Medical Equipment Research Articles

TiO2 Nanocomposite Coatings and Inactivation of Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella Pneumoniae Biofilm-Opportunities and Challenges.

The worldwide increase of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria is a global threat. The emergence and global spread of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase- (KPC-) producing Klebsiella pneumoniae represent a particular concern. This pathogen has increased resistance and abilities to persist in human reservoirs, in hospital environments, on medical devices, and to generate biofilms. Mortality related to this microorganism is high among immunosuppressed oncological patients and those with multiple hospitalizations and an extended stay in intensive care. There is a severe threat posed by the ability of biofilms to grow and resist antibiotics. Various nanotechnology-based strategies have been studied and developed to prevent and combat serious health problems caused by biofilm infections. The aim of this review was to evaluate the implications of nanotechnology in eradicating biofilms with KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, one of the bacteria most frequently associated with nosocomial infections in intensive care units, including in our department, and to highlight studies presenting the potential applicability of TiO2 nanocomposite materials in hospital practice. We also described the frequency of the presence of bacterial biofilms on medical surfaces, devices, and equipment. TiO2 nanocomposite coatings are one of the best long-term options for antimicrobial efficacy due to their biocompatibility, stability, corrosion resistance, and low cost; they find their applicability in hospital practice due to their critical antimicrobial role for surfaces and orthopedic and dental implants. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has recently classified titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) as possibly carcinogenic. Currently, there is an interest in the ecological, non-toxic synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles via biological methods. Biogenic, non-toxic nanoparticles have remarkable properties due to their biocompatibility, stability, and size. Few studies have mentioned the use of nanoparticle-coated surfaces as antibiofilm agents. A literature review was performed to identify publications related to KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae biofilms and antimicrobial TiO2 photocatalytic nanocomposite coatings. There are few reviews on the antibacterial and antibiofilm applications of TiO2 photocatalytic nanocomposite coatings. TiO2 nanoparticles demonstrated marked antibiofilm activity, but being nano in size, these nanoparticles can penetrate cell membranes and may initiate cellular toxicity and genotoxicity. Biogenic TiO2 nanoparticles obtained via green, ecological technology have less applicability but are actively investigated.

Hydroxyapatite–lignin hybrid systems as improved poly(vinyl chloride) fillers: From preparation to application

In this study, new, functional hydroxyapatite–lignin hybrid systems were designed and characterized. The efficacy of the mechanical method utilized to obtain these systems was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The hybrid materials were also noted for their good electrokinetic stability and thermal stability.The introduction of 2.5 to 10 wt% hydroxyapatite–lignin systems into an unplasticized PVC blend using a two-step kneading and pressing method resulted in composites with relatively homogeneous distribution, as confirmed by SEM observations. The processing properties of the filler-containing blends were investigated using plastographometric analysis and MFR tests. The introduction of a lignin-predominant hybrid system into the PVC matrix results in a significant improvement of thermal stability, softening temperature, and tensile strength, while maintaining sufficient impact strength for numerous applications. Hybrid materials containing higher amounts of added lignin are promising materials with bacteriostatic properties. This can be utilized to stabilize and prevent the deposition of microorganisms, as well as the formation of biofilms, on material surfaces, thereby limiting the spread of pathogens. New eco-composites based on PVC and a hybrid filler containing lignin show promise in producing components with surfaces resistant to bacterial colonization. Hence, these materials could be used in medical and hospital equipment.

Biomedical Engineering Education in Nigeria

In the past five decades, Nigeria has witnessed a range of Biomedical Engineering (BME) and technology activities within private and public hospitals, research institutions, and a limited number of universities. These have mainly centred on the procurement, installation, and maintenance of medical equipment and devices. Trained technologists and technicians, equipped with relevant skills and certification, have primarily spearheaded these efforts. Consequently, the country has made a minimal contribution to the global knowledge base in BME research. However, academic programmes leading to degrees and dedicated research in BME have recently emerged within Nigerian universities. This article assesses the current state of BME education in the country, including the milestones achieved, ongoing challenges, and prospects for future development. It draws on a critical analysis of the existing literature on BME practices and education in Nigeria as well as the author’s informed perspective. The findings highlight that BME education in Nigeria is yet to match international standards. To further develop these programmes, it recommends that attention focus on seven key areas that have proven instrumental in the development of similar university programmes in developed nations. Strategies are also proposed to foster collaboration among universities, researchers, the health sector, and government entities that would promote interdisciplinary BME education, ultimately enhancing the healthcare delivery system, and research and development (R&D) in Nigeria.

