Browsing by Subject "Cooperative Behavior"
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Item Defining Social Network Structure Through Text Similarity Analysis: A Model for Promoting Collaboration and Examining Conditions Impacting the Success of Collaborative Endeavors Within a Research Community(2007-05-22) Moser, Courtney Joy; Krumwiede, Kimberly HoggattGiven the breadth and sheer volume of accumulated scientific knowledge, individual researchers often lack the requisite knowledge and resources to adequately address increasingly complex problems; therefore, many researchers are realizing the advantages afforded by collaborative research practices. The application of text data mining technologies to social networking strategies provides a novel approach to identifying opportunities for scientific collaboration through text similarity analysis, provided by the computer program eTSNAP. The data set submitted to eTSNAP comprised 137 research abstracts representing individual scientists affiliated with the Regional Centers of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases. Examination of the data in the form of tables, matrices, and interactive similarity network maps revealed the presence of eight discrete clusters of individuals, linked by the similarity of their abstracts. Further analysis of structural and functional characteristics of each cluster permitted the selection of a single cluster with the highest probability of collaborative success to serve as the pilot cluster. Members of this pilot cluster, renamed the "anthrax cluster" in reference to the common theme of research, received an introductory packet of information explaining the design of the project and soliciting participation in a preliminary survey, developed with intentions of assessing collaborative readiness and garnering practical information to assist in the preparation of a future teleconference. When multiple requests failed to elicit an adequate response, further attempts at establishing collaborative relationships between these researchers merely represented an exercise in futility. Evaluation of this project ultimately consisted of a secondary telephone interview with cluster members along with an in-depth literature review; both components of the final evaluation endeavored to isolate and examine factors that facilitate or inhibit collaboration within a research environment. Results suggest that similar interests alone cannot sustain successful collaboration; rather, complex interactions between a multitude of interconnected variables essentially determine collaborative outcomes.Item Discordance in OR Safety Attitudes: Does Safety Lie in the Eye of the Beholder?(2013-01-22) Clayton, Joshua; Bernstein, Ira H.; Chen, Li ErnBACKGROUND: Efforts to improve operating room (OR) safety can be optimized if we understand the safety attitudes of those who work in the OR. We sought to describe the safety attitudes of current OR personnel. METHODS: Survey: The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (OR Version) was modified to develop a shorter, 23-item anonymous electronic survey to measure attitudes toward OR safety. Respondents were also asked to rate the quality of their communication with other providers who care for surgical patients. Participants: Surgeons and proceduralists, anesthesia providers, and nurses who worked in perioperative services and on the surgical wards. Data: Respondents' demographic information was collected. Survey responses were on a 5-point Likert scale, where a higher score reflected a better safety attitude or higher quality communication, as appropriate. Analysis: Classical test theory and factor analysis. ANOVA was used to compare responses between surgeons/proceduralists, anesthesia providers and nurses. Results are reported as mean (SD). RESULTS: Survey: The 23 survey items reliably measured attitudes toward OR safety (α=0.92). Respondents: 170 staff responded to the survey (55 surgeons, 29 anesthesia providers, and 86 nurses). Mean age of respondents was 40.1 (10.9) years. Median duration of experience was 8 years (range: <1 to 42). Attitudes toward OR safety culture: The mean score on the 23-item survey for all respondents was 3.95(0.68). Scores differed significantly among provider groups (p=0.0009). Surgeons' mean score was 0.57 higher than anesthesia providers' (p<0.05), and 0.33 higher than nurses' (p<0.05). Quality of communication: The surgeons' perception of the quality of their communication with nurses was higher than the nurses' perception of the quality of their communication with surgeons (3.95 vs. 3.05, p<0.0001). Similarly, surgeons' perception of the quality of their communication with anesthesia providers was higher than the anesthesia providers' perception of their communication with surgeons (4.43 vs. 3.81, p=0.0015). However, the anesthesia providers' perception of the quality of their communication with nurses did not differ from the nurses' perception of the quality of their communication with anesthesia providers (3.62 vs. 3.68, p=0.77). CONCLUSION: The abbreviated questionnaire is a reliable measure of OR safety attitudes. Surgeons had the most positive OR safety attitude, but there was consistent discrepancy in the way surgeons rated their communication with other provider groups - surgeons reported that the quality of their communication with anesthesia providers and nurses was better than how these other groups rated their communication with surgeons. This finding calls to question the validity of the surgeons' survey scores, and whether they truly had the best safety attitude.Item Maintaining trustworthiness in NIH public-private partnerships (The Daniel W. Foster, M.D., Visiting Lectureship in Medical Ethics)(2018-10-09) Lo, BernardPublic-private partnerships (PPPs) can benefit the public, but recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) cases illustrate how PPPs may raise important concerns about conflicts of interest (COIs). A proposed PPP to accelerate new treatments for opioid addiction had to be substantially modified after it was disclosed that several private partners were opioid manufacturers being sued by state attorneys general for allegedly promoting the opioid crisis. The project will now be carried out using only public funds. Another PPP, a large clinical trial to determine the long-term effects of moderate alcohol consumption, was harshly criticized after it was revealed that five large alcohol manufacturers are providing most of the $100 million cost of the study. NIH has ordered two investigations of this trial. The high reputation of NIH should be protected in any PPP. NIH should develop comprehensive policies to assure transparency in PPPs and appropriately limit undue influence and bias.