Radiation Therapists' role in COVID-19 testing: Detecting asymptomatic carriers during Ontario's Omicron BA.2 wave.

Background: In November 2021, the highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 variant led to a surge in demand for COVID-19 testing within Ontario's cancer care system, overwhelming established testing clinics and delaying radiation therapy (RT) start dates. To address this, a small team of Radiation Therapists (RTTs) was trained to conduct nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) on the same day as CT simulation for eligible patients.

Intra-operative process efficiency for in-room MRI-guided combined intracavitary/interstitial brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

Purpose: Magnetic resonance image-guided brachytherapy (MRgBT) is the gold-standard treatment for cervical cancer. This study examined workflow times in an integrated MRgBT suite and conventional operating room (OR), and factors contributing to intraoperative efficiency.

Methods And Materials: Consecutive patients with FIGO stage IB-IVA cervical cancer who underwent MRgBT procedures between 2019-2022 were retrospectively reviewed.

Preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of an integrated hope techniques and narrative-based card game intervention for pediatric cancer patients in China: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Spiritual well-being is the fourth dimension of well-being for pediatric cancer patients. A high level of spiritual well-being can protect them from psychological symptoms. Few interventions, however, have been focused on the spiritual dimension among pediatric patients with cancer.

Impact of Low-Dose Computed Tomography Findings on Cigarette Smoking Cessation Among High-Risk Adults Participating in Lung Cancer Screening.

Introduction: Integrating effective smoking cessation strategies for individuals undergoing lung cancer screening stands to significantly increase the impact of lung screening programmes. We assessed the impact of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) findings on smoking cessation among high-risk adults who currently smoked.

Aims And Methods: 13 035 individuals, aged 55-77 years, attended a lung health check appointment, as part of a prospective observational cohort study (the SUMMIT Study), prior to undergoing a baseline LDCT scan.

Agreement Between Child Self-Report With Parent Proxy Report on the Quality of Life of Children With Medical Complexity: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: This is the first study to investigate the agreement between children's self-reports and parents' proxy reports on the quality of life (QoL) of children with medical complexity in the Chinese context. We further examined if there were differences in the concordance between children's self-reports and parents' proxy reports.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 113 parent-child dyads was conducted on parents and their children aged 10-18 years with a diagnosis of medical complexity.

The Use of Immersive Virtual Reality Training for Developing Nontechnical Skills Among Nursing Students: Multimethods Study.

Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is a niche technology rising in popularity in nursing education. Although there is an abundance of evidence to demonstrate the effect of virtual reality (VR) on desired learning outcomes, this evidence is limited to technical or procedural skills or managing a single patient with clinical problems. Nontechnical skills (NTS), such as communication, decision-making, teamwork, situation awareness, and managerial skills, have not been explored using IVR technology.

Framework Development: Standardizing Definition of Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy Activities for Clinical Workload Quantification.

Purpose: Advanced practice (AP) in radiation therapy (RT) is being implemented around the globe. In an effort to advance the understanding of the similarities and differences in APRT roles in Ontario, Canada, a community of practice (CoP) sought ways to provide quantitative data on the nature of APRT clinical activities and the frequency with which these activities were being executed.

Methods: In 2017, a consensus building project involving 20 APRTs and 14 radiation therapy (RT) department managers in Ontario was completed to establish a mechanism to quantify APRTs' clinical impact.

Effectiveness of group cognitive behavioral therapy for depression in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of delivery by different healthcare professionals.

This study addresses the gap in understanding the varied effectiveness of group cognitive behavioral therapy (gCBT) delivered by different professionals. This study aims to address this gap by conducting a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluate gCBT and compare it to inactive controls in adults with a clinical diagnosis of depression. A total of 33 RCTs were included for analysis.

The Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality-Assisted Experiential Learning on Enhancing Empathy in Undergraduate Health Care Students Toward Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: Multiple-Methods Study.

Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR)-assisted experiential learning has the potential to foster empathy among undergraduate health care students toward older adults with cognitive impairment by facilitating a sense of embodiment. However, the extent of its effectiveness, including enhancing students' learning experiences and achieving intended learning outcomes, remains underexplored.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impacts of IVR-assisted experiential learning on the empathy of undergraduate health care students toward older people with cognitive impairment as the primary outcome (objective 1) and on their learning experience (objective 2) and their attainment of learning outcomes as the secondary outcomes (objective 3).

Instrument adaptation and preliminary validation study of the Laryngeal Hypersensitivity Questionnaire used for assessment of laryngeal symptoms in patients with artificial airways.

Background: The Newcastle Laryngeal Hypersensitivity Questionnaire (LHQ) was developed to measure abnormal laryngeal sensation and was originally validated in a patient sample from otolaryngologic and respiratory outpatient clinics. Modification is needed for patients who are mechanically ventilated via an endotracheal tube or a tracheostomy tube.

Objectives: We sought to adapt and preliminarily validate a modified version of the LHQ appropriate for nurses and other clinicians to administer in acute hospital settings called the LHQ-Acute (LHQ-A).

A two-center experience: The impact of COVID-19 on two brachytherapy programs in Ontario - virtual care, service suspension and radiation therapy workflow.