Barriers to proper maternal referral system in selected health facilities in Eastern Ethiopia: a qualitative study

BackgroundAppropriate maternal referral system plays an essential role in curbing maternal mortality. Although the occurrence of obstetric complications is often unpredictable, addressing bottlenecks of the referral system is crucial to facilitate the women to have access to timely lifesaving interventions. Nonetheless, little is known about the barriers to maternal referral system in the eastern Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the barriers to maternal referral system at selected referral hospitals in eastern Ethiopia.MethodsKey informant interviews and in-depth interviews were conducted among purposively selected respondents who had a role in maternal referral processes. A total of 12 key informants that comprised of liaison officers, healthcare providers and three in-depth interviews with referred women were conducted. Semi-structured interview guide was developed and used to facilitate the interviews. All the interviews were tape recorded, complemented by note taking. Then audio recorded interviews were transcribed as per verbatim and imported to NVivo for coding and merging. The data were thematically synthesized.ResultsThe study identified a range of barriers that affect the maternal referral system in Eastern Ethiopia. The main barriers are grouped into three domains, such as: communication, transportation, and healthcare system. The most commonly reported barriers were lack of pre-referral communication and feedback, using informal communication, incomplete referral forms, poor ambulance service including misuse of ambulances, lack of skilled healthcare escort and lack of medical equipment at emergency, unnecessary self-referrals, poor referral skills and limited number of health professions.ConclusionsThe maternal referral system is overwhelmingly affected by lack of skill, logistics (referral form), misuse of available ambulance, poor communication, and limited seeking of feedback. Regular consultative meeting with relevant stakeholders and uptake of feedback are crucial to improve referral communication, proper use of ambulance and building capacity of health workforce about referral are essential to improve maternal referral system.

Selective neodymium oxide recovery from permanent magnet scraps using waste pickling solutions

Neodymium (Nd) magnets are in high demand for use in the manufacture of electric vehicle motors and medical equipment such as magnetic resonance imaging. In this study, we describe a new process for recycling Nd permanent magnets (PMs). PM scrap powder was leached into a waste pickling solution, evaporated under reduced pressure, concentrated, and converted into an oxide via heat treatment. Nd was selectively leached from the prepared oxide using hydrochloric acid. Iron was removed from the leached solution, and the Nd composite was then recovered using a urea-mediated Nd-recovery method. The oxidation temperature was determined using a thermogravimetric analysis. High-purity Nd-oxide powders were obtained by calcination at 900 °C. This economical process enables the recovery of PM powder by relying on the pickling process and acid-regeneration plants, which are both essential in steel manufacturing.

Preparedness of School Heads, Teachers and Parents of Public Elementary Schools on the Limited Face to Face Learning Modality in Zone 2, Division of Zambales

