Content Validation of an Heart Failure Self-Care Program for Hospitalized Patients: A Modified e-Delphi Study.

Aims: Effective management of heart failure requires both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies with an emphasis on self-care behaviours. Nurses play a crucial role in promoting self-care, especially during hospitalization, when early intervention can improve the outcomes. Despite the importance of effective self-care in heart failure, there is no clear consensus on which aspects of self-care should be prioritized for hospitalized individuals.

Iodine supplementation for pregnancy in Portugal: identification of nutritional composition of iodine containing supplements and characterization of pharmacy dispenses from 2008-2022.

Background: Iodine is essential for the proper development of the central nervous system. In Portugal, despite of self-reports of iodine supplements intake by pregnant women, iodine deficiency still prevails. This study intended to characterize the pharmacy sales of iodine-containing supplements and their use by women in Portugal.

Relationship between social support and psychological symptoms in people living with HIV/AIDS, at risk of developing HIV - associated dementia.

People living with HIV/AIDS often present neuropsychiatric symptoms, including cognitive and mood-related manifestations. Social support helps to cope with adverse events related to mental health. We aimed to analyze the relationship between satisfaction with social support and psychological symptoms in people living with HIV/AIDS at risk of developing HIV-associated dementia.

Profiles of adults most likely to become a foster family: A latent profile analysis.

Background: The shortage of foster families to protect maltreated children requires urgent and effective solutions supported by theoretical and evidence-based frameworks. However, most research has focused only on the perspective of foster parents and has not been theoretically grounded. To the best of our knowledge, profiles of prospective foster families with representative samples from the general population have not yet been identified.

Effectiveness of self-management digital interventions for improving health-related outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: an umbrella review protocol.

Objective: This aim of this umbrella review is to assess the effectiveness of self-management digital interventions for improving health-related outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Introduction: Respiratory rehabilitation programs that promote self-management are crucial for patients with COPD. However, current face-to-face strategies involve challenges, such as low participation, high dropout rates, and short-lived post-intervention benefits.

Presurgical anxiety and acute postsurgical pain predict worse chronic pain profiles after total knee/hip arthroplasty.

Introduction: Total joint arthroplasties generally achieve good outcomes, but chronic pain and disability are a significant burden after these interventions. Acknowledging relevant risk factors can inform preventive strategies. This study aimed to identify chronic pain profiles 6 months after arthroplasty using the ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases) classification and to find pre and postsurgical predictors of these profiles.

Differences in the relationship between pain and anxiety in total knee and hip arthroplasty: a longitudinal cross-lagged analysis mediated by depression and pain catastrophizing.

Acute postsurgical pain (APSP) is an important risk factor for pain chronification, with reports of being more intense after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) than after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Psychological variables have been associated with differences in postsurgical pain experience. This study aimed to analyse the longitudinal reciprocal association between pain and anxiety levels in patients undergoing TKA or THA, to investigate the moderator role of the type of surgery and to explore psychological mediators in the anxiety - pain association.

Cross-national Psychometric Evaluation of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Medical Student Version.

This study aimed to examine the factorial structure of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Medical student version (JSE-S) and assess items' discriminatory ability at higher and lower empathy levels in medical student populations from different countries and languages. JSE-S datasets were retrieved from previous studies of 4113 first- and/or second-year medical students from Switzerland, Portugal, Italy, Brazil, France, Spain, New Zealand, UK, Ireland, Mexico, and Peru. Parallel principal component analyses and item response theory were applied.

Novel Biomarkers Reveal Mismatch Between Tissue and Serum Thyroid Hormone Status in Amiodarone-Induced Hyperthyroidism.

Context: Serum thyrotropin and thyroid hormone (TH) levels are routine markers of thyroid function. However, their diagnostic performance is limited under special conditions, such as in amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism (AIH). Such cases would require the assessment of tissue TH action, which is currently unfeasible.

and as prognostic markers for relapse in ulcerative colitis patients.

Introduction: Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disorder characterized by chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, mainly in the colon and rectum. Although the precise etiology of ulcerative colitis remains unclear, recent research has underscored the significant role of the microbiome in its development and progression.

Methods: The aim of this study was to establish a relationship between the levels of specific gut bacterial species and disease relapse in ulcerative colitis.

ChatGPT as an item calibration tool: Psychometric insights in a high-stakes examination.

Introduction: ChatGPT has attracted a lot of interest worldwide for its versatility in a range of natural language tasks, including in the education and evaluation industry. It can automate time- and labor-intensive tasks with clear economic and efficiency gains.

Methods: This study evaluated the potential of ChatGPT to automate psychometric analysis of test questions from the 2020 Portuguese National Residency Selection Exam (PNA).

Characterisation of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) From an Urban Municipality in the Northern Region of Portugal: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is formally indicated to all COPD patients in groups B and E. It positively impacts dyspnoea, health-related quality of life and exercise tolerance, reducing admissions among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have had a recent exacerbation and symptoms of anxiety and depression. There is limited access to PR programmes in Portugal, partially due to insufficient resources or referrals.

Psychometric properties of the positive mental health questionnaire: short form (PMHQ-SF18) in young adults.

