Increasing Colorectal Screening Uptake in Spouses of Patients With Colorectal Cancer Using a Randomized Behavioral Trial.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the few cancers for which screening has been associated with better survival and morbidity, but screening uptake has been underexplored in spouses of existing patients with CRC. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether a brief, structured behavioral intervention delivered to spouses of patients with CRC in a colorectal clinical setting could increase fecal immunochemical test (FIT) uptake within 3 months of the study period. METHODS: This study was designed as a block randomized, unblinded, parallel trial conducted in the colorectal outpatient clinics of 2 public tertiary hospitals in Singapore from December 2017 to February 2023. The intervention group received a structured informational pamphlet on CRC screening by the Singapore Ministry of Health and a printed guide with instructions on how to properly use a FIT kit. RESULTS: No significant differences in baseline characteristics were observed between the 2 groups. There was a statistically significant difference (P<.001) in FIT screening uptake between spouses in each group, with 86.2% (n=25) in the intervention group and 38.7% (n=12) in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that a brief, structured behavioral intervention offered to spouses accompanying patients with CRC while they wait for the clinic appointment is useful in increasing FIT screening uptake rates. Colorectal clinics can consider setting aside 10 to 15 minutes to educate accompanying spouses in the future as a complementary avenue to holistically promote CRC prevention, subjected to the resources available in each clinic. CLINICALTRIALS: gov identifier: NCT04544852.

Surgical High Dependency Admissions after Elective Laparoscopic Colorectal Resections: Is It Truly Necessary?

BACKGROUND: Surgical high dependency (SHD) allows for intermediate care provision between general ward (GW) and intensive care unit (ICU) for surgical patients but no universally accepted admission criteria exists. Unnecessary SHD admissions should be minimized to limit resource wastage and maintain spare critical care capacity. This study evaluates the utility of SHD admissions following elective laparoscopic colectomy by comparing post-operative outcomes and interventions performed between SHD and GW patients. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective review of all colorectal cancer patients who underwent elective laparoscopic colectomy in our institution between January 2019 and December 2021 was conducted. Patients converted to open surgery or admitted to IC post-operatively were excluded. Peri-operative parameters and outcomes between patients admitted to GW and SHD post-operatively were evaluated. RESULTS: The cohort comprised 393 patients. There were 153 patients (38.93%) who required SHD admission. SHD patients had higher American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) scores, body mass index, age and intra-operative blood loss. Majority of post-operative morbidity were minor (Clavien-Dindo II or lower) in both groups and the interventions required were safely instituted in both SHD and GW. None of the patients in the cohort required inotropic or ventilatory support in the SHD. CONCLUSIONS: GW patients were "healthier" but post-operative morbidity and interventions required were similar to the SHD group. Nonetheless, treatment delays, absence of continuous monitoring, and decreased nurse-to-patient ratio may be significant for patients with limited physiological reserves. Further studies should evaluate safety and cost-effectiveness of managing high risk surgical patients in GW using continuous remote vital signs monitoring.

Ecological momentary assessment of digital food and beverage marketing exposure and impact in young adults: A feasibility study.

Unhealthy food marketing is contributing to the obesity epidemic, but real-time insights into the mechanisms of this relationship are under-studied. Digital marketing is growing and following food and beverage (F&B) brands on social media is common, but measurement of exposure and impact of such marketing presents novel challenges. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of collecting data on exposure and impact of digital F&B marketing (DFM) using a smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology. We hypothesized that DFM-induced food cravings would vary based on whether (or not) participants engaged with F&B brands online. Participants were Singapore residents (n = 95, 21-40 years), recruited via telephone from an existing cohort. Participants were asked to upload screenshots of all sightings of online F&B marketing messages for seven days, and answer in-app contextual questions about sightings including whether any cravings were induced. Participants provided a total of 1310 uploads (median 9 per participant, Q1-Q3: 4-21) of F&B marketing messages, 27% of which were provided on Day 1, significantly more than on other days (P < 0.001). Followers of food/beverage brands on social media encountered 25.6 percentage points (95% CI 11.4, 39.7) more marketing messages that induced cravings than participants who were not followers. University education was also associated with more (18.1 percentage points; 95% CI 3.1, 33.1) encounters with marketing messages that induced cravings. It was practical and acceptable to participants to gather insights into digital F&B marketing exposure and impact using EMA in young adults, although a shorter study period is recommended in future studies. Followers of food and beverage brands on social media appear to be more prone to experience cravings after exposure to digital F&B marketing.

