Objective To investigate an evaluation method of medical literature applicability to clinical work， and provide a convenient way for physicians to search for the best evidence. Methods Delphi method was used to choose appropriate evaluating indexes， analytic hierarchy process was performed to determine the weighing of each index， and the formula to calculate medical literature applicability was formed. The practicability of this formula was evaluated by consistency checking between the formula’s results and experts’ opinions on literature applicability. Results Five evaluating indexes were determined， including literature’s publishing year （X1）， whether the target questions were covered （X2）, sample size （X3）， trial category （X4）， and journal level （X5）. The formula to calculate medical literature applicability was Y=3.93 X1＋11.78 X2＋14.83 X3＋44.53 X4＋24.93 X5. The result of consistency checking showed that the formula’s results were highly consistent with experts’ opinions （Kappa=0.75， P＜0.001）. Conclusion The applicability formula is a valuable tool to evaluate medical literature applicability.
Measurement properties studies of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) aims to validate the measurement properties of PROMs. In the process of designing and statistical analysis of these measurement properties studies, bias will occur if there are any defects, which will affect the quality of PROMs. Therefore, the COSMIN (consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments) team has developed the COSMIN risk of bias (COSMIN-RoB) checklist to evaluate risk of bias of studies on measurement properties of PROMs. The checklist can be used to develop systematic reviews of PROMs measurement properties, and for PROMs developers, it can also be used to guide the research design in the measurement tool development process for reducing bias. At present, similar assessment tools are lacking in China. Therefore, this article aims to introduce the primary contents of COSMIN-RoB checklist and to interpret how to evaluate risk of bias of the internal structure studies of PROMs with examples.
ObjectiveTo introduce sensitivity and homogeneity tests in network meta-analysis and its implementation in R software. MethodsUsing an example, we performed sensitivity analysis by comparing the random effect model with the fixed effect model. Homogeneity analysis was performed using metaphor package and combinat package in R software. ResultsThe results of the two models were similar, and the data was steady. The results of homogeneity analysis showed that the confidential intervals in all loops were crossed over with blank value; and direct and indirect estimates of the effects in network meta-analysis were not significantly different, with good homogeneity. ConclusionNetwork meta-analysis is a kind of indirect comparison analysis method, and its sensitivity is especially important. The introduction of homogeneity makes network meta-analysis more accurate. Using R software for sensitivity and homogeneity analysis in network meta-analysis is a feasible method.
Objective To validate the effectiveness of a novel comprehensive classification for intertrochanteric fracture (ITF). MethodsThe study included 616 patients with ITF, including 279 males (45.29%) and 337 females (54.71%); the age ranged from 23 to 100 years, with an average of 72.5 years. Two orthopaedic residents (observers Ⅰ and Ⅱ) and two senior orthopaedic surgeons (observers Ⅲ and Ⅳ) were selected to classify the CT imaging data of 616 patients in a random order by using the AO/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) classification of 1996/2007 edition, the AO/OTA classification of 2018 edition, and the novel comprehensive classification method at an interval of 1 month. Kappa consistency test was used to evaluate the intra-observer and inter-observer consistency of the three ITF classification systems. ResultsThe inter-observer consistency of the three classification systems evaluated by 4 observers twice showed that the 3 classification systems had strong inter-observer consistency. Among them, the κ value of the novel comprehensive classification was higher than that of the AO/OTA classification of 1996/2007 edition and 2018 edition, and the experience of observers had a certain impact on the classification results, and the inter-observer consistency of orthopaedic residents was slightly better than that of senior orthopaedic surgeons. The intra-observer consistency of two evaluations of three classification systems by 4 observers showed that the consistency of the novel comprehensive classification was better for the other 3 observers, except that the consistency of observer Ⅳ in the AO/OTA classification of 2018 version was slightly higher than that of the novel comprehensive classification. The results showed that the novel comprehensive classification has higher repeatability, and the intra-observer consistency of senior orthopaedic surgeons was better than that of orthopaedic residents. ConclusionThe novel comprehensive classification system has good intra- and inter-observer consistency, and has high validity in the classification of CT images of ITF patients; the experience of observers has a certain impact on the results of the three classification systems, and those with more experiences have higher intra-observer consistency.
Objectives To evaluate the reporting quality of Bland-Altman method consistency evaluation in China from 2014 to 2016. Methods WanFang Data, VIP and CNKI databases were electronically searched to collect literature about the application of Bland-Altman method from 2014 to 2016 in China. Two reviewers screened literature, extracted data, and the data were then statistically analyzed by SPSS 22.0 software. Results A total of 376 articles were included. The published articles on Bland-Altman method had major flaws (not conforming to reporting standards) in the application conditions, evaluation indexes, graphic depiction and so on. Merely 11.4% of the literature set the clinically acceptable consensus values in the pre-period studies. Merely one literature (0.3%) correctly compared the 95%CI of 95%LoA with the clinically acceptable threshold which had been set previously. The offer rates of the differences between the two measurements and the 95%CI, 95%LoA and 95%CI of 95%LoA in the figure were 95.9%, 9.5%, 94.6% and 4.4%, respectively. Conclusions The reporting quality of Bland-Altman method consistency evaluation in China is of low quality, specifically not conforming to reporting standards. We should strengthen the introduction of Bland-Altman methodology to improve the reporting quality.
