Aid Health Care Research Articles

Supporting Nurses to Ease the Workforce Crisis

Supporting Nurses to Ease the Workforce Crisis

Intersections of Telemedicine / Telehealth and Cybersecurity: The Age of Resilience and COVID-19

Abstract The telemedicine and telehealth industry regenerates to fast-track the COVID-19 pandemic. Preliminary 2020 data suggests a 2,532 % surge in healthcare aid provided equated to the 2019 March through June timeframe. While telemedicine technology offers a variety of benefits, it is vulnerable to cyber threats. Countrywide stay-put mandates swiftly intensified telemedicine/telehealth from an auspicious novelty to becoming fundamental precedence. The industry is consistently besieged by a deluge of convalescents, restrained supplies, allotting, and additional encounters because of COVID-19. Cybersecurity leaders and healthcare establishments had to promptly change their IT resources, timetables, and work ranges to leverage prevailing technologies and propel healthcare providers and convalescents, adapted to the novel healthcare delivery services and enhanced changes. Telehealth, an integral part of delivering convalescent care, has multiplied healthcare offerorsʼ digital traces and cybersecurity hacks, as evidenced through endpoint security and the amplification of conclusions per telemedicine/telehealth sphere. COVID-19 reveals the junctions of cybersecurity and telehealth as a worst-case scenario for modernistic interpretations regarding healthcares’ cybersecurity guidance. The findings of this research provides awareness to understand if leaders at all levels aid in preventing cyber-attacks, thwarting ransom attacks, and indicating that healthcare organizations must adopt a cyber resilience plan.

Real-Time Classification of Pain Level Using Zygomaticus and Corrugator EMG Features

The real-time recognition of pain level is required to perform an accurate pain assessment of patients in the intensive care unit, infants, and other subjects who may not be able to communicate verbally or even express the sensation of pain. Facial expression is a key pain-related behavior that may unlock the answer to an objective pain measurement tool. In this work, a machine learning-based pain level classification system using data collected from facial electromyograms (EMG) is presented. The dataset was acquired from part of the BioVid Heat Pain database to evaluate facial expression from an EMG corrugator and EMG zygomaticus and an EMG signal processing and data analysis flow is adapted for continuous pain estimation. The extracted pain-associated facial electromyography (fEMG) features classification is performed by K-nearest neighbor (KNN) by choosing the value of k which depends on the nonlinear models. The presentation of the accuracy estimation is performed, and considerable growth in classification accuracy is noticed when the subject matter from the features is omitted from the analysis. The ML algorithm for the classification of the amount of pain experienced by patients could deliver valuable evidence for health care providers and aid treatment assessment. The proposed classification algorithm has achieved a 99.4% accuracy for classifying the pain tolerance level from the baseline (P0 versus P4) without the influence of a subject bias. Moreover, the result on the classification accuracy clearly shows the relevance of the proposed approach.

Technology Acceptance and Usability of a Mobile App to Support the Workflow of Health Care Aides Who Provide Services to Older Adults: Pilot Mixed Methods Study.

