BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Stigma remains a profound barrier to public health, particularly in managing diseases such as Hepatitis B, which is highly prevalent in hyperendemic regions like the Philippines. The social stigma associated with such health conditions can severely limit access to care and hinder adherence to treatment, exacerbating the overall disease burden. Despite the critical impact of stigma on health outcomes, there is a notable gap in the systematic evaluation of the tools used to measure stigma related to health conditions like Hepatitis B. This study aims to fill this gap by reviewing existing instruments for their methodologies, reliability, and validity to inform the development of a refined tool tailored to the Philippine context.

A systematic search was conducted across six databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Open Grey, DissOnline, Philippine Health Research Registry (PHRR), and Health Research and Development Information Network (HERDIN), following PRISMA guidelines. The search strategy focused on identifying quantitative and mixed-methods studies using questionnaires to measure HBV-related stigma and discrimination. Studies published between January 1, 1992, and December 31, 2023, were considered. The selection process involved screening for duplicates, reviewing titles and abstracts, and performing a full-text review based on predetermined eligibility criteria.

The initial search yielded 1,198 articles, with 24 duplicates removed. After title and abstract screening, 28 articles were considered for full-text review, resulting in 17 relevant articles in the final analysis with 15 unique instrumentations. The majority of studies employed cross-sectional designs (n=8), with a significant concentration in Asian countries (n=11), indicating a regional focus in HBV stigma research. The review identified a range of questionnaire methodologies, but most studies lacked specificity regarding the type of stigma measured. The Likert Scale was the most commonly used measurement tool, yet few studies provided cut-off values for stigma levels. Validity and reliability testing was reported in 12 articles, including pilot studies, Cronbach’s alpha, and factor analysis.

The lack of a universal methodology and specificity in existing instruments underscores the importance of developing a refined tool that can accurately capture the nuances of stigma and discrimination associated with HBV. The urgent need for standardized, reliable, and culturally sensitive questionnaires is evident, underscoring their importance in developing effective public health strategies and improving treatment outcomes for individuals living with HBV, especially in the Philippines.

Any kind of clinical study can supply clinical decision-making with useful information when they are designed and reported properly. However, results with bias or mistake can misguide doctors' decisions, if trials with poor design quality were reported wrongly. Therefore, researchers should report trials accurately and critically, so that the quality of trials could reach a high level and get trustworthy results. This article made an overview of many kinds of reporting standards about systematic reviews and all kinds of trials. We hope these international published standards could be helpful for Chinese medicine researchers in their practice.
Biomedical Research ; standards ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Consensus Development Conferences as Topic ; Humans ; Review Literature as Topic

PURPOSE: In this study, we analyzed a cohort of children with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) according to the NIH consensus classification (NCC) in order to observe whether global assessment at diagnosis correlates with GvHD-specific endpoints. We then studied the clinical course of these patients, specifically with regards to episodes of GvHD exacerbation requiring treatment escalation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Recipients of either allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) from January 2006 to August 2008 at the Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea were evaluated for chronic GvHD, which was diagnosed according to the NCC. The course of chronic GvHD in these patients was then followed. RESULTS: Of 59 evaluable patients, 23 developed chronic GvHD for a cumulative incidence of 39.3%. Upon multivariate analysis, previous acute GvHD (> or =grade II) had a significant impact on chronic GvHD incidence. With a median duration of systemic treatment for chronic GvHD of 501 days, no significant relationship was found between initial global severity of chronic GvHD and either duration of immunosuppressive treatment or final clinical response to treatment. Fifteen patients (65%) experienced at least one episode of chronic GvHD exacerbation during the period of follow-up, with a median of four exacerbations in the subgroup of patients who experienced such events. Lung GvHD resulted in the highest number of exacerbations per diagnosed patient, followed by oral GvHD. CONCLUSION: Analysis of this small cohort indicates that global assessment as proposed by the NCC may have limited correlations with GvHD-specific endpoints, possibly due to the favorable response of children to treatment.
Adolescent ; Bone Marrow Transplantation/adverse effects ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chronic Disease ; Cohort Studies ; Consensus Development Conferences, NIH as Topic ; Female ; Graft vs Host Disease/classification/*diagnosis/drug therapy/etiology ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/administration & dosage ; Infant ; Male ; National Institutes of Health (U.S.) ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects ; Prognosis ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; United States

