Health Care Agencies Research Articles

MHCNLS-HAR: Multiheaded CNN-LSTM-Based Human Activity Recognition Leveraging a Novel Wearable Edge Device for Elderly Health Care

MHCNLS-HAR: Multiheaded CNN-LSTM-Based Human Activity Recognition Leveraging a Novel Wearable Edge Device for Elderly Health Care

A measurement study of the environmental quality and medical expenditures of elderly individuals: causal inference based on machine learning

BackgroundThe global surge of environmental pollution exacerbates health issues, disease incidence, and economic strain. In China, the increasing healthcare costs of the elderly population necessitate addressing this challenge as part of the “Healthy China” strategy. We explore the impact of environmental quality on elderly healthcare expenses.MethodsThis study devised a comprehensive environmental quality index for 30 Chinese provinces, excluding Tibet, which was correlated with medical expenses for individuals older than 60 years, using China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data. Because the traditional econometric model cannot solve the endogeneity problem and the selection of instrumental variables is subjective, a new machine learning algorithm is adopted based on the traditional ordinary least squares (OLS) model and the fixed effect model to conduct causal analysis to ensure the reliability of the results. Finally, heterogeneity analysis was conducted based on the generalized random forest algorithm.ResultsSouthern provinces such as Jiangxi and Guangxi exhibited superior environmental qualities. A regional analysis revealed a gradient where environmental quality decreased from west to east and from south to north. Both conventional and machine learning methodologies underscored a pivotal finding: enhanced environmental qualities significantly curtail elderly healthcare expenses. A heterogeneity assessment revealed that such improvements predominantly benefit elderly people in the eastern and central regions, with marginal impacts in the west. For different groups, the improvement of environmental quality can significantly reduce the medical expenditure of people aged 60 to 75, with bedtime hours between 9 and 11 PM and a lower household income.ConclusionsThis study, employing machine learning and traditional models, demonstrates that enhancements in environmental quality significantly reduce medical costs for the elderly in China, especially in the eastern and central regions, and among demographics such as individuals aged 60–75 and low-income households. These findings underscore the potential of environmental policies to lower medical costs within the “Healthy China” initiative framework. However, the study’s scope is limited by the environmental quality index and the extent of data coverage, indicating a need for further research expansion.

Study of fractional order rabies transmission model via Atangana–Baleanu derivative

In this work, we aim at disentangling the theoretical contribution through mathematical modeling approach to advance the understanding of rabies dynamics and control in livestock population. A fractional order model of rabies, using Atangana–Baleanu fractional operator is created. The analysis of suggested system and its application are both conducted. The capacity of proposed model to forecast the disease can help researchers and livestock health care agencies to take preventive actions.

Unveiling the Nexus: Elevating marketing strategies for enhancing satisfaction and loyalty in elderly health care services

The study aimed to examine whether there is an association of marketing mix, and perception with customer’s satisfaction, and loyalty among elderly people. A total of 400 participants were included in the study. The study population comprised individuals aged 65 years and above from Assam, India including both males and females. Participants were primarily selected from residential homes, old age homes, and various common gathering places such as parks, shops, Namghar (a holy place), and community halls. The study indicated a significant correlation between the dimensions of the marketing mix, perception, satisfaction, and loyalty. Moreover, the findings from the linear regression analysis, revealed customer satisfaction towards the marketing of healthcare services can be attributed to product, price, place, process, and physical evidence (7 P’s) and customer perception (R2=.54; .53 respectively). Additionally, customer loyalty towards the marketing of healthcare services is influenced by product and price (7P’s), and customer perception (R2=.54; .2 respectively). This study contributes to understanding the overlooked aspect of marketing to the elderly population, providing valuable insights for healthcare companies to develop improved marketing strategies. Hence, irrespective of the organization's size, type, or location, whether it's a startup or an established entity, privately owned or government-operated, local or global, the role of business managers is vital in making informed decisions and establishing strategic priorities to allocate resources efficiently in order to meet evolving customer demands and achieve business success. As a result, commercial enterprises need to develop tools, concepts, and strategies to effectively navigate the dynamic and unpredictable marketing landscape.

