Role of decentralized clinical trials in cancer drug development: Results from a survey of oncologists and patients.

As a result of the unprecedented challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on enrollment to cancer clinical trials, there has been an urgency to identify and incorporate new solutions to mitigate these difficulties. The concept of decentralized or hybrid clinical trials has rapidly gained currency, given that it aims to reduce patient burden, increase patient enrollment and retention, and preserve quality of life, while also increasing the efficiency of trial logistics. Therefore, the clinical trial environment is moving toward remote collection and assessment of data, transitioning from the classic site-centric model to one that is more patient-centric.

Measuring Substance-Related Disorders Using Canadian Administrative Health Databanks: Interprovincial Comparisons of Recorded Diagnostic Rates, Incidence Proportions and Mortality Rate Ratios.

CONTEXT: Assessing temporal changes in the recorded diagnostic rates, incidence proportions, and health outcomes of substance-related disorders (SRD) can inform public health policymakers in reducing harms associated with alcohol and other drugs. OBJECTIVE: To report the annual and cumulative recorded diagnostic rates and incidence proportions of SRD, as well as mortality rate ratios (MRRs) by cause of death among this group in Canada, according to their province of residence. METHODS: Analyses were performed on linked administrative health databases (AHD; physician claims, hospitalizations, and vital statistics) in five Canadian provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia). Canadians 12 years and older and registered for their provincial healthcare coverage were included. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes) was used for case identification of SRD from April 2001 to March 2018. RESULTS: During the study period, the annual recorded SRD diagnostic rates increased in Alberta (2001-2002: 8.0‰; 2017-2018: 12.8‰), Ontario (2001-2002: 11.5‰; 2017-2018: 14.4‰), and Nova Scotia (2001-2002: 6.4‰; 2017-2018: 12.7‰), but remained stable in Manitoba (2001-2002: 5.5‰; 2017-2018: 5.4‰) and Québec (2001-2002 and 2017-2018: 7.5‰). Cumulative recorded SRD diagnostic rates increased steadily for all provinces. Recorded incidence proportions increased significantly in Alberta (2001-2002: 4.5‰; 2017-2018: 5.0‰) and Nova Scotia (2001-2002: 3.3‰; 2017-2018: 3.8‰), but significantly decreased in Ontario (2001-2002: 6.2‰; 2017-2018: 4.7‰), Québec (2001-2002: 4.1‰; 2017-2018: 3.2‰) and Manitoba (2001-2002: 2.7‰; 2017-2018: 2.0‰). For almost all causes of death, a higher MRR was found among individuals with recorded SRD than in the general population. The causes of death in 2015-2016 with the highest MRR for SRD individuals were SRD, suicide, and non-suicide trauma in Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, and Québec. DISCUSSION: Linked AHD covering almost the entire population can be useful to monitor the medical service trends of SRD and, therefore, guide health services planning in Canadian provinces.

Infrared Thermographic Analysis of Surface Temperature of the Hands During Exposure to Normobaric Hypoxia.

Frostbite and other cold-related injuries commonly develop during prolonged exposure to the low environmental temperatures of polar and mountainous regions. Hypoxia is a potent sympathetic stimulus that causes vasoconstriction of the peripheral blood vessels, which may further compound the risk of developing a cold-related injury during high-altitude exposure. To investigate this, we utilized portable infrared thermographic technology to quantitatively measure changes in the surface temperature of the hands during exposure to increasing levels of normobaric hypoxia in a temperature-controlled high-altitude simulation. Surface temperature was assessed at four anatomical locations on both the left and right hands in a cohort of 10 healthy male participants at a series of predetermined levels of hypoxia (0.20 fraction of inspired oxygen [FIO2] [pre- and postexposure], 0.172 FIO2, 0.145 FIO2, 0.128 FIO2). Thermographic analysis revealed an overall decrease in peripheral temperature across the anatomical regions of the hands as the hypoxic stimulus increased, with statistically significant reductions observed at all four anatomical sites during exposure to 0.128 FIO2 (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that portable infrared thermography can be used to detect reductions in peripheral surface body temperature during exposure to normobaric hypoxia.

Adults' use of health services in the year before death by suicide in Alberta.

BACKGROUND: The suicide rate in Alberta is consistently above the Canadian average. Health care use profiles of those who die by suicide in Alberta are currently unknown. DATA AND METHODS: Death records were selected for people aged 25 to 64 with suicide coded as the underlying cause of death from April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2006. The death records were linked to administrative records pertaining to physician visits, emergency department visits, inpatient hospital separations, and community mental health visits. The control group was the Alberta population aged 25 to 64 who did not die by suicide. Frequency estimates were produced to determine the characteristics of the study population. Odds ratios relating to demographics, exposure to health care services, and case-control status were estimated with logistic regression. RESULTS: Almost 90% of suicides had a health service in the year before their death. Suicides averaged 16.6 visits per person, compared with 7.7 visits for non-suicides. Much of the health service use among people who died by suicide appears to have been driven by mental disorders. INTERPRETATION: Information about health service delivery to those who die by suicide can guide prevention and intervention efforts.