Japanese linguistic validation of the ureteral stent symptom questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: We validated the Japanese version of the ureteral stent symptom questionnaire in patients with an indwelling ureteric stent. METHODS: The English version of the ureteral stent symptom questionnaire was translated into Japanese using a multistep process by three urologists and two independent translators. A total of 70 patients with indwelling ureteral stents completed the Japanese ureteral stent symptom questionnaire, as well as validated instruments, namely, the International Prostate Symptom Score or Overactive Bladder Symptom Score and the EuroQoL 5-dimension questionnaires. Patients completed questionnaires at 2 weeks after stent insertion and 4 weeks after stent removal. The second group included 87 healthy individuals who agreed to complete the questionnaires. The reliability of the Japanese version was evaluated for internal consistency using Cronbach's α test. Psychometric properties of the questionnaire were analyzed, and included convergent validity, sensitivity to change and discriminant validity. RESULTS: A total of 70 cases and 87 controls were suitable for the analysis. A comparison of patients with ureteric stents and healthy individuals was carried out, and the convergent validity determined by the correlation between other instruments and the corresponding ureteral stent symptoms questionnaire domains was satisfactory (P < 0.05). Internal consistencies (Cronbach's α coefficients 0.73-0.80) were satisfactory, except for the sexual matters domain. Test-retest reliability was good, except for the sexual matters domain (Spearman's coefficient 0.71-0.93). CONCLUSIONS: The Japanese version of the ureteral stent symptom questionnaire proved to be a reliable and robust instrument for the evaluation of ureteral stent-associated morbidity for both men and women.

Public attitudes toward practice by medical students: a nationwide survey in Japan.

BACKGROUND: It is essential for medical students to interact directly with patients. However, patients may be reluctant to be seen by medical students in settings in which they may also be seen by senior staff. PURPOSES: To understand patients' attitudes toward practice by medical students and consider the factors involved in obtaining patients' cooperation, we conducted a nationwide cross-sectional survey. METHODS: We randomly selected 2,400 adult participants from all over Japan. Trained research assistants inquired about participants' experiences and attitudes toward practice by medical students using a questionnaire. We compared differences in attitudes between participants who were accepting of practice by medical students and those who were not, as well as differences between participants who had experienced practice by a medical student versus those who had not. RESULTS: A total of 1,109 (46%) participants were included in the study. Eleven percent (117/1109) of the participants had experienced practice by a medical student. One fourth of participants were accepting of practice by medical students, and experienced participants were significantly more likely to be accepting of practice by medical students than inexperienced participants (45% vs. 24%, p<.001). Impressions of practice by medical students among accepting participants with previous experiences included "polite," "kind," and "hard-working." Fifty-nine percent (637/1088) of participants indicated that they would request a senior staff member's supervision when being seen by a medical student. CONCLUSIONS: The present nationwide survey suggests that education emphasizing bedside manner may be effective in promoting patients' cooperation of medical students. In addition, providing information to patients about medical students and efforts to increase supervision during clinical clerkship should be emphasized to foster the public's cooperation.

Adverse drug events and medication errors in Japanese paediatric inpatients: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Knowledge about the epidemiology of adverse drug events (ADEs) and medication errors in paediatric inpatients is limited outside Western countries. To improve paediatric patient safety worldwide, assessing local epidemiology is essential. DESIGN: The Japan Adverse Drug Events (JADE) Study was a cohort study. SETTING: Paediatric inpatients at two tertiary care teaching hospitals in Japan. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ADEs and medication errors identified by onsite review of all medical charts, incident reports and prescription queries by pharmacists. Two independent physicians reviewed all incidents and classified ADEs and medication errors, as well as their severity and preventability. RESULTS: We enrolled 1189 admissions which included 12,691 patient-days during the study period, and identified 480 ADEs and 826 medication errors. The incidence of ADEs was 37.8 (95% CI 34.4 to 41.2) per 1000 patient-days and that of medication errors was 65.1 (95% CI 60.6 to 69.5) per 1000 patient-days. Among ADEs, 4%, 23% and 73% were fatal or life-threatening, serious and significant, respectively. Among the 480 ADEs, 36 (8%) were considered to be preventable which accounted for 4% of all medication errors, while 668 (81%) of all medication errors were judged to have the potential to cause harm to patients. The most common error stage for preventable ADEs was monitoring (78%) whereas 95% of potential ADEs occurred at the ordering stage. CONCLUSIONS: ADEs and medication errors were common in paediatric inpatients in Japan, though the proportion of ADEs that were preventable was low. The ordering and monitoring stages appeared most important for improving safety.

Assessment of pharmacy students' communication competence using the Roter Interaction Analysis System during objective structured clinical examinations.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the value of using the Roter Interaction Analysis System during objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) to assess pharmacy students' communication competence. METHODS: As pharmacy students completed a clinical OSCE involving an interview with a simulated patient, 3 experts used a global rating scale to assess students' overall performance in the interview, and both the student's and patient's languages were coded using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). The coders recorded the number of utterances (ie, units of spoken language) in each RIAS category. Correlations between the raters' scores and the number and types of utterances were examined. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between students' global rating scores on the OSCE and the number of utterances in the RIAS socio-emotional category but not the RIAS business category. CONCLUSIONS: The RIAS proved to be a useful tool for assessing the socio-emotional aspect of students' interview skills.