Recommendations for Interchangeability in a Growing Biosimilar Market in Latin America.

Biosimilars offer significant advantages for improving access to biologic treatments in Latin America. However, their uptake has been slow due to misconceptions, regulatory uncertainties, and inadequate pharmacovigilance. To address these issues, Americas Health Foundation convened a multidisciplinary panel of regional experts in biosimilar use and interchangeability from Latin America. The panel assessed the current landscape and recommended steps to enhance access. Key recommendations include strengthening biosimilar regulations, ensuring transparent enforcement, implementing robust pharmacovigilance, and promoting collaboration among stakeholders to educate about the safety, efficacy, and economic advantages of biosimilars and their interchangeability. By embracing biosimilars and interchangeability, Latin American countries can expand patient access, foster competition, diversify treatment sources, and enhance the sustainability of their healthcare systems. However, achieving these goals requires addressing knowledge gaps and biases among healthcare providers, patients, regulators, and government agencies. This can be accomplished through clear communication and the use of real-world evidence.

Posyandu Cadres' Contributions to Elderly Health Improvement

Background: This study investigates the role of community health workers in promoting elderly health through integrated health posts. Specific Background: A qualitative descriptive approach is used to examine the significance of these workers in ensuring regular attendance of the elderly at health services. Knowledge Gap: While previous studies have focused on health post activities, they often overlook the specific strategies employed by community health workers. Aims: The study aims to clarify the contributions of community health workers in facilitating elderly health programs. Results: Findings indicate that these workers adapt activities, such as health consultations and educational sessions, to enhance elderly participation and health outcomes. Novelty: The research provides new insights into innovative service delivery by community health workers amid logistical challenges. Implications: The results highlight the need for ongoing support and training for community health workers, advocating for structured programs to enhance elderly engagement and well-being, with potential applications in similar contexts to improve elderly healthcare. Highlights : Community health workers play a crucial role in facilitating elderly health services. Adaptation of activities enhances elderly engagement and health outcomes. Continuous support and training for health workers are essential for effective program implementation. Keywords: community health workers, elderly health, qualitative study, health post, participation

Undergraduate nursing student's perception toward the nursing profession in Iraqi-Kurdistan. An exploratory study

Nursing students' perception towards the nursing profession is vital and has a positive impact on the successful recruitment, retention, and attrition of staff from the health care agencies. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of undergraduate nursing students toward the nursing profession in Iraq, particularly in the Kurdistan region. The study was conducted at the University of Duhok, a college of nursing in the Kurdistan Region. The researcher of the current study used Nursing Image as a Profession Questionnaire (NIPQ) for the purpose of data collection. Based on the analysis of the participant's responses, the results revealed that in general students have positive perceptions towards the nursing profession. The early twentieth age group students were more satisfied in nursing than the late twentieth age group. High school grades were regarded as the main reason for joining the faculty of nursing. Having a nurse friend or relative and a positive family reaction was perceived as positive influential factors for student enrollment in the nursing program. Few students had a very negative attitude and they attacked the nursing profession when talking with others. The current study concluded that students have positive perceptions towards the nursing profession in the four aspects of the description of the profession, social view perspectives, benefits of the nursing profession, and students' satisfaction in nursing.

It Is Time to Take Complaints Seriously? An Exploratory Analysis of Communications Sent by Users to a Public Healthcare Agency before, during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Taking due account of users’ perspectives is crucial for improving the quality of healthcare services. This study aimed to analyse the representations and evaluation criteria that users of a public health agency express towards care and treatment services and to explore whether and how the content and meaning of their communications varied according to pre-pandemic, pandemic or post-pandemic periods. A total of 501 communications sent to the public relations office of an Italian health agency were collected. An automatic content analysis procedure was applied to the textual corpus. Four main thematic cores were identified concerning the request for care and respect, the value of the doctor–patient relationship and the difficulties in contacting services and accessing care. Two main latent dimensions of meaning were identified, which capture the dialectic between the demand for relationships and the demand for access to care, and between attention to the relational competence of health workers and attention to the needs and rights of users. Communications collected during the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods mainly concern the difficulty of access to care; those collected during the pandemic period mainly concern the doctor–patient relationship. Interpersonal aspects and timely access to care appear to be crucial in users’ assessment of the quality of care.

