Global Health Information Research Articles

Blockchain-Based LSTM Approach for Secure Data Transmission in IoT-Enabled Healthcare System

Blockchain technology can help with a number of issues facing the healthcare sector. Its potential as trust brokers includes the provision of incentive machines and the facilitation of innovative healthcare solutions. Additionally, its potential as trust brokers includes the facilitation of novel business models that offer fresh perspectives on the interactions between patients and providers, among other diverse healthcare stakeholders. Blockchain, for instance, makes incentive structures easier to implement and promotes decentralised trust in patient-centered healthcare models and global health information exchange (HIE). On the other hand, blockchain is characterised as a decentralised network or service that can help remove obstacles in the healthcare sector. The healthcare sector has benefited greatly from the effective resolution of problems relating to adoption and technological obstacles, interoperability and integration with current systems, cost unpredictability, scale, and regulatory compliance through the use of Blockchain technology. This work proposed discusses fault tolerance techniques in relation to sharing health-related data.

Combined benefits of active and passive social media during the COVID-19 pandemic: a health perspective

Purpose This study, a narrative literature review, aims to examine the combined benefits of the active and passive use of social media (SM) for well-being (WB), physical and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach A search strategy has been carried out in the databases: Riss, PubMed, Medline, Scopus and Google Scholar, including all the articles published until 19 October 2023. Findings SM offers various benefits, including global risk awareness, health information, social connections and support. With the natural increase in physical inactivity due to COVID-19 social restrictions, SM has been identified as an appropriate tool for promoting physical activity (PA) at home to improve health. Research limitations/implications It suggests that the combined use of active and passive benefits of SM could potentially play an important role in public health by increasing individuals’ health behaviours. In addition, dissemination, sharing and social interaction of information provided by YouTube can encourage healthy behaviours, contribute to WB, physical and mental health and raise public health awareness. Originality/value The findings presented in this study highlight the combined benefits of differentiating the features of SM use. Compared to other SM platforms, YouTube can be used as a useful tool for home-based PA that promotes health by enabling people to remain active and avoid barriers to PA due to social restrictions during the global crisis. In addition, some recommendations from the findings may help protect against potential risks and improve public health outcomes during global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, among the general public using SM.

Development and Application of Intuitive 3D Digital Global Health Information Teaching System in Nursing Education

Development and Application of Intuitive 3D Digital Global Health Information Teaching System in Nursing Education

World Alzheimer Report 2022 ‐ How strong are global health systems: Lessons learned and case studies from across the globe

AbstractBackgroundEach year Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) publishes a World Alzheimer Report, a comprehensive source of global health and socioeconomic information on dementia. The theme of ADI’s 2022 World Alzheimer Report was post‐diagnostic support ‐ aiming to provide a global perspective on treatment, care and support models, barriers to access and areas of best practice, and the role of policy in strengthening health systems.MethodWe conducted 3 global surveys; with people living with dementia in 41 countries, informal carers across 68 countries, and health & long‐term care professionals in 69 countries. 215 global experts contributed 119 expert essay and case studies. We also highlighted commentary and perspectives from people living with dementia and carers.ResultKey themes include a lack of access to post‐diagnostic support which impacted well‐being and health outcomes of families and professionals. 45% of people with dementia in lower‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) and 37% in high‐income countries (HICs) said they had not been offered support after their diagnosis. 66% of people with dementia did not have a personalised care plan. 54% of informal carers and 37% of professionals reported being stressed often or all the time. Case studies indicated stigma remains a major barrier and that care pathways are not clear or integrated – and often not culturally appropriate to ensure proper access to treatment and care. Carers and professionals expressed the need for better education and training. There were also areas of best practice to share.ConclusionHealth and long‐term care systems must be strengthened in order to provide treatment, care and support of people living with dementia and their carers. National dementia plans provide a framework, but don’t always guarantee access. Stigma must be challenged and person‐centred care that is culturally appropriate, gender inclusive, coordinated and accessible must become the norm. Support for carers must be prioritised and education and training must be improved and expanded. There are radical differences both between and within countries in education, acculturation, access to services, family responsibilities, and ability to mobilise resources. Understanding how these differences shape dementia care practice is crucial for developing appropriate dementia care policies.

