thirty‐five papers (arising from 29 studies) met criteria and were selected for narrative review. Results  Five themes were identified: (i) the impact of long‐term conditions on fathers’ ability to promote their child’s well‐being, (ii) factors influencing fathers’ involvement in health care, (iii) personal growth/beneficial effects for fathers, (iv) the impact of father’s involvement on family functioning and (v) strategies that increase fathers’ participation in their child’s health care and in research investigating fathers’ participation. Conclusions  The review suggests that fathers’ involvement in children’s health care can positively impact on fathers’, mothers’ and children’s well‐being and family functioning. A range of strategies are identified to inform the promotion of fathers’ contributions and future research investigating

Electricity and Vital Force: Discussing the Nature of Science through a Historical Narrative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiffer, Hermann; Guerra, Andreia

2015-01-01

Seeking a historical-philosophical approach to science teaching, narrative texts have been used as pedagogical tools to improve the learning experience of students. A review of the literature of different types of narrative texts and their different rates of effectiveness in science education is presented. This study was developed using the…

Health services management modalities in the Brazilian Unified National Health System: a narrative review of research production in Public Health (2005-2016).

PubMed

Ravioli, Antonio Franco; Soárez, Patrícia Coelho De; Scheffer, Mário César

2018-01-01

The current study aimed to systematically analyze trends and priorities in the theoretical and conceptual approaches and empirical studies on specific health services management modalities in the Brazilian Unified National Health System. A narrative review of the literature identified, in 33 publications, the location and nature of services, management models, methodological procedures, and study outcomes. The research deals mainly with the models' conceptual and legal characteristics and management practices, in addition to addressing contracts, procurement, human resources, financing, and control mechanisms. In conclusion, the literature is limited and concentrated in the State of São Paulo, showing little theoretical diversity and methodological weaknesses, while it is nonconclusive as to the superiority of one management model over another. New evaluation studies are needed that are capable of comparing different models and assessing their performance and their effects on the quality of health services' provision, the population's health, and the health system's organization.

Listeners as co-narrators.

PubMed

Bavelas, J B; Coates, L; Johnson, T

2000-12-01

A collaborative theory of narrative story-telling was tested in two experiments that examined what listeners do and their effect on the narrator. In 63 unacquainted dyads (81 women and 45 men), a narrator told his or her own close-call story. The listeners made 2 different kinds of listener responses: Generic responses included nodding and vocalizations such as "mhm." Specific responses, such as wincing or exclaiming, were tightly connected to (and served to illustrate) what the narrator was saying at the moment. In experimental conditions that distracted listeners from the narrative content, listeners made fewer responses, especially specific ones, and the narrators also told their stories significantly less well, particularly at what should have been the dramatic ending. Thus, listeners were co-narrators both through their own specific responses, which helped illustrate the story, and in their apparent effect on the narrator's performance. The results demonstrate the importance of moment-by-moment collaboration in face-to-face dialogue.

ACADEMIC GENEALOGIES WITH RESPECT TO NARRATIVE IN HUMAN AND SOCIAL SCIENCES AND THEIR IMPLICATION FOR PUBLIC POLICIES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, Satoshi; Hasegawa, Taiki; Nakano, Takeshi; Hatori, Tsuyoshi

In human and society science, narrative is regarded as an important issue to understand dynamic actions of human being and society. Therefore, narrative is also expected to be important for public policies that try to improve dynamic actions of human being and society. In th is study, we review academic genealogies with respect to narratives including western philosophy, hermeneutics, historical science, historical philosophy, literary criticism, clinical psychology and sociology, narrative psychology and folklore. Then we discuss how narrative can be pragmatically applied for public policies.

Narrative as Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendry, Petra Munro

2010-01-01

The author suggests that all research is narrative. Resituating all research as narrative, as opposed to characterizing narrative as one particular form of inquiry, provides a critical space for rethinking "research" beyond current dualisms and bifurcations that create boundaries that limit the capacity for dialogue across diverse epistemologies.…

Modeling Narrative Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elson, David K.

2012-01-01

This thesis describes new approaches to the formal modeling of narrative discourse. Although narratives of all kinds are ubiquitous in daily life, contemporary text processing techniques typically do not leverage the aspects that separate narrative from expository discourse. We describe two approaches to the problem. The first approach considers…

Slave Narratives as Polemic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heglar, Charles J.

Although slave narratives have enjoyed critical attention as literature and autobiography, when presenting them to undergraduates, there is some confusion--usually centering on the dissimilarities between the narratives and traditional autobiography. The narratives are not as linear, not as focused on personal development; the narrators are not as…

The making of autobiographical memory: intersections of culture, narratives and identity.

PubMed

Fivush, Robyn; Habermas, Tilmann; Waters, Theodore E A; Zaman, Widaad

2011-10-01

Autobiographical memory is a uniquely human form of memory that integrates individual experiences of self with cultural frames for understanding identities and lives. In this review, we present a theoretical and empirical overview of the sociocultural development of autobiographical memory, detailing the emergence of autobiographical memory during the preschool years and the formation of a life narrative during adolescence. More specifically, we present evidence that individual differences in parental reminiscing style are related to children's developing autobiographical narratives. Parents who structure more elaborated coherent personal narratives with their young children have children who, by the end of the preschool years, provide more detailed and coherent personal narratives, and show a more differentiated and coherent sense of self. Narrative structuring of autobiographical remembering follows a protracted developmental course through adolescence, as individuals develop social cognitive skills for temporal understanding and causal reasoning that allows autobiographical memories to be integrated into an overarching life narrative that defines emerging identity. In addition, adolescents begin to use culturally available canonical biographical forms, life scripts, and master narratives to construct a life story and inform their own autobiographical narrative identity. This process continues to be socially constructed in local interactions; we present exploratory evidence that parents help adolescents structure life narratives during coconstructed reminiscing and that adolescents use parents and families as a source for their own autobiographical content and structure. Ultimately, we argue that autobiography is a critical developmental skill; narrating our personal past connects us to our selves, our families, our communities, and our cultures.

Action starring narratives and events: Structure and inference in visual narrative comprehension.

PubMed

Cohn, Neil; Wittenberg, Eva

Studies of discourse have long placed focus on the inference generated by information that is not overtly expressed, and theories of visual narrative comprehension similarly focused on the inference generated between juxtaposed panels. Within the visual language of comics, star-shaped "flashes" commonly signify impacts, but can be enlarged to the size of a whole panel that can omit all other representational information. These "action star" panels depict a narrative culmination (a "Peak"), but have content which readers must infer, thereby posing a challenge to theories of inference generation in visual narratives that focus only on the semantic changes between juxtaposed images. This paper shows that action stars demand more inference than depicted events, and that they are more coherent in narrative sequences than scrambled sequences (Experiment 1). In addition, action stars play a felicitous narrative role in the sequence (Experiment 2). Together, these results suggest that visual narratives use conventionalized depictions that demand the generation of inferences while retaining narrative coherence of a visual sequence.

Harnessing the Power of Story: Using Narrative Reading and Writing across Content Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nathanson, Steven

2006-01-01

This article reviews research to examine how teaching and learning are improved with the use of narrative story materials. Stories help to focus the reader's attention and build personal connection, resulting in better retention and deeper subject-matter understanding. Four key advantages of narratives cited by D. T. Willingham are discussed. The…

Emergency nurses' and department preparedness for an ebola outbreak: A (narrative) literature review.

PubMed

Pincha Baduge, Mihirika Sds; Morphet, Julia; Moss, Cheryle

2018-05-01

The 2014 Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in West Africa triggered a public health emergency of international concern. Emergency departments worldwide responded with Ebola containment and preparation measures. This paper reports a literature inquiry into how emergency departments and emergency nurses prepared to manage the Ebola risk. Narrative review was the method used. Guidelines (n = 5) for organisational and emergency department preparedness were retrieved from relevant websites. Searches for primary studies and case reports were undertaken in the MEDLINE and CINAHL databases. After screening and quality appraisal, 20 papers were included in the review. Research and case reports identified 17 different preparedness strategies, and practical interventions for containment undertaken in emergency departments. These included a requirement for surveillance and reporting, Ebola case management, inventory and logistic management, laboratory management, and communication and education. Emergency nurses' personal preparedness was influenced by the emotional readiness, their willingness to care for people at risk of Ebola, and the provision of psychological support. The preparation efforts reported internationally were generally consistent in strategy and intervention. The findings provide guidance for future preparedness strategies by emergency departments in response to threats like Ebola. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vergence Neural Pathways: A Systematic Narrative Literature Review

PubMed Central

Searle, Annabelle; Rowe, Fiona J.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Research in the neural pathway for vergence is less understood in comparison to the other four visual eye movements. The aim of this study was to review the literature on vergence neural pathways and associated disorders. A review of previous published literature though to March 2016 was conducted. Intracranial pathologies that affect entire neural functioning were found to cause convergence insufficiencies. In contrast, pathologies with a more localised intracranial lesion cause more specific vergence disorders. There is debate as to the potential presence of a “divergence centre.” Detailed information on the divergence pathway is lacking and warrants further research. PMID:27928407

Exploring the Experiences of Living With Stroke Through Narrative

PubMed Central

Nasr, Nasrin; Mawson, Susan; Wright, Peter; Parker, Jack; Mountain, Gail

2016-01-01

Chronic illness models are normally used to explain and predict the experience of living with a long-term condition. The aim of this study was to present the findings of narrative interviews with stroke survivors and their family carers to understand their experiences of stroke. We interviewed five people with stroke and three family carers from the United Kingdom. We used thematic analysis to generate themes from their narrative accounts and then linked them to broader theoretical perspectives while influenced by the concept of reinterpretation of life. The narrative accounts of participants are mainly structured based on how their changed bodies poststroke changed their identities and roles and consequently their relationships with others. In this study, we underline the need for using methods like narrative to explain strategies that people use to make sense of their experiences of living with a long-term condition such as stroke. PMID:28462337

Do Children and Adolescents Have Different Types of Trauma Narratives and Does It Matter? Reliability and Face Validation for a Narrative Taxonomy.

PubMed

Scheeringa, Michael S; Lilly, Megan E; Staiger, Allison B; Heller, Maren L; Jones, Edward G; Weems, Carl F

2017-06-01

The construction of trauma narratives is a major component of several psychotherapy approaches for trauma-related problems, but questions remain as to whether fully expressive narratives are necessary and whether it is detrimental to ask avoidant youths to tell their narratives repeatedly. Characteristics of trauma narratives during psychotherapy have not been examined in youths and this represents a salient gap in knowledge. This study aimed to begin filling this gap by identifying categories of trauma narratives and empirically validating them. Youths (N = 47) aged 7 to 18 years, who were involved in a randomized controlled trial, received cognitive behavioral therapy. Transcripts of all narrative exposure therapy sessions for each youth were rated. Four categories were identified and were named expressive, avoidant, fabricated, and undemonstrative. Interrater reliability for identifying these categories was good, and face validation of the categories was supported by statistically significant differences between categories on the number of data elements of the trauma events, negative emotion words, and positive emotion words. These promising findings indicate that different types of narrative styles can be reliably identified. There was strong evidence for reduction of posttraumatic stress symptoms in each of the categories (Cohen's d = 0.9 to 2.5). Favorable treatment outcomes for all categories suggest that more remembering is not always better and clients appeared to effectively deal with memories in different ways. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

A combined Fuzzy and Naive Bayesian strategy can be used to assign event codes to injury narratives.

PubMed

Marucci-Wellman, H; Lehto, M; Corns, H

2011-12-01

Bayesian methods show promise for classifying injury narratives from large administrative datasets into cause groups. This study examined a combined approach where two Bayesian models (Fuzzy and Naïve) were used to either classify a narrative or select it for manual review. Injury narratives were extracted from claims filed with a worker's compensation insurance provider between January 2002 and December 2004. Narratives were separated into a training set (n=11,000) and prediction set (n=3,000). Expert coders assigned two-digit Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification event codes to each narrative. Fuzzy and Naïve Bayesian models were developed using manually classified cases in the training set. Two semi-automatic machine coding strategies were evaluated. The first strategy assigned cases for manual review if the Fuzzy and Naïve models disagreed on the classification. The second strategy selected additional cases for manual review from the Agree dataset using prediction strength to reach a level of 50% computer coding and 50% manual coding. When agreement alone was used as the filtering strategy, the majority were coded by the computer (n=1,928, 64%) leaving 36% for manual review. The overall combined (human plus computer) sensitivity was 0.90 and positive predictive value (PPV) was >0.90 for 11 of 18 2-digit event categories. Implementing the 2nd strategy improved results with an overall sensitivity of 0.95 and PPV >0.90 for 17 of 18 categories. A combined Naïve-Fuzzy Bayesian approach can classify some narratives with high accuracy and identify others most beneficial for manual review, reducing the burden on human coders.

A Systematic Review of Interventions Aimed at Reducing Binge Drinking among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridges, Ledetra S.; Sharma, Manoj

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article was to systematically review the interventions aimed at reducing binge drinking in college students. A total of 18 interventions published between 2010 and 2015 were evaluated in this review. Two main study designs were used by these interventions: randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental designs, with…

A narrative literature review of the therapeutic effects of music upon childbearing women and neonates.

PubMed

Hollins Martin, Caroline J

2014-11-01

Therapeutic effects of music are well recognised within the literature, with benefits for a variety of health problems documented. This narrative review summarises benefits in terms of reducing stress, anxiety, labour pain and depression in childbearing women. For neonates, music has been shown to reduce number of days to discharge, reduce pain response behaviours, increase weight gain, improve Brazelton scores, improve parent/infant intimacy, improve oxygen saturation, increase formula intake, stabilize vital signs and increase parental reports of calmed infants. The main criticism of the studies reviewed is lack of categorisation of the particulars of the variables within the music that directly influenced outcome variables. A recommendation is made that a music package be developed and relationships with variables rigorously evaluated. The validated product may then be made available for use. Since evidence supports advantages from listening to music, it is suggested that maternity professionals use it in more creative ways. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Illness perceptions and explanatory models of viral hepatitis B & C among immigrants and refugees: a narrative systematic review.

PubMed

Owiti, John A; Greenhalgh, Trisha; Sweeney, Lorna; Foster, Graham R; Bhui, Kamaldeep S

2015-02-15

Hepatitis B and C (HBV, HCV) infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Many countries with traditionally low prevalence (such as UK) are now planning interventions (screening, vaccination, and treatment) of high-risk immigrants from countries with high prevalence. This review aimed to synthesise the evidence on immigrants' knowledge of HBV and HCV that might influence the uptake of clinical interventions. The review was also used to inform the design and successful delivery of a randomised controlled trial of targeted screening and treatment. Five databases (PubMed, CINHAL, SOCIOFILE, PsycINFO & Web of Science) were systematically searched, supplemented by reference tracking, searches of selected journals, and of relevant websites. We aimed to identify qualitative and quantitative studies that investigated knowledge of HBV and HCV among immigrants from high endemic areas to low endemic areas. Evidence, extracted according to a conceptual framework of Kleinman's explanatory model, was subjected to narrative synthesis. We adapted the PEN-3 model to categorise and analyse themes, and recommend strategies for interventions to influence help-seeking behaviour. We identified 51 publications including quantitative (n = 39), qualitative (n = 11), and mixed methods (n = 1) designs. Most of the quantitative studies included small samples and had heterogeneous methods and outcomes. The studies mainly concentrated on hepatitis B and ethnic groups of South East Asian immigrants residing in USA, Canada, and Australia. Many immigrants lacked adequate knowledge of aetiology, symptoms, transmission risk factors, prevention strategies, and treatment, of hepatitis HBV and HCV. Ethnicity, gender, better education, higher income, and English proficiency influenced variations in levels and forms of knowledge. Immigrants are vulnerable to HBV and HCV, and risk life-threatening complications from these infections because of poor knowledge and help

Narratives of aging in intimate partner violence: the double lens of violence and old age.

PubMed

Band-Winterstein, Tova

2012-12-01

With the increase in life expectancy, couples living in intimate partner violence are aging together. The aim of this article is to explore the constructions of aging in intimate partner violence as narratives of couplehood or narratives of old age. Thirty individual in-depth interviews with 15 older Israeli couples were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a narrative approach. Three main domains emerged from the data: health issue narratives, loneliness narratives and relationships with adult offspring narratives. Each of the narratives that emerged from the data analysis consists of a narrative of old age constructing IPV and a narrative of IPV constructing old age. Conflictual couplehood dynamics, such as intimate partner violence in old age, is not one-dimensional, but is diverse and complex and this should be taken into consideration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A narrative review of the published chiropractic literature regarding older patients from 2001–2010

PubMed Central

Gleberzon, Brian J.

2011-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of this article was to perform a narrative review of the chiropractic literature regarding older patients between 2001 and 2010. Methods: A three step search strategy of the literature involved electronic searching, hand searching and reference tracking. Results: One hundred and eighty eight articles germane to chiropractic geriatric practice and education were retrieved. Discussion: Compared to the review of the literature conducted prior to 2000, the number of references on chiropractic geriatric education increased from 3 to 11, the number of demographic studies increased from 9 to 18, the number of case reports increased from 25 to 83, the number of clinical trials increased from 4 to 21 (only two RCTs found) and the number of references on clinical guidelines and general clinical information increased from 18 to 55. Conclusion: This review found 188 retrievable articles available to practitioners to effectively care plan for their older patients, a better than three fold increase in the number of references found during a similar review conducted at the end of the previous decade. However, there is clearly a gap in the evidence base of chiropractic geriatric care, particularly the under-representation of clinical trials of all kinds involving older chiropractic patients. PMID:21629461

An Examination of Resilience and Coping in the Oldest Old Using Life Narrative Method.

PubMed

Browne-Yung, Kathryn; Walker, Ruth B; Luszcz, Mary A

2017-04-01

We aimed to identify aspects of late-life resilience and sense of self-identity and locate them within a life narrative to provide insights into methods of coping with the challenges of aging. To do this, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 oldest-old adults (aged 88-98 years) recruited from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Design, analysis, and interpretation of the study were informed by McAdams' life narrative theory, using concepts of redemption and contamination. Participants discussed their autobiographies and recounted significant life events. Interviews drew on McAdams' approach to elicit positive, negative, vivid, and turning point experiences. Analysis involved coding transcripts of the emergent personal narratives specifically to understand a "resilience story." This included data immersion and review of interview transcripts. Emergent codes were identified and discussed among the researchers. Although no contamination events were narrated, we identified the following themes: Adapting to aging-related physical challenges; Changing social networks; Continuity in sense of identity to maintain unity and life's purpose; and Redemptive capacity to cope positively with life challenges. This study fills a gap in knowledge on resilience from a personal perspective by the oldest old. Older people may benefit from interventions that harness positive coping strategies and foster social connections and meaningful activities, especially at times of loss or grief. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The frequency, characteristics and aetiology of stroke mimic presentations: a narrative review.

PubMed

McClelland, Graham; Rodgers, Helen; Flynn, Darren; Price, Christopher I

2018-05-01

A significant proportion of patients with acute stroke symptoms have an alternative 'mimic' diagnosis. A narrative review was carried out to explore the frequency, characteristics and aetiology of stroke mimics. Prehospital and thrombolysis-treated patients were described separately. Overall, 9972 studies were identified from the initial search and 79 studies were included with a median stroke mimic rate of 19% (range: 1-64%). The prehospital median was 27% (range: 4-43%) and the thrombolysis median 10% (range: 1-25%). Seizures, migraines and psychiatric disorders are the most frequently reported causes of stroke mimics. Several characteristics are consistently associated with stroke mimics; however, they do not fully exclude the possibility of stroke. Nineteen per cent of suspected stroke patients had a mimic condition. Stroke mimics were more common with younger age and female sex. The range of mimic diagnoses, a lack of clear differentiating characteristics and the short treatment window for ischaemic stroke create challenges for early identification.

Narrative theory: II. Self-generated and experimenter-provided negative income shock narratives increase delay discounting.

