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Biomedical subjects

Lloyd R Sutherland

Publications and source records attributed to Lloyd R Sutherland.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

A retrospective study on the use of post-operative colonoscopy following potentially curative surgery for colorectal cancer in a Canadian province.

BACKGROUND: Surveillance colonoscopy is commonly recommended following potentially curative surgery for colorectal cancer. We determined factors associated with patients undergoing a least one colonoscopy within five years of surgery. METHODS: In this historical cohort study, data on 3918 patients age 30 years or older residing in Alberta, Canada, who had undergone a potentially curative surgical resection for local or regional stage colorectal cancer between 1983 and 1995 were obtained from the provincial cancer registry, ministry of health and cancer clinic charts. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of undergoing a post-operative colonoscopy were calculated for patient, tumor and treatment-related variables of interest. RESULTS: A colonoscopy was performed within five years of surgery in 1979 patients. The probability of undergoing a colonoscopy for those diagnosed in the 1990s was greater than for those diagnosed earlier (0.65 vs 0.55, P < 0.0001). The majority of the difference was seen at one-year following surgery, consistent with changes in surveillance practices. Those most likely to undergo a colonoscopy were those under age 70 (0.74 vs 0.50 for those age 70-79, P < 0.0001), who underwent a pre-operative colonoscopy (0.69 vs 0.54, P < 0.0001), and who underwent a resection with reanastomosis (0.62 vs 0.47 for abdominoperineal resection, P < 0.0001) by a surgeon who performs colonoscopies (0.68 vs 0.54, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients undergo colonoscopy following colorectal cancer surgery. However, there are important variations in surveillance practices across different patient and treatment characteristics.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Population-based study of the epidemiology of and the risk factors for invasive Staphylococcus aureus infections.

A population-based active-surveillance study of the Calgary Health Region (population, 929,656) was conducted from May 1999 to April 2000, to define the epidemiology of invasive Staphylococcus aureus (ISA) infections. The annual incidence was 28.4 cases/100,000 population; 46% were classified as nosocomial. Infection was most common in people at the extremes of the age spectrum and in males. Several conditions were associated with acquisition of ISA infection, and the highest risk was observed in persons undergoing hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis and in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Forty-six patients (19%) died. Significant independent risk factors for mortality included positive blood-culture result, respiratory focus, empirical antibiotic therapy, and older age. A higher systolic blood pressure at presentation was associated with reduced case-fatality rate. ISA infections are common, with several definable groups of patients at increased risk for acquisition and death from these infections. This study provides important data on the burden of ISA disease and identifies risk groups that may potentially benefit from preventive efforts.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Development and evaluation of a quality score for abstracts.

BACKGROUND: The evaluation of abstracts for scientific meetings has been shown to suffer from poor inter observer reliability. A measure was developed to assess the formal quality of abstract submissions in a standardized way. METHODS: Item selection was based on scoring systems for full reports, taking into account published guidelines for structured abstracts. Interrater agreement was examined using a random sample of submissions to the American Gastroenterological Association, stratified for research type (n = 100, 1992-1995). For construct validity, the association of formal quality with acceptance for presentation was examined. A questionnaire to expert reviewers evaluated sensibility items, such as ease of use and comprehensiveness. RESULTS: The index comprised 19 items. The summary quality scores showed good interrater agreement (intra class coefficient 0.60 - 0.81). Good abstract quality was associated with abstract acceptance for presentation at the meeting. The instrument was found to be acceptable by expert reviewers. CONCLUSION: A quality index was developed for the evaluation of scientific meeting abstracts which was shown to be reliable, valid and useful.

