Hospital In Central Taiwan Research Articles

Identifying and Estimating Frailty Phenotypes by Vocal Biomarkers: Cross-Sectional Study.

Researchers have developed a variety of indices to assess frailty. Recent research indicates that the human voice reflects frailty status. Frailty phenotypes are seldom discussed in the literature on the aging voice. This study aims to examine potential phenotypes of frail older adults and determine their correlation with vocal biomarkers. Participants aged ≥60 years who visited the geriatric outpatient clinic of a teaching hospital in central Taiwan between 2020 and 2021 were recruited. We identified 4 frailty phenotypes: energy-based frailty, sarcopenia-based frailty, hybrid-based frailty-energy, and hybrid-based frailty-sarcopenia. Participants were asked to pronounce a sustained vowel "/a/" for approximately 1 second. The speech signals were digitized and analyzed. Four voice parameters-the average number of zero crossings (A1), variations in local peaks and valleys (A2), variations in first and second formant frequencies (A3), and spectral energy ratio (A4)-were used for analyzing changes in voice. Logistic regression was used to elucidate the prediction model. Among 277 older adults, an increase in A1 values was associated with a lower likelihood of energy-based frailty (odds ratio [OR] 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.96), whereas an increase in A2 values resulted in a higher likelihood of sarcopenia-based frailty (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.18-1.52). Respondents with larger A3 and A4 values had a higher likelihood of hybrid-based frailty-sarcopenia (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.002-1.06) and hybrid-based frailty-energy (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.02-2.01), respectively. Vocal biomarkers might be potentially useful in estimating frailty phenotypes. Clinicians can use 2 crucial acoustic parameters, namely A1 and A2, to diagnose a frailty phenotype that is associated with insufficient energy or reduced muscle function. The assessment of A3 and A4 involves a complex frailty phenotype.

Stress and Coping Behavior Exhibited by Family Members Toward Long-Term Care Facility Residents While Hospitalized.

With the increase in the elderly population, institution-based care has become another option for elderly people. In Changhua, Taiwan, the number of long-term institutions has doubled in the past decade, and more families are choosing to send their elders to institutions for care. However, there is stress induced by having to care for these elders when they come back to their family members when hospitalized. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the stress and coping behaviors of family members in regard to hospitalized long-term care facility residents and identify relevant factors that affect and predict the stress and coping behaviors exhibited by these family members. In this study, a quantitative and cross-sectional survey was conducted using the convenience-sampling method; family members of long-term care facility residents hospitalized in a regional hospital in central Taiwan were selected as the research participants and a total of 162 family members were admitted. The data were collected in the form of questionnaires including basic information and data on the stress and coping behaviors of the family members. The data were collected and coded by using SPSS 22.0 to perform descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. The standard average score of total stress for family members was 57.03 points, which corresponds to a moderate level. The four perceptions of stress by family members were, in order, physiological, life, psychological, and economic. Furthermore, family income, work status, and the relationship between residents of the family members and physiological, psychological, and economic factors had predictive power for their problem-oriented coping behaviors, with an explanatory power of 59.6%. Life aspects, gender, marital status, and the number of hospitalizations in half a year had significant predictive power for the family members' emotion-oriented coping behaviors, with an explanatory power of 19.0%. The family members had high levels of stress, especially physical stress, and the total scores of stress perception were higher for those who were younger than 39 years old and had no rotating family members. Additionally, the coping behavior of the main caregiver was mainly problem-oriented. The results of this study may serve as a reference that can help nursing staff in clinical or long-term care facilities to provide or develop effective and individualized services for family members of facility residents.

