The Tromsø Study: Lessons Learnt About Searching for Information About Health and Illness.

INTRODUCTION: Norway has a high use of e-health. METHODS: This paper summarizes and discusses the published data from the Tromsø 7 Study, conducted between 2015 and 2016, focusing on e-health utilization in the Norwegian population aged 40 and above. RESULTS: More than half of the participants reported using the Internet for health purposes. The main channels for obtaining information were search engines, apps, social media platforms, and online videos. The respondents frequently acted upon the information obtained online, and online health information influenced decisions regarding healthcare utilization and treatment management. Most respondents indicated a positive reaction to the information found online. CONCLUSIONS: The Tromsø 7 Study highlights the widespread utilization of e-health in Norway. The study also emphasizes the significant impact of e-health on individuals' decision-making processes related to their health. The findings suggest that the use of e-health overall does not replace the use of traditional health services, but rather functions as a supplement. Most respondents report positive reactions to online health information, highlighting the importance and relevance of e-health in modern healthcare practices.

Security and Privacy in Physical Activity Chatbots on Social Media: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Social media physical activity chatbots use both chatbots and social media platforms for physical activity promotion and, thus, could face privacy and security challenges inherent in both technologies. This study aims to provide an overview of physical activity chatbot interventions delivered via social media platforms, specifically focusing on security and privacy measures. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review on this topic across 4 databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore. We extracted and summarised information on the author, population, country of study, social media platform, intervention, data processed (i.e. gathered or stored), and security/privacy measures. RESULTS: Out of 1299 identified articles, 12 were included in the analysis reporting about 9 different chatbots. Although all chatbots applied data processing methods, only a few considered anonymisation. One paper stated compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations. Other studies enforced some verification procedures before chatbot use. CONCLUSION: Current research fails to adequately report security considerations in social media physical activity chatbot design. However, integration of chatbots into social media platforms seems to be declining, possibly due to security concerns.

Breaking down barriers to mental healthcare access in prison: a qualitative interview study with incarcerated males in Norway.

BACKGROUND: Mental health problems are highly prevalent in prison populations. Incarcerated persons generally come from disadvantaged backgrounds and are living under extraordinary conditions while in prison. Their healthcare needs are complex compared to the general population. Studies have found that incarcerated individuals are reluctant to seek help and that they experience challenges in accessing mental healthcare services. To some extent, seeking treatment depends on the degree of fit between potential users and health services, and actual use might be a better indication of accessibility than the fact that services are available. This study aimed to explore individual and systemic facilitators and barriers to accessing mental healthcare in a prison context. METHODS: An analytical approach drawing on elements of constructivist Grounded theory was the methodological basis of this study. Fifteen male participants were recruited from three prisons in Northern Norway. Data was collected through in-depth interviews on topics such as help-seeking experiences, perceived access to services and availability of health information. RESULTS: We found that distrust in the system, challenges with the referral routines, worries about negative consequences, and perceived limited access to mental healthcare were barriers to help-seeking among incarcerated individuals. How prison officers, and healthcare personnel respond to incarcerated persons reporting mental distress could also be critical for their future willingness to seek help. Providing information about mental health and available services, initiating outreaching mental health services, and integrating mental health interventions into treatment programs are examples of efforts that might reduce barriers to accessing services. CONCLUSIONS: Facilitating access to mental health services is crucial to accommodate the mental health needs of those incarcerated. This study provides insights into the complex interplay of individual, social and systemic factors that may contribute to the utilization of mental health care among incarcerated persons. We suggest that correctional and healthcare systems review their practices to facilitate access to healthcare for people in prison.

Major depression mistaken as frontotemporal dementia due to PET scan.

Clinicians should be aware that the hypometabolism associated with depression can mimic frontotemporal dementia on PET.

Do Two Weeks in a Learning Camp after Ninth Grade Make a Difference? Experiences of Demotivated Boys with an Increased Risk of School Dropout.

School dropout may have important negative consequences for the individual as well as for society. Because school grades in lower secondary education are essential for the completion of upper secondary school, remotivating demotivated ninth graders with an increased risk of dropping out seems vital. This study focuses on the experiences of Norwegian ninth grade boys at a learning camp aimed at preventing school dropout through increasing school engagement, learning, and well-being before tenth grade. We interviewed 17 of the 29 participants in one particular camp to study their experiences and analyze how they were related to the theoretical underpinning of the camp. The participants described the learning camp as a motivation boost, focusing on experiences with academic progress and increased self-regulation, factors aligning with central theoretical underpinnings of the intervention. The participants placed "connecting with others", as in peers and teachers, among the top two factors that contributed to their re-motivation, well-being, and academic progress.

