Exploring adaptive health technology assessment for evaluating 10 cancer interventions: insights and lessons from a pilot study in India.

Background: Health technology assessment (HTA) is a valuable tool for informing the efficient allocation of resources in healthcare. However, the resource-intensive nature of HTA can limit its application, especially in low-resource settings. Adapting HTA processes by assessing the available international evidence offers a pragmatic approach to provide evidence for decision-making where resources are constrained.

Sample size calculation in clinical research.

Calculation of sample size is an essential part of research study design since it affects the reliability and feasibility of the research study. In this article, we look at the principles of sample size calculation for different types of research studies.

Incidence of acute kidney injury and its associated risk factors in patients undergoing elective oesophagectomy surgeries at a tertiary care cancer institute - A pilot prospective observational study.

Background And Aims: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant postoperative complication. Multiple perioperative factors are implicated in the causation of AKI in the postoperative period in patients with oesophageal cancer. The study aimed to find out the incidence, causes and effects of AKI following oesophagectomy surgery.

Handling missing data in research.

Missing data are an inevitable part of research and lead to a decrease in the size of the analyzable population, and biased and imprecise estimates. In this article, we discuss the types of missing data, methods to handle missing data and suggest ways in which missing data can be minimized.

Role of simulation-based training in thoracic anaesthesia.

Simulation-based training (SBT) aims to acquire technical and non-technical skills in a simulated fashion without harming the patient. Simulation helps the anaesthesiologist acquire procedural competence and non-technical abilities. In thoracic anaesthesia, various simulators are available with varying degrees of fidelity and costs.

Designing and validating a research questionnaire - Part 2.

Validity and reliability refer to the accuracy and consistency of a research tool. In the previous article in this series, we examined the development of a research questionnaire. In this article, we discuss the methods of determining the validity and reliability of a research questionnaire.

Rapidly derived equimolar Ca: P phasic bioactive glass infused flexible gelatin multi-functional scaffolds - A promising tissue engineering.

The study aims to design and fabricate an ultra-easier multi-functional biomedical polymeric scaffold loaded with unique equimolar Ca:P phasic bioactive glass material (BG). Gelatin (G) - 45S5 bioactive glass (BG) scaffolds were synthesized via a simple laboratory refrigerator with higher biocompatibility and cytocompatibility. The results proved that BG has enhanced bio-mineralization of the scaffolds and results support that the G: BG (1:2) ratio is the more appropriate composition.

Virtual clinical trials.

Virtual clinical trials refer to clinical trials that take advantage of digital technologies, including computer and mobile device apps, web-based tools, and remote monitoring devices, for one or more of the trial processes, such as participant recruitment, counseling, informed consent, measurement of endpoints, and/or adverse event monitoring, to obviate or reduce the need for participant visits to the trial site. The advantages of such trials may include higher recruitment rates, better compliance, lower dropout rates, reduction in time for trial completion, and lower costs. The use of such trials increased manifold during the COVID-19 pandemic and is likely to continue in the future.

A single-arm, prospective study comparing translaryngeal ultrasonography with direct visualisation by flexible laryngoscopy for vocal cord assessment in patients undergoing oesophagectomy or mediastinoscopy.

Background And Aims: Translaryngeal ultrasonography (TLUSG) for diagnosis of vocal cord palsy, a relatively new, safe and noninvasive bedside technique with minimal risk of respiratory infection transmission, has been effective in patients with thyroid disease. We studied its use as an alternative method to visual inspection by flexible laryngoscopy (FL) for vocal cord assessment in patients undergoing thoracic surgeries.

Methods: After Institutional Ethics Committee approval and trial registration, in this single-arm, prospective study, the vocal cord function of 110 patients who underwent either total oesophagectomy or mediastinoscopy was assessed immediately after extubation by both FL and TLUSG.

Designing and validating a research questionnaire - Part 1.

Questionnaires are often used as part of research studies to collect data from participants. However, the information obtained through a questionnaire is dependent on how it has been designed, used, and validated. In this article, we look at the types of research questionnaires, their applications and limitations, and how a new questionnaire is developed.