The study aimed to evaluate the perspective of school heads, teachers and parents on the preparedness of public elementary schools on the limited face to face learning modality in Zone 2, Division of Zambales. The researcher employed the mixed method where in a quantitative and qualitative approaches was used in the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics was employed in the study. Based on the significant results, most of the respondents are Teacher I, female, and serve for 10-14 years in the Department of Education. Parents are self- employed, most of them are college and elementary graduate and with 3-5 children. The school head & teacher-respondents perceived as Prepared in the preparation of the public elementary schools in terms of curriculum and instruction, school environment, human resource management, and budget.  Based on the experienced by parent-respondents that majority of them prepare their children to bring to school such as snacks, alcohol, facemasks, and other supplies/items that will be needed for their education in accordance with school policy. The school head and teacher-respondents perceived as Sometimes a Problem in the limited face to face for leaning modality in terms of curriculum and instruction, school environment, human resource management, and budget. Based on the experienced by the parent-respondents that for fear of the COVID 19 epidemic, majority of parents bring their children with them. Some of them prefer to walk because it is more convenient and economical for them. During a pandemic, transportation is extremely expensive, and they cannot afford to ride a tricycle. There is no significant difference on the perceived level of agreement of school head and teacher-respondents on the preparations of the public elementary schools in the limited face to face learning modality when grouped according to profile of the school heads and teachers. The proposed action plan was developed based on the findings of the study. Based on the salient findings, the researchers recommended that the school heads and teachers may develop and design curriculum and instruction integrating facts on how to combat spreading the COVID 19 viruses. Encourage parents to monitor and check their children’ safety. The curriculum planner should take into account this issue, simplify activities, and eliminate extraneous themes in order to achieve mastery. Teachers are encouraged to attend trainings and seminars related on how to handle learners who are potentially infected. The administrators may consider the medical equipment such as stretchers and wheelchairs if budget warrants. Procurement of a two-way radio for easy communication in case of emergency is suggested. The principal may hold a PTA meeting to inform parents about health protocols.  Future researchers may conduct a parallel study to validate the results of this study. The proposed action plan may be implemented by the school heads to the school.

AIIMS ICU Rehabilitation (AIR): development and description of intervention for home rehabilitation of chronically ill tracheostomized patients

Background The paucity of state-supported rehabilitation for chronically ill patients with long-term tracheostomies has ramifications of prolonged hospital-stay, increased burden on acute-care resources, and nosocomial infections. Few interventions describe home rehabilitation of adult tracheostomized patients. Almost none involve stakeholders. This paper describes the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) ICU rehabilitation (AIR) healthcare intervention developed to facilitate home rehabilitation of chronically ill tracheostomized patients. Methods The AIR intervention development was based on the experience-based codesign theory (EBCD). A core research-committee studied prevalent knowledge and gaps in the area. Patients-carer and health-care stakeholders’ experiences of barriers and facilitators to home care resulted in an intervention with interlinked components: family-carer training, equipment bank, m-health application, and follow-up, guided by the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework. Healthcare stakeholders (doctors, nurses, medical equipment vendors) and patient-carer dyads were engaged to gather experiences at various stages to form smaller codesign teams for each component. Multiple codesign meetings iteratively allowed refinement of the intervention over one year. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist was used to report the AIR intervention. Results The first component comprised a minimum of three bedside hands-on training sessions for carers relating to tracheostomy suction, catheter care, monitoring oxygenation, enteral feeding, skincare, and physiotherapy, buttressed by pictorial-books and videos embedded in a mobile-application. The second was an equipment-bank involving a rental-retrieval model. The third component was a novel m-health tool for two-way communication with the core group and community of other patient-carers in the project for follow-up and troubleshooting. Home visits on days 7 and 21 post-discharge assessed patient hygiene, nutrition, physiotherapy, and established contact with the nearest primary healthcare facility for the future. Conclusions Findings support the EBCD-based development using active feedback from stakeholders. Assessment of feasibility, process and effectiveness evaluation will follow.

DICOM Standard and Its Application in Radioinformatics

The DICOM standard is the emerging standard in the field of medical informatics. It defines the standard network interface and data model makes the medical image equipment manufacturers on the standard network equipment interconnection, simplify the development of various types of medical image, promote open unrelated to the factory of medical digital image transmission and exchange, prompting the image archiving and communication system of PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) and the combination of various hospital information system HIS (Hospital Information Systems). Radiation therapy departments in many hospitals have purchased more than one manufacturer of radiotherapy planning systems, and treatment information has to be communicated using DICOM standards. The use of DICOM in radiotherapy is called DICOM RT. At home, doctors are not fully aware of its importance and researchers do not. This paper mainly discusses the implementation and application of DICOM and protocol in precision radiotherapy system. The main contents include: (1) DICOM RT defines a total of seven information objects, which play a pivotal role in the information exchange of radiotherapy system. Discuss the content of DICOM RT; discuss the development of radiotherapy technology at home and abroad. (2) At present, DICOM standard has been widely used in the field of medical informatics, but no authority can provide DICOM compatibility verification of imaging equipment or DICOM application system, which still has many difficulties in system interconnection, that is, the research and implementation of DICOM test method. (3) The application of DICOM in PACS system. (4) Impaired compression study without visual loss in medical images based on DICOM standard.

