Patients as teachers: a within-subjects randomized pilot experiment of patient-led online learning modules for health professionals.

PURPOSE: Many health professions education programs involve people with lived experience as expert speakers. Such presentations may help learners better understand the realities of living with chronic illness or experiencing an acute health problem. However, lectures from only one or a small number of people may not adequately illustrate the perspectives and experiences of a diverse patient cohort. Additionally, logistical constraints such as public health restrictions or travel barriers may impede in-person presentations, particularly among people who have more restrictions on their time. Health professions education programs may benefit from understanding the potential effects of online patient-led presentations with a diverse set of speakers. We aimed to explore whether patient-led online learning modules about diabetes care would influence learners' responses to clinical scenarios and to collect learners' feedback about the modules. METHOD: This within-subjects randomized experiment involved 26 third-year medical students at Université Laval in Quebec, Canada. Participation in the experiment was an optional component within a required course. Prior to the intervention, participating learners responded to three clinical scenarios randomly selected from a set of six such scenarios. Each participant responded to the other three scenarios after the intervention. The intervention consisted of patient-led online learning modules incorporating segments of narratives from 21 patient partners (11 racialized or Indigenous) describing why and how clinicians could provide patient-centered care. Working with clinical teachers and psychometric experts, we developed a scoring grid based on the biopsychosocial model and set 0.6 as a passing score. Independent evaluators, blinded to whether each response was collected before or after the intervention, then scored learners' responses to scenarios using the grid. We used Fisher's Exact test to compare proportions of passing scores before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Learners' overall percentage of passing scores prior to the intervention was 66%. Following the intervention, the percentage of passing scores was 76% (p = 0.002). Overall, learners expressed appreciation and other positive feedback regarding the patient-led online learning modules. DISCUSSION: Findings from this experiment suggest that learners can learn to provide better patient-centered care by watching patient-led online learning modules created in collaboration with a diversity of patient partners.

Interventions on gender equity in the workplace: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Various studies have demonstrated gender disparities in workplace settings and the need for further intervention. This study identifies and examines evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on interventions examining gender equity in workplace or volunteer settings. An additional aim was to determine whether interventions considered intersection of gender and other variables, including PROGRESS-Plus equity variables (e.g., race/ethnicity). METHODS: Scoping review conducted using the JBI guide. Literature was searched in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, ERIC, Index to Legal Periodicals and Books, PAIS Index, Policy Index File, and the Canadian Business & Current Affairs Database from inception to May 9, 2022, with an updated search on October 17, 2022. Results were reported using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension to scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR), Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidance, Strengthening the Integration of Intersectionality Theory in Health Inequality Analysis (SIITHIA) checklist, and Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public (GRIPP) version 2 checklist. All employment or volunteer sectors settings were included. Included interventions were designed to promote workplace gender equity that targeted: (a) individuals, (b) organizations, or (c) systems. Any comparator was eligible. Outcomes measures included any gender equity related outcome, whether it was measuring intervention effectiveness (as defined by included studies) or implementation. Data analyses were descriptive in nature. As recommended in the JBI guide to scoping reviews, only high-level content analysis was conducted to categorize the interventions, which were reported using a previously published framework. RESULTS: We screened 8855 citations, 803 grey literature sources, and 663 full-text articles, resulting in 24 unique RCTs and one companion report that met inclusion criteria. Most studies (91.7%) failed to report how they established sex or gender. Twenty-three of 24 (95.8%) studies reported at least one PROGRESS-Plus variable: typically sex or gender or occupation. Two RCTs (8.3%) identified a non-binary gender identity. None of the RCTs reported on relationships between gender and other characteristics (e.g., disability, age, etc.). We identified 24 gender equity promoting interventions in the workplace that were evaluated and categorized into one or more of the following themes: (i) quantifying gender impacts; (ii) behavioural or systemic changes; (iii) career flexibility; (iv) increased visibility, recognition, and representation; (v) creating opportunities for development, mentorship, and sponsorship; and (vi) financial support. Of these interventions, 20/24 (83.3%) had positive conclusion statements for their primary outcomes (e.g., improved academic productivity, increased self-esteem) across heterogeneous outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: There is a paucity of literature on interventions to promote workplace gender equity. While some interventions elicited positive conclusions across a variety of outcomes, standardized outcome measures considering specific contexts and cultures are required. Few PROGRESS-Plus items were reported. Non-binary gender identities and issues related to intersectionality were not adequately considered. Future research should provide consistent and contemporary definitions of gender and sex. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework https://osf.io/x8yae .

