A qualitative study on informed consent decision-making at two tertiary hospitals in Uganda: Experiences of patients undergoing emergency surgery and their next of kin.

Background: In emergency situations, patients and their next of kin must make complex medical and ethical decisions in a quick and timely way.

Objectives: To describe the decision-making process during informed consent for emergency surgery among patients and the next of kin of patients who have undergone emergency surgery.

Methods: Consecutive sampling of 39 participants and in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted at two tertiary teaching hospitals in Uganda.

A comparison of oral bacteriome isolated from periodontal pockets of participants with or without diabetes mellitus in Uganda: a case control study.

Objective: Diabetes mellitus predisposes patients to increased incidence and severe forms of periodontal disease. Currently, information on the bacterial diversity of patients with diabetes mellitus and periodontitis in Uganda is scanty. This study set out to describe the bacteria associated with periodontitis in patients with diabetes mellitus in Uganda, as part of a larger study describing the association between periodontal disease and diabetes mellitus.

Informed consent in cancer clinical care: Perspectives of healthcare professionals on information disclosure at a tertiary institution in Uganda.

Introduction: While there have been several studies examining the understanding and quality of informed consent in clinical trials of cancer therapies, there is limited empirical research on health practitioners' experiences on the informed consent process in cancer care, especially from low resource settings. This study explored health professionals' perspectives on information disclosure during the consenting process in cancer care.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was used to collect data.

The role of community engagement in promoting research participants' understanding of pharmacogenomic research results: Perspectives of stakeholders involved in HIV/AIDS research and treatment.

Community engagement (CE) is praised to be a powerful vehicle in empowering communities with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions for better health care. Several CE approaches have been proposed to improve participants' and research communities' understanding of genomic research including pharmacogenomic information and results. However, there is limited literature on how these approaches can be used to communicate findings of pharmacogenomic research to communities of people living with HIV.

Quality of life of patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries: a cross-sectional study at a tertiary hospital in Uganda.

Background: The study aimed to assess the perceived quality of life of patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries.

Methodology: This was a cross sectional study conducted in the Spine Unit of a tertiary hospital in Uganda. The study population comprised of patients with spinal cord injuries.

Periodontitis is associated with insulin resistance in adults living with diabetes mellitus in Uganda: a cross- sectional study.

Introduction: Evidence suggests that majority of patients with diabetes mellitus in Uganda have poor glycaemic control as well as periodontal disease. This study set out to determine the association between periodontitis and insulin resistance in adult patients with diabetes mellitus in Uganda using the triglyceride glucose index.

Methods: Two hundred and twenty-three adult study participants with confirmed diabetes mellitus were enrolled in a cross-sectional study.

Attitudes and usage of visual-aids in graduate student learning of gross anatomy at Makerere University.

Background: The increasing numbers of students studying human anatomy at Makerere University are beginning to overwhelm available resources, which presents challenges in learning and necessitates an evaluation of alternative ways to enhance anatomy learning.The increasing numbers of students overwhelm resources available and presents challenges in learning. This necessitates an evaluation of alternatives to enhance gross anatomy learning at Makerere University College of Health Sciences.

Health-related quality of life in patients with low back pain in a low resource setting: a cross-sectional study at a tertiary hospital in Uganda.

Background: Low back pain is the leading global cause of years lost to disability. The study aimed to assess the health-related quality of life in patients with low back pain attending an outpatient clinic at a national referral hospital in Uganda.

Methods: This was a hospital based cross-sectional study that involved 250 adult patients with low back pain.

Research Participants' Preferences for Individual Results of Pharmacogenomics Research: A Case of a Ugandan HIV Research Institute.

Little is known about whether people living with HIV would like to receive their results from pharmacogenomics research. This study explored the factors influencing participants' preferences and the reasons for their desire to receive individual results from pharmacogenomics research. We employed a convergent parallel mixed methods study design comprising a survey of 225 research participants and 5 deliberative focus group discussions with 30 purposively selected research participants.

Informed consent process for emergency surgery: A scoping review of stakeholders' perspectives, challenges, ethical concepts, and policies.

Background: A scoping review of literature about the informed consent process for emergency surgery from the perspectives of the patients, next of kin, emergency staff, and available guiding policies.

Objectives: To provide an overview of the informed consent process for emergency surgery; the challenges that arise from the perspectives of the patients, emergency staff, and next of kin; policies that guide informed consent for emergency surgery; and to identify any knowledge gaps that could guide further inquiry in this area.

Methods: We searched Google Scholar, PubMed/MEDLINE databases as well as Sheridan Libraries and Welch Medical Library from 1990 to 2021.

Genetic and Genomic Researchers' Perspectives on Biological Sample Sharing in Collaborative Research in Uganda: A Qualitative Study.

Numerous ethical, legal, and social issues arise with biological sample sharing. The study explored the perspectives of genetic and genomic researchers on the sharing of biological samples in international collaborative research. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 researchers.

Evaluation of the current status of prosthetic rehabilitation services for major limb loss: a descriptive study in Ugandan Referral hospitals.

Purpose: Low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) have a large burden of major limb loss. No recent study has reported on Uganda's state of public sector prosthetics services. This study aimed to document the landscape of major limb loss, and the structure of available prosthetics services in Uganda.

