Publications by authors named "Connors S"

Background: Patient and interprofessional healthcare team member experiences of bedside interdisciplinary rounds (BIDR) are generally positive. Overall, there is large heterogeneity in existing BIDR frameworks, and best practices have not been defined.

Objective: Understand patients' and interprofessional healthcare team members' experiences of BIDR.

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COVID-19 has critically impacted cancer care services including reduced screenings, diagnoses, and surgeries; particularly among Black and Latina/x women who already suffer worse outcomes. This qualitative study explored the care experiences of a diverse sample of breast cancer survivors ( = 21; 7 Black, 4 Hispanic, 10 White) undergoing treatment during the pandemic via online semi-structured interviews. Grounded theory analysis yielded the "," that included: (1) psychological distress, negotiating the cancer trajectory in isolation; (2) provider/healthcare system diagnostic and treatment delays; (3) heightened anxiety about treatment delays causing cancer progression; (4) supportive care limitations; and (5) disparate experiences of cancer care disruptions.

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The Cultivating Evaluation Education and Development (CEED) program engages early career evaluators in an experiential learning experience by supporting them as they lead a pro bono evaluation for a local nonprofit community organization. We explored the value of this professional development to the early career evaluators, to the sponsor organization, and to the nonprofit organizations receiving CEED services by examining findings from six CEED projects. We found that early career evaluators self-reported gains in confidence and competence especially in four American Evaluation Association Evaluator Competencies (2018) domains - professional practice, methodology, planning and management, and interpersonal skills.

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Black women have a slightly lower breast cancer incidence rate than White women, but breast cancer mortality is approximately 40% higher among Black women than among White women. Early detection by mammography may improve survival outcomes. Outlets providing information on cancer and cancer screening often present data, including mammography recommendations, that are unreliable, accessible, and/or inconsistent.

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Effective interprofessional teamwork serves an important role in successful crisis response. Responses to past public health crises have relied on interprofessional communication and trust to support healthcare worker (HCW) resiliency. To understand interprofessional interactions and perceptions of teamwork during the COVID-19 response, we conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 inpatient HCWs (11 bedside nurses, 5 care coordinators, and 2 pharmacists) from one VA Medical Center between March and June 2020.

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National West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance was established in partnership with the federal, provincial and territorial governments starting in 2000, with the aim to monitor the emergence and subsequent spread of WNV disease in Canada. As the disease emerged, national WNV surveillance continued to focus on early detection of WNV disease outbreaks in different parts of the country. In Canada, the WNV transmission season occurs from May to November.

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This paper presents a case example of the Indigenous Evaluation Framework as applied to a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education pilot program. Indigenous methodologies include knowledge and data that are inclusive of historically marginalized groups, are highly meaningful, valid, and useful for all. A paradigm shift from Western evaluation methodologies to Indigenous evaluation is necessary when evaluating STEM programs that are committed to increasing recruitment, retention, and graduation of students from historically marginalized groups.

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Study Design: Retrospective Cohort.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a clinical tool to pre-operatively risk-stratify patients undergoing spine surgery based on their likelihood to have high postoperative analgesic requirements.

Methods: A total of 1199 consecutive patients undergoing elective spine surgery over a 2-year period at a single center were included.

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Background: Distant spread of pituitary adenoma outside the sellar/suprasellar region is classified as pituitary carcinoma. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-born spread of pituitary adenoma can occur after tumor cell spillage into the CSF space after surgery, irradiation, or apoplexy and is not necessarily related to intrinsic tumor biology.

Objective: To systematically review the literature and describe the clinical characteristics and treatment strategies of patients with pituitary carcinomas.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had critical consequences for cancer care delivery, including altered treatment protocols and delayed services that may affect patients' quality of life and long-term survival. Breast cancer patients from minoritized racial and ethnic groups already experience worse outcomes, which may have been exacerbated by treatment delays and social determinants of health (SDoH). This protocol details a mixed-methods study aimed at comparing cancer care disruption among a diverse sample of women (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latina) and assessing how proximal, intermediate, and distal SDoH differentially contribute to care continuity and health-related quality of life.

