1,720,960 research outputs found
Reusable intermittent catheters are acceptable but product innovation is needed an interview study of catheter users’ experiences
Full text linkPurpose: the purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of intermittent catheter users after using both reusable and single-use catheters, with a particular focus on factors that affected acceptability.Design: qualitative descriptive study following a clinical trial.Participants and setting: thirty-six participants who had used both reusable and single-use catheters in a clinical trial were interviewed between June 2022 and March 2024. All were living at home in England or Wales, UK.Methods: participants were invited to interview following one-year's use of a reusable catheter as part of a clinical trial. The reusable catheter was used in combination with their usual single-use catheter. Semi-structured telephone and video interviews were used to enable participants to describe their experiences. Data were analyzed using inductive methods and framework analysis to develop themes and subthemes.Results: data analysis identified 4 themes. Successful use of the reusable catheter depended on capacity, confidence and willingness of the individual to adapt. Most people found reuse easier to do at home but there were significant barriers when going out. The design of the catheter used in the trial and the process of reuse did not suit everyone. While there was a desire to continue reuse, this was conditional on the provision of single-use catheters to enable users to mix and match both types in different situations.Conclusions: this study presents data from participants who were enthusiastic to try reusable catheters, mainly for environmental reasons, as part of a trial. For most there was a desire to mix and match, combining single use and reusable catheters for different situations. Innovation is needed to create a range of reusable catheter designs and cleaning processes that better meet individual needs.</p
‘It makes life so much easier’—experiences of users of the MicroGuide™ smartphone app for improving antibiotic prescribing behaviour in UK hospitals: an interview study
No full textObjectives: To understand the impact on prescribing behaviour of an antimicrobial therapy guidelines smartphone app, in widespread use in hospitals in the UK.Methods: Twenty-eight doctors and five nurse prescribers from four purposively selected hospitals in the UK participated in behavioural theory-informed semi-structured interviews about their experiences of using the MicroGuide™ smartphone app. Data were analysed using a thematic content analysis.Results: Five themes emerged from the interview data: convenience and accessibility; validation of prescribing decisions; trust in app content; promotion of antimicrobial stewardship; and limitations and concerns. Participants appreciated the perceived convenience, accessibility and timesaving attributes of the app, potentially contributing to more prompt treatment of patients with time-critical illness. The interviewees also reported finding it reassuring to use the app to support decision-making and to validate existing knowledge. They trusted the app content authored by local experts and considered it to be evidence-based and up-to-date. This was believed to result in fewer telephone calls to the microbiology department for advice. Participants recognized the value of the app for supporting the goals of antimicrobial stewardship by promoting the responsible and proportionate use of antimicrobials. Finally, a number of limitations of the app were reported, including the risk of de-skilling trainees, cultural problems with using smartphones in clinical environments and software technical problems.Conclusions: The MicroGuide app was valued as a means of addressing an unmet need for updated, concise, trustworthy specialist information in an accessible format at the bedside to support safe and effective antimicrobial prescribing.</p
Intermittent catheter users' symptom identification, description and management of urinary tract infection: a qualitative study
No full textObjectives: To elucidate the views of intermittent catheter (IC) users regarding urinary tract infection (UTI) symptom presentation, terminology for describing signs and symptoms, the cause of UTI and management strategies. Design: Qualitative study with semi-structured interviews. The transcribed text was analysed thematically.Setting: 12 general practitioner (GP) surgeries in Hampshire and Dorset, UK. Participants: A convenience sample of 30 IC users, aged over 18, using IC for at least 3 months who had at least one self-reported UTI since starting IC. Results: Participants reported a variety of signs and symptoms, such as urine cloudiness and smell, as indicators of UTI. The terms used often differed from those in the modified National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) symptom set. IC users had difficulty distinguishing possible UTI symptoms from those of their comorbidities. They expressed uncertainty about the cause of UTI, often attributing it to poor hygiene and lifestyle behaviours. Whereas some viewed UTI as an expected consequence of IC use that could be self managed, others felt more concerned and were more reliant on their GP for support. A range of management strategies was described, including drinking more fluids, increased attention to personal hygiene and self-medicating with antibiotics. Conclusions: There is uncertainty among IC users about UTI signs and symptoms and when to seek help. Individual accounts of UTI fitted generally within the modified NIDRR descriptors but adopted less technical and more ‘lay’ language. IC users’ descriptions of UTI signs and symptoms can lack precision, owing partly to the presence of underlying health conditions. This, together withdiffering levels of concern about the need to seek help and self-medication with antibiotics, presents challenges for the GP. This study provides the basis for developing a self help tool which may aid identification of UTI and enhancecommunication with healthcare professionals
Reuse of intermittent catheters: A qualitative study of IC users’ perspectives
No full textObjectives: To explore the views of intermittent catheter (IC) users regarding the advantages and disadvantages of single-use or reuse of catheters.Design: Qualitative study with semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.Setting: Participant’s own homes in Hampshire and Dorset, UK.Participants: A convenience sample of 39 IC users, aged 23–86 years, using IC for at least 3 months.Results: The analysis revealed four main themes: concerns regarding risk of urinary tract infection (UTI); cleaning, preparation and storage; social responsibility; practicalities and location. The main concern was safety, with the fear that reuse could increase risk of UTI compared with single-use sterile catheters. If shown to be safe then around half of participants thought they might consider reusing catheters. The practicalities of cleaning methods (extra products, time and storage) were considered potentially burdensome for reuse; but for single-use, ease of use and instant usability were advantages. Always having a catheter without fear of ‘running out’ was considered an advantage of reuse. Some participants were concerned about environmental impact (waste) and cost of single-use catheters. The potential for reuse was usually dependent on location. The analysis showed that often the disadvantages of single-use could be off-set by the advantages of reuse and vice versa, for example, the need to take many single-use catheters on holiday could be addressed by reuse, while the burden of cleaning would be obviated by single-use.Conclusions: If shown to be safe with a practical cleaning method, some participants would find reuse an acceptable option, alongside their current single-use method. The choice to use a mixture of single-use and reuse of catheters for different activities (at home, work or holiday) could optimise the perceived advantages and disadvantages of both. The safety and acceptability of such an approach would require testing in a clinical trial
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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