Medical Journals Research Articles

Research on the application of radiomics in breast cancer: A bibliometrics and visualization analysis.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer worldwide. Therefore, improved disease detection has emerged as a focal point in clinical studies. At the forefront of innovation, radiomics has the capability to extract comprehensive insights from medical images, ultimately enhancing the accuracy of diagnostic procedures. There has been rapid growth in the field of radiomics research on breast cancer in the past few years. We explored pertinent research articles in the Web of Science Core Collection database to gain a thorough understanding of breast cancer radiomics. We used CiteSpace to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the annual distribution of different nations, institutions, journals, authors, keywords, and references in the field of breast cancer radiomics. GraphPad Prism software was used to examine and graph yearly and country-specific trends and the proportions of publications. The tools utilized for the visualization of science mapping included CiteSpace and VOSviewer. Of the 891 publications, most were original articles (731, 91.09%) and a few were reviews (160, 8.91%). Most academic research has been published in China and the United States. The study centers predominantly consisted of major academic institutions, such as Fudan University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with some of their members being prominent figures in the field. Pinker, Katja has published the largest number of research papers. The majority of these studies have been published in medical journals focusing on radiology and oncology in recent years. In the realm of cutting-edge medical research, the top two keywords, magnetic resonance imaging and machine learning stand at the forefront as current areas of intense focus. Breast cancer radiomics is advancing rapidly, presenting numerous opportunities and obstacles. Our study of the literature in this academic area aimed to pinpoint the primary themes addressed in the studies and anticipate prospective avenues for research.

Health journalism: a bibliometric analysis of research themes and future directions

Health journalism: a bibliometric analysis of research themes and future directions

Introducing Salamat Academic & Research Journal

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Salamat Academic & Research Journal (SARJ), an open-access publication of Jami University dedicated to advancing medical and health sciences. SARJ, licensed by Afghanistan's Ministry of Higher Education in 2024, provides a prestigious, accessible forum for the publication of high-quality, peer-reviewed research. This journal is the latest initiative in Afghanistan's storied commitment to medical education, which began with the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine in Kabul in 1932 [1]. SARJ extends this legacy, offering Afghan and global researchers a platform for innovation in medical sciences. The establishment of SARJ also builds on the foundation of scholarly communication in Afghanistan. The Afghan Medical Journal (AMJ), initiated in 1956 by Kabul University, pioneered medical publication in Afghanistan, creating one of the nation’s first platforms for sharing scientific findings [2]. AMJ, originally published from 1956 to 1963, laid the foundation for scholarly medical publishing in Afghanistan and has recently been revitalized to continue its mission. The newly relaunched AMJ is now an official national and international open-access peer-reviewed journal. Initiatives like SARJ proudly follow in AMJ's footsteps, contributing to a robust and accessible platform for advancing medical research and public health in Afghanistan [3]. SARJ honors this tradition by fostering an inclusive academic community that makes quality medical research available to all, from students and researchers to healthcare practitioners.

Is there an editorial glass ceiling? Editorial leadership in nephrology and transplantation journals: A gender-based cross-sectional analysis.

Editors-in-Chief (EiC) play a key role as gatekeepers in academic medicine, often shaping research agendas. Women have historically been underrepresented in editorial leadership roles in academic medicine. The purpose of this study was to examine gender representation among EiC of contemporary transplantation and nephrology journals. This cross-sectional study evaluated gender disparities among EiC of transplantation and nephrology medical journals. The study population was drawn from journals in two subject categories (1) 'Transplantation' and (2) 'Urology and Nephrology' in the 2023 Journal Citation Reports. Binary gender classification (woman/man) was determined by the names/pronouns used to describe the EiC on the journal or institutional webpage. The primary outcome was the proportion of women EiC. Secondary outcome was the proportion of women EiC based on journal topic, location and metrics. Descriptive statistics were used. Gender differences were compared using students t-test or Fisher's exact test. A total of 79 EiC were identified of which 16 (20%) were women and 63 (80%) were men (p < .001). Transplantation and nephrology journals had 21% and 20% women EiC, respectively. The proportion of women to men EiC was not impacted by journal category (p = .93), journal location (p = .61), journal impact factor (p = .71) or quartile (p = .59). There was a disparity in gender representation in EiC in nephrology and transplantation journals, with men holding 80% of all positions. These findings, among growing evidence of gender disparity, highlight a need for targeted efforts to promote gender equity in academic medicine.