Preoperative tumor marking with indocyanine green (ICG) prior to minimally invasive colorectal cancer: a systematic review of current literature.

To describe the currently available evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of preoperative tumor marking using indocyanine green (ICG) prior to laparoscopic or robotic colorectal resections. A systematic search for relevant studies was conducted using the following databases: Embase (OVID), MEDLINE® (OVID), APA PsycInfo (OVID), Global Health (OVID) and HMIC Health Management Information Consortium (OVID) through June 2022 reported according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Primary outcome was the detection rate of the tumor sites preoperatively marked with ICG. Secondary outcomes were timing of ICG injection in days prior to the operation and technique-related complications. Eight single center studies, published between 2008 and 2022, were identified yielding a total of 1,061 patients, of whom 696 were preoperatively tattooed with ICG. Injection dosage of diluted ICG ranged from 0.1-1.5 ml. Four studies used the saline test injection method prior to ICG injection. When the marking was placed within one week, the visualization rate was 650/668 (97%), whereas when it was longer than one week, the detection rate was 8/56 (14%). No severe complications were reported. Preoperative tumor marking using ICG prior to minimally invasive colorectal resections is safe and effective, allowing intraoperative tumor site location when performed up to a week prior to surgery without disturbing the surgical view in potential mild complications.

The missing middle of childhood

ABSTRACT Middle childhood, between six and twelve years, is a critical bridge between earlier childhood and adolescence with rapid physical and psychological transitions. Most of the world’s 2.6 billion young people, of which the middle childhood age group is a significant portion, live in low- and middle-income countries. Many live in environments that place them at high and growing risk for mental ill-health, injuries, and adoption of risky behaviours that often lead to non-communicable diseases in later years. Still, middle childhood, the ‘missing middle,’ is omitted from global health information systems, targeted policies, and strategies. The dearth of internationally comparable and standardised indicators on middle childhood in major international development agency databases hampers age-appropriate policy and programme development. Better understanding of the needs of this increasingly vulnerable population is critical. Middle childhood needs to be an explicit focus within child-focused research and implementation. Standardised, comprehensive, and relevant indicators are required to quantify the contribution of middle childhood to the global burden of disease and to facilitate interventions, monitoring, and evaluation, to ensure that all children flourish and thrive.

“Global health and science information sharing doesn’t look good”: advice to governments must be more coordinated and agile, says chief scientist

“Global health and science information sharing doesn’t look good”: advice to governments must be more coordinated and agile, says chief scientist

Climate, Weather Extremes and Health: Latest WHO-WMO Resources and Tools for Health Emergency Managers

Introduction:As populations worldwide are experiencing more frequent and intense weather and climate extremes, many professionals of the WADEM community are at the frontline of managing compounding and cascading impacts on physical and mental health. Vulnerable, isolated, and marginalized people are the most affected by climate and weather threats. The elderly and children faced 3.7 billion more life-threatening heatwave days in 2021 than annually in 1986-2005 increasing the need for emergency care on a large scale.Method:The World Health Organization (WHO) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO), together with partners from health agencies, climate services, academia and other sectors are collaborating to accelerate the use of climate, weather and environmental science and services for better health protection. A selection of key resources and tools will be highlighted that can be used by the WADEM community to better understand, anticipate, and manage health risks from extreme weather and climate.Results:Participants will learn about the new WHO-WMO ClimaHealth Portal, a global knowledge and action hub with huge potential for facilitating learning and action to better protect health from climate risks. Tools and resources include the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) Checklist and Technical Brief for improved heatwave preparedness and response in the context of COVID-19, and a new WHO Guidance Document on Measuring the Climate Resilience of Health Systems providing a framework and indicators for assessing and protecting health systems from climate threats.Conclusion:As extreme weather intensifies, integrated climate-informed services for the health sector including multi-hazard early warning systems and action plans, as well as strengthened partnerships between the health community and hydrometeorological services are indispensable to further restrict adverse health impacts. Accelerating the uptake and upscale of existing tools and resources is urgently needed to meet the increasing health and societal challenges caused by climate change and weather extremes.