PubMed

Mellis, Alexandra M; Snider, Sarah E; Bickel, Warren K

2018-04-01

Reading experimenter-provided narratives of negative income shock has been previously demonstrated to increase impulsivity, as measured by discounting of delayed rewards. We hypothesized that writing these narratives would potentiate their effects of negative income shock on decision-making more than simply reading them. In the current study, 193 cigarette-smoking individuals from Amazon Mechanical Turk were assigned to either read an experimenter-provided narrative or self-generate a narrative describing either the negative income shock of job loss or a neutral condition of job transfer. Individuals then completed a task of delay discounting and measures of affective response to narratives, as well as rating various narrative qualities such as personal relevance and vividness. Consistent with past research, narratives of negative income shock increased delay discounting compared to control narratives. No significant differences existed in delay discounting after self-generating compared to reading experimenter-provided narratives. Positive affect was lower and negative affect was higher in response to narratives of job loss, but affect measures did not differ based on whether narratives were experimenter-provided or self-generated. All narratives were rated as equally realistic, but self-generated narratives (whether negative or neutral) were rated as more vivid and relevant than experimenter-provided narratives. These results indicate that the content of negative income shock narratives, regardless of source, consistently drives short-term choices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Death narratives and cervical cancer: Impact of character death on narrative processing and HPV vaccination.

PubMed

Krakow, Melinda; Yale, Robert N; Perez Torres, Debora; Christy, Katheryn; Jensen, Jakob D

2017-12-01

Narratives hold promise as an effective public health message strategy for health behavior change, yet research on what types of narratives are most persuasive is still in the formative stage. Narrative persuasion research has identified 2 promising features of such messages that could influence behavior: whether characters live or die, and whether characters encounter key barriers. This study investigated the effects of these 2 narrative message features on young women's HPV vaccination intentions and examined mediating psychological processes of narrative persuasion in the context of cervical cancer messages. We manipulated these 2 features in a narrative HPV vaccine intervention targeted to a national sample of U.S. women 18-26 who had not initiated the vaccine (N = 247). Participants were randomized in a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment. Compared to death narratives, survival narratives increased narrative believability and self-efficacy while lowering perceived barriers to vaccination. As features interacted, survival narratives featuring social barriers led to greater narrative transportation (absorption into the story) than other combinations. Moderated mediation analysis tested 10 theoretically derived mediators; transportation and risk severity mediated the narrative-intention relationship. Findings provide evidence for key psychological postulates of narrative persuasion theory. Results inform practical application for the construction of effective narrative message content in cervical cancer prevention campaigns for young women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Quantifying Narrative Ability in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Computational Linguistic Analysis of Narrative Coherence

PubMed Central

Losh, Molly; Gordon, Peter C.

2014-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties with social communication and functioning, and ritualistic/repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). While substantial heterogeneity exists in symptom expression, impairments in language discourse skills, including narrative, are universally observed (Tager-Flusberg, Paul, & Lord, 2005). This study applied a computational linguistic tool, Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), to objectively characterize narrative performance in ASD across two narrative contexts differing in interpersonal and cognitive demands. Results indicated that individuals with ASD produced narratives comparable in semantic content to those from controls when narrating from a picture book, but produced narratives diminished in semantic quality in a more demanding narrative recall task. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of LSA as a quantitative, objective, and efficient measure of narrative ability. PMID:24915929

The therapeutic alliance in internet interventions: A narrative review and suggestions for future research.

PubMed

Berger, Thomas

2017-09-01

Research on Internet interventions has grown rapidly over the recent years and evidence is growing that Internet-based treatments often result in similar outcomes as conventional face-to-face psychotherapy. Yet there are still unanswered concerns such as whether a therapeutic alliance can be established over the Internet and whether the alliance is important in this new treatment format. A narrative review of studies formally assessing the therapeutic alliance in Internet interventions was conducted. It is the first review summarizing findings on the therapeutic alliance that (i) distinguishes between different forms of Internet interventions and (ii) does not restrict itself to specific Internet-based treatment formats such as guided self-help treatments, e-mail or videoconferencing therapies. Independent of communication modalities, diagnostic groups and amount of contact between clients and therapists, client-rated alliance scores were high, roughly equivalent to alliance ratings found in studies on face-to-face therapy. Mixed results were found regarding the therapist-rated alliance and alliance-outcome associations. The review points to the limitations of the available evidence and identifies unanswered questions. It is concluded that one of the major tasks for future research is to identify unique characteristics of the therapeutic alliance in the different treatment formats.

Horticultural therapy in dementia care: a literature review.

PubMed

Blake, Marianne; Mitchell, Gary

2016-01-20

Aim To present a narrative review of the empirical literature on the use of horticultural therapy in dementia care. Method A comprehensive literature search, conducted in December 2014, resulted in the selection of 15 primary research articles for review. Of these, three used qualitative methods, five used quantitative methods and seven used mixed methodology. The articles were critically appraised, and the narrative synthesis used a thematic approach whereby prominent themes from the articles were grouped to form representative themes. Findings Three main themes emerged from the narrative synthesis: the emotional health of people living with dementia, their perceived self-identity and their levels of engagement. Conclusion Horticultural therapy can be beneficial. At a macro-level, it is an inexpensive therapy that does not require specialist training to deliver. At a micro-level, it enhances the wellbeing of people living with dementia. Recommendations are made to promote access to appropriate horticultural therapy for people living with dementia, and for further research in this area.

Performing Narrative Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langellier, Kristin M.

2009-01-01

In this article, the author weaves narrative medicine and performance together to consider what might it mean to call narrative medicine a performance. To name narrative medicine as performance is to recognize the texts and bodies, the stories and selves, that participate in its practice--patients' and physicians' embodied stories as well as the…

Narrative Means to Preventative Ends: A Narrative Engagement Framework for Designing Prevention Interventions

PubMed Central

Miller-Day, Michelle; Hecht, Michael L.

2013-01-01

This paper describes a Narrative Engagement Framework (NEF) for guiding communication-based prevention efforts. This framework suggests that personal narratives have distinctive capabilities in prevention. The paper discusses the concept of narrative, links narrative to prevention, and discusses the central role of youth in developing narrative interventions. As illustration, the authors describe how the NEF is applied in the keepin’ it REAL adolescent drug prevention curriculum, pose theoretical directions, and offer suggestions for future work in prevention communication. PMID:23980613

A narrative review of the impact of disbelief in chronic pain.

PubMed

Newton, Benjamin J; Southall, Jane L; Raphael, Jon H; Ashford, Robert L; LeMarchand, Karen

2013-09-01

Although the experience of being believed is frequently alluded to in chronic pain literature, few studies have specifically explored this phenomenon and even fewer reviews have been offered. This narrative review sought to explore the wider social context in which individuals with chronic pain may experience disbelief toward their pain. Articles were obtained through a search of eight databases and a hand search of the references of full-text papers. Key results within the articles were noted and integrated to form three main themes: stigma, the experience of isolation, and the experience of emotional distress. The experience of stigma can occur in a number of ways. It may be through actual or perceived encounters with others; it can be through the use of psychologic explanations of pain; it can come through a perceived challenge to one's integrity and subsequently affect an individual's identity; and such stigma may be influenced by negative female stereotypes. The loss of relationships associated with being disbelieved can lead to the experience of isolation. This may be self-initiated, particularly when an individual has been given a contested diagnosis. Finally, disbelief can lead to emotional distress. This can take the form of guilt, depression, and anger. Throughout the article, implications for health care professionals, working with individuals living with chronic pain, are discussed. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rural and Urban Teaching Experiences: Narrative Expressions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preston, Jane P.

2012-01-01

This qualitative exploration of rural and urban teaching experiences encapsulates the experiences of 8 Western Canadian teachers. A literature review outlines the benefits and challenges of rural and urban education. Stemming from narrative inquiry data, I present the study's results in the form of two composite stories, which depict the lived…

Story-Telling and Narrative: A Neurophilosophical Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liston, Delores D.

Theories of neuroscience are presented to demonstrate the significance of storytelling and narrative to education by relating brain function to learning. A few key concepts are reviewed to establish a common working vocabulary with regard to neural networks. The tensor network theory and the neurognosis theory are described to provide…

Effects of the Global Financial Crisis on Health in High-Income Oecd Countries: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Karanikolos, Marina; Heino, Pia; McKee, Martin; Stuckler, David; Legido-Quigley, Helena

2016-01-01

A growing body of evidence documents how economic crises impact aspects of health across countries and over time. We performed a systematic narrative review of the health effects of the latest economic crisis based on studies of high-income countries. Papers published between January 2009 and July 2015 were selected based on review of titles and abstracts, followed by a full text review conducted by two independent reviewers. Ultimately, 122 studies were selected and their findings summarized. The review finds that the 2008 financial crisis had negative effects on mental health, including suicide, and to a varying extent on some non-communicable and communicable diseases and access to care. Although unhealthy behaviors such as hazardous drinking and tobacco use appeared to decline during the crisis, there have been increases in some groups, typically those already at greatest risk. The health impact was greatest in countries that suffered the largest economic impact of the crisis or prolonged austerity. The Great Recessions in high-income countries have had mixed impacts on health. They tend to be worse when economic impacts are more severe, prolonged austerity measures are implemented, and there are pre-existing problems of substance use among vulnerable groups. © The Author(s) 2016.

Action starring narratives and events: Structure and inference in visual narrative comprehension

PubMed Central

Cohn, Neil; Wittenberg, Eva

2015-01-01

Studies of discourse have long placed focus on the inference generated by information that is not overtly expressed, and theories of visual narrative comprehension similarly focused on the inference generated between juxtaposed panels. Within the visual language of comics, star-shaped “flashes” commonly signify impacts, but can be enlarged to the size of a whole panel that can omit all other representational information. These “action star” panels depict a narrative culmination (a “Peak”), but have content which readers must infer, thereby posing a challenge to theories of inference generation in visual narratives that focus only on the semantic changes between juxtaposed images. This paper shows that action stars demand more inference than depicted events, and that they are more coherent in narrative sequences than scrambled sequences (Experiment 1). In addition, action stars play a felicitous narrative role in the sequence (Experiment 2). Together, these results suggest that visual narratives use conventionalized depictions that demand the generation of inferences while retaining narrative coherence of a visual sequence. PMID:26709362

Radiofrequency Procedures to Relieve Chronic Knee Pain: An Evidence-Based Narrative Review.

PubMed

Bhatia, Anuj; Peng, Philip; Cohen, Steven P

2016-01-01

Chronic knee pain from osteoarthritis or following arthroplasty is a common problem. A number of publications have reported analgesic success of radiofrequency (RF) procedures on nerves innervating the knee, but interpretation is hampered by lack of clarity regarding indications, clinical protocols, targets, and longevity of benefit from RF procedures. We reviewed the following medical literature databases for publications on RF procedures on the knee joint for chronic pain: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar up to August 9, 2015. Data on scores for pain, validated scores for measuring physical disability, and adverse effects measured at any timepoint after 1 month following the interventions were collected, analyzed, and reported in this narrative review. Thirteen publications on ablative or pulsed RF treatments of innervation of the knee joint were identified. A high success rate of these procedures in relieving chronic pain of the knee joint was reported at 1 to 12 months after the procedures, but only 2 of the publications were randomized controlled trials. There was evidence for improvement in function and a lack of serious adverse events of RF treatments. Radiofrequency treatments on the knee joint (major or periarticular nerve supply or intra-articular branches) have the potential to reduce pain from osteoarthritis or persistent postarthroplasty pain. Ongoing concerns regarding the quality, procedural aspects, and monitoring of outcomes in publications on this topic remain. Randomized controlled trials of high methodological quality are required to further elaborate role of these interventions in this population.

A Narrative Review of Lumbar Fusion Surgery With Relevance to Chiropractic Practice.

PubMed

Daniels, Clinton J; Wakefield, Pamela J; Bub, Glenn A; Toombs, James D

2016-12-01

The purpose of this narrative review was to describe the most common spinal fusion surgical procedures, address the clinical indications for lumbar fusion in degeneration cases, identify potential complications, and discuss their relevance to chiropractic management of patients after surgical fusion. The PubMed database was searched from the beginning of the record through March 31, 2015, for English language articles related to lumbar fusion or arthrodesis or both and their incidence, procedures, complications, and postoperative chiropractic cases. Articles were retrieved and evaluated for relevance. The bibliographies of selected articles were also reviewed. The most typical lumbar fusion procedures are posterior lumbar interbody fusion, anterior lumbar interbody fusion, transforaminal interbody fusion, and lateral lumbar interbody fusion. Fair level evidence supports lumbar fusion procedures for degenerative spondylolisthesis with instability and for intractable low back pain that has failed conservative care. Complications and development of chronic pain after surgery is common, and these patients frequently present to chiropractic physicians. Several reports describe the potential benefit of chiropractic management with spinal manipulation, flexion-distraction manipulation, and manipulation under anesthesia for postfusion low back pain. There are no published experimental studies related specifically to chiropractic care of postfusion low back pain. This article describes the indications for fusion, common surgical practice, potential complications, and relevant published chiropractic literature. This review includes 10 cases that showed positive benefits from chiropractic manipulation, flexion-distraction, and/or manipulation under anesthesia for postfusion lumbar pain. Chiropractic care may have a role in helping patients in pain who have undergone lumbar fusion surgery.

Stakeholder views of rural community-based medical education: a narrative review of the international literature.

PubMed

Somporn, Praphun; Ash, Julie; Walters, Lucie

2018-03-30

Rural community-based medical education (RCBME), in which medical student learning activities take place within a rural community, requires students, clinical teachers, patients, community members and representatives of health and government sectors to actively contribute to the educational process. Therefore, academics seeking to develop RCBME need to understand the rural context, and the views and needs of local stakeholders. The aim of this review is to examine stakeholder experiences of RCBME programmes internationally. This narrative literature review of original research articles published after 1970 utilises Worley's symbiosis model of medical education as an analysis framework. This model proposes that students experience RCBME through their intersection with multiple clinical, social and institutional relationships. This model seeks to provide a framework for considering the intersecting relationships in which RCBME programmes are situated. Thirty RCBME programmes are described in 52 articles, representing a wide range of rural clinical placements. One-year longitudinal integrated clerkships for penultimate-year students in Anglosphere countries were most common. Such RCBME enables students to engage in work-integrated learning in a feasible manner that is acceptable to many rural clinicians and patients. Academic results are not compromised, and a few papers demonstrate quality improvement for rural health services engaged in RCBME. These programmes have delivered some rural medical workforce outcomes to communities and governments. Medical students also provide social capital to rural communities. However, these programmes have significant financial cost and risk student social and educational isolation. Rural community-based medical education programmes are seen as academically acceptable and can facilitate symbiotic relationships among students, rural clinicians, patients and community stakeholders. These relationships can influence students' clinical

Harnessing information from injury narratives in the 'big data' era: understanding and applying machine learning for injury surveillance.

PubMed

Vallmuur, Kirsten; Marucci-Wellman, Helen R; Taylor, Jennifer A; Lehto, Mark; Corns, Helen L; Smith, Gordon S

2016-04-01

Vast amounts of injury narratives are collected daily and are available electronically in real time and have great potential for use in injury surveillance and evaluation. Machine learning algorithms have been developed to assist in identifying cases and classifying mechanisms leading to injury in a much timelier manner than is possible when relying on manual coding of narratives. The aim of this paper is to describe the background, growth, value, challenges and future directions of machine learning as applied to injury surveillance. This paper reviews key aspects of machine learning using injury narratives, providing a case study to demonstrate an application to an established human-machine learning approach. The range of applications and utility of narrative text has increased greatly with advancements in computing techniques over time. Practical and feasible methods exist for semiautomatic classification of injury narratives which are accurate, efficient and meaningful. The human-machine learning approach described in the case study achieved high sensitivity and PPV and reduced the need for human coding to less than a third of cases in one large occupational injury database. The last 20 years have seen a dramatic change in the potential for technological advancements in injury surveillance. Machine learning of 'big injury narrative data' opens up many possibilities for expanded sources of data which can provide more comprehensive, ongoing and timely surveillance to inform future injury prevention policy and practice. 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/

Quantifying narrative ability in autism spectrum disorder: a computational linguistic analysis of narrative coherence.

PubMed

Losh, Molly; Gordon, Peter C

2014-12-01

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by serious difficulties with the social use of language, along with impaired social functioning and ritualistic/repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association in Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5, 5th edn. American Psychiatric Association, Arlington, 2013). While substantial heterogeneity exists in symptom expression, impairments in language discourse skills, including narrative (or storytelling), are universally observed in autism (Tager-Flusberg et al. in Handbook on autism and pervasive developmental disorders, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York, pp 335-364, 2005). This study applied a computational linguistic tool, Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), to objectively characterize narrative performance in high-functioning individuals with autism and typically-developing controls, across two different narrative contexts that differ in the interpersonal and cognitive demands placed on the narrator. Results indicated that high-functioning individuals with autism produced narratives comparable in semantic content to those produced by controls when narrating from a picture book, but produced narratives diminished in semantic quality in a more demanding narrative recall task. This pattern is similar to that detected from analyses of hand-coded picture book narratives in prior research, and extends findings to an additional narrative context that proves particularly challenging for individuals with autism. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of LSA as a quantitative, objective, and efficient measure of narrative ability.

The psychosocial impact of epilepsy on marriage: A narrative review.

PubMed

Kinariwalla, Neha; Sen, Arjune

2016-10-01

There have been many studies exploring quality of life as well as the impact of epilepsy on the affected individual. However, epilepsy affects more than the patients themselves, and there seems to be a paucity of data regarding the impact of epilepsy beyond the person with epilepsy (PWE). In particular, it is uncertain what the impact of epilepsy on marriage may be. We therefore performed a narrative review to evaluate work measuring the psychosocial effect of epilepsy on marriage. We reviewed the literature on epilepsy and marriage by searching PubMed (Medline) and EMBASE and thoroughly examining relevant bibliographies. Forty-two papers were identified that addressed the issue of the psychosocial effect of epilepsy on marriage. The different approaches used to assess the impact of epilepsy on marriage can be broadly grouped into three categories: assessment of the social effect of living with epilepsy, which includes the marital prospects of PWEs and how changes in martial status associate with seizure frequency; assessment of quality of life (QOL) of PWEs; assessment of the association of social support with the disease burden of epilepsy. Within each of these approaches, different research methods have been employed including questionnaires, qualitative methods, and scales. The studies reviewed indicate that epilepsy has a severe impact on individuals and their families. While many quality-of-life surveys do comment on the marital status of the patient, there is little expansion beyond this. The impact that seizures may have on the partner of a patient with epilepsy is barely addressed. With increasing incidence of epilepsy in older populations, potential changes in the dynamic of a long-term marriage with the development of epilepsy in older age are not known. Similarly, the impact of marriage on concordance with medication or proceeding to, for example, surgical treatment for pharmacoresistant epilepsy has not been studied in detail. We suggest ways in which

The social and psychological impact of endometriosis on women's lives: a critical narrative review.

PubMed

Culley, Lorraine; Law, Caroline; Hudson, Nicky; Denny, Elaine; Mitchell, Helene; Baumgarten, Miriam; Raine-Fenning, Nick

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND Endometriosis is a chronic condition affecting between 2 and 17% of women of reproductive age. Common symptoms are chronic pelvic pain, fatigue, congestive dysmenorrhoea, heavy menstrual bleeding and deep dyspareunia. Studies have demonstrated the considerable negative impact of this condition on women's quality of life (QoL), especially in the domains of pain and psychosocial functioning. The impact of endometriosis is likely to be exacerbated by the absence of an obvious cause and the likelihood of chronic, recurring symptoms. The aims of this paper are to review the current body of knowledge on the social and psychological impact of endometriosis on women's lives; to provide insights into women's experience of endometriosis; to provide a critical commentary on the current state of knowledge and to make recommendations for future psycho-social research. METHODS The review draws on a method of critical narrative synthesis to discuss a heterogeneous range of both quantitative and qualitative studies from several disciplines. This included a systematic search, a structured process for selecting and collecting data and a systematic thematic analysis of results. RESULTS A total of 42 papers were included in the review; 23 used quantitative methods, 16 used qualitative methods and 3 were mixed methods studies. The majority of papers came from just four countries: UK (10), Australia (8), Brazil (6) and the USA (5). Key categories of impact identified in the thematic analysis were diagnostic delay and uncertainty; 'QoL' and everyday activities; intimate relationships; planning for and having children; education and work; mental health and emotional wellbeing and medical management and self-management. CONCLUSIONS Endometriosis has a significant social and psychological impact on the lives of women across several domains. Many studies have methodological limitations and there are significant gaps in the literature especially in relation to a consideration of

[Sexual initiation, masculinity and health: narratives of young men].

