Retracted publications in autism research are mostly concerned with ethical misconduct.

BACKGROUND: As the prevalence of autism appears to increase, more research to guide effective diagnosis and intervention practices is needed. Findings disseminated through peer-reviewed publications are critical, but the number of retractions continues to rise. An understanding of retracted publications is imperative to ensure the body of evidence is corrected and current. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this analysis were to summarize key characteristics of retracted publications in autism research, examine the length of time between publication and retraction, and assess the extent journals are adhering to publishing ethical guidelines for reporting retracted articles. METHODS: We searched five databases through 2021 (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Retraction Watch). RESULTS: A total of 25 retracted articles were included in the analysis. Ethical misconduct accounted for the majority of retractions rather than scientific error. The shortest time to retraction was 2 months and the longest length was 144 months. DISCUSSION: The time lag between publication and retraction since 2018 has improved considerably. Nineteen of the articles had retraction notices (76%), whereas six articles did not have a notice (24%). CONCLUSION: These findings summarize errors of previous retractions and illuminate opportunities for researchers, journal publishers and librarians to learn from retracted publications.

Health sciences librarian research and instruction services in pandemic information environments.

This study examined research and instruction services provided by academic health sciences librarians in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 205 respondents (N = 205) completed an anonymous online survey about academic health sciences librarian involvement in providing research and instruction services during the global pandemic. In-depth literature searching services (86%, n = 176), curated COVID-19 research through guides (66%, n = 135), and systematic review consultations (53%, n = 109) were reported as the top three research services in demand. Librarians supported online teaching and learning at their institutions by providing online instruction for a course (92%, n = 189), facilitating access to licensed resources (73%, n = 150), and identifying open access and open educational resources (62%, n = 127). Overall, this study contributes to understanding pandemic-responsive academic library services to meet the unique needs of health sciences education and research in evolving COVID-19 pandemic information environments.

The impact of COVID-19 on reference services: a national survey of academic health sciences librarians.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the scope and adaptive nature of reference services provided by academic health sciences librarians over a one-year period (between March 2020 and March 2021) during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: In March 2021, academic health sciences librarians in the United States were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey about their experiences providing reference services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online survey was developed, pretested, and distributed to various listservs. RESULTS: A total of 205 academic health sciences librarians and other information professionals with health sciences liaison responsibilities in the US (N=205) responded to the online survey. The scope of reference services provided during the COVID-19 pandemic included email-based reference services (97%), virtual reference (89%), telephone (80%), text-based (33%), and in-person (31%). The most common types of COVID-related reference questions included COVID-19 treatments (53%), safety precautions (46%), vaccines (41%), and prevalence (38%). Additionally, the identification of challenging reference questions and examples of misinformation were provided by respondents. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the survey characterize the evolving nature and scope of academic health sciences reference work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Librarians reported an increase in reference questions during the pandemic and are answering them in creative ways despite barriers (e.g., limited time and reduction in resources). There is an opportunity for librarians to continue to address COVID-related misinformation. Overall, these findings provide useful insight for library practitioners and administrators planning reference services during public health crises.

Smartphone apps for cancer: A content analysis of the digital health marketplace.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the state of smartphone applications for cancer intended for the general public with a focus on interactive features, content sources, and application developer affiliations. The level of health provider involvement in screening or appraising application content was also assessed. METHODS: A total of 123 apps were identified for analysis from two major mobile application marketplaces (Apple iTunes = 40; Google Play = 83). Application characteristics were collected, analyzed, and reported. These included the mobile platform, cost, application developer affiliation, date of last update, purpose of application, content sources, and interactive features. RESULTS: In the study sample, 50% of the applications focused on general information for cancer (62/123). Next, this was followed by applications for breast cancer (15%, 19/123) and skin cancer (7%, 8/123). Only 10% of application descriptions (12/123) identified sources for application content. Interactive features included the ability to monitor symptoms, side effects, treatments, and chronic pain (20%, 25/123). Only 3% of the applications (4/123) stated content had been evaluated by health providers. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes an updated analysis of applications for cancer available in the digital health marketplace. The findings have implications for information quality and supportive resources for cancer care. More transparent information about content sources, organizational affiliations, and level of health provider oversight in screening application content is warranted. Recommendations for improving the quality of cancer applications are also offered.

