Diagnosis Of Non-communicable Diseases Research Articles

Primary health care response to noncommunicable diseases: an assessment of Wellness Clinics in Ghana

BackgroundGlobally, there is a significant unmet need for the rapidly growing burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Ghana has adopted and implemented Wellness Clinics (WC) nationwide to respond to the rising burden of NCDs. Regrettably, very little is known about WCs, including their structure and the services they offer. This study explores the concept of WC, their structure, position within the hospital environment, and services from the perspectives of healthcare providers and clients.MethodsAn exploratory qualitative study was conducted with health professionals (n = 12) and clients (n = 26) of Wellness Clinics in two district hospitals and one regional hospital in a deprived region of Ghana where NCDs are rising. Using the WHO-PEN approach, an interview guide was purposely designed for this study. The data were analysed thematically using Atlas.ti.ResultsAll three Wellness Clinics were sub-units under the outpatient department. The WC was created by the facilities to respond to the increase in NCDs and to meet annual performance review requirements. The Wellness Clinics provided NCD diagnosis, counselling, and treatment services to approximately 300 clients per week at the facility level. Only one of the WCs provided NCD prevention services at the community level. Integrated NCD care was also provided at the WC, despite the health system and individual-level challenges reported by the health workers and clients.ConclusionThe implementation of the Wellness Clinic demonstrates the government’s commitment to addressing the increasing burden of NCDs in Ghana through the primary health system. To maximise the impact of the wellness clinics, we recommend developing best practices, providing logistics, and addressing health insurance challenges.

E-Diagnostic system for diabetes disease prediction on an IoMT environment-based hyper AdaBoost machine learning model

AbstractOne of the most fatal and serious diseases that humans have encountered is diabetes, an illness affecting thousands of individuals yearly. In this era of digital systems, diabetes prediction based on machine learning (ML) is gaining high momentum. One of the benefits of treating patients early in the course of their noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is that they can avoid costly therapies when the illness worsens later in life. Incidentally, diabetes is complicated by the dearth of medical professionals in underserved areas, such as distant rural communities. In these situations, the Internet of Medical Things and machine learning (ML) models can be used to offer healthcare practitioners the necessary prediction tools to more effectively and timely make decisions, thus assisting the early identification and diagnosis of NCDs. In this study, four conventional and hyper-AdaBoost ML models were trained and tested on the PIMA Indian Diabetes dataset. Patients with diabetes were classified on the basis of laboratory findings. Pre-processing tasks, such as the handling of imbalanced data and missing values, were performed prior to feature importance and normalisation activities. The algorithm with the best performance was examined using precision, accuracy, F1, recall and area under the curve metrics. Then, all ML models were hyper parametrically tuned via grid search to optimise their performance and reduce their error times. The decision process was also evaluated to further enhance the models. The AdaBoost-ET model performed even when features were not selected for binary classification. The model proposed in this study can predict diabetes with unprecedented high accuracy compared with the models in previous studies.

IJCM_181A: Health behavioral change and Associated factors among patients diagnosed with non-communicable diseases in the Rural areas of Southern India

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) contributed to 71% of the global mortality and affect the ageing population with variable proportions. NCD diagnosis gives an opportunity for patients to change their health behaviors. Secondary prevention strategies like diet modification, physical activity and smoking cessation after NCD diagnosis are important and should be emphasized particularly for middle-aged and older adults. Objectives: 1. To assess the level of health behavioral change adopted by the patients diagnosed with NCDs registered under Rural field practice area. 2. To evaluate the factors influencing the health behavioral change in NCD patients. Methodology: This is a Cross-sectional study design conducted at Rural Health & Training Centre, Government Medical College, Ananthapuramu, from August 2023 to October 2023. Simple random sampling was used to select 150 registered NCD cases from the RHTC data-base. We included participants who were diagnosed with either diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, or cancer after recruitment. Data were collected by using pre-designed semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25.0. Associations were tested using chi-squares and for all comparisons p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: In total 48 (32%) NCD cases have adopted suggested behavioral change instructed by the physician. Factors such as females, graduates, Class III & above SES, diagnosed between 5 to 10 years, not having any other co-morbidities were significantly associated with good health behavioral change. Conclusion: Around two third of the diagnosed NCD cases were not compliant to health behavioral change. Hence, health care providers need to provide behavioral change communication related to health behaviors in addition to standard medical care.