What Australia must do to create a climate-responsive health system.

COP-28, the United Nations' Climate Change Conference, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, ended on 12 December 2023. At the convention, Australia released its National Health and Climate Strategy, committing to low-carbon, climate-responsive care. The Strategy will need new policies, projects and investments and a fit-for-purpose health workforce. This is a tall order considering healthcare's challenges. Everyone has a role, including clinicians, healthcare agencies, policymakers, politicians, patients and the providers and manufacturers in the supply chain. Clinicians' groups, policymakers and federal and state departments of health have an opportunity to lead climate change reform by considering climate change impacts across clinical practice and health policy.

Barriers and facilitators experienced by South Korean women undergoing fertility treatment: A qualitative socioecological study

The purpose of this qualitative study was to use interview data to identify and describe the intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, and policy barriers and facilitators experienced by South Korean women undergoing fertility treatment. The researchers conducted one-on-one interviews with 14 women who had undergone fertility treatment and then completed a thematic content analysis on the collected interview data. Guided by the socioecological model, the researchers explored the barriers and facilitators women experienced during fertility treatment. The participants described their struggles and ­emotional distress as well as their coping mechanisms: addressing their physical and emotional stress; soliciting support from their husband, personal network, online peers, and healthcare team; and seeking government financial assistance. The information gained from this study can help healthcare providers and government agencies design effective psychosocial and national policies and interventions for this population.

Customer Awareness of Medical Wearable Health Care Technology and Policy Management in India

Patient and healthcare providers can take preventive actions based on a review of vital signs obtained remotely with wearable medical devices thanks to Internet of Things-based wearable sensors and an integrated cloud platform. Provide essential home care that is as clean and well-manicured as the intensive care unit (ICU), complete with remote vital sign monitoring. In India, there is no governing agency for healthcare. Healthcare professionals are concerned about the dependability of medical devices in the absence of sufficient laws, which makes them prefer to employ conventional medical devices. Based on related dangers, medical gadgets are to be divided into four types. Converging, analysing, and applying massive data collected by wearable medical devices for use in illness diagnosis, mitigation, and preventive therapy is a challenge to the medical business. By exchanging real-time data, the use of wearable medical devices would not only aid to strengthen patient-physician relationships but also decrease the need for human interventions. To uncover consumer awareness difficulties in the adoption of these devices, this paper explores the possibilities of the Internet of Things in the medical wearable business.

Research on the Reform Path of the Curriculum of Elderly Health Care in Vocational Colleges

Research on the Reform Path of the Curriculum of Elderly Health Care in Vocational Colleges

Edukasi Kesehatan Gigi dan Mulut Melalui Media Pembelajaran Berbasis Interaktif pada Siswa SDN Inpres Tamamaung 4 Kota Makassar

Background: Children who experience dental and oral health problems can experience a decline in quality. At the age of elementary school children, it is necessary for business actors to maintain dental and oral health regularly, both in counseling, examinations and dental and oral health care, by parents, schools and related government agencies. Elementary school age is the ideal time to train children's motor skills, including brushing their teeth. In addition, school age has shown learning sensitivity according to children's curiosity. Objective: To provide dental and oral health education through interactive learning media to students of SDN Inpres Tamamaung 4, Makassar City in 2022. Method: This community service is carried out by providing counseling, using media, namely back and forth worksheets, animated films, and puzzle games that aim to create two-way communication and make students active. Respondents in this community service were 3rd grade students of SDN Inpres Tamamaung 4, Makassar City in 2022. Results: There were 5 respondents (25%) with a good level of knowledge before being given facilities increasing to 14 (70%), there were 5 respondents (25%) with a sufficient level of knowledge before being given facilities decreasing to 4 (20%), and there were 10 respondents (50%) with a level of knowledge before being given facilities decreasing to 2 respondents (10%). Conclusion: Community service activities with the theme "Dental and Oral Health Education Through Interactive-Based Learning Media for Students of SDN Inpres Tamamaung 4, Makassar City in 2022" have been carried out well and received a positive response from the 3rd grade students that we have filtered through screening. It was found that many students have dental and oral problems such as cavities and their lack of knowledge about how to maintain dental and oral health is due to the lack of health socialization held by the school and local health centers.