BackgroundHealth care aides are unlicensed support personnel who provide direct care, personal assistance, and support to people with health conditions. The shortage of health care aides has been attributed to recruitment challenges, high turnover, an aging population, the COVID-19 pandemic, and low retention rates. Mobile apps are among the many information communication technologies that are paving the way for eHealth solutions to help address this workforce shortage by enhancing the workflow of health care aides. In collaboration with Clinisys EMR Inc, we developed a mobile app (Mobile Smart Care System [mSCS]) to support the workflow of health care aides who provide services to older adult residents of a long-term care facility.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the technology acceptance and usability of a mobile app in a real-world environment, while it is used by health care aides who provide services to older adults.MethodsThis pilot study used a mixed methods design: sequential mixed methods (QUANTITATIVE, qualitative). Our study included a pre– and post–paper-based questionnaire with no control group (QUAN). Toward the end of the study, 2 focus groups were conducted with a subsample of health care aides (qual, qualitative description design). Technology acceptance and usability questionnaires used a 5-point Likert scale ranging from disagree (1) to agree (5). The items included in the questionnaires were validated in earlier research as having high levels of internal consistency for the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology constructs. A total of 60 health care aides who provided services to older adults as part of their routine caseloads used the mobile app for 1 month. Comparisons of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology constructs’ summative scores at pretest and posttest were calculated using a paired t test (2-tailed). We used the partial least squares structural regression model to determine the factors influencing mobile app acceptance and usability for health care aides. The α level of significance for all tests was set at P≤.05 (2-tailed).ResultsWe found that acceptance of the mSCS was high among health care aides, performance expectancy construct was the strongest predictor of intention to use the mSCS, intention to use the mSCS predicted usage behavior. The qualitative data support the quantitative findings and showed health care aides’ strong belief that the mSCS was useful, portable, and reliable, although there were still opportunities for improvement, especially with regard to the mSCS user interface.ConclusionsOverall, these results support the assertion that mSCS technology acceptance and usability are high among health care aides. In other words, health care aides perceived that the mSCS assisted them in addressing their workflow issues.

MicroRNA Profiling in West Nile Virus Carrying Mosquito, Culex tarsalis

West Nile virus (WNV), is a serious mosquito‐borne zoonotic disease. There is currently no vaccine or treatment. The prevalence of WNV is particularly high in South Dakota with the primary species of carrier being Culex tarsalis. MiRNAs are a class of non‐coding RNAs that modulate a wide range of cellular processes (Chugh PE, Damania 2014). In particular, miRNAs have been shown to actively participate in an antiviral defense mechanism in mosquitoes, however, they appear to differ per virus‐vector combination (Göertz GP et al., 2019). Research surrounding the production of miRNAs in response to viral infections has discovered >70 different miRNAs depending upon genus/species of mosquito vectors are produced (Göertz GP et al., 2019). A critical question then becomes “why do some mosquito species produce certain miRNAs in response to WNV infection while other species do not?”. In order to begin understanding this phenomenon, it is important to examine what specific miRNAs are produced in vivo following WNV infection. The following research describes the utilization of total RNA isolated from Cx. tarsalis (+/‐ WNV determined via envelope/probe‐specific qRT‐PCR). Viral load/mosquito pool was determined following TaqMan™ miRNA profiling. Amplified miRNA products were arrayed into libraries, sequenced, and analyzed through NCBI analysis tools (BLAST™, BowTie2™). Results presented detected different viral infections (viral load within pools of Cx. tarsalis) corresponding to specific miRNAs. This knowledge could be key to understanding why certain species of mosquitoes transmit WNV compared to others and hopefully aid health care procedures surrounding WNV infections in both animals and humans.

Predictors for Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Therapies in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Retrospective Trauma Quality Improvement Program Database Study.

Many patients with severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) undergo withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies (WLSTs) or transition to comfort measures, but noninjury factors that influence this decision have not been well characterized. We hypothesized that WLST would be associated with institutional and geographic noninjury factors. All patients with a head Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≥3 were identified from 2016 Trauma Quality Improvement Program data. We analyzed factors that might be associated with WLST, including procedure type, age, sex, race, insurance, Glasgow Coma Scale score, mechanism of injury, geographic region, and institutional size and teaching status. Adjusted logistic regression was performed to examine factors associated with WLST. Sixty-nine thousand fifty-three patients were identified: 66% male, 77% with isolated TBI, and 7.8% had WLST. The median age was 56 years (34-73). A positive correlation was found between increasing age and WLST. Women were less likely to undergo WLST than men (odds ratio 0.91 [0.84-0.98]) and took more time to for WLST (3 vs 2 days, P < .001). African Americans underwent WLST at a significantly lower rate (odds ratio 0.66 [0.58-0.75]). Variations were also discovered based on US region, hospital characteristics, and neurosurgical procedures. WLST in severe TBI is independently associated with noninjury factors such as sex, age, race, hospital characteristics, and geographic region. The effect of noninjury factors on these decisions is poorly understood; further study of WLST patterns can aid health care providers in decision making for patients with severe TBI.