Insights from an Exploratory Retrospective Cohort Study: Are Face-to-Face Follow-Up Consultations after Colonoscopy a Thing of the Past?

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopy is a commonly performed procedure, but most patients will not actually be found with colorectal cancer. Subsequent face-to-face consultations to explain post-colonoscopy findings are common despite the time and cost-saving benefits of teleconsultation, especially in a post-COVID-19 era. This exploratory retrospective study examined the proportion of post-colonoscopy follow-up consultations that could have been converted to teleconsultation within a tertiary hospital in Singapore. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of all patients who underwent colonoscopy in the institution from July to September 2019 was identified. All follow-up face-to-face consultations related to the index colonoscopy from the scope date to 6 months post-colonoscopy were traced. Clinical data relevant to the index colonoscopy and these consultations were extracted from electronic medical records. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 859 patients (68.5% male, age range: 18-96 years). Of these, 15 (1.7%) had colorectal cancer, but the majority (n = 643, 74.9%) were scheduled for at least one post-colonoscopy visit - a total of 884 face-to-face clinical visits. The final sample was 682 (77.1%) face-to-face post-colonoscopy visits that did not involve any procedures performed or indicated the need for any subsequent follow-up. CONCLUSION: If such "unnecessary" post-colonoscopy consultations exist within our institution, then similar situations possibly occur elsewhere. As COVID-19 continues to periodically tax healthcare systems worldwide, preservation of resources will remain integral alongside quality standards of routine patient care. There is a need for detailed analyses and modeling to hypothesize potential savings by also considering the start-up and maintenance costs of switching to a teleconsultation-dominated system.

Preoperative Quality of Life and Mental Health Can Predict Postoperative Outcomes and Quality of Life after Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

Background and Objectives: It remains unclear which domains of preoperative health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental health are predictive of postoperative clinical and patient-reported outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort of 78 CRC patients undergoing elective curative surgery was recruited. The EORTC QLQ-C30 and HADS questionnaires were administered preoperatively and one month after surgery. Results: Preoperative cognitive functioning scores (95% CI 0.131-1.158, p = 0.015) and low anterior resection (95% CI 14.861-63.260, p = 0.002) independently predicted poorer 1-month postoperative global QOL. When postoperative complications were represented using the comprehensive complication index (CCI), poorer preoperative physical function scores were associated with higher CCI scores (B = -0.277, p = 0.014). Preoperative social function score (OR = 0.925, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.99; p = 0.019) was an independent predictor for 30-day readmission, while physical functioning score (OR = -0.620, 95% CI -1.073--0.167, p = 0.008) was inversely related to the length of hospitalization. The overall regressions for 1-month postoperative global QOL (R2: 0.546, F: 1.961, p = 0.023) and 30-day readmission (R2: 0.322, χ2: 13.129, p < 0.001) were statistically significant. Conclusions: Various QLQ-C30 domains were found to be predictive of postoperative outcomes, including complications, readmission, and length of hospitalization. Preoperative cognitive dysfunction and low AR were independent predictors of poorer postoperative global QOL. Future research should seek to examine the efficacy of targeting specific baseline QOL domains in improving clinical as well as patient-reported outcomes after CRC surgery.

Colorectal cancer patients advocating screening to their siblings: a randomized behavioral intervention.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Siblings of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients are at increased risk of developing CRC, but screening rates remain low. Through a randomized behavioral intervention, this study aimed to determine whether patients can advocate screening to their siblings using a tailored educational package. METHODS: CRC survivors were recruited and randomized into relaying either tailored materials (intervention group) or existing national screening guidelines (control group) to their siblings. Siblings could respond to the study team if they were interested in learning about CRC screening. Study outcomes were patient advocacy rates (number of patients who had successfully contacted at least 1 eligible sibling) between groups and the proportion of eligible siblings who responded. RESULTS: Between May 2017 and March 2021, 219 CRC patients were randomized to the intervention (n = 110) and control (n = 109) groups. Patient advocacy rates were high and did not differ significantly between groups. However, only 14.3% of eligible siblings (n = 85) responded to the study team. Siblings of patients from the intervention group were more likely to respond (adjusted odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.0; P < .05). Moreover, after controlling for potential confounders, siblings aged ≥60 years were significantly less likely to respond (adjusted odds ratio, .3; 95% confidence interval, .1-.7; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: CRC patients are willing advocates of screening, and siblings contacted by patients from the intervention group were also more likely to reach out to the study team. However, overall sibling response rates were low despite advocacy, suggesting that patient-led advocacy should at best be used as an adjunct to other, multipronged CRC screening promotion modalities.