Epidemiology of potentially inappropriate medication use in elderly patients in Japanese acute care hospitals.

PURPOSE: The elderly receive many medications which may have adverse effects. Little evidence is available about the epidemiology of potentially inappropriate medications being prescribed to the elderly in Japan as defined by the Beers criteria, or whether or not these medications result in harm when used in this population. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients aged ≥65 years who were admitted to three acute care hospitals in Japan. Trained research nurses followed up patients from randomly selected wards and collected data about their medications and all potential adverse drug events (ADEs). Two independent reviewers evaluated all the data. The use of potentially inappropriate medications and their effects on patients were identified using the updated Beers criteria. RESULTS: A total of 2155 elderly patients were eligible; 56.1% received at least one drug listed in the Beers criteria (BL drug). The rates of BL drug prescriptions were 103.8 per 100 admissions and 53.6 [DOSAGE ERROR CORRECTED] per 1000 patient-days, and the incidence rate of ADEs related to BL drugs was 1.7 per 100 BL drug prescriptions. Among patients aged ≥65 years, relatively younger patients (p = 0.0002) and those with less complications (p = 0.04) were likely to be prescribed BL drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Although BL drugs were frequently prescribed to elderly Japanese inpatients, the incidence of related ADEs appeared infrequent. These data suggest that re-evaluation of the appropriateness of the Beers criteria is needed before they are used in Japan and other nations to assess quality or for decision support.

Reliability of evaluation for communication competency in pharmaceutical objective structured clinical examination (OSCE).

In the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), which for pharmaceutical students training, adequate methods should be used for evaluating a student's skill and aptitude for good communication in a medical interview. However, the reliability of the evaluation methods used in the pharmaceutical OSCE has not been investigated sufficiently. In this study, we reviewed the evaluation scores and video recordings obtained in a pharmaceutical OSCE trial, and examined the reasons for disagreement in the scores between two raters. We had two experienced raters in medical communication re-evaluate the students using the vide images, and compared their scores with those on the examination day. The ratio of disagreement was 14.5% (87/600 items in 30 students), and the reason for disagreement could not be identified for 63 items that evaluated communication skills such as 'actively listen' and 'empathy'. A comparison of the scores on examination day and those on re-evaluation revealed a possible reason for the disagreement; the use of a checklist, i.e. binary scores, with criteria that differed between the raters. We suggest that the items used for a detailed performance evaluation be selected carefully and that rating scales be used in order to perform an adequate evaluation, especially regarding communication skill and aptitude.

Effects of BLS training on factors associated with attitude toward CPR in college students.

AIM: In order to elucidate the factors for willingness to perform CPR, we evaluated the responses of college students to questionnaires before and after basic life support (BLS) training. METHODS: Before and after participating in a small group BLS course, 259 students completed questionnaires. A logistic regression model was used to elucidate independent factors for their willingness to attempt resuscitation. RESULTS: Factors associated with willingness to perform BLS for strangers were "anxiety for a bad outcome" (odds ratio (OR) 0.08) and "having knowledge of automated external defibrillator (AED)" (OR 4.5) before training. The proportion of students showing willingness to perform BLS increased from 13% to 77% after the training even when the collapsed person is a stranger. After training, "anxiety for being sued because of a bad outcome" (OR 0.3), and "anxiety for infection" (OR 3.8) were significant factors. Those who preferred to perform BLS without ventilation increased from 40% to 79% (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The proportion of students showing willingness to perform BLS increased after the training. Significant association between "anxiety for infection" and willingness to perform BLS might indicate that those who wish to perform BLS developed their awareness of risk of infection more than the counterparts. For future guidelines for resuscitation and the instruction consensus, the reluctance of bystanders to perform CPR due to the hesitation about mouth-to-mouth ventilation should be reconsidered with other recent reports indicating the advantage of compression-only CPR.

Public perception of and willingness to perform bystander CPR in Japan.

AIM: Immediate bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the most essential factor for life saving in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. We investigated the characteristics associated with willingness to attempt CPR among the Japanese general population. METHODS: We randomly selected 2400 persons from all over Japan and conducted a questionnaire survey regarding their knowledge, experiences of and attitudes toward CPR. We performed descriptive statistics followed by multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 1132 persons (47%) completed the questionnaire. Only 13% of the subjects were willing to attempt bystander CPR for their families and friends, and 7% were willing to attempt bystander CPR for strangers. Willingness to attempt CPR was independently associated with office workers or skilled workers [odds ratio (OR) 1.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-2.7], having trained in CPR [OR: 3.1; 95% CI: 2.1-4.6], actual experience with CPR [OR: 3.8; 95% CI: 1.7-8.3], and having friends with heart diseases [OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.05-3.0]. Having trained in CPR was independently associated with younger age [OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.1], office workers or skilled workers [OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-2.0], having driver's license [OR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2-2.4] and awareness of AED placement in a public space [OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.4-3.1]. CONCLUSION: Experience of CPR training closely associated with willingness to attempt CPR, and awareness of AED in a public space are significant factors in CPR training. AED placement might call attention to CPR training and develops willingness to attempt CPR.