A-181 The Effectiveness Module to Reduce Laboratory Error Reporting Rates

Abstract Background In a hospital in central Taiwan, the number of tests conducted in 2022 was 1.88 million, there were 26 cases of laboratory error reports, with an error rate of 14 cases per million. Error reports may lead to diagnostic errors, posing a significant risk to patient safety. Therefore, our team aims to establish a simple and universal module that can be applicable to various laboratory operations to minimize errors. Methods Initially, we conducted an analysis of error causes, identifying 25 cases of human error and 1 case of computer system error. Human errors were categorized according to the laboratory process, including 4 specimen identification errors, 3 procedural errors, 9 typing errors, 7 validation of analytical data errors, and 2 instances of failure to communicate issues during handover. The proximate cause of human error was non-compliance with SOPs, and the root cause was inadequate SOPs leading to inconsistent practices. We reviewed the workflow, implemented corrective actions, revised SOPs, and provided training for personnel. Additionally, three important strategies were introduced: 1.High-Frequency Audits: Corrective actions were included in the internal audit checklist, initially increasing the frequency to at least once a month for the first 3 months, followed by at least once every 6 months within the next 6 months. If no further occurrences were noted, audits could be conducted annually or not. Each audit should be completed within 20 minutes to avoid excessive burden, with direct observation of operations and random questioning being the preferred audit methods. 2. Audit deficiencies should be documented: Personnel were requested to conduct cause analysis and improvements. This not only expressed the supervisor's commitment to improvement but also provided an opportunity to discover reasons why countermeasures cannot not be implemented, allowing for strategic adjustments until successful implementation. 3.Case-Based Training: Benchmark cases were developed into teaching materials, and compiled errors regularly for looking for patterns or trends to identity key steps. Make these key steps the focus of your educational training. Results In 2023, 1.94 million tests were conducted, there were 4 error reports, with an error rate of 3 cases per million, all were attributed to human error. In another hospital in southern Taiwan, laboratory error reports were primarily due to human error. From June 2022 to July 2023, a total of 3.46 million tests were conducted, there were 14 error reports and an error rate of 5 cases per million. After implementing the same improvement module from August to December 2023, a total of 1.56 million tests were conducted, there were 2 error reports and an error rate of 2 cases per million, all were attributed to human error. Conclusions We applied this improvement module to two hospitals in central and southern Taiwan, resulting in a significant reduction in error rate. The key factors of effectiveness were utilizing high-frequency audits to ensure sustained results, and demonstrating the positive attitude of supervisors during the process. This motivated personnel to demand higher standards from themselves, ultimately showcasing remarkable improvements.

Effectiveness of the Huddles in Improving the Patient Safety Attitudes Among Clinical Team Members.

Huddles among members of interdisciplinary medical teams involve short stand-up sessions and allow team members to focus on existing or emerging patient safety issues, thereby facilitating team communication. Hospital managers are able to recognize the current situation of the organization through patient safety attitudes, strengthen team members' awareness of patient safety, and improve the quality of health care. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of huddles on improving team members' attitudes toward patient safety. We used a quasi-experimental design and selected 2 adult wards with similar properties as the experimental and comparison groups by convenience sampling. Data collection was from December 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, at a teaching hospital in central Taiwan. Team members of the ward performing huddles formed the experimental group, and they participated 2 times per week in 15-minute huddles from 8:15 to 8:30 am for a total of 4 weeks. The comparison group adopted the routine team care process. Both groups completed the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire during the pre- and post-tests of the study. The experimental group scored significantly higher in the post-test than in the pre-test in all aspects of safety attitudes, with the exception of stress recognition. These improved aspects were teamwork climate (76.47 ± 15.90 vs 83.29 ± 13.52, P < .001), safety climate (75.94 ± 16.14 vs 82.81 ± 13.74, P < .001), job satisfaction (74.34 ± 20.22 vs 84.40 ± 17.22, P <.001), perceptions of management (78.02 ± 19.99 vs 85.51 ± 15.97, P < .001), and working conditions (78.85 ± 17.87 vs 86.81 ± 14.74, P < .001). Through the huddles, clinical team members improved their understanding of different aspects of safety attitudes. Such a study provided ward units with real-time improvement and adjustment in terms of patient safety during their medical work processes with better patient safety.

