Identifying group metacognition associated with medical students' teamwork satisfaction in an online small group tutorial context.

BACKGROUND: Collaborative learning is an essential pedagogy in medical education, within which small group learning constitutes an integral component. Online small group teaching has been widely applied and blended with in-person sessions in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study examined whether group metacognition was associated with teamwork satisfaction in an online small group teaching curriculum for medical students. METHODS: We enrolled medical students of the 2nd and 4th years during the 2021 fall semester after they participated in 3 consecutive sessions of online small group tutorials (SGTs), which have been implemented in our medical school for more than 20 years. The students completed a group metacognitive scale (GMS) and a teamwork satisfaction scale (TSS) after the sessions. We analyzed whether group metacognition in 4 dimensions (knowledge of cognition, planning, evaluating, and monitoring) could be connected with medical students' teamwork satisfaction using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). RESULTS: A total of 263 medical students participated in this study. Both GMS and TSS exhibited good reliability and validity. Three of the 4 dimensions of group metacognition (cognition, planning, and evaluating) positively correlated with teamwork satisfaction (path coefficients 0.311, 0.279, and 0.21; p = 0.002, 0.002, and 0.043, respectively) following the online SGT curriculum, whereas the monitoring dimension did not (path coefficient 0.087; p = 0.357). The model achieved an adjusted R square of 0.683. CONCLUSION: We discovered that group metacognition correlated positively with better teamwork satisfaction, supporting the importance of group metacognitive competency for online collaborative learning.

Effect of frail phenotype on cardiorenal risk and healthcare utilization in older patients with chronic kidney disease.

Introduction Limited data have addressed frailty's role in cardiorenal risk among older adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We investigated whether frailty could predict major renal and cardiovascular events, healthcare utilization, and mortality in these patients. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort enrolling patients ≥ 75 years with a stable estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Frailty phenotype consists of shrinking, low activity, exhaustion, weakness, and slowness, scored 0 to 5. The primary composite renal outcome was a ≥ 25 % decrease in eGFR concurrent with CKD stage progression or dialysis initiation. Secondary outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), emergency room (ER) visits, all-cause mortality, and hospitalization. Using multivariate Cox models with/without competing risk analyses, we explored frailty's impact on these outcomes. Results Among 203 older CKD patients (mean age 81.6 ± 5.0 years, female 40.9 %, diabetes 33.0 %, body mass index 24.9 ± 3.7 kg/m2), 67.9% were frail. Over 3.47 years, 38.9% faced composite renal outcomes, 13.3% MACE, 15.3% mortality, and more than half utilized healthcare. Every one-point frailty elevated composite renal outcome risk by 28.0 % (HR: 1.28, 95% CI:1.03-1.59) and significantly increased secondary outcomes (hospitalization [HR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.06-1.46], unexpected ER visit [HR: 1.20, [95% CI:1.03-1.39], and mortality [HR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.06-2.16]) but not for MACE [HR: 1.43, 95% CI: 0.99-2.08]. Results were consistent across subgroups and competing risk analysis. Conclusion In CKD patients ≥ 75 years, frailty was associated with progressive kidney disease, increased mortality and healthcare utilization.

The impact of blood pressure lowering agents on the risk of worsening frailty among patients with diabetes mellitus: a cohort study.

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are at risk of developing frailty, but studies rarely addressed risk factors for frailty worsening. We investigated whether blood pressure (BP)-lowering agents influenced such risk in these patients. Adults with type 2 DM were identified from National Taiwan University Hospital, with the primary outcome, the worsening of frailty by ≧1 score increase of FRAIL scale determined. We used the Cox proportional hazards analysis to derive the risk of worsening frailty associated with BP-lowering agents. Among 41,440 patients with DM, 27.4% developed worsening frailty after 4.09 years of follow-up. Cox regression revealed that diuretics (hazard ratio (HR) 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.18) and α-blocker (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06-1.23) users had a significantly higher risk of worsening frailty than non-users, whereas the risk was lower among ß-blocker users (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88-0.98). It would be therefore prudent to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of using specific BP-lowering agent classes.

