Pub Date : 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-113692
Natalia Araújo do Nascimento Batista, Susana Henriques, Juciano Lacerda, Aline de Pinho Dias, Almudena Muñoz Gallego, Danielle Correia Neves Abreu, Heleni Aires Clemente, José Manuel Emiliano Bidarra de Almeida, Kaline Sampaio de Araújo, Karilany Dantas Coutinho, Lucía Sanjuán Núñez, Manoel Honorio Romão, Maria da Guia Cunha Dantas Freire, Mirian Estela Nogueira Tavares, Mônica Karina Santos Reis, Nicolás Lorite García, Ricardo Valentim
Introduction: The interfaces between the fields of communication, education and health have been indicated by international institutions such as the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. However, hegemonic scientific practices supersede dialogue between the three fields, isolating their practices. This fragmenting tendency is observed in scientific literature, which has created gaps in the dialogue and articulation between communication, education and health. Although health promotion requires both communicative and educational practices, the epistemological, historical, political, cultural and socioeconomic aspects have also engendered tensions between the fields. Communication is often seen as a mere instrument for other practices, rather than a phenomenon that (re)produces meanings and power dynamics. In opposing the reductionist and instrumentalising perspectives of knowledge fields, the primary objective of the scoping review is to map the scientific evidence on the interfaces between communication and education in health to indicate a conceptual framework that articulates communication and education practices within the context of health.
Methods and analysis: A transdisciplinary team developed this protocol based on the 2024 Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis. The procedures required to conduct the review were guided by the frameworks proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, Levac et al and Peters et al. The study eligibility criteria were established based on the Problem, Concept and Context outlined in the research questions. Primary and secondary studies will be retrieved from nine sources, covering both conventional and grey literature. These sources include Embase, ERIC, LILACS, PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, and the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. A categorised form will be used for data collection and subsequent analysis. The reporting of the review findings will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.
Ethics and dissemination: The nature of the research and the use of secondary data sources do not require informed consent forms or approval from ethics committees in Brazil. The scientific findings from the review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, academic conferences and other scientific communication channels.
Study registration: The protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF) and is available at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/Z3CX7.
导言:卫生组织和欧洲疾病预防和控制中心等国际机构指出了通信、教育和保健领域之间的联系。然而,霸权的科学实践取代了这三个领域之间的对话,孤立了它们的实践。在科学文献中可以观察到这种分裂的趋势,这在通信、教育和卫生之间的对话和衔接方面造成了差距。虽然健康促进需要交际和教育实践,但认识论、历史、政治、文化和社会经济方面的问题也造成了这两个领域之间的紧张关系。沟通通常被视为其他实践的工具,而不是(重新)产生意义和权力动态的现象。在反对知识领域的还原论和工具化观点的同时,范围审查的主要目标是绘制卫生领域沟通和教育之间接口的科学证据,以表明在卫生背景下阐明沟通和教育实践的概念框架。方法和分析:一个跨学科团队根据2024年乔安娜布里格斯研究所证据合成手册制定了该协议。进行审查所需的程序以Arksey和O'Malley、Levac等人和Peters等人提出的框架为指导。研究资格标准是根据研究问题中概述的问题、概念和背景建立的。初级和二级研究将从九个来源检索,包括传统文献和灰色文献。这些资源包括Embase, ERIC, LILACS, PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science,巴西论文和学位论文数字图书馆,以及论文和学位论文网络数字图书馆。分类表格将用于数据收集和随后的分析。综述结果的报告将遵循系统综述和荟萃分析扩展范围综述的首选报告项目。伦理和传播:在巴西,研究的性质和二手数据源的使用不需要知情同意书或伦理委员会的批准。评议的科学发现将通过同行评议的期刊、学术会议和其他科学传播渠道传播。研究注册:该方案已在开放科学框架(OSF)上注册,并可在https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/Z3CX7上获得。
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Pub Date : 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-109974
Md Ziaul Islam, S M Sharf-Ul-Alam, Md Foyzur Rahman, Fahad Mahmood, Nasreen Farhana, Sharmim Akter, Tanzina Parveen, Zakia Alam, Ali Azim, Md Abdullah Saeed Khan
<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To assess the mental health status and identify associated factors among rural adult women in Bangladesh.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Cross-sectional study using face-to-face interviews with a semistructured questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were collected between January and February 2025 in three rural upazilas (Dhamrai, Nawabganj and Sreepur) using multistage systematic sampling. The semistructured questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics, household assets and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The wealth index was calculated using principal component analysis. Cases with mild to extreme levels of depression, anxiety and stress were grouped together to indicate the presence of any level of the three mental health problems. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses using χ², Fisher's exact test and Welch two-sample t-test, and multivariable binary logistic regression to identify predictive factors of mental problems. A Venn diagram was generated to display the proportion of patients with anxiety, depression and stress. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (V.26) and R Studio (V.2025.05) with a significance level of p<0.05.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>A total of 1350 women aged 18 years or older who were available at home during the data collection period and gave consent to participate. Women who were unable to participate due to illness were excluded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants had a mean (±SD) age of 36.35 (±12.58) years. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was 47.7%, 60.7% and 23.2%, respectively. Moderate severity was most common among patients with depression (20.34%), anxiety (24.20%) and stress (8.03%). 20% of participants experienced all three conditions simultaneously, with 22% having both depression and anxiety. Multivariable analysis revealed that factors associated with an increased odds of depression, anxiety and stress were chronic diseases (ORs (95% CIs): 2.02 (1.50 to 2.73), 1.44 (1.05 to 1.99) and 1.91 (1.35 to 2.71), respectively) and history of abuse (1.84 (1.28 to 2.66); 3.15 (2.06 to 4.93) and 1.91 (1.28 to 2.83), respectively). Family history of mental illness was associated with an increased odds of anxiety (1.71 (95% CI 1.12 to 2.87)) and stress (1.61 (95% CI 1.01 to 2.52)). So was the presence of a caregiving role (1.68 (95% CI 1.18 to 2.42) and 1.50 (95% CI 1.02 to 2.19) for anxiety and stress, respectively). Having a financial problem was associated with an increased odds of anxiety (1.52 (95% CI 1.16 to 2.00)). A happy family relationship was associated with decreased odds of depression (0.28 (95% CI 0.20 to 0.93)), anxiety (0.22 (95% CI 0.06 to 0.60)) and stress (0.50 (95% CI 0.25 to 1.00)). Conjugal satisfaction was protective against anxiety (0.42 (95% CI 0.18 to 0.80) and stress (0.32 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.59)). Unexpectedly, higher wealth status (being rich) incr