Confronting Barriers to Equitable Care: A Qualitative Analysis of Factors That Inform People with Mobility Disabilities’ Decisions to Self-Advocate in the Context of Healthcare

Background. One in 5 people in the United States live with disability; however, the public health needs of this community have been largely overlooked. Although U.S. law mandates the availability of accessible medical exam equipment, people with mobility disabilities (PWMD) frequently encounter barriers that require self-advocacy to receive basic primary care. Objective. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the impact of healthcare access barriers—specifically, the experiences of the need to self-advocate and factors that inform decisions to make accommodation requests—for PWMD. Methods. Qualitative semistructured interviews were performed across two phases of data collection with each of the 6 participants. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to highlight the essence of participants’ experiences in making decisions to request healthcare accommodation. Results. Participants included a purposive sample of self-advocates with physical disabilities (3 men and 3 women). While individual approaches to self-advocacy varied, participants identified a process of “recognizing the normalization of disability discrimination and disability stigma” which necessitates the development of “agency in self-advocacy.” This process has a lasting impact on people that includes a shared embodied experience of disability, as well as a sense of empowerment based on their collective and individual identities. Conclusions. Findings have implications for supporting individual disability consumer advocacy efforts as well as the need to address the normalization of disability discrimination within healthcare systems levels.

GESTURES FOR LEARNING VOCABULARY TOWARDS STUDENTS’ SPECIAL NEEDS (DEAF)

English has become important in the 4.0 era since numerous electronic devices, such as medical equipment for doctors or salespeople who interact with foreigners in malls, have English conditions. Because of the various cultures that continue to enter Indonesia, ordinary as well as oustanding school systems must learn more about English by expanding their English vocabulary, especially for students special needs, and sign language is employed as a teaching tool in exceptional schools. The purpose of this research is to learn gestures for vocabulary learning for students special needs (deaf), specifically eleventh-grade students at SLB-B YPPLB Makassar. The research method used was qualitative. The responses from observations, questionnaire sheets, and interview sessions have been reviewed by the researcher. According to the data, the first, SIBI, was used in vocabulary learning for students at the Makassar YPPLB SLB-B school because it was less complicated and better organized. Second, it could be concluded that the teacher's influence was indeed important for students, but student interaction was actually very influential on the mood and enthusiasm of students when learned in class, and the third was that using video was ineffective for them to learn because it was difficult for them to understand.

The Association of Job Stress, Quality of Sleep, and the Experience of Near-Miss Errors among Nurses in General Hospitals.

This study investigated the association of job stress, quality of sleep, and near-miss error experiences among nurses working in general hospitals. A convenience sample of 195 nurses with over 3 months of work experience in a general hospital participated in the study. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 27.0. Factors influencing experiences of near-miss errors were examined through univariable and multivariate logistic regression. In total, 58.5% of nurses in a general hospital had experienced near-miss errors. Nurses in the upper job stress tertile (≥118) were 2.24 times more likely to encounter near-miss errors (95% CI: 1.07-4.69) and particularly 2.58 times (95% CI: 1.26-5.26) in falls and medical equipment-related near-miss errors. Nurses working more than 3 h of overtime per week had a 2.72 times higher (95% CI: 1.35-5.48) likelihood of experiencing near-miss errors related to falls and medical equipment and 4.03 times higher (95% CI: 1.92-8.45) likelihood of experiencing near-miss errors associated with examination procedures. To prevent near-miss errors among nurses in general hospitals, effective management of organizational job stress is crucial. Particularly for departments with a high level of overtime work (more than 3 h/week), it is essential to provide and manage educational programs on patient safety.