Impact on caregivers of patients with eye diseases: systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectifLe fardeau des aidants de patients présentant des troubles oculaires est alourdi par la concurrence des priorités et leur propre vieillissement. La présente étude avait pour objectif de définir et de décrire le fardeau associé à la prestation de soins aux patients atteints de troubles oculaires. NatureRevue de synthèse systématique et méta-analyse. MéthodesOn a procédé à un examen exhaustif de la littérature médicale à partir des principales bases de données en date du 25 mars 2021: Medline (Ovid), Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO et PubMed. Les études retenues portaient sur le fardeau ressenti par les aidants d'adultes en proie à des troubles oculaires. Ont été exclus les articles suivants : revues de synthèse, éditoriaux, commentaires, sondages, études portant sur un cas individuel et études portant strictement sur la qualité de vie et/ou le fardeau ressenti par le bénéficiaire de soins. La sélection en 2 étapes a été réalisée par 2 examinateurs indépendants. Une version modifiée de la liste de vérification de Downs et Black a servi à évaluer le risque de partialité. Les données démographiques et les mesures du fardeau ont été extraites et compilées. RésultatsAu total, 2421 articles ont été recensés après élimination des doublons. Après filtrage en texte intégral, 17 articles ont été retenus en vue de l'extraction des données; de ce nombre, 7 articles ont servi à la réalisation de la méta-analyse. Dans l'ensemble, la prestation de soins était associée à un fardeau significatif (65 %; intervalle de confiance [IC] à 95 % : 12 à 17 %). D'après la méta-analyse, le fardeau était lourd chez 24 % des aidants (IC à 95 % : 3 à 45 %), modéré chez 18 % d'entre eux (IC à 95 % : 9 à 28 %) et léger chez 34 % d'entre eux (IC à 95 % : 7 à 61 %). ConclusionsIl faut prendre conscience des répercussions psychosociales et du fardeau parfois très lourd imposé aux personnes qui soignent des patients atteints de troubles oculaires, afin d'aider les prestataires de soins à élaborer des interventions proactives qui sauront épauler non seulement les patients, mais les aidants.

Designing for Plurality in Democracy by Building Reflexivity

Designing for Plurality in Democracy by Building Reflexivity

Occupational Segregation And Hypertension Inequity: The Implication Of The Inverse Hazard Law Among Healthcare Workers

In the United States (US), Black—particularly Black female—healthcare workers are more likely to hold occupations with high job demand, low job control with limited support from supervisors or coworkers and are more vulnerable to job loss than their white counterparts. These work-related factors increase the risk of hypertension. This study examines the extent to which occupational segregation explains the persistent racial inequity in hypertension in the healthcare workforce and the potential health impact of workforce desegregation policies. We simulated a US healthcare workforce with four occupational classes: health diagnosing professionals (i.e., highest status), health treating professionals, healthcare technicians, and healthcare aides (i.e., lowest status). We simulated occupational segregation by allocating 25-year-old workers to occupational classes with the race- and gender-specific probabilities estimated from the American Community Survey data. Our model used occupational class attributes and workers’ health behaviors to predict hypertension over a 40-year career. We tracked the hypertension prevalence and the Black–white prevalence gap among the simulated workers under the staus quo condition (occupational segregation) and the experimental conditions in which occupational segregation was eliminated. We found that the Black–white hypertension prevalence gap became approximately one percentage point smaller in the experimental than in the status quo conditions. These findings suggest that policies designed to desegregate the healthcare workforce may reduce racial health inequities in this population. Our microsimulation may be used in future research to compare various desegregation policies as they may affect workers’ health differently.

