Publications by authors named "Sarah Swift"

People living with dementia commonly report negative experiences such as disempowerment, stigma, and oppression. Community gardening has demonstrated its potential as a forum for the practice of resistance against the oppressions experienced by other marginalised groups; however, this element of the experience of community gardening has yet to be explored in the context of dementia. A collaboratively-designed community gardening project took place over six weeks, involving six people with dementia.

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Purpose: To evaluate the utility and comparative effectiveness of three five-point qualitative scoring systems for assessing response on PET-CT and MRI imaging individually and in combination, following curative-intent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). Their performance in the prediction of subsequent patient outcomes was also assessed; Methods: Ninety-seven patients with histologically confirmed LACC treated with CRT using standard institutional protocols at a single centre who underwent PET-CT and MRI at staging and post treatment were identified retrospectively from an institutional database. The post-CRT imaging studies were independently reviewed, and response assessed using five-point scoring tools for T2WI, DWI, and FDG PET-CT.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study systematically reviewed the application of radiomics in imaging for ovarian lesions, analyzing data from 63 articles, with 33 found eligible.
  • Most studies focused on lesion classification and treatment outcomes using various imaging techniques like CT and MRI, with a majority employing 3D segmentation.
  • The findings suggest that radiomics could enhance clinical diagnostics for ovarian masses, though improvements in methodology and more extensive validations are necessary before widespread clinical use.
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Purpose: Survival in stage I seminoma is almost 100%. Computed tomography (CT) surveillance is an international standard of care, avoiding adjuvant therapy. In this young population, minimizing irradiation is vital.

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In order to identify patient preferences in care for tinnitus an in depth grounded theory study was conducted. This consisted of interviews with 41 patients who had sought help for tinnitus across a range of locations and tinnitus services in England. Preferences for outcomes were for both the removal of the tinnitus and for improved coping and management of the tinnitus.

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We employ a concentric sphere Mie scattering model to describe light scattering by pulmonary alveoli and airway surface liquid (ASL). Using this layered sphere model, we compare alveolar scattering at different points along the respiratory cycle and observe the effect of ASL thickness on light scattering in the lung. We have also extrapolated the model to investigate alveolar scattering in various animal models of pulmonary disease.

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Objective: To develop a decision aid for tinnitus care that would meet international consensus for decision aid quality.

Design: A mixed methods design that included qualitative in-depth interviews, literature review, focus groups, user testing and readability checking.

Study Sample: Patients and clinicians who have clinical experience of tinnitus.

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Objectives: This study examined clinical encounters between clinicians and patients to determine current practice for the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus. The objective was to develop an understanding of the ideal clinical encounter that would facilitate genuine shared decision-making.

Design: Video ethnography was used to examine clinical encounters for the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus.

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Objective: To determine if 1) patients have distinct affective reaction patterns to medication information, and 2) whether there is an association between affective reaction patterns and willingness to take medication.

Methods: We measured affect in real time as subjects listened to a description of benefits and side effects for a hypothetical new medication. Subjects moved a dial on a handheld response system to indicate how they were feeling from "Very Good" to "Very Bad".

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Objectives: To evaluate the utility of a standardized qualitative scoring system for treatment response assessment at 18F-FDG PET-CT in patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced cervical carcinoma and correlate this with subsequent patient outcome.

Methods: Ninety-six consecutive patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma treated with radical chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in a single centre between 2011 and 2014 underwent 18F-FDG PET-CT approximately 3 months post-treatment. Tumour metabolic response was assessed qualitatively using a 5-point scale ranging from background level activity only through to progressive metabolic disease.

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Background: Order and amount of information influence patients' risk perceptions, but most studies have evaluated patients' reactions to written materials. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of 4 communication strategies, varying in their order and/or amount of information, on judgments related to an audible description of a new medication and among patients who varied in subjective numeracy.

Methods: We created 5 versions of a hypothetical scenario describing a new medication.

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Purpose: Limited access to MRI has restricted implementation of MRI-based image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) in line with GEC-ESTRO guidelines in many centers. This work reports our experience using an alternative CT/MRI based (hybrid) approach for IGBT, dosimetry comparisons, and its impact on long-term clinical outcome and major toxicity.

Methods And Materials: Seventy-six patients diagnosed with locally advanced cervical cancer between May 2008 and May 2012 treated with IGBT were analyzed.

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Prostate brachytherapy is a radiotherapy technique for early stage prostate cancer that uses imaging guidance to place radioactive sources directly into the prostate gland. Transrectal ultrasound is used to facilitate a template-guided transperineal approach to the prostate and permits a highly conformal method of prostate radiotherapy with doses far higher than can be achieved with other radiation techniques. Maturing data has validated this technique as an acceptable treatment option with favourable and durable biochemical outcomes.

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Computed tomography (CT) scanning is the main imaging modality utilised for planning radical oesophageal radiotherapy. Endoscopic ultrasound allows accurate localisation and local staging of oesophageal tumours. A method of incorporating this information into the CT planning process is described.

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