Indoor Thermal Environment Evaluation for Emergency Medical Tents in Heating Season: Onsite Testing and Case Study in China

In this study, the standard tent used by the China International Medical Team (Sichuan) was used as the research object to study the internal temperature change in medical tents in a low-temperature environment relying on heating equipment. Method: Four temperature sensors were arranged along the horizontal direction at a 1.2 m height in the medical tent, and more sensors were installed at heights of 0.1, 0.2, 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4, and 2.5 m. A total of 11 temperature sensors were set. Temperature tests were conducted in January and February 2021 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. During the test, the running time of the heating equipment was controlled in real time according to the temperature change trend. A Kolmogorov–Smirnov(K-S) test was used to verify the reliability of the experimental data. The temperature change trend was used to characterize the influence of the heating and cooling equipment on the temperature change inside the tent. Results: Due to the position angle of the heating equipment and the influence of the external environment, the spatial distribution of the ambient temperature inside the medical tent was obviously uneven. In winter, an electric heater with a heating power of about 2500 W can increase the internal temperature of the tent to 16.7 °C, significantly improving the internal thermal environment of the medical tent. The ambient temperature in the medical tent is positively correlated with the height and the installation position of the heating equipment. Conclusion: Medical tents can maintain the ambient temperature well to meet medical needs with the support of heating equipment with sufficient power. The temperature distribution law of medical tents in this experiment has good guiding significance for the placement angle of heating equipment and the configuration position of medical equipment and provides a reference for the development of thermal insulation materials for medical tents.

MODERN TRENDS IN QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF MEDICAL INVENTORY

13485 Medical Device Quality Management System, specially designed for businesses operating in any area of the medical device manufacturing sector, helps identify and meet customer requirements, based on the problems in this sector. ISO 13485, which refers to the international standard, allows companies to have a corporate function, more flexible and useful services. At the same time, it is important for all companies in the medical equipment sector to integrate and implement this standard in order to act in accordance with the current legal regulations, to ensure quality products and services, to create customer satisfaction and to comply with all the EU norms. The Medical Device Directive defines the basic requirements for medical devices and equipment and defines the design, manufacture, placing on the market and supervision of these devices and their equipment, Keywords: Medical standards, consumer satisfaction, Device operation, system certification.

Staff Nurses Knowledge Regarding Utilization of Crash Cart in Hospitals at Meerut, UP

A crash cart also known as an emergency cart code. Cart is a mobile unit stocked with essential medical equipment and supplies used in emergency such as cardiac arrests or other life-threatening events in healthcare setting. It typically includes items like defibrillators, medications, airway management tools, and various medical instruments to facilitate immediate response and resuscitation efforts when a patient’s life is at risk. Drug administration is a fundamental part of every day in nursing profession. No medication is completely safe and protected in this manner. Therefore, nurses need to have an intensive and broad knowledge of the medications and its method of organization in the compelling treatment of patients whose life lies in her grasp. This study was conducted to assess the nurses‟ knowledge regarding utilization of crash cart. The objective of this current study was to assess the existing knowledge regarding the utilization of crash cart among staff nurses and to find out the association between the level of knowledge on utilization of crash cart among staff nurses with their selected socio-demographic variables. A quantitative research approach with exploratory descriptive design was adopted on 100 health care professionals in selected Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti hospital at Meerut, UP. The sample were selected by using non-probability purposive sampling technique. The tool used to collect the data was to assess the knowledge regarding utilization of crash cart. The study findings shown that, out of 100, majority of the participants (74%) had good level of knowledge whereas on the other hand only (23%) had average knowledge and very less number of participants (3%) had poor level of knowledge regarding utilization of crash cart. There is no significant association between the knowledge score on utilization of crash cart with their selected socio-demographic variables. The study concluded that majority of the samples have good level of knowledge regarding utilization of crash cart.