目的:评估孟加拉国农村成年妇女的心理健康状况并确定相关因素。设计:采用面对面访谈和半结构化问卷的横断面研究。方法:采用多阶段系统抽样法,于2025年1 - 2月在达姆莱、纳瓦干季和斯里普尔三个农村区采集数据。半结构化问卷包括社会人口学特征、家庭资产和抑郁焦虑压力量表21 (DASS-21)。财富指数采用主成分分析法计算。轻度到极端程度的抑郁、焦虑和压力病例被分组在一起,以表明存在任何程度的三种心理健康问题。统计分析包括描述性统计、使用χ 2的双变量分析、Fisher精确检验和Welch双样本t检验,以及多变量二元逻辑回归来确定精神问题的预测因素。生成维恩图,显示焦虑、抑郁和压力患者的比例。使用SPSS (V.26)和R Studio (V.2025.05)进行数据分析,显著性水平为p。参与者:在数据收集期间,共有1350名18岁及以上的女性在家,并同意参与。因病不能参加的妇女被排除在外。结果:参与者的平均(±SD)年龄为36.35(±12.58)岁。抑郁、焦虑和压力的患病率分别为47.7%、60.7%和23.2%。抑郁(20.34%)、焦虑(24.20%)和压力(8.03%)患者以中度严重程度最为常见。20%的参与者同时经历了这三种情况,22%的参与者同时患有抑郁和焦虑。多变量分析显示,与抑郁、焦虑和压力发生率增加相关的因素为慢性疾病(or (95% ci)分别为2.02(1.50 ~ 2.73)、1.44(1.05 ~ 1.99)和1.91(1.35 ~ 2.71))和虐待史(1.84 (1.28 ~ 2.66);3.15(2.06 ~ 4.93)和1.91(1.28 ~ 2.83))。精神疾病家族史与焦虑(1.71(95%可信区间1.12至2.87)和压力(1.61(95%可信区间1.01至2.52))的几率增加有关。照顾角色的存在也是如此(焦虑和压力分别为1.68 (95% CI 1.18至2.42)和1.50 (95% CI 1.02至2.19)。有经济问题与焦虑的几率增加有关(1.52(95%可信区间1.16至2.00))。幸福的家庭关系与降低抑郁(0.28 (95% CI 0.20至0.93))、焦虑(0.22 (95% CI 0.06至0.60))和压力(0.50 (95% CI 0.25至1.00))的几率相关。夫妻满意度对焦虑(0.42 (95% CI 0.18至0.80)和压力(0.32 (95% CI 0.17至0.59))有保护作用。出乎意料的是,较高的财富状况(富有)增加了抑郁(1.56 (95% CI 1.04至2.34)和焦虑(1.57 (95% CI 1.03至2.41)的风险。结论:孟加拉国农村成年妇女中有很大一部分存在心理健康问题。研究结果建议制定基于社区的全面精神卫生筛查规划、采取干预措施并将精神卫生保健纳入初级卫生系统,以应对这一重大的公共卫生挑战。
{"title":"Mental health status and associated factors among rural adult women: findings of a community-based cross-sectional study in Bangladesh.","authors":"Md Ziaul Islam, S M Sharf-Ul-Alam, Md Foyzur Rahman, Fahad Mahmood, Nasreen Farhana, Sharmim Akter, Tanzina Parveen, Zakia Alam, Ali Azim, Md Abdullah Saeed Khan","doi":"10.1136/bmjopen-2025-109974","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-109974","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To assess the mental health status and identify associated factors among rural adult women in Bangladesh.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Cross-sectional study using face-to-face interviews with a semistructured questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were collected between January and February 2025 in three rural upazilas (Dhamrai, Nawabganj and Sreepur) using multistage systematic sampling. The semistructured questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics, household assets and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The wealth index was calculated using principal component analysis. Cases with mild to extreme levels of depression, anxiety and stress were grouped together to indicate the presence of any level of the three mental health problems. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses using χ², Fisher's exact test and Welch two-sample t-test, and multivariable binary logistic regression to identify predictive factors of mental problems. A Venn diagram was generated to display the proportion of patients with anxiety, depression and stress. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (V.26) and R Studio (V.2025.05) with a significance level of p<0.05.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>A total of 1350 women aged 18 years or older who were available at home during the data collection period and gave consent to participate. Women who were unable to participate due to illness were excluded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants had a mean (±SD) age of 36.35 (±12.58) years. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was 47.7%, 60.7% and 23.2%, respectively. Moderate severity was most common among patients with depression (20.34%), anxiety (24.20%) and stress (8.03%). 20% of participants experienced all three conditions simultaneously, with 22% having both depression and anxiety. Multivariable analysis revealed that factors associated with an increased odds of depression, anxiety and stress were chronic diseases (ORs (95% CIs): 2.02 (1.50 to 2.73), 1.44 (1.05 to 1.99) and 1.91 (1.35 to 2.71), respectively) and history of abuse (1.84 (1.28 to 2.66); 3.15 (2.06 to 4.93) and 1.91 (1.28 to 2.83), respectively). Family history of mental illness was associated with an increased odds of anxiety (1.71 (95% CI 1.12 to 2.87)) and stress (1.61 (95% CI 1.01 to 2.52)). So was the presence of a caregiving role (1.68 (95% CI 1.18 to 2.42) and 1.50 (95% CI 1.02 to 2.19) for anxiety and stress, respectively). Having a financial problem was associated with an increased odds of anxiety (1.52 (95% CI 1.16 to 2.00)). A happy family relationship was associated with decreased odds of depression (0.28 (95% CI 0.20 to 0.93)), anxiety (0.22 (95% CI 0.06 to 0.60)) and stress (0.50 (95% CI 0.25 to 1.00)). Conjugal satisfaction was protective against anxiety (0.42 (95% CI 0.18 to 0.80) and stress (0.32 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.59)). Unexpectedly, higher wealth status (being rich) incr","PeriodicalId":9158,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Open","volume":"16 3","pages":"e109974"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-113432
Isaac J Egesa, Faye D Baldwin, Molly Wells, Michelle Maden, Gashirai K Mbizvo, Anthony Guy Marson, Catrin Tudur-Smith
Introduction: Target trial emulation (TTE) has emerged as a methodological framework to strengthen causal inference from observational health data when randomised controlled trials are infeasible. The credibility of TTE studies depends not only on rigorous design and transparent reporting, but also on their relevance and acceptability to patients and the public. Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) has been shown to enhance the relevance, transparency and impact of health research by shaping research priorities, informing study design and ensuring outcomes reflect patient perspectives. However, the extent to which PPIE has been incorporated into TTE studies remains unclear. This scoping review aims to systematically map the use and reporting of PPIE in published TTE studies.