Perspectives on conducting "sex-normalising" intersex surgeries conducted in infancy: A systematic review.

Children with intersex variations continue to be subject to elective, irreversible, "sex-normalising" surgical interventions, despite multiple human rights and legislative bodies calling for their prohibition. Our systematic review aims to understand how medical literature reports rationales for "sex-normalising" surgical interventions conducted in childhood, and how they are contextualised within the medical and social controversy surrounding such interventions. PubMed, EMBASE and CINAHL were searched for English language, peer-reviewed articles reporting primary data on elective, genital, "sex-normalising" surgical interventions conducted on individuals <10 years, published 01/07/2006-30/06/2023 (PROSPERO ID: CRD42023460871). Data on outcomes reported, rationale for the conduct and timing of interventions and acknowledgement of controversy were extracted. Narrative synthesis described rationales and controversy. Risk of bias was assessed using Johanna Briggs Institute Tools. 11,042 records were retrieved, with 71 articles included for analysis. One of the most common outcomes collected in included literature were cosmetic outcomes, primarily reported by surgeons or parents. 62.0% of studies reported no rationale for intervention timing, 39.4% reported no rationale for conduct and 52.1% acknowledged no controversy in intervention conduct. Rationales included parental desire for intervention, anatomical/functional/cosmetic reasons, and a perceived goal of aligning with sex assigned by surgical teams or parents. Controversies addressed included concerns about the quality of interventions, the ethics of intervention conduct and gendered and social considerations. "Sex-normalising" interventions are conducted based largely on rationales that were not adequately supported by evidence, a desire from parents and surgeons to match genital cosmesis typically ascribed to male and female bodies, and a parental desire for intervention conduct. Legislating and medical regulatory bodies should advocate for ending the conduct of irreversible, elective, "sex-normalising" interventions conducted without the full, free and informed consent of the person concerned, to promote and protect the highest attainable standard of health for people with intersex variations.

USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE PRACTICAL SKILLS OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS

The aim – to explore the role of information and communication technologies in the professional development of anesthesiologists, focusing on simulation training, electronic medical records, telemedicine, and electronic learning resources. Materials and Methods. A review of scientific literature, along with an analysis of publications in medical journals and databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, to identify key trends and results of using of information and communication technologies in anesthesiology was conducted. Results. Simulation training allows anesthesiologists to practice complex clinical scenarios in a safe environment, significantly enhancing their readiness for real emergency situations. Electronic medical records simplify access to patient data, ensuring the accuracy and continuity of medical information, which is crucial for preoperative preparation and postoperative care. Telemedicine opens new possibilities for consultation and training, allowing anesthesiologists to receive advice from colleagues worldwide and participate in remote learning sessions. Electronic learning resources provide continuous access to the latest knowledge, research, and clinical guidelines, fostering ongoing professional development. Conclusion. The integration of information and communication technologies in the training and practice of anesthesiologists enhances the quality of medical care, patient safety, and the professional development of specialists.

Telerehabilitation Guidelines for Patients with Breast Cancer

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the current developments in telerehabilitation, focusing on the regulatory and legal frameworks for delivering telerehabilitation services, the clinical manifestations of postmastectomy pain syndrome, and the role and significance of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) in the telerehabilitation of patients with breast cancer (BC). The document also explores telerehabilitation interventions for BC. A detailed description of the software and hardware tools is provided, including the structural and functional overview of the Telerehabilitation Platform (TRP), software modules such as "Telerehabilitation," "Medical Reports," the Administrative Subsystem, the Information-Analytical Subsystem, which encompass the PM&amp;R physician’s digital workspace, the PM&amp;R Expert Subsystem, and the Patient’s digital workspace. It also covers existing and prospective scales for evaluating the effectiveness of telerehabilitation, as well as the specifics of working with identified patients in accordance with the eHealth (Electronic Healthcare System of Ukraine) requirements. The guidelines conclude with organizational and methodological aspects for implementing telerehabilitation programs, including initial and stage-specific rehabilitation assessments, basic ICF sets, and various patient-specific telerehabilitation programs. These include a patient-centered program for the preoperative stage of telerehabilitation and individualized programs for the post-acute and long-term phases. The eight appendices include questionnaires, physical therapy programs, protocols, diaries, and requirements for the equipment and staff of the telerehabilitation/telemedicine office, among other resources.