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Introduction: Breast reconstruction after a mastectomy is an important component of breast cancer care that improves the quality of life in breast cancer survivors. African American women are less likely to receive breast reconstruction than Caucasian women. The purpose of this study was to further investigate the reconstruction disparities we previously reported at a comprehensive cancer center by assessing breast reconstruction rates, patterns, and predictors by race.

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Purpose: We have identified 27 families in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) with the founder variant TMEM43 p.S358L responsible for 1 form of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Current screening guidelines rely solely on cascade genetic screening, which may result in unrecognized, high-risk carriers who would benefit from preemptive implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy.

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Relative to White women, African American/Black women are at an increased risk of breast cancer mortality. Early detection of breast cancer through mammography screening can mitigate mortality risks; however, screening rates are not ideal. Consequently, there is a need to better understand factors associated with adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines to inform interventions to increase mammography use, particularly for groups at elevated mortality risk.

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Background: Medical emergency teams constitute part of the escalation protocol of early warning systems in many hospitals. The literature indicates that medical emergency teams may reduce hospital mortality and cardiac arrest. A greater understanding of pathways of patients who experience multiple medical emergency team reviews will inform clinical decision-making.

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 Decompression of the optic nerve within the optic canal is indicated for compressive visual decline. The two most common approaches utilized for optic canal decompression are a medial approach with an endoscopic endonasal approach and a lateral approach with a craniotomy. Our study is a cadaveric anatomical study comparing the length and circumference of the orbit decompressed via an endoscopic endonasal approach versus a frontotemporal craniotomy.

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Background: Sulforaphane (SF), an isothiocyanate in broccoli, has potential benefits relevant to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through its effects on several metabolic and immunologic pathways. Previous clinical trials of oral SF demonstrated positive clinical effects on behavior in young men and changes in urinary metabolomics in children with ASD.

Methods: We conducted a 15-week randomized parallel double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial with 15-week open-label treatment and 6-week no-treatment extensions in 57 children, ages 3-12 years, with ASD over 36 weeks.

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Breast reconstruction (BR) potentially can improve quality of life in postmastectomy breast cancer survivors (BCS); however, African-American women are less likely to undergo BR than Caucasian women. This qualitative study was undertaken to explore individual, sociocultural, and contextual factors influencing African-American women's BR decision-making processes and preferences. Postmastectomy African-American BCS with and without BR participated in semi-structured interviews.

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Previous studies indicated that Tai Chi might be an effective way to improve or prevent cognitive impairments in older populations. However, existing research does not provide clear recommendations about the optimal dose of Tai Chi practice, which is the most effective in improving cognitive function in older adults. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the dose-response relationship between Tai Chi and cognition in community-dwelling older adults.

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Article Synopsis
  • Emergency warning systems (EWS) are increasingly common in healthcare, but their effectiveness in identifying early critical illness remains uncertain, particularly in diverse patient populations.
  • During a three-year study involving 1,190 patients and 1,675 calls, it was found that most patients triggered by EWS did not require critical care, and many critical care transfers occurred without an EWS trigger.
  • While higher EWS scores indicated a greater likelihood of transfer to critical care, they did not correlate with mortality rates thereafter, suggesting a need for better methods beyond EWS for identifying critically ill patients.
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Article Synopsis
  • Approximately 80,000 primary brain tumors are diagnosed each year, and social media has become an important platform for patients seeking information and support regarding their condition.
  • A study evaluated the usage and content related to brain tumors on social media using various platforms and search methods, identifying over 946 content sources with substantial engagement.
  • YouTube emerged as the primary platform for sharing surgical experiences, while Facebook facilitated patient support, and Twitter focused on scientific discussions, with most posts centering on treatment overviews and personal experiences.
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