PubMed

Rebello, Lúcia Emilia Figueiredo de Sousa; Gomes, Romeu

2009-01-01

The main objective of this study was to analyze the narratives of young university students about the experience of sexual initiation. The theoretical and conceptual references used were the sexual scripts of our society that inform people about when, how, where and with whom they should have their sexual experiences, indicating how to act sexually and the reasons why they have to practice some kind of sexual activity. The method used was a qualitative study of narratives from the perspective of dialectic hermeneutics. The methodological design involves the comprehension of sceneries, contexts, environments and characters of the narratives about sexual initiation. The analysis refers to narratives of university students in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Among the meanings of sexual initiation, we emphasize sexual intercourse, the demarcation of a stage of life, the awakening to the opposite sex and the discovery of the body. We observed that the young men's narratives were coherent with what is considered masculine, present in the discourse of different generations. It is concluded that the young men should be encouraged to participate in actions combining health and education aimed at promotion of sexual and reproductive health.

Systemic therapy and attachment narratives: Attachment Narrative Therapy.

PubMed

Dallos, Rudi; Vetere, Arlene

2014-10-01

This article outlines an integration of attachment theory with narrative theory and systemic theory and practice: Attachment Narrative Therapy (ANT). This integration offers a more powerful explanatory formulation of the development and maintenance of human distress in relationships, families and communities, and gives direction to psychotherapeutic intervention. © The Author(s) 2014.

Are mental toughness and mental health contradictory concepts in elite sport? A narrative review of theory and evidence.

PubMed

Gucciardi, Daniel F; Hanton, Sheldon; Fleming, Scott

2017-03-01

Athlete development and management encompass a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Within elite sport, multidisciplinary sport science and medicine teams play an important role in achieving an optimal balance between preventing athlete ill-health and optimizing health and performance. The psychological aspects of athlete health and performance have gained increased attention over the past two decades, with much of this research concerned with the mental health of athletes and the concept of mental toughness. Recently, it was proposed that mental health and mental toughness are contradictory concepts in the world of elite sport. Although an interesting proposition, this claim was not substantiated. Thus, the purpose of this narrative review was to evaluate theory and evidence regarding the thesis that mental health and mental toughness are contradictory concepts in the world of elite sport, with the view to advance scholarly knowledge and inform professional practice. Narrative review. A critical evaluation of this literature suggests that mental toughness may represent a positive indicator of mental health, or facilitate its attainment, rather than be at odds with it. When implemented alongside multilayered approaches to organizational change (e.g., group structures, policies), mental toughness could be used as a 'hook' to attract athletes into settings that can open dialogue on the importance of mental health and improve knowledge of key issues (e.g., stigma, symptoms). Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large Group Narrative Intervention in Head Start Preschools: Implications for Response to Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, Trina D.; Petersen, Douglas B.; Slocum, Timothy A.; Allen, Melissa M.

2015-01-01

This study investigated the effect of a large group narrative intervention on diverse preschoolers' narrative language skills with aims to explore questions of treatment efficacy and differential response to intervention. A quasi-experimental, pretest/posttest comparison group research design was employed with 71 preschool children. Classrooms…

How Executive Functions Predict Development in Syntactic Complexity of Narrative Writing in the Upper Elementary Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drijbooms, Elise; Groen, Margriet A.; Verhoeven, Ludo

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of transcription skills, oral language skills, and executive functions to growth in narrative writing between fourth and sixth grade. While text length and story content of narratives did not increase with age, syntactic complexity of narratives showed a clear developmental progression. Results…

What are narratives good for?

PubMed

Beatty, John

2016-08-01

Narratives may be easy to come by, but not everything is worth narrating. What merits a narrative? Here, I follow the lead of narratologists and literary theorists, and focus on one particular proposal concerning the elements of a story that make it narrative-worthy. These elements correspond to features of the natural world addressed by the historical sciences, where narratives figure so prominently. What matters is contingency. Narratives are especially good for representing contingency and accounting for contingent outcomes. This will be squared with a common view that narratives leave no room for chance. On the contrary, I will argue, tracing one path through a maze of alternative possibilities, and alluding to those possibilities along the way, is what a narrative does particularly well. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chronic Pain Without Clear Etiology in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Jackson, Tracy; Thomas, Sarah; Stabile, Victoria; Han, Xue; Shotwell, Matthew; McQueen, K A Kelly

2016-06-01

Globally, 8 of the top 12 disabling conditions are related either to chronic pain or to the psychological conditions strongly associated with persistent pain. In this narrative review, we explore the demographic and psychosocial associations with chronic pain exclusively from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and compare them with current global data. One hundred nineteen publications in 28 LMICs were identified for review; associations with depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, insomnia, disability, gender, age, rural/urban location, education level, income, and additional sites of pain were analyzed for each type of chronic pain without clear etiology. Of the 119 publications reviewed, pain was described in association with disability in 50 publications, female gender in 40 publications, older age in 34 publications, depression in 36 publications, anxiety in 19 publications, and multiple somatic complaints in 13 publications. Women, elderly patients, and workers, especially in low-income and low-education subgroups, were more likely to have pain in multiple sites, mood disorders, and disabilities. In high-income countries, multisite pain without etiology, female gender, and association with mood disturbance and disability may be suggestive of a central sensitization syndrome (CSS). Because each type of prevalent chronic pain without known etiology reviewed had similar associations in LMICs, strategies for assessment and treatment of chronic pain worldwide should consider the possibility of prevalent CSS. Recognition is especially critical in resource-poor areas, because treatment of CSS is vastly different than localized chronic pain.

Agent-Based Modeling of Chronic Diseases: A Narrative Review and Future Research Directions.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Lawley, Mark A; Siscovick, David S; Zhang, Donglan; Pagán, José A

2016-05-26

The United States is experiencing an epidemic of chronic disease. As the US population ages, health care providers and policy makers urgently need decision models that provide systematic, credible prediction regarding the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases to improve population health management and medical decision-making. Agent-based modeling is a promising systems science approach that can model complex interactions and processes related to chronic health conditions, such as adaptive behaviors, feedback loops, and contextual effects. This article introduces agent-based modeling by providing a narrative review of agent-based models of chronic disease and identifying the characteristics of various chronic health conditions that must be taken into account to build effective clinical- and policy-relevant models. We also identify barriers to adopting agent-based models to study chronic diseases. Finally, we discuss future research directions of agent-based modeling applied to problems related to specific chronic health conditions.

Narrative inquiry: Locating Aboriginal epistemology in a relational methodology.

PubMed

Barton, Sylvia S

2004-03-01

This methodology utilizes narrative analysis and the elicitation of life stories as understood through dimensions of interaction, continuity, and situation. It is congruent with Aboriginal epistemology formulated by oral narratives through representation, connection, storytelling and art. Needed for culturally competent scholarship is an experience of research whereby inquiry into epiphanies, ritual, routines, metaphors and everyday experience creates a process of reflexive thinking for multiple ways of knowing. Based on the sharing of perspectives, narrative inquiry allows for experimentation into creating new forms of knowledge by contextualizing diabetes from the experience of a researcher overlapped with experiences of participants--a reflective practice in itself. The aim of this paper is to present narrative inquiry as a relational methodology and to analyse critically its appropriateness as an innovative research approach for exploring Aboriginal people's experience living with diabetes. Narrative inquiry represents an alternative culture of research for nursing science to generate understanding and explanation of Aboriginal people's 'diabetic self' stories, and to coax open a window for co-constructing a narrative about diabetes as a chronic illness. The ability to adapt a methodology for use in a cultural context, preserve the perspectives of Aboriginal peoples, maintain the holistic nature of social problems, and value co-participation in respectful ways are strengths of an inquiry partial to a responsive and embodied scholarship.

Anxieties of communication: the limits of narrative in the medical humanities.

PubMed

McKechnie, Claire Charlotte

2014-12-01

This paper aims to provide an initial response to Angela Woods's endeavour to '(re)ignite critical debates around this topic' in her recent essay 'The limits of narrative: provocations for the medical humanities' (Medical Humanities 2011). Woods's essay challenges the validity of the notion of the narrative self through her discussion and use of Galen Strawson's seminal 'Against narrativity' (2004). To some extent in dialogue with Woods, this article will examine three exploratory concepts connected with the topic. First, it will explore ways in which we might seek to re-place narrative at the centre of the philosophy of good medicine and medical practice by reassessing the role of the narratee in the narrative process. Second, it will reconsider the three alternative forms of expression Woods puts forward as non-narrative--metaphor, phenomenology and photography--as narrative. Finally, and connected to the first two areas of discussion, it will reflect on ways in which narrative might be used to interpret illness and suffering in medical humanities contexts. What I hope to show, in relation to Woods's work on this subject, is that in order to be interpreted (indeed interpretable) the types of non-narrative representation and communication she discusses in fact require a narrative response. We employ narratology to engage with illness experience because narrative is so fundamental to meaning-making that it is not just required, it is an inherent human response to creative outputs we encounter. This is a quite different approach to the question of narrativity in the medical humanities, and it is therefore related to, but not entirely hinged upon, the work that Woods has done, but it is intended to spark further discussion across the emergent discipline. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Neural network alterations across eating disorders: a narrative review of fMRI studies.

PubMed

Steward, Trevor; Menchón, José M; Jiménez-Murcia, Susana; Soriano-Mas, Carles; Fernández-Aranda, Fernando

2017-10-17

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has provided insight on how neural abnormalities are related to the symptomatology of the eating disorders (EDs): anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED). More specifically, an increasingly growing number of brain imaging studies has shed light on how functionally connected brain networks contribute not only to disturbed eating behavior, but also to transdiagnostic alterations in body/interoceptive perception, reward processing and executive functions. This narrative review aims to summarize recent advances in fMRI studies of patients with EDs by highlighting studies investigating network alterations that are shared across EDs. Findings on reward processing in both AN and BN patients point to the presence of altered sensitivity to salient food stimuli in striatal regions and to the possibility of hypothalamic inputs being overridden by top-down cognitive control regions. Additionally, innovative new lines of research suggest that increased activations in fronto-striatal circuits are strongly associated with the maintenance of restrictive eating habits in AN patients. Although significantly fewer studies have been carried out in patients with BN and BED, aberrant neural responses to both food cues and anticipated food receipt appear to occur in these populations. These altered responses, coupled with diminished recruitment of prefrontal cognitive control circuitry, are believed to contribute to the binge eating of palatable foods. Results from functional network connectivity studies are diverse, but findings tend to converge on indicating disrupted resting-state connectivity in executive networks, the default-mode network and the salience network across EDs. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Current understanding of decision-making in adolescents with cancer: A narrative systematic review

PubMed Central

Day, Emma; Jones, Louise; Langner, Richard; Bluebond-Langner, Myra

2016-01-01

Background: Policy guidance and bioethical literature urge the involvement of adolescents in decisions about their healthcare. It is uncertain how roles and expectations of adolescents, parents and healthcare professionals influence decision-making and to what extent this is considered in guidance. Aims: To identify recent empirical research on decision-making regarding care and treatment in adolescent cancer: (1) to synthesise evidence to define the role of adolescents, parents and healthcare professionals in the decision-making process and (2) to identify gaps in research. Design: A narrative systematic review of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research. We adopted a textual approach to synthesis, using a theoretical framework of interactionism to interpret findings. Data Sources: The databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, EMBASE and CINHAL were searched from 2001 through May 2015 for publications on decision-making for adolescents (13–19 years) with cancer. Results: Twenty-eight articles were identified. Adolescents and parents initially find it difficult to participate in decision-making due to a lack of options in the face of protocol-driven care. Parent and adolescent preferences for information and response to loss of control vary between individuals and over time. No studies indicate parental or adolescent preference for a high degree of independence in decision-making. Conclusion: Striving to make parents and adolescents fully informed or urge them towards more independence than they prefer may add to distress and confusion. This may interfere with their ability to participate in their preferred way in decisions about care and treatment. Future research should include analysis of on-ground interactions among parents, adolescents and clinicians across the trajectory. PMID:27160700

Characterizing the Pain Narratives of Parents of Youth with Chronic Pain

PubMed Central

Noel, Melanie; Beals-Erickson, Sarah E.; Law, Emily F.; Alberts, Nicole; Palermo, Tonya M.

2015-01-01

Objectives Questionnaire-based research has shown that parents exert a powerful influence on and are profoundly influenced by living with a child with chronic pain. Examination of parents' pain narratives through an observational lens offers an alternative approach to understanding the complexity of pediatric chronic pain; however, the narratives of parents of youth with chronic pain have been largely overlooked. The present study aimed to characterize the vulnerability- and resilience-based aspects of the pain narratives of parents of youth with chronic pain. Methods Pain narratives of 46 parents were recorded during the baseline session as part of two clinical trials evaluating a behavioral intervention for parents of youth with chronic pain. The narratives were coded for aspects of pain-related vulnerability and resilience. Results Using exploratory cluster analysis, two styles of parents’ pain narratives were identified. Distress narratives were characterized by more negative affect and an exclusively unresolved orientation towards the child’s diagnosis of chronic pain whereas resilience narratives were characterized by positive affect and a predominantly resolved orientation towards the child’s diagnosis. Preliminary support for the validity of these clusters was provided through our finding of differences between clusters in parental pain catastrophizing about child pain (helplessness). Discussion Findings highlight the multidimensional nature of parents’ experience of their child’s pain problem. Clinical implications in terms of assessment and treatment are discussed. PMID:26736026

Characterizing the Pain Narratives of Parents of Youth With Chronic Pain.

PubMed

Noel, Melanie; Beals-Erickson, Sarah E; Law, Emily F; Alberts, Nicole M; Palermo, Tonya M

2016-10-01

Questionnaire-based research has shown that parents exert a powerful influence on and are profoundly influenced by living with a child with chronic pain. Examination of parents' pain narratives through an observational lens offers an alternative approach to understanding the complexity of pediatric chronic pain; however, the narratives of parents of youth with chronic pain have been largely overlooked. The present study aimed to characterize the vulnerability-based and resilience-based aspects of the pain narratives of parents of youth with chronic pain. Pain narratives of 46 parents were recorded during the baseline session as part of 2 clinical trials evaluating a behavioral intervention for parents of youth with chronic pain. The narratives were coded for aspects of pain-related vulnerability and resilience. Using exploratory cluster analysis, 2 styles of parents' pain narratives were identified. Distress narratives were characterized by more negative affect and an exclusively unresolved orientation toward the child's diagnosis of chronic pain, whereas resilience narratives were characterized by positive affect and a predominantly resolved orientation toward the child's diagnosis. Preliminary support for the validity of these clusters was provided through our finding of differences between clusters in parental pain catastrophizing about child pain (helplessness). Findings highlight the multidimensional nature of parents' experience of their child's pain problem. Clinical implications in terms of assessment and treatment are discussed.

Preparing the prescription: a review of the aim and measurement of social referral programmes.

PubMed

Rempel, Emily S; Wilson, Emma N; Durrant, Hannah; Barnett, Julie

2017-10-12

Our aim is to review, and qualitatively evaluate, the aims and measures of social referral programmes. Our first objective is to identify the aims of social referral initiatives. Our second objective is to identify the measures used to evaluate whether the aims of social referral were met. Literature review. Social referral programmes, also called social prescribing and emergency case referral, link primary and secondary healthcare with community services, often under the guise of decreasing health system costs. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we undertook a literature review to address that aim. We searched in five academic online databases and in one online non-academic search engine, including both academic and grey literature, for articles referring to 'social prescribing' or 'community referral'. We identified 41 relevant articles and reports. After extracting the aims, measures and type of study, we found that most social referral programmes aimed to address a wide variety of system and individual health problems. This included cost savings, resource reallocation and improved mental, physical and social well-being. Across the 41 studies and reports, there were 154 different kinds of measures or methods of evaluation identified. Of these, the most commonly used individual measure was the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, used in nine studies and reports. These inconsistencies in aims and measures used pose serious problems when social prescribing and other referral programmes are often advertised as a solution to health services-budgeting constraints, as well as a range of chronic mental and physical health conditions. We recommend researchers and local community organisers alike to critically evaluate for whom, where and why their social referral programmes 'work'. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Informal Learning from Error in Hospitals: What Do We Learn, How Do We Learn and How Can Informal Learning Be Enhanced? A Narrative Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Feijter, Jeantine M.; de Grave, Willem S.; Koopmans, Richard P.; Scherpbier, Albert J. J. A.

2013-01-01

Learning from error is not just an individual endeavour. Organisations also learn from error. Hospitals provide many learning opportunities, which can be formal or informal. Informal learning from error in hospitals has not been researched in much depth so this narrative review focuses on five learning opportunities: morbidity and mortality…

Discourse on Narrative Research: The Construction Zone--Literary Elements in Narrative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coulter, Cathy A.; Smith, Mary Lee

2009-01-01

Narrative research has become part of the landscape of education inquiry, yet its theory and practice are still debated and evolving. This article addresses the construction of narratives using literary elements common to nonfiction and fiction writings. The authors discuss these elements and use four narratives to illustrate them. They address…

The Use of IL-1 Receptor Antagonist (Anakinra) in Idiopathic Recurrent Pericarditis: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Baskar, Shankar; Klein, Allan L.; Zeft, Andrew

2016-01-01

Recurrent pericarditis is a complication of acute pericarditis in 20–30% of the patients and is usually idiopathic in nature. The underlying pathogenesis of this condition remains unclear, although immune-mediated mechanisms seem likely. A subgroup of these patients with refractory symptoms can be challenging to manage, and multiple immunosuppressive medications have been used without consistent benefit. Anakinra, an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, has been used in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and autoinflammatory syndromes. Preliminary evidence suggests that anakinra could be a promising therapy for idiopathic recurrent pericarditis. In this narrative review, we summarize the current understanding of the etiopathogenesis of idiopathic recurrent pericarditis, mechanism of action of anakinra, and the preliminary evidence, supporting the use of anakinra in pericarditis. PMID:26942035

Does Narrative Exposure Therapy Reduce PTSD in Survivors of Mass Violence?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPherson, Jane

2012-01-01

Purpose: This review examines the effectiveness of narrative exposure therapy (NET) , a short-term intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in survivors of mass violence and torture, who have often suffered multiple traumas over several years. Methods: Randomized control trials were reviewed if they measured PTSD outcome and were…

When all children comprehend: increasing the external validity of narrative comprehension development research

PubMed Central

Burris, Silas E.; Brown, Danielle D.

2014-01-01

Narratives, also called stories, can be found in conversations, children's play interactions, reading material, and television programs. From infancy to adulthood, narrative comprehension processes interpret events and inform our understanding of physical and social environments. These processes have been extensively studied to ascertain the multifaceted nature of narrative comprehension. From this research we know that three overlapping processes (i.e., knowledge integration, goal structure understanding, and causal inference generation) proposed by the constructionist paradigm are necessary for narrative comprehension, narrative comprehension has a predictive relationship with children's later reading performance, and comprehension processes are generalizable to other contexts. Much of the previous research has emphasized internal and predictive validity; thus, limiting the generalizability of previous findings. We are concerned these limitations may be excluding underrepresented populations from benefits and implications identified by early comprehension processes research. This review identifies gaps in extant literature regarding external validity and argues for increased emphasis on externally valid research. We highlight limited research on narrative comprehension processes in children from low-income and minority populations, and argue for changes in comprehension assessments. Specifically, we argue both on- and off-line assessments should be used across various narrative types (e.g., picture books, televised narratives) with traditionally underserved and underrepresented populations. We propose increasing the generalizability of narrative comprehension processes research can inform persistent reading achievement gaps, and have practical implications for how children learn from narratives. PMID:24659973

In Few Words: Linguistic Gap but Adequate Narrative Structure in Preschool Bilingual Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonifacci, Paola; Barbieri, Margherita; Tomassini, Marta; Roch, Maja

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare linguistic and narrative skills of monolingual and bilingual preschoolers and to estimate linguistic predictors of the macro-structural level of narratives. A battery of linguistic measures in Italian was administered to sixty-four Monolinguals and sixty-four Early Bilinguals; it included Vocabulary,…

Narrative medicine in surgical education.