Two-fractionated stereotactic magnetic resonance-guided adaptive radiation therapy for patients with prostate cancer (SMART PRO trial): protocol for a confirmatory clinical trial

IntroductionIn an MRI-guided linear accelerator (MR-LINAC) system, the planned doses for organs at risk and for tumours are assessed by MR imaging and re-contouring at every treatment. This allows treatment...

Exploring the Efficacy of Homeopathic Medicines in Treating Uterine Fibroids: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract: Introduction: Uterine fibroids are a common gynaecological condition affecting women worldwide, often leading to significant morbidity and impacting quality of life. While conventional treatment options exist, there is growing interest in alternative therapies such as homeopathy. Objective: The objective of this review paper is to assess the effectiveness of homeopathic medicines in treating uterine fibroids through the analysis of recent clinical trials and observational studies, aiming to provide insights into the potential role of homeopathy as a complementary or alternative therapy for uterine fibroids. Methodology: A thorough search of databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and pertinent medical journals was undertaken to locate recent studies on the efficacy of homeopathic medicines for uterine fibroids. Only studies meeting predefined inclusion criteria, including randomized controlled trials, prospective observational studies, and systematic reviews, were included in the review process. Result: Recent studies investigating the efficacy of homeopathic medicines in treating uterine fibroids consistently demonstrated positive outcomes, including symptom alleviation, reduction in fibroid size, and improved quality of life. Various remedies showed effectiveness across various potencies. Symptom severity scales, including the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and Verbal Multidimensional Scoring System (VMSS), were utilized to assess pelvic pain, menstrual bleeding, and discomfort. Quality of life measures like the WHOQOL-BREF scale provided insights into overall well-being. Conclusion: In conclusion, homeopathic medicines show promise as a safe and effective treatment option for uterine fibroids, offering personalized care and improving quality of life. However, more research, including larger trials and long-term studies, is needed to confirm these findings and understand the underlying mechanisms better.

Admission, discharge, and transfer control in patient flow logistics: Overview and future research

Patient flow logistics involves managing and coordinating the movement of patients within a healthcare system. It aims to optimize the patients’ flow from their arrival to discharge or transfer, ensuring efficient and effective use of resources while minimizing delays and bottlenecks. Key components of patient flow logistics include capacity planning, resource allocation, appointment scheduling, and notably, admission, discharge, and transfer control. Our focus is on admission, discharge, and transfer control policies, which manage and regulate the flow of individual patients into and out of various facilities delivering care. We review a selection of 37 analytical, empirical, and experimental papers in this area published in leading operations research, operations management, and medical journals. These papers are categorized based on the specific department they target and the type of policies they consider. In particular, we identify: (i) four types of policies for intensive care units, (ii) three types of policies for emergency departments, and (iii) four types of policies for general wards. For each paper, we provide an overview of the research questions, formulations, solution methodologies, and results. This comprehensive review culminates in identifying future research directions for academics in this field.

How anatomical impairments found on CT affect perfusion percentage assessed by SPECT/CT scan?

CT images can identify structural and opacity alterations of the lungs while nuclear medicine's lung perfusion studies show the homogeneity (or lack of) of blood perfusion on the organ. Therefore, the use of SPECT/CT in lung perfusion scintigraphies can help physicians to assess anatomical and functional alterations of the lungs and to differentiate between acute and chronic disease. To develop a computer-aided methodology to quantify the total global perfusion of the lungs via SPECT/CT images and to compare these results with parenchymal alterations obtained in CT images. 39 perfusion SPECT/CT images collected retrospectively from the Nuclear Medicine Facility of Botucatu Medical School's Clinics Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, were analyzed. Anatomical lung impairments (emphysema, collapsed and infiltrated tissue) and the functional percentage of the lungs (blood perfusion) were quantified from CT and SPECT images, with the aid of the free, open-source software 3D Slicer. The results obtained with 3D Slicer (3D-TGP) were also compared to the total global perfusion of each patient's found on their medical report, obtained from visual inspection of planar images (2D-TGP). This research developed a novel and practical methodology for obtaining lungs' total global perfusion from SPECT/CT images in a semiautomatic manner. 3D-TGP versus 2D-TGP showed a bias of 7% with a variation up to 67% between the two methods. Perfusion percentage showed a weak positive correlation with infiltration (p = 0.0070 and ρ = 0.43) and collapsed parenchyma (p = 0.040 and ρ = 0.33). This research brings meaningful contributions to the scientific community because it used a free open-source software to quantify the lungs blood perfusion via SPECT/CT images and pointed that the relationship between parenchyma alterations and the organ's perfusion capability might not be so direct, given compensatory mechanisms.