How effective are digital technology-based interventions at promoting colorectal cancer screening uptake in average-risk populations? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Despite the global prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) and efforts in screening advocacy, screening uptake remains relatively low. Considering the greater accessibility and popularity of telemedicine in behaviour change interventions, this meta-analysis seeks to examine the usefulness of digital interventions in promoting CRC screening uptake as compared to existing non-digital strategies. A systematic search on five databases identified articles published before September 2022. Randomized controlled trials comparing the effectiveness of digital interventions to usual care were included and assessed using the Cochrane's Risk of Bias tool. Effectiveness of interventions was measured by CRC screening completion rates, and pooled effect sizes were computed for both digital intervention subtypes identified - decision-making aids and tailored educational interventions. 14 studies (17,075 participants) assessed to have low or some risk of bias were included in this meta-analysis. A random-effects model revealed that digital interventions were more likely to promote CRC screening uptake (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.11-1.56), and using a decision-making aid was almost 1.5 times more likely to result in screening completion (i.e., completed a colorectal investigation using stool-based or direct visualization test) (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.24-1.63). Meanwhile, the tailored educational intervention subtype failed to achieve statistical significance in promoting screening uptake, bearing in mind the significant heterogeneity across studies (I2 = 88.6%). Digital decision-making aids significantly improved CRC screening uptake compared to tailored digital educational interventions and usual care. However, as all included studies were conducted in Western settings, its role in augmenting existing CRC screening promotion strategies especially among Asians should be further evaluated.

Patients' perception of colorectal cancer surveillance in the community: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: All patients who underwent curative resection for colorectal cancer (CRC) are frequently reviewed in tertiary institutions to ensure timely detection of any disease recurrence. There has been no local study that evaluated the feasibility of monitoring their condition in the community as a possible new model of care. This study henceforth seeks to understand CRC patients' views and receptiveness of having their surveillance consultations conducted in a community setting. METHODS: We convenience sampled Stage I and II CRC patients who were within five years post-operation in the outpatient clinics. An open-ended questionnaire aimed at elucidating their perception towards cancer surveillance in a community setting was administered. Content analysis was used to group and quantify responses from participants. RESULTS: Twenty-five participants agreed to participate in the study. Only 48% of the participants felt that having phlebotomy procedures in a community or home setting was acceptable. Participants were less willing to be reviewed by a physician who is not their primary surgeon, with only 32% agreeable to seeing a different doctor for surveillance if given a choice. However, most participants were open to having a telephone consultation in place of a physical face-to-face consultation before (72%) and after (76%) going through medical imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Participants remained keen to be managed by their primary surgeons and were hesitant towards having their follow-up surveillance consultations in community and primary care settings. Further studies should be conducted to understand whether these perceptions are generalisable, and if more can be done to change public perception towards the role of community and primary care institutions.

Telemedicine Acceptance Among Older Adult Patients With Cancer: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is likely to remain the most prevalent noncommunicable disease in high-income countries with an older population. Interestingly, no review of attitudes toward telemedicine among older adults has been performed. This is likely to be the group most affected by both cancer and the increasing use of technology in health care. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to map research on the acceptance of telemedicine among older adults who are cancer patients. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review. PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were systematically searched from inception to September 2020. Articles were included if the study population had a mean or median age ≥65 years, with cancer diagnoses and if the study assessed patients' acceptance of a telemedicine intervention. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies were included. RESULTS: Out of a total of 887 articles that were identified, 19 were included in the review. Interventions were delivered via telephone, videoconference, web portal, mobile app, wearable technology, and text messaging and included teleconsultation, monitoring and follow-up, psychosocial support and nursing care, and prompts. The most often cited facilitating factor was convenience. Other facilitators included an increase in telemedicine care accessibility, previous positive experiences of telemedicine, appropriate technical knowledge and support, decreased cost, physician recommendations, and privacy conferred by the telemedicine intervention. Barriers include a preference for conventional care along with negative perceptions of telemedicine, concerns about technical difficulties, and confidentiality concerns in the adoption of telemedicine. CONCLUSIONS: None of the studies explored the ability of tailored interventions to address facilitators and barriers of the acceptance of telemedicine in order to increase its adoption by older adults. Facilitators and barriers will likely differ across different cultural contexts and by type of telemedicine; however, this is a gap in current knowledge. In-depth studies are necessary to determine if interventions could potentially address the barriers identified in this review, to increase acceptability.