Blood pressure targets, medication consideration and unique concerns in elderly hypertension IV: Focus on frailty, orthostatic hypotension, and resistant hypertension.

Hypertension increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in the elderly. Although treating hypertension can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and its related mortality, it is also challenging because these patients could have frailty, orthostatic hypotension (OH) and resistant hypertension (RHTN), which makes them more susceptible to treatment-related adverse events. Identifying such patients and tailoring the choice of drugs and blood pressure targets is crucial to balance the harms and benefits. The Clinical Frailty Scale is recommended to assess elderly patients with hypertension and frailty. For very frail patients, unnecessary medications should be deprescribed to avoid adverse events. Hypertension and OH frequently co-occur in the elderly, and recognizing and managing OH is essential to prevent falls and adverse events. The management of blood pressure in elderly patients with frailty, OH, and RHTN is complex, requiring the patients, their family and caregivers to be involved in decision-making to ensure that treatment plans are well-informed and aligned with the patient's needs.

Combinations of valvular calcification and serum alkaline phosphatase predict cardiovascular risk among end-stage kidney disease patients.

Background: Valvular calcification (VC) refers to the calcified valvular remodeling associated with kidney dysfunction, especially end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). ESKD patients with VC had significantly higher cardiovascular risk than those without. Factors interacted with VC regarding prognostic prediction in this population were seldom investigated. We aimed to examine the potential synergetic effects of VC and alkaline phosphatase (Alk-P) on ESKD patients' cardiovascular risk and mortality. Methods: ESKD patients undergoing hemodialysis were prospectively enrolled from a medical center in 2018. We identified patients with echocardiography and available serum Alk-P levels. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to analyze the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), cardiovascular and overall mortality among 4 participant groups (with or without VC versus low or high Alk-P levels). The models were further adjusted for age, sex, and clinical variables. Results: Of the 309 ESKD patients, 38, 46, 112, and 113 had no VC with low Alk-P, no VC with high Alk-P, VC with low Alk-P, and VC with high Alk-P, respectively. After adjusting for age and sex, patients with VC and high Alk-P had a higher risk of developing MACE, cardiovascular and overall mortality (HR, 3.07, 3.67, 3.65; 95% CI 1.38-6.84, 1.1-12.24, 1.29-10.36, respectively). Patients with VC and high Alk-P remained at higher risk of MACE (HR, 2.76; 95% CI 1.17-6.48) than did those without VC and with low Alk-P. Conclusion: Serum Alk-P could be used to identify a subgroup of ESKD patients with elevated cardiovascular risk among those with VC.

The role of international renal disaster preparedness working groups in difficult settings: bridge over troubled water.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Disasters, natural and man-made, are rising in frequency and pose significant challenges to the provision of renal care worldwide. Patients with kidney disease, particularly those on dialysis, are extremely vulnerable during disasters. This timely review summarizes the potential roles international renal disaster preparedness working groups have in addressing these challenges. RECENT FINDINGS: The vulnerability of kidney patients has galvanized the evolution of global response mechanisms and the contemporary efforts of various organizations. In this review, the importance of preparedness, networking, and collaborations at all levels are highlighted, citing recent crises. It will also note key areas for improvement, including an enhanced engagement with global health organizations. Finally, it is imperative to urge the international community to recognize that individuals with kidney disease are often among the first patient groups to suffer in disaster zones. These messages are intended to persuade global stakeholders that kidney patients, including pediatric ones, should be prioritized as requiring immediate support during disasters. SUMMARY: The unique and life-threatening challenges faced by individuals with kidney disease in natural disaster- or war-torn areas demand special consideration in humanitarian efforts and international crisis response strategies. International organizations can play a major role in this regard.