Introduction: Most brachytherapy (BT) procedures require general anesthesia and are therefore considered aerosol generating medical procedures (AGMPs). The COVID-19 pandemic impacted BT as services were prioritized by balancing the harm associated with COVID-19 infection versus the effect of delay of potentially curative treatment. This article summarizes the impact of the pandemic on BT programs in two cancer centers in a Canadian province.

Development and Validation of the Hospital-to-Home-Health Transition Quality (H3TQ) Index: A Novel Measure to Engage Patients and Home Health Providers in Evaluating Hospital-to-Home Care Transition Quality: A Novel Measure to Engage Patients and Home Health Providers in Evaluating Hospital-to-Home Care Transition Quality.

Background: Patients requiring skilled home health care (HH) after hospitalization are at high risk of adverse events. Human factors engineering (HFE) approaches can be useful for measure development to optimize hospital-to-home transitions.

Objective: To describe the development, initial psychometric validation, and feasibility of the Hospital-to-Home-Health-Transition Quality (H3TQ) Index to identify patient safety risks.

Comparing dosimetry of locally advanced cervical cancer patients treated with 3 versus 4 fractions of MRI-guided brachytherapy.

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of treating cervical cancer patients with MRI-guided brachytherapy (MRgBT) using 24 Gy in 3 fractions (F) versus a standard, more resource-intensive regimen of 28 Gy in 4F, and its ability to meet EMBRACE II planning aims.

Methods And Materials: A retrospective review of 224 patients with FIGO Stage IB-IVA cervical cancer treated with 28 Gy/4F (n = 91) and 24 Gy/3F (n = 133) MRgBT between 2016-2021 was conducted. Multivariable linear regression models were fitted to compare dosimetric parameters between the two groups, adjusting for CTV and T stage.

Preferences for end-of-life care and decision-making among Chinese community-dwelling older adults: A comparative cross-sectional study in Hong Kong and Wuhan in China.

This study aimed to describe and compare end-of-life care and decision-making preferences among Chinese community-dwelling older adults between Wuhan and Hong Kong in China. The study adopted a cross-sectional correlation design and recruited a convenience sample of 259 older adults, aged ≥65 years old from five community centers in Wuhan and Hong Kong. Participants completed a validated structured questionnaire that measured their end-of-life care and decision-making preferences.

Symptom Burden of Children with Cancer and Parental Quality of Life: The Mediating Role of Parental Stress.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between children's reported symptom burden and their parents' quality of life, and whether parents' perceived stress mediates this relationship.

Method: this was a cross-sectional quantitative research study. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 80 pairs of parents and their children with cancer.

Effectiveness of a brief hope intervention for chronic kidney disease patients on the decisional conflict and quality of life: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients often experience decisional conflict when faced with the selection between the initiation of dialysis and conservative care. The study examined the effects of a brief hope intervention (BHI) on the levels of hope, decisional conflict and the quality of life for stage 5 CKD patients.

Methods: This is a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.

Elective surgery in ankle and foot disorders-best practices for management of pain: a guideline for clinicians.

Purpose: Complex elective foot and ankle surgeries are often associated with severe pain pre- and postoperatively. When inadequately managed, chronic postsurgical pain and long-term opioid use can result. As no standards currently exist, we aimed to develop best practice pain management guidelines.

Parental Stress as the Mediator Between Symptom Burden and the Quality of Life of Chinese Children With Cancer.

Background: Because of their cancer and treatment adverse effects, most pediatric oncology patients will experience 1 or more symptoms at one time that can seriously affect their quality of life. Because these children are attached to parents, their symptom burden directly influences the parental stress level and parental interpretations of their children's quality of life.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the association between child-reported symptom burden and the pediatric quality of life reported by children with cancer and their parents, and whether parental perceived stress mediates these relationships.

Defining a minimum hospital volume threshold for minimally invasive colon cancer resections.

Background: Laparoscopic colectomy is considered the standard of care in colon cancer treatment when appropriate expertise is available. However, guidelines do not delineate what experience is required to implement this approach safely and effectively. This study aimed to establish a data-derived, hospital-level annual volume threshold for laparoscopic colectomy at which patient outcomes are optimized.

Development of the Experiences of Sex Work Stigma Scale Using Item Response Theory: Implications for Research on the Social Determinants of HIV.

While HIV stigma has received significant attention, limited work has been conducted on the measurement of intersecting stigmas. We developed the Experiences of Sex Work Stigma (ESWS) scale in the Dominican Republic (DR) and Tanzania. We conducted in-depth interviews with 20 female sex workers (FSW) per country to identify scale domains followed by cognitive debriefing interviews to assess content validity.

The effects of a brief hope intervention on decision-making in chronic kidney disease patients: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Aims: This study describes the study protocol of a manualized brief hope intervention that is based on the theoretical proposition - hope theory.

Background: Patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease often had decisional regret when facing the tension of treatment alternatives between dialysis initiation and palliative care. Hope has been found to account for therapeutic changes in clients with depressive symptoms, heightens positive expectations, and striving to accomplish chosen goals.

Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform: Impact of Changes in Payor Mix on Patient Safety Indicators.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion on patient safety metrics at the hospital level by expansion status, across varying levels of safety-net burden, and over time.

Summary Background Data: Medicaid expansion has raised concerns over the influx of additional medically and socially complex populations on hospital systems. Whether increases in Medicaid and uninsured payor mix impact hospital performance metrics remains largely unknown.