Video Games as a Complementary Therapy for Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review.

Schizophrenia is a prevalent and serious disorder. Video games have shown potential as an aid in health care for people who suffer from schizophrenia. Although video games may contribute benefit in the treatment of schizophrenia, reviews on this topic are scarce. In this article, we systematically review the evidence concerning video game-based therapeutic interventions for people diagnosed with schizophrenia. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The review protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database. We searched 4 databases-PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and clinicaltrials.gov-to identify original studies exploring video game-based therapeutic interventions for people with schizophrenia. After initial screening, full-text review, and study selection, 11 articles were included in the review. Most studies used video consoles as the platform, with a minority using a personal computer. Video game-based therapeutic interventions were well accepted and generally effective in improving cognitive areas. Cognitive training could be one of the main mechanisms underlying the usefulness and effectiveness of video game-based therapeutic interventions. Software optimization and greater collaboration between developers and health care professionals are some of the priorities for future research in this area.

Health and LifeDomain ResearchPriorities in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults With Pediatric-Onset Spinal Cord Injury: A National Cross-Sectional Survey in England.

Although feedback from people with adult-onset spinal cord injury (SCI) has been considered in developing research programs, little is known about pediatric-onset SCI priorities. To describe the health and life (H&L) domain research priorities of youth with pediatric-onset SCI living in England. Youth with pediatric-onset SCI (≥6 months) were recruited from five English rehabilitation centers and invited with their parents/caregivers to complete the age-appropriate surveys designed by the Pan-European Paediatric Spinal Cord Injury (PEPSCI) collaboration. A total of 73 surveys were received (32 from participants with SCI and 41 from their parents/caregivers), providing information on 47 individuals with SCI: 2- to 7-year-olds (29.8%), 8- to 12-year-olds (19.2%), 13- to 17-year-olds (17.0%), and 18 to 25-year-olds (34.0%). The top three research priorities reported by parents/caregivers of 2- to 12-year-old and 13- to 25-year-olds were pain (81%/89%), physical function (91%/83%) and health care access (78%/78%). Eighty-nine percent of 8- to 12-year-olds emphasized schooling, peer relationships, and general mood as their research priorities. The top three research priorities for Health or Life domains reported by 13- to 25-year-olds included spasms (95%), pain (91%), pressure injuries (91%), health care access (83%), physical function (78%), and daily personal needs (74%). Although there should be an emphasis on addressing important life domain issues for 8- to 12-year-olds with SCI, adolescents and young adults mostly prioritized health domain research priorities in addition to health care access. This survey will aid health care and clinical research organizations to engage stakeholders to implement a comprehensive SCI research strategy in England for the pediatric population.

Framework for the Design of Cannabis-Mediated Phase I Drug-Drug Interaction Studies.

Cannabis has become legal in much of the United States similar to many other countries, for either recreational or medical use. The use of cannabis products is rapidly increasing while the body of knowledge of its myriad of effects still lags. In vitro and clinical data show that cannabis' main constituents, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, can affect pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and pharmacodynamics (PD) of other drugs. Within the context of clinical drug development, the widespread and frequent use of cannabis products has essentially created another special population: the cannabis user. We propose that all clinical drug development programs include a Phase 1 study to assess the drug-drug interaction potential of cannabis as a precipitant on the PK, safety, and if applicable, the PD of all new molecular entities (NMEs) in a combination of healthy adult subjects as well as frequent and infrequent cannabis users. This data should be required to inform drug labeling and aid health care providers in treating any patient, as cannabis has quickly become another common concomitant medication and cannabis users, a new special population.