Equity and unmet need of non-communicable diseases services in Saudi Arabia using a National Household Survey (2019).

Saudi Arabia is implementing a comprehensive health system transformation in health services provision, governance, and financing. Given the high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCD), a key objective of the transformation is to integrate NCD prevention and treatment into primary care. The study objectives were to assess primary care service use for treatment of NCDs, to quantify existing inequities in preventive services utilization, and to identify regional and sociodemographic factors associated with these inequities. Using the 2019 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia World Health Survey, multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to identify predictors of utilization of primary care services for NCD prevention and treatment, unmet need among those with a diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia, and unmet need in breast and cervical cancer screening. Among those with an NCD diagnosis, living in a high-income household was associated with a lower probability of having an unmet need compared to those in low-income households. Furthermore, rural residents were less likely to have an unmet need compared to urban residents (OR 0.58, p=0.029). Individuals without a perceived need for healthcare within the last 12 months had three times the probability of unmet need in comparison to those with such a perceived need (p<0.001). Women in all regions had a lower probability of ever having a mammogram compared to women in the central regions around Riyadh. Women with an education above a secondary level had five times the odds of undergoing cervical cancer screening and three times the likelihood of ever having a mammogram (P=0.012, p=0.02) than other women. Compared to women in low-income households, those in middle (OR 1.99, P=0.026), upper middle (OR 3.47, p<0.001), or high-income households (OR 2.59, p<0.001) had a higher probability of having had cervical cancer screening. Inequities in NCD treatment and prevention services' utilization in Saudi Arabia are strongly associated with region of living, population density, wealth, income, education and perceived need for health care. More research is needed to better understand the extent of unmet primary care needs for NCD and how to address the underlying contributing factors to access inequities.

Mapping evidence on barriers to and facilitators of diagnosing noncommunicable diseases among people living with human immunodeficiency virus in low- and middle-income countries in Africa: A scoping review.

To map the evidence on the barriers to and facilitators of diagnosing noncommunicable diseases among people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries in Africa. Noncommunicable diseases are increasing among people living with HIV. Thus, strengthened and sustained diagnosis of noncommunicable diseases through integrated noncommunicable diseases and HIV care is needed to improve patient outcomes. However, there is paucity of evidence on the barriers and facilitators diagnosing noncommunicable diseases among people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries. The Arksey and O'Malley methodological framework was used. A comprehensive systematic search of academic databases (MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete, APA PsycInfo, CAB, and Health Source/Nursing) was performed via EBSCO search and PubMed. The articles were reviewed independently by three reviewers. The results were structured using Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior model and Theoretical Domains Framework. A total of 152 articles were retrieved for full-text review. Forty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. The identified barriers were relevant to all the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior constructs and 14 Theoretical Domains Framework domains. A lack of knowledge and awareness of noncommunicable diseases, fear of stigma, financial problems and out-of-pocket payments were the most cited patient-level barriers. Healthcare providers (knowledge and awareness gaps, skill and competence deficiencies, unwillingness, burnout, low motivation, and apathy) were frequently cited. Lack of equipment, noncommunicable disease medications and supply chain challenges, lack of integrated noncommunicable disease and HIV care, and shortage of trained healthcare providers were identified as health-system-level barriers. This scoping review is the first to identify barriers and facilitators using a theoretical framework. The most cited barriers include a lack of integrated HIV and noncommunicable disease care, equipment and logistics chain challenges for noncommunicable diseases, patients' and healthcare providers' lack of knowledge and awareness of noncommunicable diseases, and healthcare provider's skill and competency deficiencies. Addressing these issues is crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing the burden on healthcare providers and health systems.