Modifier 22 Use in Fee-for-Service Medicare

Modifier 22 is a mechanism designed for surgeons to identify cases that are more complex than their Current Procedural Terminology code accounts for. However, empirical studies of the use and efficacy of modifier 22 are lacking. To assess the use of modifier 22 in common surgical procedures and the association of use with compensation. This was a cross-sectional analysis of the 2021 Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Limited Data Set including all Part B carrier and durable medical equipment fee-for-service claims. Claims for 10 common surgical procedures were evaluated, including mastectomy, total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty, coronary artery bypass grafting, laparoscopic right colectomy, laparoscopic appendectomy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, kidney transplant, laparoscopic total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and lumbar laminectomy. Data were analyzed from August to November 2023. Rate of modifier 22 use, rate of claim denial, mean charges, mean payment for accepted claims, and mean payment for all claims. The sample included 625 316 surgical procedures performed in calendar year 2021. The proportion of modifier 22 coding for a procedure ranged from 5725 of 251 521 (2.3%) in total knee arthroplasty to 1566 of 18 459 (8.5%) in laparoscopic total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Submitted charges were 11.1% (95% CI, 9.1-13.2) to 22.8% (95% CI, 21.3-24.3) higher for claims with modifier 22, depending on the procedure. Among accepted claims, those with modifier 22 had increased payments ranging from 0.8% (95% CI, 0.7-1.0) to 4.8% (95% CI, 4.5-5.1). However, claims with modifier 22 were more likely to be denied (7.4% vs 4.0%; P < .001). As a result, overall mean payments were mixed, with 4 procedures having lower payments when modifier 22 was appended, 4 procedures having higher payments with modifier 22, and 2 procedures with no difference. The largest increase in mean payment for modifier 22 claims was for kidney transplant with an increased payment of $71.46 (95% CI, 55.32-87.60), which translates to a relative increase of 3.4% (95% CI, 2.9-4.6). The findings in this study suggest that modifier 22 had little to no financial benefit when appended to claims for a diverse panel of surgical procedures. In the current system, surgeons have little reason to request modifier 22, and no mechanisms currently exist for surgeons to recoup payment for difficult operations.

Materiovigilance as a Health Care Safety in India: A Regulatory Prospective

Abstract: Over the past few centuries, life-saving tools have been extensively used across the globe. The use of medical devices has increased adverse events associated with them. Materiovigilance is the process of identifying, collecting, reporting, and examining unfavorable events connected to medical devices in order to prevent the recurrence of such occurrences. Several countries keep an eye on medical products once they are commercialized. Other nations with similar programs include France, Australia, and the United Kingdom, in addition to the Medical Device Reporting (MDR) programme in the United States. This article addressed how some types of medical equipment might be dangerous and how a Materiovigilance programme is essential. : This page provides information about how to report adverse reactions to these medical devices, as well as what they are. : In many countries, post-marketing surveillance for medications has been initiated but is not as reliable and advanced as it is today. By monitoring adverse events related to medical devices, generating safety data, educating stakeholders, and recommending appropriate procedures and interventions, the Indian Pharmacopeia Commission established the committee on July 6, 2015. : Monitoring adverse events related to medical device usage can increase patient safety. On the basis of safety data gathered and generated, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) will make recommendations about the safe use of medical devices in the Indian population.

Sustainable equipment donation in otolaryngology in low-resource settings.

The purpose of this review is to examine current practices in surgical equipment donation to lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with a particular focus on otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS). This is designed as a pragmatic review to guide potential donor communities to implement sustainable OHNS equipment donation in LMICs. LMICs are increasingly reliant on international equipment donation. In terms of OHNS services, global OHNS have compiled a list of essential equipment for baseline care in LMICs. Especially in terms of audiology, OHNS equipment donation has the potential to have a significant impact on populational health. However, there is a scarcity of research on donated equipment in OHNS. A suggested blueprint for sustainable equipment donation follows these steps: establish partnerships, assess needs, source equipment, and follow-up and evaluate the intervention. Key further considerations for sustainability include remanufacturing and repurposing methods, maintenance, and contextual understanding. Sustainable equipment donation in otolaryngology is an important part of global health equity and healthcare delivery in low-resource settings. Despite the good intentions behind medical equipment donations, there are many challenges; donors and recipients should engage in collaborative, needs-based planning processes that result in long-term sustainability, local capacity building, and community participation.

