Marcus Vaska | University of Calgary (original) (raw)

Papers by Marcus Vaska

Canadian Medical Association Journal, Jan 8, 2023

International Journal of Critical Care

Background: Given the complex nature of acute SCI management, there is a pressing need to review ... more Background: Given the complex nature of acute SCI management, there is a pressing need to review and evaluate existing clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). This study aims to evaluate CPGs and create a summary of recommendations related to the in-hospital acute management of SCI in three different areas: respiratory management, hemodynamic management and the use of neuroprotective agents. Method: This study was conducted in accordance with the guidelines set by the Joanna Briggs Institute, and PRISMA-ScR. A search was conducted in thirteen databases and the gray literature. Screening and data extraction was completed by two independent reviewers against pre-specified eligibility criteria. The AGREE II tool was used to appraise the quality of the CPGs. Results: The search identified 12 eligible studies. Seven (n=7) studies were published in the last five years. Overall, the recommendations were supported by low quality evidence. Based on the AGREE II quality appraisal, seven out of t...

BMJ Open

IntroductionColonoscopy quality can vary depending on endoscopist-related factors. Quality indica... more IntroductionColonoscopy quality can vary depending on endoscopist-related factors. Quality indicators, such as adenoma detection rate (ADR), have been adopted to reduce variations in care. Several interventions aim to improve ADR, but these fall into several domains that have traditionally been difficult to compare. We will conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials evaluating the efficacies of interventions to improve colonoscopy quality and report our findings according to clinically relevant interventional domains.Methods and analysisWe will search MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus and Evidence-Based Medicine from inception to September 2022. Four reviewers will screen for eligibility and abstract data in parallel, with two accordant entries establishing agreement and with any discrepancies resolved by consensus. The primary outcome will be ADR. Two authors will independently conduct risk of bias assessments....

Introduction/Goal: In today's increasingly technologically savvy information society, "u... more Introduction/Goal: In today's increasingly technologically savvy information society, "using remote access and free content to open doors for science students", a statement made by NANSLO lab director Daniel Branan (http://www.scoop.it/t/avaopeneducation), is yet another example of ongoing efforts to make information more openly and freely available and accessible. Although Branan focused his remarks on the scientific community, this applies to more than one specific subject field. Rather, scientists, teachers, artists, sociologists, programmers, as well as professionals from the arts industry and economics are increasingly becoming involved in sharing and reusing their work. Open content provides an opportunity to shorten the time for research to become available, not repeat research already conducted, have data to compare, collect background information for a project, and numerous other possibilities. Despite the well-intentioned mandate of a Creative Commons license, the free distribution of an author's work is still "governed by applicable copyright law." (Wikipedia, n.d.) Jack Andraka, an advocate for the Open Access Movement, laments the disappointment that can occur due to publication and distribution restrictions: "I've seen so many great ideas get killed in the lab when my peers are stopped by closed access [to research articles]" (http://teamopen.cc/jack). Open licensing is a strong instrument ensuring open access to research data. Research Method/Procedure: This project will uncover open licenses and describe how they are used, focusing on Creative Commons free licenses, the most widely known worldwide. The Open Access movement has begun gaining greater acceptance, with numerous institutions either strongly encouraging and/or requiring their faculty, students, and staff to deposit their scholarly work in the institutional repository. As a case in point, the University of Liege in Belgium established a mandate in 2008 whereby all publications must be deposited, including the full text of articles "as so [...]

