Using technology to promote the development of health science libraries in China.

From the point of view of the development of libraries, technology has made possible the emergence and development of library automation; digital libraries; mobile libraries; and smart libraries. This article briefly describes the impact of technological developments and application in Health Science Libraries in China in relation to collections development, service provision and the role of library associations.

Literature Review and Knowledge Distribution During an Outbreak: A Methodology for Managing Infodemics.

PROBLEM: The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged health care systems in an unprecedented way by imposing new demands on health care resources and scientific knowledge. There has also been an exceedingly fast accumulation of new information on this novel virus. As the traditional peer-review process takes time, there is currently a significant gap between the ability to generate new data and the ability to critically evaluate them. This problem of an excess of mixed-quality data, or infodemic, is echoing throughout the scientific community. APPROACH: The authors aimed to help their colleagues at the Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel, manage the COVID-19 infodemic with a methodologic solution: establishing an in-house mechanism for continuous literature review and knowledge distribution (March-April 2020). Their methodology included the following building blocks: a dedicated literature review team, artificial intelligence-based research algorithms, brief written updates in a graphical format, large-scale webinars and online meetings, and a feedback loop. OUTCOMES: During the first month (April 2020), the project produced 21 graphical updates. After consideration of feedback from colleagues and final editing, 13 graphical updates were uploaded to the center's website; of these, 31% addressed the clinical presentation of the disease and 38% referred to specific treatments. This methodology as well as the graphical updates it generated were adopted by the Israeli Ministry of Health and distributed in a hospital preparation kit. NEXT STEPS: The authors believe they have established a novel methodology that can assist in the battle against COVID-19 by making high-quality scientific data more accessible to clinicians. In the future, they expect this methodology to create a favorable uniform standard for evidence-guided health care during infodemics. Further evolution of the methodology may include evaluation of its long-term sustainability and impact on the day-to-day clinical practice and self-confidence of clinicians who treat COVID-19 patients.

PCORnet® 2020: current state, accomplishments, and future directions.

OBJECTIVE: To describe PCORnet, a clinical research network developed for patient-centered outcomes research on a national scale. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Descriptive study of the current state and future directions for PCORnet. We conducted cross-sectional analyses of the health systems and patient populations of the 9 Clinical Research Networks and 2 Health Plan Research Networks that are part of PCORnet. RESULTS: Within the Clinical Research Networks, electronic health data are currently collected from 337 hospitals, 169,695 physicians, 3,564 primary care practices, 338 emergency departments, and 1,024 community clinics. Patients can be recruited for prospective studies from any of these clinical sites. The Clinical Research Networks have accumulated data from 80 million patients with at least one visit from 2009 to 2018. The PCORnet Health Plan Research Network population of individuals with a valid enrollment segment from 2009 to 2019 exceeds 60 million individuals, who on average have 2.63 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: PCORnet's infrastructure comprises clinical data from a diverse cohort of patients and has the capacity to rapidly access these patient populations for pragmatic clinical trials, epidemiological research, and patient-centered research on rare diseases.

Multimorbidity networks of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure in men and women: Evidence from the EpiChron Cohort.

Patients with heart failure (HF) and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) constitute a complex population with different phenotypes based on pathophysiology, comorbidity, sex and age. We aimed to compare the multimorbidity patterns of HF and COPD in men and women using network analysis. Individuals aged 40 years or older on 2015 of the EpiChron Cohort (Aragon, Spain) were stratified by sex and as having COPD (n = 28,608), HF (n = 13,414), or COPD and HF (n = 3952). We constructed one network per group by obtaining age-adjusted phi correlations between comorbidities. For each sex, networks differed between the three study groups; between sexes, similarities were found for the two HF groups. We detected some specific diseases highly connected in all networks (e.g., cardio-metabolic, respiratory diseases, and chronic kidney failure), and some others that were group-specific that would require further study. We identified common clusters (i.e., cardio-metabolic, cardiovascular, cancer, and neuro-psychiatric) and others specific and clinically relevant in COPD patients (e.g., behavioral risk disorders were systematically associated with psychiatric diseases in women and cancer in men). Network analysis represents a powerful tool to analyze, visualize, and compare the multimorbidity patterns of COPD and HF, also facilitated by developing an ad hoc website.

Timely access to trial data in the context of a pandemic: the time is now.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical trial data sharing has the potential to accelerate scientific progress, answer new lines of scientific inquiry, support reproducibility and prevent redundancy. Vivli, a non-profit organisation, operates a global platform for sharing of individual participant-level trial data and associated documents. Sharing of these data collected from each trial participant enables combining of these data to drive new scientific insights or assess reproducibility-not possible with the aggregate or summary data tables historically made available. We report on our initial experience including key metrics, lessons learned and how we see our role in the data sharing ecosystem. We also describe how Vivli is addressing the needs of the COVID-19 challenge through a new dedicated portal that provides a direct search function for COVID-19 studies, availability for fast-tracked request review and data sharing. DATA SUMMARY: The Vivli platform was established in 2018 and has partnered with 28 diverse members from industry, academic institutions, government platforms and non-profit foundations. Currently, 5400 trials representing 3.6 million participants are shared on the platform. From July 2018 to September 2020, Vivli received 201 requests. To date, 106 of 201 requests received approval, 5 have been declined, 27 withdrew and 27 are in the revision stage. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic has only magnified the necessity for data sharing. If most data are shared and in a manner that allows interoperability, then we have hope of moving towards a cohesive scientific understanding more quickly not only for COVID-19 but also for all diseases. Conversely, if only isolated pockets of data are shared then society loses the opportunity to close vital gaps in our understanding of this rapidly evolving epidemic. This current challenge serves to highlight the value of data sharing platforms-critical enablers that help researchers build on prior knowledge.