Race/Ethnicity and Other Predictors of Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the US Population.

OBJECTIVES: Among US adults aged 20 + years in the USA with previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), we aimed to estimate the prevalence of early-onset T2DM (onset at age < 50.5 years) and to test associations between early-onset T2DM and race/ethnicity, and other hypothesized predictors. METHODS: We pooled data from the annual National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) over the years 2001 through 2018. We tested hypotheses of association and identified predictors using stepwise logistic regression analysis, and 11 supervised machine learning classification algorithms. RESULTS: After appropriate weighting, we estimated that among adults in the USA aged 20 + years with previously diagnosed T2DM, the prevalence of early-onset was 52.9% (95% confidence intervals, 49.6 to 56.2%). Among Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) the prevalence was 48.6% (95% CI, 44.6 to 52.6%), among Non-Hispanic Blacks: 56.9% (95% CI, 51.8 to 62.0%), among Hispanics: 62.7% (95% CI, 53.2 to 72.3%). In the final multivariable logistic regression model, the top-3 markers predicting early-onset T2DM in males were NHB ethnicity (OR = 2.97; 95% CI: 2.24-3.95) > tobacco smoking (OR = 2.79; 95% CI: 2.18-3.58) > high education level (OR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.27-2.14) in males. In females, the ranking was tobacco smoking (OR = 2.59; 95% CI: 1.90-3.53) > Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.08-2.05) > obesity (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 0.91-1.86) in females. The acculturation score emerged from the machine learning approach as the dominant marker explaining the race disparity in early-onset T2DM. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of early-onset T2DM was higher among NHB and Hispanic people, than among NHW people. Independently of race/ethnicity, acculturation, tobacco smoking, education level, marital status, obesity, and hypertension were also predictive.

Retirement status and physical activity in US adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Influence of sex, race/ethnicity and acculturation level.

AIMS: We aimed to assess the association between retirement status and recreational physical activity (rPA) in US adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), while accounting for potential modification effects. METHODS: We extracted data from the 2007-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We used logistic regression models to evaluate the association between self-reported retirement status and high rPA (i.e., at least 150 min/week). We reported adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). We estimated the modification effect of sex, race/ethnicity, and acculturation level by including interaction terms into the models. RESULTS: Of the 992 U.S. adults with T2DM, 34.8% was retired. As a whole, retirement was associated with high rPA (aOR=1.87 [95% CI: 1.16-3.00]; P = 0.0110). Retirement was associated with high odds of rPA in females (aOR=2.07 [95% CI, 1.14, 3.73], P = 0.0171), in non-Hispanic whites (aOR=2.57 [95% CI, 1.32, 5.00], P = 0.0062), and in those with high acculturation level (aOR=1.85 [95% CI, 1.07, 3.19], P = 0.0273). We observed no significant statistical interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Retirement is associated with a high participation to rPA in US adults with T2DM, and the amplitude varies by sex, race/ethnicity and acculturation level. Intervention for improving rPA in adults with T2DM should collect and consider information on retirement status.

Socioeconomic inequalities, psychosocial stressors at work and physician-diagnosed depression: Time-to-event mediation analysis in the presence of time-varying confounders.

OBJECTIVES: There is evidence that both low socioeconomic status (SES) and psychosocial stressors at work (PSW) increase risk of depression, but prospective studies on the contribution of PSW to the socioeconomic gradient of depression are still limited. METHODS: Using a prospective cohort of Quebec white-collar workers (n = 9188 participants, 50% women), we estimated randomized interventional analogues of the natural direct effect of SES indicators at baseline (education level, household income, occupation type and a combined measure) and of their natural indirect effects mediated through PSW (job strain and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) measured at the follow-up in 1999-2001) on incident physician-diagnosed depression. RESULTS: During 3 years of follow-up, we identified 469 new cases (women: 33.1 per 1000 person-years; men: 16.8). Mainly in men, low SES was a risk factor for depression [education: hazard ratio 1.72 (1.08-2.73); family income: 1.67 (1.04-2.67); occupational type: 2.13 (1.08-4.19)]. In the entire population, exposure to psychosocial stressors at work was associated with increased risk of depression [job strain: 1.42 (1.14-1.78); effort-reward imbalance (ERI) 1.73 (1.41-2.12)]. The estimated indirect effects of socioeconomic indicators on depression mediated through job strain ranged from 1.01 (0.99-1.03) to 1.04 (0.98-1.10), 4-15% of total effects, and for low reward from 1.02 (1.00-1.03) to 1.06 (1.01-1.11), 10-15% of total effects. DISCUSSION: Our study suggests that PSW only slightly mediate the socioeconomic gradient of depression, but that socioeconomic inequalities, especially among men, and PSW both increase the incidence of depression.