Medication Reconciliation as Repair Work.

In Norway, the process of developing a national shared medication list has been underway for several years. The shared medication list provides an overview of all the medications used by a patient. However, its proper use requires that it be maintained regularly through so-called medication reconciliation processes in which health personnel clarify - and ask patients - what and how much medication they use. We explore the work embedded in the bedside medication reconciliation process at a hospital, the health personnel conducting this work and the implications for the shared medication list. We argue that reconciliation processes can be conceptualized as collective repair work that needs to be continued after the shared medication list is implemented.

Experiences of individuals with intellectual disability who lecture in higher education.

Introduction: Prior studies have suggested that adults with intellectual disabilities who are in employment in general report a high level of well-being and life satisfaction. Less is known about which experiences and outcomes that are most important for the experiences of those who are employed. Methods: We interviewed six persons with intellectual disabilities that worked as lecturers at a health and social education programme at a university about which experiences and outcomes that they believed were of importance to their work experiences. Results: The participants spontaneously focused on three main themes that described their experiences with work: the high degree of autonomy at work, their involvement in positive new relationships, and their experiences of accomplishment and coping on new social arenas. Although there were challenges, these were often overcome by working closely with another teacher. Discussion: The three main themes by which the participants described their work experiences and outcomes can be related to the concepts of autonomy, relatedness, and competence. The experiences described by the participants are valuable for the future facilitation of work assignments for people with intellectual disability in ordinary working life.

'Days of Frustration': A Qualitative Study of Adolescents' Thoughts and Experiences of Schooling after Early Dropout.

School dropout increases the risk of unemployment, health problems, and disability benefits. Employing an ecological-developmental perspective, we analyzed the interviews of thirteen students from a peripheral Norwegian county, aiming to explore the possible influence of upbringing and schooling on dropout. The analysis revealed that dropout was associated with an unstable family situation, lack of structure in everyday life, unresolved complex learning difficulties, bullying, and a tough existence in a rented room. The participants conveyed a sense of defeat, frustration, and an absence of meaningful alternatives. However, two participants had actively chosen to discontinue their education; this was because they preferred work practice to allow them time to mature and re-orientate in relation to future educational and career choices. Their families and social networks contributed actively to the implementation of their future plans. The findings point to the importance of studying interventions that may prevent school dropout, and that address central factors in the process of school dropout, such as social support, academic achievement, and parental involvement.

Beliefs about mental health in incarcerated males: a qualitative interview study.

Introduction: Beliefs about mental health are shaped by the sociocultural context. Prisons have unique environmental and social features, and the prevalence of mental health problems in incarcerated populations is exceptionally high. These features make prisons especially interesting settings for exploring health beliefs. The aim of this study was to explore the conceptualizations of mental health and coping preferences in a prison environment. Methods: Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with fifteen incarcerated males from three prisons in Northern Norway. The design draws on central elements from Grounded Theory. Results: Mental health was perceived as distinct from mental illness by many of the participants. They coped with the prison environment by focusing on the things that gave them a sense of meaning and autonomy - this also formed their conceptualization of mental health. Furthermore, social interaction and activities were perceived as important to enhance and maintain mental well-being, however there were institutional barriers to using these coping strategies. The prison environment was integrated in the participants conceptualizations of mental health problems, and psychosocial stressors were emphasized in causal attributions. Biological and dispositional factors were less frequently mentioned. The participants preferred non-medical management for mental health problems and most displayed a reserved attitude towards psychotropic medications. The exception was attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, for which they held neurobiological causal beliefs, together with a corresponding preference for medication as treatment. Conclusion: The main finding was a firm integration of the prison context in in the participants' beliefs about mental health. We theorize that fusion of prison conditions and mental health beliefs were brought on by the processes of prisonization, observing mental distress in peers and attempts to protect self-esteem by externalizing the causes for mental health problems. Access to activities, social time, and "someone to talk to" were perceived to be crucial for improving and preserving mental health.

Exploring Obese Adults' Preferences for a Physical Activity Chatbot: Qualitative Study.

Social media chatbots could help increase obese adults' physical activity behaviour. The study aims to explore obese adults' preferences for a physical activity chatbot. Individual- and focus group interviews will be conducted in 2023. Identified preferences will inform the development of a chatbot that motivates obese adults to increase their physical activity. The interview guide was tested in a pilot interview.