Methods and analysis: This review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. We will search MEDLINE (Ovid) and Embase (Ovid) from January 2011 to present, limited to English-language publications. Eligible studies will be studies that self-identify as using the TTE framework and report empirical analyses of health outcomes using observational or trial data. We will exclude protocols, methodological or simulation-only studies, preprints, conference abstracts and grey literature. Three reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts, and then full texts, with disagreements resolved by discussion or adjudication. Data extraction will include study characteristics and PPIE information guided by the Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public 2-Short Form checklist. Findings will be summarised using descriptive statistics, tables, figures and narrative synthesis.
Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval is not required, as this review will use publicly available data. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication and presented at conferences.
{"title":"Patient and public involvement and engagement in target trial emulation framework: a scoping review protocol.","authors":"Isaac J Egesa, Faye D Baldwin, Molly Wells, Michelle Maden, Gashirai K Mbizvo, Anthony Guy Marson, Catrin Tudur-Smith","doi":"10.1136/bmjopen-2025-113432","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-113432","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Target trial emulation (TTE) has emerged as a methodological framework to strengthen causal inference from observational health data when randomised controlled trials are infeasible. The credibility of TTE studies depends not only on rigorous design and transparent reporting, but also on their relevance and acceptability to patients and the public. Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) has been shown to enhance the relevance, transparency and impact of health research by shaping research priorities, informing study design and ensuring outcomes reflect patient perspectives. However, the extent to which PPIE has been incorporated into TTE studies remains unclear. This scoping review aims to systematically map the use and reporting of PPIE in published TTE studies.</p><p><strong>Methods and analysis: </strong>This review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. We will search MEDLINE (Ovid) and Embase (Ovid) from January 2011 to present, limited to English-language publications. Eligible studies will be studies that self-identify as using the TTE framework and report empirical analyses of health outcomes using observational or trial data. We will exclude protocols, methodological or simulation-only studies, preprints, conference abstracts and grey literature. Three reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts, and then full texts, with disagreements resolved by discussion or adjudication. Data extraction will include study characteristics and PPIE information guided by the Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public 2-Short Form checklist. Findings will be summarised using descriptive statistics, tables, figures and narrative synthesis.</p><p><strong>Ethics and dissemination: </strong>Ethics approval is not required, as this review will use publicly available data. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication and presented at conferences.</p>","PeriodicalId":9158,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Open","volume":"16 3","pages":"e113432"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-113714
Eric Lai, Lucy Goodman, Jyotika Lal, Iris Gordon, Jacqueline Ramke
Introduction: In all countries, some population groups experience barriers to accessing eye health services, contributing to health inequities. Outreach is a common strategy used to deliver healthcare services to populations experiencing inequities. This scoping review aims to summarise the nature and extent of the existing literature describing outreach as a service delivery model to improve access to eye health services, particularly among populations experiencing inequities.
Methods and analysis: An information specialist will search academic databases (Medline, Embase and Global Health) without language restrictions to find peer-reviewed articles describing outreach eye health services, published in any country between 1 January 2010 and the search date. Grey literature sources will also be searched. In Covidence, two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts and subsequently relevant full texts against the inclusion criteria. Data extraction will also be performed independently by two reviewers in Covidence. This scoping review will summarise the characteristics of the included outreach eye health services, including the type of eye health service delivered, personnel involved, mode of transport, source of funding and whether the service targeted any specific PROGRESS-Plus group (Place of residence, Race/ethnicity/culture/language, Occupation, Gender/sex, Religion, Education, Socioeconomic status, Social capital, Plus). We will present our findings quantitatively using diagrams, tables and graphs.
Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval was not sought, as this scoping review will use only publicly available reports. The results of this review will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and will be presented at eye health conferences. It will offer valuable insights for eye health providers, health and social service providers and policymakers who are interested in improving access to eye health services for populations experiencing inequities. This scoping review will inform a project in New Zealand which aims to develop outreach eye health services to populations experiencing inequities, such as unhoused people and refugees.
Registration: This protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework on 11 November 2025 (https://osf.io/vyz32).
