Patient experience is a vital measure of healthcare quality, affecting satisfaction, engagement, and outcomes. Standardized radiology reporting can improve care by enhancing communication, reducing errors, and optimizing workflows. This article examines the role of structured reporting and AI in improving patient experience, addressing challenges like workload imbalances and communication issues. Key points include adopting standardized systems, leveraging AI, and focusing on patient-centered communication. Practical tips are shared to boost reporting accuracy, patient engagement, and care quality.

It is posited that impact ice adhesion strength on superhydrophobic surfaces is related to droplet impalement. Several gaps still exist in the understanding of how different types of textured surfaces resist the impalement of high‐speed impacting droplets (<102 μm diameter at 102–103 m s−1). A previous study reveals that a pressure balance calculation can predict the wetting state of an impacting drop (≈103 μm diameter at ≈101 m s−1). However, the ability of this model to predict the wetting state of small droplets impacting at high speed or of droplets in a supercooled state has not been reported. To better understand supercooled microdroplet impalement, and to verify the hypothesis that droplet impalement is directly related to ice adhesion strength, herein, the impact behavior of microdroplets in a cold airflow onto surfaces of varying topography and wettability in an icing wind tunnel with support of high‐speed video images are investigated. Although the results do not allow for validating the above hypothesis about impalements and ice adhesion, they show that the difference between supercooled droplet spreading and retraction can be a predictor of ice adhesion strength. However, this relation must be validated with a greater body of data from samples with very diverse surface properties.

Background: Of all adverse drug reactions, 35-45% are due to medication errors and would therefore be preventable. Thus, it is essential to implement effective strategies to prevent medication errors. However, it remains unclear whether medication reviews provide an additional benefit compared to medication reconciliation regarding medication safety. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate whether medication reconciliation and medication reviews affect the incidence of preventable adverse drug reactions in elderly patients. Method: Non-elective patients 65 years and above admitted to the hospital, taking at least one high-risk drug, were eligible for participation in a three-armed randomized controlled trial. One group went through the medication reconciliation process, a second group received a comprehensive medication review, including medication reconciliation, and the third group did not receive any pharmaceutical intervention (control group). The incidence of preventable adverse drug reactions during hospitalization was set as the primary endpoint. The severity of the preventable adverse drug reactions and the number and clinical relevance of drug-related problems and discrepancies were defined as secondary endpoints. Results: In 207 patients, 74 preventable adverse drug reactions were detected. Neither medication reconciliation nor medication reviews showed a significant impact on the incidence of preventable adverse drug reactions compared to the control group. However, medication reviews significantly reduced the severity of preventable adverse drug reactions (p=0.017). Conclusion: The current study results suggest that medication reviews may have an impact on a clinically relevant outcome by reducing the severity of preventable adverse drug reactions. A significant impact of medication reconciliation on clinically relevant outcomes could not be demonstrated. Based on the results of this study, when deciding on a pharmaceutical intervention comprehensive medication reviews should be preferred over sole medication reconciliation whenever possible.