Emergence and transmission of the high-risk ST78 clone of OXA-48-producing Enterobacter hormaechei in a single hospital in Taiwan

ABSTRACT Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacter cloacae complex is a significant global healthcare threat, particularly carbapenemase-producing Enterobacter hormaechei (CPEH). From January 2017 to January 2021, twenty-two CPEH isolates from a regional teaching hospital in central Taiwan were identified with the carriage of carbapenemase genes bla KPC-2, bla IMP-8 , and predominantly bla OXA-48. Over 80% of these CPEH strains clustered into the high-risk ST78 lineage, carrying a bla OXA-48 IncL plasmid (pOXA48-CREH), nearly identical to the endemic plasmid pOXA48-KP in ST11 Klebsiella pneumoniae. This OXA-48-producing ST78 lineage disseminated clonally from 2018 to 2021 and transferred pOXA48-CREH to ST66 and ST90 E. hormaechei. An IMP-8-producing ST78 strain harbouring a bla IMP-8-carrying pIncHI2 plasmid appeared in 2018, and by late 2020, a KPC-2-producing ST78 strain was identified after acquiring a novel bla KPC-2-carrying IncFII plasmid. These findings suggest that the high-risk ST78 lineage of E. hormaechei has emerged as the primary driver behind the transmission of CPEH. ST78 has not only acquired various carbapenemase-gene-carrying plasmids but has also facilitated the transfer of pOXA48-CREH to other lineages. Continuous genomic surveillance and targeted interventions are urgently needed to control the spread of emerging CPEH clones in hospital settings.

Occupational and environmental risk factors for pancreatic cancer: A retrospective cohort study at a hospital in central Taiwan

Occupational and environmental risk factors for pancreatic cancer: A retrospective cohort study at a hospital in central Taiwan

Impact of the prognostic nutritional index on renal replacement therapy–free survival and mortality in patients on continuous renal replacement therapy

Background The survival of critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is highly dependent on their nutritional status. Objectives The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is an indicator used to assess nutritional status and is calculated as: PNI = (serum albumin in g/dL) × 10 + (total lymphocyte count in/mm3) × 0.005. In this retrospective study, we investigated the correlation between this index and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with AKI receiving CRRT. Methods We analyzed data from 2076 critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit at Changhua Christian Hospital, a tertiary hospital in central Taiwan, between January 1, 2010, and April 30, 2021. All these patients met the inclusion criteria of the study. The relationship between PNI and renal replacement therapy-free survival (RRTFS) and mortality was examined using logistic regression models, Cox proportional hazard models, and propensity score matching. High utilization rate of parenteral nutrition (PN) was observed in our study. Subgroup analysis was performed to explore the interaction effect between PNI and PN on mortality. Results Patients with higher PNI levels exhibited a greater likelihood of achieving RRTFS, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.43 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.98-2.97, p-value < 0.001). Additionally, these patients demonstrated higher survival rates, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.72-0.98) for 28-day mortality and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.69-0.92) for 90-day mortality (all p-values < 0.05), compared to those in the low PNI group. While a high utilization rate of parenteral nutrition (PN) was observed, with 78.86% of CRRT patients receiving PN, subgroup analysis showed that high PNI had an independent protective effect on mortality outcomes in AKI patients receiving CRRT, regardless of their PN status. Conclusions PNI can serve as an easy, simple, and efficient measure of lymphocytes and albumin levels to predict RRTFS and mortality in AKI patients with require CRRT.

Test-Retest Reliability, Criterion-Related Validity, and Ecological Validity of the Test of Visual-Motor Skills, Third Edition, in Kindergarten Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder.

Establishing empirical evidence on the psychometric properties of the Test of Visual-Motor Skills (3rd ed.; TVMS-3) is helpful for guiding its use as an assessment of visual-motor integration (VMI) skills in kindergarten children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). To investigate the test-retest reliability, criterion-related validity, and ecological validity of the TVMS-3 in Taiwanese kindergarten children with DCD. A nonexperimental, descriptive, correlational design. A hospital in Central Taiwan. Fifty-seven kindergarten children with DCD were recruited in the study. Intraclass correlation coefficient, percentage of minimal detectable change, and paired t test (Wilcoxon signed rank test) were used to investigate the test-retest reliability of the TVMS-3. The correlations (Pearson's r) between the TVMS-3 accuracy score and the scores of each of the four domains and the adaptive behavior composite score of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (3rd ed.; Vineland-3) were calculated, respectively, to examine criterion-related validity and ecological validity. The accuracy score of the TVMS-3 had excellent test-retest reliability and acceptable random measurement error. Moreover, it showed good criterion-related validity and sufficient ecological validity with the Vineland-3 in Taiwanese kindergarten children with DCD. The accuracy score of the TVMS-3 is applicable to Taiwanese kindergarten children with DCD in clinical and research settings. Plain-Language Summary: The accuracy score of the Test of Visual-Motor Skills (3rd ed.; TVMS-3) is a useful assessment tool to detect deficits in visual-motor integration for Taiwanese kindergarten children with developmental coordination disorder. The TVMS-3 has excellent test-retest reliability, good criterion-related validity, and sufficient ecological validity.

