Clinical Research Directory

Evaluation of Bili-ruler, a Low-cost, Plastic Icterometer for Community-based Screening of Jaundice in Newborns

Newborn jaundice, or accumulation of bilirubin molecules in blood, affects 60-80% of newborns and, in severe cases, places newborns at risk of brain damage and death. Universal screening of all newborn for jaundice ensures that at-risk newborns are identified and treated early. The bili-ruler is a low-cost ($10) plastic icterometer which could enable accurate and timely identification of jaundice in diverse settings. The objective of this study is to evaluate the ability of bili-ruler to identify jaundiced newborns in their first week of life, compared to traditional methods of jaundice screening: visual inspection and transcutaneous bilirubinometry.

Assessment of Supportive Care and Educational Needs to Guide Quality Care Improvements for Patients With Locally Advanced and Metastatic Bladder Cancer

The overall goal of this study is to facilitate care improvements for bladder cancer patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease by designing and evaluating a patient need assessment screening tool to be used, in the future, as standard screening measure. Adult individuals diagnosed with Stage 4 incurable locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer will be included in this study and asked to participate in a focus group, complete a screening tool, or complete a survey. All data collected will be linked to a study ID number and HIPAA identifiers will not be linked to study data. Identifying information (ie: name, mrn, email, phone number) will be utilized for study recruitment and identifying eligible patients. Any disclosure of the human subjects' responses outside the research would not reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial standing, employability, educational advancement, or reputation.

Improving Outpatient Endometrial Biopsy Results

Pipelle is the most commonly used outpatient endometrial biopsy device. Pipelle endometrial biopsy can diagnose 90% of endometrial cancer cases. Pipelle endometrial biopsy is one of the first-line diagnostic procedures for women presenting with abnormal peri- and post-menopausal vaginal bleeding. Insufficient samples are obtained in 5-23% of cases. In Adan Hospital, a retrospective analysis of all outpatient endometrial samples sent to the histopathology department from April- to October 2024 study showed an insufficient sample percentage of 32% This may be attributed to factors such as patients, equipment, and physicians. This project aims to improve the endometrial biopsy results by Identifying these factors in the Adan hospital setting, Implementing measures to modify these factors, and finally re-auditing the endometrial biopsy results after six months.

Clinical Studies of Endometrial Cytology and Cervical Methylation Assays in Endometrial Cancer Screening and Fertility-Preservation Evaluation

The current study aims to assess high-risk patients using both liquid-based cytology and cervical methylation testing. The results will be compared with the traditional hysteroscopic pathological findings to determine the sensitivity and specificity of these methods for early detection of endometrial cancer, thereby evaluating their potential application in early screening. Primary Objectives： 1. To evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of endometrial cytology for screening endometrial cancer. 2. To assess the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of methylation testing for screening endometrial cancer. 3. To perform further molecular testing on tissue samples obtained from endometrial cytology and cervical methylation tests, aiming to explore early screening-sensitive indicators. Secondary Objectives： 1. To determine the value of endometrial cytology in evaluating the efficacy of fertility-sparing treatments for endometrial cancer. 2. To assess the value of methylation testing in evaluating the efficacy of fertility-sparing treatments for endometrial cancer.