Adaptation of Young Doctors to Professional Activity in Outpatient Medical Organizations

Introduction. Currently, there is a challenging issue related to adaptation of young doctors to professional activities in healthcare organizations. The first years of work are considered as of one of the most difficult stages of a doctor's career, and the decision to continue clinical practice or give up it largely depends on this period. This, in turn, is one of the reasons for the increase in staff turnover, which negatively affects the activity of a medical organization and the quality of medical care.Purpose. The purpose of this study was to develop proposals for optimizing the process of adaptation of young doctors to professional activities in medical organizations upon the results of a study identifying fac-tors that positively and negatively affect it.Methods and materials. Within the framework of this study, a questionnaire survey with participation of young doctors aimed at identifying factors affecting the process of adaptation to professional activity was conducted. Also, a social-hygienic image of a young specialist, motivation, reasons for career choice were an-alyzed, as well as the most common challenges emerging at the beginning of career and during the studies were identified, evaluated and compared.Results. Our research allowed us to identify the most important factors influencing the adaptation process such as convenient work schedule; competitive salary; friendly working environment; modern medical equip-ment; image of a medical organization; opportunities for professional training; career growth opportunities; job stability; job independence and responsibility and creative work. The results show that the adaptation of a young doctor to professional activity in healthcare organizations is crucial to keep human and economic resources in balance. The existing programs are not as efficient as expected. Young specialists note that among the difficulties affecting the quality of medical care are such as lack of knowledge and skills required for their job. Moreover, lack of specialized programs for professional training concerning medical information system and legal and regulatory framework in healthcare, as well as lack of psychological support services leads to staff turnover.

Reliability Model of Medical Equipment in University of Port Teaching Hospital

In this research, on medical equipment maintainability and reliability we conducted basic statistics analysis using University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital as the case study; the data collected covered 18 departments, namely; Anatomical Pathology, Micro Biology, Chemical Pathology Laboratory, Radiography Department, Pediatrics, Hemodialialysis, Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Physiotherapy, Dental Department, MDR-TB unit, Pharmacy, ICU, Assisted Conception Unit, Orthopedic Ward, Care for Elderly Laboratory, Family Planning Unit, Community Medicine and Labour Ward. The results of the parametric Weibull distribution percentile suggested that the reliability of the devices tends to fail every 21 days. The reliability plot of the model indicated that the devices tend to decrease its life span with age, the Weibull model was adequately fitted following the results of Anderson adjust test of goodness of fit and the probability plot. In comparison, the Probability value of goodness of fit P(0.0000) of Weibull distribution model was compared with that of exponential distribution model P(0.034), the outcome showed that Weibull distribution is better to model the data of medical equipment in University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

Flexible Ureteroscopy Lithotripsy Operative Time Prediction Model for the Treatment of Kidney Stones

Effective time and resource management is crucial not only in the operating room but also in healthcare supply chains. Healthcare supply chains involve the movement of medical supplies, equipment, and medications from manufacturers to healthcare providers. Effective management is crucial to ensuring that patients receive the care they need promptly. In the operating room, it is essential to have an information process in place to effectively manage time and resources during the current surgical procedure. This paper focuses on developing a predictive model for the operating time of flexible ureteroscopy for kidney stones. The model can forecast surgical and preoperative time based on patient characteristics and surgeon experience. The model can assist in planning ureteroscopy procedures and preventing surgical complications, which is crucial not only for the operating room but also for healthcare supply chains. The paper presents a study that compares different feature selection methods and regression techniques. The study found that sequential backward selection combined with the extra tree regressor was the most effective approach.