Rotating shift and BMI increase among healthcare workers in a military hospital: pre- and post-pandemic analysis in Taiwan.

The increasing prevalence of high body mass index (BMI) emphasizes the need for action. Understanding of BMI factors among military hospital healthcare workers remains limited. This study aims to address this gap by analyzing BMI risk factors and changes pre- and post-coronavirus 2019 pandemic among military hospital healthcare workers in central Taiwan from 2019 to 2021. Conducted at a military hospital in central Taiwan, this study analyzed anonymized health examination data from 2019 to 2021 for 483 healthcare workers. We performed generalized estimating equations to investigate trends in BMI and its association with various factors, including age, sex, job titles, military status, job tenure, work shifts, and lifestyle habits. The risk of increased BMI was higher in 2021 compared to 2019 (risk ratio [RR]: 1.008, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001-1.014). Individuals on rotating shifts had a higher risk of increased BMI compared to day shift workers (RR: 1.021; 95% CI: 1.008-1.035) and higher odds of obesity (odds ratio: 1.546; 95% CI: 1.099-2.175). Among obese individuals, BMI in soldiers was approximately 4.9% lower than in non-soldiers (RR: 0.951; 95% CI: 0.915-0.988). This study identified a significant post-pandemic increase in BMI among healthcare workers in a Taiwanese military hospital, with rotating shifts being a key risk factor for both increased BMI and obesity. Work-related factors influenced BMI changes among obese individuals, while non-work-related factors were significant for non-obese individuals. These findings highlight the broader effects of the pandemic and the specific impact of work-related factors on obese healthcare workers.

Early absolute lymphocyte count was associated with one-year mortality in critically ill surgical patients: A propensity score-matching and weighting study.

Absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) is a crucial indicator of immunity in critical illness, but studies focusing on long-term outcomes in critically ill patients, particularly surgical patients, are still lacking. We sought to explore the association between week-one ALC and long-term mortality in critically ill surgical patients. We used the 2015-2020 critical care database of Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TCVGH), a referral hospital in central Taiwan, and the primary outcome was one-year all-cause mortality. We assessed the association between ALC and long-term mortality by measuring hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Furthermore, we used propensity score-matching and -weighting analyses, consisting of propensity score matching (PSM), inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), and covariate balancing propensity score (CBPS), to validate the association. A total of 8052 patients were enrolled, with their one-year mortality being 24.2%. Cox regression showed that low ALC was independently associated with mortality (adjHR 1.140, 95% CI 1.091-1.192). Moreover, this association tended to be stronger among younger patients, patients with fewer comorbidities and lower severity. The association between low ALC and mortality in original, PSM, IPTW, and CBPS populations were 1.497 (95% CI 1.320-1.697), 1.391 (95% CI 1.169-1.654), 1.512 (95% CI 1.310-1.744), and 1.511 (95% CI 1.310-1.744), respectively. Additionally, the association appears to be consistent, using distinct cutoff levels to define the low ALC. We identified that early low ALC was associated with increased one-year mortality in critically ill surgical patients, and prospective studies are warranted to confirm the finding.