ObjectivesTo analyze the application value of 6-minute walking test (6MWT) in the clinical evaluation of chronic heart failure (CHF).MethodsPubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, CBM, VIP, WanFang Data and CNKI databases were searched online to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) as the CHF evaluation index. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data, and then analyzed data by using SPSS 17.0 statistical software. The 6MWD with symptom, quality of life, exercise tolerance (ETT), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), peak oxygen consumption (pVO2) were analyzed by Kappa consistency test, and the possible influencing factors of 6MWD were analyzed by logistic regression.ResultsA total of 158 RCTs involving 17 853 patients were included. The results of statistical analysis showed that: 6MWD was consistent with the improvement of symptoms, quality of life, ETT, LVEF and pVO2 (Kappa>0.4). Baseline 6MWD (OR=2.91, 95%CI 1.278 to 6.634,P=0.011) and NYHA Ⅲ-Ⅳ ratio (OR=2.59, 95%CI 1.091 to 6.138, P=0.031) were the independent influencing factors for 6MWD improvement separately.ConclusionsThe 6MWT is an objective and reliable indicator of CHF evaluation.
ObjectiveTo observe the interobserver agreement of classification of macular degeneration in severe pathological myopia (PM) by ophthalmologists with different clinical experience. MethodsA retrospective study. From January 2019 to December 2021, 171 eyes of 102 patients with severe PM macular degeneration who were examined at Eye Center of Beijing Tongren Hospital of Capital Medical University were included in the study. The clinical data such as age, gender, axial length, spherical equivalent power, fundus color photography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were collected in detail. Six independent ophthalmologists (A, B, C, D, E, F) classified each fundus photography based on META-PM and ATN classification of atrophy (A) system and interobserver agreement was assessed by Kappa statistics. According to the classification standard of traction (T) in the ATN classification, the OCT images were interpreted and classified, in which T0 was subdivided into retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroidal thinning, choroidal neovascularization (CNV) with partial RPE and choroidal atrophy, RPE, and choroidal atrophy. Lamellar macular hole can't be classified by ATN system, which was defined as TX. Kappa (κ) test was used to analyze the consistency of classification results between physicians A, B, C, D, E and F. κ value ≤0.4 indicates low consistency, 0.4＜κ value ≤ 0.6 indicates moderate consistency, and κ value ＞0.6 indicates strong consistency. ResultsAmong the 171 eyes of 102 cases, there were 20 males with 37 eyes (19.6%, 20/102), and 82 females with 134 eyes (80.4%, 82/102); age was 61.97±8.78 years; axial length was (30.87±1.93) mm; equivalent spherical power was (－16.56±7.00) D. Atrophy (A) classification results in META-PM classification and ATN classification, the consistency of physician A, B, C, D, E and physician F were 73.01%, 77.19%, 81.28%, 81.28%, 88.89%; κ value were 0.472, 0.538, 0.608, 0.610, 0.753, respectively. In the ATN classification, the T0, T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 were in 109, 18, 11, 12, 9, and 8 eyes, respectively; TX was in 4 eyes. ConclusionsThere are differences in the consistency of classification of severe PM macular lesions among physicians with different clinical experience, and the consistency will gradually improve with the accumulation of clinical experience.
A great number of studies have demonstrated functional abnormalities in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although conflicting results have also been reported. And few studies analyzed homotopic functional connectivity between hemispheres. In this study, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were recorded from 45 medication-na?ve ADHD children and 26 healthy controls. The regional homogeneity (ReHo), degree centrality (DC) and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) values were compared between the two groups to depict the intrinsic brain activities. We found that ADHD children exhibited significantly lower ReHo and DC values in the right middle frontal gyrus and the two values correlated with each other; moreover, lower VMHC values were found in the bilateral occipital lobes of ADHD children, which was negatively related with anxiety scores of Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-R) and positively related with completed categories of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Our results might suggest that less spontaneous neuronal activities of the right middle frontal gyrus and the bilateral occipital lobes in ADHD children.
Lung cancer is the most threatening tumor disease to human health. Early detection is crucial to improve the survival rate and recovery rate of lung cancer patients. Existing methods use the two-dimensional multi-view framework to learn lung nodules features and simply integrate multi-view features to achieve the classification of benign and malignant lung nodules. However, these methods suffer from the problems of not capturing the spatial features effectively and ignoring the variability of multi-views. Therefore, this paper proposes a three-dimensional (3D) multi-view convolutional neural network (MVCNN) framework. To further solve the problem of different views in the multi-view model, a 3D multi-view squeeze-and-excitation convolution neural network (MVSECNN) model is constructed by introducing the squeeze-and-excitation (SE) module in the feature fusion stage. Finally, statistical methods are used to analyze model predictions and doctor annotations. In the independent test set, the classification accuracy and sensitivity of the model were 96.04% and 98.59% respectively, which were higher than other state-of-the-art methods. The consistency score between the predictions of the model and the pathological diagnosis results was 0.948, which is significantly higher than that between the doctor annotations and the pathological diagnosis results. The methods presented in this paper can effectively learn the spatial heterogeneity of lung nodules and solve the problem of multi-view differences. At the same time, the classification of benign and malignant lung nodules can be achieved, which is of great significance for assisting doctors in clinical diagnosis.