Postgraduate medical journal
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The worldwide prevalence of dementia is predicted to rise significantly in the next three decades. However, these projections have not taken into account the role of modifiable risk factors and whether any prevention strategies might influence the predicted trend. ⋯ In contrast, recent population studies in high-income countries suggest that the epidemiology may be changing with a possible decline in incident dementia, or even a reduction in age-specific prevalence. Therefore, efforts to develop public health interventions may prove to be the more successful approach to addressing dementia at a societal level.
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The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) traumatic brain injury (TBI) age-based clinical prediction rules identify children at very low risk of a significant head injury who can safely avoid CT. Our goal was to independently validate these prediction rules. ⋯ In our external validation, the age-based PECARN TBI prediction rules accurately identified children at very low risk for a clinically significant TBI and can be used to assist CT decision making for children with minor blunt head trauma.
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Social media are increasingly used in health professions education. How can innovations and research that incorporate social media applications be adjudicated as scholarship? ⋯ Not all social media activities meet the standard of education scholarship. This paper clarifies the criteria, championing social media-based scholarship as a legitimate academic activity in health professions education.
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Social media may blur the line between socialisation and professional use. Traditional views on medical professionalism focus on limiting motives and behaviours to avoid situations that may compromise care. It is not surprising that social media are perceived as a threat to professionalism. ⋯ Appreciative inquiry is a tool that can develop the positive practices of organisations and individuals. Our results provide evidence for the professional use of social media that may contribute to guidelines to help individuals realise benefits and avoid harms.