Plos One
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Racial/ethnic disparities in rates of influenza vaccinations in the US remain an issue even among those with access, no out-of-pocket costs, and after adjusting for confounders. We used an approach called the Oaxaca-Blinder (OB) decomposition method to ascertain the contribution of covariates individually and in aggregate to the racial disparity in influenza vaccination. ⋯ In conclusion, equalizing average covariate values in Blacks and Whites could reduce the racial disparity in influenza vaccination by 29%. For health system vaccine campaigns, improving registration on the patient portal may be a target component of an effective system-level strategy to reduce racial disparities in vaccination. Additional information on patient-centered factors could further improve the value of the OB approach.
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The parallelisation of big data is emerging as an important framework for large-scale parallel data applications such as seismic data processing. The field of seismic data is so large or complex that traditional data processing software is incapable of dealing with it. For example, the implementation of parallel processing in seismic applications to improve the processing speed is complex in nature. ⋯ In our framework, we used the Apache Hadoop with its MapReduce function. All experiments were conducted on the RedHat CentOS platform. Finally, we studied the bottlenecks and improved the overall performance of the system for seismic algorithms (stochastic inversion).
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The EQ-5D instrument is now used in many health systems as a health outcomes measure. Recently an EQ-5D valuation study was conducted for Trinidad and Tobago, but thus far there have been no population norms published for Trinidad and Tobago or for any Caribbean country. The objective of this study is to provide a set of population norms, and to investigate inequalities in health in Trinidad and Tobago. ⋯ The population norms provided in this study can be used by clinicians, academics and policy makers in several ways. They can be used in comparing different demographic groups or patient groups, or as a basis for tracking the progress of patients through a treatment regimen. They can also provide a baseline for cost utility analysis of health interventions for Trinidad and Tobago.
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Oral cancer (OC) is one of the common malignant neoplasm resulting in a range of debilitating symptoms. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) could provide a valuable insight into the impact of OC on patients' quality of life (QoL). Selecting an adequate instrument among available PROMs for OC has been challenging for clinicians due to lack of information on their psychometric quality. This systematic review provides an extensive overview of methodological quality of all currently available PROMs for OC. ⋯ QOL-OC can be implemented in future studies to better understand symptoms and expectations of OC patients and help inform clinicians to formulate treatment strategies as per patients' needs.
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Historical Article
Exploiting the "video game craze": A case study of the tobacco industry's use of video games as a marketing tool.
Video games have grown in popularity since the 1970s, and tobacco imagery is present in a substantial subset of games, including those oriented to youth. Much like exposure to tobacco content in films, exposure to tobacco content in video games may influence smoking uptake and use; however, the tobacco industry's role in facilitating or promoting the use of tobacco imagery in video games is unclear. We explored the industry's interest in and use of video games to market their products to youth and young adults. ⋯ Video game players are an attractive target market for tobacco companies. Video games, as used by these companies, facilitate consumer engagement with particular tobacco brands or particular corporate messages. Eliminating the use of video games as a promotional vehicle may require limiting tobacco marketing in both physical and online environments.