Sentiment analysis of the COVID-19 vaccine perception.

The sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the United States, as well as other countries, is driven by variants such as the Omicron substrain, BA4 and BA5. Keeping up to date with COVID-19 vaccination and wearing masks are essential tools for mitigating the pandemic. Social media plays a vital role in sharing and exchanging information, but it also affects perceptions of social phenomena. In this study, we conducted sentiment analysis and topic modeling to investigate vaccine perception using 338,465 COVID-19 vaccine-related comments collected from January 2020 to May 2021 on Reddit. This study stands apart from prior COVID-related research on social media, particularly on Reddit, as it conducted separate analyses for each COVID vaccine and examines public sentiment with various societal events, including vaccine development progress and government responses to COVID. The findings reveal two notable spikes in the number of comments containing the keyword "vaccine". This suggests that discussions about vaccines tend to increase during times of significant social and political events, indicating that people's attention and interest in the topic are influenced by current events. Understanding the public perception of vaccines and identifying factors influencing vaccine perception could help propose appropriate interventions to promote vaccination.

Predictive Analyses of COVID-19 Case Data to Estimate the Effectiveness of Nationwide Face Cover.

This study provided comparisons of confirmed cases between face-cover-required states and partially or not-required states from a time-series analysis on effects of face mask use in public based on eight different states between March 1 and June 15, 2020. In comparing face-cover-required states and partially or not-required states, it was very encouraging that the slope of the daily case trends turned negative after face-cover requirements in statewide face-cover-required states, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. However, the patterns of the daily case have been showing positive trends continuously in partially or not-required states, including California, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. Based on our prediction model, if nationwide face-cover requirements with social distancing were enacted on March 16, the estimated number of deaths would be about 15,600, which is 94,300 less than the actual number of deaths by June 15, 2020. We recommend that all states and the federal government require face coverings in order to reduce the risk of infectious diseases.

A Qualitative Analysis of Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening among Korean Americans.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most-commonly diagnosed cancer among Korean Americans after breast cancer, with incidence rates exceeding that of lung, prostate, and stomach cancers. However, CRC screening rates are lower among Korean Americans than the general U.S. population. To understand barriers to screening in this population, we conducted 11 focus groups with 51 Korean Americans ages 40+ in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area between 2011 and 2016. Our analysis used the Health Belief Model as a framework. Motivators to seek screening include a family or personal history of cancer or gastrointestinal disease (high perceived susceptibility), knowing people with CRC (high severity), favorable test results reducing worry (high benefits), and physician recommendations (cues to action). Barriers to screening include the common misperception that Korean lifestyles prevent CRC (low susceptibility), the belief that cancer is normal for older adults (low severity), the assumption that screening only benefits symptomatic people (low benefits), the costs and potential risks of testing along with a preference for traditional Korean approaches to wellness (high barriers), and lack of health insurance (low self-efficacy). Interventions seeking to increase the rate of cancer screening in the Korean American community will benefit from emphasizing the burden from CRC among Korean Americans (increasing perceived susceptibility to CRC), explaining that colonoscopies can prevent CRC rather than just diagnosing it (increasing perceived benefits of screening), reducing anxieties about test procedures and embarrassment (reducing perceived barriers to screening), and improving clinical communication (improving cues to action and self-efficacy).

Analysis of the technology acceptance model in examining hospital nurses' behavioral intentions toward the use of bar code medication administration.

Serious medication errors continue to exist in hospitals, even though there is technology that could potentially eliminate them such as bar code medication administration. Little is known about the degree to which the culture of patient safety is associated with behavioral intention to use bar code medication administration. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model, this study evaluated the relationships among patient safety culture and perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, and behavioral intention to use bar code medication administration technology among nurses in hospitals. Cross-sectional surveys with a convenience sample of 163 nurses using bar code medication administration were conducted. Feedback and communication about errors had a positive impact in predicting perceived usefulness (ß=.26, P<.01) and perceived ease of use (ß=.22, P<.05). In a multiple regression model predicting for behavioral intention, age had a negative impact (ß=-.17, P<.05); however, teamwork within hospital units (ß=.20, P<.05) and perceived usefulness (ß=.35, P<.01) both had a positive impact on behavioral intention. The overall bar code medication administration behavioral intention model explained 24% (P<.001) of the variance. Identified factors influencing bar code medication administration behavioral intention can help inform hospitals to develop tailored interventions for RNs to reduce medication administration errors and increase patient safety by using this technology.