Cigarette smoking and related factors among type 2 diabetic patients in Taiwan

ABSTRACT Objective This study aims to investigate smoking behavior among individuals with diabetes and assess the differences of total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio based on smoking status. Methods A retrospective cohort study included 1082 diabetic patients from a regional hospital in central Taiwan between 2016 and 2020. Chi-square, McNemar test, and logistic regression analysis were conducted for the inferential statistical analysis. Results About 15.2% were current tobacco smokers. There are several risk factors related to cigarette smoking, including being male (OR = 9.780), younger than 55 years old (OR = 3.649), having lower levels of education (≦9 years and 10–12 years) (OR = 3.001 and 2.097, respectively), being a current alcohol drinker (OR = 3.366), and being a non-regular exerciser (OR = 1.968). Diabetic patients who were current cigarette smokers had a higher distribution of TC/HDL-C ratio≧5 compared to ex-smokers or nonsmokers (14.6% vs. 7.0%, p = .002). More nonsmokers or abstainers changed their TC/HDL-C ratio from abnormal (≧5) to normal (<5) compared to current smokers (67 vs. 39, p = .008). Conclusions Cigarette smoking has been shown to have negative effects on the body’s metabolism and lead to complications in diabetic patients. Therefore, it is crucial to design intervention strategies that encourage current smokers to quit smoking and evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions.

Psychological insulin resistance and its impact on self-management in type II diabetes mellitus patients treated with insulin therapy.

Psychological insulin resistance is a common barrier to initiation and persistence with insulin therapy that affects approximately 42.7% of people living with type II diabetes mellitus, which may negatively impact self-management. This study aimed to assess patients' levels of psychological insulin resistance and to identify factors associated with self-management in patients with type II diabetes mellitus treated with insulin therapy. We adopted a cross-sectional design. Subjects from the metabolism and endocrinology outpatient departments of a regional teaching hospital in central Taiwan were recruited by consecutive sampling. Patients were assessed for psychological insulin resistance and self-management using the barriers to insulin treatment questionnaire and the partners in health scale. A total of 222 patients with type II diabetes mellitus were recruited. Patients had an average psychological insulin resistance score of 3.14 (maximum of 8). Positive self-management was associated with insulin therapy injection by patient, fewer expectations regarding positive insulin-related outcomes, no diabetes-related complications, less fear of injection and self-testing, no hypoglycaemia within the previous year, and younger age. Insulin therapy injection by patient and no diabetes-related complications were the most common factors associated with overall self-management and with each domain of self-management in patients with type II diabetes mellitus treated with insulin therapy. Insulin therapy education should be offered to improve patients' beliefs about insulin therapy and enhance patients' ability to perform self-management.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults With Preoperative Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis is prevalent in older adults worldwide. Quality of life was negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was designed to examine osteoarthritis severity and health-related quality of life (QOL) in older adults with knee osteoarthritis before total knee replacement during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the related predictors of QOL. This cross-sectional correlation study involved convenience sampling in the orthopedic ward of a regional teaching hospital in central Taiwan from June 2020 to June 2021 using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index and the SF-36v2 Health Survey. The data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis, independent samples t test, and one-way analysis of variance to determine correlations among demographic variables, osteoarthritis severity, and QOL. The predictors of QOL were examined using stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. A total of 60 older adults diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis were sampled. The average age was 70 years and the average osteoarthritis severity score was 70.45. Being male, having comorbidities, and having a relatively high level of monthly disposable income were associated with poorer QOL. Moreover, more severe knee pain, stiffness, and physical dysfunction were associated with better psychological QOL. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the severity of knee osteoarthritis affects preoperative quality of life in older adults. Clinicians should detect signs of pain and physical dysfunction in these patients in advance and intervene in a timely manner to improve their QOL before surgery.