PubMed

Pearson, A Scott; McTigue, Michael P; Tarpley, John L

2008-01-01

Narrative medicine is a patient-centered approach to the practice of medicine that rescues the patients' stories and integrates what is important to them into decisions regarding their health care. Our hypothesis is that narrative understanding enhances the patient-provider relationship and contributes to optimizing patient care. We propose to use written narrative reflection to capture and measure the general competencies of systems-based practice, practice-based learning, communication skills, and professionalism. DEVELOPMENT/METHODS: The development of this narrative-based project is based on a pilot study that we conducted at our institution with third-year surgical clerkship students. In the pilot, students produced in-depth narrative write-ups on a patient they had had the opportunity to "know." We plan a similar approach for surgical resident education. After a brief discussion of narrative medicine during our scheduled didactic conference, the residents are asked to initiate a written narrative reflection on a patient of their choosing. The narratives will be collected 1 week later. Our plan is to repeat this assessment quarterly so that 4 narratives will be generated annually from internship through the chief resident year. The narratives will be analyzed for content and recurring themes that capture the resident's communication skills, professionalism, as well as self-critique (practice-based learning) and value attributed to health-care teams (systems-based practice). After completion of the narratives, a 5-point Likert response survey will be given to the residents to assess their experience and the perceived value of written reflection. The written narratives will become part of the resident's ongoing portfolio. IMPLEMENTATION/EXPERIENCE TO DATE: Feedback from the medical student pilot study was favorable. When asked in a follow-up questionnaire, most students reported the experience to be valuable and recommended the use of narrative reflection in

Role of ketamine in acute postoperative pain management: a narrative review.

PubMed

Radvansky, Brian M; Shah, Khushbu; Parikh, Anant; Sifonios, Anthony N; Le, Vanny; Eloy, Jean D

2015-01-01

The objective of this narrative review was to examine the usage of ketamine as a postoperative analgesic agent across a wide variety of surgeries. A literature search was performed using the phrases "ketamine" and "postoperative pain." The authors analyzed the studies that involved testing ketamine's effectiveness at controlling postoperative pain. Effectiveness was assessed through various outcomes such as the amount of opiate consumption, visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, and persistent postoperative pain at long-term follow-up. While many different administration protocols were evaluated, delivering ketamine both as a pre- or perioperative bolus and postoperative infusion for up to 48 hours appeared to be the most effective. These effects are dose-dependent. However, a number of studies analyzed showed no benefit in using ketamine versus placebo for controlling postoperative pain. While ketamine is a safe and well-tolerated drug, it does have adverse effects, and there are concerns for possible neurotoxicity and effects on memory. In a number of limited situations, ketamine has shown some efficacy in controlling postoperative pain and decreasing opioid consumption. More randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine the surgical procedures and administrations (i.e., intravenous, epidural) that ketamine is best suited for.

Health research capacity development in low and middle income countries: reality or rhetoric? A systematic meta-narrative review of the qualitative literature.

PubMed

Franzen, Samuel R P; Chandler, Clare; Lang, Trudie

2017-01-27

Locally led health research in low and middle income countries (LMICs) is critical for overcoming global health challenges. Yet, despite over 25 years of international efforts, health research capacity in LMICs remains insufficient and development attempts continue to be fragmented. The aim of this systematic review is to identify and critically examine the main approaches and trends in health research capacity development and consolidate key thinking to identify a more coherent approach. This review includes academic and grey literature published between January 2000 and July 2013. Using a predetermined search strategy, we systematically searched PubMed, hand-searched Google Scholar and checked reference lists. This process yielded 1668 papers. 240 papers were selected based on a priori criteria. A modified version of meta-narrative synthesis was used to analyse the papers. 3 key narratives were identified: the effect of power relations on capacity development; demand for stronger links between research, policy and practice and the importance of a systems approach. Capacity development was delivered through 4 main modalities: vertical research projects, centres of excellence, North-South partnerships and networks; all were controversial, and each had their strengths and weaknesses. A plurality of development strategies was employed to address specific barriers to health research. However, lack of empirical research and monitoring and evaluation meant that their effectiveness was unclear and learning was weak. There has been steady progress in LMIC health research capacity, but major barriers to research persist and more empirical evidence on development strategies is required. Despite an evolution in development thinking, international actors continue to use outdated development models that are recognised as ineffective. To realise newer development thinking, research capacity outcomes need to be equally valued as research outputs. While some development actors

Why National Narratives Are Perpetuated: A Literature Review on New Insights from History Textbook Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grever, Maria; van der Vlies, Tina

2017-01-01

National narratives have often served to mobilize the masses for war by providing myths and distorted interpretations of the past, while conversely wars were major sources for producing national narratives. Because national history is very likely to remain a central topic in history education, albeit in ways that differ from how the topic was used…

Social workers' involvement in advance care planning: a systematic narrative review.

PubMed

Wang, Chong-Wen; Chan, Cecilia L W; Chow, Amy Y M

2017-07-10

Advance care planning is a process of discussion that enables competent adults to express their wishes about end-of-life care through periods of decisional incapacity. Although a number of studies have documented social workers' attitudes toward, knowledge about, and involvement in advance care planning, the information is fragmented. The purpose of this review was to provide a narrative synthesis of evidence on social workers' perspectives and experiences regarding implementation of advance care planning. Six databases were searched for peer-reviewed research papers from their respective inception through December 2016. All of the resulting studies relevant to both advance care planning and social worker were examined. The findings of relevant studies were synthesized thematically. Thirty-one articles met the eligibility criteria. Six research themes were identified: social workers' attitudes toward advance care planning; social workers' knowledge, education and training regarding advance care planning; social workers' involvement in advance care planning; social workers' perceptions of their roles; ethical issues relevant to advance care planning; and the effect of social work intervention on advance care planning engagement. The findings suggest that there is a consensus among social workers that advance care planning is their duty and responsibility and that social workers play an important role in promoting and implementing advance care planning through an array of activities. This study provides useful knowledge for implementing advance care planning through illustrating social workers' perspectives and experiences. Further studies are warranted to understand the complexity inherent in social workers' involvement in advance care planning for different life-limiting illnesses or within different socio-cultural contexts.

Preclinical neuroprotective actions of xenon and possible implications for human therapeutics: a narrative review.

PubMed

Maze, Mervyn

2016-02-01

The purpose of this report is to facilitate an understanding of the possible application of xenon for neuroprotection in critical care settings. This narrative review appraises the literature assessing the efficacy and safety of xenon in preclinical models of acute ongoing neurologic injury. Databases of the published literature (MEDLINE® and EMBASE™) were appraised for peer-reviewed manuscripts addressing the use of xenon in both preclinical models and disease states of acute ongoing neurologic injury. For randomized clinical trials not yet reported, the investigators' declarations in the National Institutes of Health clinical trials website were considered. While not a primary focus of this review, to date, xenon cannot be distinguished as superior for surgical anesthesia over existing alternatives in adults. Nevertheless, studies in a variety of preclinical disease models from multiple laboratories have consistently shown xenon's neuroprotective properties. These properties are enhanced in settings where xenon is combined with hypothermia. Small randomized clinical trials are underway to explore xenon's efficacy and safety in clinical settings of acute neurologic injury where hypothermia is the current standard of care. According to the evidence to date, the neuroprotective efficacy of xenon in preclinical models and its safety in clinical anesthesia set the stage for the launch of randomized clinical trials to determine whether these encouraging neuroprotective findings can be translated into clinical utility.

Public involvement at the design stage of primary health research: a narrative review of case examples.

PubMed

Boote, Jonathan; Baird, Wendy; Beecroft, Claire

2010-04-01

To review published examples of public involvement in research design, to synthesise the contributions made by members of the public, as well as the identified barriers, tensions and facilitating strategies. Systematic literature search and narrative review. Seven papers were identified covering the following topics: breast-feeding, antiretroviral and nutrition interventions; paediatric resuscitation; exercise and cognitive behavioural therapy; hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer; stroke; and parents' experiences of having a pre-term baby. Six papers reported public involvement in the development of a clinical trial, while one reported public involvement in the development of a mixed methods study. Group meetings were the most common method of public involvement. Contributions that members of the public made to research design were: review of consent procedures and patient information sheets; outcome suggestions; review of acceptability of data collection procedures; and recommendations on the timing of potential participants into the study and the timing of follow-up. Numerous barriers, tensions and facilitating strategies were identified. The issues raised here should assist researchers in developing research proposals with members of the public. Substantive and methodological directions for further research on the impact of public involvement in research design are set out. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vegan-vegetarian diets in pregnancy: danger or panacea? A systematic narrative review.

PubMed

Piccoli, G B; Clari, R; Vigotti, F N; Leone, F; Attini, R; Cabiddu, G; Mauro, G; Castelluccia, N; Colombi, N; Capizzi, I; Pani, A; Todros, T; Avagnina, P

2015-04-01

Although vegan-vegetarian diets are increasingly popular, no recent systematic reviews on vegan-vegetarian diets in pregnancy exist. To review the literature on vegan-vegetarian diets and pregnancy outcomes. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library were searched from inception to September 2013 for pregnancy and vegan or vegetarian Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free-text terms. Vegan or vegetarian diets in healthy pregnant women. We excluded case reports and papers analysing vegan-vegetarian diets in poverty and malnutrition. Searching, paper selection, and data extraction were performed in duplicate. The high heterogeneity of the studies led to a narrative review. We obtained 262 full texts from 2329 references; 22 selected papers reporting maternal-fetal outcomes (13) and dietary deficiencies (nine) met the inclusion criteria. None of the studies reported an increase in severe adverse outcomes or in major malformations, except one report of increased hypospadias in infants of vegetarian mothers. Five studies reported vegetarian mothers had lower birthweight babies, yet two studies reported higher birthweights. The duration of pregnancy was available in six studies and was similar between vegan-vegetarians and omnivores. The nine heterogeneous studies on microelements and vitamins suggest vegan-vegetarian women may be at risk of vitamin B12 and iron deficiencies. The evidence on vegan-vegetarian diets in pregnancy is heterogeneous and scant. The lack of randomised studies prevents us from distinguishing the effects of diet from confounding factors. Within these limits, vegan-vegetarian diets may be considered safe in pregnancy, provided that attention is paid to vitamin and trace element requirements. © 2015 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Suicide and assisted dying in dementia: what we know and what we need to know. A narrative literature review.

PubMed

Diehl-Schmid, J; Jox, R; Gauthier, S; Belleville, S; Racine, E; Schüle, C; Turecki, G; Richard-Devantoy, S

2017-08-01

Evidence-based data on prevalence and risk factors of suicidal intentions and behavior in dementia are as scarce as the data on assisted dying. The present literature review aimed on summarizing the current knowledge and provides a critical discussion of the results. A systematic narrative literature review was performed using Medline, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PSYNDEX, PSYCINFO, Sowiport, and Social Sciences Citation Index literature. Dementia as a whole does not appear to be a risk factor for suicide completion. Nonetheless some subgroups of patients with dementia apparently have an increased risk for suicidal behavior, such as patients with psychiatric comorbidities (particularly depression) and of younger age. Furthermore, a recent diagnosis of dementia, semantic dementia, and previous suicide attempts most probably elevate the risk for suicidal intentions and behavior. The impact of other potential risk factors, such as patient's cognitive impairment profile, behavioral disturbances, social isolation, or a biomarker based presymptomatic diagnosis has not yet been investigated. Assisted dying in dementia is rare but numbers seem to increase in regions where it is legally permitted. Most studies that had investigated the prevalence and risk factors for suicide in dementia had significant methodological limitations. Large prospective studies need to be conducted in order to evaluate risk factors for suicide and assisted suicide in patients with dementia and persons with very early or presymptomatic diagnoses of dementia. In clinical practice, known risk factors for suicide should be assessed in a standardized way so that appropriate action can be taken when necessary.

The art and science of patient storytelling-harnessing narrative communication for behavioral interventions: the ACCE project.

PubMed

Houston, Thomas K; Cherrington, Andrea; Coley, Heather L; Robinson, Kimberly M; Trobaugh, John A; Williams, Jessica H; Foster, Pamela H; Ford, Daniel E; Gerber, Ben S; Shewchuk, Richard M; Allison, Jeroan J

2011-08-01

Narrative communication is an emerging form of persuasive communication used in health education to solicit actual patient stories. Eliciting a narrative is an open-ended process and may or may not map to desired intervention objectives or underlying behavioral constructs. In addition, incorporating actual, unscripted narratives into multimedia interventions is challenging. The authors evaluated a protocol of editing narratives for a multimedia intervention to promote smoking cessation in the African American community that maintains fidelity to the original message and was related to behavioral constructs from social cognitive theory. The authors used four steps: (a) narrative collection (videotaping), (b) narrative review (rating of content), (c) narrative editing (documentary style), and (d) pilot testing (usability and assessment of transportation). The authors videotaped 50 personal smoking cessation narratives. After coding for presence of theoretical constructs, perceived risks of smoking (present in 53% of narratives) was the most common related behavioral construct. Four narratives were chosen for inclusion in the DVD. Pilot testing showed viewers reported high level of transportation into the narrative. The authors found that some behavioral constructs were rare and difficult to solicit in this population but that the final product was engaging to the viewers. Lessons learned may be useful for other video-based behavioral interventions that incorporate personal narratives.

Enhancing Learning Outcomes with an Interactive Knowledge-Based Learning Environment Providing Narrative Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stranieri, Andrew; Yearwood, John

2008-01-01

This paper describes a narrative-based interactive learning environment which aims to elucidate reasoning using interactive scenarios that may be used in training novices in decision-making. Its design is based on an approach to generating narrative from knowledge that has been modelled in specific decision/reasoning domains. The approach uses a…

Communication strategies for a successful inpatient dermatology consultative service: a narrative review.

PubMed

Afifi, Ladan; Shinkai, Kanade

2017-03-01

Inpatient dermatology consultative services care for hospitalized patients with skin disease in collaboration with the primary inpatient team. Effective, efficient communication is important. A consultation service must develop strong relationships with primary inpatient teams requesting consults in order to provide optimal patient care. Prior studies have identified effective communication practices for inpatient consultative services. This narrative review provides a summary of effective communication practices for an inpatient dermatology consultation service organized into 5 domains: (1) features of the initial consult request; (2) best practices in responding to the initial consult; (3) effective communication of recommendations; (4) interventions to improve consultations; and (5) handling curbside consultations. Recommendations include identifying the specific reason for consult; establishing urgency; secure sharing of sensitive clinical information such as photographs; ensuring timely responses; providing clear yet brief documentation of the differential diagnosis, problem list, final diagnosis and recommendations; and limiting curbside consultations. Future studies are needed to validate effective strategies to enhance communication practices within an inpatient dermatology consultative service. ©2017 Frontline Medical Communications.

Public policy, health system, and community actions against illness as platforms for response to NCDs in Tanzania: a narrative review.

PubMed

Metta, Emmy; Msambichaka, Beverly; Mwangome, Mary; Nyato, Daniel J; Dieleman, Marjolein; Haisma, Hinke; Klatser, Paul; Geubbels, Eveline

2014-01-01

Most low- and middle- income countries are facing a rise of the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) alongside the persistent burden of infectious diseases. This narrative review aims to provide an inventory of how the existing policy environment, health system, and communities are addressing the NCDs situation in Tanzania and identify gaps for advancing the NCD research and policy agenda. A literature search was performed on PubMed and Google scholar with full text retrieval from HINARI of English language articles published between 2000 and 2012. Documents were read to extract information on what Tanzanian actors were doing that contributed to NCDs prevention, treatment, and control, and a narration was written out of these. Reference lists of all retrieved articles were searched for additional relevant articles. Websites of organizations active in the field of NCDs including the Government of Tanzania and WHO were searched for reports and grey literature. Lack of a specific and overarching NCD policy has slowed and fragmented the implementation of existing strategies to prevent and control NCDs and their determinants. The health system is not prepared to deal with the rising NCD burden although there are random initiatives to improve this situation. How the community is responding to these emerging conditions is still unknown, and the current health-seeking behavior and perceptions on the risk factors may not favor control of NCDs and their risk factors. There is limited information on the burden and determinants of NCDs to inform the design of an integrative and multisectorial policy. Evidence on effective interventions for NCD services in primary care levels and on community perceptions on NCDs and their care seeking is virtually absent. Research and public health interventions must be anchored in the policy, health system, and community platforms for a holistic response.

Narrative Review of the Educational, Vocational, and Financial Needs of Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer: Recommendations for Support and Research.

PubMed

Fardell, Joanna E; Wakefield, Claire E; Patterson, Pandora; Lum, Alistair; Cohn, Richard J; Pini, Simon A; Sansom-Daly, Ursula M

2018-04-01

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer have unique needs around education and vocation during and after treatment. This narrative review series aims at documenting the unique needs of AYAs from the current literature and at providing recommendations to inform an update of the Australian National Service Delivery Framework for AYAs with Cancer. AYAs with cancer may experience impairments to cognitive, physical, and psychological functioning and health, which can adversely affect their academic grades, peer relationships, and likelihood of entering the workforce. Treatment expenses and time off work can stifle AYAs' financial independence from their parents. The combined effect of disrupted education, vocation, and financial dependence can reduce AYAs' sense of identity. Although support is available in some countries, support efficacy is yet to be clearly established. Continued research is required to deliver successful education and work reintegration programs that build the confidence of AYAs with cancer to achieve their best. Educational and vocational support, as well as financial advice, may improve AYAs' financial security and quality of life during survivorship.

Agent-Based Modeling of Chronic Diseases: A Narrative Review and Future Research Directions

PubMed Central

Lawley, Mark A.; Siscovick, David S.; Zhang, Donglan; Pagán, José A.

2016-01-01

The United States is experiencing an epidemic of chronic disease. As the US population ages, health care providers and policy makers urgently need decision models that provide systematic, credible prediction regarding the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases to improve population health management and medical decision-making. Agent-based modeling is a promising systems science approach that can model complex interactions and processes related to chronic health conditions, such as adaptive behaviors, feedback loops, and contextual effects. This article introduces agent-based modeling by providing a narrative review of agent-based models of chronic disease and identifying the characteristics of various chronic health conditions that must be taken into account to build effective clinical- and policy-relevant models. We also identify barriers to adopting agent-based models to study chronic diseases. Finally, we discuss future research directions of agent-based modeling applied to problems related to specific chronic health conditions. PMID:27236380

Pregnancy and herbal medicines: An unnecessary risk for women's health-A narrative review.

PubMed

Bruno, Luciana O; Simoes, Ricardo Santos; de Jesus Simoes, Manuel; Girão, Manoel João Batista Castello; Grundmann, Oliver

2018-05-01

The indiscriminate use of herbal medicines to prevent or to heal diseases or even the use for questionable purposes such as weight loss has received both interest and scrutiny from the scientific community and general public alike. An increasing number of women put their own and the unborn child's health at risk due to a lack of knowledge about the phytochemical properties and adequate use of herbal medicine (phytomedicines or herbal supplements) and lack of communication with their healthcare provider. The purpose of this narrative review was to summarize the use of herbal medicines during pregnancy and their potential toxic effects to highlight the importance of caution when prescribing herbal medicines or supplements for women, because, in addition to suffering interactions and a great amount of information obtained in preclinical predictive studies, assessment of nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, genotoxicity, and teratogenicity of traditional medicinal herbs still remains scarce in the clinical setting. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The contribution of postural balance analysis in older adult fallers: A narrative review.

PubMed

Pizzigalli, L; Micheletti Cremasco, M; Mulasso, A; Rainoldi, A

2016-04-01

Falls are a serious health problem for older adults. Several studies have identified the decline of postural balance as one of the main risk factors for falls. Contrary to what may be believed, the capability of force platform measurements to predict falls remains uncertain. The focus of this narrative review is the identification of postural characteristics of older adults at risk of falling using both static and dynamic postural balance assessments. The literature analysis was conducted on Medline/PubMed. The search ended in May 2015. Centre of pressure (CoP) path length, CoP velocity and sway in medial lateral and anterior-posterior are the variables that distinguish older adult fallers from non-fallers. Recommendations to medical personnel on how to provide efficient balance training for older adults are offered, discussing the relevance and limitations of postural stability on static and dynamic board in falling risk prevention. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A narrative review of the associations between six bioactive components in breast milk and infant adiposity.