Expanding the Health Information National Trends Survey Research Program Internationally to Examine Global Health Communication Trends: Comparing Health Information Seeking Behaviors in the U.S. and Germany

ABSTRACT The Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) is a well-established U.S.-based research program administered by the National Cancer Institute to track the public access to and use of health information. This paper introduces a German research initiative, part of the International Studies to Investigate Global Health Information Trends (INSIGHTS) research consortium. This adaptation of the HINTS is important for initiating analyses of global health communication practices and comparing health information seeking behaviors (HISB) across nations to pinpoint potentials and challenges of health information provision and contribute to a deeper understanding of socio-contextual determinants of HISB. First cross-country comparisons revealed that the share of residents seeking for health information is high in the U.S. (80%) and Germany (74%), but different primary sources are used. Whereas a clear majority of U.S. residents chose the Internet to gather health information (74.9%), Germans most often turn to health professionals (48.0%). Socio-structural and health(care)-related predictors were found to contribute to the explanation of HISB in both countries, whereas information-related predictors were only relevant in Germany. The results indicate the need to engage in patient-provider communication to initiate HISB and to improve the access to information for residents with lower socio-economic backgrounds.

VFR Travel in Turkey during and Post-COVID-19

Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travel is a significant component of travel across the globe. Whilst COVID-19 impacted all travel in all countries, its impact on VFR in certain cultures was particularly pronounced. Aside from reconnecting socially with friends and relatives, in some cultures, certain ceremonies and rituals were compromised, meaning a complex choice for residents between focusing on global health information (e.g., avoiding contact, especially with elderly who are at risk) and disobeying significant cultural rituals that signify respect and importance. Whilst most VFR travel research has focused on western countries, this research examined the impact of COVID-19 travel restrictions and health warnings on VFR travel in the country of Turkey. The significance of COVID-19 to VFR travel in Turkey is explained, and implications for the future are put forward.

Judicialization of Public Pharmaceutical Care Policies

Judicial activism can be an important mechanism for citizens to protect their rights against legislative inertia and executive bureaucracy. However, when judges exceed decision-making power, a movement called judicial extremism, they generate legal uncertainty, as they do not have the expected legal basis for a court ruling, but only generic principles and moral values of the judge himself. The extremist judge, disrespects public policies, disrespects the public budget, disrespects the rights of the community, and imposes obligations on the Administration, without evaluating the consequences and without this generating effective social justice. In relation to public policies related to pharmaceutical assistance, judicial activism can help to correct management failures, but judicial extremism imposes on the Public Administration the supply of any medication, even if there is a therapeutic alternative available in public policy. This behavior has become widespread in Brazil and contaminates other countries with public health systems. The pharmaceutical industry gains the most, with marketing strategies or the creation of pseudo-differentiation between new pharmaceuticals and drugs, guarantee, with judicial decisions, an open consumer market, free from questioning and profitable. With the current global health crisis, information and misinformation about the disease and possible forms of treatment have enhanced the discussions and the role of tripartition of powers, collective and individual fundamental rights, economic groups, science, and assistance. A broad dialogue between the main actors in the process is needed so that fundamental rights are efficiently and guaranteed.