Unstructured, free-text dictation (FT), the current standard in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reporting, is considered time-consuming and prone to error. The purpose of this study is to assess the usability and performance of a novel, software-based guided reporting (GR) strategy in breast MRI. Eighty examinations previously evaluated for a clinical indication (e.g., mass and focus/non-mass enhancement) with FT were reevaluated by three specialized radiologists using GR. Each radiologist had a different number of cases (R1, n = 24; R2, n = 20; R3, n = 36). Usability was assessed by subjective feedback, and quality was assessed by comparing the completeness of automatically generated GR reports with that of their FT counterparts. Errors in GR were categorized and analyzed for debugging with a final software version. Combined reading and reporting times and learning curves were analyzed. Usability was rated high by all readers. No non-sense, omission/commission, or translational errors were detected with the GR method. Spelling and grammar errors were observed in 3/80 patient reports (3.8%) with GR (exclusively in the discussion section) and in 36/80 patient reports (45%) with FT. Between FT and GR, 41 patient reports revealed no content differences, 33 revealed minor differences, and 6 revealed major differences that resulted in changes in treatment. The errors in all patient reports with major content differences were categorized as content omission errors caused by improper software operation (n = 2) or by missing content in software v. 0.8 displayable with v. 1.7 (n = 4). The mean combined reading and reporting time was 576 s (standard deviation: 327 s; min: 155 s; max: 1,517 s). The mean times for each reader were 485, 557, and 754 s, and the respective learning curves evaluated by regression models revealed statistically significant slopes (P = 0.002; P = 0.0002; P < 0.0001). Overall times were shorter compared with external references that used FT. The mean combined reading and reporting time of MRI examinations using FT was 1,043 s and decreased by 44.8% with GR. GR allows for complete reporting with minimized error rates and reduced combined reading and reporting times. The streamlining of the process (evidenced by lower reading times) for the readers in this study proves that GR can be learned quickly. Reducing reporting errors leads to fewer therapeutic faults and lawsuits against radiologists. It is known that delays in radiology reporting hinder early treatment and lead to poorer patient outcomes. While the number of scans and images per examination is continuously rising, staff shortages create a bottleneck in radiology departments. The IT-based GR method can be a major boon, improving radiologist efficiency, report quality, and the quality of simultaneously generated data.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a crucial role in enhancing plant growth, but their use in agriculture is limited due to several constraints. Elevated soil phosphate levels resulting from fertilization practices strongly inhibit fungal development and reduce mycorrhizal growth response. Here, we investigated the possibility of adapting Rhizoglomus irregulare to high phosphate (Pi) levels to improve its tolerance. A fungal inoculum was produced through multiple generations in the presence of elevated Pi and used to inoculate melon plants grown under low and high phosphate conditions. Our results revealed distinct phenotypic and transcriptomic profiles between the adapted and non-adapted Rhizoglomus irregulare. The Pi adapted phenotype led to enhanced root colonization under high Pi conditions, increased vesicle abundance, and higher plant biomass at both phosphate levels. Additionally, the adaptation status influenced the expression of several genes involved in Pi uptake, Pi signaling, and mitochondrial respiration in both symbiotic partners. While the underlying mechanisms of the adaptation process require further investigation, our study raises intriguing questions. Do naturally occurring phosphate-tolerant AMF already exist? How might the production and use of artificially produced inocula bias our understanding? Our findings shed light on the adaptive capacities of Glomeromycota and challenge previous models suggesting that plants control mycorrhizal fungal growth. Moreover, our work pave the way for the development of innovative biotechnological tools to enhance the efficacy of mycorrhizal inoculum products under practical conditions with high phosphate fertilization.

Chronic inflammatory skin diseases (CISDs) are among the most common diseases in the Western world. Current estimates of medical care for CISDs are primarily based on surveys among patients in medical care facilities and on health insurance data. Survey-based examination to what extent CISD patients in health-aware environment consider their skin disease to be controlled. The survey of CISD patients was carried out in 2022 among the employees of a pharmaceutical company located in Germany and Switzerland. Software-based, anonymous, self-reported questionnaires were used. The number of employees, who answered the questionnaire, was 905. Of these, 222 participants (24.5%) reported having at least one CISD. 28.7% of participants with CISD described their disease as being hardly or not controlled. Regarding the nature of disease, more than one third of participants suffering from hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) or psoriasis fell into the hardly/not controlled category. In contrast, the largest proportion of participants with chronic spontaneous urticaria (43%) or atopic dermatitis (42%) considered their CISD to be completely or well controlled. Only 35.5% of CISD sufferers stated that they were currently under medical care for their skin condition. Being under medical care, however, had no influence on the extent CISD sufferers considered their skin disease to be controlled. The number of active CISD episodes but not the total number of symptomatic days per year was negatively associated with poor disease control (p = 0.042 and p = 0.856, respectively). Poor disease control had a negative effect on the personal and professional lives of those affected, as deduced from its positive association with the extent of daily activity impairment and presenteeism (p = 0.005 and p = 0.005, respectively). Moreover, 41.4 and 20.7% of participants with hardly/not controlled disease stated that their CISD had a moderate and severe or very severe impact on their overall lives (p < 0.001), respectively. A severe or very severe impact of their CISD on their overall life was most commonly reported by participants with HS. Medical care for CISDs, even in an environment with high socio-economic standard and high health-awareness, still appears to be limited and has a negative impact on individuals and society.

W elche digitalen Qualitätsprojekte haben sich im Schweizer Gesundheitswesen bewährt? Welche neuen Best-Practice-Beispiele können nachweislich die Patientensicherheit erhöhen? Und welche innovativen Qualitätsprojekte werden von der Ärzteschaft erfolgreich durchgeführt? Diesen und weiteren Fragen geht die Schweizerische Akademie für Qualität in der Medizin SAQM an ihrem Symposium nach. In dessen Rahmen verleiht sie den SAQM-Qualitätspreis «Innovation Qualité» an Qualitätspioniere im Gesundheitswesen. Die Veranstaltung findet am Freitagnachmittag, 24. Mai 2024, in Bern statt. Das Symposium ist interprofessionell ausgerichtet und wendet sich an qualitätsinteressierte Ärztinnen und Ärzte aller Fachrichtungen, an Qualitätsinteressierte weiterer medizinischer Berufsgruppen, an Vertreterinnen und Vertreter von Organisationen des Gesundheitswesens, an die Öffentlichkeit, an Patientinnen und Patienten