The Influence of Age, Sex, and Socioeconomic Status on Glycemic Control Among People With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in Canada: Patient-Led Longitudinal Retrospective Cross-sectional Study With Multiple Time Points of Measurement.

BACKGROUND: Clinical guidelines for most adults with diabetes recommend maintaining hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels ≤7% (≤53 mmol/mol) to avoid microvascular and macrovascular complications. People with diabetes of different ages, sexes, and socioeconomic statuses may differ in their ease of attaining this goal. OBJECTIVE: As a team of people with diabetes, researchers, and health professionals, we aimed to explore patterns in HbA1c results among people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in Canada. Our research question was identified by people living with diabetes. METHODS: In this patient-led retrospective cross-sectional study with multiple time points of measurement, we used generalized estimating equations to analyze the associations of age, sex, and socioeconomic status with 947,543 HbA1c results collected from 2010 to 2019 among 90,770 people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in Canada and housed in the Canadian National Diabetes Repository. People living with diabetes reviewed and interpreted the results. RESULTS: HbA1c results ≤7.0% represented 30.5% (male people living with type 1 diabetes), 21% (female people living with type 1 diabetes), 55% (male people living with type 2 diabetes) and 59% (female people living with type 2 diabetes) of results in each subcategory. We observed higher HbA1c values during adolescence, and for people living with type 2 diabetes, among people living in lower income areas. Among those with type 1 diabetes, female people tended to have lower HbA1c levels than male people during childbearing years but higher HbA1c levels than male people during menopausal years. Team members living with diabetes confirmed that the patterns we observed reflected their own life courses and suggested that these results be communicated to health professionals and other stakeholders to improve the treatment for people living with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of people with diabetes in Canada may need additional support to reach or maintain the guideline-recommended glycemic control goals. Blood sugar management goals may be particularly challenging for people going through adolescence or menopause or those living with fewer financial resources. Health professionals should be aware of the challenging nature of glycemic management, and policy makers in Canada should provide more support for people with diabetes to live healthy lives.

Work-Related Psychosocial Factors and Global Cognitive Function: Are Telomere Length and Low-Grade Inflammation Potential Mediators of This Association?

The identification of modifiable factors that could maintain cognitive function is a public health priority. It is thought that some work-related psychosocial factors help developing cognitive reserve through high intellectual complexity. However, they also have well-known adverse health effects and are considered to be chronic psychosocial stressors. Indeed, these stressors could increase low-grade inflammation and promote oxidative stress associated with accelerated telomere shortening. Both low-grade inflammation and shorter telomeres have been associated with a cognitive decline. This study aimed to evaluate the total, direct, and indirect effects of work-related psychosocial factors on global cognitive function overall and by sex, through telomere length and an inflammatory index. A random sample of 2219 participants followed over 17 years was included in this study, with blood samples and data with cognitive function drawn from a longitudinal study of 9188 white-collar workers (51% female). Work-related psychosocial factors were evaluated according to the Demand-Control-Support and the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) models. Global cognitive function was evaluated with the validated Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Telomere length and inflammatory biomarkers were measured using standardised protocols. The direct and indirect effects were estimated using a novel mediation analysis method developed for multiple correlated mediators. Associations were observed between passive work or low job control, and shorter telomeres among females, and between low social support at work, ERI or iso-strain, and a higher inflammatory index among males. An association was observed with higher cognitive performance for longer telomeres, but not for the inflammatory index. Passive work overall, and low reward were associated with lower cognitive performance in males; whereas, high psychological demand in both males and females and high job strain in females were associated with a higher cognitive performance. However, none of these associations were mediated by telomere length or the inflammatory index. This study suggests that some work-related psychosocial factors could be associated with shorter telomeres and low-grade inflammation, but these associations do not explain the relationship between work-related psychosocial factors and global cognitive function. A better understanding of the biological pathways, by which these factors affect cognitive function, could guide future preventive strategies to maintain cognitive function and promote healthy aging.