In today’s academic society, one of the most popular web-publishing mediums is a university or co... more In today’s academic society, one of the most popular web-publishing mediums is a university or college LibGuide. Succinctly defined as a content management and publishing system (Giustini, 2016), these sources of information promote knowledge and learning, and are often seen as the perfect solution for busy librarians and subject specialists. Founded in 2007 by Slaven Zivkovic (Springshare, 2013), an entrepreneur with several years’ experience working in libraries, and currently hosted by Springshare, a library technology vendor, LibGuides are presently used by 65,000 librarians and subject specialists across more than 5,000 libraries in 78 countries (Springshare, 2016). A key feature of LibGuides is that anyone can create, use, and learn from them (Giustini, 2016); as a collaborative venture, these guides not only enrich one’s knowledge, they also connect with information creators and seekers worldwide. Further, information produced and available on LibGuides is often material that may not be seen anywhere else; this unique content thus supplements any research pursuit. Libraries use LibGuides to create curricula on a specific subject for a course, promote library collections, and share information within one’s faculty, either locally, nationally, or internationally. As an information portal, content within LibGuides can be seen as a living document, constantly being updated, changed, or enriched. Via the use of a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) content creation approach, users can select templates, copy from existing LibGuides or start from a blank page (Giustini, 2016). Due to its flexibility and adaptability, virtually any LibGuide available on the web can function as a template for a new or existing subject guide. Various pages are linked together via the creation of tabs, functioning in much the same way as the tabs present in an Internet browser. Further, due to the web 2.0 nature of LibGuides, users are able to integrate multimedia content, such as embedding YouTube videos, Twitter feeds, or Chat widgets directly into their pages (Hamilton, 2010). As a collaborative tool, LibGuides can be set up to allow co-owners, even multiple users, to edit content within a guide. One cannot stress enough that grey literature is a vital source of unique information, often far more current than commercially published material, and circulating at a much faster pace than conventional academic journals. Further, due to its almost unrestricted character, grey literature helps to prevent bias, opening doors to new and emerging research. We believe that LibGuides are a type of grey literature and have a valid place among grey literature supporters, believers, and researchers. In our view, LibGuides should be considered for inclusion into the grey literature typology (GreyNet, 2016), as they are published online, easily accessible, provide up-to-date information, promote self-learning, and contain information that is often overlooked and neglected. In our paper, we aim to investigate grey literature LibGuides within university and college communities across Canada, documenting categories of areas and disciplines, showcasing how grey literature LibGuides play a pivotal role in research pursuits at academic institutions.Includes: Conference preprint, Abstract and Biographical notesXAInternationa

This analysis is based on the classification of the international systems GreyNet, (the Grey Lite... more This analysis is based on the classification of the international systems GreyNet, (the Grey Literature Network Service), OpenSIGLE, (the System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe), and the Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR), as well as focusing on national schemata in the Czech Republic, namely ASEP (Register of Publication Activity of the AS CR), NRGL (National Repository of Grey Literature), and RIV (Information Register of R & D Results). During the analysis of the lists of documents other aspects, such as events (arrangement, organization), types of events (conferences, speeches), producers (universities, institutes), processes (translations, output), content (political documents, legal texts), location (domestic, foreign), and format (e-texts, numeric data). However, this approach is not systematic. Therefore, we have decided to create a classification scheme for document types only, and classify other aspects into various groups in order to define them more...

This literature searching clinic will discuss the literature search process, including the refere... more This literature searching clinic will discuss the literature search process, including the reference interview and search strategy tips and tricks. An interactive demonstration of 3 commonly used medical databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL) will be interspersed throughout the session.

This resource guide contains information on diabetes, nutrition, and obesity to assist clinicians... more This resource guide contains information on diabetes, nutrition, and obesity to assist clinicians and researchers with improving the patient experience, ensuring care is available when it’s needed. Point of Care tools and Research Databases for Obesity, Diabetes & Nutrition

Clinical Biochemistry, 2021

OBJECTIVE To examine patient laboratory testing compliance by tracking time to submission of labo... more OBJECTIVE To examine patient laboratory testing compliance by tracking time to submission of laboratory requisitions in Southern Alberta, Canada as part of a quality improvement initiative. METHODS Data was collected retrospectively from patients from the Chinook Primary Care Network in Alberta, Canada, who received a laboratory requisition consisting of a complete blood count (CBC) test order between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017. To allow for all laboratory requisitions created to be submitted within one year, the study collection period was from September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2018. Patient age, sex, and dates of laboratory requisition creation and submission were collected. The days-to-test-submission served as a marker of compliance. Association of age, sex, and clinic location with time to laboratory requisition completion was determined using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS During the study period, 70.4% (n = 1607) of laboratory requisitions created were completed within one year, and over half (50.5%) of the laboratory requisitions ordered were completed within two weeks. There were no significant associations between time to laboratory requisition submission and sex or clinic locations (P > 0.05), but there were significant associations between patients who were 20-49 or 70-79 and increased laboratory requisition compliance (P < 0.05). However, 26.0% of the laboratory requisitions created were not submitted at all. CONCLUSIONS This was the first study that quantified the proportion and timing of laboratory requisitions that were submitted by patients in a primary care setting. Community patients should be engaged and educated regarding the importance of complying with their physician-ordered laboratory requests in a timely manner.