To improve patient safety, it is important that healthcare facilities learn from critical incidents. Tools such as reporting and learning systems and team meetings structure error management and promote learning from incidents. To enhance error management in ambulatory care practices, it is important to promote a climate of safety and ensure personnel share views on safety policies and procedures. In contrast to the hospital sector, little research has been dedicated to developing feasible approaches to supporting error management and safety climate in ambulatory care. In this study, we developed, implemented, and evaluated a multicomponent intervention to address how error management and safety climate can be improved in ambulatory care practices. In a prospective 1-group pretest-posttest implementation study, we sought to encourage teams in German ambulatory practices to use proven methods such as guidelines, workshops, e-learning, (online) meetings, and e-mail newsletters. A pretest-posttest questionnaire was used to evaluate level and strength of safety climate and psychological behavioral determinants for systematic error management. Using 3 short surveys, we also assessed the state of error management in the participating practices. In semistructured interviews, we asked participants for their views on our intervention measures. Overall, 184 ambulatory care practices nationwide agreed to participate. Level of safety climate and safety climate strength (rwg) improved significantly. Of psychological behavioral determinants, significant improvements could be seen in "action/coping planning" and "action control." Seventy-six percent of practices implemented a new reporting and learning system or modified their existing system. The exchange of information between practices also increased over time. Interviews showed that the introductory workshop and provided materials such as report forms or instructions for team meetings were regarded as helpful. A significant improvement in safety climate level and strength, as well as participants' knowledge of how to analyze critical incidents, derive preventive measures and develop concrete plans suggest that it is important to train practice teams, to provide practical tips and tools, and to facilitate the exchange of information between practices. Future randomized and controlled intervention trials should confirm the effectiveness of our multicomponent intervention.Trial registration: Retrospectively registered on 18. November 2019 in German Clinical Trials Register No. DRKS00019053.

Gender identification at the word level in a multi-script environment is challenging due to variations posed by free-style handwriting of individuals and geographical differences in writing styles. This paper presents a new approach, Multi-Orientation-Scale Gabor Response Fusion (MOSGF), for gender identification at the word level using handwritten text. Our method has two steps: (i) word segmentation from unconstrained lines and (ii) gender identification at the word level. In the first step, the method explores the number of zero crossing points and gradient information for word segmentation from handwritten text lines. In the second step, employs Gabor responses at different orientations and scales to detect fine details in female and male handwriting. For each Gabor response, the proposed model estimates the correlation between average templates of all Gabor responses and the individual Gabor response to extract global consistency in writing. To strengthen correlation features, the proposed method uses the Mahalanobis distance measure, which extracts local similarity. Further, the proposed approach fuses correlation coefficient and distance-based features in a novel way. The fused features are then fed to a Neural Network (NN) for gender identification. Experiments on our dataset, which comprises Roman (English), Chinese, Farsi (Persian), Arabic, and Indian scripts, and a benchmark dataset, namely, IAM which includes English text, KHATT which includes Arabic, and QUWI which includes both English and Arabic, show that the proposed system outperforms the existing methods in terms of word segmentation and gender identification.

With the rising prevalence of allergic diseases in children, prevention of childhood allergies becomes an important public health issue. Recently, a paradigm shift is taking place in the approach to preventing allergies, and clinical practice guidelines (CPG) and food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) play an important role in providing practitioners with the latest evidence and reliable guidance. However, concern about the methodological quality of the development of FBDGs and CPGs, including limitations in the systematic reviews, lack of transparency and unmanaged conflicts of interest (COI), reduce the trust in these guidelines. We aim to synthesize the available guidance on early childhood allergy prevention (ECAP) through a systematic search for national and international CPGs and FBDGs concerning ECAP and child nutrition (CN) and to assess the quality of the guidelines and management of COI. Additionally, we will analyse the content and the evidence base of the recommendation statements. We aim to quantify the COI in guideline panellists and explore possible associations between COI and recommendations. Through a social network analysis, we expect to elucidate ties between panellists, researchers, institutions, industry and other sponsors. Guidelines are an important tool to inform healthcare practitioners with the newest evidence, but quality and reliability have to be high. This study will help identify potential for further improvement in the development of guidelines and the management of COI. If the social network analysis proves feasible and reveals more information on COI in comparison to disclosed COI from the previous analyses, the methodology can be developed further to identify undisclosed COIs in panelists. This research does not require ethical approval because no human subjects are involved. Results will be published in international peer-reviewed open access journals and via presentations at scientific conferences.