{"title":"How have outreach eye health services been delivered globally? Protocol for a scoping review.","authors":"Eric Lai, Lucy Goodman, Jyotika Lal, Iris Gordon, Jacqueline Ramke","doi":"10.1136/bmjopen-2025-113714","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-113714","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>In all countries, some population groups experience barriers to accessing eye health services, contributing to health inequities. Outreach is a common strategy used to deliver healthcare services to populations experiencing inequities. This scoping review aims to summarise the nature and extent of the existing literature describing outreach as a service delivery model to improve access to eye health services, particularly among populations experiencing inequities.</p><p><strong>Methods and analysis: </strong>An information specialist will search academic databases (Medline, Embase and Global Health) without language restrictions to find peer-reviewed articles describing outreach eye health services, published in any country between 1 January 2010 and the search date. Grey literature sources will also be searched. In Covidence, two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts and subsequently relevant full texts against the inclusion criteria. Data extraction will also be performed independently by two reviewers in Covidence. This scoping review will summarise the characteristics of the included outreach eye health services, including the type of eye health service delivered, personnel involved, mode of transport, source of funding and whether the service targeted any specific PROGRESS-Plus group (Place of residence, Race/ethnicity/culture/language, Occupation, Gender/sex, Religion, Education, Socioeconomic status, Social capital, Plus). We will present our findings quantitatively using diagrams, tables and graphs.</p><p><strong>Ethics and dissemination: </strong>Ethics approval was not sought, as this scoping review will use only publicly available reports. The results of this review will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and will be presented at eye health conferences. It will offer valuable insights for eye health providers, health and social service providers and policymakers who are interested in improving access to eye health services for populations experiencing inequities. This scoping review will inform a project in New Zealand which aims to develop outreach eye health services to populations experiencing inequities, such as unhoused people and refugees.</p><p><strong>Registration: </strong>This protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework on 11 November 2025 (https://osf.io/vyz32).</p>","PeriodicalId":9158,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Open","volume":"16 3","pages":"e113714"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-115195
Jorge Short Apellaniz, Raúl Córdoba Mascuñano, Pilar Llamas Sillero, Catalina Paredes Coronel, Bernadette Pfang, Marco Antonio Villegas García, Antonio Herrero González, Adriana Pascual Martínez, Aranzazu Alonso Alonso, Agustín María Hernandez-Sanchez, Guillermo Rodríguez García, José Tuñón Hernández, Marta Del Olmo Rodríguez
<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Increasing demand for haematological specialist care makes the optimisation of referrals and outpatient workflow a priority. Automated placing of standardised test orders prior to the first appointment may provide haematologists with necessary information to reach diagnoses and initiate treatment at the first patient encounter, reducing low-value follow-up appointments. We aimed to evaluate rates of patient participation in an initiative using artificial intelligence to place standardised test orders as well as reasons for non-participation, differences in the number of participants and non-participants discharged back to primary care with a diagnosis or appropriate treatment plan, and potentially avoidable referrals.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A retrospective, multicentric cohort study.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>Four academic hospitals in Madrid, Spain.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>18 190 patients referred for a first haematologist appointment for 11 included presenting complaints.</p><p><strong>Intervention: </strong>Referral notes from primary care were classified using natural language processing and automated placement of standardised test order sets was carried out prior to first appointment for participating patients.</p><p><strong>Outcome measures: </strong>We compared demographic differences between participants and non-participants, the main motives for not participating, and the number of patients discharged back to primary care at first appointment with a diagnosis and treatment plan. Most frequent International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision codes for each of the included presenting complaints were described.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the study period, 18 190 (41%) patients were referred for a first haematologist appointment for presenting complaints included in the intervention ('eligible patients'), of which 612 (3.3%) patients agreed to participate in the intervention. Participants were significantly younger than non-participants. Most common motives for not participating were administrative reasons (6268, 76.9%). Only 122 (1.5%) patients expressed explicit unwillingness to participate. A significant increase in the number of patients discharged upon first appointment was observed for participants (146 (23.9%) vs 3375 (19.36%); p=0.041), signifying a 22% relative reduction in avoidable follow-up. The diagnosis 'haematological disorders ruled out' was constantly observed as one of the ten most common diagnoses made by the haematology specialist for all but one of the included presenting complaints.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Natural language processing of referrals from primary to specialist haematology care with automated placing of standardised test orders can decrease low-value follow-up appointments. Explicit refusal to participate was low. Participants tended to be younger than non-participants, underlining the importance of designing strategies
{"title":"What factors influence patient participation in an artificial intelligence-based initiative to optimise referrals from primary to specialist haematology care? A multicentre retrospective observational study in four Spanish hospitals.","authors":"Jorge Short Apellaniz, Raúl Córdoba Mascuñano, Pilar Llamas Sillero, Catalina Paredes Coronel, Bernadette Pfang, Marco Antonio Villegas García, Antonio Herrero González, Adriana Pascual Martínez, Aranzazu Alonso Alonso, Agustín María Hernandez-Sanchez, Guillermo Rodríguez García, José Tuñón Hernández, Marta Del Olmo Rodríguez","doi":"10.1136/bmjopen-2025-115195","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-115195","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Increasing demand for haematological specialist care makes the optimisation of referrals and outpatient workflow a priority. Automated placing of standardised test orders prior to the first appointment may provide haematologists with necessary information to reach diagnoses and initiate treatment at the first patient encounter, reducing low-value follow-up appointments. We aimed to evaluate rates of patient participation in an initiative using artificial intelligence to place standardised test orders as well as reasons for non-participation, differences in the number of participants and non-participants discharged back to primary care with a diagnosis or appropriate treatment plan, and potentially avoidable referrals.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A retrospective, multicentric cohort study.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>Four academic hospitals in Madrid, Spain.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>18 190 patients referred for a first haematologist appointment for 11 included presenting complaints.</p><p><strong>Intervention: </strong>Referral notes from primary care were classified using natural language processing and automated placement of standardised test order sets was carried out prior to first appointment for participating patients.</p><p><strong>Outcome measures: </strong>We compared demographic differences between participants and non-participants, the main motives for not participating, and the number of patients discharged back to primary care at first appointment with a diagnosis and treatment plan. Most frequent International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision codes for each of the included presenting complaints were described.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the study period, 18 190 (41%) patients were referred for a first haematologist appointment for presenting complaints included in the intervention ('eligible patients'), of which 612 (3.3%) patients agreed to participate in the intervention. Participants were significantly younger than non-participants. Most common motives for not participating were administrative reasons (6268, 76.9%). Only 122 (1.5%) patients expressed explicit unwillingness to participate. A significant increase in the number of patients discharged upon first appointment was observed for participants (146 (23.9%) vs 3375 (19.36%); p=0.041), signifying a 22% relative reduction in avoidable follow-up. The diagnosis 'haematological disorders ruled out' was constantly observed as one of the ten most common diagnoses made by the haematology specialist for all but one of the included presenting complaints.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Natural language processing of referrals from primary to specialist haematology care with automated placing of standardised test orders can decrease low-value follow-up appointments. Explicit refusal to participate was low. Participants tended to be younger than non-participants, underlining the importance of designing strategies","PeriodicalId":9158,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Open","volume":"16 3","pages":"e115195"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-104440
Anja Lemlijn-Slenter, Luuk van Iperen, Karolina Wijnands, Adrian Masclee, Angelique de Rijk
Objective: To describe work participation (WP) and receiving disability benefit (DB) in persons with chronic gastrointestinal disorders (CGID); to describe associations between the six dimensions of positive health (PH) and WP and DB, respectively; and to assess whether the type of CGID is associated with WP and receiving DB.