Rethinking the Infodemic: Global Health Security and Information Disorder

The discourse on the infodemic constructs the combination of the pandemic and disinformation as a new source of insecurity on a global scale. How can we make sense – analytically and politically– of this newly politicized nexus of public health, information management, and global security? This article proposes approaching the phenomenon of the infodemic as an intersecting securitization of information disorder and health governance. Specifically, it argues that there are two distinct frames of security mobilized in the context of infodemic governance: information as a disease and information as a weapon. Drawing on literatures on global health and the emerging research on disinformation, the paper situates the two framings of the infodemic in broader discourses on the medicalization of security, and securitization of information disorder, respectively. The article critically reflects on each framing and offers some preliminary thoughts on how to approach the entanglements of health, security, and information disorder in contemporary global politics.

Health information — relevance and accessibility (literature review)

Introduction. Health literacy directly impacts global health, social indicators, family relationships, and individual health behaviour. A fundamental element of an effective health system is information for the population on the protection and management of their health and those for whom they are responsible. As an essential skill, medical literacy is necessary for searching, understanding, and analyzing medical data from various sources. Improving people’s health literacy is critical to achieving responsibility for health. Aim. Analysis of the formation and impact of health literacy on the achievement of sustainable development and other health objectives. Material and methods. Literature search methods included search queries on Web of Science, Scopus, MedLine, The Cochrane Library databases. Results. Global access to essential health information is not reflected in official monitoring, indicating the need to improve access to health information to provide more effective care. The availability and use of reliable health information depend on the integrity of the global health information system. A systemic approach to the problem demonstrates the vital contribution of a vast number and variety of «components”, including health research, publication and dissemination of such research, systematic reviews, Development of guidelines and many different secondary outputs for users. Conclusion. Lack of access to health information is a social injustice that the world health community cannot afford to ignore. Access to essential health information is a prerequisite and a component of achieving universal health coverage.

Keep Moving Forward: Health Informatics and Information Management beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic.

SummaryObjectives: To identify gaps and challenges in health informatics and health information management during the COVID-19 pandemic. To describe solutions and offer recommendations that can address the identified gaps and challenges. Methods: A literature review of relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature published from January 2020 to December 2020 was conducted to inform the paper. Results: The literature revealed several themes regarding health information management and health informatics challenges and gaps: information systems and information technology infrastructure; data collection, quality, and standardization; and information governance and use. These challenges and gaps were often driven by public policy and funding constraints. Conclusions: COVID-19 exposed complexities related to responding to a world-wide, fast moving, quickly spreading novel virus. Longstanding gaps and ongoing challenges in the local, national, and global health and public health information systems and data infrastructure must be addressed before we are faced with another global pandemic.

Analgesic drugs: What quality of information is present on the Internet?

The internet enables the search for several subject types, including health and drug utilization. These information are spread generally without reliability and scientific basis, that can encourage self-medication and indiscriminate medicine use. This was a cross-sectional study, carried out through application of tools that evaluated the quality of global health information and the specific content about analgesic drugs on 98 Brazilian websites. Among the most cited drugs on websites, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (83.67 %), acetaminophen (47.96 %) and opioids (47.96 %) stood out. All websites described pharmacological treatment options for pain, however, most websites did not mention any adverse reactions or contraindications for painkillers use. Information on opioid addiction and tolerance risk was present only in 18.37 % of websites. Considering all the indicators evaluated, no website was considered to be of good quality, even those with a quality certification seal. These results showed important shortcomings on health and drugs information published on internet, which can lead to analgesics inappropriate use, adverse effects and even intoxications events. This reinforces the need to control this information and to adopt minimum quality criteria for the websites, aiming to minimize health risks, drug irrational use and to contribute for lay public’s safety.

Development and dissemination of a consumer health information website on infant and toddler sleep.

Sleep problems are prevalent in early childhood, with the majority of caregivers desiring to change something about their child's sleep. Quality-assured education and resources are needed to be related to infant and toddler sleep. This article describes the development and dissemination of a global consumer health information website (http://www.babysleep.com) by the Pediatric Sleep Council to provide publicly accessible evidence-based information and resources for caregivers and practitioners. The website includes sleep health-related information and resources. Three phases, including the launch, social media strategy, and search engine optimization, for promotion and dissemination of the site was implemented. Analysis of dissemination indicates exponential growth of the site since its launch. With access across the globe, the site has developed from its inception into a widely-used resource, with over 800,000 users from around the world (99% of countries).

