Recruiting participants for focus groups in health research: a meta-research study.

Background: Focus groups (FGs) are an established method in health research to capture a full range of different perspectives on a particular research question. The extent to which they are effective depends, not least, on the composition of the participants. This study aimed to investigate how published FG studies plan and conduct the recruitment of study participants.

Patient Organizations' Digital Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review.

Background: Patient organizations (POs) play a crucial role in supporting individuals with health conditions. Their activities range from counseling to support groups to advocacy. The COVID-19 pandemic and its related public health measures prompted rapid digital transformation efforts across multiple sectors, including health care.

Health Literacy Promotion and Digital Interventions for Depressive Disorders.

Background: The lack of therapeutic treatment options for depressive disorders increases the relevance of digital interventions for patients and general practitioners (GPs), particularly to bridge waiting times. However, patients may require adequate (digital) health literacy (HL) to partake in such interventions.

Objective: This study contrasts expected benefits and risks of digital mental health interventions, specifically digital therapeutics on prescription (DTx), among GPs and patients with depression according to HL dimensions (access, understanding, appraisal, and application) and patients' personal determinants.

[Changes in the provision and utilization of health care in German primary care practices during the COVID-19 pandemic - A survey of patients in three federal states].

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic general practitioners (GP) practice teams were temporally confronted with major challenges which were accompanied by changes in practice organization and service provision. So far, little has been known about the views of patients who visited the GP practice for other than COVID-related reasons with regard to provision and use of GP services, the adjustments in the practice and the work of the practice team members.

Methods: The patient survey is a sub-study of the mixed-methods study VeCo-Praxis (GP healthcare for patients not suffering from COVID during the Corona pandemic) of the research practice network RESPoNsE (Research Practice Network East), which was conducted in the federal states of Berlin, Brandenburg and Thuringia.

Beyond technology acceptance-a focused ethnography on the implementation, acceptance and use of new nursing technology in a German hospital.

Introduction: Hospitalised patients could benefit from the emergence of novel technologies for nursing care. There are numerous technical products available, but these rarely find their way into practice. Further knowledge is required about the circumstances under which technology in nursing is accepted and used.

A qualitative interview study of patients' attitudes towards and intention to use digital interventions for depressive disorders on prescription.

Background: Depressive disorders are an emerging public health topic. Due to their increasing prevalence, patients with depressive disorders suffer from the lack of therapeutic treatment. Digital health interventions may offer an opportunity to bridge waiting times, supplement, or even substitute in-person treatment.

[Attitudes of general practitioners and medical practice assistants towards the delegation of medical services: Results of a survey in Berlin, Brandenburg and Thuringia].

Introduction: The delegation of tasks and responsibilities from general practitioners (GPs) to medical practice assistants (MPAs) can contribute to ensuring primary care in Germany. The aim of the study was to collect and analyze attitudes and procedures of GPs and MPAs regarding the delegation of physician-related tasks and activities.

Methodology: A self-designed, piloted questionnaire was sent to all GPs listed within the regional Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KV) in Thuringia, Berlin, and Brandenburg (n=5,516) and their MPAs.

Patient perspective on task shifting from general practitioners to medical practice assistants - a quantitative survey in Germany.

Introduction: Various developments result in increasing workloads in general practices. New models of care and a restructuring of the division of tasks could provide relief. One approach is to extend the delegation of medical tasks from general practitioners (GPs) to medical practice assistants (MPAs).

Expectations of new technologies in nursing care among hospital patients in Germany - an interview study.

Introduction: New technologies will be increasingly available for nursing care, including robots, patient mobilisation devices, digital event detection or prevention equipment. Technologies are expected to support nurses, increase patients' safety and reduce costs. Yet, although these technologies will significantly shape patients' experience, we need to learn more about patients' perspectives regarding new technology in care.

[Medical care in GP practices during the Covid-19 pandemic: A questionnaire-based survey among general practitioners and medical practice assistants asking for their opinion about changes, needs and burdens].

Introduction: The coronavirus pandemic did not only result in changes in the provision and utilization of health care services in general practice but also in an increased workload for physicians and medical practice assistants. The VeCo practice study retrospectively explores the experiences of both professional groups two years after the start of the pandemic.