Canadian Medical Association Journal

Canadian Medical Association Journal, Jan 8, 2023

International Journal of Critical Care

Background: Given the complex nature of acute SCI management, there is a pressing need to review ... more Background: Given the complex nature of acute SCI management, there is a pressing need to review and evaluate existing clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). This study aims to evaluate CPGs and create a summary of recommendations related to the in-hospital acute management of SCI in three different areas: respiratory management, hemodynamic management and the use of neuroprotective agents. Method: This study was conducted in accordance with the guidelines set by the Joanna Briggs Institute, and PRISMA-ScR. A search was conducted in thirteen databases and the gray literature. Screening and data extraction was completed by two independent reviewers against pre-specified eligibility criteria. The AGREE II tool was used to appraise the quality of the CPGs. Results: The search identified 12 eligible studies. Seven (n=7) studies were published in the last five years. Overall, the recommendations were supported by low quality evidence. Based on the AGREE II quality appraisal, seven out of t...

BMJ Open

IntroductionColonoscopy quality can vary depending on endoscopist-related factors. Quality indica... more IntroductionColonoscopy quality can vary depending on endoscopist-related factors. Quality indicators, such as adenoma detection rate (ADR), have been adopted to reduce variations in care. Several interventions aim to improve ADR, but these fall into several domains that have traditionally been difficult to compare. We will conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials evaluating the efficacies of interventions to improve colonoscopy quality and report our findings according to clinically relevant interventional domains.Methods and analysisWe will search MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus and Evidence-Based Medicine from inception to September 2022. Four reviewers will screen for eligibility and abstract data in parallel, with two accordant entries establishing agreement and with any discrepancies resolved by consensus. The primary outcome will be ADR. Two authors will independently conduct risk of bias assessments....

Introduction/Goal: In today's increasingly technologically savvy information society, "u... more Introduction/Goal: In today's increasingly technologically savvy information society, "using remote access and free content to open doors for science students", a statement made by NANSLO lab director Daniel Branan (http://www.scoop.it/t/avaopeneducation), is yet another example of ongoing efforts to make information more openly and freely available and accessible. Although Branan focused his remarks on the scientific community, this applies to more than one specific subject field. Rather, scientists, teachers, artists, sociologists, programmers, as well as professionals from the arts industry and economics are increasingly becoming involved in sharing and reusing their work. Open content provides an opportunity to shorten the time for research to become available, not repeat research already conducted, have data to compare, collect background information for a project, and numerous other possibilities. Despite the well-intentioned mandate of a Creative Commons license, the free distribution of an author's work is still "governed by applicable copyright law." (Wikipedia, n.d.) Jack Andraka, an advocate for the Open Access Movement, laments the disappointment that can occur due to publication and distribution restrictions: "I've seen so many great ideas get killed in the lab when my peers are stopped by closed access [to research articles]" (http://teamopen.cc/jack). Open licensing is a strong instrument ensuring open access to research data. Research Method/Procedure: This project will uncover open licenses and describe how they are used, focusing on Creative Commons free licenses, the most widely known worldwide. The Open Access movement has begun gaining greater acceptance, with numerous institutions either strongly encouraging and/or requiring their faculty, students, and staff to deposit their scholarly work in the institutional repository. As a case in point, the University of Liege in Belgium established a mandate in 2008 whereby all publications must be deposited, including the full text of articles "as so [...]

