Strengthening the reporting of genetic association studies (STREGA): an extension of the strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement.

Making sense of rapidly evolving evidence on genetic associations is crucial to making genuine advances in human genomics and the eventual integration of this information in the practice of medicine and public health. Assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of this evidence, and hence, the ability to synthesize it, has been limited by inadequate reporting of results. The STrengthening the REporting of Genetic Association (STREGA) studies initiative builds on the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement and provides additions to 12 of the 22 items on the STROBE checklist.

Nonrandomized quality improvement intervention trials might overstate the strength of causal inference of their findings.

Objective: To assess the strength of causal inferences reported in randomized and nonrandomized evaluations of quality improvement (QI) interventions in relation to the study design and the direction of results for the primary outcomes.

Study Design And Setting: We searched 11 journals for QI intervention studies that aimed to change clinician behavior. Statements that addressed the causal inference between intervention and outcomes were extracted and were rated by 34 researchers for the strength of causality.

STrengthening the REporting of Genetic Association Studies (STREGA): an extension of the STROBE statement.

Making sense of rapidly evolving evidence on genetic associations is crucial to making genuine advances in human genomics and the eventual integration of this information in the practice of medicine and public health. Assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of this evidence, and hence the ability to synthesize it, has been limited by inadequate reporting of results. The STrengthening the REporting of Genetic Association studies (STREGA) initiative builds on the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement and provides additions to 12 of the 22 items on the STROBE checklist.

Systems and people under pressure: the discharge process in an acute hospital.

Aims: To understand the perspective of hospital-based health professionals with regard to preparing patients for discharge from an acute hospital in England.

Background: The hospital experience in England over recent years is characterised by increasing admission rates and decreasing length of stay. Legislation and policy initiatives have also focussed upon the need to reduce delayed discharges.

STrengthening the REporting of Genetic Association studies (STREGA): an extension of the STROBE Statement.

Making sense of rapidly evolving evidence on genetic associations is crucial to making genuine advances in human genomics and the eventual integration of this information into the practice of medicine and public health. Assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of this evidence, and hence the ability to synthesize it, has been limited by inadequate reporting of results. The STrengthening the REporting of Genetic Association studies (STREGA) initiative builds on the STrengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement and provides additions to 12 of the 22 items on the STROBE checklist.

Strengthening the reporting of genetic association studies (STREGA): an extension of the STROBE statement.

Making sense of rapidly evolving evidence on genetic associations is crucial to making genuine advances in human genomics and the eventual integration of this information in the practice of medicine and public health. Assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of this evidence, and hence the ability to synthesize it, has been limited by inadequate reporting of results. The STrengthening the REporting of Genetic Association studies (STREGA) initiative builds on the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement and provides additions to 12 of the 22 items on the STROBE checklist.

Strengthening the reporting of genetic association studies (STREGA): an extension of the STROBE Statement.

Making sense of rapidly evolving evidence on genetic associations is crucial to making genuine advances in human genomics and the eventual integration of this information in the practice of medicine and public health. Assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of this evidence, and hence the ability to synthesize it, has been limited by inadequate reporting of results. The STrengthening the REporting of Genetic Association studies (STREGA) initiative builds on the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement and provides additions to 12 of the 22 items on the STROBE checklist.

Evidence-based selection of theories for designing behaviour change interventions: using methods based on theoretical construct domains to understand clinicians' blood transfusion behaviour.

Background: Many theories of behaviour are potentially relevant to predictive and intervention studies but most studies investigate a narrow range of theories. Michie et al. (2005) agreed 12 'theoretical domains' from 33 theories that explain behaviour change.

Ethical issues in implementation research: a discussion of the problems in achieving informed consent.

Background: Improved quality of care is a policy objective of health care systems around the world. Implementation research is the scientific study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of clinical research findings into routine clinical practice, and hence to reduce inappropriate care. It includes the study of influences on healthcare professionals' behaviour and methods to enable them to use research findings more effectively.

A structural and biochemical basis for PAPS-independent sulfuryl transfer by aryl sulfotransferase from uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Sulfotransferases are a versatile class of enzymes involved in numerous physiological processes. In mammals, adenosine 3'-phosphate-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) is the universal sulfuryl donor, and PAPS-dependent sulfurylation of small molecules, including hormones, sugars, and antibiotics, is a critical step in hepatic detoxification and extracellular signaling. In contrast, little is known about sulfotransferases in bacteria, which make use of sulfurylated molecules as mediators of cell-cell interactions and host-pathogen interactions.

Explaining the effects of an intervention designed to promote evidence-based diabetes care: a theory-based process evaluation of a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: The results of randomised controlled trials can be usefully illuminated by studies of the processes by which they achieve their effects. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) offers a framework for conducting such studies. This study used TPB to explore the observed effects in a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial of a structured recall and prompting intervention to increase evidence-based diabetes care that was conducted in three Primary Care Trusts in England.

