ASSERT - Journal Articles
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Wearable technology-based metrics for predicting operator performance during cardiac catheterisation(Springer, 2019-04) Currie, Jonathan; Bond, Raymond R.; McCullagh, Paul; Black, Pauline; Finlay, Dewar D.; Gallagher, Stephen; Kearney, Peter; Peace, Aaron; Stoyanov, Danail; Bicknell, Colin D.; Leslie, Stephen; Gallagher., Anthony G.; Department of the Economy, Northern Ireland; Ulster UniversityUnobtrusive metrics that can auto-assess performance during clinical procedures are of value. Three approaches to deriving wearable technology-based metrics are explored: (1) eye tracking, (2) psychophysiological measurements [e.g. electrodermal activity (EDA)] and (3) arm and hand movement via accelerometry. We also measure attentional capacity by tasking the operator with an additional task to track an unrelated object during the procedure.Item Prospective comparative study of the effects of lidocaine on urodynamic and sensory parameters in bladder pain syndrome(Springer, 2019-03-14) Offiah, Ifeoma; Dilloughery, Elaine; McMahon, Stephen B.; O'Reilly, Barry A.Introduction and hypothesis: Intravesically administered lidocaine is used in patients with bladder pain syndrome (BPS) to test the hypothesis that symptoms have a peripheral versus central mechanism. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 24 female patients with BPS was performed. The Central Sensitisation Inventory (CSI) and Kings Health Questionnaire (KHQ) were completed. Urodynamic assessment was undertaken. Women were asked to report their pain using a numeric rating scale at cystometric capacity and post void. Participants then received an intravesical instillation of either 20 ml of 2% alkalinised lidocaine (n = 16) or 20 ml of normal saline (n = 8). These solutions were allowed to remain in situ for 20 min and pain score repeated. Urodynamics was repeated. Results: There was a statistically significant volume increase following lidocaine treatment: maximal cystometric capacity (MCC) 192–261 ml post lidocaine (p = 0.005.) In contrast, there was no significant difference in the saline controls: MCC 190–183 ml (p = 0.879.) Individual analysis revealed five of 16 lidocaine participants did not respond to lidocaine. These five reported a significantly worse quality of life (QoL) than lidocaine responders and had a tendency towards central sensitivity syndromes. Conclusion: Lidocaine significantly improved MCC in 11/16 participants in this study. These patients appear to have peripherally mediated disease. However, the failure of response to treatment in five participants, as well as their tendency towards central sensitivity syndromes, implies that in this subgroup, a peripheral drive from the bladder is not critical to their pain, suggesting central nervous system (CNS) pathology. This simple and safe test could be used to stratify patients for research or therapeutic trials.Item Service evaluation of diabetes management during pregnancy in a regional maternity hospital: potential scope for increased self-management and remote patient monitoring through mHealth solutions(BioMed Central Ltd., 2019-09-13) Alqudah, Abdelrahim; McMullan, Paul; Todd, Anna; O'Doherty, Conor; McVey, Anne; McConnell, Mae; O'Donoghue, John; Gallagher, Joe; Watson, Chris J.; McClements, LanaBackground: Pre-gestational and gestational diabetes mellitus are common complications in pregnancy affecting one in six pregnancies. The maternity services are under significant strain managing the increasing number of complex pregnancies. This has an impact on patients’ experience of antenatal care. Therefore, there is a clear need to address pregnancy care. One possible solution is to use home-based digital technology to reduce clinic visits and improve clinical monitoring. Methods: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antenatal services provided to pregnant women with diabetes who were monitored at the joint metabolic and obstetric clinic at the Southern Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland. Results: The questionnaires were completed by sixty-three women, most of whom had gestational diabetes mellitus. Most of the participants were between 25 and 35 years of age (69.8%), had one or more children (65.1%) and spent over 2 h attending the clinics (63.9%); 78% of women indicated that their travel time to and from the clinic appointment was over 15 min. Over 70% of women used smartphones for health-related purposes. However, only 8.8% used smartphones to manage their health or diabetes. Less than 25% of the women surveyed expressed concerns about using digital technology from home to monitor various aspects of their health in pregnancy. Conclusions: Overall, pregnant women who had or developed diabetes in pregnancy experience frequent hospital visits and long waiting times in the maternity clinics. Most of these pregnant women are willing to self-manage their condition from home and to be monitored remotely by the healthcare staff.Item Proficiency-based progression training: an ‘end to end’ model for decreasing error applied to achievement of effective epidural analgesia during labour: a randomised control study(BMJ Publishing Group, 2018-10-15) Kallidaikurichi Srinivasan, Karthikeyan; Gallagher, Anthony; O'Brien, Niall; Sudir, Vinod; Barrett, Nick; O'Connor, Raymund; Holt, Francesca; Lee, Peter; O'Donnell, Brian; Shorten, George; University College CorkBackground: Training procedural skills using proficiency-based progression (PBP) methodology has consistently resulted in error reduction. We hypothesised that implementation of metric-based PBP training and a valid assessment tool would decrease the failure rate of epidural analgesia during labour when compared to standard simulation-based training.Methods: Detailed, procedure-specific metrics for labour epidural catheter placement were developed based on carefully elicited expert input. Proficiency was defined using criteria derived from clinical performance of experienced practitioners. A PBP curriculum was developed to train medical personnel on these specific metrics and to eliminate errors in a simulation environment. Seventeen novice anaesthetic trainees were randomly allocated to undergo PBP training (Group P) or simulation only training (Group S). Following training, data from the first 10 labour epidurals performed by each participant were recorded. The primary outcome measure was epidural failure rate.Results: A total of 74 metrics were developed and validated. The inter-rater reliability (IRR) of the derived assessment tool was 0.88. Of 17 trainees recruited, eight were randomly allocated to group S and six to group P (three trainees did not complete the study). Data from 140 clinical procedures were collected. The incidence of epidural failure was reduced by 54% with PBP training (28.7% in Group S vs 13.3% in Group P, absolute risk reduction 15.4% with 95% CI 2% to 28.8%, p=0.04).Conclusion: Procedure-specific metrics developed for labour epidural catheter placement discriminated the performance of experts and novices with an IRR of 0.88. Proficiency-based progression training resulted in a lower incidence of epidural failure compared to simulation only training.Item International expert consensus on a scientific approach to training novice cardiac resynchronization therapy implanters using performance quality metrics(Elsevier B.V., 2019-04-12) Mascheroni, Jorio; Mont, Lluís; Stockburger, Martin; Patwala, Ashish; Retzlaff, Hartwig; Gallagher, Anthony G.; Alonso, Christine; Binner, Ludwig; Bongiorni, Maria Grazia; Infante, Ernesto Diaz; Gadler, Fredrik; Gras, Daniel; Margitfalvi, Peter; Moreno, Javier; Paratsii, Oleksii; Rao, Archana; Schäfer, Harald; van Kraaij, Dave; Medtronic PLC, IrelandAims: Pacing and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) procedural training for novice operators usually takes place in-vivo and methods vary across countries/institutions. No common system exists to objectively assess trainee ability to perform required tasks at predetermined performance levels prior to in-vivo practice. We sought to characterize and validate with experts a reference approach to pacing/CRT implants based on objective and explicit performance quality metrics, for the development of a reproducible, simulation-based, training curriculum aiming to operator proficiency. Methods: Three experienced CRT implanters, a behavioural scientist and two engineers performed a detailed task deconstruction of the pacing/CRT procedure and identified the performance metrics (phases, steps, errors, critical errors) that constitute an optimal CRT implant for training purposes. The metrics were stress tested to determine reliability and score-ability and then subjected to detailed systematic review by an international panel of 15 expert implanters in a modified Delphi process. Results: Thirteen procedure phases were identified, consisting of 196 steps, 122 errors, 50 critical errors. The expert panel deliberation added 16 metrics, deleted 12, and modified 43. Unanimous panel consensus on the resulting CRT procedure metrics was obtained, which verified face and content validity. Conclusion: A reference pacing/CRT procedure and metrics created by a core group of experts accurately characterize the essential components of performance and were endorsed by an international panel of experienced peers. The metrics will underpin quality-assured novice implanter training.