. About clinical practice guidelines: the cardiovascular guidelines. A systematic review of 51 cu... more . About clinical practice guidelines: the cardiovascular guidelines. A systematic review of 51 current guidelines including 6329 recommendations, showed that only a minority of recommendations in ACC/AHA guidelines and in ESC guidelines were classified as level of evidence A (supported by evidence from multiple RCTs), and the progresses since a previous review published in 2009 were minimal. Comments and suggestions on strenghts and limits of the clinical practice guidelines,based on the reactions to the paper are reported.
BackgroundThe Person-centered Care Assessment Tool (P-CAT) was developed as a self-reporting asse... more BackgroundThe Person-centered Care Assessment Tool (P-CAT) was developed as a self-reporting assessment scale for the healthcare staff ratings of the person-centeredness of their nursing practice.AimThis study investigates the psychometric proprieties of P-CAT tool in a sample of staff working in residential units for older people, in the North of Italy.MethodsInternal consistency and reliability were examined using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis was used to evaluate construct validity, homogeneity analysis performed to evaluate internal homogeneity of the items and equidistance of item options, test–retest reliability examined by the Pearson correlation coefficient and the intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficient. The P-CAT score was standardized to a 100-point scale, the score differences among groups were compared with one-way ANOVA.ResultsThe exploratory factor analysis supported the construct validity of a two-factor solution. The mean standardized score of P-CAT was 67.3 (SD 12.8) and Cronbach's alpha was .79 for subscale 1 and .75 for subscale 2. The ICC coefficient was .87.ConclusionReliability and homogeneity were satisfactory for the whole P-CAT tool (Cronbach's alpha ≥ .70). Test–retest reliability showed temporal stability of the scale (r Pearson .86, ICC .86). The Italian version of the P-CAT was found to be valid, reliable, and applicable for further research. Two subscales are recommended for the Italian version.
Nei prossimi decenni aumenterà in modo so-stanziale il numero di persone con più di 65 anni e una... more Nei prossimi decenni aumenterà in modo so-stanziale il numero di persone con più di 65 anni e una percentuale considerevole di que-sta popolazione svilupperà problemi di salute e patologie cronico-degenerative, che porte-ranno ad un aumento della sintomatologia do ...
Background: A correct approach to recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) is an important pill... more Background: A correct approach to recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) is an important pillar of antimicrobial stewardship. We aim to define an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for predicting the clinical efficacy of the empiric antimicrobial treatment in women with rUTIs. Methods: We extracted clinical and microbiological data from 1043 women. We trained an ANN on 725 patients and validated it on 318. Results: The ANN showed a sensitivity of 87.8% and specificity of 97.3% in predicting the clinical efficacy of empirical therapy. The previous use of fluoroquinolones (HR = 4.23; p = 0.008) and cephalosporins (HR = 2.81; p = 0.003) as well as the presence of Escherichia coli with resistance against cotrimoxazole (HR = 3.54; p = 0.001) have been identified as the most important variables affecting the ANN output decision predicting the fluoroquinolones-based therapy failure. A previous isolation of Escherichia coli with resistance against fosfomycin (HR = 2.67; p = 0.001) and amox...
The teaching styles adopted by the 10 nurse-tutors of the Trento Nursing School, that teach stude... more The teaching styles adopted by the 10 nurse-tutors of the Trento Nursing School, that teach students during their practical training to elicit the experiential learning, were studied. The instruments adopted were a questionnaire and five vignettes. The nurses were asked to 'think aloud' (verbal protocol technique) and practically explain how they would have used the case presented if occurred during the practical training of one of their students. The most widely adopted style is the connection between theory and practice, while less efforts are made to support the student from the emotional point of view and to help her/him to reflect on the feelings experienced during practice. The teaching style is supportive (5 nurse-tutors) and directive (the other 5 tutors). The small sample size does not allow reasonable comparisons between novice and expert tutors. The tutor's experience in the specific ward where students have their practical training leads to the adoption of a more supportive style, to a minor use of judgements and to a deeper exploration of the students' reasoning.
Good and bad examples of qualitative research. Not all the research papers are of good quality an... more Good and bad examples of qualitative research. Not all the research papers are of good quality and contribute to the development of the knowledge. Good and less good examples of qualitative research are presented and commented on, exploring their contribution to the knowledge of a subject, and motivating why the research can be considered a good or less good example.