Evaluation of registered nurses’ interprofessional emergency care competence through the gamification of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundsCardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training is generally led by instructors in a classroom; thus, conventional teaching materials used in CPR training are often constrained by spatiotemporal factors, limiting learners’ interest and sense of achievement in learning and preventing them from effectively applying what they learn in practice. For greater effectiveness and more flexible application, clinical nursing education has increasingly emphasized contextualization, individualization, and interprofessional learning. This study determined the self-assessed emergency care competencies of nurses who received gamified emergency care training and explored the factors associated with those competencies.MethodsQuota sampling of nurses working at a certain regional hospital in central Taiwan was conducted, and a structured questionnaire was administered to the recruited nurses. A total of 194 valid responses were collected. The research tool was a scale measuring the participants’ emergency care competencies after they received gamified emergency care training. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and multiple regression.ResultsOf the recruited participants, 50.52% were ≤ 30 years old; 48.45% worked in the internal medicine department; 54.64% graduated from 2-year university technical programs; 54.12% were N2 registered nurses; 35.57% and 21.13% had ≥ 10 and 1–3 years of work experience, respectively; and 48.45% worked in general wards. User need (r = 0.52, p = 0.000), perceived usefulness (r = 0.54, p = 0.000), perceived ease of use (r = 0.51, p = 0.000), and usage attitude (r = 0.41, p = 0.000) were positively correlated with emergency care competencies. Furthermore, the multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived usefulness was the primary factor associated with the participants’ emergency care competencies.ConclusionsThe results of this study may serve as a reference for acute care facility authorities in designing advanced nursing competency standards and emergency care training programs for nurses.

Effects of Fecal Occult Blood Immunoassay Screening for Colorectal Cancer-Experience from a Hospital in Central Taiwan.

Background and Objectives: In 2004, the Health Administration of Taiwan began to promote a hospital-based cancer screening quality improvement program, under the principle that "prevention is better than therapy". The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in patients who received a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) at a hospital in central Taiwan. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study. Results: Fecal occult blood immunoassays for CRC screening were conducted in 58,891 participants, of whom 6533 were positive (positive detection rate 11.10%). The positive patients then underwent colonoscopy, and the detection rates of polyps and CRC accounted for 53.6% and 2.4% of all colonoscopy-confirmed diagnoses (3607), respectively. We further enrolled data from patients diagnosed with CRC at our hospital from 2010 to 2018. The patients with CRC were divided into two groups according to whether or not they had received fecal occult blood screening. Among the 88 patients with CRC by screening, 54 had detailed medical records including cancer stage. Of these 54 patients, 1 (1.8%) had pre-stage, 11 (20.4%) had stage I, 24 (44.4%) had stage II, 10 (18.5%) had stage III, and 8 (14.8%) had stage IV CRC. The early cancer detection rates of the screening and non-screening groups were 66.7% and 52.7%, respectively, and the difference was significant (p = 0.00130). Conclusions: In this study, screening with FIT significantly increased the early detection of CRC. The main advantage of FIT is the non-invasiveness and low cost. It is hoped that the further adoption of early screening can increase the detection rates of colorectal polyps or early cancer to improve survival, reduce the high cost of subsequent cancer treatment, and reduce the burden on the patient and healthcare system.

The influence of breastfeeding attitudes on breastfeeding behavior of postpartum women and their spouses

PurposeThis study aimed to explore: (1) the influence of maternal sociodemographic factors on breastfeeding attitudes, (2) the relationship between breastfeeding attitudes of postpartum women and their spouses, (3) the predictors of breastfeeding behavior (mixed breastfeeding) at two months postpartum, and (4) to establish the reliability of the Chinese version of the paternal Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) in Taiwan. MethodsA correlational and follow-up study design was used on a convenience sample of 215 women and 215 fathers recruited from a regional teaching hospital in central Taiwan from July 2020 to December 2020. The participants completed the IIFAS during postpartum hospitalization and a follow-up via telephone at 8 weeks postpartum for information on feeding methods and duration. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the predictors of breastfeeding duration. ResultsMaternal breastfeeding attitude scores ranged from 42 to 79, with a mean score of 59.78 (SD ± 6.68). Spouses' breastfeeding attitude scores ranged from 46 to 81, with a mean score of 59.60 (SD ± 6.93). Mother and spouse’s IIFAS scores were highly correlated (r = 0.50, p < 0.001), and the scores of both parents were significantly associated with the duration of breastfeeding. With each increased point on maternal and paternal IIFAS scores, the odds of breastfeeding during the first 8 weeks increased 6% and 10%, respectively. ConclusionThis is the first study to validate the IIFAS (Chinese version) with paternal participants in Taiwan. Identifying and understanding the infant feeding attitudes of mothers and their spouses should be an early step in designing and implementing breastfeeding interventions.