Psychological resilience among palliative patients with advanced cancer: A systematic review of definitions and associated factors.

OBJECTIVE: The palliative journey can be emotionally stressful for both patients with advanced cancer and their families. Psychological resilience is crucial in aiding with patients' adaptation and post-traumatic growth. The aim of this systematic review was to critically examine the definitions of psychological resilience and its associated factors in palliative patients with advanced cancer. METHODS: Four databases were systematically searched from inception to August 2020. Both qualitative and quantitative studies that examined factors associated with psychological resilience in a sample of patients with advanced cancer undergoing palliative care were included. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies met the criteria, of which 10 were qualitative and five were quantitative. Nine studies included a definition of psychological resilience, from which five common themes of buffering, adaptation, resources, recovery, and growth were derived. The quantitative studies found association between resilience and hope, independence, social support, fatigue, emotional distress, and coping strategies. The qualitative studies reported additional sources of resilience such as spirituality, social support, prior experience dealing with illness and life adversity, meaning-making, reconciling with life's finiteness, acceptance of illness, control, determination, positive attitude, dignity, engagement with palliative care and quality of life being supported by palliative care. CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed for developing an overarching definition of psychological resilience in palliative advanced cancer patients that acknowledges and appreciates the contextual sensitivity of this concept among different cultural groups. Further studies are also needed to examine a holistic range of bio-psycho-socio-spiritual factors associated with psychological resilience among these patients and their families.

The effect of a simple phone call intervention on FIT-positive individuals: an exploratory study.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening has been shown to improve patient outcomes. A widely utilised preliminary screening tool is the faecal immunochemical test (FIT). However, follow-up rates after a positive FIT result remain suboptimal. METHODS: In order to improve FIT-positive individuals' compliance to follow-up consultation and to elucidate barriers to action, a simple 5- to 10-min telephone intervention with a structured script based on the protection motivation theory (PMT) was conducted. RESULTS: Ninety-two FIT-positive individuals who had previously rejected follow-up consultation in the National University Hospital, Singapore, were interviewed by the study team. Individuals reported barriers to action such as the denial of a positive FIT result (41.8%) and a lack of knowledge (34.5%). More than 20% of the participants who had yet to schedule follow-up consultation changed their minds after the intervention. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a simple, structured telephone call can potentially encourage more FIT-positive individuals to pursue follow-up investigation.

Prepared and highly committed despite the risk of COVID-19 infection: a cross-sectional survey of primary care physicians' concerns and coping strategies in Singapore.

BACKGROUND: Primary care physicians (PCPs) are first points-of-contact between suspected cases and the healthcare system in the current COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines PCPs' concerns, impact on personal lives and work, and level of pandemic preparedness in the context of COVID-19 in Singapore. We also examine factors and coping strategies that PCPs have used to manage stress during the outbreak. METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen PCPs actively practicing in either a public or private clinic were cluster sampled via email invitation from three primary care organizations in Singapore from 6th to 29th March 2020. Participants completed a cross-sectional online questionnaire consisting of items on work- and non-work-related concerns, impact on personal and work life, perceived pandemic preparedness, stress-reduction factors, and personal coping strategies related to COVID-19. RESULTS: A total of 158 questionnaires were usable for analyses. PCPs perceived themselves to be at high risk of COVID-19 infection (89.9%), and a source of risk (74.7%) and concern (71.5%) to loved ones. PCPs reported acceptance of these risks (91.1%) and the need to care for COVID-19 patients (85.4%). Overall perceived pandemic preparedness was extremely high (75.9 to 89.9%). PCPs prioritized availability of personal protective equipment, strict infection prevention guidelines, accessible information about COVID-19, and well-being of their colleagues and family as the most effective stress management factors. CONCLUSIONS: PCPs continue to serve willingly on the frontlines of this pandemic despite the high perception of risk to themselves and loved ones. Healthcare organizations should continue to support PCPs by managing both their psychosocial (e.g. stress management) and professional (e.g. pandemic preparedness) needs.