A Personalized Avatar-Based Web Application to Help People Understand How Social Distancing Can Reduce the Spread of COVID-19: Cross-sectional, Observational, Pre-Post Study.

BACKGROUND: To reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the associated spread of COVID-19, many jurisdictions around the world imposed mandatory or recommended social or physical distancing. As a result, at the beginning of the pandemic, various communication materials appeared online to promote distancing. Explanations of the science underlying these mandates or recommendations were either highly technical or highly simplified. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand the effects of a dynamic visualization on distancing. Our overall aim was to help people understand the dynamics of the spread of COVID-19 in their community and the implications of their own behavior for themselves, those around them, the health care system, and society. METHODS: Using Scrum, which is an agile framework; JavaScript (Vue.js framework); and code already developed for risk communication in another context of infectious disease transmission, we rapidly developed a new personalized web application. In our application, people make avatars that represent themselves and the people around them. These avatars are integrated into a 3-minute animation illustrating an epidemiological model for COVID-19 transmission, showing the differences in transmission with and without distancing. During the animation, the narration explains the science of how distancing reduces the transmission of COVID-19 in plain language in English or French. The application offers full captions to complement the narration and a descriptive transcript for people using screen readers. We used Google Analytics to collect standard usage statistics. A brief, anonymous, optional survey also collected self-reported distancing behaviors and intentions in the previous and coming weeks, respectively. We launched and disseminated the application on Twitter and Facebook on April 8, 2020, and April 9, 2020. RESULTS: After 26 days, the application received 3588 unique hits from 82 countries. The optional survey at the end of the application collected 182 responses. Among this small subsample of users, survey respondents were nearly (170/177, 96%) already practicing distancing and indicated that they intended to practice distancing in the coming week (172/177, 97.2%). Among the small minority of people (n=7) who indicated that they had not been previously practicing distancing, 2 (29%) reported that they would practice distancing in the week to come. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a web application to help people understand the relationship between individual-level behavior and population-level effects in the context of an infectious disease spread. This study also demonstrates how agile development can be used to quickly create personalized risk messages for public health issues like a pandemic. The nonrandomized design of this rapid study prevents us from concluding the application's effectiveness; however, results thus far suggest that avatar-based visualizations may help people understand their role in infectious disease transmission.

Prediction models of diabetes complications: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes often places a large burden on people with diabetes (hereafter 'patients') and the society, that is, in part attributable to its complications. However, evidence from models predicting diabetes complications in patients remains unclear. With the collaboration of patient partners, we aimed to describe existing prediction models of physical and mental health complications of diabetes. METHODS: Building on existing frameworks, we systematically searched for studies in Ovid-Medline and Embase. We included studies describing prognostic prediction models that used data from patients with pre-diabetes or any type of diabetes, published between 2000 and 2020. Independent reviewers screened articles, extracted data and narratively synthesised findings using established reporting standards. RESULTS: Overall, 78 studies reported 260 risk prediction models of cardiovascular complications (n=42 studies), mortality (n=16), kidney complications (n=14), eye complications (n=10), hypoglycaemia (n=8), nerve complications (n=3), cancer (n=2), fracture (n=2) and dementia (n=1). Prevalent complications deemed important by patients such as amputation and mental health were poorly or not at all represented. Studies primarily analysed data from older people with type 2 diabetes (n=54), with little focus on pre-diabetes (n=0), type 1 diabetes (n=8), younger (n=1) and racialised people (n=10). Per complication, predictors vary substantially between models. Studies with details of calibration and discrimination mostly exhibited good model performance. CONCLUSION: This rigorous knowledge synthesis provides evidence of gaps in the landscape of diabetes complication prediction models. Future studies should address unmet needs for analyses of complications n> and among patient groups currently under-represented in the literature and should consistently report relevant statistics. SCOPING REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://osf.io/fjubt/.