Improving the management of patients with chronic cardiac and respiratory diseases by extending pulse-oximeter uses: the dynamic pulse-oximetry.

Respiratory and cardio-vascular chronic diseases are among the most common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide, accounting for a large portion of health-care costs in terms of mortality and disability. Their prevalence is expected to rise further in the coming years as the population ages. The current model of care for diagnosing and monitoring NCDs is out of date because it results in late medical interventions and/or an unfavourable cost-effectiveness balance based on reported symptoms and subsequent inpatient tests and treatments. Health projects and programs are being implemented in an attempt to move the time of an NCD's diagnosis, as well as its monitoring and follow up, out of hospital settings and as close to real life as possible, with the goal of benefiting both patients' quality of life and health system budgets. Following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, this implementation received additional impetus. Pulseoximeters (POs) are currently used in a variety of clinical settings, but they can also aid in the telemonitoring of certain patients. POs that can measure activities as well as pulse rate and oxygen saturation as proxies of cardio-vascular and respiratory function are now being introduced to the market. To obtain these data, the devices must be absolutely reliable, that is, accurate and precise, and capable of recording for a long enough period of time to allow for diagnosis. This paper is a review of current pulse-oximetry (POy) use, with the goal of investigating how its current use can be expanded to manage not only cardio-respiratory NCDs, but also acute emergencies with telemonitoring when hospitalization is not required but the patients' situation is debatable. Newly designed devices, both "consumer" and "professional," will be scrutinized, particularly those capable of continuously recording vital parameters on a 24-hour basis and coupling them with daily activities, a practice known as dynamic pulse-oximetry.

Mapping evidence on barriers to and facilitators of diagnosing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Africa: A scoping review protocol

Background Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) represent a global public health challenge in all population groups, but the prevalence of major NCDs, such as depression, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity and diabetes, is increasing at a rapid rate among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH). Studies show that integrated NCDs and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) services have improved the patient outcome of PLWH with comorbidities with NCDs. It requires a strengthened and sustainable way of diagnosing major NCDs early among PLWH. However, there is limited evidence regarding the barriers to and facilitators of early diagnosis of NCDs (depression, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity and diabetes) among PLWH in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This review will systematically map the literature and describe the barriers and facilitators of diagnosing NCDs (depression, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity and diabetes) among PLWH in LMICs in Africa. Methods The methodology presented by Arksey and O’Malley and the recommendation set out by Levac and colleagues will be used. PubMed, MEDLINE with full text via the EBSCO host, Google Scholar, Science Direct and Scopus will be used for a comprehensive search for data extraction. The search will be conducted using keywords, Boolean terms, and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). All studies with eligible titles will be exported to the EndNote citation manager for deduplication and imported to Rayyan software for screening. Two reviewers will independently screen abstracts, and the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis extension to scoping review (PRISMA-Sc) guidelines will be used to guide the search in conducting the scoping review. We will perform descriptive data analysis for quantitative studies, NVivo software version 12 will be used for qualitative studies, and thematic content analysis will be carried out. This scoping review will include studies that included PLWH with those diagnosed with major NCDs (depression, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes) in LMICs in Africa. Discussion This scoping review will highlight evidence mapping on barriers and facilitators of diagnosing NCDs (depression, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes) among PLWH LMICs in Africa. Scoping Review Registration: registered on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/xvtwd/).

National health registries – a ‘goldmine’ for studying non-communicable disease occurrence in Norway – the NCDNOR project