PubMed

Fields, David A; Schneider, Camille R; Pavela, Gregory

2016-06-01

This narrative review examines six important non-nutritive substances in breast milk, many of which were thought to have little to no biological significance. The overall objective is to provide background on key bioactive factors in breast milk believed to have an effect on infant outcomes (growth and body composition). The evidence for the effects of the following six bioactive compounds in breast milk on infant growth outcomes are reviewed: insulin, leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. The existing literature on the effects of breast milk insulin, ghrelin, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α and their associations with infant growth and adiposity is sparse. Of the bioactive compounds reviewed, leptin and adiponectin are the most researched. Data reveal that breast milk adiponectin has negative associations with growth in infancy. There is a need for innovative, well-designed studies to improve causal inference and advance our understanding in the effects of breast milk and its components on offspring growth and body composition. The recommendations provided, along with careful consideration of both known and unknown factors that affect breast milk composition, will help improve, standardize, and ultimately advance this emergent field. © 2016 The Obesity Society.

Ability of older people with dementia or cognitive impairment to manage medicine regimens: a narrative review.

PubMed

Elliott, Rohan A; Goeman, Dianne; Beanland, Christine; Koch, Susan

2015-01-01

Impaired cognition has a significant impact on a person's ability to manage their medicines. The aim of this paper is to provide a narrative review of contemporary literature on medicines management by people with dementia or cognitive impairment living in the community, methods for assessing their capacity to safely manage medicines, and strategies for supporting independent medicines management. Studies and reviews addressing medicines management by people with dementia or cognitive impairment published between 2003 and 2013 were identified via searches of Medline and other databases. The literature indicates that as cognitive impairment progresses, the ability to plan, organise, and execute medicine management tasks is impaired, leading to increased risk of unintentional non-adherence, medication errors, preventable medication-related hospital admissions and dependence on family carers or community nursing services to assist with medicines management. Impaired functional capacity may not be detected by health professionals in routine clinical encounters. Assessment of patients' (or carers') ability to safely manage medicines is not undertaken routinely, and when it is there is variability in the methods used. Self-report and informant report may be helpful, but can be unreliable or prone to bias. Measures of cognitive function are useful, but may lack sensitivity and specificity. Direct observation, using a structured, standardised performance-based tool, may help to determine whether a person is able to manage their medicines and identify barriers to adherence such as inability to open medicine packaging. A range of strategies have been used to support independent medicines management in people with cognitive impairment, but there is little high-quality research underpinning these strategies. Further studies are needed to develop and evaluate approaches to facilitate safe medicines management by older people with cognitive impairment and their carers.

Ability of Older People with Dementia or Cognitive Impairment to Manage Medicine Regimens: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Elliott, Rohan A.; Goeman, Dianne; Beanland, Christine; Koch, Susan

2015-01-01

Impaired cognition has a significant impact on a person’s ability to manage their medicines. The aim of this paper is to provide a narrative review of contemporary literature on medicines management by people with dementia or cognitive impairment living in the community, methods for assessing their capacity to safely manage medicines, and strategies for supporting independent medicines management. Studies and reviews addressing medicines management by people with dementia or cognitive impairment published between 2003 and 2013 were identified via searches of Medline and other databases. The literature indicates that as cognitive impairment progresses, the ability to plan, organise, and execute medicine management tasks is impaired, leading to increased risk of unintentional non-adherence, medication errors, preventable medication-related hospital admissions and dependence on family carers or community nursing services to assist with medicines management. Impaired functional capacity may not be detected by health professionals in routine clinical encounters. Assessment of patients’ (or carers’) ability to safely manage medicines is not undertaken routinely, and when it is there is variability in the methods used. Self-report and informant report may be helpful, but can be unreliable or prone to bias. Measures of cognitive function are useful, but may lack sensitivity and specificity. Direct observation, using a structured, standardised performance-based tool, may help to determine whether a person is able to manage their medicines and identify barriers to adherence such as inability to open medicine packaging. A range of strategies have been used to support independent medicines management in people with cognitive impairment, but there is little high-quality research underpinning these strategies. Further studies are needed to develop and evaluate approaches to facilitate safe medicines management by older people with cognitive impairment and their carers

Narrative versus Non-narrative: The Role of Identification, Transportation and Emotion in Reducing Health Disparities

PubMed Central

Murphy, Sheila T.; Frank, Lauren B.; Chatterjee, Joyee S.; Baezconde-Garbanati, Lourdes

2013-01-01

This research empirically tests whether using a fictional narrative produces a greater impact on health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intention than presenting the identical information in a more traditional, nonfiction, non-narrative format. European American, Mexican American, and African American women (N = 758) were surveyed before and after viewing either a narrative or non-narrative cervical cancer-related film. The narrative was more effective in increasing cervical cancer-related knowledge and attitudes. Moreover, in response to the narrative featuring Latinas, Mexican Americans were most transported, identified most with the characters, and experienced the strongest emotions. Regressions revealed that transportation, identification with specific characters, and emotion each contributed to shifts in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Thus, narrative formats may provide a valuable tool in reducing health disparities. PMID:24347679

Hearing voices: re/presenting the findings of narrative research into patient experience as poems.

PubMed

Stenhouse, R

2014-06-01

The study aimed to understand the experience of being a patient on an acute psychiatric inpatient ward. A further aim was to open up spaces for the voices of participants to be heard. Contemporary government policy places patient experience at the centre of healthcare policy and service development. Despite this, those who occupy marginalized discourses struggle to be heard within the dominant discourse of health care. A qualitative approach was used, and narrative was conceptualized as representing experience. Sociolinguistic theories informed the development of the analytic framework treating meaning as contextual and arising from both content and structure of narratives. Concepts of representation, voice and authorship were problematized. Thirteen people who had been inpatients on an acute psychiatric inpatient ward participated. Narrative data were gathered using unstructured interviews. The data were analysed holistically using a method that attended to both the structure and content of the narrative. The product of these holistic narratives was the development of a poem representing each participant's experience. This paper focuses on the development of these poems as a method of decentring the authorial voice and opening up spaces for the voices of the participants to be heard. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Project Narrative

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

Driscoll, Mary C.

2012-07-12

The Project Narrative describes how the funds from the DOE grant were used to purchase equipment for the biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics departments. The Narrative also describes how the equipment is being used. There is also a list of the positive outcomes as a result of having the equipment that was purchased with the DOE grant.

To Tell a Story, to Write It: Developmental Patterns of Narrative Skills from Preschool to First Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bigozzi, Lucia; Vettori, Giulia

2016-01-01

In this 1-year longitudinal study, the authors explored the development of narrative skills between the oral and written form. The authors aimed to assess the predictive power of textual narrative competence on early narrative text-writing skills taking into account the impact of spelling ability. Eighty children ("M" age = 5.3 years,…

Drama and Imagination: A Cognitive Theory of Drama's Effect on Narrative Comprehension and Narrative Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mages, Wendy K.

2006-01-01

This article proposes a cognitive theory of how drama affects two aspects of language development: narrative comprehension and narrative production. It is a theoretical model that explicitly posits the role of the imagination in drama's potential to enhance the development of both narrative comprehension and narrative production. (Contains 2…

A narrative review of psychological and educational strategies applied to young children's eating behaviours aimed at reducing obesity risk.

PubMed

Gibson, E L; Kreichauf, S; Wildgruber, A; Vögele, C; Summerbell, C D; Nixon, C; Moore, H; Douthwaite, W; Manios, Y

2012-03-01

Strategies to reduce risk of obesity by influencing preschool children's eating behaviour are reviewed. The studies are placed in the context of relevant psychological processes, including inherited and acquired preferences, and behavioural traits, such as food neophobia, 'enjoyment of food' and 'satiety responsiveness'. These are important influences on how children respond to feeding practices, as well as predictors of obesity risk. Nevertheless, in young children, food environment and experience are especially important for establishing eating habits and food preferences. Providing information to parents, or to children, on healthy feeding is insufficient. Acceptance of healthy foods can be encouraged by five to ten repeated tastes. Recent evidence suggests rewarding healthy eating can be successful, even for verbal praise alone, but that palatable foods should not be used as rewards for eating. Intake of healthier foods can be promoted by increasing portion size, especially in the beginning of the meal. Parental strategies of pressuring to eat and restriction do not appear to be causally linked to obesity, but are instead primarily responses to children's eating tendencies and weight. Moderate rather than frequent restriction may improve healthy eating in children. Actively positive social modelling by adults and peers can be effective in encouraging healthier eating. © 2012 The Authors. obesity reviews © 2012 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

Politics of love: narrative structures, intertextuality and social agency in the narratives of parents with disabled children.

PubMed

Hanisch, Halvor

2013-11-01

Recent research has highlighted how parental narratives can be important in the resistance against disabling processes. This article contains analyses of enabling language in narratives published by Scandinavian disability rights organizations. First, drawing on the work of Fisher and Goodley, I point out that the material constitute a threefold: normality narratives, resistance narratives, and narratives that demonstrate an appreciation of the present and the child's individual alterity. Second, I demonstrate that the last narrative draws on Romanticism rather than linguistic resources from disability culture. Third, I show that these narratives are hyperboles - texts that strengthen and emphasise the valuation to the point where the narrative structure transcends narrative consistency. Fourth, drawing on the work of Kristeva, I argue that this form of narration constitutes an intimate politics of love. © 2013 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2013 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

From microscopic to macroscopic sports injuries. Applying the complex dynamic systems approach to sports medicine: a narrative review.

PubMed

Pol, Rafel; Hristovski, Robert; Medina, Daniel; Balague, Natalia

2018-04-19

A better understanding of how sports injuries occur in order to improve their prevention is needed for medical, economic, scientific and sports success reasons. This narrative review aims to explain the mechanisms that underlie the occurrence of sports injuries, and an innovative approach for their prevention on the basis of complex dynamic systems approach. First, we explain the multilevel organisation of living systems and how function of the musculoskeletal system may be impaired. Second, we use both, a constraints approach and a connectivity hypothesis to explain why and how the susceptibility to sports injuries may suddenly increase. Constraints acting at multiple levels and timescales replace the static and linear concept of risk factors, and the connectivity hypothesis brings an understanding of how the accumulation of microinjuries creates a macroscopic non-linear effect, that is, how a common motor action may trigger a severe injury. Finally, a recap of practical examples and challenges for the future illustrates how the complex dynamic systems standpoint, changing the way of thinking about sports injuries, offers innovative ideas for improving sports injury prevention. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Narrative, Preaching, and Formation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finney, Mark David

2017-01-01

This dissertation focuses on the place of narrative in the transformational encounter that can take place between hearers of sermons and God. Chapter 1 surveys the history and development of contemporary scholarship related to narrative preaching. It argues that most homileticians consider narrative either as a way of structuring sermons, or as a…

Models of home care services for persons with dementia: a narrative review.

PubMed

Low, Lee-Fay; Fletcher, Jennifer

2015-10-01

Worldwide trends of increasing dementia prevalence, have put economic and workforce pressures to shifting care for persons with dementia from residential care to home care. We reviewed the effects of the four dominant models of home care delivery on outcomes for community-dwelling persons with dementia. These models are: case management, integrated care, consumer directed care, and restorative care. This narrative review describes benefits and possible drawbacks for persons with dementia outcomes and elements that comprise successful programs. Case management for persons with dementia may increase use of community-based services and delay nursing home admission. Integrated care is associated with greater client satisfaction, increased use of community based services, and reduced hospital days however the clinical impacts on persons with dementia and their carers are not known. Consumer directed care increases satisfaction with care and service usage, but had little effect on clinical outcomes. Restorative models of home care have been shown to improve function and quality of life however these trials have excluded persons with dementia, with the exception of a pilot study. There has been a little research into models of home care for people with dementia, and no head-to-head comparison of the different models. Research to inform evidence-based policy and service delivery for people with dementia needs to evaluate both the impact of different models on outcomes, and investigate how to best deliver these models to maximize outcomes.

New International Academics' Narratives of Cross-Cultural Transition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Sharon L.; Malau-Aduli, Bunmi S.

2013-01-01

Increasing numbers of academics world-wide are migrating as higher education institutions internationalise. Yet academics' experiences of cross-cultural transition remain underexplored, especially in comparison with students. This small-scale narrative study, employing focus group interviews, aimed to explore the cross-cultural transition…

Narrative Inquiry: Theory and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savin-Baden, Maggi; Van Niekerk, Lana

2007-01-01

This article offers an overview of the method of narrative inquiry and explores competing trends in the use of the approach. It not only examines the theories relating to the method but also offers practical guidance on using narrative inquiry, including an exploration of what might count as a narrative and ways of analysing narrative data. The…

Narrative synthesis of equine-assisted psychotherapy literature: Current knowledge and future research directions.

PubMed

Lee, Ping-Tzu; Dakin, Emily; McLure, Merinda

2016-05-01

Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is an innovative emerging approach to mental health treatment. This narrative synthesis explores the current state of knowledge and areas for future research in EAP. Specifically reviewed are qualitative and quantitative empirical studies, including both articles published in peer-reviewed journals and research presented in theses and dissertations. We selected 24 studies for final inclusion in this study, dating between 2005 and 2013, and including the first EAP empirical research completed in 2005. Four of these studies are peer-reviewed journal articles, while 20 are master's theses or doctoral dissertations. The reviewed qualitative research provides initial evidence for the value of EAP for enhancing adolescents' communication and relationship skills. The reviewed experimental and quasi-experimental research provides initial evidence for the value of EAP for enhancing children's and adolescents' emotional, social and behavioural functioning. Yet, conclusions about the effectiveness of EAP must still be considered preliminary due to various methodological limitations in the reviewed research. The narrative review describes these methodological limitations and concludes with recommendations for future research. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Explicit Oral Narrative Intervention for Students with Williams Syndrome

PubMed Central

Diez-Itza, Eliseo; Martínez, Verónica; Pérez, Vanesa; Fernández-Urquiza, Maite

2018-01-01

Narrative skills play a crucial role in organizing experience, facilitating social interaction and building academic discourse and literacy. They are at the interface of cognitive, social, and linguistic abilities related to school engagement. Despite their relative strengths in social and grammatical skills, students with Williams syndrome (WS) do not show parallel cognitive and pragmatic performance in narrative generation tasks. The aim of the present study was to assess retelling of a TV cartoon tale and the effect of an individualized explicit instruction of the narrative structure. Participants included eight students with WS who attended different special education levels. Narratives were elicited in two sessions (pre and post intervention), and were transcribed, coded and analyzed using the tools of the CHILDES Project. Narratives were coded for productivity and complexity at the microstructure and macrostructure levels. Microstructure productivity (i.e., length of narratives) included number of utterances, clauses, and tokens. Microstructure complexity included mean length of utterances, lexical diversity and use of discourse markers as cohesive devices. Narrative macrostructure was assessed for textual coherence through the Pragmatic Evaluation Protocol for Speech Corpora (PREP-CORP). Macrostructure productivity and complexity included, respectively, the recall and sequential order of scenarios, episodes, events and characters. A total of four intervention sessions, lasting approximately 20 min, were delivered individually once a week. This brief intervention addressed explicit instruction about the narrative structure and the use of specific discourse markers to improve cohesion of story retellings. Intervention strategies included verbal scaffolding and modeling, conversational context for retelling the story and visual support with pictures printed from the cartoon. Results showed significant changes in WS students’ retelling of the story, both at

The Annual Review of Information Science and Technology: Its Aims and Impact.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuadra, Carlos A.

The major aims of the "Annual Review of Information Science and Technology" are (1) to describe and appraise progress in information science and technology; (2) to provide a systematic, dependable tool that can relieve professionals from winnowing through a wealth of literature in their field each year; (3) to direct the reader to…

Interventions to Improve Suboptimal Prescribing in Nursing Homes: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Marcum, Zachary A.; Handler, Steven M.; Wright, Rollin; Hanlon, Joseph T.

2010-01-01

Background Appropriate medication prescribing for nursing home residents remains a challenge. Objective The purpose of this study was to conduct a narrative review of the published literature describing randomized controlled trials that used interventions to improve suboptimal prescribing in nursing homes. Methods The PubMed, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and EMBASE databases were searched for articles published in the English language between January 1975 and December 2009, using the terms drug utilization, pharmaceutical services, aged, long-term care, nursing homes, prescribing, geriatrics, and randomized controlled trial. A manual search of the reference lists of identified articles and the authors’ files, book chapters, and recent review articles was also conducted. Abstracts and posters from meetings were not included in the search. Studies were included if they: (1) had a randomized controlled design; (2) had a process measure outcome for quality of prescribing or a distal outcome measure for medication-related adverse patient events; and (3) involved nursing home residents. Results Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Seven of those studies described educational approaches using various interventions (eg, outreach visits) and measured suboptimal prescribing in different manners (eg, adherence to guidelines). Two studies described computerized decision-support systems to measure the intervention’s impact on adverse drug events (ADEs) and appropriate drug orders. Five studies described clinical pharmacist activities, most commonly involving a medication review, and used various measures of suboptimal prescribing, including a measure of medication appropriateness and the total number of medications prescribed. Two studies each described multidisciplinary and multifaceted approaches that included heterogeneous interventions and measures of prescribing. Most (15/18; 83.3%) of these studies reported statistically significant

The Rise of the Life Narrative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodson, Ivor

2006-01-01

In this article, the author discusses how narratives, which are part of the common currency of the day, have dramatically changed over the years. Grand narratives, which grew exponentially in the mid-nineteenth century, have now been replaced by two different narratives: life narratives and small-scale narratives. He also discusses how small…

Testimony in Narrative Educational Research: A Qualitative Interview, Narrative Analysis and Epistemological Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christopher, Justin

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to assess issues that arise in the context of epistemological claims in narrative educational research by means of narrative analysis and epistemological evaluation. The research questions which guided the study were: 1) To what extent is epistemology considered by narrative educational researchers?; 2) What issues do…

Strategies for Supporting Physician-Scientists in Faculty Roles: A Narrative Review With Key Informant Consultations.

PubMed

Lingard, Lorelei; Zhang, Peter; Strong, Michael; Steele, Margaret; Yoo, John; Lewis, James

2017-10-01

Physician-scientists are a population in decline globally. Solutions to reverse this decline often have focused on the training pipeline. Less attention has been paid to reducing attrition post training, when physician-scientists take up faculty roles. However, this period is a known time of vulnerability because of the pressures of clinical duties and the long timeline to securing independent research funding. This narrative review explored existing knowledge regarding how best to support physician-scientists for success in their faculty roles. The authors searched the Medline, Embase, ERIC, and Cochrane Library databases for articles published from 2000 to 2016 on this topic and interviewed key informants in 2015 to solicit their input on the review results. The authors reviewed 78 articles and interviewed 16 key informants. From the literature, they developed a framework of organizational (facilitate mentorship, foster community, value the physician-scientist role, minimize financial barriers) and individual (develop professional and research skills) strategies for supporting physician-scientists. They also outlined key knowledge gaps representing topics either rarely or never addressed in the reviewed articles (percent research time, structural hypocrisy, objective assessment, group metrics, professional identity). The key informants confirmed the identified strategies and discussed how the gaps were particularly important and impactful. This framework offers a basis for assessing an organization's existing support strategies, identifying outstanding needs, and developing targeted programming. The identified gaps require attention, as they threaten to undermine the benefits of existing support strategies.