The effect of post-COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Vietnamese populations: A cross-sectional study

COVID-19 is among the tremendous negative pandemics that have been recorded in human history. The study was conducted to give a breakdown of the effect of post-COVID-19 mental health among individuals residing in a developing country. The two scales, namely DASS-21 and IES-R, were employed to collect the essential related data. The findings indicated that anxiety was a typical and common mental issue among the population, including up to 56.75% of the participants having extremely severe anxiety, 13.18% reporting severe anxiety. Notably, no one has anxiety and depression under moderate levels. Additionally, there is 51.92% depression and 43.64% stress ranging from severe to extremely severe levels. Furthermore, there were significant statistical differences among the data on stress, anxiety, and depression according to gender (males and females) and subgroups (students, the elderly, and medical healthcare workers). Besides, the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in the study was relatively high, especially when compared to the figures reported by the World Health Organization. Moreover, stress, anxiety, and depression all displayed positive correlations with post-traumatic stress disorder. This is big data on the mental health of the entire population that helps the country’s government propose policy strategies to support, medical care and social security for the population.

Effect of vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on anxiety and sleep disturbances among elderly health care workers in the post COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been significantly impacted by the pandemic. Elderly health care workers carry out a variety of duties at work and have years of clinical expertise. Anxiety and insomnia are among the more commonly encountered problems in senior physicians and other geriatric medical professional populations. The study aims to determine the effect of vagal nerve stimulation on anxiety and sleep disturbances among geriatric medical professionals. 42 participants were enrolled in this study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The participants were divided into two groups using the closed envelope approach, and they took part in therapy sessions lasting 30 minutes, three times per week for a period of four weeks. The Experimental group A received non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) and Control group A received Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation technique. With a p value of 0.001, taVNS stimulation significantly improved sleep quality and reduced anxiety after 4 weeks. The post-intervention assessment revealed a highly significant improvement in Group A, with a T value of 251 (p < 0.001). The findings suggest that taVNS may be an effective intervention for addressing anxiety and sleep issues in geriatric medical professionals. These results contribute to the exploration of non-invasive strategies to enhance the well-being of healthcare professionals working in demanding environments.

Mobile Application for Improving the Quality of Life and Elderly Health Care

Mobile Application for Improving the Quality of Life and Elderly Health Care

A cost analysis of medications prescribed by vascular surgeons

ObjectiveVarious pharmaceutical cost options have been developed by multiple companies such as GoodRx, Amazon Pharmacy, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs (CPD), Health Warehouse, and local retail pharmacies) to curb the cost of prescription medications prices that patients are having to bear. Vascular surgeons provide long-term continuity of care to patients with vascular disease who often require long-term medical management. This study sought to compare the different pharmaceutical options available for the most prescribed medications by vascular surgeons to their patients and to understand which of them are the most cost-effective. MethodsThe Medicare Part D catalog and vascular surgical literature were evaluated to identify which medications are most prescribed by vascular surgeons. The average price per tablet being paid by patients was identified using the Agency for Healthcare and Research database. The prices per tablet for each of the above pharmaceutical companies were found using online catalogs or coupons. The prices were then compared using analysis of variance and t-tests. ResultsAll four pharmaceutical cost options provide medication cost savings to patients compared with retail pharmacy costs. Analysis of variance showed that there were statistically significant differences among the different pharmaceutical cost options (F 15.44>2.36; P < .001). Mark Cuban CPD provided the most significant cost advantage over the other pharmaceutical options (P < .01). On a national scale, medications prescribed by vascular surgeons through Mark Cuban CPD could provide a 52% cost reduction to patients with vascular disease with a potential annual savings of over $3 billion dollars for the selected medications. ConclusionsCPD shows a strong potential for cost savings for patients commonly prescribed medications by vascular surgeons. As a specialty that provides long-term care and establishes long-term relationships with its patients, vascular surgeons have the unique ability to impact their overall health in a meaningful way by limiting the financial burdens associated with vascular-based medication acquisition and utilization.