To estimate occurrence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) over the life-course in the Norwegian population, national health registries are a vital source of information since they fully represent the entire non-institutionalised population. However, as they are mainly established for administrative purposes, more knowledge about how NCDs are recorded in the registries is needed. To establish this, we begin by counting the number of individuals registered annually with one or more NCDs in any of the registries. The study population includes all inhabitants who lived in Norway from 2004 to 2020 ( N~6.4m). The NCD outcomes are diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive lung diseases, cancer and mental disorders/substance use disorders. Further, we included hip fractures in our NCD concept. The data sources used to identify individuals with NCDs, including detailed information on diagnoses in primary and secondary health care and dispensings of prescription drugs, are the Cancer Registry of Norway, The Norwegian Patient Registry, The Norwegian Control and Payment of Health Reimbursement database, and The Norwegian Prescription Database. The number of individuals registered annually with an NCD diagnosis and/or a dispensed NCD drug increased over the study period. Changes over time may reflect changes in disease incidence and prevalence, but also changes in disease-specific guidelines, reimbursement schemes and access to and use of health services. Data from more than one health registry to identify individuals with NCDs are needed since the registries reflect different levels of health care services and therefore may reflect disease severity.

Six month incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events among adults with HIV in northern Tanzania: a prospective observational study

ObjectivesWe aimed to prospectively describe incident cardiovascular events among people living with HIV (PLWH) in northern Tanzania. Secondary aims of this study were to understand non-communicable disease care-seeking behaviour and...

Transitions in and out of work across the life course of patient with a NCD diagnosis

Abstract Background Coupled with its impact on quality of life, non-communicable Diseases (NCD) may degrade both the quality and quantity of the workforce, and stunt economic growth and productive employment. However, there is limited information about the social costs of NCDs to identify priorities in resource allocation, particularly in regard to retirement policies. In this paper, we investigate if NCDs affect them employment status, i.e., the patients’ ability to work beyond middle age, using longitudinal data. Methods We used longitudinal data from employed men and women who responded to the sixth and seventh waves of the SHARE project from several European countries and Israel. We restricted the sample to all people working up to 3 years before the expected retirement age for each country. To achieve a representative sample of employed people from each country we calculated calibrated longitudinal individual weights for participants in these two waves. It was to adjust for non-response, sample selection bias, and attrition (N = 9645). We modelled the probability to change employment status on Wave 7 as function of having a NCD, adjusting for age, gender, marital status, job satisfaction, education level, and country, using multinominal logistic regressions. Results Overall, 30.3% of the study population self-reported one NCD and 28.3% mentioned at least two chronic health conditions (multimorbidity). Among multimorbid individuals the risk of unemployment is 1.27 times more (OR = 1.271, 95% CI (1.266-1.276).), while the risk of retirement is multiplied by 1.26 (OR = 1.259, 95%CI (1.255-1.262)). Conclusions Having one NCD or multimorbidity is a common phenomenon in the working middle-aged European population. It is associated with unemployment and retirement, controlling for educational level, age, marital status, gender, job satisfaction, and country. This result highlights that early retirement will persist unless health policies are implemented to decrease the burden of NCDs. Key messages • This study shows that there is a strong association between having one or more NCD with unemployment and retirement, controlling for educational, age, and occupational type. • Results reinforce that we need health policies focused on alerting society about real impact of NCD on employment.

Factors Associated With Common Mental Disorders and the Presence of Noncommunicable Diseases During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia: A Study in Bogor, West Java

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted the mental health of Indonesians, including those with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and those without. However, it is known that COVID-19 has a higher fatality rate in people with NCDs. This study aimed to determine the difference in the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMD) among respondents with and without NCDs and identify the associated factors of CMD from each sub-sample. This cross-sectional study used respondents from the Bogor Cohort Study of noncommunicable disease risk factors. The NCDs in the current study included hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and diabetes mellitus (DM). The diagnosis of NCD was determined by trained medical professionals following research protocols. A total of 2,936 participants were involved in this study, including 1,734 with NCDs and 1,202 without. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze factors associated with CMD in respondents with and without NCDs. The prevalence of CMD was slightly higher in respondents with NCDs (5.1%) than in those without NCDs (3.6%). Experiencing COVID-19 symptoms in the last six months was a factor associated with CMD in both groups; those with NCDs (AOR = 4.156; 95% CI [2.37, 7.30]; p &lt; .001) and those without (AOR = 5.797; 95% CI [2.63, 12.78]; p &lt; .001). Not having health insurance was a factor associated with CMD, only in respondents with NCDs (AOR = 2.582; 95% CI [1.35, 4.93]; p = .004). Female gender and low education were factors associated with CMD only in respondents without NCDs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, newly diagnosed subjects with NCDs and non-adherence to treatment were identified as factors associated with CMD in respondents with NCDs who had undergone PCR and/or rapid testing. During the pandemic, the knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms and health insurance ownership significantly impacted the community’s wellbeing, not only for physical but also for psychological health.

