Increases in condomless sex in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Condomless sex is a key driver of sexually transmitted diseases. In this study, we assess the long-term changes (2000-2013) of the occurrence of condomless sex among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals enrolled in the Swiss HIV Cohort study. The frequencies with which HIV-infected individuals reported condomless sex were either stable or only weakly increasing for 2000-2008. For 2008-2013, these rates increased significantly for stable relationships among heterosexuals and men who have sex with men (MSM) and for occasional relationships among MSM. Our results highlight the increasing public health challenge posed by condomless sex and show that condomless sex has been increasing even in the most recent years.

Solución de casos a través del Fórum de los Dossiers Electrónicos. Una innovación docente en la asignatura Enfermería Maternoinfantil II de la Diplomatura de Enfermería

Objetivo: Analizar la opinión de los alumnos sobre la utilización del forum de los dossiers electrónicos para resolver casos mediante aprendizaje colaborativo. Resultados: Más del 70% de los alumnos consideran que este método ha sido muy útil para ampliar conocimientos, facilitar su aprendizaje, fomentar el diálogo entre compañeros y que ha aumentado su motivación por aprender. La media de horas empleada para la realización del trabajo ha sido de 7,37. Los aspectos más interesantes destacados por los alumnos han sido: 'que fomenta el diálogo con los compañeros' (38%), que 'el aprendizaje se ha realizado mediante la búsqueda de información' (17%) y 'la utilidad de los casos para la práctica real' (14%). De los aspectos mejorables destacan que: 'incluirían más casos' (17%), y 'la repetición de información'. Una cuarta parte está satisfecha con la metodología y creen que 'no hay ningún aspecto a mejorar'. Conclusiones: El método ha tenido una buena aceptación por parte de los alumnos y ha resultado una experiencia satisfactoria, fomentando el aprendizaje colaborativo y estimulando su trabajo personal. Por nuestra parte consideramos que puede ser una metodología a tener en cuenta para la adaptación a los nuevos créditos europeos ECTS.

Solución de casos a través del Fórum de los Dossiers Electrónicos. Una innovación docente en la asignatura Enfermería Maternoinfantil II de la Diplomatura de Enfermería

Objetivo: Analizar la opinión de los alumnos sobre la utilización del forum de los dossiers electrónicos para resolver casos mediante aprendizaje colaborativo. Resultados: Más del 70% de los alumnos consideran que este método ha sido muy útil para ampliar conocimientos, facilitar su aprendizaje, fomentar el diálogo entre compañeros y que ha aumentado su motivación por aprender. La media de horas empleada para la realización del trabajo ha sido de 7,37. Los aspectos más interesantes destacados por los alumnos han sido: 'que fomenta el diálogo con los compañeros' (38%), que 'el aprendizaje se ha realizado mediante la búsqueda de información' (17%) y 'la utilidad de los casos para la práctica real' (14%). De los aspectos mejorables destacan que: 'incluirían más casos' (17%), y 'la repetición de información'. Una cuarta parte está satisfecha con la metodología y creen que 'no hay ningún aspecto a mejorar'. Conclusiones: El método ha tenido una buena aceptación por parte de los alumnos y ha resultado una experiencia satisfactoria, fomentando el aprendizaje colaborativo y estimulando su trabajo personal. Por nuestra parte consideramos que puede ser una metodología a tener en cuenta para la adaptación a los nuevos créditos europeos ECTS.

Diversity of the Quality Criteria in Qualitative Research in the Health Sciences: Lessons from a Lexicometric Analysis Composed of 133 Guidelines

A review of health sciences literature shows a substantial increase in qualitative publications. This work incorporates a certain number of research quality guidelines. We present the results of the Alceste® lexicometric analysis, which includes 133 quality grids for qualitative research covering five disciplinary fields of the health sciences: medicine and epidemiology, public health and health education, nursing, health sociology and anthropology, psychiatry and psychology. This analysis helped to cross-check the disciplinary fields with the various objectives assigned to the different criteria in the grids examined. The results obtained with Alceste® show the variability of the objectives sought by the authors of the guidelines. These discrepancies are not directly associated to disciplinary fields, and appear to be more closely linked to different qualitative research conceptualizations within the disciplines, and with essential qualitative research validation criteria. These conceptualizations must be clarified to help users better understand the objectives targeted by the grids, and promote more appreciation for qualitative research in the health sciences.

