Use of social media platforms by migrant and ethnic minority populations during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Migrants and ethnic minority groups have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and have lower levels of vaccine uptake in some contexts. We aimed to determine the extent and nature of social media use in migrant and ethnic minority communities for COVID-19 information, and implications for preventative health measures including vaccination intent and uptake. DESIGN: A systematic review of published and grey literature following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched databases including Embase, Web of Science, PubMed NIH, CINAHL, facilitated through the WHO Global Research on COVID-19 database from 31 December 2019 to 9 June 2021. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STUDY SELECTION: Research reporting the use of social media by migrants and/or ethnic minority groups in relation to COVID-19. DATA EXTRACTION: We extracted data on key outcomes, study design, country, population under study and sample size. RESULTS: 1849 unique records were screened, and 21 data sources were included, including populations in the UK, USA, China, Jordan, Qatar and Turkey. We found evidence of consistent use of a range of social media platforms for COVID-19 information in some migrant and ethnic minority populations (including WeChat, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube), which may stem from difficulty in accessing COVID-19 information in their native languages or from trusted sources. Some evidence suggested circulating misinformation and social media use may be associated with lower participation in preventative health measures, including vaccine intent and uptake, findings which are likely relevant to multiple population groups. CONCLUSIONS: Social media platforms are an important source of information about COVID-19 for some migrant and ethnic minority populations. Urgent actions and further research are now needed to better understand effective approaches to tackling circulating misinformation, and to seize on opportunities to better use social media platforms to support public health communication and improve vaccine uptake. REGISTRATION: This study has been registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021259190).

The role of simulation in training breast surgeons: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: As surgical education has evolved, most curricula have favoured a competency-based approach over traditional apprenticeship models. Surgical simulation can be a useful aide in the training of both oncological and reconstructive breast surgery trainees. This review investigates the extent to which simulation of breast surgery procedures has been validated as a training tool. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search for studies evaluating the objective validity of breast surgery simulators was performed, using MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library databases. Studies assessing construct, concurrent or predictive validity were included, as well as those demonstrating skill acquisition. FINDINGS: The initial literature search returned 1,625 hits, with only five articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Simulators were designed to train procedures such as breast augmentation, lesion biopsy and excision. Of these, breast biopsy was the most simulated procedure (three studies). Two studies evaluated animal models, two evaluated synthetic models and one study assessed both a synthetic and animal model. Construct validity was confirmed in two studies, concurrent validity in one study and a learning curve demonstrated in another study. No association between experience and performance was seen in the remaining study. The quality of the evidence presented in each article was low due to numerous limitations. Despite the abundance of breast surgery simulators created for trainees, few have been objectively validated and they only cover a narrow range of breast procedures. Although early results are promising, further studies are required before routine use of simulators is considered in breast surgery curricula.

Antibacterial susceptibility of uropathogens in 3 hospitals, Sari, Islamic Republic of Iran, 2002-2003.

To determine the frequency and pattern of antibiotic susceptibility of uropathogens in urinary tract infection (UTI) from 3 university hospitals we carried out a retrospective review of urine culture and antibiotic sensitivity testing from symptomatic outpatients and inpatients during 2002-2003. Of 5600 samples, 703 (12.6%) were culture positive, 38.7% of which were from hospitalized patients. Escherichia coli was the leading cause of UTI in both groups of patients. The rates and roles of other pathogens, including Pseudomonas spp. (5.3%-10.4%), Enterobacter spp. (0%-5.7%), Staphylococcus spp.) 5.4%-26.4%), differed in each hospital. Differences in antibacterial susceptibility patterns were observed. Ampicillin (82%-100%) and co-trimoxazole (50%-90%) resistance were the most frequent. Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus spp. ranged from 17% to 60%.

Antibacterial susceptibility of uropathogens in 3 hospitals, Sari, Islamic Republic of Iran, 2002-2003

To determine the frequency and pattern of antibiotic susceptibility of uropathogens in urinary tract infection [UTI] from 3 university hospitals we carried out a retrospective review of urine culture and antibiotic sensitivity testing from symptomatic outpatients and inpatients during 2002-2003. Of 5600 samples, 703 [12.6%] were culture positive, 38.7% of which were from hospitalized patients. Escherichia coli was the leading cause of UTI in both groups of patients. The rates and roles of other pathogens, including Pseudomonas spp. [5.3%-10.4%], Enterobacter spp. [0%-5.7%], Staphylococcus spp.] 5.4%-26.4%], differed in each hospital. Differences in antibacterial susceptibility patterns were observed. Ampicillin [82%-100%] and co-trimoxazole [50%-90%] resistance were the most frequent. Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus spp. ranged from 17% to 60%