Congresses as Topic↗
PubMed2003

Irritable bowel syndrome: are incentives useful for improving survey response rates?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders. There continues to be a need for community-based research into this condition. Unfortunately, response rates in community-based IBS surveys have typically been very low. In this study, we explore the use of incentives and multiple-response options as a means of increasing survey response rates. The study was conducted in three phases. In an initial phase, no incentive was offered; in the second phase, a 5.00 Canadian dollars incentive was offered; and in the third phase, a 20.00 Canadian dollars incentive was offered. Response rates were higher in the incentive groups: Individual response rates were 57.9%, 72.7%, and 84.7% in the three phases, respectively. A slightly higher estimate of IBS prevalence was obtained in the no incentive group. Selection bias is a possible explanation for this difference. A decision about whether to use incentives must be based on the specific goals of the study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Evaluation of educational programs in inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the status of patient knowledge in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and potential benefit of educational programs. The authors conducted this study to assess 1) the knowledge of IBD of participants attending educational workshops offered to the public and 2) the effect of the workshop on participants' knowledge level. METHODS: Workshops on IBD were offered to the public at nine communities in the United States. Each workshop consisted of a combination of 3 hours of presentations and question-and-answer sessions. Participants, including patients with IBD and their parents, spouses, siblings, friends, and significant others, were asked to complete the Crohn's and Colitis Knowledge Score questionnaires just before (Q1) and immediately after (Q2) the workshop and approximately 3 months later (Q3). The authors scored one point for each correct answer to the 30 questions in the Crohn's and Colitis Knowledge Score. RESULTS: Of the 734 who completed the Q1, 33.7% gave correct answers for questions about IBD complications, 36.2% for treatment, 61.4% for general knowledge, and 64.8% for diet. After the workshop, the proportion for these four knowledge areas increased by 11.0% to 19%. For the participants who completed all of the three questionnaires and answered all the 30 questions (N=59), the mean score was 18 at Q1, 22 at Q2 (p<0.001, Q2 vs. Q1), and 21 at Q3 (p<0.001, Q3 vs. Q1). CONCLUSIONS: The public's general knowledge of IBD is low. Educational programs oriented toward IBD improve participant's knowledge, and the knowledge they acquired is retained for at least 3 months.

Educational Measurement↗
PubMed2003

Irritable bowel syndrome and health-related quality of life: a population-based study in Calgary, Alberta.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of nonclinical samples of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in Canada. In a pilot survey, the impact of IBS on HRQOL using a population-based, urban sample was examined. METHODS: A random sample of Calgary residents (18 years of age or older), selected by random digit dialing (n=1521), completed a structured questionnaire including ROME II Criteria and Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 12-Item Health Survey, version 2 (SF-12v2). The mean scale and summary scores of SF-12v2 for those who did and did not meet ROME II criteria and for those who met ROME II criteria with and without visiting a physician in past three months were determined and compared using multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: Of the 951 households successfully contacted, 590 (62%) were willing to participate, of which 437 (74%) individuals were recruited. One hundred ten IBS cases (81 of which were women) and 327 non-IBS controls (180 of which were women) were identified. All of the eight mean scale scores and the two mean summary scores were significantly lower in people with IBS than in those without, whether or not adjusting for demographics. Forty-four of the 110 IBS cases (40%) sought medical help. Significantly lower mean physical component score and three scale scores (general health, social functioning and role physical) were found in those who sought medical help than in those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: People with IBS experience significant impairment in HRQOL, including both physical and mental well-being. People with IBS who seek medical help report worse physical health than those who do not, but their mental health is no different.

Alberta↗
PubMed2002

Publication bias in gastroenterological research - a retrospective cohort study based on abstracts submitted to a scientific meeting.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the determinants of publication and whether publication bias occurred in gastroenterological research. METHODS: A random sample of abstracts submitted to DDW, the major GI meeting (1992-1995) was evaluated. The publication status was determined by database searches, complemented by a mailed survey to abstract authors. Determinants of publication were examined by Cox proportional hazards model and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The sample included abstracts on 326 controlled clinical trials (CCT), 336 other clinical research reports (OCR), and 174 basic science studies (BSS). 392 abstracts (47%) were published as full papers. Acceptance for presentation at the meeting was a strong predictor of subsequent publication for all research types (overall, 54% vs. 34%, OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.7 to 3.1). In the multivariate analysis, multi-center status was found to predict publication (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.6-4.9). There was no significant association between direction of study results and subsequent publication. Studies were less likely to be published in high impact journals if the results were not statistically significant (OR 0.5, 95 CI 95% 0.3-0.6). The author survey identified lack of time or interest as the main reason for failure to publish. CONCLUSIONS: Abstracts which were selected for presentation at the DDW are more likely to be followed by full publications. The statistical significance of the study results was not found to be a predictor of publication but influences the chances for high impact publication.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMed2002

Assessing disease activity and disease activity indices for inflammatory bowel disease.

A crucial step in the development of clinical trials to determine the efficacy of various therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been the creation of activity indices. This article reviews the major components and operating characteristics of clinical activity indices commonly used in randomized, controlled trials of IBD therapy. In addition, the paper provides a brief overview of the developmental requirements for any new index.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