Performance of a NLP Tool for Text Classification from Orthopaedic Operative Reports, Using Data from the Large Network of Clinical Data Warehouses of the West of France: The HACRO-HUGORTHO Project.

Electronic health data concerning implantable medical devices (IMD) opens opportunities for dynamic real-world monitoring to assess associated risks related to implanted materials. Due to population ageing and expanding demands, total hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasties are increasing. Automating the collection and analysis of orthopedic device features could benefit physicians and public health policies enabling early issue detection, IMD monitoring and patient safety assessment. A machine learning tool using natural language processing (NLP) was developed for the automated extraction of operation information from medical reports in orthopedics. A corpus of 959 orthopaedic operative reports from 5 centres was manually annotated using the Prodigy software® with a strong inter-annotator agreement of 0.80. Data to extract concerned key clinical and procedure information (n= 9) selected by a multidisciplinary group based on the French health authority checklist. Performances parameters of the NLP model estimated an overall strong precision and recall of respectively 97.0 and 96.0 with a F1-score 96.3. Systematic monitoring of orthopedic devices could be ensured by an automated tool, leveraging clinical data warehouses. Traceability of medical devices with implantation modalities will allow detection of implant factors leading to complications. The evidence from real-world data could provide concrete and dynamic insights to surgeons and infectious disease specialists concerning implant follow-up, guiding therapeutic decision-making, and informing public health policymakers. The tool will be applied on clinical data warehouses to automate information extraction and presentation, providing feedback on mandatory information completion and contents of operative reports to support improvements, and thereafter implant research projects.

Gender and Geographical Representation on Editorial Board Members of Medical Informatics Journals.

Previous work has suggested that gender and geographical distribution (affiliation) of Editors-in-Chief (EiC) and Editorial Board (EB) members are inequitable in representation of scientific communities, and could benefit from increasing diversity of representation. Specifically, previous studies suggest that male and ethnically white (or non-minoritized groups) are overrepresented. Such differences in representation may potentially influence the scientific and scholarly record. This paper aims to build on pre-existing literature by examining the diversity of representation among EiCs and EB members in the top (Q1) journals in the "Medicine-Health Informatics" category (ranked by SCImago Journal and Country Rank, or SJR) in terms of gender as assessed by genderize.io) and geographical distribution of affiliations. Preliminary findings are consistent with those of previous work on the topic: only 25% (8/32) of the EiCs in the selected journals are female, while females only represent 32.7% (426/1303) of the EB members across journals. Furthermore, the US is highly represented in EBs, with more than half of the members, i.e., 52.2% (698/1337), being US-affiliated. Present results suggest the need for an intentional approach to diversifying representation on editorial boards of medical informatics journals. Such intention can be seen as part of a call to action from important stakeholders, including medical informatics leaders and programs, journal management and publishers, and the medical informatics and scientific community more generally.

Optimizing Data Extraction: Harnessing RAG and LLMs for German Medical Documents.

In the field of medical data analysis, converting unstructured text documents into a structured format suitable for further use is a significant challenge. This study introduces an automated local deployed data privacy secure pipeline that uses open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture to convert medical German language documents with sensitive health-related information into a structured format. Testing on a proprietary dataset of 800 unstructured original medical reports demonstrated an accuracy of up to 90% in data extraction of the pipeline compared to data extracted manually by physicians and medical students. This highlights the pipeline's potential as a valuable tool for efficiently extracting relevant data from unstructured sources.

Improving the Quality of Unstructured Cancer Data Using Large Language Models: A German Oncological Case Study.

With cancer being a leading cause of death globally, epidemiological and clinical cancer registration is paramount for enhancing oncological care and facilitating scientific research. However, the heterogeneous landscape of medical data presents significant challenges to the current manual process of tumor documentation. This paper explores the potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) for transforming unstructured medical reports into the structured format mandated by the German Basic Oncology Dataset. Our findings indicate that integrating LLMs into existing hospital data management systems or cancer registries can significantly enhance the quality and completeness of cancer data collection - a vital component for diagnosing and treating cancer and improving the effectiveness and benefits of therapies. This work contributes to the broader discussion on the potential of artificial intelligence or LLMs to revolutionize medical data processing and reporting in general and cancer care in particular.