Understanding the Person through Narrative

PubMed Central

Hall, Joanne M.; Powell, Jill

2011-01-01

Mental health nurses need to know their clients at depth, and to comprehend their social contexts in order to provide holistic care. Knowing persons through their stories, narratives they tell, provides contextual detail and person-revealing characteristics that make them individuals. Narratives are an everyday means of communicating experience, and there is a place for storytelling in nearly all cultures. Thus narrative is a culturally congruent way to ascertain and understand experiences. This means the nurse should ask questions such as “How did that come about?” versus why questions. A narrative approach stands in contrast to a yes/no algorithmic process in conversing with clients. Eliciting stories illustrates the social context of events, and implicitly provides answers to questions of feeling and meaning. Here we include background on narrative, insights from narrative research, and clinical wisdom in explaining how narratively understanding the person can improve mental health nursing services. Implications for theory, practice, and research are discussed. PMID:21994820

Narratives as a Vehicle for Mentor and Tutor Knowledge during Feedback in Initial Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philpott, Carey

2016-01-01

This paper argues that the central role of narratives in forming professional knowledge and identity in initial teacher education (ITE) has been overlooked in much recent research into feedback processes in ITE. The paper reviews a broad sample of recent research into mentor and tutor feedback in ITE and identifies that the role of narrating in…

Life Themes and Interpersonal Motivational Systems in the Narrative Self-construction

PubMed Central

Veglia, Fabio; Di Fini, Giulia

2017-01-01

What makes unique and unrepeatable individuals is their ability to write their own story attributing meaning, sharing it through narration, giving coherence to the information related to the interpersonal motivational systems, and creating alternative hierarchies to those biologically provided by the genetic code. Through clinical narratives and narrative literature, we can observe the recurrence of specific topics, across time and different cultures. Hence, we wondered whether there are some evolutionary suggestions that guide us in the construction of the narrative-autobiographical contents. In this article we proposed a theoretical-clinical hypothesis about the existence of a biological disposition to identify as fundamental six Life Themes (LTs) that contribute to defining the image of the self and the world: Love, Personal Value, Power, Justice, Truth, and Freedom. Besides the innumerable narratives dependent upon context, there may be many ways of telling stories that, instead, would be reported to these few essential themes. A narrative review of the literature about these concepts follows the systematic explanation of the perspective about the LTs as attractors of meaning. The manuscript considers also the process of co-construction of meanings within the interpersonal relationships and the influences of these on the narratives. In particular, we focused on the importance of episodic and autobiographical memory related to the attachment and significant figures, in the construction of the personal story and the LTs. We also explained the possible clinical implications of the theoretical hypothesis of LTs. Within clinical conversations, the LTs could be expressed rigidly or, otherwise, in a confused way. The lack of narrative integration may lead to the dominance of chaos or rigidity that generates suffering. A better comprehension of the LTs in patients’ narrations could be useful to identify a narrative profile about the areas of greatest suffering

Experts' opinions on the management of medically unexplained symptoms in primary care. A qualitative analysis of narrative reviews and scientific editorials.

PubMed

Heijmans, Mieke; Olde Hartman, Tim C; van Weel-Baumgarten, Evelyn; Dowrick, Christopher; Lucassen, Peter L B J; van Weel, Chris

2011-08-01

The feasibility as well as the suitability of several therapies for medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in primary care applied by the family physician (FP) appeared to be low. FPs need effective and acceptable strategies to manage these functionally impaired patients. To review important and effective elements in the treatment of patients with MUS in primary care according to experts in MUS research. We performed a systematic search of narrative reviews and scientific editorials in Medline and PsycINFO and triangulated our findings by conducting a focus group with MUS experts. We included 7 scientific editorials and 23 narrative reviews. According to MUS experts, the most important elements in the treatment of MUS are creating a safe therapeutic environment, generic interventions (such as motivational interviewing, giving tangible explanations, reassurance and regularly scheduled appointments) and specific interventions (such as cognitive approaches and pharmacotherapy). Furthermore, MUS experts indicate that a multi-component approach in which these three important elements are combined are most helpful for patients with MUS. In contrast to most specific interventions, opinions of MUS experts regarding generic interventions and creating a safe therapeutic relationship seem to be more based on theory and experience than on quantitative research. MUS experts highlight the importance of generic interventions and doctor-patient communication and relationship. However, studies showing the effectiveness of these elements in the management of MUS in primary care is still scarce. Research as well as medical practice should focus more on these non-specific aspects of the medical consultation.

Cytokine Involvement in Biological Inflammation Related to Degenerative Disorders of the Intervertebral Disk: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

De Geer, Christopher M

2018-03-01

The purpose of this narrative literature review is to discuss the literature regarding the potential role that cytokines play in degenerative disk disease. The inclusion criteria were studies that used inflammatory mediators in advancing disk disease processes. Research studies were limited to the last 3 decades that had free full-text available online in English. Exclusion criteria were review articles and articles pertaining to temporomandibular joints and other joints of the body other than the intervertebral disk. The following databases were searched: PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar through March 13, 2017. A total of 82 studies were included in this review. The papers were reviewed for complex mechanisms behind the degenerative cascade, emphasizing the role of proinflammatory cytokines, which may be instrumental in processes of inflammation, neurologic pain, and disk degeneration. Interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor α were among the more notable cytokines involved in this cascade. Because monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 stimulates and activates macrophages in the event of infiltration, additional proinflammatory cytokines are released to act on molecules to promote blood and nerve ingrowth, resulting in pain signaling and tissue degradation. Excessive inflammation and/or tissue damage initiates a pathologic imbalance between anabolic and catabolic processes. This literature review describes how inflammatory and biochemical changes may trigger disk degeneration. Proinflammatory cytokines stimulate microvascular blood and nerve ingrowth, resulting in pain signaling and tissue degradation. This may sensitize a person to chemical and/or mechanical stimuli, contributing to severe low back pain.

The influence of narrative risk communication on feelings of cancer risk.

PubMed

Janssen, Eva; van Osch, Liesbeth; de Vries, Hein; Lechner, Lilian

2013-05-01

Evidence is accumulating for the importance of feelings of risk in explaining cancer preventive behaviours, but best practices for influencing these feelings are limited. The aim of this experimental study was to compare the effects of narrative and non-narrative risk communication about sunbed use on ease of imagination and feelings of cancer risk. A total of 233 female sunbed users in the general Dutch population were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a narrative message (i.e., personal testimonial), a non-narrative cognitive message (i.e., factual risk information using cognitive-laden words), or a non-narrative affective message (i.e., factual risk information using affective-laden words). Ease of imagination and feelings of risk were assessed directly after the risk information was given (T1). Three weeks after the baseline session, feelings of risk were measured again (T2). The results revealed that sunbed users who were exposed to narrative risk information could better imagine themselves developing skin cancer and reported higher feelings of skin cancer risk at T1. Moreover, ease of imagination mediated the effects of message type on feelings of risk at T1 and T2. The findings provide support for the effects of narrative risk communication in influencing feelings of cancer risk through ease of imagination. Cancer prevention programmes may therefore benefit from including narrative risk information. Future research is important to investigate other mechanisms of narrative information and their most effective content and format. What is already known on this subject? Evidence is growing for the importance of feelings of risk in explaining cancer preventive behaviours. Narratives have increasingly been considered as an effective format for persuasive risk messages and studies have shown narrative risk communication to be effective in influencing cognitive risk beliefs. What does this study add? Increasing understanding of how feelings of cancer

Temporality of Features in Near-Death Experience Narratives

PubMed Central

Martial, Charlotte; Cassol, Héléna; Antonopoulos, Georgios; Charlier, Thomas; Heros, Julien; Donneau, Anne-Françoise; Charland-Verville, Vanessa; Laureys, Steven

2017-01-01

Background: After an occurrence of a Near-Death Experience (NDE), Near-Death Experiencers (NDErs) usually report extremely rich and detailed narratives. Phenomenologically, a NDE can be described as a set of distinguishable features. Some authors have proposed regular patterns of NDEs, however, the actual temporality sequence of NDE core features remains a little explored area. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency distribution of these features (globally and according to the position of features in narratives) as well as the most frequently reported temporality sequences of features. Methods: We collected 154 French freely expressed written NDE narratives (i.e., Greyson NDE scale total score ≥ 7/32). A text analysis was conducted on all narratives in order to infer temporal ordering and frequency distribution of NDE features. Results: Our analyses highlighted the following most frequently reported sequence of consecutive NDE features: Out-of-Body Experience, Experiencing a tunnel, Seeing a bright light, Feeling of peace. Yet, this sequence was encountered in a very limited number of NDErs. Conclusion: These findings may suggest that NDEs temporality sequences can vary across NDErs. Exploring associations and relationships among features encountered during NDEs may complete the rigorous definition and scientific comprehension of the phenomenon. PMID:28659779

Temporality of Features in Near-Death Experience Narratives.

PubMed

Martial, Charlotte; Cassol, Héléna; Antonopoulos, Georgios; Charlier, Thomas; Heros, Julien; Donneau, Anne-Françoise; Charland-Verville, Vanessa; Laureys, Steven

2017-01-01

Background: After an occurrence of a Near-Death Experience (NDE), Near-Death Experiencers (NDErs) usually report extremely rich and detailed narratives. Phenomenologically, a NDE can be described as a set of distinguishable features. Some authors have proposed regular patterns of NDEs, however, the actual temporality sequence of NDE core features remains a little explored area. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency distribution of these features (globally and according to the position of features in narratives) as well as the most frequently reported temporality sequences of features. Methods: We collected 154 French freely expressed written NDE narratives (i.e., Greyson NDE scale total score ≥ 7/32). A text analysis was conducted on all narratives in order to infer temporal ordering and frequency distribution of NDE features. Results: Our analyses highlighted the following most frequently reported sequence of consecutive NDE features: Out-of-Body Experience, Experiencing a tunnel, Seeing a bright light, Feeling of peace. Yet, this sequence was encountered in a very limited number of NDErs. Conclusion: These findings may suggest that NDEs temporality sequences can vary across NDErs. Exploring associations and relationships among features encountered during NDEs may complete the rigorous definition and scientific comprehension of the phenomenon.

Understanding physical activity participation in spinal cord injured populations: Three narrative types for consideration

PubMed Central

Papathomas, Anthony; Williams, Toni L.; Smith, Brett

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to identity the types of physical activity narratives drawn upon by active spinal injured people. More than 50 h of semi-structured life-story interview data, collected as part of larger interdisciplinary program of disability lifestyle research, was analysed for 30 physically active male and female spinal cord injury (SCI) participants. A structural narrative analysis of data identified three narrative types which people with SCI draw on: (1) exercise is restitution, (2) exercise is medicine, and (3) exercise is progressive redemption. These insights contribute new knowledge by adding a unique narrative perspective to existing cognitive understanding of physical activity behaviour in the spinal cord injured population. The implications of this narrative typology for developing effective positive behavioural change interventions are critically discussed. It is concluded that the identified narratives types may be constitutive, as well as reflective, of physical activity experiences and therefore may be a useful tool on which to base physical activity promotion initiatives. PMID:26282868

[Contributions of cortisol suppression tests to understanding of psychiatric disorders: a narrative review of literature].

PubMed

Tajima-Pozo, Kazuhiro; Montes-Montero, Ana; Güemes, Itziar; González-Vives, Sara; Díaz-Marsá, Marina; Carrasco, José Luis

2013-01-01

Activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis had been studied for the past half century, when some researchers noted that some patients with Cushing's syndrome and severe mood disorders had high baseline cortisol levels, which resulted in an inhibited response in the 1mg dexamethasone suppression test. Altered dexamethasone suppression test results were subsequently found in many psychiatric diseases, including anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, degenerative dementia, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia. The relationship between high baseline cortisol levels and stress has also been studied. Some researches on the genesis of borderline personality disorder focused on traumatic childhood backgrounds. Other investigations aimed at elucidating the relationship between traumatic backgrounds and some psychiatric disorders noted that patients with post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder showed an enhanced cortisol suppression with low cortisol doses (0.5 mg). Recent studies showed that use of an ultra-low dose of cortisol during the dexamethasone suppression test may be helpful for detecting disorders with hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Recent advances in neuroimaging support the existence of hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in patients with borderline personality disorder, relating a decreased pituitary gland volume to major traumatic backgrounds and suicidal attempts. The purpose of this paper is to make a narrative review of research using dexamethasone suppression test in psychiatric disorders, in order to ascertain its value as a supplemental diagnostic test or as a prognostic marker. Copyright © 2012 SEEN. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Children's, parents' and other stakeholders' perspectives on early dietary self-management to delay disease progression of chronic disease in children: a protocol for a mixed studies systematic review with a narrative synthesis.

PubMed

Pugh, Pearl; Hemingway, Pippa; Christian, Martin; Higginbottom, Gina

2018-01-25

Chronic disease of childhood may be delayed by early dietary intervention. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide decision-makers with a perspective on the role of early dietary intervention, as a form of self-management, to delay disease progression in children with early chronic disease, as described by children, parents and other stakeholders. The study will systematically review empirical research (qualitative, quantitative and mixed method designs), including grey literature, using a narrative synthesis. A four-stage search process will be conducted involving a scoping search, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Patient Issues search filter on MEDLINE, the search of seven databases using a chronic disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD) search strategy, and hand searching the reference lists of identified papers for additional studies. All studies retrieved during the search process will undergo a screening and selection process against the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Methodological quality of relevant studies will be assessed using a validated Mixed Studies Review scoring system, before inclusion in the review. Relevant grey literature will be assessed for methodological quality and relative importance using McGrath et al.'s framework and the Academy Health advisory committee categories, respectively. Data extraction will be guided by the Centre for Review and Dissemination guidance and Popay et al.'s work. The narrative synthesis of the findings will use elements of Popay et al.'s methodology of narrative synthesis, applying recognised tools for each of the four elements: (1) developing a theory of how the intervention works, why and for whom; (2) developing a preliminary synthesis of findings of included studies; (3) exploring relationships in the data; and (4) assessing the robustness of the synthesis. This mixed studies systematic review with a narrative synthesis seeks to elucidate the gaps in current knowledge and

Role of Ketamine in Acute Postoperative Pain Management: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Radvansky, Brian M.; Shah, Khushbu; Parikh, Anant; Sifonios, Anthony N.; Eloy, Jean D.

2015-01-01

Objectives. The objective of this narrative review was to examine the usage of ketamine as a postoperative analgesic agent across a wide variety of surgeries. Design. A literature search was performed using the phrases “ketamine” and “postoperative pain.” The authors analyzed the studies that involved testing ketamine's effectiveness at controlling postoperative pain. Effectiveness was assessed through various outcomes such as the amount of opiate consumption, visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, and persistent postoperative pain at long-term follow-up. Results. While many different administration protocols were evaluated, delivering ketamine both as a pre- or perioperative bolus and postoperative infusion for up to 48 hours appeared to be the most effective. These effects are dose-dependent. However, a number of studies analyzed showed no benefit in using ketamine versus placebo for controlling postoperative pain. While ketamine is a safe and well-tolerated drug, it does have adverse effects, and there are concerns for possible neurotoxicity and effects on memory. Conclusions. In a number of limited situations, ketamine has shown some efficacy in controlling postoperative pain and decreasing opioid consumption. More randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine the surgical procedures and administrations (i.e., intravenous, epidural) that ketamine is best suited for. PMID:26495312

Childhood Health Consequences of Maternal Obesity during Pregnancy: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Gaillard, Romy; Santos, Susana; Duijts, Liesbeth; Felix, Janine F

2016-01-01

Obesity is a major public health problem among women of reproductive age. In a narrative review, we examined the influence of maternal obesity during pregnancy on fetal outcomes and childhood adiposity, cardio-metabolic, respiratory and cognitive-related health outcomes. We discuss results from recent studies, the causality and potential underlying mechanisms of observed associations and challenges for future epidemiological studies. Evidence from observational studies strongly suggests that maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and excessive gestational weight gain are associated with increased risks of fetal pregnancy complications and adverse childhood cardio-metabolic, respiratory and cognitive-related health outcomes. It remains unclear whether these associations are due to intrauterine mechanisms or explained by confounding family-based sociodemographic, lifestyle and genetic factors. The underlying mechanisms have mainly been assessed in animal studies and small human studies, and are yet to be further explored in large human studies. Key Message: Maternal obesity is an important modifiable factor during pregnancy that is associated with a variety of adverse offspring health outcomes. Further studies are needed to explore the causality and underlying mechanisms of the observed associations. Ultimately, preventive strategies focused on reducing maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy may reduce common diseases in future generations. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Sarcopenic obesity and complex interventions with nutrition and exercise in community-dwelling older persons--a narrative review.

PubMed

Goisser, Sabine; Kemmler, Wolfgang; Porzel, Simone; Volkert, Dorothee; Sieber, Cornel Christian; Bollheimer, Leo Cornelius; Freiberger, Ellen

2015-01-01

One of the many threats to independent life is the age-related loss of muscle mass and muscle function commonly referred to as sarcopenia. Another important health risk in old age leading to functional decline is obesity. Obesity prevalence in older persons is increasing, and like sarcopenia, severe obesity has been consistently associated with several negative health outcomes, disabilities, falls, and mobility limitations. Both sarcopenia and obesity pose a health risk for older persons per se, but in combination, they synergistically increase the risk for negative health outcomes and an earlier onset of disability. This combination of sarcopenia and obesity is commonly referred to as sarcopenic obesity. The present narrative review reports the current knowledge on the effects of complex interventions containing nutrition and exercise interventions in community-dwelling older persons with sarcopenic obesity. To date, several complex interventions with different outcomes have been conducted and have shown promise in counteracting either sarcopenia or obesity, but only a few studies have addressed the complex syndrome of sarcopenic obesity. Strong evidence exists on exercise interventions in sarcopenia, especially on strength training, and for obese older persons, strength exercise in combination with a dietary weight loss intervention demonstrated positive effects on muscle function and body fat. The differences in study protocols and target populations make it impossible at the moment to extract data for a meta-analysis or give state-of-the-art recommendations based on reliable evidence. A conclusion that can be drawn from this narrative review is that more exercise programs containing strength and aerobic exercise in combination with dietary interventions including a supervised weight loss program and/or protein supplements should be conducted in order to investigate possible positive effects on sarcopenic obesity.

Is the time right for quantitative public health guidelines on sitting? A narrative review of sedentary behaviour research paradigms and findings.

PubMed

Stamatakis, Emmanuel; Ekelund, Ulf; Ding, Ding; Hamer, Mark; Bauman, Adrian E; Lee, I-Min

2018-06-10

Sedentary behaviour (SB) has been proposed as an 'independent' risk factor for chronic disease risk, attracting much research and media attention. Many countries have included generic, non-quantitative reductions in SB in their public health guidelines and calls for quantitative SB targets are increasing. The aim of this narrative review is to critically evaluate key evidence areas relating to the development of guidance on sitting for adults. We carried out a non-systematic narrative evidence synthesis across seven key areas: (1) definition of SB, (2) independence of sitting from physical activity, (3) use of television viewing as a proxy of sitting, (4) interpretation of SB evidence, (5) evidence on 'sedentary breaks', (6) evidence on objectively measured sedentary SB and mortality and (7) dose response of sitting and mortality/cardiovascular disease. Despite research progress, we still know little about the independent detrimental health effects of sitting, and the possibility that sitting is mostly the inverse of physical activity remains. Unresolved issues include an unclear definition, inconsistencies between mechanistic and epidemiological studies, over-reliance on surrogate outcomes, a very weak epidemiological evidence base to support the inclusion of 'sedentary breaks' in guidelines, reliance on self-reported sitting measures, and misinterpretation of data whereby methodologically inconsistent associations are claimed to be strong evidence. In conclusion, public health guidance requires a consistent evidence base but this is lacking for SB. The development of quantitative SB guidance, using an underdeveloped evidence base, is premature; any further recommendations for sedentary behaviour require development of the evidence base and refinement of the research paradigms used in the field. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise

More STELLA Narratives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doecke, Brenton

2001-01-01

Presents six brief (about one page) narratives by primary and secondary teachers arising from STELLA (Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia) workshops and interpretive discussions. Notes that each narrative describes a moment of "good" English/literacy teaching. (SG)

Exploring the psychological health of emergency dispatch centre operatives: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.