Clarifying Values: An Updated and Expanded Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patient decision aids should help people make evidence-informed decisions aligned with their values. There is limited guidance about how to achieve such alignment. PURPOSE: To describe the range of values clarification methods available to patient decision aid developers, synthesize evidence regarding their relative merits, and foster collection of evidence by offering researchers a proposed set of outcomes to report when evaluating the effects of values clarification methods. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL. STUDY SELECTION: We included articles that described randomized trials of 1 or more explicit values clarification methods. From 30,648 records screened, we identified 33 articles describing trials of 43 values clarification methods. DATA EXTRACTION: Two independent reviewers extracted details about each values clarification method and its evaluation. DATA SYNTHESIS: Compared to control conditions or to implicit values clarification methods, explicit values clarification methods decreased the frequency of values-incongruent choices (risk difference, -0.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.06 to -0.02; P < 0.001) and decisional conflict (standardized mean difference, -0.20; 95% CI, -0.29 to -0.11; P < 0.001). Multicriteria decision analysis led to more values-congruent decisions than other values clarification methods (χ2 = 9.25, P = 0.01). There were no differences between different values clarification methods regarding decisional conflict (χ2 = 6.08, P = 0.05). LIMITATIONS: Some meta-analyses had high heterogeneity. We grouped values clarification methods into broad categories. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence suggests patient decision aids should include an explicit values clarification method. Developers may wish to specifically consider multicriteria decision analysis. Future evaluations of values clarification methods should report their effects on decisional conflict, decisions made, values congruence, and decisional regret.

Psychosocial stressors at work and inflammatory biomarkers: PROspective Quebec Study on Work and Health.

BACKGROUND: Chronic low-grade inflammation has been associated with high risk of several chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, depression, and dementia. As low-grade inflammation could be present long before the apparition of the disease, identifying modifiable risk factors could allow to act upstream. Psychosocial stressors at work have been suggested as modifiable risk factors of low-grade inflammation, but few longitudinal studies have evaluated the association between these stressors and inflammatory biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). OBJECTIVE: This longitudinal study evaluate the associations between exposure to psychosocial stressors at work and CRP and IL-6, separately and combined into an inflammatory index. METHODS: Data came from a cohort of 9188 white-collar workers recruited in 1991-1993 (T1) and followed-up after 8 (T2, 1999-2000) and 24 (T3, 2015-2018) years. Participants included in this study were randomly selected at T3 for serum biomarkers studies (n = 2557). CRP and IL-6 were measured using standardized protocols. Psychosocial stressors at work were assessed at T2 according to recognized models: Karasek's Demand-Control-Support model and Siegrist's Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model, using validated questionnaires. High job strain was defined by an exposure to high psychological demand combined with low job control, and iso-strain was defined by an exposure to high job strain combined with low social support at work. ERI was defined by an imbalance between psychological demand and social, economic, and organizational reward. Several covariates were considered including sociodemographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle characteristics, and comorbidities. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the highest quartile of CRP, IL-6 and inflammatory index at T3 according to psychosocial stressors at work measured at T2 were calculated using generalized estimating equations. Multiple imputation and inverse probability of censoring weighting were done. RESULTS: In men, an association was observed between exposure to iso-strain and the inflammatory index (PR of 1.42 (95% CI: 1.06;1.90)), mainly among men aged less than 65 years (PR of 2.00 (95% CI: 1.37;2.92)). In this same age group, associations with inflammatory biomarkers were also observed among men with exposure to ERI, and among women with exposure to low reward at work or moderate social support at work. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that psychosocial stressors at work may increase low-grade inflammation. However, further studies are needed to corroborate these results and to clarify the potential differences between men and women. As these stressors are frequent and modifiable, their reduction is important for public health and could play a role in the primary prevention of chronic diseases.

Cumulative exposure to psychosocial stressors at work and global cognitive function: the PROspective Quebec Study on Work and Health.

OBJECTIVES: Psychosocial stressors at work have been proposed as modifiable risk factors for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cumulative exposure to psychosocial stressors at work on cognitive function. METHODS: This study was conducted among 9188 white-collar workers recruited in 1991-1993 (T1), with follow-ups 8 (T2) and 24 years later (T3). After excluding death, losses to follow-up and retirees at T2, 5728 participants were included. Psychosocial stressors at work were measured according to the Karasek's questionnaire. Global cognitive function was measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Cumulative exposures to low psychological demand, low job control, passive job and high strain job were evaluated using marginal structural models including multiple imputation and inverse probability of censoring weighting. RESULTS: In men, cumulative exposures (T1 and T2) to low psychological demand, low job control or passive job were associated with higher prevalences of more severe presentation of MCI (MSMCI) at T3 (Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs of 1.50 (1.16 to 1.94); 1.38 (1.07 to 1.79) and 1.55 (1.20 to 2.00), respectively), but not with milder presentation of MCI. In women, only exposure to low psychological demand or passive job at T2 was associated with higher prevalences of MSMCI at T3 (PRs and 95% CI of 1.39 (0.97 to 1.99) and 1.29 (0.94 to 1.76), respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These results support the deleterious effect of a low stimulating job on cognitive function and the cognitive reserve theory. Psychosocial stressors at work could be part of the effort for the primary prevention of cognitive decline.