Design: Cross-sectional and observational questionnaire study.
Setting: Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (tertiary care hospital), including regional, supra-regional and national referrals.
Participants: 441 patients of working age (18-66 years) with CGID who visited the outpatient department of the Gastroenterology-Hepatology Clinic between March 2019 and June 2021 (mean±SD age: 45.0±14.7 years, 68.5% women).
Primary/secondary outcome measures: Associations of PH dimensions and WP and receiving DB, respectively; association of type of CGID and WP, and receiving DB. The main independent variables (PH dimensions) were bodily functions, mental well-being, meaningfulness, quality of life (QoL), participation and daily functioning.
Results: Among 441 working-age patients, 49% worked; 20% received DB (40% of non-workers). All PH dimensions related significantly to WP and DB (bivariate level). After adjusting for demographics and CGID type, better general health (dimension QoL) (OR 1.018; 95% CI 1.001 to 1.035, p=0.040) and daily functioning dimension (OR 1.030; 95% CI 1.013 to 1.047, p<0.001) related to higher WP. In the fully adjusted model, daily functioning showed the strongest association with receiving DB. Each one-point increase in Short Form-36 physical functioning was associated with a 2% lower likelihood of receiving DB (OR 0.975; 95% CI 0.959 to 0.992; p=0.004).
Conclusions: Of the 441 working-age patients with CGID, only 49% worked; most non-workers did not receive DB. Of the PH dimensions, daily functioning appears most directly related to WP and receiving DB; CGID type had minimal impact.
目的:探讨慢性胃肠疾病(CGID)患者的工作参与(WP)和领取伤残津贴(DB)情况;描述积极健康(PH)的六个维度分别与WP和DB之间的关联;并评估CGID类型是否与WP和接受DB相关。设计:横断面观察性问卷研究。环境:马斯特里赫特大学医疗中心+(三级保健医院),包括区域、超区域和国家转诊。参与者:441名工作年龄(18-66岁)的CGID患者,于2019年3月至2021年6月期间在胃肠病学-肝脏病学诊所门诊就诊(平均±SD年龄:45.0±14.7岁,68.5%为女性)。主要/次要结局指标:分别与PH值、WP和接受DB的关系;CGID与WP类型的关联,以及接收DB。主要的自变量(PH维度)是身体功能、心理健康、意义、生活质量(QoL)、参与和日常功能。结果:441例劳动年龄患者中,工作的占49%;20%的人收到了DB(40%的非工作人员)。所有PH维度与WP和DB(双变量水平)显著相关。在调整人口统计学和CGID类型后,总体健康(维度QoL) (OR 1.018; 95% CI 1.001 ~ 1.035, p=0.040)和日常功能维度(OR 1.030; 95% CI 1.013 ~ 1.047, p)更好。结论:在441名工作年龄的CGID患者中,只有49%的人工作,大多数非工人没有接受DB。在PH维度中,日常功能似乎与WP和接受DB最直接相关;CGID类型的影响最小。
{"title":"Are the dimensions of positive health associated with work participation and receiving disability benefit? A cross-sectional study in outclinic patients with chronic gastrointestinal disorders.","authors":"Anja Lemlijn-Slenter, Luuk van Iperen, Karolina Wijnands, Adrian Masclee, Angelique de Rijk","doi":"10.1136/bmjopen-2025-104440","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-104440","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To describe work participation (WP) and receiving disability benefit (DB) in persons with chronic gastrointestinal disorders (CGID); to describe associations between the six dimensions of positive health (PH) and WP and DB, respectively; and to assess whether the type of CGID is associated with WP and receiving DB.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Cross-sectional and observational questionnaire study.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (tertiary care hospital), including regional, supra-regional and national referrals.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>441 patients of working age (18-66 years) with CGID who visited the outpatient department of the Gastroenterology-Hepatology Clinic between March 2019 and June 2021 (mean±SD age: 45.0±14.7 years, 68.5% women).</p><p><strong>Primary/secondary outcome measures: </strong>Associations of PH dimensions and WP and receiving DB, respectively; association of type of CGID and WP, and receiving DB. The main independent variables (PH dimensions) were bodily functions, mental well-being, meaningfulness, quality of life (QoL), participation and daily functioning.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 441 working-age patients, 49% worked; 20% received DB (40% of non-workers). All PH dimensions related significantly to WP and DB (bivariate level). After adjusting for demographics and CGID type, better general health (dimension QoL) (OR 1.018; 95% CI 1.001 to 1.035, p=0.040) and daily functioning dimension (OR 1.030; 95% CI 1.013 to 1.047, p<0.001) related to higher WP. In the fully adjusted model, daily functioning showed the strongest association with receiving DB. Each one-point increase in Short Form-36 physical functioning was associated with a 2% lower likelihood of receiving DB (OR 0.975; 95% CI 0.959 to 0.992; p=0.004).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Of the 441 working-age patients with CGID, only 49% worked; most non-workers did not receive DB. Of the PH dimensions, daily functioning appears most directly related to WP and receiving DB; CGID type had minimal impact.</p>","PeriodicalId":9158,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Open","volume":"16 3","pages":"e104440"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103862
Bon Mi Koo, Yeongchae Song, Young-Geun Choi, Min-Woo Jo, Yura Lee, Se Young Han, Sang Kyu Kim, Young Kyung Do
Objective: Healthcare quality improvement increasingly relies on patient experience data, yet traditional survey modes face declining response rates and rising costs. Mobile web surveys have emerged as a promising alternative for improving response rates. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mobile web surveys in improving response rates in South Korea's Patient Experience Assessment. We also aimed to assess the impact of a mixed-mode approach integrating mobile web and follow-up telephone surveys across different demographic groups.