PubMed

Golding, Sarah E; Horsfield, Claire; Davies, Annette; Egan, Bernadette; Jones, Martyn; Raleigh, Mary; Schofield, Patricia; Squires, Allison; Start, Kath; Quinn, Tom; Cropley, Mark

2017-01-01

The study objective was to investigate and synthesize available evidence relating to the psychological health of Emergency Dispatch Centre (EDC) operatives, and to identify key stressors experienced by EDC operatives. Eight electronic databases (Embase, PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo, PsycArticles, The Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, and Google Scholar) were searched. All study designs were included, and no date limits were set. Studies were included if they were published in English, and explored the psychological health of any EDC operatives, across fire, police, and emergency medical services. Studies were excluded if they related solely to other emergency workers, such as police officers or paramedics. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed using checklists adapted from the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. A narrative synthesis was conducted, using thematic analysis. A total of 16 articles were included in the review. Two overarching themes were identified during the narrative synthesis: 'Organisational and Operational Factors' and 'Interactions with Others'. Stressors identified included being exposed to traumatic calls, lacking control over high workload, and working in under-resourced and pressured environments. Lack of support from management and providing an emotionally demanding service were additional sources of stress. Peer support and social support from friends and family were helpful in managing work-related stress. EDC operatives experience stress as a result of their work, which appears to be related to negative psychological health outcomes. Future research should explore the long-term effects of this stress, and the potential for workplace interventions to alleviate the negative impacts on psychological health. CRD42014010806.

Self-defining memories, scripts, and the life story: narrative identity in personality and psychotherapy.

PubMed

Singer, Jefferson A; Blagov, Pavel; Berry, Meredith; Oost, Kathryn M

2013-12-01

An integrative model of narrative identity builds on a dual memory system that draws on episodic memory and a long-term self to generate autobiographical memories. Autobiographical memories related to critical goals in a lifetime period lead to life-story memories, which in turn become self-defining memories when linked to an individual's enduring concerns. Self-defining memories that share repetitive emotion-outcome sequences yield narrative scripts, abstracted templates that filter cognitive-affective processing. The life story is the individual's overarching narrative that provides unity and purpose over the life course. Healthy narrative identity combines memory specificity with adaptive meaning-making to achieve insight and well-being, as demonstrated through a literature review of personality and clinical research, as well as new findings from our own research program. A clinical case study drawing on this narrative identity model is also presented with implications for treatment and research. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impact of Aging on the Auditory System and Related Cognitive Functions: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Jayakody, Dona M. P.; Friedland, Peter L.; Martins, Ralph N.; Sohrabi, Hamid R.

2018-01-01

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), presbycusis, is a chronic health condition that affects approximately one-third of the world's population. The peripheral and central hearing alterations associated with age-related hearing loss have a profound impact on perception of verbal and non-verbal auditory stimuli. The high prevalence of hearing loss in the older adults corresponds to the increased frequency of dementia in this population. Therefore, researchers have focused their attention on age-related central effects that occur independent of the peripheral hearing loss as well as central effects of peripheral hearing loss and its association with cognitive decline and dementia. Here we review the current evidence for the age-related changes of the peripheral and central auditory system and the relationship between hearing loss and pathological cognitive decline and dementia. Furthermore, there is a paucity of evidence on the relationship between ARHL and established biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease, as the most common cause of dementia. Such studies are critical to be able to consider any causal relationship between dementia and ARHL. While this narrative review will examine the pathophysiological alterations in both the peripheral and central auditory system and its clinical implications, the question remains unanswered whether hearing loss causes cognitive impairment or vice versa. PMID:29556173

The Mediterranean Diet Reduces the Risk and Mortality of the Prostate Cancer: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Capurso, Cristiano; Vendemiale, Gianluigi

2017-01-01

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the world among men, and is the fifth most common cause of cancer death among men. The aim of our review was to analyze observational and case–control studies to point out the effects of overweight and diets components on the cancer risk, particularly on risk of prostate cancer, and the effect of the Mediterranean diet (MD) on the reduction of risk and mortality of prostate cancer. It is known that incidence and progression of cancer is multifactorial. Cancer of the large bowel, breast, endometrium, and prostate are due also to a high body mass index and to high consumption of high carcinogenic dietary factors, as red and processed meat or saturated fats rich foods, and to a low consumption of vegetables and fruits. Previous meta-analysis suggested that high adherence to diet model based on the traditional MD pattern gives a significant protection from incidence and mortality of cancer of all types. The main component of the MD is olive oil, consumed in high amount by Mediterranean basin populations. In addition, phenolic compounds exert some strong chemo-preventive effects, which are due to several mechanisms, including both antioxidant effects and actions on cancer cell signaling and cell cycle progression and proliferation. The protective effect of the MD against the prostate cancer is also due to the high consumption of tomato sauce. Lycopene is the most relevant functional component in tomatoes; after activating by the cooking of tomato sauce, it exerts antioxidant properties by acting in the modulation of downregulation mechanisms of the inflammatory response. MD, therefore, represents a healthy dietary pattern in the context of a healthy lifestyle habits. In conclusion, our narrative review allows us to reaffirm how nutritional factors play an important role in cancer initiation and development, and how a healthy dietary pattern represented by MD and its components, especially olive oil, could exert a

Health seeking narratives of unwell Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Melbourne Australia.

PubMed

Samuel, Sophia; Advocat, Jenny; Russell, Grant

2018-03-01

Sri Lankan Tamil refugees are among the largest group of refugees to resettle in Australia in the last decade. The aim of this study is to characterise the narratives of health-seeking among unwell Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Drawing on a qualitative, phenomenological perspective, we conducted in-depth interviews in Tamil and English with 12 participants who identified as being unwell for 6 months or more. Findings revealed three narratives of health-seeking: the search for the 'good life' that was lost or never experienced, seeking help from familiar channels in an unfamiliar context, and the desire for financial and occupational independence. These three narratives are undergirded by the metanarrative of a hope-filled recovery. These narratives of Tamil refugees' lived experience provide new insights into clinical care and health service delivery.

What can we learn on public accountability from non-health disciplines: a meta-narrative review

PubMed Central

Van Belle, Sara; Mayhew, Susannah H

2016-01-01

Objective In health, accountability has since long been acknowledged as a central issue, but it remains an elusive concept. The literature on accountability spans various disciplines and research traditions, with differing interpretations. There has been little transfer of ideas and concepts from other disciplines to public health and global health. In the frame of a study of accountability of (international) non-governmental organisations in local health systems, we carried out a meta-narrative review to address this gap. Our research questions were: (1) What are the main approaches to accountability in the selected research traditions? (2) How is accountability defined? (3) Which current accountability approaches are relevant for the organisation and regulation of local health systems and its multiple actors? Setting The search covered peer-reviewed journals, monographs and readers published between 1992 and 2012 from political science, public administration, organisational sociology, ethics and development studies. 34 papers were selected and analysed. Results Our review confirms the wide range of approaches to the conceptualisation of accountability. The definition of accountability used by the authors allows the categorisation of these approaches into four groups: the institutionalist, rights-based, individual choice and collective action group. These four approaches can be considered to be complementary. Conclusions We argue that in order to effectively achieve public accountability, accountability strategies are to be complementary and synergistic. PMID:27388347

Narrative Family Therapy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, William M.; Keenan, Robert

1997-01-01

States that narrative family therapy is informed by social constructionism and postmodern worldviews, and is a relatively significant departure from mainstream psychotherapy. Discusses the use of narrative family therapy. Uses the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden as an example. (MKA)

Emotional expressiveness and avoidance in narratives of unaccompanied refugee minors

PubMed Central

Huemer, Julia; Nelson, Kristin; Karnik, Niranjan; Völkl-Kernstock, Sabine; Seidel, Stefan; Ebner, Nina; Ryst, Erika; Friedrich, Max; Shaw, Richard J.; Realubit, Cassey; Steiner, Hans; Skala, Katrin

2016-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to examine a cohort of unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) by means of psycholinguistic methods in order to obtain a more subtle picture of their degree of traumatization. Methods Twenty-eight participants were included in the Stress-Inducing Speech Task (SIST) consisting of a free association (FA) and a stress (STR) condition. Narratives were examined by means of (1) quantitative parameters (word count); (2) psycholinguistic variables (temporal junctures, TJs), narrative structure, referential activity (RA)—a measure of emotional expressivity; and (3) content analysis ratings. Results Word count was significantly lower than in age-matched norms. In the FA condition, TJs were lower, but in the STR condition, rates were comparable. RA was significantly higher in both conditions. Content analysis ratings showed that the experiences described by these youths were potentially traumatic in nature. Conclusions This pattern of narrative shows a mixture of fulfilling the task demand, while containing an emotionally charged narrative. Narrative structure was absent in the FA condition, but preserved in the STR condition, as URMs struggled with the description of non-normative events. This indicates that these youths have not yet emotionally dealt with and fully integrated their trauma experiences. PMID:26955827

Becoming a teller of tales: Associations between children’s fictional narratives and parent-child reminiscence narratives

PubMed Central

Wenner, Jennifer A.; Burch, Melissa M.; Lynch, Julie S.; Bauer, Patricia J.

2008-01-01

Previous research has revealed a connection between the contributions parents make while reminiscing and their children’s narratives for personally experienced events. The present research expands the literature by focusing on the connection between parental reminiscing and children’s production of fictional narratives. Four- to 9-year-olds and their parents reminisced about past shared events and then, with an experimenter, the children produced narratives based on wordless picture books. The results revealed that the overall quality of the fictional narratives was correlated with parents’ provision statements that emphasized orientation and evaluation in the reminiscence narrative. For younger children, correlations held for reminiscence narratives about recent events. For older children, correlations held for reminiscence narratives about events from the distant past. The results are consistent with the suggestion that children learn general storytelling skills from adult models. PMID:18062986

A narrative review of studies of refusal of psychotropic medication in acute inpatient psychiatric care.

PubMed

Owiti, J A; Bowers, L

2011-09-01

This paper offers a narrative review of the 22 studies of medication refusal in acute psychiatry. Because of varied definitions of medication refusal, diverse methodologies and few rigorous studies, it has not been possible to draw firm conclusions on the average rate of refusal of psychotropic medications in acute psychiatry. However, it is clear that medication refusal is common and leads to poor outcomes characterized by higher rates of seclusion, restraint, threats of, and actual, assaults and longer hospitalizations. There are no statistically significant differences between refusers and acceptors in gender, marital status and preadmission living arrangements. Although no firm conclusions on the influence of ethnicity, status at admission and diagnosis on refusal, the refusers are more likely to have higher number of previous hospitalizations and history of prior refusal. The review indicates that staff factors such as the use of temporary staff, lack of confidence in ward staff and ineffective ward structure are associated with higher rates of medication refusal. Comprehensive knowledge of why, and how, patients refuse medication is lacking. Research on medication refusal is still fragmented, of variable methodological quality and lacks an integrating model. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing.

Online counseling: a narrative and critical review of the literature.

PubMed

Richards, Derek; Viganó, Noemi

2013-09-01

This article aimed to critically review the literature on online counseling. Database and hand-searches were made using search terms and eligibility criteria, yielding a total of 123 studies. The review begins with what characterizes online counseling. Outcome and process research in online counseling is reviewed. Features and cyberbehaviors of online counseling such as anonymity and disinhibition, convenience, time-delay, the loss of social signaling, and writing behavior in cyberspace are discussed. Ethical behavior, professional training, client suitability, and clients' and therapists' attitudes and experiences of online counseling are reviewed. A growing body of knowledge to date is positive in showing that online counseling can have a similar impact and is capable of replicating the facilitative conditions as face-to-face encounters. A need remains for stronger empirical evidence to establish efficacy and effectiveness and to understand better the unique mediating and facilitative variables. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Worked examples of alternative methods for the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research in systematic reviews.

PubMed

Lucas, Patricia J; Baird, Janis; Arai, Lisa; Law, Catherine; Roberts, Helen M

2007-01-15

The inclusion of qualitative studies in systematic reviews poses methodological challenges. This paper presents worked examples of two methods of data synthesis (textual narrative and thematic), used in relation to one review, with the aim of enabling researchers to consider the strength of different approaches. A systematic review of lay perspectives of infant size and growth was conducted, locating 19 studies (including both qualitative and quantitative). The data extracted from these were synthesised using both a textual narrative and a thematic synthesis. The processes of both methods are presented, showing a stepwise progression to the final synthesis. Both methods led us to similar conclusions about lay views toward infant size and growth. Differences between methods lie in the way they dealt with study quality and heterogeneity. On the basis of the work reported here, we consider textual narrative and thematic synthesis have strengths and weaknesses in relation to different research questions. Thematic synthesis holds most potential for hypothesis generation, but may obscure heterogeneity and quality appraisal. Textual narrative synthesis is better able to describe the scope of existing research and account for the strength of evidence, but is less good at identifying commonality.

Worked examples of alternative methods for the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research in systematic reviews

PubMed Central

Lucas, Patricia J; Baird, Janis; Arai, Lisa; Law, Catherine; Roberts, Helen M

2007-01-01

Background The inclusion of qualitative studies in systematic reviews poses methodological challenges. This paper presents worked examples of two methods of data synthesis (textual narrative and thematic), used in relation to one review, with the aim of enabling researchers to consider the strength of different approaches. Methods A systematic review of lay perspectives of infant size and growth was conducted, locating 19 studies (including both qualitative and quantitative). The data extracted from these were synthesised using both a textual narrative and a thematic synthesis. Results The processes of both methods are presented, showing a stepwise progression to the final synthesis. Both methods led us to similar conclusions about lay views toward infant size and growth. Differences between methods lie in the way they dealt with study quality and heterogeneity. Conclusion On the basis of the work reported here, we consider textual narrative and thematic synthesis have strengths and weaknesses in relation to different research questions. Thematic synthesis holds most potential for hypothesis generation, but may obscure heterogeneity and quality appraisal. Textual narrative synthesis is better able to describe the scope of existing research and account for the strength of evidence, but is less good at identifying commonality. PMID:17224044

Systematic individualized narrative language intervention on the personal narratives of children with autism.

PubMed

Petersen, Douglas B; Brown, Catherine L; Ukrainetz, Teresa A; Wise, Christine; Spencer, Trina D; Zebre, Jennifer

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an individualized, systematic language intervention on the personal narratives of children with autism. A single-subject, multiple-baseline design across participants and behaviors was used to examine the effect of the intervention on language features of personal narratives. Three 6- to 8-year-old boys with autism participated in 12 individual intervention sessions that targeted 2-3 story grammar elements (e.g., problem, plan) and 3-4 linguistic complexity elements (e.g., causal subordination, adverbs) selected from each participant's baseline performance. Intervention involved repeated retellings of customized model narratives and the generation of personal narratives with a systematic reduction of visual and verbal scaffolding. Independent personal narratives generated at the end of each baseline, intervention, and maintenance session were analyzed for presence and sophistication of targeted features. Graphical and statistical results showed immediate improvement in targeted language features as a function of intervention. There was mixed evidence of maintenance 2 and 7 weeks after intervention. Children with autism can benefit from an individualized, systematic intervention targeting specific narrative language features. Greater intensity of intervention may be needed to gain enduring effects for some language features.

Discourse Markers in Chinese Conversational Narrative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xiao, Yang

2010-01-01

This study examines the indexicality of discourse markers (DMs) in Chinese conversational narrative. Drawing upon theoretical and methodological principles related to narrative dimensions (Ochs & Capps, 2001), narrative desires (Ochs, 1997, 2004), and narrative positioning (Bamberg, 1997), this work proposes an integrated analytical framework for…

Teaching about Narrative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Gill

1978-01-01

Raises issues involved in the study and teaching of narrative, with reference to both literature and film. Considers the function of realism in narrative fiction and the teaching of theory and practice of those writers and filmmakers who have challenged the realist text by alternative strategies. (JMF)

Evoking and Measuring Identification with Narrative Characters - A Linguistic Cues Framework.

PubMed

van Krieken, Kobie; Hoeken, Hans; Sanders, José

2017-01-01

Current research on identification with narrative characters poses two problems. First, although identification is seen as a dynamic process of which the intensity varies during reading, it is usually measured by means of post-reading questionnaires containing self-report items. Second, it is not clear which linguistic characteristics evoke identification. The present paper proposes that an interdisciplinary framework allows for more precise manipulations and measurements of identification, which will ultimately advance our understanding of the antecedents and nature of this process. The central hypothesis of our Linguistic Cues Framework is that identification with a narrative character is a multidimensional experience for which different dimensions are evoked by different linguistic cues. The first part of the paper presents a literature review on identification, resulting in a renewed conceptualization of identification which distinguishes six dimensions: a spatiotemporal, a perceptual, a cognitive, a moral, an emotional, and an embodied dimension. The second part argues that each of these dimensions is influenced by specific linguistic cues which represent various aspects of the narrative character's perspective. The proposed relations between linguistic cues and identification dimensions are specified in six propositions. The third part discusses what psychological and neurocognitive methods enable the measurement of the various identification dimensions in order to test the propositions. By establishing explicit connections between the linguistic characteristics of narratives and readers' physical, psychological, and neurocognitive responses to narratives, this paper develops a research agenda for future empirical research on identification with narrative characters.

Narrative ARTifice and women's agency.

PubMed

Kalbian, Aline H

2005-04-01

The choice to pursue fertility treatments is a complex one. In this paper I explore the issues of choice, agency, and gender as they relate to assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). I argue that narrative approaches to bioethics such as those by Arthur Frank and Hilde Lindemann Nelson clarify judgments about autonomy and fertility medicine. More specifically, I propose two broad narrative categories that help capture the experience of encounters with fertility medicine: narratives of hope and narratives of resistance. This narrative typology captures the inevitable conflict that women feel when they become subjects of fertility medicine. On the one hand, they must remain hopeful; on the other, they must not surrender themselves completely. Nelson's account of counterstories as narratives of resistance helps us see how women can reconcile the experience of a strong desire to have children with the desire to remain authentic and whole.

Automatic generation of nursing narratives from entity-attribute-value triplet for electronic nursing records system.

PubMed

Min, Yul Ha; Park, Hyeoun-Ae; Lee, Joo Yun; Jo, Soo Jung; Jeon, Eunjoo; Byeon, Namsoo; Choi, Seung Yong; Chung, Eunja

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate a natural language generation system to populate nursing narratives using detailed clinical models. Semantic, contextual, and syntactical knowledges were extracted. A natural language generation system linking these knowledges was developed. The quality of generated nursing narratives was evaluated by the three nurse experts using a five-point rating scale. With 82 detailed clinical models, in total 66,888 nursing narratives in four different types of statement were generated. The mean scores for overall quality was 4.66, for content 4.60, for grammaticality 4.40, for writing style 4.13, and for correctness 4.60. The system developed in this study generated nursing narratives with different levels of granularity. The generated nursing narratives can improve semantic interoperability of nursing data documented in nursing records.

Heart Failure and Exercise: A Narrative Review of the Role of Self-Efficacy.

PubMed

Ha, Francis J; Hare, David L; Cameron, James D; Toukhsati, Samia R

2018-01-01

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a common, debilitating condition associated with significant health and economic burden. CHF management is multidisciplinary, however, achieving better health relies on a collaborative effort and patient engagement in self-care. Despite the importance of self-care in CHF, many patients have poor adherence to their medical and lifestyle regimens, in particular with regards to engaging in physical exercise. The patient's confidence in their ability, otherwise known as self-efficacy, is an important determinant of CHF health outcomes, most likely due to its effect on the uptake of CHF self-care activities especially exercise initiation and maintenance. Self-efficacy is responsive to experience such as exercise training, however the critical components of exercise interventions to improve self-efficacy have yet to be determined. This narrative review provides an overview of the role of self-efficacy in exercise adherence in CHF. Copyright © 2017 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A narrative literature review of the development of obesity in infancy and childhood.

PubMed

Robinson, Sally; Yardy, Katie; Carter, Victoria

2012-12-01

This narrative review explains the development of excess weight gain in babies and children. It takes a life course approach which includes genetics, pre-conception, pregnancy, infancy and childhood. The paper focuses on feeding behaviours, physical activity, parental influences and the wider social and environmental context. Risk factors which can cumulatively lead to excess childhood weight gain include: under- or overweight during pregnancy; the presence of diabetes during pregnancy; low or high birth weight; having obese parents; early weaning; prolonged formula feeding; rapid weight gain in the first year; disinhibited eating patterns and the consistent availability of energy dense food at home; feeding practices which are not responsive to the child's cues; insufficient sleep among preschool children; sedentary parents; low parental education; living in poor socio-economic circumstances; absence, or perceived absence, of safe play areas; parents who lack time or confidence to authoritatively parent; environments where there is poor access to affordable lower energy dense foods; and parents who do not accept that excess weight is a health problem. Recommendations for health professionals are made.