A single-arm prospective interventional study to assess the efficacy of continuous bronchial cuff pressure monitoring to detect the displacement of lung isolation devices in elective thoracic surgeries.

Background And Aims: During proximal or distal migration of lung isolation device (LID), the bronchial cuff would move into a wider or narrower portion of the bronchus, leading to a decrease or increase in the cuff pressure, respectively. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a study to find out the efficacy of continuous bronchial cuff pressure (BCP) monitoring for detecting the displacement of LID.

Methods: A single-arm interventional study was conducted including hundred adult patients undergoing elective thoracic surgeries using a left-sided LID.

Investigating stigma during the COVID-19 pandemic: Living conditions, social determinants and experiences of infection among employees at a tertiary referral cancer centre.

Aim: Healthcare workers (HCWs) have reported negative social experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, this data is largely from medical personnel. We examined living conditions, social determinants, and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic among all cadres of employees who had recovered from COVID-19 at a tertiary referral cancer hospital in India.

Methods: We conducted a mixed methods study combining a questionnaire-based survey followed by semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions, among hospital staff who recovered from COVID-19 between April and November 2020.

Use of the McGRATH™ MAC videolaryngoscope to evaluate the ability of anesthetists to give effective cricoid pressure: An interventional study.

Background And Aims: The application of cricoid pressure (CP) for rapid sequence induction is questioned on two grounds: its effectiveness in clinical settings and its impact on the laryngeal view. The main reason cited for its ineffectiveness is the lack of knowledge and training in its correct application. This study assessed, the performance of anesthetists in applying effective CP in a clinical setting.

Informal Providers-Ground Realities in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Nations: Toward Better Cancer Primary Care: A Narrative Review.

Purpose: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations are a group of eight countries with low to medium Human Development Index values. They lack trained human resources in primary health care to achieve the WHO-stated goal of Universal Health Coverage. An unregulated service sector of informal health care providers (IPs) has been serving these underserved communities.

Outcomes of elective cancer surgery in COVID-19 survivors: An observational study.

Background And Objectives: Guidelines recommend deferral of elective surgery after COVID-19. Delays in cancer surgeries may affect outcomes. We examined perioperative outcomes of elective cancer surgery in COVID-19 survivors.

The "Weekday Effect"-Does It Impact Esophageal Cancer Surgery Outcomes?

Background: Increased 30-day mortality rates have been reported in patients undergoing elective surgery later compared with earlier in the week. However, these reports have been conflicting for esophageal surgery. We conducted a study to assess the differences in outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for esophageal cancer earlier in the week (Tuesday) versus later (Friday).

Research studies on screening tests.

Screening tests are done to diagnose asymptomatic disease in apparently healthy people with the aim to reduce mortality and morbidity from the disease. Certain criteria need to be fulfilled before we adopt population-level screening for any disease. Several biases exist in evaluating screening studies, and the ideal study design would be a randomized trial with hard endpoints such as mortality and morbidity.

Ultrasound-guided estimation of gastric residual volume using Perlas's formula: A validation study in patients.

Background And Aims: Bedside ultrasound (US) is used to evaluate gastric residual volume (GRV) and assess aspiration risk. We examined the accuracy of US-guided measurement of GRV using Perlas's formula, by two trained anaesthesiologists, in patients who had consumed different types and volumes of fluids.

Methods: Patients with no risk factors for delayed gastric emptying were included.

An Introduction to Statistics: Diagnostic Tests.

Unlabelled: Diagnostic tests are used to differentiate between those with and without disease. In this article, we examine some of the properties of diagnostic tests, such as sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and receiver operating characteristic curves.

How To Cite This Article: Ranganathan P.

Equivalence trials.

In an equivalence trial, researchers aim to show that a new intervention is more or less similar to an existing standard of care, i.e., the two are "equivalent".

Priorities for cancer research in low- and middle-income countries: a global perspective.

Cancer research currently is heavily skewed toward high-income countries (HICs), with little research conducted in, and relevant to, the problems of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This regional discordance in cancer knowledge generation and application needs to be rebalanced. Several gaps in the research enterprise of LMICs need to be addressed to promote regionally relevant research, and radical rethinking is needed to address the burning issues in cancer care in these regions.