Information specialist collaboration in Europe: collaborative methods, processes, and infrastructure through EUnetHTA.

The history of European health technology assessment (HTA) goes back more than 30 years. Almost as old as HTA agencies themselves is the desire to achieve European collaboration. This gained further impetus with the establishment of the European Network of Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA) in 2006. In this context, the field of information management faced specific challenges. Although these services are an integral part of HTA and information specialists play a key role here, this field is often not adequately represented in the HTA agencies within EUnetHTA. Furthermore, the organization of HTA production, including the types of HTAs produced, as well as funding, varies considerably. In order to meet these different conditions, information specialists have created various products and defined processes. With the EUnetHTA guideline, a common methodological understanding for the production of rapid Relative Effectiveness Assessments now exists. Furthermore, the Standard Operating Procedures map the complex information retrieval processes within EUnetHTA in a hands-on manner. The newly established Information Specialist Network (ISN) will in future ensure that information specialists are involved in all EUnetHTA assessments and that the methods are applied consistently in all assessments. In addition, the steering committee of the ISN manages enquiries and can be contacted to discuss methodological issues. Major barriers such as heterogeneity in the daily work of the EUnetHTA members can only be overcome through more collaboration and training.

Entendendo a infodemia e a desinformação no combate ao COVID-19

O surto e a resposta do COVID-19 foram acompanhados por um infodemia maciça: uma superabundância de informações que dificulta que as pessoas encontrem fontes confiáveis ​​e orientações confiáveis. Isso torna a pandemia mais grave, prejudicando mais pessoas e comprometendo o alcance e a sustentabilidade do sistema de saúde global.

Teleconsulta durante uma pandemia

Nas situações em que uma pandemia é declarada, sentimentos de ansiedade e incerteza podem sobrecarregar as pessoas, e os sistemas de saúde podem lutar para lidar com a demanda exponencial e fora de controle. As teleconsultas são uma maneira segura e eficaz de avaliar casos suspeitos e orientar o diagnóstico e o tratamento do paciente, minimizando o risco de transmissão da doença.

Understanding the Infodemic and Misinformation in the fight against COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak and response has been accompanied by a massive infodemic: an overabundance of information that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance. This makes the pandemic more severe, harming more people and jeopardizing the reach and sustainability of the global health system.

Entender la infodemia y la desinformación en la lucha contra la COVID-19

El brote de COVID-19 y la respuesta correspondiente han estado acompañados de una infodemia masiva, una cantidad excesiva de información que dificulta que las personas encuentren fuentes confiables y orientación fidedigna. Esto hace que la pandemia sea más grave, perjudique a más personas y ponga en peligro el alcance y la sostenibilidad del sistema de salud mundial.

O potencial das tecnologias da informação frequentemente usadas durante a pandemia

As tecnologias da informação - principalmente os telefones celulares - tornaram-se a principal maneira pela qual pessoas, governos e instituições de saúde trabalham, interagem, compartilham informações, trocam e geram conhecimento e se comunicam. As tecnologias da informação usadas com frequência incluem a Web mundial; Chatbots; Apps; Mídia social; Serviços de texto, vídeo e voz baseados na Internet; entre outros.

The potential of frequently used information technologies during the pandemic

Information technologies—cell phones in particular—have become the main way that people, governments, and health institutions work, interact, share information, exchange and generate knowledge, and communicate. Frequently used information technologies include the Worldwide Web; Chatbots; Apps; Social media; Internet-based text, video, and voice services; among others.

El potencial de las tecnologías de la información de uso frecuente durante la pandemia

Las tecnologías de la información, en particular los teléfonos celulares, se han convertido en la principal forma en que las personas, los gobiernos y las instituciones de salud trabajan, interactúan, comparten información, intercambian y generan conocimiento y se comunican. Las tecnologías de información de uso frecuente incluyen la Web; Chatbots; Aplicaciones; Redes sociales; Servicios de texto, video y voz basados en Internet; entre otras.

Por que a desagregação de dados é fundamental durante uma pandemia?

Desagregação de dados é a separação de informações compiladas em unidades menores para elucidar tendências e padrões subjacentes. Dados desagregados de alta qualidade, acessíveis, confiáveis, oportunos, abertos e confiáveis ​​são críticos para gerar informações valiosas para a tomada de decisões em tempo real.

Why Data Disaggregation is key during a pandemic?

Data Disaggregation is the separation of compiled information into smaller units to elucidate underlying trends and patterns. High quality, accessible, trusted, timely, open, and reliable disaggregated data is critical to generating valuable information for decision-making in real time.

¿Por qué es importante el desglose de datos durante una pandemia?

El desglose de datos se refiere a la separación de la información recabada en unidades más pequeñas para dilucidar las tendencias y los patrones subyacentes. Los datos desglosados de alta calidad, accesibles, fiables, oportunos, abiertos y fidedignos son fundamentales para generar información valiosa para la toma de decisiones en tiempo real.

Por que os registros eletrônicos de saúde (EHRs) são essenciais durante uma pandemia?

Os EHRs facilitam o uso da telemedicina para monitorar pacientes positivos com COVID-19 em suas casas e a continuidade do atendimento a pacientes negativos e que podem ser tratados remotamente.

Why are Electronic Health Records (EHRs) key during a pandemic?

EHRs facilitate the use of telemedicine to monitor positive COVID-19 patients in their homes and continuity of care for patients who are negative and can be treated remotely.

¿Por qué son importantes los registros electrónicos de salud durante una pandemia?

Los registros electrónicos de salud facilitan el uso de la telemedicina para el seguimiento a los pacientes que tienen COVID-19 en sus hogares y la continuidad a la atención de los pacientes con resultados negativos que pueden ser tratados a distancia.