Smoking cessation behavior in patients with a diagnosis of a non-communicable disease: The impact of perceived disease severity of and susceptibility to the disease.

The Health Belief Model comprises two constructs influencing changed behaviors impacting on health, namely perceived severity and susceptibility. The aim of this study was to identify the impact of the combination of, or interactions between, these two constructs on quitting smoking in smokers with a diagnosis of a non-communicable disease (NCD). From the large insurance claims database maintained by JMDC database (JMDC, Tokyo), we extracted data on 13284 participants who smoked. All participants were stratified according to their NCD diagnosis based on perceived severity and susceptibility as follows: Category I (high severity and high susceptibility) - acute myocardial infarction, and lung cancer; Category II (high severity and low susceptibility) - colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer; Category III (low severity and high susceptibility) - asthma, and transient ischemic attack; Category IV (low severity and low susceptibility) - appendicitis, and glaucoma. We performed multi-variable logistic regression analysis and calculated the proportion of those who were smoking at the first health check-up after the diagnosis and every three years thereafter. Using glaucoma as the reference, the adjusted odds ratios for smoking cessation were 14.2 (95% CI: 11.4-17.8) to 14.8 (95% CI: 12.5-17.4) in Category I; 4.5 (95% CI: 3.8-5.4) to 6.6 (95% CI: 5.4-8.0) in Category II; and 1.9 (95% CI: 1.7-2.1) to 2.8 (95% CI: 2.2-3.7) in Category III. In Categories I and II, the proportion of smokers rapidly decreased after diagnosis and mostly remained low thereafter. Smoking cessation rates for Categories I and II were not associated with readiness to improve lifestyles prior to NCD diagnosis. Our study confirms the significant impact of perceived severity of and susceptibility to the diagnosed disease on smoking cessation. The multiplicative effect of these two constructs at NCD diagnosis represents a 'teachable moment', a window of opportunity, for encouraging successful long-term smoking cessation.

Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Service Availability at Primary Health Care Units During COVID-19 Outbreak in Ethiopia.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a substantial global health challenge, resulting in an annual death toll of over 15 million individuals aged 30 to 69. Ethiopia, categorized as COVID-19 vulnerable, grapples with NCD treatment challenges. This study aims to assess disease service availability at primary health units in Ethiopia during the pandemic. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October to December 2021 across regions, encompassing 452 facilities: 92 health centers, 16 primary hospitals, 344 health posts, and 43 districts. Facility selection, based on consultation with regional health bureaus, included high, medium, and low performing establishments. The study employed the WHO tool for COVID-19 capacity assessment and evaluated services for various diseases using descriptive analysis. Results reveal service disruptions in the past year: hospitals (55.6%), health centers (21.7%), districts (30.2%), and health posts (17.4%). Main reasons were equipment shortages (42%), lack of skilled personnel (24%), and insufficient infection prevention supplies (18.8%). While tuberculosis treatment was fully available in 23% of health posts and malaria services in 65.7%, some health centers lacked HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular, mental health, and cervical cancer services. Most communicable and non-communicable disease diagnoses and treatments were fully accessible at primary hospitals, except for cervical cancer (56.3%) and mental health (62.5%) services. Significant gaps exist in expected services at primary health units. Improving disease care accessibility necessitates strengthening the supply chain, resource management, capacity building, and monitoring systems.

Study protocol for development and validation of a single tool to assess risks of stroke, diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction and dementia: DemNCD-Risk

IntroductionCurrent efforts to reduce dementia focus on prevention and risk reduction by targeting modifiable risk factors. As dementia and cardiometabolic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) share risk factors, a single risk-estimating tool...