A survey of attitudes and factors associated with successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge transfer in an older population most likely to witness cardiac arrest: design and methodology.

Background: Overall survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest rarely exceed 5%. While bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can increase survival for cardiac arrest victims by up to four times, bystander CPR rates remain low in Canada (15%). Most cardiac arrest victims are men in their sixties, they usually collapse in their own home (85%) and the event is witnessed 50% of the time.

Interventions to improve outpatient referrals from primary care to secondary care.

Background: The primary care specialist interface is a key organisational feature of many health care systems. Patients are referred to specialist care when investigation or therapeutic options are exhausted in primary care and more specialised care is needed. Referral has considerable implications for patients, the health care system and health care costs.

Preparation and structure of the charge-transfer intermediate of the transmembrane redox catalyst DsbB.

Disulfide bond formation is a critical step in the folding of many secretory proteins. In bacteria, disulfide bonds are introduced by the periplasmic dithiol oxidase DsbA, which transfers its catalytic disulfide bond to folding polypeptides. Reduced DsbA is reoxidized by ubiquinone Q8, catalyzed by inner membrane quinone reductase DsbB.

Developing clinical guidelines.

The methods of guideline development should ensure that treating patients according to guidelines will achieve the outcomes that are desired. This article presents a combination of the literature about guideline development and the results of our combined experience in guideline development in North America and Britain. It considers the 5 steps in the initial development of an evidence-based guideline.

Evidence for proton shuffling in a thioredoxin-like protein during catalysis.

Proteins of the thioredoxin (Trx) superfamily catalyze disulfide-bond formation, reduction and isomerization in substrate proteins both in prokaryotic and in eukaryotic cells. All members of the Trx family with thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase activity contain the characteristic Cys-X-X-Cys motif in their active site. Here, using Poisson-Boltzmann-based protonation-state calculations based on 100-ns molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the catalytic mechanism of DsbL, the most oxidizing Trx-like protein known to date.

Funding agencies in low- and middle-income countries: support for knowledge translation.

Objective: The aim was to describe how selected health research funding agencies active in low- and middle-income countries promote the translation of their funded research into policy and practice.

Methods: We conducted inductive analysis of semi-structured interviews with key informants from a purposive sample of 23 national and international funding agencies that fund health research in Brazil, Colombia, India, the Philippines, South Africa and Thailand. We also surveyed web sites.

Printed educational materials: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes.

Background: Printed educational materials (PEMs) are widely used passive dissemination strategies to improve knowledge, awareness, attitudes, skills, professional practice and patient outcomes. Traditionally they are presented in paper formats such as monographs, publication in peer-reviewed journals and clinical guidelines and appear to be the most frequently adopted method for disseminating information.

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of PEMs in improving process outcomes (including the behaviour of healthcare professionals) and patient outcomes.

Clinical evidence continuous medical education: a randomised educational trial of an open access e-learning program for transferring evidence-based information - ICEKUBE (Italian Clinical Evidence Knowledge Utilization Behaviour Evaluation) - study protocol.

Background: In an effort to ensure that all physicians have access to valid and reliable evidence on drug effectiveness, the Italian Drug Agency sponsored a free-access e-learning system, based on Clinical Evidence, called ECCE. Doctors have access to an electronic version and related clinical vignettes. Correct answers to the interactive vignettes provide Continuing Medical Education credits.

Healthcare professionals' intentions and behaviours: a systematic review of studies based on social cognitive theories.

Background: There is an important gap between the implications of clinical research evidence and the routine clinical practice of healthcare professionals. Because individual decisions are often central to adoption of a clinical-related behaviour, more information about the cognitive mechanisms underlying behaviours is needed to improve behaviour change interventions targeting healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to systematically review the published scientific literature about factors influencing health professionals' behaviours based on social cognitive theories.

A multifaceted intervention to improve treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with wrist fractures: a cluster randomized trial.

Unlabelled: In a cluster randomized trial, we evaluated the effect of a multifaceted intervention (directed at both patient and primary care physician) on the rates of testing and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women within six months of their wrist fracture. Compared to usual care, women in the intervention practices were three times more likely to receive bone mineral density testing and prescribed osteoporosis treatments.

Introduction: Postmenopausal women with wrist fractures are at increased risk of future fragility fractures, yet they frequently do not receive evaluation and treatment for osteoporosis.

Changing clinicians' behavior: a randomized controlled trial of fees and education.

The fissure-sealing of newly erupted molars is an effective caries prevention treatment, but remains underutilized. Two plausible reasons are the financial disincentive produced by the dental remuneration system, and dentists' lack of awareness of evidence-based practice. The primary hypothesis was that implementation strategies based on remuneration or training in evidence-based healthcare would produce a higher proportion of children receiving sealed second permanent molars than standard care.