PURPOSE: The promotion of educators is challenged by the lack of accepted standards to evaluate the quality and impact of educational activities. Traditionally, promotion is related to research productivity. This study developed an evaluation tool for educational performance of medical school faculty using educator portfolios (EPs). METHODS: Design principles and quantitative items for EPs were developed in a consensus workshop. These principles were tested in a simulation and revised based on feedback. The changes of total educational activities following introduction of the system were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 71% faculty members answered the simulation of the system and the score distributed widely (mean±standard deviation, 65.43±68.64). The introduction of new system significantly increased the total educational activities, especially in assistant professors. CONCLUSION: The authors offer comprehensive and practical tool for enhancing educational participation of faculty members. Further research for development of qualitative evaluation systems is needed.
Consensus Development Conferences as Topic ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Efficiency ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Schools, Medical*

An international symposium on the standard surgical treatment of morbid obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus was held in Florida, USA in March 2011. An expert panel from all over the world attended the meeting. The expert panelists discussed and established International Sleeve Gastroectomy Expert Panel Consensus Statement : best practice guidelines based on experience of more than 12,000 cases, which made a very commendable attempt in standardized surgical pathway of sleeve gastroectomy. Based on clinical experience over 10 years and the understanding of the consensus , this paper discusses the learning curve, preoperative preparation, indications/contraindications, surgical technique, management and prevention of complications, and post operative management.
Consensus Development Conferences as Topic ; Gastrectomy ; methods ; Humans ; Obesity, Morbid ; surgery ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

Consensus Development Conferences as Topic ; Endoscopy ; Europe ; Humans ; Nose Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Skull Base Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery

Catheter Ablation ; Consensus Development Conferences as Topic ; Humans ; Microsurgery ; Neoplasms ; therapy ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated

At the end of 2012, Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) amended and revised the expert consensus of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) 2011. This article is respectively review hot topics regarding surgical intervention during the revision, including principles and indications of biopsy and surgery.
Biopsy ; Consensus Development Conferences as Topic ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans

PURPOSE: The introduction of community-based medical education would help improve the quality of primary care. This paper suggests learning objectives and an educational program for community-based medical education. METHODS: The educational program was developed in a 1-day consensus workshop. Twenty experts, including faculty members from family medicine department of a college of medicine in Seoul and community-based preceptors, participated in the program. A needs-assessment survey was conducted among community-based preceptors before the workshop. Through this workshop, we derived learning objectives and a standardized curriculum for community-based medical education. RESULTS: In the questionnaire before the workshop, community-based preceptors voiced concerns over the program's potential costs and the time required for teaching. The learning objectives and educational programs derived from the workshop's consensus were consistent with the characteristics of the primary care. Based on the results of this workshop, the joint expert team developed a standard educational program on two core topics: clinical teaching and mentoring. CONCLUSION: From this curriculum development process, participants could construct a more standardized curriculum for community-based medical education. Future studies are needed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of these educational programs, such as the learners' satisfaction and achievement.
Consensus ; Consensus Development Conferences as Topic ; Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Medical* ; Humans ; Joints ; Korea* ; Learning ; Mentors ; Models, Educational ; Preceptorship ; Primary Health Care ; Seoul

Gastric epithelial neoplasia is a very common disease entity in Korea, encompassing gastric adenoma and adenocarcinoma. There are still discrepancies in pathologic diagnosis of gastric epithelial neoplasia between Western and Japanese pathologists after Vienna consensus classification. With increasing use of endoscopic therapy such as endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection, it is very important to agree on the consensus criteria in the diagnosis of gastric epithelial neoplasia among pathologists in Korea. On this background, the current concepts, and contemporary issues of definition, diagnostic and classification criteria of gastric epithelial neoplasia were reviewed.
Adenocarcinoma/classification/*pathology ; Adenoma/classification/*pathology ; Biopsy ; Consensus Development Conferences as Topic ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Epithelial Cells/pathology ; Humans ; Japan ; Observer Variation ; Stomach Neoplasms/classification/*pathology ; *Terminology as Topic