Objective To evaluate the quality of Chinese literatures on the methodology of D-dimer diagnostic test. Method We searched CNKI (1994 to 2006) and CBM (1978 to 2006) for articles involving the diagnostic tests of D-dimer for coagulation disorders. Result A total of 63 relevant articles were retrieved and 7 were included in our review. Only one of these provided useful data on two two table for the evaluation of diagnostic accuracy. Conclusions Few studies on the diagnostic tests of D-dimer have been performed and publ ished in China, all of poor quality. Further studies should focus on clinical diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, so as to provide more valuable information for readers.
Objectives To establish a course evaluation model for overseas medical students in West China Medical School of Sichuan University, to identify problems in teaching and to solve problems based on evidence so as to futher improve the quality of teaching. Methods We conducted a preliminary course evaluation to determine the limitations of our evaluation methods and to convey our intention to related stakeholders. Firstly, we identified problems in teaching according to the feedback from our students using a questionnaire. Secondly, we proposed an initial list of possible solutions to these problems based on evidence from literature searching and discussion within the Department of Teaching Affairs. We submitted the initial list to the administrative departments, teaching departments (teachers) and students to identify applicable solutions through two rounds of formal consensus. Their attitudes to this procedure of evaluation and decision-making were collected. Finally, incentives were given out by administrative departments and teaching departments to facilitate the implementation of applicable solutions. Results Teachers’ English ability and the didactic teaching methods were the most concerned problems. In addition, some semesters and courses were not well arranged and there was not enough practice time. An initial list of 14 items was submitted to teaching departments and students. They all agreed with the procedure of evaluation and decision-making. We also found that some aspects of the evaluation methods and styles need to be improved. An additional paper would report further results. Conclusion This preliminary evaluation was helpful for improving teaching and formal evaluation in the future. We need to strengthen the English language skills of younger faculty and gradually adopt a model of student-centered and enquiry-based teaching. This process of evaluation and improvement should be applied as a long-term policy and an evidence-based research group should be established to work together with our quality assurance unit.
Objective To identify the clinical evaluation methods used for undergraduate nursing students. Methods A self-made questionnaire about the clinical evaluation methods for undergraduate nursing students was used to collect information from 158 tutors of undergraduate nursing students in 4 teaching hospitals in Sichuan province. Results In terms of consulting evaluation opinion from other nurses, there was no significant difference between the ratios of tutors who really adopted and those who perceived as necessary to do so (Pgt;0.05). As for consulting the self-evaluation of nursing students and patients’ evaluation opinion, the ratio of tutors who really adopted was lower than those who perceived as necessary to do so (Plt;0.01). The majority of tutors used real, ward patients for evaluation, while a minority of tutors used demonstration room and model patients. The most effective methods viewed by the tutors were observation, holistic nursing care examination and test, and the most often used evaluation methods were clinical skill test, observation and theoretical exam. Most tutors adopted a continuous evaluation method for the clinical evaluation of undergraduate nursing students. Conclusion The methods for the clinical evaluation of undergraduate nursing students varies. This may influence the accuracy, objectivity and fairness of the evaluations. Formulating evaluation sheet of patients and self-evaluation sheet of nursing students, establishing standardized clinical skill examination station, training standardized patients and evaluation skills of clinical tutors, standardizing examination content and relevant evaluation standard and methods, and adopting comprehensive evaluation with various methods may help to improve the accuracy, objectivity and fairness of the clinical evaluation of undergraduate nursing students.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the quality of protocols and reports on the core outcome set of traditional Chinese medicine (COS-TCM), and to provide some evidence for COS-TCM developers to carry out studies and improve the reporting quality and methodological quality during their studies. MethodsLiterature databases in Chinese and English were searched to collect COS-TCM protocols or study reports from inception to April 18, 2023. The Core Outcome Set-STAndards for Reporting (COS-STAR), Core Outcome Set-STAndards for Development (COS-STAD), and Core Outcome Set-STAndardised Protocol Items (COS-STAP) were used to evaluate their reporting and methodological quality. Additionally, the consistency of studies with both published protocols and results was evaluated. ResultsA total of 14 protocols and 14 reports (involving 23 COS-TCM studies) were included. The evaluation of COS-TCM protocols according to the COS-STAP found that the reporting rates of "Stakeholders" (71.4%) and "Missing data" (42.9%) were relatively low. For the reports of COS-TCM, the evaluation based on the COS-STAD found that the reporting rates of "the population (s) covered by the COS" (35.7%) and "care was taken to avoid ambiguity of language used in the list of outcomes" (28.6%) were relatively low. Based on the COS-STAR, the items with low reporting rates were "Protocol Deviation" (7.1%), "Participants" (21.4%), and "Conflicts of interest" (28.6%). Additionally, the consistency evaluation found that there were inconsistencies between protocols and their results, such as the types of research included in the systematic review, the methods of qualitative research, the way of holding consensus meetings, scoring methods, etc. Moreover, only one study reported protocol deviation and reasons for change. ConclusionCOS-TCM studies need to improve their methodological quality and report transparency. When developing COS-TCM, we should pay attention to the characteristics of TCM while basing on international standards. The quality evaluation guidelines and standards of reporting for COS-TCM study need to be developed in the future.