eHealth Activity among African American and White Cancer Survivors: A New Application of Theory.

eHealth is a promising resource for cancer survivors and may contribute to reducing racial disparities in cancer survivorship. This research applies the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to examine eHealth activity among African American (AfAm) and White cancer survivors. In a population-based sample of AfAm and White survivors (n = 300), a Poisson regression tested whether UTAUT constructs (facilitating conditions, social influence, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness) and beliefs about security/trustworthiness of eHealth were associated with the number of eHealth activities respondents had used. To test whether the effects varied across racial groups, interactions between each of these five facets and survivor race were included in the model. The model adjusted for demographic characteristics, cancer history, and internet access and use. Across racial groups, facilitating conditions (IRR = 1.44, 95%CI [1.17, 1.77]) and perceived usefulness (IRR = 1.16, 95%CI [1.08, 1.24]) were associated with increased eHealth activity. A marginally significant interaction between race and perceived ease of use (IRR = 1.17, 95%CI [0.99, 1.39]) indicated this perception was associated with decreased eHealth activity for White but not AfAm survivors. A significant interaction between race and perceived security/trustworthiness (IRR = 1.16, 95%CI [1.02, 1.32]) indicated this perception was associated with increased eHealth activity for AfAm but not White survivors. Social influence was not associated with eHealth use for either group (IRR = 1.07, 95%CI [0.98, 1.16]). Interventions targeting attitudes about eHealth may encourage its adoption and use. Furthermore, eHealth tools intended for use among AfAm cancer survivors should ensure they are secure and emphasize trustworthiness to intended users.

FluView and FluNet: Tools for Influenza Activity and Surveillance.

Online resources can assist with locating and monitoring the spread of influenza. The aim of this review is to describe two online tools for tracking influenza activity: FluView from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States and FluNet from the World Health Organization. Overall, these freely available online resources for influenza activity and surveillance may be helpful to a range of audiences including health providers, local governments, hospitals, schools, librarians, travelers, and members of the general public.

DynaMed Plus®: An Evidence-Based Clinical Reference Resource.

DynaMed Plus® from EBSCO Health is an evidence-based tool that health professionals can use to inform clinical care. DynaMed Plus content undergoes a review process, and the evidence is synthesized in detailed topic overviews. A unique three-level rating scale is used to assess the quality of available evidence. Topic overviews summarize current evidence and provide recommendations to support health providers at the point-of-care. Additionally, DynaMed Plus content can be accessed via a desktop computer or mobile platforms. Given this, DynaMed Plus can be a time-saving resource for health providers. Overall, DynaMed Plus provides evidence summaries using an easy-to-read bullet format, and the resource incorporates images, clinical calculators, patient handouts, and practice guidelines in one place.

Privacy Practices of Health Social Networking Sites: Implications for Privacy and Data Security in Online Cancer Communities.

While online communities for social support continue to grow, little is known about the state of privacy practices of health social networking sites. This article reports on a structured content analysis of privacy policies and disclosure practices for 25 online ovarian cancer communities. All of the health social networking sites in the study sample provided privacy statements to users, yet privacy practices varied considerably across the sites. The majority of sites informed users that personal information was collected about participants and shared with third parties (96%, n = 24). Furthermore, more than half of the sites (56%, n = 14) stated that cookies technology was used to track user behaviors. Despite these disclosures, only 36% (n = 9) offered opt-out choices for sharing data with third parties. In addition, very few of the sites (28%, n = 7) allowed individuals to delete their personal information. Discussions about specific security measures used to protect personal information were largely missing. Implications for privacy, confidentiality, consumer choice, and data safety in online environments are discussed. Overall, nurses and other health professionals can utilize these findings to encourage individuals seeking online support and participating in social networking sites to build awareness of privacy risks to better protect their personal health information in the digital age.

An analysis of benefits and risk information on pharmaceutical web sites for the treatment of menopause.