Global estimates of service coverage for severe mental disorders: findings from the WHO Mental Health Atlas 2017.

The study estimated service coverage for severe mental disorders (psychosis, bipolar disorder and moderate-severe depression), globally and regionally, using data collected from the Mental Health Atlas 2017. Service coverage was defined as the proportion of people with a disorder contacting a mental health service among those estimated to have the disorder during a 12-month period. We drew upon 12-month service utilisation data from the Mental Health Atlas 2017. Expected prevalent cases of individual disorders were estimated using the disorder-specific prevalence rate estimates of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 and total population sizes. Methods for assessing the validity of country-reported service utilisation data were developed and applied. From 177 countries, 50 countries provided reliable service coverage estimates for psychosis, along with 56 countries for bipolar disorder, and 65 countries for depression. The mean service coverage for psychosis was lowest in low- [10.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.3-30.4)] and lower middle-income countries [21.5% (95% CI 11.9-35.7)] and highest in high-income countries [59.5% (95% CI 42.9-74.1)]. Service coverage for bipolar disorder ranged between 3.1% (95% CI 0.8-11.5) and 10.4% (95% CI 6.7-15.8). Mean service coverage for moderate-severe depression ranged between 2.9% (95% CI 1.3-6.3) for low-income countries and 31.1% (95% CI 18.3-47.6) for high-income countries. The reporting method utilised by the Mental Health Atlas appears to be reliable for psychosis but not for depression. This method of estimating service coverage provides progress in tracking an important indicator for mental health; however, it highlights that considerable work is needed to further develop global mental health information systems.

Open access to global health information in mass media: Specialized translation and Russian-German-Spanish terminology

The situation triggered by the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the need to simplify medical terminology for better understanding by the public. The goal of specialized communication on medical topics is to more efficiently transfer and assimilate information that is important to human health, which has become literally vital in the times of COVID-19. Such circumstances lead to the fact that medical terminology is no longer the exclusive prerogative of the professional vocabulary of medical personnel, but is already more and more integrated into the vocabulary of everyday use, and is also widely used in mass media. A cognitive approach to terminology helps to extract specialized knowledge encoded in terms, simplifies specialized translation and contributes to mass communication at a global level. This study, using the example of Russian-German-Spanish medical terminology, demonstrates the fact that an effective and intuitive presentation of specialized concepts helps to correctly apply international terminology, and most importantly, allows its target audience to assimilate the knowledge behind it in a structured form. This cognitive approach to medical terminology serves public health purposes by facilitating the communication between doctor and patient, on the success of which the life and health of society depends. It also argued that the correct interlanguage terminology management facilitates the constructive exchange of experience and cooperation between doctors, specialists, scientists, healthcare organizations and specialized translators, whose joint work at the global level is now especially necessary for medicine.

Global Public Health Database Support to Population-Based Management of Pandemics and Global Public Health Crises, Part II: The Database.

This two-part article examines the global public health (GPH) information system deficits emerging in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It surveys past, missed opportunities for public health (PH) information system and operational improvements, examines current megatrend changes to information management, and describes a new multi-disciplinary model for population-based management (PBM) supported by a GPH Database applicable to pandemics and GPH crises.

Global Public Health Database Support to Population-Based Management of Pandemics and Global Public Health Crises, Part I: The Concept.

This two-part article examines the global public health (GPH) information system deficits emerging in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It surveys past, missed opportunities for public health (PH) information system and operational improvements, examines current megatrend changes to information management, and describes a new multi-disciplinary model for population-based management (PBM) supported by a GPH Database applicable to pandemics and GPH crises.