User-driven community-based service development

This final thesis project was carried out in the Industrial Management department of University of Applied Sciences Stadia for Forum Virium Helsinki. The purpose of this study was to answer to the question of how companies can use online customer community of co-creation in service development and what is the value gained from it. The paper combines a range of recently published theoretical works and ongoing customer community case development. The study aims to provide new information and action approaches to new service developers that may increase the success of the community building process. The paper also outlines the benefits of the use of online customer community and offers practical suggestions for maximizing the value gained from the community in service development projects. The concepts and suggestions introduced in the study appear to have notable new possibilities to the service development process but they have to be further tested empirically. This paper describes the online consumer community of co-creation to an important organizational process of innovation management suggesting that it possesses a great value to business. Online customer communities offer a potential of improving the success of new services or products enabling early, penetrable market entry and creating sustainable competitive advantage.

Strong impact of smoking on multimorbidity and cardiovascular risk among human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals in comparison with the general population.

Background.  Although acquired immune deficiency syndrome-associated morbidity has diminished due to excellent viral control, multimorbidity may be increasing among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons compared with the general population. Methods.  We assessed the prevalence of comorbidities and multimorbidity in participants of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) compared with the population-based CoLaus study and the primary care-based FIRE (Family Medicine ICPC-Research using Electronic Medical Records) records. The incidence of the respective endpoints were assessed among SHCS and CoLaus participants. Poisson regression models were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking. Results.  Overall, 74 291 participants contributed data to prevalence analyses (3230 HIV-infected; 71 061 controls). In CoLaus, FIRE, and SHCS, multimorbidity was present among 26%, 13%, and 27% of participants. Compared with nonsmoking individuals from CoLaus, the incidence of cardiovascular disease was elevated among smoking individuals but independent of HIV status (HIV-negative smoking: incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-2.5; HIV-positive smoking: IRR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.1-2.6; HIV-positive nonsmoking: IRR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.44-1.4). Compared with nonsmoking HIV-negative persons, multivariable Poisson regression identified associations of HIV infection with hypertension (nonsmoking: IRR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.5-2.4; smoking: IRR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.6-2.4), kidney (nonsmoking: IRR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.9-3.8; smoking: IRR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.9-3.6), and liver disease (nonsmoking: IRR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.4-2.4; smoking: IRR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.4-2.2). No evidence was found for an association of HIV-infection or smoking with diabetes mellitus. Conclusions.  Multimorbidity is more prevalent and incident in HIV-positive compared with HIV-negative individuals. Smoking, but not HIV status, has a strong impact on cardiovascular risk and multimorbidity.

Gestión de la actividad no presencial y autoevaluación de competencias = Management of Student Learning Outside the Classroom and the Self-evaluation of Competences

Psychological Assessment is a core subject of Psychology studies, and of the university degree Human development, at the University of Girona and according to the University regulations, had 12 credits. Until the 2005-06 academic years, the student work conducted outside the classroom consisted of undertaking a psychological assessment that was written and handed in at the end of the course. From this the student obtained a qualification and a review if they applied for it In accordance with the European Credits for Higher Education, this subject was reduced to 9 credits, which is the equivalent of a total of 255 hours of in-class work and outside the classroom. In the 2006-07 academic year we created a guide to manage the student’s experiences outside the classroom, with the objective of encouraging the application of problem solving/critical thinking (Bloom, 1975), in line with the recommendations of the Catalonia Agency for University System Quality (2005). The guide includes: learning objectives, evaluation criterions, a description of activities, work week timetable for the whole course, programmed tutorials to review all steps of the psychological assessment process, and the use of a web-based virtual forum for the transfer of knowledge, analysis and constructive critiques of the assessment done by themselves and their colleagues

Impact épidémiologique du vieillissement démographique : quels enjeux pour les médecins de premier recours?

Le vieillissement démographique s'accentue avec l'arrivée au troisième âge des baby-boomers. Si la santé de la population âgée s'est plutôt améliorée au fil des générations, le nombre élevé de personnes atteintes d'une ou plusieurs maladies chroniques s'accompagnera d'une demande croissante de soins, tandis que la profession médicale connaîtra vraisemblablement une situation de pénurie.