Health effects of climate change: an overview of systematic reviews.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to develop a systematic synthesis of systematic reviews of health impacts of climate change, by synthesising studies' characteristics, climate impacts, health outcomes and key findings. DESIGN: We conducted an overview of systematic reviews of health impacts of climate change. We registered our review in PROSPERO (CRD42019145972). No ethical approval was required since we used secondary data. Additional data are not available. DATA SOURCES: On 22 June 2019, we searched Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, Cochrane and Web of Science. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We included systematic reviews that explored at least one health impact of climate change. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: We organised systematic reviews according to their key characteristics, including geographical regions, year of publication and authors' affiliations. We mapped the climate effects and health outcomes being studied and synthesised major findings. We used a modified version of A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) to assess the quality of studies. RESULTS: We included 94 systematic reviews. Most were published after 2015 and approximately one-fifth contained meta-analyses. Reviews synthesised evidence about five categories of climate impacts; the two most common were meteorological and extreme weather events. Reviews covered 10 health outcome categories; the 3 most common were (1) infectious diseases, (2) mortality and (3) respiratory, cardiovascular or neurological outcomes. Most reviews suggested a deleterious impact of climate change on multiple adverse health outcomes, although the majority also called for more research. CONCLUSIONS: Most systematic reviews suggest that climate change is associated with worse human health. This study provides a comprehensive higher order summary of research on health impacts of climate change. Study limitations include possible missed relevant reviews, no meta-meta-analyses, and no assessment of overlap. Future research could explore the potential explanations between these associations to propose adaptation and mitigation strategies and could include broader sociopsychological health impacts of climate change.

Observer Ratings of Shared Decision Making Do Not Match Patient Reports: An Observational Study in 5 Family Medicine Practices.

BACKGROUND: Measuring shared decision making (SDM) in clinical practice is important to improve the quality of health care. Measurement can be done by trained observers and by people participating in the clinical encounter, namely, patients. This study aimed to describe the correlations between patients' and observers' ratings of SDM using 2 validated and 2 nonvalidated SDM measures in clinical consultations. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 238 complete dyads of health professionals and patients in 5 university-affiliated family medicine clinics in Canada. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires before and after audio-recorded medical consultations. Observers rated the occurrence of SDM during medical consultations using both the validated OPTION-5 (the 5-item "observing patient involvement" score) and binary questions on risk communication and values clarification (RCVC-observer). Patients rated SDM using both the 9-item Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q9) and binary questions on risk communication and values clarification (RCVC-patient). RESULTS: Agreement was low between observers' and patients' ratings of SDM using validated OPTION-5 and SDM-Q9, respectively (ρ = 0.07; P = 0.38). Observers' ratings using RCVC-observer were correlated to patients' ratings using either SDM-Q9 (rpb = -0.16; P = 0.01) or RCVC-patients (rpb = 0.24; P = 0.03). Observers' OPTION-5 scores and patients' ratings using RCVC-questions were moderately correlated (rφ = 0.33; P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: There was moderate to no alignment between observers' and patients' ratings of SDM using both validated and nonvalidated measures. This lack of strong correlation emphasizes that observer and patient perspectives are not interchangeable. When assessing the presence, absence, or extent of SDM, it is important to clearly state whose perspectives are reflected.

Validity of participants' self-reported diagnosis for a work absence due to a mental health problem compared with physician-certified diagnosis for the same work absence among 709 Canadian workers.

