Patients were satisfied with the customized iPad, and the study found that using technology such as this was feasible in the immediate postoperative period.
For patients with head and neck cancer, altered communication is a frequently occurring and highly upsetting issue that has been associated with psychological distress, fear, and anger among those with temporary or permanent speech impairment postsurgery. Many postoperative patients express that the most terrifying situation is to wake up from surgery and not be able to speak. Mobile devices have become part of everyday life, and augmentative and alternative communication mobile applications have the potential to enhance the healthcare journey of the patient and provider.
Research informationists at a comprehensive cancer center sought to evaluate the impact and value of mediated literature searches in support of their users' work activities. An assessment tool was identified in the literature and modified by the investigators to solicit feedback from library users and identify the major reason(s) why scientists and health care professionals request literature searches, how they use the resulting information, and the impact that the results may or may not have on their research or patient care/decision-making activities. Survey results were qualitatively analyzed, and future avenues of outreach and promotion of mediated literature search services were identified.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.