Thoracic ultrasound: Potential new tool for physiotherapists in respiratory management. A narrative review.

PubMed

Le Neindre, Aymeric; Mongodi, Silvia; Philippart, François; Bouhemad, Bélaïd

2016-02-01

The use of diagnostic ultrasound by physiotherapists is not a new concept; it is frequently performed in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Physiotherapists currently lack accurate, reliable, sensitive, and valid measurements for the assessment of the indications and effectiveness of chest physiotherapy. Thoracic ultrasound may be a promising tool for the physiotherapist and could be routinely performed at patients' bedsides to provide real-time and accurate information on the status of pleura, lungs, and diaphragm; this would allow for assessment of lung aeration from interstitial syndrome to lung consolidation with much better accuracy than chest x-rays or auscultation. Diaphragm excursion and contractility may also be assessed by ultrasound. This narrative review refers to lung and diaphragm ultrasound semiology and describes how physiotherapists could use this tool in their clinical decision-making processes in various cases of respiratory disorders. The use of thoracic ultrasound semiology alongside typical examinations may allow for the guiding, monitoring, and evaluating of chest physiotherapy treatments. Thoracic ultrasound is a potential new tool for physiotherapists. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Academic and Government Partnerships to Address Diabetes in the USA: a Narrative Review.

PubMed

Yi, Stella S; Chamany, Shadi; Thorpe, Lorna

2017-09-01

Multi-sector partnerships are broadly considered to be of value for diabetes prevention and management. The purpose of this article is to summarize academic and government collaborations focused on diabetes prevention and management. Using a narrative review approach, we identified 17 articles describing 10 academic and government partnerships for diabetes management and surveillance. Challenges and gaps in the literature include complexity of diabetes management vis a vis current healthcare infrastructure; a paucity of racial/ethnic diversity in translational efforts; and the time/effort needed to maintain strong relationships across partner institutions. Academic and government partnerships are of value for diabetes prevention and management activities. Acknowledgment that the key priorities of government programming are often costs and feasibility is critical for collaborations to be successful. Future translational efforts of diabetes prevention and management programs should focus on the following: (1) expansion of partnerships between academia and local health departments; (2) increased utilization of implementation science for enhanced and efficient implementation and dissemination; and (3) harnessing of technological advances for data analysis, patient communication, and report generation.

Framing narrative journalism as a new genre: A case study of the Netherlands.

PubMed

van Krieken, Kobie; Sanders, José

2017-11-01

Although narrative journalism has a long history in the Netherlands, it is in recent years being promoted as a 'new' genre. This study examines the motives underlying this promotional tactic. To that end, we analyze how narrative journalism is framed in (1) public expressions of the initiatives aimed at professionalization of the genre and (2) interviews with journalists and lecturers in journalism programs. Results indicate that in public discourse on narrative journalism, the genre is framed as moving , essential , and as high quality journalism . These frames indicate that the current promotion of narrative journalism as 'new' can be seen as a strategy that journalists apply to withstand the pressures they are facing in the competition with new media. These frames are deepened in the interviews with lecturers and practitioners, who frame narrative journalism as a dangerous game , a paradigm shift , and as the Holy Grail . These frames indicate that narrative journalism is regarded as the highest achievable goal for journalists, but that its practice comes with dangers and risks: it tempts journalists to abandon the traditional principles of objectivity and factuality, which can ultimately cause journalism to lose its credibility and authority. We discuss these findings in terms of boundary work and reflect on implications for narrative journalism's societal function.

Framing narrative journalism as a new genre: A case study of the Netherlands

PubMed Central

van Krieken, Kobie; Sanders, José

2016-01-01

Although narrative journalism has a long history in the Netherlands, it is in recent years being promoted as a ‘new’ genre. This study examines the motives underlying this promotional tactic. To that end, we analyze how narrative journalism is framed in (1) public expressions of the initiatives aimed at professionalization of the genre and (2) interviews with journalists and lecturers in journalism programs. Results indicate that in public discourse on narrative journalism, the genre is framed as moving, essential, and as high quality journalism. These frames indicate that the current promotion of narrative journalism as ‘new’ can be seen as a strategy that journalists apply to withstand the pressures they are facing in the competition with new media. These frames are deepened in the interviews with lecturers and practitioners, who frame narrative journalism as a dangerous game, a paradigm shift, and as the Holy Grail. These frames indicate that narrative journalism is regarded as the highest achievable goal for journalists, but that its practice comes with dangers and risks: it tempts journalists to abandon the traditional principles of objectivity and factuality, which can ultimately cause journalism to lose its credibility and authority. We discuss these findings in terms of boundary work and reflect on implications for narrative journalism’s societal function. PMID:29278262

TV as storyteller: how exposure to television narratives impacts at-risk preschoolers' story knowledge and narrative skills.

PubMed

Linebarger, Deborah L; Piotrowski, Jessica Taylor

2009-03-01

Educational media serve as informal educators within the home by supplementing young children's development. Substantial evidence documents the contributions of educational television to preschoolers' acquisition of a variety of skills; however, television's natural capacity as storyteller and the role it plays in preschoolers' early literacy development has been largely overlooked. This study examined the effects of viewing different TV program types on 311 at-risk preschoolers' story knowledge and narrative skills. Children were assigned to one of 4 viewing conditions (i.e. watching up to 40 episodes of a particular program type): no viewing; expository; embedded narrative; or traditional narrative. Story knowledge scores were higher for those viewing either narrative type. In contrast, viewing specific narrative types differentially affected the component skills of narrative competence. Story retelling and identification of explicit story events were higher after repeat viewing of embedded narratives while generating implicit story content was higher after repeat viewing of traditional narratives.

Children's Cognitive and Affective Responses About a Narrative Versus a Non-Narrative Cartoon Designed for an Active Videogame.

PubMed

Fernandes Davies, Vanessa; Mafra, Rafaella; Beltran, Alicia; Baranowski, Thomas; Lu, Amy Shirong

2016-04-01

This article presents the results of interviews conducted with children regarding their cognitive and affective responses toward a narrative and a non-narrative cartoon. The findings will be used to further explore the role of a narrative in motivating continued active videogame play. Twenty children (8-11 years old of mixed gender) watched two cartoons (narrative and non-narrative) and were subsequently interviewed. A thematic matrix was used to analyze the interviews. The narrative cartoon (n = 11) was only slightly preferred compared with the non-narrative one (n = 9), with little difference among the participants. The theme categories identified during the analyses were plot, characters, and suggestions. The fight scenes were mentioned by the children as a likeable aspect of the narrative cartoon. In the non-narrative cartoon, the vast majority (n = 17) liked the information about physical activity that was provided. The children enjoyed the appearance and personalities of the characters in both cartoons. A discrepancy in the data about the fight scenes (narrative cartoon) and characters (both cartoons) was found among the female participants (i.e., some girls did not like the fight and thought the characters were too aggressive). However, most of the children wanted to see more action in the story, an increase in the number of fight scenes (narrative cartoon), or more information about exercise and examples of exercises they could do (non-narrative cartoon). They also suggested adding a game to the non-narrative cartoon, including more characters, and improving the animation in both cartoons. The children preferred the narrative cartoon because of the story and the fight. Some gender differences were found, which further studies should investigate.

Syntax of emotional narratives of persons diagnosed with antisocial personality.

PubMed

Gawda, Barbara

2010-08-01

The aim of this study was to show some specificity of syntax of narratives created by persons diagnosed with antisocial personality. The author attempted to verify and supplement information that persons with antisocial personality have an incapacity for emotional language. Scores of 60 prisoners with high antisocial tendencies, 40 prisoners with low antisocial tendencies, and 100 men without the antisocial tendencies, were analyzed. The participants had to describe the situations of love, hate and anxiety inspired by the photographs. The narrative discourse was analyzed. The research was concentrated on syntactic elements. Comparisons between the three groups were conducted. The results show the differences between the antisocial inmates, non-antisocial inmates, and controls. In their emotional narratives, the antisocial individuals used more repetitions, pauses and negations. These linguistic characteristics are attributed to high activity, psychopathy and emotionality of persons diagnosed with antisocial personality.

Sociology of health textbooks and narratives: historical significance.

PubMed

Nunes, Everardo Duarte

2016-03-01

This article has as its starting point two central ideas: textbooks as a means of production and dissemination of knowledge and narrative as an approach. After a brief review of studies on health/medical sociology textbooks, I analyze a few of these textbooks from the 1900-2012 period, produced in the United States and England. I have selected eleven textbooks which I thought were representative. In addition to a content analysis, the textbooks are located within the process of constitution of the health/medical sociology with brief references to the biographies of the authors. The textbooks analyzed were classified according to the main narrative features: doctor-centered; interdisciplinary; pedagogical; analytical; almost autobiographical; critical; and synthetic-reflective. In the final remarks, some points about the textbooks, limits and possibilities are presented.

Rehabilitation (exercise and strength training) and osteoarthritis: A critical narrative review.

PubMed

Nguyen, Christelle; Lefèvre-Colau, Marie-Martine; Poiraudeau, Serge; Rannou, François

2016-06-01

Rehabilitation is widely recommended in national and international guidelines for managing osteoarthritis (OA) in primary care settings. According to the 2014 OA Research Society International (OARSI) recommendations, rehabilitation is even considered the core treatment of OA and is recommended for all patients. Rehabilitation for OA widely includes land- and water-based exercise, strength training, weight management, self-management and education, biomechanical interventions, and physically active lifestyle. We performed a critical narrative review of the efficacy and safety of rehabilitation for managing OA and discuss evidence-based international recommendations. The process of article selection was unsystematic. Articles were selected based on authors' expertise, self-knowledge, and reflective practice. For the purpose of the review, we focused on land- and water-based exercise and strength training for knee, hip and hand OA. Other aspects of rehabilitation in OA are treated elsewhere in this special issue. Exercise therapy is widely recommended for managing knee, hip and hand OA. However, the level of evidence varies according to OA location. Overall, consistent evidence suggests that exercise therapy and specific strengthening exercise or strength training for the lower limb reduce pain and improve physical function in knee OA. Evidence for other OA sites are less consistent. Therefore, because of the lack of specific studies, recommendations for hip and hand OA are mainly derived from studies of knee OA. In addition, no recommendations have been established regarding the exercise regimen. The efficacy and safety of exercise therapy and strength training need to be further evaluated in randomized controlled trials of patients with hip and hand OA. The optimal delivery of exercise programs also has to be more clearly defined. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Exploring the Experiences of Living With Stroke Through Narrative: Stroke Survivors' Perspectives.

PubMed

Nasr, Nasrin; Mawson, Susan; Wright, Peter; Parker, Jack; Mountain, Gail

2016-01-01

Chronic illness models are normally used to explain and predict the experience of living with a long-term condition. The aim of this study was to present the findings of narrative interviews with stroke survivors and their family carers to understand their experiences of stroke. We interviewed five people with stroke and three family carers from the United Kingdom. We used thematic analysis to generate themes from their narrative accounts and then linked them to broader theoretical perspectives while influenced by the concept of reinterpretation of life. The narrative accounts of participants are mainly structured based on how their changed bodies poststroke changed their identities and roles and consequently their relationships with others. In this study, we underline the need for using methods like narrative to explain strategies that people use to make sense of their experiences of living with a long-term condition such as stroke.

Muscle Activation During ACL Injury Risk Movements in Young Female Athletes: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Bencke, Jesper; Aagaard, Per; Zebis, Mette K

2018-01-01

Young, adolescent female athletes are at particular high risk of sustaining a non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during sport. Through the last decades much attention has been directed toward various anatomical and biomechanical risk factors for non-contact ACL injury, and important information have been retrieved about the influence of external loading factors on ACL injury risk during given sports-specific movements. However, much less attention has been given to the aspect of neuromuscular control during such movements and only sparse knowledge exists on the specific muscle activation patterns involved during specific risk conditions. Therefore, the aim of this narrative review was (1) to describe anatomical aspects, strength aspects and biomechanical aspects relevant for the understanding of ACL non-contact injury mechanisms in young female athletes, and (2) to review the existing literature on lower limb muscle activation in relation to risk of non-contact ACL-injury and prevention of ACL injury in young female athletes. Studies investigating muscle activity patterns associated with sports-specific risk situations were identified, comprising cohort studies, intervention studies and prospective studies. Based on the retrieved studies, clear gender-specific differences in muscle activation and coordination were identified demonstrating elevated quadriceps activity and reduced hamstring activity in young female athletes compared to their male counterparts, and suggesting young female athletes to be at elevated risk of non-contact ACL injury. Only few studies ( n = 6) examined the effect of preventive exercise-based intervention protocols on lower limb muscle activation during sports-specific movements. A general trend toward enhanced hamstring activation was observed during selected injury risk situations (e.g., sidecutting and drop landings). Only a single study examined the association between muscle activation deficits and ACL injury risk

A Narrative Metaphor to Facilitate Educational Game Authoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchiori, Eugenio J.; Torrente, Javier; del Blanco, Angel; Moreno-Ger, Pablo; Sancho, Pilar; Fernandez-Manjon, Baltasar

2012-01-01

In this paper we present WEEV (Writing Environment for Educational Video games), a methodology for educational "point-and-click" adventure game authoring. Our approach aims to allow educators to actively collaborate in the educational game development process, using a narrative-based representation. WEEV is based on a pragmatic reinterpretation of…

Non-Native English Varieties: Thainess in English Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singhasak, Piyahathai; Methitham, Phongsakorn

2016-01-01

This study aims at examining Thainess as a writing strategy used in non-literary texts written by non-professional bilingual writers. These writers are advanced language learners who are pursuing their Master's degree in English. Seven English narratives of their language learning experiences were analyzed based on Kachruvian's framework of…

The reconstruction of narrative identity during mental health recovery: a complex adaptive systems perspective.

PubMed

Kerr, Douglas J R; Crowe, Trevor P; Oades, Lindsay G

2013-06-01

1) to understand the reconstruction of narrative identity during mental health recovery using a complex adaptive systems perspective, 2) to address the need for alternative approaches that embrace the complexities of health care. A narrative review of published literature was conducted. A complex adaptive systems perspective offers a framework and language that can assist individuals to make sense of their experiences and reconstruct their narratives during an often erratic and uncertain life transition. It is a novel research direction focused on a critical area of recovery and addresses the need for alternative approaches that embrace the complexities of health care. A complexity research approach to narrative identity reconstruction is valuable. It is an accessible model for addressing the complexities of recovery and may underpin the development of simple, practical recovery coaching tools. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effects of Overfeeding on Body Composition: The Role of Macronutrient Composition – A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

LEAF, ALEX; ANTONIO, JOSE

2017-01-01

Compared to investigations on hypocaloric diets, the effects of chronic overfeeding have been less studied. It has been posited that consuming calories in excess of daily caloric requirements will result in a gain in body weight and in particular fat mass regardless of which macronutrient(s) are consumed. However, recent evidence suggests that there is a quantitative difference in protein versus carbohydrate and/or fat overfeeding as it relates to body composition. Protein overfeeding or the consumption of a high protein diet may not result in a gain in body weight or fat mass despite consuming calories that exceed one’s normal or habitual intake. Therefore, this review will provide an up-to-date narrative on the current scientific literature on various combinations of macronutrient overfeeding and its effects on body composition. PMID:29399253

Combining Historical Research and Narrative Inquiry to Create Chronicles and Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Richard A.

2007-01-01

Stories about the Idaho State Library, chronicles and narratives, are reported in my doctoral dissertation (Wilson, 2005). The chronicles, reconstructed from documents and records, provided a presentation of the people, events, and activities to frame the stories. The narratives, excerpted from interviews, provided the rich description and unique…

Narrative Policy Analysis and the Use of the Meta-Narrative in Participatory Policy Development within Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampton, Greg

2011-01-01

Narrative policy analysis is examined for its contribution to participatory policy development within higher education. Within narrative policy analysis the meta-narrative is developed by the policy analyst in order to find a way to bridge opposing narratives. This development can be combined with participants deliberating in a policy process,…

Paradigms and Narratives for Sustainable Well-Being in Academic Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGovern, Thomas V.

2013-01-01

I summarize multidisciplinary paradigms and best practices' recommendations for professional learning by higher education faculty members. This review leads to an innovative narrative model for academic life that synthesizes current personality and vocational psychology theory and positive psychology's emphasis on virtues and character…

Criminal Narrative Experience: Relating Emotions to Offence Narrative Roles During Crime Commission.

PubMed

Ioannou, Maria; Canter, David; Youngs, Donna

2017-10-01

A neglected area of research within criminality has been that of the experience of the offence for the offender. The present study investigates the emotions and narrative roles that are experienced by an offender while committing a broad range of crimes and proposes a model of criminal narrative experience (CNE). Hypotheses were derived from the circumplex of emotions, Frye, narrative theory, and its link with investigative psychology. The analysis was based on 120 cases. Convicted for a variety of crimes, incarcerated criminals were interviewed and the data were subjected to smallest space analysis (SSA). Four themes of CNE were identified: Elated Hero, Calm Professional, Distressed Revenger, and Depressed Victim in line with the recent theoretical framework posited for narrative offence roles. The theoretical implications for understanding crime on the basis of the CNE as well as practical implications are discussed.

Children's Cognitive and Affective Responses About a Narrative Versus a Non-Narrative Cartoon Designed for an Active Videogame

PubMed Central

Mafra, Rafaella; Beltran, Alicia; Baranowski, Thomas; Lu, Amy Shirong

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective: This article presents the results of interviews conducted with children regarding their cognitive and affective responses toward a narrative and a non-narrative cartoon. The findings will be used to further explore the role of a narrative in motivating continued active videogame play. Materials and Methods: Twenty children (8–11 years old of mixed gender) watched two cartoons (narrative and non-narrative) and were subsequently interviewed. A thematic matrix was used to analyze the interviews. Results: The narrative cartoon (n = 11) was only slightly preferred compared with the non-narrative one (n = 9), with little difference among the participants. The theme categories identified during the analyses were plot, characters, and suggestions. The fight scenes were mentioned by the children as a likeable aspect of the narrative cartoon. In the non-narrative cartoon, the vast majority (n = 17) liked the information about physical activity that was provided. The children enjoyed the appearance and personalities of the characters in both cartoons. A discrepancy in the data about the fight scenes (narrative cartoon) and characters (both cartoons) was found among the female participants (i.e., some girls did not like the fight and thought the characters were too aggressive). However, most of the children wanted to see more action in the story, an increase in the number of fight scenes (narrative cartoon), or more information about exercise and examples of exercises they could do (non-narrative cartoon). They also suggested adding a game to the non-narrative cartoon, including more characters, and improving the animation in both cartoons. Conclusions: The children preferred the narrative cartoon because of the story and the fight. Some gender differences were found, which further studies should investigate. PMID:26881473

The Status of Human and Animal Fascioliasis in Iran: A Narrative Review Article

PubMed Central

ASHRAFI, Keyhan

2015-01-01

Background: The public health importance of human fascioliasis has increased during last few decades due to the appearance of new emerging and re-emerging foci in many countries. Iran, as the most important focus of human disease in Asia, has been included among six countries known to have a serious problem with fascioliasis by WHO. Various aspects of the disease in Iran are discussed in this review. Methods: This narrative review covers all information about human and animal fascioliasis in Iran, which has been published in local and international journals from 1960 to 2014 using various databases including PubMed, SID, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct. Results: During the period of the study the infection rates of 0.1% to 91.4% was noted in various livestock. Despite the higher infection rates of livestock in southern areas in past decades, human disease has been mostly encountered in northern Provinces especially in Guilan. Recent studies indicate noticeable decrease in prevalence rates of veterinary fascioliasis in Iran, however the prevalence rates of fascioliasis in livestock in northern Provinces of Guilan and Mazandaran seem to remain at a higher level in comparison to other parts. New foci of the disease have also been reported recently. Conclusion: While the prevalence of animal fascioliasis has decreased during last decades, human fascioliasis emerged as a public health problem in the country. The validity of new foci of human fascioliasis needs complementary standard studies. PMID:26622287

Returning to Work after Cancer: Quantitative Studies and Prototypical Narratives

PubMed Central

Steiner, John F.; Nowels, Carolyn T.; Main, Deborah S.