A clinical tool to identify older women with back pain at high risk of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (Vfrac): a population-based cohort study with exploratory economic evaluation.

osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) identify people at high risk of future fractures, but despite this, less than a third come to clinical attention. The objective of this study was to develop a clinical tool to aid health care professionals decide which older women with back pain should have a spinal radiograph. a population-based cohort of 1,635 women aged 65+ years with self-reported back pain in the previous 4 months were recruited from primary care. Exposure data were collected through self-completion questionnaires and physical examination, including descriptions of back pain and traditional risk factors for osteoporosis. Outcome was the presence/absence of OVFs on spinal radiographs. Logistic regression models identified independent predictors of OVFs, with the area under the (receiver operating) curve calculated for the final model, and a cut-point was identified. mean age was 73.9years and 209 (12.8%) had OVFs. The final Vfrac model comprised 15 predictors of OVF, with an AUC of 0.802 (95% CI: 0.764-0.840). Sensitivity was 72.4% and specificity was 72.9%. Vfrac identified 93% of those with more than one OVF and two-thirds of those with one OVF. Performance was enhanced by inclusion of self-reported back pain descriptors, removal of which reduced AUC to 0.742 (95% CI: 0.696-0.788) and sensitivity to 66.5%. Health economic modelling to support a future trial was favourable. the Vfrac clinical tool appears to be valid and is improved by the addition of self-reported back pain symptoms. The tool now requires testing to establish real-world clinical and cost-effectiveness.

Predicting age at onset of type 1 diabetes in children using regression, artificial neural network and Random Forest: A case study in Saudi Arabia.

The rising incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) among children is an increasing concern globally. A reliable estimate of the age at onset of T1D in children would facilitate intervention plans for medical practitioners to reduce the problems with delayed diagnosis of T1D. This paper has utilised Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Random Forest (RF) to model and predict the age at onset of T1D in children in Saudi Arabia (S.A.) which is ranked as the 7th for the highest number of T1D and 5th in the world for the incidence rate of T1D. De-identified data between (2010-2020) from three cities in S.A. were used to model and predict the age at onset of T1D. The best subset model selection criteria, coefficient of determination, and diagnostic tests were deployed to select the most significant variables. The efficacy of models for predicting the age at onset was assessed using multi-prediction accuracy measures. The average age at onset of T1D is 6.2 years and the most common age group for onset is (5-9) years. Most of the children in the sample (68%) are from urban areas of S.A., 75% were delivered after a full term pregnancy length and 31% were delivered through a cesarean section. The models of best fit were the MLR and RF models with R2 = (0.85 and 0.95), the root mean square error = (0.25 and 0.15) and mean absolute error = (0.19 and 0.11) respectively for logarithm of age at onset. This study for the first time has utilised MLR, ANN and RF models to predict the age at onset of T1D in children in S.A. These models can effectively aid health care providers to monitor and create intervention strategies to reduce the impact of T1D in children in S.A.

Identification and Management of Night Eating Syndrome in the Adolescent and Young Adult Population.

Objective: Night eating syndrome (NES) is a lesser-known eating disorder that can lead to significant morbidity in adults. However, there is little research into the condition and its comorbidities in the adolescent and young adult population. We sought to compile the existing literature on NES in university student populations to aid health care providers in identifying and treating the condition and its symptoms before it causes adverse health outcomes.Methods: We conducted a review of the literature from 2003 to present with no limitations using PubMed and Google Scholar. Search terms were night eating syndrome AND student, yielding 23 articles that were deemed relevant to the review. A manual search of the literature using only night eating syndrome was performed to identify any additional studies not included in the initial search. This search yielded an additional 4 articles of interest, including those related to treatment options. A total of 25 studies were included in the final review.Results: Adolescent patients exhibiting conditions including depression, eating disorders, insomnia, and high levels of stress should be monitored for the development of night eating symptoms. Children of mothers with NES should also be monitored during adolescence, as this confers a higher risk. Interestingly, increased body mass index is not associated with NES in adolescence. Patients that are identified as being at risk should have their comorbid conditions managed medically, while those diagnosed with NES can potentially be treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy and/or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.Conclusions: NES is a clinical entity that requires further investigation, especially concerning adolescents and the development of symptoms during the transition into adulthood. More research is needed on the treatment of the syndrome, as several treatments have been studied but none are US Food and Drug Administration approved.