Association between food availability and young people's fruits and vegetables consumption: understanding the mediation role of the theory of planned behaviour.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between fruits and vegetables (F&V) availability at home and young people's F&V consumption behaviour, and how the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) constructs could potentially mediate the relationship. DESIGN: Cross-sectional face-to-face survey questionnaire to assess the TPB constructs and home food availability assessed using open inventories method. F&V availability was categorised into low and high levels based on median split. SETTING: Singapore. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and ten households (each consisting one parent-child pair) recruited via stratified cluster sampling with child participants ranging from 9 to 16 years of age. RESULTS: Mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modelling. The relationship between home F&V availability and F&V consumption behaviour did not have a significant direct association, but there were significant indirect effects through the routes of perceived behavioural control (PBC) and intention as well as attitude and intention. Specifically, higher level of F&V availability at home was related to more positive PBC and attitude towards F&V, and subsequently greater intention to consume F&V and higher consumption of F&V. CONCLUSIONS: Parents should make F&V more readily available at home as increased exposure to F&V could be related to enhanced liking, sense of control and intention to consume F&V and facilitate children's healthy diet.

Parental Guidance and Children's Healthy Food Consumption: Integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior with Interpersonal Communication Antecedents.

The study of parenting practices on child food consumption has often been characterized as having great utility but lacking in theory. In contrast, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) has often been suggested to be limited in its utility. To address these gaps, interpersonal constructs - the concepts of active parental guidance (e.g., nutrition education) and restrictive parental guidance (e.g., rule-setting) - were integrated as antecedents to the original TPB variables in predicting child fruits and vegetables (FV) consumption. We surveyed 210 child/adolescent participants, aged between 10 and 16 in Singapore. Results from structural equation modeling showed that the integrative TPB model displayed an acceptable fit. Parental active guidance was associated with all three proximal predictors of behavior. Our results suggest that there are promising contributions to the theory of planned behavior in predicting child food consumption behavior by considering interpersonal antecedents.

Epihack Sri Lanka: development of a mobile surveillance tool for dengue fever.

BACKGROUND: Dengue is a serious problem around the globe, with 3.9 billion people at risk of the disease. Sri Lanka has recently seen unprecedented rates of dengue with 4.3 times more cases than during the same period over the previous six years. The paper discusses the development of an integrated health systems framework, aided by mobile technology, to combat and contain dengue via a health hackathon in Sri Lanka. RESULTS: The framework addresses the key functions of surveillance, health communication and civic engagement through innovations including digitisation of hospital forms; digital aid to Public Health Inspectors (PHIs); data consolidation and analytics; education for construction workers, GPs, and schools; and educating the general public. CONCLUSIONS: We present the impact of the disease burden in tropical countries, such as Sri Lanka, current technological solutions, and the process of developing the mobile application modules developed via the health hackathon.

Health-related quality of life thresholds of clinical importance at diagnosis can predict longitudinal post-operative health functioning in colorectal cancer patients: A prospective multicentre observational study.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an increasingly important outcome in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. Established thresholds for clinical importance (TCI) permit an absolute interpretation of HRQOL scores but less emphasis has been placed on whether these can be used in a predictive manner. This study aimed to examine if patients' baseline HRQOL functioning scores, subgrouped based on TCI, would significantly predict HRQOL over time. METHODS: 211 CRC patients were prospectively followed up from diagnosis to 18 months after surgery. Patients were administered the EORTC Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) at each timepoint. Baseline demographic and clinical data were extracted from electronic medical records. RESULTS: Only the physical and emotional functioning scales of the EORTC QLQ-C30 were utilised with their respective TCIs (score of ≤83 for physical; ≤71 for emotional). Physical functioning was below-threshold for most patients at pre-discharge (81.77 %) and 1-month (56.48 %) before stabilising to baseline proportions by 6-month. For emotional functioning, 22.04 %-30.98 % of patients were below-threshold between baseline to 3-month, stabilising to approximately 14.00 % after 6-month. Baseline TCI subgrouping was significantly associated with change in HRQOL scores over time for both the physical (ß = 14.09, 95 % CI: 8.22, 19.97) and emotional (ß = 25.66, 95 % CI: 18.79, 32.53) functioning scales (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: EORTC QLQ-C30 TCIs can be utilised not just to concretely identify clinically significant impairments in presenting CRC patients, but also as potential predictive tools towards more value-driven delivery of pre- and post-surgical supportive and allied healthcare.