Characterizing non-communicable disease trends in undocumented migrants over a period of 10 years in Italy

Undocumented migrants represent a large part of the population in Countries of the European Union (EU) such as Italy. Their health burden is not fully understood and likely to be related mainly to chronic conditions. Information on their health needs and conditions may help to target public health interventions but is not found in national public health databases. We conducted a retrospective observational study of non-communicable disease (NCD) burden and management in undocumented migrants receiving medical care from Opera San Francesco, a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Milan, Italy. We analyzed the health records of 53,683 clients over a period of 10 years and collected data on demographics, diagnosis and pharmacological treatments prescribed. 17,292 (32.2%) of clients had one or more NCD diagnosis. The proportion of clients suffering from at least one NCD increased from 2011 to 2020. The risk of having an NCD was lower in men than women (RR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.86–0.89), increased with age (p for trend < 0.001) and changed with ethnicity. African and Asian migrants had a lower risk than Europeans of cardiovascular diseases (RR 0.62 CI 0.58–0.67, RR 0.85 CI 0.78–0.92 respectively) and mental health disorders (RR 0.66 CI 0.61–0.71, RR 0.60 CI 0.54–0.67 respectively), while the risk was higher in Latin American people (RR 1.07 CI 1.01–1.13, RR 1.18 CI 1.11–1.25). There was a higher risk of diabetes in those from Asia and Latin America (RR 1.68 CI 1.44–1.97, RR 1.39 CI 1.21–1.60). Overall, migrants from Latin America had the greatest risk of chronic disease and this was true for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mental health disorders. Undocumented migrants demonstrate a significantly different health burden of NCDs, which varies with ethnicity and background. Data from NGOs providing them with medical assistance should be included in structuring public health interventions aimed at the prevention and treatment of NCDs. This could help to better allocate resources and address their health needs.

Stakeholder perceptions on scaling-up community-led interventions for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh: a qualitative study

BackgroundEngaging communities is an important component of multisectoral action to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries. We conducted research with non-communicable disease stakeholders in Bangladesh to understand how a community-led intervention which was shown to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes in rural Bangladesh could be scaled-up.MethodsWe purposively sampled any actor who could have an interest in the intervention, or that could affect or be affected by the intervention. We interviewed central level stakeholders from donor agencies, national health policy levels, public, non-governmental, and research sectors to identify scale-up mechanisms. We interviewed community health workers, policy makers, and non-governmental stakeholders, to explore the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the suggested mechanisms. We discussed scale-up options in focus groups with community members who had attended a community-led intervention. We iteratively developed our data collection tools based on our analysis and re-interviewed some participants. We analysed the data deductively using a stakeholder analysis framework, and inductively from codes identified in the data.ResultsDespite interest in addressing NCDs, there was a lack of a clear community engagement strategy at the government level, and most interventions have been implemented by non-governmental organisations. Many felt the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare should lead on community engagement, and NCD screening and referral has been added to the responsibilities of community health workers and health volunteers. Yet there remains a focus on reproductive health and NCD diagnosis and referral instead of prevention at the community level. There is potential to engage health volunteers in community-led interventions, but their present focus on engaging women for reproductive health does not fit with community needs for NCD prevention.ConclusionsResearch highlighted the need for a preventative community engagement strategy to address NCDs, and the potential to utilise existing cadres to scale-up community-led interventions. It will be important to work with key stakeholders to address gender issues and ensure flexibility and responsiveness to community concerns. We indicate areas for further implementation research to develop scaled-up models of community-led interventions to address NCDs.

