Development and rollout of a national plan on cardiovascular health. Spain's cardiovascular health strategy (ESCAV).

Introduction And Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in most countries; however, few specific political actions have been implemented to increase cardiovascular health at the national or international level. We aimed to describe the methodology used for the development and initial rollout of Spain's Cardiovascular Health Strategy of the National Health System (ESCAV, Estrategia en Salud Cardiovascular del Sistema Nacional de Salud).

Methods: A multidisciplinary team comprising all relevant stakeholders developed a national strategy to reduce the burden of CVD in Spain.

Sex differences in COVID-19 vaccine confidence in people living with HIV in Canada.

Background: Understanding the roots of vaccine confidence in vulnerable populations, such as persons living with HIV (PLWH), is important to facilitate vaccine uptake, thus mitigating infection and spread of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. In an online survey of PLWH conducted in Canada during winter 2022 (), we reported that the overall COVID-19 vaccination uptake rate in PLWH was similar by sex. Here, we examined attitudes and beliefs towards vaccination against COVID-19 based on sex.

Optimization of Methodologies to Study Freeze/Thaw Processes in Drug Substance Bottles.

Biological drug substance (DS) is often frozen to enhance storage stability, prolong shelf life, and increase flexibility during manufacturing. However, the freezing and thawing (F/T) of bulk DS at the manufacturing scale can impact product quality as a result of various critical conditions, including cryo-concentration during freezing, which are influenced, among other things, by product-independent process parameters (e.g.

Contextualizing Measurement: Establishing a Construct and Content Foundation for the Assessment of Cancer-Related Dyadic Efficacy.

This paper illustrates a rigorous approach to the initial phases of scale development when evaluating an existing construct, dyadic efficacy, in a new population. Cancer-related dyadic efficacy represents a couples' confidence in their conjoint abilities to manage the effects of cancer. Two samples of individuals diagnosed with cancer and their partners, along with a professional panel, contributed lay and content expertise, respectively.

How to mobilise users' experiential knowledge in the evaluation of advanced technologies and practices in Quebec? The example of the permanent users' and relatives' panel.

Introduction: With the purpose of supporting scientific professionals and helping them to better integrate the expertise of users in their work, a users' and relatives' panel (URP) was set up at the National Institute for Excellence in Health and Social Services in Quebec (INESSS), Canada for the social services and mental health directorate. URPs are advisory structures that mobilise the experiential knowledge of people affected by various issues.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess from a diverse stakeholders' perceptions: (1) the experience of developing and implementing the URP within the context of an Agencies for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services (AHTAASS), (2) the contribution of such a URP, (3) the challenges encountered and (4) the perspectives of improvement for the following years.

Directional freezing and thawing of biologics in drug substance bottles.

Biological drug substance (DS) is typically stored frozen to increase stability. However, freezing and thawing (F/T) of DS can impact product quality and therefore F/T processes need to be controlled. Because active F/T systems for DS bottles are lacking, freezing is often performed uncontrolled in conventional freezers, and thawing at ambient temperature or using water baths.

Characterization of Freezing Processes in Drug Substance Bottles by Ice Core Sampling.

Freezing of biological drug substance (DS) is a critical unit operation that may impact product quality, potentially leading to protein aggregation and sub-visible particle formation. Cryo-concentration has been identified as a critical parameter to impact protein stability during freezing and should therefore be minimized. The macroscopic cryo-concentration, in the following only referred to as cryo-concentration, is majorly influenced by the freezing rate, which is in turn impacted by product independent process parameters such as the DS container, its size and fill level, and the freezing equipment.

Understanding the Perceived Relationship between Sun Exposure and Melanoma in Atlantic Canada: A Consensual Qualitative Study Highlighting a "Sunscreen Paradox".

Globally, cutaneous melanoma (CM) incidence is increasing, with sun exposure identified as a key modifiable risk factor. The Atlantic provinces of Canada display varied CM incidence rates: New Brunswick aligns with the national average, while Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island exceed it, and Newfoundland and Labrador fall below this benchmark. We investigated the relationship between sun exposure and CM in these provinces.

Assessing Skin Cancer Risk Factors, Sun Safety Behaviors and Melanoma Concern in Atlantic Canada: A Comprehensive Survey Study.

Background: The incidence of cutaneous melanoma (CM) is increasing at an alarming rate in Canada and elsewhere around the world. Significant regional differences in CM incidence have been identified in Atlantic provinces. The goal of this study is to compare ultraviolet exposure, sun protective behaviours, level of worry and baseline CM knowledge in provinces with a high versus low incidence of CM as well, as between various demographic groups.

Obstacles and facilitators of cancer-related dyadic efficacy experienced by couples coping with non-metastatic cancers.