Prevalencia de síntomas depresivos y diagnóstico de sospecha de depresión en pacientes con EPOC

Objectiveto determine the prevalence of and predictive factors for depression in patients diagnosed with COPD and referred from primary care to pneumology departments, departments that share care for COPD patients. Designobservational, multicentric, prospective with non-probabilistic sample, transversal study. Settingtwo pneumology visit offices at two hospitals offering different levels of care. Participants293 patients diagnosed with COPD in a stable phase of the disease. InterventionsCarryng out common clinical questionnaires in COPD & HADS. Main measurementsDemographic, clinical, and functional variables of COPD, and HADS depression scale. ResultsIncluded were 229 men (78.16%) and 64 women (21.8%), with an average age of 68.2 ± 10.3 years of whom 93 (31.7%) were active smokers and 200 (68.3%) ex-smokers. 19.45% of patients had a previous diagnosis of clinical depression but the HADS test established a diagnosis of suspicion of depression in 32.6%. Predictive factors included: being female, living alone, and variables related to the severity of the disease (FEV1 postbronchodilator, being a high-risk patient, exacerbating phenotype criteria, and C and D GOLD criteria levels). ConclusionsThe prevalence of depression in patients with COPD is high and is infra-diagnosed. The HADS diagnostic test is useful for establishing a diagnosis of suspicion of depression at primary care and pneumology visit offices. There are personal and clinical factors that may be considered predictive and aid healthcare professionals in determining which patients should take the HADS test and, based on results, referring patients to the mental health department to confirm or reject the diagnosis.

Inventory Management Practices in Private Healthcare Facilities in Nairobi County

Universal health coverage (UHC) is an integral part of the United Nations sustainable development goals. The private sector plays a prominent role in achieving UHC, being the primary source of essential medicines for many people. However, many private healthcare facilities in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) have insufficient stocks of essential medicines. Simultaneously, these same facilities carry excessive quantities of other drugs, leading to obsolescence. This suggests poor inventory control. To propose potential remedies it is vital to fully understand the underlying causes. In semi‐structured interviews with managers of private healthcare facilities in Nairobi, we asked them about their (1) inventory control systems, (2) inventory control skills, (3) time/human resource constraints, (4) budget constraints, (5) motivations for inventory control, and (6) suppliers. Our results suggest that the problems are driven by resource limitations (budget and time/human resources), managerial issues (relating to skills and systems), and market mechanisms that limit overage and underage costs. Unavailability at the supplier level and motivations for inventory control are relatively minor issues. We posit that the key causes are interlinked and stem from wider issues in the market and regulatory environment. Our results challenge prevalent beliefs about medicine supply chains in LMICs and lead to novel hypotheses. Testing these hypotheses could improve our understanding of inventory management in private healthcare facilities and aid progress in achieving UHC.

Short communication: Do clinical guidelines for bipolar disorders adequately address sleep, circadian rhythm, activity and lifestyle problems?

Objectives Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) provide guidance to health care professionals and patients about the management of core aspects of BD. This study evaluated the overall quality of CPGs and examined the quantity, specificity, clarity and utility of recommendations about four key contemporary themes: sleep, circadian rhythms, activity and energy, and healthy lifestyles.Methods English language editions of CPGs for the treatment of BD were identified by a systematic search of the literature from 2007 onwards (i.e. 15 years). Blind independent ratings were combined to give consensus scores for the quality of each CPGs (using the 14-item International Center for Allied Health Evidence guideline checklist). Composite ratings of the quantity, specificity, clarity and utility of recommendations about the key themes were undertaken using a 0–3 scale.Results Twenty-five CPGs were eligible for review. Overall quality was high (median checklist score=10), but only 11 (44%) CPGs included even basic information about circadian rhythm disturbances. Combined scores for composite ratings about sleep and circadian rhythms were significantly correlated with overall quality of the CPG (sleep, r = 0.43; circadian rhythms, r = 0.42) but not with year of publication.Limitations No reliable scale exists for generating composite ratings of the four themes we examined.Conclusions Circadian rhythms and chronobiology represent neglected domains in CPGs. Incorporating this important theme into future editions of CPGs would aid health care professionals to identify, prevent, or intervene with these problems and improve outcomes for a significant proportion of individuals with BD.