Construir conocimiento con soporte tecnológico para un aprendizaje colaborativo

En este artículo presentamos el trabajo que estamos realizando, centrado en la creación de entornos que permitan la construcción conjunta del conocimiento mediante herramientas informáticas, en concreto la herramienta Knowledge Forum como elemento mediador en el proceso de discusión y generación de conocimiento. Las experiencias se están realizando en la Universidad de Barcelona, en los títulos de Pedagogía, Formación de Profesorado y Pedagogía Social de la Universidad de Barcelona, abarcando diversas asignaturas obligatorias y optativas. Los objetivos son los siguientes: aprender a trabajar en colaboración y crear entornos de aprendizaje semi-presencial que complementen el trabajo de los diversos grupos y el desarrollo de los contenidos presenciales de las asignaturas.

Cross-Cultural Communication in Oncology: Challenges and Training Interests.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To survey oncology nurses and oncologists about difficulties in taking care of culturally and linguistically diverse patients and about interests in cross-cultural training.
. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional.
. SETTING: Web-based survey.
. SAMPLE: 108 oncology nurses and 44 oncologists. 
. METHODS: 31-item questionnaire derived from preexisting surveys in the United States and Switzerland.
. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Self-rated difficulties in taking care of culturally and linguistically diverse patients and self-rated interests in cross-cultural training.
. FINDINGS: All respondents reported communication difficulties in encounters with culturally and linguistically diverse patients. Respondents considered the absence of written materials in other languages, absence of a shared common language with patients, and sensitive subjects (e.g., end of life, sexuality) to be particularly problematic. Respondents also expressed a high level of interest in all aspects of cross-cultural training (task-oriented skills, background knowledge, reflexivity, and attitudes). Nurses perceived several difficulties related to care of migrants as more problematic than physicians did and were more interested in all aspects of cross-cultural training. 
. CONCLUSIONS: The need for cross-cultural training is high among oncology clinicians, particularly among nurses.
. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: The results reported in the current study may help nurses in decision-making positions and educators in introducing elements of cross-cultural education into oncology curricula for nurses. Cross-cultural training should be offered to oncology nurses.

Epilepsy priorities in Europe: A report of the ILAE-IBE Epilepsy Advocacy Europe Task Force.

The European Forum on Epilepsy Research (ERF2013), which took place in Dublin, Ireland, on May 26-29, 2013, was designed to appraise epilepsy research priorities in Europe through consultation with clinical and basic scientists as well as representatives of lay organizations and health care providers. The ultimate goal was to provide a platform to improve the lives of persons with epilepsy by influencing the political agenda of the EU. The Forum highlighted the epidemiologic, medical, and social importance of epilepsy in Europe, and addressed three separate but closely related concepts. First, possibilities were explored as to how the stigma and social burden associated with epilepsy could be reduced through targeted initiatives at EU national and regional levels. Second, ways to ensure optimal standards of care throughout Europe were specifically discussed. Finally, a need for further funding in epilepsy research within the European Horizon 2020 funding programme was communicated to politicians and policymakers participating to the forum. Research topics discussed specifically included (1) epilepsy in the developing brain; (2) novel targets for innovative diagnostics and treatment of epilepsy; (3) what is required for prevention and cure of epilepsy; and (4) epilepsy and comorbidities, with a special focus on aging and mental health. This report provides a summary of recommendations that emerged at ERF2013 about how to (1) strengthen epilepsy research, (2) reduce the treatment gap, and (3) reduce the burden and stigma associated with epilepsy. Half of the 6 million European citizens with epilepsy feel stigmatized and experience social exclusion, stressing the need for funding trans-European awareness campaigns and monitoring their impact on stigma, in line with the global commitment of the European Commission and with the recommendations made in the 2011 Written Declaration on Epilepsy. Epilepsy care has high rates of misdiagnosis and considerable variability in organization and quality across European countries, translating into huge societal cost (0.2% GDP) and stressing the need for cost-effective programs of harmonization and optimization of epilepsy care throughout Europe. There is currently no cure or prevention for epilepsy, and 30% of affected persons are not controlled by current treatments, stressing the need for pursuing research efforts in the field within Horizon 2020. Priorities should include (1) development of innovative biomarkers and therapeutic targets and strategies, from gene and cell-based therapies to technologically advanced surgical treatment; (2) addressing issues raised by pediatric and aging populations, as well as by specific etiologies and comorbidities such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cognitive dysfunction, toward more personalized medicine and prevention; and (3) translational studies and clinical trials built upon well-established European consortia.