OBJECTIVES: This study assesses the validity of a self-reported mental health problem (MHP) diagnosis as the reason for a work absence of 5 days or more compared with a physician-certified MHP diagnosis related to the same work absence. The potential modifying effect of absence duration on validity is also examined. METHODS: A total of 709 participants (1031 sickness absence episodes) were selected and interviewed. Total per cent agreement, Cohen's kappa, sensitivity and specificity values were calculated using the physician-certified MHP diagnosis related to a given work absence as the reference standard. Stratified analyses of total agreement, sensitivity and specificity values were also examined by duration of work absence (5-20 workdays,>20 workdays). RESULTS: Total agreement value for self-reported MHP was 90%. Cohen's kappa value was substantial (0.74). Sensitivity was 77% and specificity was 95%. Absences of more than 20 workdays had a better sensitivity than absences of shorter duration. A high specificity was observed for both short and longer absence episodes. CONCLUSION: This study showed high specificity and good sensitivity of self-reported MHP diagnosis compared with physician-certified MHP diagnosis for the same work absence. Absences of longer durations had a better sensitivity.

Predictive models of diabetes complications: protocol for a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a highly prevalent chronic disease that places a large burden on individuals and health care systems. Models predicting the risk (also called predictive models) of other conditions often compare people with and without diabetes, which is of little to no relevance for people already living with diabetes (called patients). This review aims to identify and synthesize findings from existing predictive models of physical and mental health diabetes-related conditions. METHODS: We will use the scoping review frameworks developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute and Levac and colleagues. We will perform a comprehensive search for studies from Ovid MEDLINE and Embase databases. Studies involving patients with prediabetes and all types of diabetes will be considered, regardless of age and gender. We will limit the search to studies published between 2000 and 2018. There will be no restriction of studies based on country or publication language. Abstracts, full-text screening, and data extraction will be done independently by two individuals. Data abstraction will be conducted using a standard methodology. We will undertake a narrative synthesis of findings while considering the quality of the selected models according to validated and well-recognized tools and reporting standards. DISCUSSION: Predictive models are increasingly being recommended for risk assessment in treatment decision-making and clinical guidelines. This scoping review will provide an overview of existing predictive models of diabetes complications and how to apply them. By presenting people at higher risk of specific complications, this overview may help to enhance shared decision-making and preventive strategies concerning diabetes complications. Our anticipated limitation is potentially missing models because we will not search grey literature.

What Helps People Make Values-Congruent Medical Decisions? Eleven Strategies Tested across 6 Studies.

Background. High-quality health decisions are often defined as those that are both evidence informed and values congruent. A values-congruent decision aligns with what matters to those most affected by the decision. Values clarification methods are intended to support values-congruent decisions, but their effects on values congruence are rarely evaluated. Methods. We tested 11 strategies, including the 3 most commonly used values clarification methods, across 6 between-subjects online randomized experiments in demographically diverse US populations (n1 = 1346, n2 = 456, n3 = 840, n4 = 1178, n5 = 841, n6 = 2033) in the same hypothetical decision. Our primary outcome was values congruence. Decisional conflict was a secondary outcome in studies 3 to 6. Results. Two commonly used values clarification methods (pros and cons, rating scales) reduced decisional conflict but did not encourage values-congruent decisions. Strategies using mathematical models to show participants which option aligned with what mattered to them encouraged values-congruent decisions and reduced decisional conflict when assessed. Limitations. A hypothetical decision was necessary for ethical reasons, as we believed some strategies may harm decision quality. Later studies used more outcomes and covariates. Results may not generalize outside US-based adults with online access. We assumed validity and stability of values during the brief experiments. Conclusions. Failing to explicitly support the process of aligning options with values leads to increased proportions of values-incongruent decisions. Methods representing more than half of values clarification methods commonly in use failed to encourage values-congruent decisions. Methods that use models to explicitly show people how options align with their values offer more promise for helping people make decisions aligned with what matters to them. Decisional conflict, while arguably an important outcome in and of itself, is not an appropriate proxy for values congruence.

Differences between women and men in the relationship between psychosocial stressors at work and work absence due to mental health problem.

OBJECTIVES: Women have a higher incidence of mental health problems compared with men. Psychosocial stressors at work are associated with mental health problems. However, few prospective studies have examined the association between these stressors and objectively measured outcomes of mental health. Moreover, evidence regarding potential differences between women and men in this association is scarce and inconsistent. This study investigates whether psychosocial stressors at work are associated with the 7.5-year incidence of medically certified work absence due to a mental health problem, separately for women and men. METHODS: Data from a prospective cohort of white-collar workers in Canada (n=7138; 47.3% women) were used. We performed Cox regression models to examine the prospective association between self-reported psychosocial stressors at work (job strain model) at baseline and the 7.5-year HR of medically certified work absence of ≥5 days due to a mental health problem. RESULTS: During follow-up, 11.9% of participants had a certified work absence, with a twofold higher incidence among women. Women (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.93) and men (HR 1.41, 95% CI 0.97 to 2.05) exposed to high strain (high demands and low control) had a higher incidence of work absence compared with those unexposed. Among women only, those exposed to an active job situation (high demands and high control) also had a higher risk (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.56). CONCLUSIONS: Prevention efforts aimed at reducing psychosocial stressors at work could help lower the risk of work absence for both women and men. However, important differences between women and men need to be further studied in order to orient these efforts.