Belief in COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories, Level of Trust in Government Information, and Willingness to Take COVID-19 Vaccines Among Health Care Workers in Nigeria: Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization recently declared vaccine hesitancy or refusal as a threat to global health. COVID-19 vaccines have been proven efficacious and are central to combatting the pandemic. However, many-including skilled health care workers (HCWs)-have been hesitant in taking the vaccines. Conspiracy theories spread on social media may play a central role in fueling vaccine hesitancy. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate HCWs' belief in COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories (ie, that the vaccines can alter one's DNA or genetic information and that the vaccines contain microchips) and trust in government information on COVID-19 vaccines. METHODS: Health care workers in Ondo State, Nigeria, representing different health care professions were asked to participate anonymously in an online survey. The participants were asked about their beliefs in 2 viral conspiracy theories and their trust in government information on COVID-19 vaccines. We used multivariable logistic regressions to investigate the relationships between trust in government information on COVID-19 vaccines and (1) belief in DNA alteration, (2) belief in microchip implantation through the vaccine, and (3) willingness to accept the vaccine. RESULTS: A total of 557 HCWs (n=156, 28% men and n=395, 70.9% women) were included in the study. A total of 26.4% (n=147) of the sampled HCWs believed COVID-19 vaccines contained digital microchips, while 30% (n=167) believed the vaccines could alter one's DNA or genetic information. The beliefs varied according to professional group, with 45.8% (55/120) and 50% (5/10) of nurses and pharmacists, respectively, believing in the DNA alteration theory and 33.3% (40/120) and 37.5% (6/16) of the nurses and laboratory scientists, respectively, believing in the microchip theory. Social media was an important source of COVID-19 information for 45.4% (253/557) of HCWs. A total of 76.2% (419/550) of the participants expressed a willingness to take the vaccine. The odds of HCWs believing that COVID-19 vaccines contained digital microchips increased significantly with decreasing level of trust in government information on COVID-19 vaccines (odds ratio [OR] 4.6, 95% CI 2.6-8.0). We made a similar finding in those who believed COVID-19 vaccines could alter DNA and genetic information (OR 5.2, 95% CI 3.1-8.8). CONCLUSIONS: Misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccines reaches and influences HCWs. A high proportion of the sampled HCWs believed that COVID-19 vaccines contained microchips or that the vaccines could alter recipients' DNA and genetic information. This might have negative consequences in terms of the HCWs' own COVID-19 vaccination and their influence on other people. Lack of trust in government and its institutions might explain the belief in both conspiracy theories and vaccine hesitancy. There is a need for health care stakeholders in Nigeria and around the world to actively counteract misinformation, especially on social media, and give HCWs necessary scientifically sound information.

Social media interventions for autistic individuals: Systematic review.

Background: Research on the use of digital technologies for delivering behavioral interventions has shown mixed evidence on their efficacy for improving both autistic symptoms and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Little knowledge exists on the specific use or efficacy of using social media in interventions aimed at autistic individuals. Objective: To review and describe the current existing evidence-based research on the use of social media in interventions aimed at autistic individuals. Methods: A search was conducted across 8 databases (PubMed; EMBASE; Cochrane Library; PsycInfo; ERIC; Education Source; Web of Science; and IEEE Xplore). We included primary studies and reviews that dealt with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); described interventions that use social media; and reported results from the intervention. The quality of the evidence of the included primary studies was graded according to the GRADE criteria, and the risk of bias in systematic reviews was assessed by drawing on the AMSTAR guidelines. Results were synthesized and sorted by quality of evidence. Results: A total of nine articles were included in this review: eight primary studies (five non-randomized interventions and three randomized interventions) and one systematic review. The total number of participants with an ASD-diagnosis in the included studies was 164 (aged 5 to 22 years old). Studies weighted as being of moderate quality of evidence have reported significant positive effects in the groups that received the social media interventions: increased social engagement and participation in life situations; increased physical activity level; increased improvement on occupational performance, specified goals, and behavioral problems; and decreased plaque scores coupled with parent reports of intervention success. None of the studies have reported any negative effects linked to social media interventions. Conclusion: There is very little evidence of good quality on the use of social media in interventions aimed at autistic individuals. While there is a need for more high-quality studies, all the included studies, with one exception found positive results of the interventions. These findings are encouraging, suggesting that social media-based interventions may in fact be useful for supporting behavioral changes in autistic individuals. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=337185, identifier CRD42022337185.

