The Ecofisio Mobile App for Assessment and Diagnosis Using Ultrasound Imaging for Undergraduate Health Science Students: Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Generation Z is starting to reach college age. They have adopted technology from an early age and have a deep dependence on it; therefore, they have become more drawn to the virtual world. M-learning has experienced huge growth in recent years, both in the medical context and in medical and health sciences education. Ultrasound imaging is an important diagnosis technique in physiotherapy, especially in sports pathology. M-learning systems could be useful tools for improving the comprehension of ultrasound concepts and the acquisition of professional competencies. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and use of an interactive platform accessible through mobile devices-Ecofisio-using ultrasound imaging for the development of professional competencies in the evaluation and diagnosis of sports pathologies. METHODS: Participants included 110 undergraduate students who were placed into one of two groups of a randomized controlled multicenter study: control group (ie, traditional learning) and experimental group (ie, Ecofisio mobile app). Participants' theoretical knowledge was assessed using a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ); students were also assessed by means of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Moreover, a satisfaction survey was completed by the students. RESULTS: The statistical analyses revealed that Ecofisio was effective in most of the processes evaluated when compared with the traditional learning method: all OSCE stations, P<.001; MCQ, 43 versus 15 students passed in the Ecofisio and control groups, respectively, P<.001. Moreover, the results revealed that the students found the app to be attractive and useful. CONCLUSIONS: The Ecofisio mobile app may be an effective way for physiotherapy students to obtain adequate professional competencies regarding evaluation and diagnosis of sports pathologies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04138511; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04138511.

Sustainability indicators as a communicative tool: building bridges in Pennsylvania.

Sustainability is a laudable goal, but difficult to define and to implement because of the complexity of interlinked human and natural systems, and the uncertainty inherent in such complex systems. Resilience shows promise as a relevant and measurable attribute of sustainability, which itself defies measurement. Identification and assessment of conditions that are desirable, as well as those that are undesirable, are necessary in order to determine both the degree of progress toward sustainability and the removal of impediments to such progress. Communications incident to the identification and selection of indicators of resilience and sustainability are of potentially greater value than the indicators themselves and so should be given explicit consideration in the design of the indicators development process. Moving towards sustainability requires an iterative, continuing (open-ended), collaborative process. Academic institutions can assist in this process through activities that connect across political, social and discipline boundaries. Boundary organizations are those that have achieved a level of trust among the relevant constituents to management of sustainability and can help convert academic findings that are objectively neutral into options and alternatives that may be politically and economically feasible. The Sustainable Pennsylvania Program is developing demonstration projects with both state and local governmental agencies with the objective of building both capacity and will for moving towards sustainability.

Psychometric properties of a menopausal symptom list.

OBJECTIVE: To determine psychometric properties of a brief menopause symptom list and its sensitivity to menopausal status in a population-based cohort of late reproductive-age women. DESIGN: A 12-item menopause symptom list (MSL) administered in a cohort of African American and Caucasian women aged 38 to 52 years (N = 350) was psychometrically evaluated. Menopausal status of the cohort was determined by menstrual cycle dates obtained in interviews and participants' daily symptom records. Results of factor analysis were applied to longitudinal assessments of the cohort over a 3-year period. Convergent validity with other standard measures of mood, stress, health, and quality of life was determined. RESULTS: Internal consistency was found for the MSL items. Item total correlations are reported. Factor analysis identified three dimensions (psychological, somatic, and vasomotor). Multivariate analysis of cohort data over a 3-year interval showed that the menopausal symptoms increased over time (P = 0.0004) and that the identified factors were differentially associated with menopausal status. Psychological symptoms increased in the premenopausal and early transition groups but decreased in the late menopausal-postmenopausal groups (P = 0.0046 for the interaction). Vasomotor symptoms increased in both the early transition and late menopausal-postmenopausal groups (P = 0.0309 and P = 0.0543, respectively). Psychological symptoms (factor 1) had high correlations with other standard symptom measures (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, r = 0.59; Zung Anxiety Scale, r = 0.65), whereas factors 2 and 3 did not, suggesting that the somatic and vasomotor symptoms were not associated with mood or health problems. CONCLUSIONS: The MSL provides a brief questionnaire with acceptable psychometric properties for assessing three dimensions of menopause-related symptoms and demonstrated sensitivity to menopausal status in a population-based cohort.