Introduction: Cancer-related dyadic efficacy is an individual's confidence to work together with a partner to conjointly manage the effects of cancer and its treatment. In other health contexts, higher levels of dyadic efficacy have been associated with fewer symptoms of psychological distress and higher ratings of relationship satisfaction. The aim of the current study was to explore patient and partner perspectives on what obstructs and facilitates cancer-related dyadic efficacy.

Coconstruction of adjunct behavioral interventions to bariatric surgery: The INTER-Change program.

Objective: The INTER-Change program aims to use systematic frameworks to develop adjunct behavioral interventions to enhance long-term behavior change and improve outcomes in patients undergoing bariatric surgery (BS). This paper details the program strategies and how engagement of interested parties is shaping the research.

Method: The core elements of this work include: (a) A living systematic review of behavioral weight management (BWM) interventions adjunct to BS; (b) Focus groups of interested parties, including patients, healthcare professionals, and administrators, on different aspects of designing and implementing adjunct behavioral interventions; (c) A patient-generated survey to assess needs for behavioral interventions to support BWM; (d) An international eDelphi study involving interested parties to prioritize intervention components and delivery structures; and (e) An international consensus meeting to construct testing intervention protocol(s).

Implementation of the use of SPECT-portable for evaluation of surgical margins in breast cancer with indication of ROLL: First results.

Objectives: Main objective: To compare the effectiveness for checking surgical margins between SPECT-portable and mammography of the piece (RxM).

Secondary Objective: To standardize a pre-operative protocol using SPECT-portable and to evaluate the time required in the use of this technique.

Material And Methods: Prospective longitudinal study with 36 patients (39 lesions) diagnosed with breast cancer (CM) with criteria for SNOLL/ROLL.

[People's perceptions with motor disabilities of rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic].

Background And Objective: The World Health Organization declared COrona VIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) a pandemic and recommended social distancing as a preventive measure. This affected all medical-clinical treatments, including those related to the physical rehabilitation process. The objective was to describe the perceptions about the rehabilitation process due to the modifications experienced by people with motor disabilities in a rehabilitation hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Acceptability of Serious Games in Pediatric Asthma Education and Self-management: Pilot Study.

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic pediatric disease. Despite existing tools to manage asthma, 40%-55% of children with asthma experience uncontrolled asthma. Serious games (SGs) represent a novel approach in promoting asthma education and self-management for children.

Training Physicians in Motivational Communication to Address Influenza Vaccine Hesitation: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Background: Strategies to support health care professionals on how to address vaccine hesitancy are needed.

Methods: We developed a 4-h Motivational Communication (MC) training program tailored to help physicians address hesitancy related to influenza vaccination among patients living with rheumatoid arthritis. Five MC competencies were evaluated at baseline and post-training with a standardized patient using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity [MITI] scale.

Patient and Citizen Participation in the Identification of Ethical Considerations Aiming to Address Uncertainty in the Evaluation of Promising Interventions in a Pandemic Context.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous studies have been conducted to identify interventions that could contribute to alleviating the burden it has caused. The Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) has played a key role in informing the government of Québec regarding the evaluation of specific pandemic-related interventions. This process took place in a context characterized by a sense of urgency to assess and recommend potential interventions that could save lives and reduce the effects of the disease on populations and healthcare systems, which increased the pressure on the regulatory agencies leading these evaluations.

Positive and differential diagnosis of autism in verbal women of typical intelligence: A Delphi study.

The diagnostic criteria for autism are relatively vague and can lead to both under- and over-diagnosis if applied as a checklist. The highest level of agreement that a person is autistic occurs when experienced clinicians are able to make use of their clinical judgment. However, it is not always clear what this judgment consists of.

Methodological options of the nominal group technique for survey item elicitation in health research: A scoping review.

Objective: To conduct a scoping review that identifies different nominal group technique (NGT) methods used to elicit items for health surveys, and their advantages and disadvantages.

Study Design And Setting: We conducted a comprehensive search process from database inception to July 22, 2019 in Medline, EMBASE, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Cochrane Central and Scopus without language restriction. We screened titles and abstracts.

Barriers and facilitators to influenza and pneumococcal vaccine hesitancy in rheumatoid arthritis: a qualitative study.

Objectives: Immunization is an essential component of RA care. Nevertheless, vaccine coverage in RA is suboptimal. Contextual, individual and vaccine-related factors influence vaccine acceptance.

Physician's perspective regarding asthma guided self-management: directives or guidance?

Introduction: Asthma guided self-management enhances patients' control of their condition under the guidance of the treating physician. The aim of the present study was to understand how physicians perceive, endorse, uptake, and support asthma guided self-management.

Methods: We conducted a secondary supplementary analysis of data originally collected as part of a multicenter collective case study in which physicians treating patients with asthma were interviewed.