Why a dossier on qualitative research. The main reasons for a dossier on qualitative research are... more Why a dossier on qualitative research. The main reasons for a dossier on qualitative research are presented, together with strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research compared to quantitative. The different perspectives offered by the two methods on the exploration and interpretation of phenomena are briefly described.
Background: There is considerable debate about the prevalence of e-cigarettes, and its associatio... more Background: There is considerable debate about the prevalence of e-cigarettes, and its association with tobacco smoking. Aims: To study the diffusion of e-cigarettes among nursing students in North-Eastern Italy and the association with tobacco smoking. Methods: In September 2015 a questionnaire on smoking habits, including e-cigarette, was administered to 2020 nursing students, attending courses organized by the University of Verona in 5 centers (Bolzano, Trento, Verona, Vicenza, Legnago) in North-Eastern Italy. 1474 (73%) students answered the questionnaire. Most responders (77.1%) were female and mean(SD) age was 23.2(4.2) years. Results: Nearly all students (94.7%) had heard about e-cigarettes. About one third (30.3%) had ever used e-cigarettes but only 2.1% in the last month. Very few (21/1018=2.1%) among those who had never used e-cigarettes, were willing to try them. Prevalence values were much higher for tobacco smoking: indeed 74.6% of responders reported to be ever smokers, and 40.6% to be current tobacco smokers, either occasional or regular. A strong association was observed between tobacco smoking and e-cigarette use: ever use of e-cigarettes was reported by 57.1% (337/590) of current tobacco smokers, by 18.7% (91/488) of past tobacco smokers and by 1.8% (6/340) of never smokers. Of note, only three students reported to have completely stopped smoking thanks to e-cigarette. Conclusion: Use of e-cigarettes seem to be rather rare among Italian nursing students, and mainly restricted to current smokers. E-cigarette does not seem useful to promote smoking cessation.
Non tutte le ricerche sono di buona qualità e contribuiscono ad aumentare le conoscenze su un fen... more Non tutte le ricerche sono di buona qualità e contribuiscono ad aumentare le conoscenze su un fenomeno. Vengono presentati in questo contributo alcuni esempi di ricerche qualitative buone e meno buone, motivando con un commento il perché della valutazione, e analizzando sul contributo che offrono all’aumento delle conoscenz
. About clinical practice guidelines: the cardiovascular guidelines. A systematic review of 51 cu... more . About clinical practice guidelines: the cardiovascular guidelines. A systematic review of 51 current guidelines including 6329 recommendations, showed that only a minority of recommendations in ACC/AHA guidelines and in ESC guidelines were classified as level of evidence A (supported by evidence from multiple RCTs), and the progresses since a previous review published in 2009 were minimal. Comments and suggestions on strenghts and limits of the clinical practice guidelines,based on the reactions to the paper are reported.
BackgroundThe Person-centered Care Assessment Tool (P-CAT) was developed as a self-reporting asse... more BackgroundThe Person-centered Care Assessment Tool (P-CAT) was developed as a self-reporting assessment scale for the healthcare staff ratings of the person-centeredness of their nursing practice.AimThis study investigates the psychometric proprieties of P-CAT tool in a sample of staff working in residential units for older people, in the North of Italy.MethodsInternal consistency and reliability were examined using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis was used to evaluate construct validity, homogeneity analysis performed to evaluate internal homogeneity of the items and equidistance of item options, test–retest reliability examined by the Pearson correlation coefficient and the intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficient. The P-CAT score was standardized to a 100-point scale, the score differences among groups were compared with one-way ANOVA.ResultsThe exploratory factor analysis supported the construct validity of a two-factor solution. The mean standardized score of P-CAT was 67.3 (SD 12.8) and Cronbach's alpha was .79 for subscale 1 and .75 for subscale 2. The ICC coefficient was .87.ConclusionReliability and homogeneity were satisfactory for the whole P-CAT tool (Cronbach's alpha ≥ .70). Test–retest reliability showed temporal stability of the scale (r Pearson .86, ICC .86). The Italian version of the P-CAT was found to be valid, reliable, and applicable for further research. Two subscales are recommended for the Italian version.
Nei prossimi decenni aumenterà in modo so-stanziale il numero di persone con più di 65 anni e una... more Nei prossimi decenni aumenterà in modo so-stanziale il numero di persone con più di 65 anni e una percentuale considerevole di que-sta popolazione svilupperà problemi di salute e patologie cronico-degenerative, che porte-ranno ad un aumento della sintomatologia do ...