Methods: In March and April 2022, general practitioners and medical practice assistants in the three German federal states of Berlin, Brandenburg and Thuringia were asked to complete a paper-based questionnaire.

How do parents access, appraise, and apply health information on early childhood allergy prevention? A focus group and interview study.

Background: When parents want to make health-related decisions for their child, they need to be able to handle health information from a potentially endless range of sources. Early childhood allergy prevention (ECAP) is a good example: recommendations have shifted from allergen avoidance to early introduction of allergenic foods. We investigated how parents of children under 3 years old access, appraise and apply health information about ECAP, and their respective needs and preferences.

[Do General Practitioners have Experience with Social Care Points? A Berlin-Wide Survey].

Primary care for multimorbid patients involves social counseling in addition to medical care. Community care points are established institutions for social counseling at district level in Berlin. A Berlin-wide questionnaire survey examined primary care physicians' knowledge of and experience with community care points.

Synchronous online focus groups in health research: application and further development of methodology based on experiences from two mixed-methods research projects.

Objectives: Focus groups used for data collection in health research are increasingly conducted online. In two multi-center health research projects, we applied available methodological instructions for synchronous online focus groups (SOFGs). We describe necessary changes and specifications regarding the planning (recruitment, technology, ethics, appointments) and conduct (group composition, moderation, interaction, didactics) to enhance knowledge about the planning and conduct of SOFGs.

Promotion of physical activity-related health competence using digital workplace-based health promotion: protocol for a controlled before-and-after study.

Physical activity (PA) has a high potential to prevent chronic diseases. At the same time, many people in Germany do not achieve PA recommendations due to trends such as digitalisation and the COVID-19 pandemic and, as a result, working from home. There is a need for location-independent and time-independent interventions.

Correction: Lander et al. Health Literacy Development among People with Chronic Diseases: Advancing the State of the Art and Learning from International Practices. 2022, , 7315.

The authors would like to make corrections to a recently published paper [...

Parental COVID-19-related health information practises, sources, evaluations and needs: A qualitative interview study.

Background: Parents of infants and young children may have specific health information needs and preferences, as they are responsible for their children's health. COVID-19 posed many challenges for families, not least in terms of the constantly updated disease-prevention guidelines. However, little is known about parents' experiences with this unprecedented situation, that is, how and where they seek, use and evaluate COVID-19 (child)-specific health information.

Correction: Awareness, Information-Seeking Behavior, and Information Preferences About Early Childhood Allergy Prevention Among Different Parent Groups: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/25474.].

Digitization in health-related self-help - Results of an online survey among self-help organizations in Germany.

Background: Nowadays, much hope and expectations are associated with digitization in the health sector. The digital change also affects health-related self-help. A nationwide survey of self-help organizations (SHOs) aimed to show chances and limitations in the use of interactive IT tools like webforums, online meetings or social media as well as digital infrastructures for their organizational management.

Emergent Reversal of Antithrombotics and Treatment of Life-Threatening Bleeding from Coagulopathies: A Clinical Review.

Background: Reversal of antithrombotic agents and treatment of life-threatening bleeding episodes from coagulopathies can be a stressful scenario for clinicians, especially when the selection of treatment options should occur quickly. Understanding the options available for these agents requires emergency physicians to be familiar with the current data surrounding new therapies and dosing strategies for the treatment of bleeding from reversible and nonreversible antithrombotics and coagulopathic conditions.

Objective: To provide quick resource guides for the reversal of major or life-threatening bleeding caused by antithrombotic agents or in the setting of coagulopathies.

Health Literacy Development among People with Chronic Diseases: Advancing the State of the Art and Learning from International Practices.

Chronic diseases account for a considerable part of the strain on health care systems [...

Determining the need for additional training among hospital infection-control workforce - results from a multicentric survey within the multiresistance network of southern Lower Saxony (MRNS), Germany.

Infection-control nurses (ICN) and infection-control link physicians (ICLP) are both responsible for infection prevention practices in hospitals. However, their topic-specific education levels and extent of engagement in infection-control issues are diverse, creating potential needs for additional training. We aimed at determining the potential need for additional training in infection-control among ICN, ICLP and medical Chief Executive Officers (CEO) in hospitals of the Multiresistance Network of southern Lower Saxony (MRNS), via structured surveys (n=48; 55.