Objective To determine the influence and significance of combinative assessment of 64 multi-slice spiral computer tomography (MSCT) with serum amyloid A protein (SAA) or fibrinogen (FIB) on the selection of operative procedures of rectal cancer under the multidisciplinary team. Methods Prospectively enrolled 240 patients diagnosed definitely as rectal cancer at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from February to June 2009 were randomly assigned into two groups. In one group named MSCT+SAA group, both MSCT and SAA combinative assessment were made for the preoperative evaluation. In another group named MSCT+FIB group, both MSCT and FIB combinative assessment were made for preoperative evaluation. Furthermore, the preoperative staging and predicted operation procedures were compared with postoperative pathologic staging and practical operation procedures, respectively, and the relationship between the choice of operation procedures and clinicopathologic factors was analyzed. Results According to the criteria, 234 patients were actually included into MSCT+SAA group (n=118) and MSCT+FIB group (n=116). The baseline characteristics of two groups were statistically similar (Pgt;0.05). For MSCT+SAA group, the accuracies of preoperative staging T, N, M and TNM were 72.9%, 83.1%, 100% and 80.1%, respectively. For MSCT+FIB group, the accuracies of preoperative staging T, N, M and TNM were 68.1%, 75.0%, 100% and 74.1%, respectively, and there was not a statistically significant difference (Pgt;0.05). There was also not a statistically significant difference of the accuracy of prediction to operative procedures in two groups (99.6% vs. 96.6%, Pgt;0.05). The preoperative T staging (P＜0.001), N staging (P＜0.001), TNM staging (P＜0.001), serum level of SAA (P＜0.001), serum level of FIB (Plt;0.001) and distance of tumor to the dentate line (P＜0.05) were associated to the operative procedures. Conclusions Combinative assessment of MSCT and FIB could improve the accuracy of preoperative staging and operative procedures prediction, however, it may be not superior to MSCT plus SAA.
Objective To provide the objective basis for the evaluation of the operative results of vascularized greater trochanter bone flap in treating osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) by three-dimensional gait analysis. Methods Between March 2006 and March 2007, 35 patients with ONFH were treated with vascularized greater trochanter bone flap, and gait analysis was made by using three-dimensional gait analysis system before operation and at 1, 2 years afteroperation. There were 23 males and 12 females, aged 21-52 years (mean, 35.2 years), including 8 cases of steroid-induced, 7 cases of traumatic, 6 cases of alcohol ic, and 14 cases of idiopathic ONFH. The left side was involved in 15 cases, and right side in 20 cases. According to Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) classification, all patients were diagnosed as having femoral-head necrosis at stage III. Preoperative Harris hip functional score (HHS) was 56.2 ± 5.6. The disease duration was 1.5-18.6 years (mean, 5.2 years). Results All incisions healed at stage I without early postoperative compl ications of deep vein thrombosis and infections of incision. Thirty-five patients were followed up 2-3 years with an average of 2.5 years. At 2 years after operation, the HHS score was 85.8 ± 4.1, showing significant difference when compared with the preoperative score (t=23.200, P=0.000). Before operation, patients showed a hip muscles gait, short gait, reduce pain gait, and the pathological gaits significantly improved at 1 year after operation. At 1 year and 2 years after operation, step frequency, pace, step length and hip flexion, hip extension, knee flexion, ankle flexion were significantly improved (P lt; 0.01). Acceleration-time curves showed that negative wave and spinous wave at acceleration-stance phase of front feet and hind feet in affected l imb were obviously reduced at 1 year and 2 years after operation. Postoperative petronas wave appeared at swing phase; the preoperative situation was three normal phase waves. Conclusion These results suggest that three-dimensional gait analysis before and after vascularized greater trochanter for ONFH can evaluate precisely hip vitodynamics variation.