Background: A correct approach to recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) is an important pill... more Background: A correct approach to recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) is an important pillar of antimicrobial stewardship. We aim to define an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for predicting the clinical efficacy of the empiric antimicrobial treatment in women with rUTIs. Methods: We extracted clinical and microbiological data from 1043 women. We trained an ANN on 725 patients and validated it on 318. Results: The ANN showed a sensitivity of 87.8% and specificity of 97.3% in predicting the clinical efficacy of empirical therapy. The previous use of fluoroquinolones (HR = 4.23; p = 0.008) and cephalosporins (HR = 2.81; p = 0.003) as well as the presence of Escherichia coli with resistance against cotrimoxazole (HR = 3.54; p = 0.001) have been identified as the most important variables affecting the ANN output decision predicting the fluoroquinolones-based therapy failure. A previous isolation of Escherichia coli with resistance against fosfomycin (HR = 2.67; p = 0.001) and amox...
The teaching styles adopted by the 10 nurse-tutors of the Trento Nursing School, that teach stude... more The teaching styles adopted by the 10 nurse-tutors of the Trento Nursing School, that teach students during their practical training to elicit the experiential learning, were studied. The instruments adopted were a questionnaire and five vignettes. The nurses were asked to 'think aloud' (verbal protocol technique) and practically explain how they would have used the case presented if occurred during the practical training of one of their students. The most widely adopted style is the connection between theory and practice, while less efforts are made to support the student from the emotional point of view and to help her/him to reflect on the feelings experienced during practice. The teaching style is supportive (5 nurse-tutors) and directive (the other 5 tutors). The small sample size does not allow reasonable comparisons between novice and expert tutors. The tutor's experience in the specific ward where students have their practical training leads to the adoption of a more supportive style, to a minor use of judgements and to a deeper exploration of the students' reasoning.
Good and bad examples of qualitative research. Not all the research papers are of good quality an... more Good and bad examples of qualitative research. Not all the research papers are of good quality and contribute to the development of the knowledge. Good and less good examples of qualitative research are presented and commented on, exploring their contribution to the knowledge of a subject, and motivating why the research can be considered a good or less good example.
Why a dossier on qualitative research. The main reasons for a dossier on qualitative research are... more Why a dossier on qualitative research. The main reasons for a dossier on qualitative research are presented, together with strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research compared to quantitative. The different perspectives offered by the two methods on the exploration and interpretation of phenomena are briefly described.
Background: There is considerable debate about the prevalence of e-cigarettes, and its associatio... more Background: There is considerable debate about the prevalence of e-cigarettes, and its association with tobacco smoking. Aims: To study the diffusion of e-cigarettes among nursing students in North-Eastern Italy and the association with tobacco smoking. Methods: In September 2015 a questionnaire on smoking habits, including e-cigarette, was administered to 2020 nursing students, attending courses organized by the University of Verona in 5 centers (Bolzano, Trento, Verona, Vicenza, Legnago) in North-Eastern Italy. 1474 (73%) students answered the questionnaire. Most responders (77.1%) were female and mean(SD) age was 23.2(4.2) years. Results: Nearly all students (94.7%) had heard about e-cigarettes. About one third (30.3%) had ever used e-cigarettes but only 2.1% in the last month. Very few (21/1018=2.1%) among those who had never used e-cigarettes, were willing to try them. Prevalence values were much higher for tobacco smoking: indeed 74.6% of responders reported to be ever smokers, and 40.6% to be current tobacco smokers, either occasional or regular. A strong association was observed between tobacco smoking and e-cigarette use: ever use of e-cigarettes was reported by 57.1% (337/590) of current tobacco smokers, by 18.7% (91/488) of past tobacco smokers and by 1.8% (6/340) of never smokers. Of note, only three students reported to have completely stopped smoking thanks to e-cigarette. Conclusion: Use of e-cigarettes seem to be rather rare among Italian nursing students, and mainly restricted to current smokers. E-cigarette does not seem useful to promote smoking cessation.
Non tutte le ricerche sono di buona qualità e contribuiscono ad aumentare le conoscenze su un fen... more Non tutte le ricerche sono di buona qualità e contribuiscono ad aumentare le conoscenze su un fenomeno. Vengono presentati in questo contributo alcuni esempi di ricerche qualitative buone e meno buone, motivando con un commento il perché della valutazione, e analizzando sul contributo che offrono all’aumento delle conoscenz
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