Design: A randomised experimental design was employed to compare response rates as well as contact and cooperation rates among survey modes. A total of 4800 patients from four general hospitals were randomly allocated to telephone, mobile web or mixed-mode survey, with 1600 patients per mode. Each mode allowed five contact attempts through calls or mobile survey links. The mixed-mode survey included follow-up calls for mobile non-respondents.
Setting: The survey was conducted between October and November 2022 among patients discharged from four general hospitals in South Korea.
Participants: A total of 4800 patients aged 19 years or older who were hospitalised for more than 1 day and discharged within 2-56 days from four general hospitals were included in this study. Exclusion criteria included patients in day clinics, palliative care, paediatrics and neuropsychiatry, as well as those without personal information consent forms during hospital admission.
Primary and secondary outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was the response rate for each survey mode. Secondary outcome measures included the contact rate and the cooperation rate.
Results: The mobile web survey yielded an overall higher response rate (32.5%) than the telephone survey (22.4%), with the mixed-mode survey achieving the highest response rate (39.3%). Decomposing response rates revealed that while contact rates were comparable for both telephone and mobile web surveys, the cooperation rate was considerably higher for the mobile web survey (73.2%) compared with the telephone survey (52.2%). Substantial gender-age subgroup differences were found.
Conclusions: Adopting mobile web surveys for patient experience assessments, which aligns with the public's preference for information and communication technologies, could significantly improve response rates in patient experience surveys.
{"title":"Comparing response rates between mobile web and telephone surveys for patient experience: a randomised experimental study in South Korea.","authors":"Bon Mi Koo, Yeongchae Song, Young-Geun Choi, Min-Woo Jo, Yura Lee, Se Young Han, Sang Kyu Kim, Young Kyung Do","doi":"10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103862","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103862","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Healthcare quality improvement increasingly relies on patient experience data, yet traditional survey modes face declining response rates and rising costs. Mobile web surveys have emerged as a promising alternative for improving response rates. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mobile web surveys in improving response rates in South Korea's Patient Experience Assessment. We also aimed to assess the impact of a mixed-mode approach integrating mobile web and follow-up telephone surveys across different demographic groups.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A randomised experimental design was employed to compare response rates as well as contact and cooperation rates among survey modes. A total of 4800 patients from four general hospitals were randomly allocated to telephone, mobile web or mixed-mode survey, with 1600 patients per mode. Each mode allowed five contact attempts through calls or mobile survey links. The mixed-mode survey included follow-up calls for mobile non-respondents.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>The survey was conducted between October and November 2022 among patients discharged from four general hospitals in South Korea.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>A total of 4800 patients aged 19 years or older who were hospitalised for more than 1 day and discharged within 2-56 days from four general hospitals were included in this study. Exclusion criteria included patients in day clinics, palliative care, paediatrics and neuropsychiatry, as well as those without personal information consent forms during hospital admission.</p><p><strong>Primary and secondary outcome measures: </strong>The primary outcome measure was the response rate for each survey mode. Secondary outcome measures included the contact rate and the cooperation rate.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mobile web survey yielded an overall higher response rate (32.5%) than the telephone survey (22.4%), with the mixed-mode survey achieving the highest response rate (39.3%). Decomposing response rates revealed that while contact rates were comparable for both telephone and mobile web surveys, the cooperation rate was considerably higher for the mobile web survey (73.2%) compared with the telephone survey (52.2%). Substantial gender-age subgroup differences were found.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Adopting mobile web surveys for patient experience assessments, which aligns with the public's preference for information and communication technologies, could significantly improve response rates in patient experience surveys.</p><p><strong>Trial registration number: </strong>KCT0011374 (post-results).</p>","PeriodicalId":9158,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Open","volume":"16 3","pages":"e103862"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-107663
Gabrielle Bonnet, Maryke Joanne Nielsen, Anna M Foss, Alex Lewin, Ruud Gerard Nijman, Elizabeth Fitchett, Enitan Carrol, Shunmay Yeung
Objective: This study aimed to understand hospital doctors' priorities (target use cases and aetiologies) for the development of a new rapid diagnostic test for patients with fever.
Design: A cross-sectional online survey.
Setting: Europe-wide.
Participants: Secondary and tertiary care doctors involved in patient assessment and diagnosis across Europe.
Intervention: Online survey from April to September 2024.
Main outcome measures: Importance of developing a new test on a scale of 1-10 for up to 19 'use cases' (types of febrile presentations in specific demographic groups): use case scores and ranks and differences across subgroups of respondents, with free text to capture additional suggestions; respondents' preferences (multiple choice) regarding which aetiologies should be included in a new test.
Results: 265 respondents from 30 European countries (out of 270 starting the survey) were included in the analysis. Top priorities included febrile immunocompromised patients and fever without a focus for both paediatric and adult use cases, and 1-3 months old febrile infants. Rankings were similar across clinician subgroups despite some differences in average scores. 92% (243/263), 95% CI 89% to 95%, of respondents would find a 'generic' test for bacterial aetiology useful, even if it does not differentiate between Gram-positive and Gram-negative aetiologies. 54% (63/116), 95% CI 45% to 63%, of respondents would find a 'generic' test for inflammatory aetiology useful when seeking to diagnose children for whom Kawasaki's disease (KD) is on the differential, even in the absence of any KD-specific test, 83% (96/116), 95% CI 75% to 89%, would find such a 'generic' test useful if they could use it alongside a KD test when desired.
Conclusion: Clinicians prioritise the most vulnerable patients (because of age or comorbidities) and unclear presentations (fever without a focus) for the development of a new fever diagnostic test. Even relatively simple (eg, bacterial, inflammatory) tests could provide added value to most clinicians.
目的:本研究旨在了解医院医生在开发一种新的发热患者快速诊断测试时的优先事项(目标用例和病因)。设计:横断面在线调查。背景:欧洲。参与者:参与整个欧洲患者评估和诊断的二级和三级护理医生。干预措施:2024年4月至9月在线调查。主要结果衡量指标:为多达19个“用例”(特定人口群体中的发热表现类型)开发1-10级新测试的重要性:用例得分、排名和受访者子组之间的差异,并提供免费文本以获取额外建议;应答者对新测试中应包括哪些病因的偏好(多项选择)。结果:来自30个欧洲国家的265名受访者(调查开始时为270人)被纳入分析。首要重点包括发热性免疫功能低下患者和没有儿科和成人用例重点的发热,以及1-3个月大的发热婴儿。尽管平均得分有所差异,但临床医生亚组的排名相似。92%(243/263)(95%可信区间89%至95%)的答复者认为,即使不能区分革兰氏阳性和革兰氏阴性病原学,对细菌病原学的“通用”检测也是有用的。54% (63/116), 95% CI 45%至63%的受访者认为,在寻求诊断川崎氏病(KD)的鉴别儿童时,即使没有任何KD特异性检测,炎症病因学的“通用”检测也很有用;83% (96/116),95% CI 75%至89%的受访者认为,如果他们可以在需要时将这种“通用”检测与KD检测一起使用,则会发现这种“通用”检测很有用。结论:临床医生优先考虑最脆弱的患者(由于年龄或合并症)和不明确的症状(无病灶发烧),以开发新的发烧诊断测试。即使是相对简单的(如细菌、炎症)检测也可以为大多数临床医生提供额外的价值。
{"title":"Priorities for the development of a new rapid diagnostic test for patients with fever: a cross-sectional online survey among hospital physicians across Europe.","authors":"Gabrielle Bonnet, Maryke Joanne Nielsen, Anna M Foss, Alex Lewin, Ruud Gerard Nijman, Elizabeth Fitchett, Enitan Carrol, Shunmay Yeung","doi":"10.1136/bmjopen-2025-107663","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-107663","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to understand hospital doctors' priorities (target use cases and aetiologies) for the development of a new rapid diagnostic test for patients with fever.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A cross-sectional online survey.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>Europe-wide.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>Secondary and tertiary care doctors involved in patient assessment and diagnosis across Europe.</p><p><strong>Intervention: </strong>Online survey from April to September 2024.</p><p><strong>Main outcome measures: </strong>Importance of developing a new test on a scale of 1-10 for up to 19 'use cases' (types of febrile presentations in specific demographic groups): use case scores and ranks and differences across subgroups of respondents, with free text to capture additional suggestions; respondents' preferences (multiple choice) regarding which aetiologies should be included in a new test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>265 respondents from 30 European countries (out of 270 starting the survey) were included in the analysis. Top priorities included febrile immunocompromised patients and fever without a focus for both paediatric and adult use cases, and 1-3 months old febrile infants. Rankings were similar across clinician subgroups despite some differences in average scores. 92% (243/263), 95% CI 89% to 95%, of respondents would find a 'generic' test for bacterial aetiology useful, even if it does not differentiate between Gram-positive and Gram-negative aetiologies. 54% (63/116), 95% CI 45% to 63%, of respondents would find a 'generic' test for inflammatory aetiology useful when seeking to diagnose children for whom Kawasaki's disease (KD) is on the differential, even in the absence of any KD-specific test, 83% (96/116), 95% CI 75% to 89%, would find such a 'generic' test useful if they could use it alongside a KD test when desired.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Clinicians prioritise the most vulnerable patients (because of age or comorbidities) and unclear presentations (fever without a focus) for the development of a new fever diagnostic test. Even relatively simple (eg, bacterial, inflammatory) tests could provide added value to most clinicians.</p>","PeriodicalId":9158,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Open","volume":"16 3","pages":"e107663"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-107940
Munashe Veremu, Naomi Deakin, Rohil V Chauhan, Justin M Lantz, Georgios Toumbas, Julia Tabrah, Vishal Kumar, Carl M Zipser, Joshua Plener, Carlo Ammendolia, David B Anderson, Ellianne J Dos Santos Rubio, Lindsay Tetreault, Rahul Parnaik, Ricardo Rodrigues-Pinto, Otieno Martin Ong'wen, Ellen Sarewitz, Iwan Sadler, Theresa Roberts, Neil Langridge, Gabrielle Swait, Lisa Hadfield-Law, Jerry Draper-Rodi, Lianne Wood, Sybil Stacpoole, Mario Ganau, Shehla Baig, Antony Bateman, Andreas K Demetriades, Willem Cornelis Wilco Peul, Benjamin Davies
Introduction: Outcomes for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) patients are limited by delayed and missed diagnoses, driven in part by poor professional awareness. Despite DCM being the most common cause of adult spinal cord injury, it remains under-recognised and undertaught in clinical education. Lessons from other common pathology like stroke and acute myocardial infarction highlight the potential of education to improve early diagnosis. This study will develop a professional education strategy to improve early DCM diagnosis. It will define key audiences and identify an effective delivery method, laying the groundwork for a sustained, targeted intervention.
Methods and analysis: The study aims to define who needs to know about DCM, what they need to know and how they can learn it. This will be carried out in three phases: phase 1-who and what: to establish the target population and to define core competencies for the educational intervention; phase 2-how: to create and review the educational intervention; phase 3-evaluation: to test whether the framework is an improvement to existing strategies.
Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval is in place from the University of Cambridge (HBREC.2024.24). Results from the study will be disseminated through scientific publication, conference presentation, blog posts and podcasts.