Інноваційні підходи до введення дисциплін з охорони здоров’я в систему підготовки майбутніх працівників освіти

This article deeply analyses the innovative approaches to the introduction of health disciplines in the system of training future educators. It focuses on defining integrated indicators and criteria for the formation of various professional competencies of students in the discipline "Fundamentals of Medical Knowledge". The purpose of the article is to determine the theoretical and methodological and practical provisions, innovative approaches to the introduction of disciplines in health care and the basics of medical knowledge in the system of training future staff of higher education institutions. Based on the analysis of literature sources, it was determined that teaching the basics of medical knowledge to students in higher education institutions, allows them to develop knowledge, skills and abilities in health care and first aid in any life situation. Qualitative analysis of empirical data shows that most students of higher education institutions identify problems that are paramount in the information space (socially significant infectious diseases, their detection and elimination and a healthy lifestyle, its characteristics), although the relevant information on some areas of medical knowledge, which are also significant enough for the social environment, was not taught to students. That is why students did not define them as integrative and relevant for their own professional activities. It is interesting, however that, students have a rather superficial understanding of the essence of medical concepts, especially difficult for them is to differentiate the information content of materials, which is manifold and diverse, sometimes unreliable in numerous information sources. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the empirical study of this problem allowed us to build a systematic and phased teaching of the discipline "Fundamentals of Medical Knowledge", to reveal the essence and content of theoretical and practical material during lectures and practical classes with students of pedagogical higher education establishments, taking into account new innovative approaches and modern computer technologies. In our opinion, the basic integrated level of ideas and concepts on the basis of medical knowledge is a mandatory element of the professional competence of the modern educator. At the same time, the teacher must be morally and legally responsible for preserving and improving the lives and health of children during their stay in respective schools and out-of-school educational institutions.

Vaccination approval literacy and its effects on intention to receive future COVID-19 immunization

BackgroundBefore the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine release, polls showed only 50% of Americans had intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine hesitancy may result from a lack of confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy. More research is needed to identify whether knowledge of vaccine approval processes relates to vaccination intentions. ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate participants’ knowledge regarding COVID-19 and vaccine approval processes, (2) evaluate participants’ intentions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and (3) compare participants’ knowledge assessment results with COVID-19 vaccine intentions. MethodsA prospective, cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to patients participating in a pharmacist-led chronic disease state management program. The 22-item questionnaire assessed demographic information and evaluated the participant’s knowledge and vaccine intentions. Data were analyzed with an a priori alpha value of 0.05. ResultsNearly all participants answered correctly on questions pertaining to COVID-19 infection (n = 92, 93%), COVID-19 symptoms (n = 96, 96%), and the Food and Drug Administration’s roles in vaccine approval processes (n = 92, 92%). Participants scored lower on questions involving the differing requirements between clinical trial phases (n = 20, 21%) and vaccine safety in the United States (n = 51, 53%). Most participants (n = 54, 55.1%) did not believe the trials were taking too long to produce a vaccine, but 40.4% of the participants (n = 40) believed the vaccine was approved too quickly. More than half of the participants (n = 55, 56.1%) desired more information on how vaccines get approved in the United States. Participants who scored higher on the knowledge assessment were more likely to have a plan to receive the vaccine (P = 0.008). ConclusionsThe results of this study demonstrate the influence knowledge has on intentions to receive vaccines and may aid health care providers in their attempts to promote vaccinations.