Introduction: Positive Mental Health (PMH) plays a pivotal role in the promoting of mental health. Assessing this phenomenon is essential for early recognition and intervention in mental health. To date, only one tool was validated with 39 items to assess PMH among Portuguese young adults.

Effectiveness of a home-based pulmonary rehabilitation maintenance programme: the Rehab2Life study protocol.

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is the bedrock of non-pharmacological treatment for people with COPD. Nonetheless, it is well described in the literature that unless the patient changes his behaviour, the benefits of PR programmes will decline in six to twelve months after finishing the programme. Therefore, maintenance programmes can address the problem of PR programmes' effect loss over time.

Identifying disparities in mental illness and well-being across no-risk, risk, and intersectional groups during the Covid-19 pandemic and the role of sociodemographics in mental health outcomes.

Objective: Few pandemic studies have explored positive aspects of mental health employing an intersectional perspective. Our intersectional investigation aimed to identify mental illness and well-being differences between groups identified as psychologically vulnerable during the pandemic by the World Health Organization (immigrants, minorities, and people with psychiatric diagnoses) and people without pre-existing risk factors while controlling for sociodemographic variables.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey included 1,134 participants (76.

Clinical virtual simulation: predictors of user acceptance in nursing education.

Background: Using virtual patients integrated in simulators expands students' training opportunities in healthcare. However, little is known about the usability perceived by students and the factors/determinants that predict the acceptance and use of clinical virtual simulation in nursing education.

Objectives: To identify the factors/determinants that predict the acceptance and use of clinical virtual simulation in learning in nursing education.

Stress, anxiety, and depression trajectories during the "first wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic: what drives resilient, adaptive and maladaptive responses in the Portuguese population?

Introduction: The COVID-19 outbreak and the community mitigation strategies implemented to reduce new SARS-CoV-2 infections can be regarded as powerful stressors with negative consequences on people's mental health. Although it has been shown that negative emotional symptoms subside during lockdown, it is likely the existence of inter-individual differences in stress, anxiety and depression trajectories throughout lockdown.

Objectives: We aimed to cluster participants' according to their trajectories of stress, anxiety and depression scores throughout lockdown, and identify the sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors that may distinguish the subjects included in the different clusters.

History of Neonatal Screening of Congenital Hypothyroidism in Portugal.

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) leads to growth and development delays and is preventable with early treatment. Neonatal screening for CH was initiated in Portugal in 1981. This study examines the history of CH screening in the country.

Iodineminho Study: Iodine Supplementation and Prevalence of Iodine Deficiency In Pregnant Women.

Context: Iodine is necessary for proper brain development. The prevalence of iodine deficiency in Portuguese pregnant women led the health authorities, in 2013, to recommend iodine supplementation for women in preconception, throughout pregnancy, and during lactation.

Objective: This work aimed to assess the effect of iodine supplementation initiated in the preconception or the first trimester of pregnancy on the prevalence of iodine deficiency and maternal thyroid status.

Psychometric properties analysis of helping relationships skills inventory for Portuguese nurses and doctors.

This paper answered some authors' requests to analyze the Helping Relationships Skills Inventory psychometric properties, a four dimensions measure. At this level, the study contributed to accessing the first reliable and valid instrument headed to Portuguese nurses and doctors. : An online survey with Portuguese nurses and doctors (n = 262) was managed to assess the psychometrics properties analysis of the Helping Relationships Skills Inventory.

Validation of the Chinese version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale: evidence from a three-wave longitudinal study.

Background: The 10-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is a widely used tool for individuals to self-report their self-esteem; however, the factorial structures of translated versions of the RSES vary across different languages. This study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the RSES in the Chinese mainland using a longitudinal design.

Methods: A group of healthcare university students completed the RSES across three waves: baseline, 1-week follow-up, and 15-week follow-up.

Designing and building OSCEBot ® for virtual OSCE - Performance evaluation.

With AI's advancing technology and chatbots becoming more intertwined in our daily lives, pedagogical challenges are occurring. While chatbots can be used in various disciplines, they play a particularly significant role in medical education. We present the development process of OSCEBot ®, a chatbot to train medical students in the clinical interview approach.

A suggestive approach for assessing item quality, usability and validity of Automatic Item Generation.

Automatic Item Generation (AIG) refers to the process of using cognitive models to generate test items using computer modules. It is a new but rapidly evolving research area where cognitive and psychometric theory are combined into digital framework. However, assessment of the item quality, usability and validity of AIG relative to traditional item development methods lacks clarification.

Aerobic and resistance exercise in heart failure inpatients: a scoping review.

Exercise performance is an essential tool for managing heart failure. Although the benefits of exercise are well documented for people with chronic and stable heart failure, there is still no consensus on their prescription in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure undergoing clinical stabilization. The aim of this study is to identify the literature on exercise programs encompassing the components of aerobic and resistance training for hospitalized patients admitted for acute heart failure.

Empirical validation study and psychometric evaluation of the properties of the populist attitudes scale for the portuguese population.

Background And Objective: Recent developments in Europe and Portugal provide a fertile ground for the rise of populism. Despite the growing interest in the topic, there is no reliable tool to gauge Portuguese citizens' populist attitudes to date. The Populist Attitudes Scale (POP-AS), developed by Akkerman et al.