Differences in Attitudes and Barriers Towards Advance Care Planning Amongst Ischemic Heart Disease Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: Perceptions towards advanced care planning (ACP) amongst individuals with Ischemic Heart Disease before or after a life-threatening Acute Myocardial Infarction event is underexamined and could impact the appropriate timing for ACP advocacy. This cross-sectional study assessed awareness and intentions regarding ACP in individuals with Ischemic Heart Disease, both before and after an Acute Myocardial Infarction, and explored the motivating effect of a near-fatal Acute Myocardial Infarction event on its engagement. METHODS: This study was conducted from 24 August 2021 through 13 March 2023, whereby patients were administered a one-time questionnaire with no follow-up required. Patients with either chronic Ischemic Heart Disease (group A) or a recent Acute Myocardial Infarction event (group B) were recruited from the outpatient National University Heart Centre, Singapore. RESULTS: 101 patients (n = 51 for Group A, n = 50 for Group B) were recruited. Mean age (SD) was 59 (10.5) years and 84 were male (83.2%). Between both groups, patients in group B reported significantly higher scores on 'Lack of information' and 'Self-efficacy' domains, and had no ACP awareness nor plans of doing an ACP compared to group A. ACP awareness was the sole significant predictor of intentions of doing an ACP in the final regression model (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Interestingly, this study suggests that surviving a potentially life-threatening heart condition did not result in higher intention of doing an ACP. Thus, advocacy of ACP in the community should simply start by raising awareness levels widely and may not need to be focused on individuals' state of health.

Quantifying chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment in gastrointestinal cancer patients: A scoping review of methodological concerns in the literature.

PURPOSE: Chemotherapy is one of the common treatments in cancer management. However, chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI) is one notable side effect that can greatly impact a patient's quality of life. Literature on CICI in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are few and inconsistent. This review aims to identify the methodological differences in such studies. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in four electronic databases. All peer-reviewed primary literature published in English that evaluated cognitive-related functioning scores related to chemotherapy in GI cancer patients were included. Information about each study such as CICI findings, study limitations, methodology, and sample characteristics was extracted and synthesized. RESULTS: A total of 19 studies were included. Evidence of CICI was found in 50.0% (8 of 16) and 62.5% (5 of 8) studies that used objective and subjective measures, respectively. Methodological differences such as groups used for comparison, instruments used, and assessment from the length of time since chemotherapy were highlighted between studies that did and did not find evidence of CICI. CONCLUSIONS: This review suggests that the mixed findings can be attributed to the heterogeneous methodologies adopted in the evaluation of CICI in this field. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Further studies are necessary to establish the presence and chronicity of CICI, and in which groups of patients to facilitate targeted interventions and treatments.

How can we better evaluate paediatric progression of myopia and associated risk factors? Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, home-based and remote learning-particularly using electronic devices-was rapidly pushed out. Increased near-work, screen time exposure and lack of outdoor time are risk factors that contribute to childhood myopia, but it is difficult to adopt recommendations from prior publications as a consistent limitation in the literature is the heterogeneity of research methodology. This review seeks to systematically evaluate how observational studies published during the pandemic have quantified and measured risk factors and myopia in school-going children and adolescents. METHODS: Three scientific databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus) were systematically searched from March 2020 to April 2022. Findings from relevant studies were descriptively summarised in relation to the PICOS-based objective of the review. RESULTS: The final sample of 13 studies included research from six countries and comprised 1 411 908 children and adolescents. The majority of studies (N = 10; 76.9%) used spherical equivalent refraction (SER) of -0.5 dioptres or lower as a common definition of myopia. Most studies (77.8%) measuring screen time exposure found it higher during COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID, but only one study used objective measurement of screen time. The average critical appraisal score of the sample was only 66.1%, with a considerable number of studies failing to identify and adjust for potential confounders. CONCLUSION: Future studies should consider emergent objective and validated measures of risk factors, account for potential a priori confounders and covariates and ensure more representativeness in the sociodemographic makeup of their samples.