{"title":"Accelerating diagnosis of degenerative cervical myelopathy through improved education: a mixed-methods study protocol from Myelopathy.org RECODE-DCM to define stakeholders, knowledge requirements and an optimal intervention strategy.","authors":"Munashe Veremu, Naomi Deakin, Rohil V Chauhan, Justin M Lantz, Georgios Toumbas, Julia Tabrah, Vishal Kumar, Carl M Zipser, Joshua Plener, Carlo Ammendolia, David B Anderson, Ellianne J Dos Santos Rubio, Lindsay Tetreault, Rahul Parnaik, Ricardo Rodrigues-Pinto, Otieno Martin Ong'wen, Ellen Sarewitz, Iwan Sadler, Theresa Roberts, Neil Langridge, Gabrielle Swait, Lisa Hadfield-Law, Jerry Draper-Rodi, Lianne Wood, Sybil Stacpoole, Mario Ganau, Shehla Baig, Antony Bateman, Andreas K Demetriades, Willem Cornelis Wilco Peul, Benjamin Davies","doi":"10.1136/bmjopen-2025-107940","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-107940","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Outcomes for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) patients are limited by delayed and missed diagnoses, driven in part by poor professional awareness. Despite DCM being the most common cause of adult spinal cord injury, it remains under-recognised and undertaught in clinical education. Lessons from other common pathology like stroke and acute myocardial infarction highlight the potential of education to improve early diagnosis. This study will develop a professional education strategy to improve early DCM diagnosis. It will define key audiences and identify an effective delivery method, laying the groundwork for a sustained, targeted intervention.</p><p><strong>Methods and analysis: </strong>The study aims to define who needs to know about DCM, what they need to know and how they can learn it. This will be carried out in three phases: phase 1-who and what: to establish the target population and to define core competencies for the educational intervention; phase 2-how: to create and review the educational intervention; phase 3-evaluation: to test whether the framework is an improvement to existing strategies.</p><p><strong>Ethics and dissemination: </strong>Ethical approval is in place from the University of Cambridge (HBREC.2024.24). Results from the study will be disseminated through scientific publication, conference presentation, blog posts and podcasts.</p><p><strong>Prospero registration number: </strong>CRD42023461838.</p>","PeriodicalId":9158,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Open","volume":"16 3","pages":"e107940"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103753
Nancy McBride, Gemma L Clayton, Ana Goncalves Soares, Qian Yang, Tom A Bond, Amy Taylor, Charikleia Chatzigeorgiou, Elisabeth Aiton, Jane West, Maria C Magnus, Deborah A Lawlor, Maria Carolina Borges
Purpose: Adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes (APPOs), including pre-term birth, pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, can result in maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, parental anxiety and increased healthcare costs. A better understanding of the causes of APPOs is essential to inform lifestyle and pharmaceutical interventions for their prevention and management. Given the difficulty of undertaking randomised controlled trials in pregnant women, triangulating evidence from across methods with different sources of bias may improve causal inference for APPOs. The purpose of the Mendelian randomisation in pregnancy (MR-PREG) collaboration is to support such triangulation using genetic (eg, Mendelian randomisation (MR)) and non-genetic (eg, partner negative controls) approaches to investigate the causal effects of maternal exposures on a comprehensive set of APPOs.
Participants: The MR-PREG collaboration includes individual participant data from three birth cohorts (two from the UK and one from Norway) and UK Biobank, as well as summary data from FinnGen and publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Data have been harmonised across studies and currently include information on up to 35 APPOs in up to 707 797 women.
Findings to date: The main aims of MR-PREG are to strengthen the evidence base for (1) prevention, by advancing understanding of maternal lifestyle factors on APPOs, (2) the role of pre-conceptional health, by improving understanding of the effect of maternal pre-existing conditions on APPOs, and (3) treatments, by evaluating the efficacy and safety of existing medications used for pre-existing conditions, and by identifying and testing novel or repurposed therapies for APPOs. To date, our published work has mainly addressed aims 1 and 3. Examples include triangulation of evidence from MR, conventional multivariable regression and paternal negative control, showing that higher maternal body mass index increases the risk of multiple APPOs, as well as the identification of maternal circulating metabolites and proteins that may influence birth weight.
Future plans: Future priorities include increasing diversity within the MR-PREG collaboration by expanding representation of participants from non-European ancestries. We are also integrating molecular data, including circulating protein levels and placental transcriptomics, to better characterise the molecular mechanisms underlying APPOs. Additionally, we are using whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing to identify novel causal genes and to inform the prioritisation of candidate therapeutic targets for APPOs.
{"title":"Cohort profile: the Mendelian randomisation in pregnancy (MR-PREG) collaboration - improving evidence for prevention and treatment of adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes.","authors":"Nancy McBride, Gemma L Clayton, Ana Goncalves Soares, Qian Yang, Tom A Bond, Amy Taylor, Charikleia Chatzigeorgiou, Elisabeth Aiton, Jane West, Maria C Magnus, Deborah A Lawlor, Maria Carolina Borges","doi":"10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103753","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103753","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes (APPOs), including pre-term birth, pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, can result in maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, parental anxiety and increased healthcare costs. A better understanding of the causes of APPOs is essential to inform lifestyle and pharmaceutical interventions for their prevention and management. Given the difficulty of undertaking randomised controlled trials in pregnant women, triangulating evidence from across methods with different sources of bias may improve causal inference for APPOs. The purpose of the Mendelian randomisation in pregnancy (MR-PREG) collaboration is to support such triangulation using genetic (eg, Mendelian randomisation (MR)) and non-genetic (eg, partner negative controls) approaches to investigate the causal effects of maternal exposures on a comprehensive set of APPOs.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>The MR-PREG collaboration includes individual participant data from three birth cohorts (two from the UK and one from Norway) and UK Biobank, as well as summary data from FinnGen and publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Data have been harmonised across studies and currently include information on up to 35 APPOs in up to 707 797 women.</p><p><strong>Findings to date: </strong>The main aims of MR-PREG are to strengthen the evidence base for (1) prevention, by advancing understanding of maternal lifestyle factors on APPOs, (2) the role of pre-conceptional health, by improving understanding of the effect of maternal pre-existing conditions on APPOs, and (3) treatments, by evaluating the efficacy and safety of existing medications used for pre-existing conditions, and by identifying and testing novel or repurposed therapies for APPOs. To date, our published work has mainly addressed aims 1 and 3. Examples include triangulation of evidence from MR, conventional multivariable regression and paternal negative control, showing that higher maternal body mass index increases the risk of multiple APPOs, as well as the identification of maternal circulating metabolites and proteins that may influence birth weight.</p><p><strong>Future plans: </strong>Future priorities include increasing diversity within the MR-PREG collaboration by expanding representation of participants from non-European ancestries. We are also integrating molecular data, including circulating protein levels and placental transcriptomics, to better characterise the molecular mechanisms underlying APPOs. Additionally, we are using whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing to identify novel causal genes and to inform the prioritisation of candidate therapeutic targets for APPOs.</p>","PeriodicalId":9158,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Open","volume":"16 3","pages":"e103753"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}