Developing digital contact tracing tailored to haulage in East Africa to support COVID-19 surveillance: a protocol.

Introduction: At the peak of Uganda's first wave of SARS-CoV-2 in May 2020, one in three COVID-19 cases was linked to the haulage sector. This triggered a mandatory requirement for a negative PCR test result at all ports of entry and exit, resulting in significant delays as haulage drivers had to wait for 24-48 hours for results, which severely crippled the regional supply chain.To support public health and economic recovery, we aim to develop and test a mobile phone-based digital contact tracing (DCT) tool that both augments conventional contact tracing and also increases its speed and efficiency.

Remote consent approaches for mobile phone surveys of non-communicable disease risk factors in Colombia and Uganda: A randomized study.

Introduction: Automated mobile phone surveys (MPS) can be used to collect public health data of various types to inform health policy and programs globally. One challenge in administering MPS is identification of an appropriate and effective participant consent process. This study investigated the impact of different survey consent approaches on participant disposition (response characteristics and understanding of the purpose of the survey) within the context of an MPS that measured noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk factors across Colombia and Uganda.

Benefit sharing in genomic and biobanking research in Uganda: Perceptions of researchers and research ethics committee members.

Genomic and biobanking research has increased in Africa over the past few years. This has raised pertinent ethical, legal, and societal concerns for stakeholders such as sample or data ownership, commercialization, and benefit sharing. There is limited awareness of the concept of benefit sharing by stakeholders in sub-Saharan Africa.

Experiences and practices of key research team members in obtaining informed consent for pharmacogenetic research among people living with HIV: a qualitative study.

This study aimed to explore experiences and practices of key research team members in obtaining informed consent for pharmacogenetics research and to identify the approaches used for enhancing understanding during the consenting process. Data collection involved 15 qualitative, in-depth interviews with key researchers who were involved in obtaining informed consent from HIV infected individuals in Uganda for participation in pharmacogenetic clinical trials. The study explored two prominent themes: approaches used to convey information and enhance research participants' understanding and challenges faced during the consenting process.

Understanding of Critical Elements of Informed Consent in Genomic Research: A Case of a Paediatric HIV-TB Research Project in Uganda.

Several studies have reported inadequate comprehension of informed consent for genomic research. This study aimed to assess research participants' understanding of critical elements of informed consent for genomic research. A cross-sectional survey involving 123 parents/caregivers of children participating in a paediatric genomic TB/HIV study was conducted Only 47.

Ethical, Legal, and Sociocultural Issues in the Use of Mobile Technologies and Call Detail Records Data for Public Health in the East African Region: Scoping Review.

Background: The exponential scale and pace of real-time data generated from mobile phones present opportunities for new insights and challenges across multiple sectors, including health care delivery and public health research. However, little attention has been given to the new ethical, social, and legal concerns related to using these mobile technologies and the data they generate in Africa.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to explore the ethical and related concerns that arise from the use of data from call detail records and mobile technology interventions for public health in the context of East Africa.

Ethics in Research: Relevance for Nephrology.

Research is crucial to progress in nephrology. It is important that studies are conducted rigorously from the scientific perspective, as well as in adherence to ethical standards. Traditional clinical research places a high value on individual research subject autonomy.

Researchers' perspectives on return of individual genetics results to research participants: a qualitative study.

Genetic results are usually not returned to research participants in Uganda despite their increased demand. We report on researchers' perceptions and experiences of return of individual genetic research results. The study involved 15 in-depth interviews of investigators involved in genetics and/or genomic research.

Low bone mass in people living with HIV on long-term anti-retroviral therapy: A single center study in Uganda.

Background: This study set out to determine the prevalence of low bone mass following long-term exposure to antiretroviral therapy in Ugandan people living with HIV.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 199 people living with HIV that had been on anti-retroviral therapy for at least 10 years. All participants had dual X-ray absorptiometry to determine their bone mineral density.

Effect of an eLearning Intervention on Undergraduate Health Professional Student's General Histology and Embryology Summative Examination Scores.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the worst global shortage of health professionals. The use of eLearning interventions, that lead to increased interactions according to the Interaction Equivalency theorem, is a potential means of addressing this shortage of health professionals. In this audit we set out to determine the effect of an eLearning general histology and general embryology intervention on student's summative examination scores.

Charcot arthropathy of the diabetic foot in a sub-Saharan tertiary hospital: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Charcot foot arthropathy is a potentially limb-threatening condition that leads to progressive destruction of the bones and joints in the neuropathic foot. One of its main causes is diabetes mellitus whose prevalence is steadily increasing. The acute phase is often misdiagnosed thus leading to foot deformity, ulceration and increased risk of amputation.

Responsible conduct of research: enhancing local opportunities.

Introduction: Research integrity is the foundation of credible research and a pre-requisite for a successful academic research environment. Lately, a lot of revelations of fraud and other unacceptable behaviour in research have been highly publicized in scientific journals and mass media. Whereas institutions in developed countries have developed guidelines and regulations to ensure responsible conduct of research and appropriately deal with cases of research misconduct, low- and middle-income countries seem to be lagging behind.