Clinical Research Directory

Preferences of Vaccination for COVID-19 Among University Students and Staff: A Discrete Choice Experiment

From March 2021, COVID-19 vaccines have been made available to Hong Kong residents, first to priority groups including healthcare professionals and the elderly, and later to all adults and adolescents. Vaccinated individuals are generally exempted from mandatory regular out-of-pocket antigen testing. Vaccinated individuals of university halls and colleges of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) will also be exempted from mandatory weekly antigen testing. Freedom of choice is highly respected in the HKU community and as such, we would like to better understand the decision-making process among members of the HKU community. The anonymised results of this independent research study will help us understand preferences among the HKU community and inform on future vaccination planning policies. Objectives: To elicit HKU staff and students' preferences and their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for COVID-19 vaccination in Hong Kong Design: An online cross-sectional internet-based questionnaire with a discrete choice experiment (DCE) design distributed via email. All current students and staff from the University of Hong Kong are eligible to participate in the study Main outcome measures: Preferences for the efficacy of protecting against infection, against severe disease manifestations, duration of protection, risk of adverse events, incentives, and out-of-pocket costs

Patient Preferences on Same-day Bilateral Intravitreal Dexamethasone Injections

Intravitreal injections with dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®) provide a reasonable and long-lasting treatment option in the cases of diabetic macular edema, as well as macular edema resulting from retinal vein occlusion and noninfectious posterior uveitis. During the course of these diseases, both eyes may be affected and may need therapy. The treatment burden associated with frequent medical visits associated with treatments in both eyes and follow-ups can be significant for patients and caregivers alike. Same-session bilateral ophthalmic procedures have proven safe and cost-effective, with patients consistently expressing a strong preference for this approach, particularly in the cases of cataract surgery and anti-VEGF injections when given the choice. The safety profile of same-day bilateral dexamethasone injections aligns with those of unilateral injections. This patient preference study will focus on addressing the practical aspects of same-day bilateral dexamethasone injections from the patients' perspective and aims to explore the impact of personal and socio-economic variables, and the overall perspective of patients on choosing same-day bilateral dexamethasone injections. Understanding and mitigating the challenges patients face can lead to a more patient-friendly and resource-saving approach. Based on the outcomes of this study, considerations may be made to introduce bilateral injections at our department, potentially optimizing patient experience and clinical resources. The aim of the study is to establish patient preferences regarding the administration of intravitreal dexamethasone implant injections in both eyes on the same day, in the same session and to identify key motivating and limiting factors from the patients' perspective.

Needs and Preferences of Patients With Head-neck Cutaneous SCC

The care of patients with high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas in the head-neck area is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach. A key component in this care is the need and experience of patients. However, studies on the experiences and needs of patients with high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas in the head-neck region are lacking.