A Case-Finding Protocol for High Cardiovascular Risk in a Primary Care Dental School—Model with Integrated Care

National Health Service (NHS) strategies in the United Kingdom (UK) have highlighted the need to maximise case-finding opportunities by improving coverage in non-traditional settings with the aim of reducing delayed diagnosis of non-communicable diseases. Primary care dental settings may also help to identify patients. Case-finding appointments took place in a primary care dental school. Measurements of blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, glucose and QRisk were taken along with a social/medical history. Participants with high cardiometabolic risk were referred to their primary care medical general practitioner (GP) and/or to local community health self-referral services, and followed up afterwards to record diagnosis outcome. A total of 182 patients agreed to participate in the study over a 14-month period. Of these, 123 (67.5%) attended their appointment and two participants were excluded for age. High blood pressure (hypertension) was detected in 33 participants, 22 of whom had not been previous diagnosed, and 11 of whom had uncontrolled hypertension. Of the hypertensive individuals with no previous history, four were confirmed by their GP. Regarding cholesterol, 16 participants were referred to their GP for hypercholesterolaemia: 15 for untreated hypercholesterolaemia and one for uncontrolled hypercholesterolaemia. Case-finding for hypertension and identifying cardiovascular risk factors has high acceptability in a primary dental care setting and supported by confirmational diagnoses by the GP.

Non-communicable disease burden among inpatients at a rural district hospital in Malawi

BackgroundThe burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is high in Malawi. However, resources and training for NCD care remain scarce, especially in rural hospitals. Current care for NCDs in the developing world focuses on the WHO’s traditional 4 × 4 set. However, we do not know the full burden of NCDs outside of that scope, like neurological disease, psychiatric illness, sickle cell disease, and trauma. The goal of this study was to understand the burden of NCDs among inpatients in a rural district hospital in Malawi. We broadened our definition of NCDs beyond the traditional 4 × 4 set of NCDs, and included neurological disease, psychiatric illness, sickle cell disease, and trauma.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective chart review of all inpatients who were admitted to the Neno District Hospital between January 2017 and October 2018. We broke patients down by age, date of admission, type, and number of NCD diagnoses, and HIV status, and constructed multivariate regression models for length of stay and in-hospital mortality.ResultsOf 2239 total visits, 27.5% were patients with NCDs. Patients with NCDs were older (37.6 vs 19.7 years, p < 0.001) and made up 40.2% of total hospital time. We also found two distinct populations of NCD patients. The first were patients 40 years and older with primary diagnoses of hypertension, heart failure, cancer, and stroke. The second were patients under 40 years old with primary diagnoses of mental health conditions, burns, epilepsy, and asthma. We also found significant trauma burden, accounting for 40% of all NCD visits. In multivariate analysis, carrying a medical NCD diagnosis was associated with longer length of stay (coefficient 5.2, p < 0.001) and a higher risk of in-hospital mortality (OR 1.9, p = 0.03). Burn patients also had significantly longer length of stay (coefficient 11.6, p < 0.001).ConclusionsThere is a significant burden of NCDs in a rural hospital in Malawi, including those outside of the traditional 4 × 4 set. We also found high rates of NCDs in the younger population (under 40 years of age). Hospitals must be equipped with adequate resources and training to meet this burden of disease.

Seafarers on the shore: issues raised by Australian doctors treating seafarers.

Seafarers on the shore: issues raised by Australian doctors treating seafarers.

Integrated approach for noncommunicable disease management in the Americas.

ABSTRACTAn overview of an integrated approach to improve noncommunicable disease (NCD) management is presented, along with tools on integrating NCD management as part of health system strengthening in the Americas. The study is based on an analysis of Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) data and publicly available information on NCD care and capacity, disruptions in NCD services, and guidance on NCD management. Gaps in NCD care are highlighted, in which an estimated 43.0% of men and 28.0% of women with hypertension in Latin America remain undiagnosed; and for those with diabetes, 32.8% in Central and South America are undiagnosed. Yet, only 17/35 countries (49%) in the Americas report having evidence-based national guidelines for NCD management through a primary care approach and only 7/35 countries (20%) report provision of drug therapy, including glycaemic control for eligible persons. To improve NCD management, an integrated approach is needed to coordinate and deliver care across the levels of the health system. This includes increasing primary care capacity and competencies to address multiple chronic conditions, and integration with other complementary programs to avoid missing opportunities for NCD diagnosis and management. An integrated approach to NCD management, and implementation of available tools, should be part of rebuilding health systems after the COVID-19 pandemic.