BACKGROUND: As the Internet is a source of information for many health consumers, there is a need to evaluate the information about prescription drugs provided on pharmaceutical manufacturers' web sites. OBJECTIVES: Using a sample of pharmaceutical manufacturers' web sites for the treatment of menopause, the main objective of this study was to evaluate consumer-oriented information about benefits and risks of prescription drugs for the treatment of menopause provided on pharmaceutical web sites. METHODS: Pharmaceutical manufacturers' web sites for analysis were identified using a list of U.S. FDA-approved hormone therapies for the treatment of menopause. RESULTS: This study revealed substantial gaps in how benefits and risk information were presented on the web sites. Specifically, information about the benefits was prominent while risk information was incomplete and challenging to find. Further, references to the scientific literature to support claims advertised about prescription drug benefits were not provided. CONCLUSIONS: Given the lack of scientific evidence to support claims of benefits and limited disclosure about risks, more information is needed for consumers to be able to weigh the benefits and risks of these treatments for menopause. Overall, these findings provide guidance for evaluating drug information provided on pharmaceutical web sites.

Strategies for data management engagement.

The research landscape is growing dramatically, and librarians are examining new roles, services, and types of collaborations to support data-intensive research. This column describes curricular enhancements at one School of Library and Information Science in the United States. Several key areas of data management in which health sciences librarians may wish to build or enhance their skills are outlined. Possible roles and opportunities for health sciences librarians to strategically engage in data management initiatives are also presented.

Health literacy and the readability of written information for hormone therapies.

INTRODUCTION: Health education and counseling are important elements of the care provided by clinicians. Counseling efforts may involve helping women to understand their options for symptom management related to various reproductive life transitions. In light of this, the need for information during the menopausal transition is critical for assisting women with their health care decisions. Yet the Institute of Medicine estimates that approximately half the adult population in the United States has difficulty understanding and using health information. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates the distribution of written information for estrogen-containing products; however, the readability of information for these pharmaceutical products has not been widely studied. To address this gap, this study examined the readability of written information for FDA-approved prescription menopausal hormone therapies (N = 31). METHODS: Readability of the written information about hormone therapies from 31 hormone therapy products was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formulas. RESULTS: The reading level ranged from 6.70 to 12.30, with an average grade level of 9.33 (ninth-grade reading level). All but one of the hormone therapy products evaluated in this study exceeded the recommended sixth-grade reading level for written health information. In addition, only 48% of the written information instructions in the study sample (n = 15) included illustrations. DISCUSSION: Assessment of written information about menopausal hormone therapies showed that the majority of the materials are written at a high reading level. These findings have implications for health literacy and counseling efforts when helping women to understand their options for menopausal symptom management. Midwives, nurses, and other health care providers may need to supplement written information with additional consumer-friendly written information, utilize illustrations, and use verbal instructions more frequently to help support women in evaluating their treatment options.

Faculty experiences with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) public access policy, compliance issues, and copyright practices.

OBJECTIVES: The research assessed faculty awareness of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) public access policy and faculty experiences with the copyright terms in their author agreements with publishers. METHODS: During the fall of 2011, 198 faculty members receiving funding from NIH at a large urban academic institution were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. A total of 94 faculty members responded to the survey, representing a response rate of 47%. RESULTS: Thirty percent of the survey respondents were either unaware of or not familiar with the NIH policy. Further, a significant number of faculty members (97.8%) indicated that they usually signed their copyright forms "as is." The findings show that time, confusing instructions, and unclear journal policies are challenges experienced by NIH-funded faculty in complying with the federal mandate. CONCLUSION: There is a need to educate faculty with respect to the value of retaining their copyrights and self-archiving their publications to help advance public access and open access scholarship.

Readability of menopause web sites: a cross-sectional study.

More women are frequently referring to the Internet for health information, yet the readability of information about menopause on the Internet has not been widely studied. To address this gap, this study examined the readability of information about menopause on 25 Internet Web sites. Findings included that information on the Web sites had a reading level higher than the recommended sixth-grade level, and culturally appropriate health information was lacking. Health educators and practitioners are in a pivotal role to help women understand information useful for healthcare decisions. Several criteria are discussed to help practitioners evaluate Web sites.