In today’s academic society, one of the most popular web-publishing mediums is a university or co... more In today’s academic society, one of the most popular web-publishing mediums is a university or college LibGuide. Succinctly defined as a content management and publishing system (Giustini, 2016), these sources of information promote knowledge and learning, and are often seen as the perfect solution for busy librarians and subject specialists. Founded in 2007 by Slaven Zivkovic (Springshare, 2013), an entrepreneur with several years’ experience working in libraries, and currently hosted by Springshare, a library technology vendor, LibGuides are presently used by 65,000 librarians and subject specialists across more than 5,000 libraries in 78 countries (Springshare, 2016). A key feature of LibGuides is that anyone can create, use, and learn from them (Giustini, 2016); as a collaborative venture, these guides not only enrich one’s knowledge, they also connect with information creators and seekers worldwide. Further, information produced and available on LibGuides is often material that may not be seen anywhere else; this unique content thus supplements any research pursuit. Libraries use LibGuides to create curricula on a specific subject for a course, promote library collections, and share information within one’s faculty, either locally, nationally, or internationally. As an information portal, content within LibGuides can be seen as a living document, constantly being updated, changed, or enriched. Via the use of a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) content creation approach, users can select templates, copy from existing LibGuides or start from a blank page (Giustini, 2016). Due to its flexibility and adaptability, virtually any LibGuide available on the web can function as a template for a new or existing subject guide. Various pages are linked together via the creation of tabs, functioning in much the same way as the tabs present in an Internet browser. Further, due to the web 2.0 nature of LibGuides, users are able to integrate multimedia content, such as embedding YouTube videos, Twitter feeds, or Chat widgets directly into their pages (Hamilton, 2010). As a collaborative tool, LibGuides can be set up to allow co-owners, even multiple users, to edit content within a guide. One cannot stress enough that grey literature is a vital source of unique information, often far more current than commercially published material, and circulating at a much faster pace than conventional academic journals. Further, due to its almost unrestricted character, grey literature helps to prevent bias, opening doors to new and emerging research. We believe that LibGuides are a type of grey literature and have a valid place among grey literature supporters, believers, and researchers. In our view, LibGuides should be considered for inclusion into the grey literature typology (GreyNet, 2016), as they are published online, easily accessible, provide up-to-date information, promote self-learning, and contain information that is often overlooked and neglected. In our paper, we aim to investigate grey literature LibGuides within university and college communities across Canada, documenting categories of areas and disciplines, showcasing how grey literature LibGuides play a pivotal role in research pursuits at academic institutions.Includes: Conference preprint, Abstract and Biographical notesXAInternationa

This analysis is based on the classification of the international systems GreyNet, (the Grey Lite... more This analysis is based on the classification of the international systems GreyNet, (the Grey Literature Network Service), OpenSIGLE, (the System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe), and the Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR), as well as focusing on national schemata in the Czech Republic, namely ASEP (Register of Publication Activity of the AS CR), NRGL (National Repository of Grey Literature), and RIV (Information Register of R & D Results). During the analysis of the lists of documents other aspects, such as events (arrangement, organization), types of events (conferences, speeches), producers (universities, institutes), processes (translations, output), content (political documents, legal texts), location (domestic, foreign), and format (e-texts, numeric data). However, this approach is not systematic. Therefore, we have decided to create a classification scheme for document types only, and classify other aspects into various groups in order to define them more...

This literature searching clinic will discuss the literature search process, including the refere... more This literature searching clinic will discuss the literature search process, including the reference interview and search strategy tips and tricks. An interactive demonstration of 3 commonly used medical databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL) will be interspersed throughout the session.

This resource guide contains information on diabetes, nutrition, and obesity to assist clinicians... more This resource guide contains information on diabetes, nutrition, and obesity to assist clinicians and researchers with improving the patient experience, ensuring care is available when it’s needed. Point of Care tools and Research Databases for Obesity, Diabetes & Nutrition

Clinical Biochemistry, 2021

OBJECTIVE To examine patient laboratory testing compliance by tracking time to submission of labo... more OBJECTIVE To examine patient laboratory testing compliance by tracking time to submission of laboratory requisitions in Southern Alberta, Canada as part of a quality improvement initiative. METHODS Data was collected retrospectively from patients from the Chinook Primary Care Network in Alberta, Canada, who received a laboratory requisition consisting of a complete blood count (CBC) test order between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017. To allow for all laboratory requisitions created to be submitted within one year, the study collection period was from September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2018. Patient age, sex, and dates of laboratory requisition creation and submission were collected. The days-to-test-submission served as a marker of compliance. Association of age, sex, and clinic location with time to laboratory requisition completion was determined using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS During the study period, 70.4% (n = 1607) of laboratory requisitions created were completed within one year, and over half (50.5%) of the laboratory requisitions ordered were completed within two weeks. There were no significant associations between time to laboratory requisition submission and sex or clinic locations (P > 0.05), but there were significant associations between patients who were 20-49 or 70-79 and increased laboratory requisition compliance (P < 0.05). However, 26.0% of the laboratory requisitions created were not submitted at all. CONCLUSIONS This was the first study that quantified the proportion and timing of laboratory requisitions that were submitted by patients in a primary care setting. Community patients should be engaged and educated regarding the importance of complying with their physician-ordered laboratory requests in a timely manner.

Canadian Medical Association Journal