Characteristics of Patients Who Complete Suicide and Suicide Attempts While Undergoing Treatment in Norway: Findings from Compensation Claims Records.

The aim of this study was to identify characteristics that differentiate patients who complete suicide (SC) from patients with suicide attempts (SA) while undergoing treatment in Norway. We examined data from the Norwegian System of Patient Injury Compensation (Norsk Pasientskade Erstatning-NPE). Data were extracted from NPE case records from a 10-year period (2009-2019) for 356 individuals who attempted (n = 78) or died by (n = 278) suicide. The two groups differed significantly in the types of medical errors identified by experts. Inadequate suicide risk assessment tended to be proportionally and significantly more prevalent among SC compared to SA. There was a weak but significant trend that SA had received medication only, whereas SC had received both medication and psychotherapy. There were no significant differences with respect to age group, gender, diagnostic category, number of previous suicide attempts, inpatient/outpatient status, or category of responsible clinic. We conclude that suicide attempters and suicide completers differed in terms of identified medical errors. Focusing on the prevention of these and other types of errors could help to reduce the number of suicides of patients in treatment.

Defining and Scoping Participatory Health Informatics: An eDelphi Study.

BACKGROUND: Health care has evolved to support the involvement of individuals in decision making by, for example, using mobile apps and wearables that may help empower people to actively participate in their treatment and health monitoring. While the term "participatory health informatics" (PHI) has emerged in literature to describe these activities, along with the use of social media for health purposes, the scope of the research field of PHI is not yet well defined. OBJECTIVE: This article proposes a preliminary definition of PHI and defines the scope of the field. METHODS: We used an adapted Delphi study design to gain consensus from participants on a definition developed from a previous review of literature. From the literature we derived a set of attributes describing PHI as comprising 18 characteristics, 14 aims, and 4 relations. We invited researchers, health professionals, and health informaticians to score these characteristics and aims of PHI and their relations to other fields over three survey rounds. In the first round participants were able to offer additional attributes for voting. RESULTS: The first round had 44 participants, with 28 participants participating in all three rounds. These 28 participants were gender-balanced and comprised participants from industry, academia, and health sectors from all continents. Consensus was reached on 16 characteristics, 9 aims, and 6 related fields. DISCUSSION: The consensus reached on attributes of PHI describe PHI as a multidisciplinary field that uses information technology and delivers tools with a focus on individual-centered care. It studies various effects of the use of such tools and technology. Its aims address the individuals in the role of patients, but also the health of a society as a whole. There are relationships to the fields of health informatics, digital health, medical informatics, and consumer health informatics. CONCLUSION: We have proposed a preliminary definition, aims, and relationships of PHI based on literature and expert consensus. These can begin to be used to support development of research priorities and outcomes measurements.

The effects of exceeding low-risk drinking thresholds on self-rated health and all-cause mortality in older adults: the Tromsø study 1994-2020.

BACKGROUND: Based on findings of increasing alcohol consumption in older adults, it is important to clarify the health consequences. Using data from the Tromsø study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between different levels of alcohol consumption in old adulthood and self-rated health trajectories and all-cause mortality. METHODS: This is an epidemiological study utilizing repeated measures from the Tromsø study cohort. It allows follow-up of participants from 1994 to 2020. A total of 24,590 observations of alcohol consumption were made in older adults aged 60-99 (53% women). PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-rated health (SRH) and all-cause mortality. SRH was reported when attending the Tromsø study. Time of death was retrieved from the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry. The follow-up time extended from the age of study entry to the age of death or end of follow-up on November 25, 2020. PREDICTOR: Average weekly alcohol consumption (non-drinker, < 100 g/week, ≥100 g/week). We fitted two-level logistic random effects models to examine how alcohol consumption was related to SRH, and Cox proportional hazards models to examine its relation to all-cause mortality. Both models were stratified by sex and adjusted for sociodemographic factors, pathology, biometrics, smoking and physical activity. In addition, all the confounders were examined for whether they moderate the relationship between alcohol and the health-related outcomes through interaction analyses. RESULTS: We found that women who consumed ≥100 g/week had better SRH than those who consumed < 100 g/week; OR 1.85 (1.46-2.34). This pattern was not found in men OR 1.18 (0.99-1.42). We identified an equal mortality risk in both women and men who exceeded 100 g/week compared with those who consumed less than 100 g/week; HR 0.95 (0.73-1.22) and HR 0.89 (0.77-1.03), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There was no clear evidence of an independent negative effect on either self-rated health trajectories or all-cause mortality for exceeding an average of 100 g/week compared to lower drinking levels in this study with up to 25 years follow-up. However, some sex-specific risk factors in combination with the highest level of alcohol consumption led to adverse effects on self-rated health. In men it was the use of sleeping pills or tranquilisers and ≥ 20 years of smoking, in women it was physical illness and older age.