Patients' perspectives on how to improve diabetes care and self-management: qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: People living with diabetes need and deserve high-quality, individualised care. However, providing such care remains a challenge in many countries, including Canada. Patients' expertise, if acknowledged and adequately translated, could help foster patient-centred care. This study aimed to describe Expert Patients' knowledge, wisdom and advice to others with diabetes and to health professionals to improve diabetes self-management and care. DESIGN AND METHODS: We recruited a convenience sample of 21 men and women. Participants were people of diverse backgrounds who are Patient Partners in a national research network (hereafter Expert Patients). We interviewed and video-recorded their knowledge, wisdom and advice for health professionals and for others with diabetes. Three researchers independently analysed videos using inductive framework analysis, identifying themes through discussion and consensus. Expert Patients were involved in all aspects of study design, conduct, analysis and knowledge translation. RESULTS: Acknowledging and accepting the reality of diabetes, receiving support from family and care teams and not letting diabetes control one's life are essential to live well with diabetes. To improve diabetes care, health professionals should understand and acknowledge the impact of diabetes on patients and their families, and communicate with patients openly, respectfully, with empathy and cultural competency. CONCLUSION: Expert Patients pointed to a number of areas of improvement in diabetes care that may be actionable individually by patients or health professionals, and also collectively through intergroup collaboration. Improving the quality of care in diabetes is crucial for improving health outcomes for people with diabetes.

Health professionals and patients' perspectives on person-centred maternal and child healthcare in Burkina Faso.

CONTEXT: The person-centred approach (PCA) is a promising avenue for care improvement. However, health professionals in Burkina Faso (hereafter referred to as caregivers) seem unprepared for taking into consideration patients' preferences and values in the context of healthcare provision. OBJECTIVE: To understand the meaning attributed to PCA in the Burkina Faso context of care and to identify the challenges related to its adoption from the perspective of caregivers and women service users (hereafter referred to as patients). METHODS: An ethnographic qualitative research design was used in this study. We conducted 31 semi-directed interviews with caregivers and patients from Koudougou (Burkina Faso) healthcare facilities. We also carried out direct observation of consultations. Data thematic analyses are based on the person-centred approach analysis framework. RESULTS: According to the caregivers and patients interviewed, the PCA in maternal and child healthcare in Burkina Faso includes the following five components used in our analytical framework: i) pregnancy follow-up consultations extend beyond examining physical health issues (biopsychosocial component), ii) healthcare professionals' mood affects the caregiver-patient relationship as well as care delivery (the healthcare professional as a person), iii) patients expect to be well received, listened to, and respected (the patient as a person), iv) healthcare professionals first acknowledge that both themselves and patients have power, rights but also responsibilities (sharing power, rights and responsibilities of professionals and patients), and v) healthcare professionals who are open to involving patients in decision-making about their care and patients asking to have a say in the organization of services (therapeutic alliance). Implementing each of these themes comes with challenges, such as i) talking about health problems in the presence of other women, especially those related to sexuality, even though they are common to parturient women (biopsychosocial component); ii) offering psychotherapy to healthcare professionals (healthcare professional as a person); iii) taking into consideration patients' cultural and linguistic differences (the patient as a person); iv) raising awareness among patients about their right to ask questions and healthcare professionals' duty to answer them (sharing power, and rights and responsibilities of professionals and patients); v) accepting the presence of birth attendants while avoiding traditional practices that are contrary to scientific recommendations (therapeutic alliance). CONCLUSION: Despite some context-specific particularities, the PCA is not new in the context of health care in Burkina Faso. However, its implementation can pose a number of challenges. There is a need to train healthcare professionals with a view to being sensitive to these particularities. This may also require organizational adjustments so as to create the physical and sociocultural environments that are conducive to taking into account the patient's perspective.