Hospital-to-Home-Health Transition Quality (H3TQ) Index: Further Evidence on its Validity and Recommendations for Implementation.

We developed the Hospital-to-Home-Health Transition Quality (H3TQ) Index for skilled home healthcare (HH) agencies to identify threats to safe, high-quality care transitions in real time. Assess the validity of H3TQ in a large sample across diverse communities. A survey of recently hospitalized older adults referred for skilled HH services and their HH provider at two large HH agencies in Baltimore, MD, and New York, NY. There were five hundred eighty-seven participants (309 older adults, 141 informal caregivers, and 137 HH providers). Older adults, caregivers, and HH providers rated 747 unique transitions. Of these, 403 were rated by both the older adult/caregiver and their HH provider, whereas the remaining transitions were rated by either party. Construct, concurrent, and predictive validity were assessed via the overall H3TQ rating, correlation with the care transition measure (CTM), and the Medicare Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS). Proportion of transitions with quality issues as identified by HH providers and older adults/caregivers, respectively; Baltimore 55%, 35%; NYC 43%, 32%. Older adults/caregivers across sites rated their transitions as higher quality than did providers (P<0.05). H3TQ summed scores showed construct validity with the CTM-3 and concurrent validity with OASIS measures. Summed H3TQ scores were not significantly correlated with 30-day ED visits or rehospitalization. The H3TQ identifies care transition quality issues in real-time and demonstrated construct and concurrent validity, but not predictive validity. Findings demonstrate value in collecting multiple perspectives to evaluate care transition quality. Implementing the H3TQ could help identify transition-quality intervention opportunities for HH patients.

The Impact of Value-based Purchasing on Rural and Urban Healthcare Systems in the United States

Since the 2010s, the U.S. government has adopted value-based purchasing, and many states has utilized this program to reduce hospital readmission rates and improve performance of urban hospitals. Nonetheless, the lack of participation in this program among rural hospitals has contributed to the growing urban-rural health disparities. This paper aims to identify policy solutions to improve health outcomes of vulnerable populations who reside in resource-poor at-home healthcare agencies, nursing homes, and hospitals in rural regions. This paper finds that rural health outcomes are significantly worse than urban parts. At the same time, it also shows that African Americans and Hispanics have higher mortality and morbidity rates than that of their White counterparts, demonstrating the need for policymakers to further address the unmet medical needs of vulnerable populations, such as racial minorities and those with chronic conditions. Therefore, this paper proposes that the government allocates more healthcare funding toward resource-poor urban hospitals. Moreover, insurers should not penalize rural hospitals with a higher proportion of high-risk patients for having higher-than-average hospital readmission rates.

On the pathway to health equity: Creating a harm reduction strategy for a large academic acute care hospital.

An urban centre in southwestern Ontario continues to be faced with the extensive impacts of high rates of substance use. To more effectively meet the quintuple aim, in a way that authentically considers patients who use substances, the need for a cohesive, comprehensive organizational harm reduction strategy at the large academic acute care hospital providing community and regional healthcare services was clear. Community-based harm reduction expertise was leveraged to support the development work. Information gathered through literature review and interviews with patients, internal staff and leaders, partner healthcare agencies, and Canadian hospitals leading in harm reduction work provided key insights and supported the formulation of emerging recommendations that will be used to shape the acute care hospital's formal organizational harm reduction strategy.