Objective To explore the nursing quality standards of joint surgery based on “structure-process-outcome” three-dimensional quality evaluation model, and provide a reference for improving the quality of joint surgery nursing. Methods From March to July 2023, based on the “structure-process-outcome” three-dimensional quality structure model as the theoretical framework, combined with systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews, the quality standards of joint surgery specialist nursing were preliminarily formulated. The Delphi method was used for screening, demonstration, and correction, then the analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the weights. Results The recovery rates of the two rounds of expert letter consultation were 93.75% and 100.00%, respectively. The expert authority coefficients of both rounds were 0.95. The positive coefficients of experts in the two rounds were 0.93 and 1.00, respectively. The coefficients of variation after the second round of correspondence were 0-0.20. In the second round of correspondence inquiry, the Kendall harmony coefficients of primary standards, secondary standards and tertiary standards were 0.156, 0.115 and 0.285, respectively, with statistical significance (P<0.05). Finally, the quality standards of joint specialty nursing included 3 primary standards, 23 secondary standards and 99 tertiary standards. Conclusion The construction process of nursing quality standards of joint surgery specialty based on “structure-process-outcome” three-dimensional quality structure model is scientific and reliable, the index evaluation results are less volatile, and the opinions are concentrated, which can provide a basis for comprehensively, accurately and pertinently improving the quality of joint surgery specialty nursing.
目的 為避免選擇和發表偏倚,系統評價者應采用多種查詢技術,并盡力獲得未發表的研究.本文試圖探討,英特網檢索對鑒定未發表和正在進行的臨床試驗是否有用.研究設計 利用七個Cochrane系統評價的查詢策略回顧性地在英特網上檢索未納入的隨機對照試驗.方法 檢索策略 以普通檢索式"研究方法學 NEAR干預措施NERA 條件"、用AltaVista在英特網上搜索.測量指標包括搜索時間、英特網搜索已發表研究的回溯率、精確度(已發表和未發表的隨機臨床試驗鏈接的網頁比例)、英特網檢索到的未納入的未發表和正在進行的研究數.結果 用21小時查詢了429個網頁,找到14個鏈接到未發表的、正在進行的或最近完成的試驗,至少有9個與4篇系統評價相關.英特網檢索已發表研究文獻的回溯率在0～43.6%,其鏈接已發表和未發表研究的精確度在0～20.2%.結論 未發表尤其是正在進行的試驗的信息可在英特網上找到.潛在的問題是如何評價未經同行評審的電子出版物的質量.急需更強的搜索工具.建議用"Open Trial Initiative"定義英特網發表試驗的語法,以加強試驗登記的共同操作性.因此,專門的搜索引擎可找到更多有關正在進行和已完成的臨床試驗信息.
Objective To evaluate the application effect of epilepsy prevention and management project in rural areas of Neijiang City. MethodsAccording to the requirements of the "Rural Epilepsy Prevention and Management Project Work Manual" (2021 edition) of the National Epilepsy Prevention and Management Project Office, the follow-up data of patients in rural areas of Neijiang City from the beginning of the epilepsy prevention and management project to December 2023 were collected, and the patient treatment effect of the project was evaluated. Results The total effective rate was more than 70% after 3 months of treatment, As the treatment time is extended, the total efficiency is upward. Adverse drug reactions occurred mainly in the first 3 months of treatment.The patients dropped out of the group because they did not achieve the expected effect, poor treatment compliance and could not tolerate serious adverse reactions. Conclusion The prevention and treatment of epilepsy in rural areas of our city has a good effect of promotion.The follow-up management of patients in the first 3 months of treatment should be strengthened to ensure the continuity and standardization of treatment.
ObjectiveTo explore potential value of three-dimensional reconstruction technique for preoperative evaluation of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. MethodsTwenty-one cases of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis proved by postoperative pathological examination in Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University from October 2013 to March 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. The three periods of patients’ liver dynamic thin layerCTscan images were collected and imported in three-dimensional reconstruction software by DICOM format. The volume of the virtual resected liver tissue was calculated by software, and then was compared with the actual resected liver tissue volume. ResultsThe resected liver volume was (761.94±505.77) mL and (756.19±501.78) mL in the virtual surgery and in the veritable surgery, respectively. The proportion of resected liver in the total liver was (39.27±18.75)% and (38.95±16.99)% in the virtual surgery and in the veritable surgery, respectively. The resected liver volume had no significant difference between the virtual surgery and veritable surgery (P>0.05), which a positive relation (r=0.989, P<0.001). ConclusionThe limited preliminary data in this study show that three-dimensional reconstruction technique and virtual planning system for surgery could accurately guide resection of lesion and provide preoperative guidance of accurate liver resection for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis.