Teaching (remotely) to communicate (remotely) with relatives of patients during lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aim: In 2020, due to the pandemic, the lack of specific knowledge on breaking bad news over the phone became apparent. This study aims at assessing the differences, or lack thereof, in satisfaction reported by participants in the different formats of a course in telephone communication for breaking bad news to families of patients, developed based on the previous experience of a team dedicated to this task during the peak of the pandemic. Methods: Four courses were delivered, two in a fully streamed format and two in a blended format, part pre-recorded, part streamed. There were 41 attendants, mostly doctors, but also nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and administrative staff who deal with families. Subsequently, a survey was conducted to assess the degree of satisfaction of the participants. Results: Both formats scored very positively, with small advantages for the fully streamed format, mainly due to the difference in interaction activities. Conclusions: The main conclusion is the need for these courses, which are demanded by the professionals themselves, without forgetting the benefit obtained from interprofessional education that enriches interaction and learning. Innovation: The inclusion of administrative staff allows for a global vision of care for family members, which improves it.

The suggestive nature of words. Media coverage of homeopathy, acupuncture, reiki and Bach flower remedies in Spanish press 2011-2016.

The maxim of proponents of pseudoscience is to spread ignorance through false perceptions of its scientific status. One of its most attractive - and simultaneously harmful - manifestations is complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Despite the scientific evidence against them, CAM has taken hold in today's society as a therapeutic model for a growing segment of the population. We analysed 379 articles on homeopathy, acupuncture, reiki and Bach flower remedies published in mainstream Spanish newspapers (El País, El Mundo, La Vanguardia, El Periódico and ABC) for the period 2011-2016, finding that disinformation is participated in actively by the Spanish press. CAM content was detected in these newspapers, together with a lack of an editorial perspective. In most of the cases, the uncritical articles were found in the interpretive genre and the society section. We also characterized the pseudoscientific discourse aimed at the public, finding that it is irrational and fraudulent in sowing fear and distrust regarding science. On the basis of theories invalidated by the scientific method and on appeals to the emotions, pseudoscience not only threatens scientific knowledge, but directly undermines public health by encouraging the abandonment of conventional medicine. In order to remedy this situation, better scientific training, informative screening and editorial commitment is urgently needed in the Spanish press.

Telephone communication with relatives of hospitalised COVID-19 patients by a specialised family support team: lessons learned.

During March and April 2020, the number of hospital admissions and deaths due to the first wave of COVID-19 peaked. The objective of this study was to analyse the experiences of a team of health professionals in charge of breaking bad news over the telephone to the relatives of patients admitted to the respiratory ward of a large hospital in Barcelona. This was a qualitative research based on semi-structured individual interviews with all the members of the team and a group interview. The interviews were analysed using Condensation of Meaning techniques. Three central themes emerged after analysing the interviews: (1) the call itself, (2) the need for good organisational support both before and during a crisis, and (3) the care that the professionals themselves need. To set up a large-scale operation to break bad news over the phone, some organisational aspects must be considered that go beyond the call itself. All these aspects are interrelated to a large extent, and due attention should be given to proper communication and adequate care practices for both relatives and health workers.

Pharmacists' Attitudes to and Perceptions of Pseudoscience: How Pseudoscience Operates in Health and Social Communication.

Given the expansion of pseudoscience, there is a need to understand its mechanisms of diffusion. Our aim was to evaluate how pseudoscience operates among pharmacists. We performed 29 semi-structured interviews to assess the stance of pharmacists regarding pseudoscience. Interview data were analyzed qualitatively to seek common themes. Our results indicate that although pharmacists were broadly opposed to more extreme pseudoscientific practices, some attitudes were detected that may contribute to pseudoscience acceptance. We identified some of the processes by means of which pseudoscience boundaries with science are blurred: the minimization of risk, the hierarchy of health-related pseudoscientific therapies, inappropriate utilization of the notion of "innocuousness," and the use of the placebo effect as a justification for prescription. Discursive patterns typical of pseudoscientific argumentation were also recognized, such as contradictory arguments and the sequndum quid and ad antiquitatem fallacies, which, we conclude, may contribute to a greater acceptance of pseudoscience.

Calidad de las recomendaciones sobre actividad física saludable en la prensa. Análisis del contenido de cinco periódicos españoles / Quality of recommendations on health-enhancing physical activity in the press. Content analysis of five Spanish newspapers

Introducción: La inactividad física es una pandemia que provoca mundialmente millones de muertes prematuras, pero es un hábito que puede modificarse aumentando la cantidad y la calidad de la información disponible. En España y en el mundo, las noticias publicadas en los periódicos sobre salud y actividad física saludable (AFS) han aumentado, pero su calidad es cuestionable, según muestran varios estudios. Metodología: Se utiliza la técnica de análisis del contenido para analizar 12 variables de calidad desde las perspectivas comunicativa y científica en noticias sobre AFS publicadas en los periódicos generalistas con mayor difusión en España (2013-2014): El País, El Mundo, La Vanguardia, ABC y El Periódico. Resultados: La calidad de las noticias (n=100) obtiene una nota media de 6,3 puntos (s=1,9) en una escala de 0 a 10. Las variables satisfacen heterogéneamente la calidad; de mayor a menor: medicalización (96%); objetividad (94%); fuentes (80%); contexto (62%); credibilidad (61%); disponibilidad (54%); novedad (52%); veracidad (43%); alternativas (26%); emoción (20%); lenguaje divulgativo (19%), y magnitud (19%). Conclusiones: Aunque la calidad media de las noticias sobre AFS no es baja, existe un amplio margen de mejora. Sobre todo, en algunas de las variables analizadas para las que se aportan unas recomendaciones para la práctica periodística y para las fuentes de información científicas y profesionales

Introduction: The pandemic of physical inactivity causes millions of early deaths globally. However, inactivity can be reversed if more and better information is made available. While the number of news stories on health and health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) has increased globally and also in Spain, various studies show that the quality of these articles is often questionable. Methodology: Content analysis was used to analyze twelve quality variables from the scientific and media perspectives and five variables about the themes in news stories on HEPA published in five Spanish general-interest newspapers in the years 2013 and 2014: El País; El Mundo; La Vanguardia; ABC; and El Periódico. Results: The average score of quality of news stories (n=100) is 6.3 (s=1.9) on a scale from 0 to 10. The percentages of satisfactory quality variables are: medicalization (96%); objectivity (94%); sources (80%); context (62%); credibility (61%); availability (54%); novelty (52%); truthfulness (43%); alternatives (26%); emotion (20%); accessible language (19%); and magnitude (19%). Conclusions: The average quality of the newspaper articles on HEPA is intermediate. Further work is required, particularly regarding the following variables: alternatives; emotion; accessible language; and magnitude. Suggestions to improve journalistic practice and scientific dissemination (sources) are accordingly included

Science journalists' perceptions and attitudes to pseudoscience in Spain.

Using interviews and questionnaires, we explored the perceptions and attitudes of 49 Spanish science journalists regarding pseudoscience. Pseudoscience, understood as false knowledge that endeavours to pass as science, is a controversial and complex matter that potentially poses a risk to society. Given that concern over this issue has grown in recent years in Spain, our aim was to evaluate how pseudoscience operates in journalistic practice in Spanish media. Our data reveal not only a lack of editorial policies in regard to pseudoscience, but also the existence of a significant number of science journalists who make light of the potential threat implied by the pseudosciences in the media. Some journalists point to the lack of scientific training of editors and media managers as one of the reasons for the proliferation of the pseudosciences.