Theoretical Basis for a Group Intervention Aimed at Preventing High School Dropout: The Case of 'Guttas Campus'.

School dropout may have important negative consequences for the individual as well as for society. It is therefore important to help students stay in school. Group interventions have been developed to reduce dropout, but the theoretical underpinnings of such programs are not always obvious. This study focuses on the Norwegian dropout-prevention program named 'Guttas Campus' (The Boys' Camp). We draw on published and unpublished research, other sources of written information, discussions with stakeholders, and direct observation of the intervention, to identify central theories that form the basis of the intervention. These theories are briefly presented, and the impact of the ideas on the intervention is analysed.

Patients Who Die by Suicide: A Study of Treatment Patterns and Patient Safety Incidents in Norway.

Underlying patterns and factors behind suicides of patients in treatment are still unclear and there is a pressing need for more studies to address this knowledge gap. We analysed 278 cases of suicide reported to The Norwegian System of Patient Injury Compensation, drawing on anonymised data, i.e., age group, gender, diagnostic category, type of treatment provided, inpatient vs. outpatient status, type of treatment facility, and expert assessments of medical errors. The data originated from compensation claim forms, expert assessments, and medical records. Chi-square tests for independence, multinominal logistic regression, and Bayes factors for independence were used to analyse whether the age group, gender, diagnostic category, inpatient/outpatient status, type of institution, and type of treatment received by patients that had died by suicide were associated with different types of medical errors. Patients who received medication tended to be proportionally more exposed to an insufficient level of observation. Those who received medication and psychotherapy tended to be proportionally more exposed to inadequate treatment, including inadequate medication. Inpatients were more likely to be exposed to inappropriate diagnostics and inadequate treatment and follow up while outpatients to insufficient level of observation and inadequate suicide risk assessment. We conclude that the patients who had received medication as their main treatment tended to have been insufficiently observed, while patients who had received psychotherapy and medication tended to have been provided insufficient treatment, including inadequate medication. These observations may be used as learning points for the suicide prevention of patients in treatment in Norwegian psychiatric services.

A Privacy-Preserving Audit and Feedback System for the Antibiotic Prescribing of General Practitioners: Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide public health problem that is accelerated by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics. Studies have shown that audits and feedback enable clinicians to compare their personal clinical performance with that of their peers and are effective in reducing the inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics. However, privacy concerns make audits and feedback hard to implement in clinical settings. To solve this problem, we developed a privacy-preserving audit and feedback (A&F) system. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate a privacy-preserving A&F system in clinical settings. METHODS: A privacy-preserving A&F system was deployed at three primary care practices in Norway to generate feedback for 20 general practitioners (GPs) on their prescribing of antibiotics for selected respiratory tract infections. The GPs were asked to participate in a survey shortly after using the system. RESULTS: A total of 14 GPs responded to the questionnaire, representing a 70% (14/20) response rate. The participants were generally satisfied with the usefulness of the feedback and the comparisons with peers, as well as the protection of privacy. The majority of the GPs (9/14, 64%) valued the protection of their own privacy as well as that of their patients. CONCLUSIONS: The system overcomes important privacy and scaling challenges that are commonly associated with the secondary use of electronic health record data and has the potential to improve antibiotic prescribing behavior; however, further study is required to assess its actual effect.

Large-Scale EHR Suites and Path-Dependence.

Large-scale electronic health record (EHR) suites are expected to cover a broad range of use scenarios for healthcare workers in hospitals, nursing homes, home-care services, and general practitioner (GP) clinics. However, preparation for the implementation of EHR suites requires years of detailed planning and consumes considerable financial and human resources. A key problem, then, is that there is less room for decision-makers to consider promising alternative solutions both before and after the implementation of EHR suites. On this basis, we explore how past decisions on EHR suites limit future technological alternatives. Empirically, we focus on the Health Platform program in Central Norway, where the goal is to implement the U.S. Epic EHR suite in 2022, following similar implementations in Denmark in 2016 and Finland in 2018.