Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet

Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet

Background: Digital health technologies (DHTs) generate a large volume of information used in health care for administrative, educational, research, and clinical purposes. The clinical use of digital information for diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic purposes has multiple patient safety problems, some of which result from poor information quality (IQ). Objective: This systematic review aims to synthesize an IQ framework that could be used to evaluate the extent to which digital health information is fit for clinical purposes. Methods: The review was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. We searched Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, Maternity and Infant Care, PsycINFO, Global Health, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, Scopus, and HMIC (the Health Management Information Consortium) from inception until October 2019. Multidimensional IQ frameworks for assessing DHTs used in the clinical context by health care professionals were included. A thematic synthesis approach was used to synthesize the Clinical Information Quality (CLIQ) framework for digital health. Results: We identified 10 existing IQ frameworks from which we developed the CLIQ framework for digital health with 13 unique dimensions: accessibility, completeness, portability, security, timeliness, accuracy, interpretability, plausibility, provenance, relevance, conformance, consistency, and maintainability, which were categorized into 3 meaningful categories: availability, informativeness, and usability. Conclusions: This systematic review highlights the importance of the IQ of DHTs and its relevance to patient safety. The CLIQ framework for digital health will be useful in evaluating and conceptualizing IQ issues associated with digital health, thus forestalling potential patient safety problems. Trial Registration: PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42018097142; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=97142 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024722

While the risk of ovarian cancer clearly reduces with each full-term pregnancy, the effect of incomplete pregnancies is unclear. We investigated whether incomplete pregnancies (miscarriages and induced abortions) are associated with risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. This observational study was carried out in female participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). A total of 274,442 women were followed from 1992 until 2010. The baseline questionnaire elicited information on miscarriages and induced abortions, reproductive history, and lifestyle-related factors. During a median follow-up of 11.5 years, 1,035 women were diagnosed with incident epithelial ovarian cancer. Despite the lack of an overall association (ever vs. never), risk of ovarian cancer was higher among women with multiple incomplete pregnancies (HR_≥4vs.0: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.20–2.70; number of cases in this category: n = 23). This association was particularly evident for multiple miscarriages (HR_≥4vs.0: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.06–3.73; number of cases in this category: n = 10), with no significant association for multiple induced abortions (HR_≥4vs.0: 1.46, 95% CI: 0.68–3.14; number of cases in this category: n = 7). Our findings suggest that multiple miscarriages are associated with an increased risk of epithelial ovarian cancer, possibly through a shared cluster of etiological factors or a common underlying pathology. These findings should be interpreted with caution as this is the first study to show this association and given the small number of cases in the highest exposure categories.

Background: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) has been proposed to play a promoting role in carcinogenesis. However, no epidemiologic studies have yet directly investigated its role in colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: A case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort was conducted with 1,214 incident, sporadic CRC cases matched to 1,214 controls. Circulating prediagnostic PTH and 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Detailed dietary and lifestyle questionnaire data were collected at baseline. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the incidence rate ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the association between circulating PTH and CRC risk. Results: In multivariate analyses [including adjustment for 25(OH)D concentration] with a priori defined cutoff points, high levels of serum PTH (≥65 ng/L) compared with medium PTH levels of 30–65 ng/L were associated with increased CRC risk (RR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.03–1.93). In analyses by sex, the CRC risk was 1.77 (95% CI: 1.14–2.75) and 1.15 (95% CI: 0.73–1.84) in men and women, respectively (P_{heterogeneity} = 0.01). In subgroup analyses by anatomical subsite, the risk for colon cancer was RR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.03–2.34, and for rectal cancer RR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.72–2.01 (P_{heterogeneity} = 0.21). Effect modification by various risk factors was examined. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that high serum PTH levels may be associated with incident, sporadic CRC in Western European populations, and in particular among men. Impact: To our knowledge, this is the first study on PTH and CRC. The role of PTH in carcinogenesis needs to be further investigated. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(5); 767–78. ©2011 AACR.

Background: Nutrition plays an important role in diabetes self-management. Web-based diabetes care, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), enables more personalized care. Objective: This study aimed to examine the usability and preliminary efficacy of a web-based AI-driven nutrition platform to support people with diabetes and their carers in identifying healthy recipes, meal planning, and web-based shopping. Methods: Diabetes UK signposted people with diabetes and their carers to the platform’s study-specific portal through its website, social media, and newsletters. A total of 73 adult participants with prediabetes or diabetes or their carers completed the baseline web-based survey. Of these 73 participants, 23 (32%) completed a web-based survey after 8 weeks of platform use. Web-based semistructured interviews were conducted with platform users (7/23, 30%) who agreed to be followed up and diabetes experts (n=3) who had nutrition and platform knowledge. The intervention consists of a web-based platform that incorporates AI to personalize recipes, meal planning, and shopping list experiences and was made available for 8 weeks. Baseline characteristics, satisfaction, system usability, and diabetes-related and general health indicators were assessed before and after using the platform for 8 weeks. Results: Reductions in weight (mean difference 4.5 kg/m2, 95% CI 1.0-12.0; P=.009; Cliff δ=0.33) and waist size (mean difference 3.9 cm, 95% CI 2.0-6.5; P=.008; Cliff δ=0.48) were found. Most of the participants (151/217, 69.6%) did not regularly use the platform and had low or very low engagement scores. However, the platform was perceived as accessible with no need for additional assistance (11/21, 52%), user-friendly (8/21, 38%), and easy to use (8/21, 38%), regardless of some usability issues. Saving recipes was the most popular feature, with 663 saved recipes. Conclusions: This study indicated that the usability of the nutrition platform was well perceived by users and their carers. As participants managed their diabetes well, adding an education component would be specifically relevant for people less familiar with the role of diet in diabetes management. To assess the platform’s effectiveness in improving diabetes-related health indicators, controlled studies with a larger and more diverse participant sample are recommended.