Situational analysis of medical care for heart failure patients in a regional hospital in central Taiwan

Abstract Background: Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Its symptoms are the ultimate severe results of all heart diseases. Objectives: To assess the situation of medical care for patients with HF in a regional hospital in central Taiwan. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted from June 1, 2019, to September 30, 2021, collecting basic information of patients, hospitalization and medication after discharge, emergency room visit, readmission, and mortality. Results: This study included 101 patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction, of which 71.3% were males. Their mean age was 64.9 ± 15.4 years, and the mean body mass index was 26.4 ± 5.6 kg/m2. Moreover, 89.1% of them had chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease; the mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 27.4% ± 7.7%. During hospitalization and at 1, 6, and 12 months after discharge, the administration rates were 61.4%, 39.6%, 26.7%, and 22.8% for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blocker/angiotensin-neprilysin inhibitor; 64.4%, 41.6%, 27.7%, and 35.6% for beta-blocker; 47.5%, 26.7%, 14.9%, and 17.8% for mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist; and 4.9%, 2.0%, 1.0%, and 3.0% for sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, respectively. The rates of emergency room visit, readmission, and mortality due to cardiac reasons within 12 months after discharge were 18.8%, 20.8%, and 8.9%, respectively. Conclusion: Given that HF is a complex disease, the underlying causes must be treated, and the guideline-directed medical therapy must be applied to prevent the recurrence of an acute attack. Given the complexity of this high-functioning disease, it is essential to have a dedicated case manager who can ensure comprehensive integration of care.

Situational analysis of medical care for heart failure patients in a regional hospital in central Taiwan

Situational analysis of medical care for heart failure patients in a regional hospital in central Taiwan

Explainable machine learning approach to predict extubation in critically ill ventilated patients: a retrospective study in central Taiwan

BackgroundWeaning from mechanical ventilation (MV) is an essential issue in critically ill patients, and we used an explainable machine learning (ML) approach to establish an extubation prediction model.MethodsWe enrolled patients who were admitted to intensive care units during 2015–2019 at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, a referral hospital in central Taiwan. We used five ML models, including extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), categorical boosting (CatBoost), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), random forest (RF) and logistic regression (LR), to establish the extubation prediction model, and the feature window as well as prediction window was 48 h and 24 h, respectively. We further employed feature importance, Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) plot, partial dependence plot (PDP) and local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME) for interpretation of the model at the domain, feature, and individual levels.ResultsWe enrolled 5,940 patients and found the accuracy was comparable among XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost and RF, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve using XGBoost to predict extubation was 0.921. The calibration and decision curve analysis showed well applicability of models. We also used the SHAP summary plot and PDP plot to demonstrate discriminative points of six key features in predicting extubation. Moreover, we employed LIME and SHAP force plots to show predicted probabilities of extubation and the rationale of the prediction at the individual level.ConclusionsWe developed an extubation prediction model with high accuracy and visualised explanations aligned with clinical workflow, and the model may serve as an autonomous screen tool for timely weaning.

Factors Related to the Continuity of Care and Self-Management of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study in Taiwan.

Background: Most diabetic patients suffer from chronic diseases affecting their self-management status. This study aims to explore the relationship between the CoC and the self-management of patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and analyze the predictive factors affecting their self-management. Methods: Structured questionnaires were used for data collection. Convenient sampling was adopted to recruit inpatients diagnosed with T2DM in the endocrine ward of a medical hospital in central Taiwan. Results: A total of 160 patients were recruited. The average age of the patients is 66.60 ± 14.57 years old. Among the four dimensions of the self-management scale, the average score of the problem-solving dimension was the highest, and that of the self-monitoring of blood glucose was the lowest. The analysis results showed that the overall regression model could explain 20.7% of the total variance in self-management. Conclusions: Healthcare providers should attach importance to the CoC of T2DM patients and encourage patients to maintain good interaction with healthcare providers during their hospitalization. It is recommended to strengthen CoC for patients with diabetes who are single or with low educational levels in clinical practice to enhance their blood glucose control and improve diabetes self-management.