Towards a Chatbot for Medical Diagnosis Based on Patient Symptoms.

The advent of artificial intelligence has positively transformed many areas of our lives, including the medical field. In this article, we propose the development of a medical diagnosis chatbot based on patients' symptoms, using artificial intelligence as an innovative solution. The aim of this tool is to provide doctors with a preliminary diagnosis based on the symptoms presented by patients. Our proposal involves first building models to be used for predicting diseases, and then using a llama-inspired model to generate the medical report and prescription. The chatbot system was implemented using Python, HTML, CSS and JavaScript, with FastAPI for the RESTful API and PostgreSQL for data management. The results highlight the potential of AI to improve healthcare services, especially in areas where resources are limited.

Multi-modal transformer architecture for medical image analysis and automated report generation

Medical practitioners examine medical images, such as X-rays, write reports based on the findings, and provide conclusive statements. Manual interpretation of the results and report generation by examiners are time-consuming processes that lead to potential delays in diagnosis. We propose an automated report generation model for medical images leveraging an encoder–decoder architecture. Our model utilizes transformer architectures, including Vision Transformer (ViT) and its variants like Data Efficient Image Transformer (DEiT) and BERT pre-training image transformer (BEiT), as an encoder. These transformers are adapted for processing to extract and gain visual information from medical images. Reports are transformed into text embeddings, and the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT2) model is used as a decoder to generate medical reports. Our model utilizes a cross-attention mechanism between the vision transformer and GPT2, which enables it to create detailed and coherent medical reports based on the visual information extracted by the encoder. In our model, we have extended the report generation with general knowledge, which is independent of the inputs and provides a comprehensive report in a broad sense. We conduct our experiments on the Indiana University X-ray dataset to demonstrate the effectiveness of our models. Generated medical reports from the model are evaluated using word overlap metrics such as Bleu scores, Rouge-L, retrieval augmentation answer correctness, and similarity metrics such as skip thought cs, greedy matching, vector extrema, and RAG answer similarity. Results show that our model is performing better than the recurrent models in terms of report generation, answer similarity, and word overlap metrics. By automating the report generation process and incorporating advanced transformer architectures and general knowledge, our approach has the potential to significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of medical image analysis and report generation.

Viewing hospitality from an interdisciplinary lens: a systematic review of 30-year research on hospitality in health care

Purpose This study aims to examine the conceptual and empirical operations of hospitality at its intersections with health care, which includes medical and senior care. Design/methodology/approach This study conducts a systematic review of literature on hospitality in health care published in hospitality, tourism and leisure journals spanning from 1990 to 2023. A total of 50 studies meeting the inclusion criteria are reviewed, providing insights into how hospitality is conceptualized, its practical implementation and the proposed outcomes in health-care settings. Findings Hospitality in health care is conceptualized by hospitality scholars in three main ways: as service functions, as a service exchange and as an organizational culture. There is a significant overlap between the notion of hospitality and the concept of person-centered care in gerontology and health-care literature. Also, hospitality contributes positively to patient/resident experiences, organizational performance and societal impacts. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by its focus solely on the theoretical and practical aspects of hospitality in health care within hospitality, tourism and leisure journals, excluding relevant literature from gerontological and health-care journals. Originality/value Interdisciplinary research requires scholars from different disciplines to develop a common language and understanding of key concepts. This study presents the conceptual and practical domains of hospitality and its relevancy to health-care research and offers future directions to strengthen the interdisciplinary research between hospitality, health care and gerontology.

A Post-reflective Examination of the Physical and Mental Health Suffering During COVID-19 Through the Lens of Christ's Kenotic and Redemptive Act.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has brought unprecedented physical and mental health challenges to many, making the exploration of the spiritual dimension of suffering increasingly meaningful and relevant. Pope John Paul II's theologico-pastoral approach in Salvifici Doloris (SD) sheds light on how spiritual reflections and pastoral care anchored on the theology of Jesus Christ's sufferings can be put together to contribute to post-COVID-19 reflections. Given this context, this paper explores the perceptions and coping mechanisms of COVID-19 patients as they navigate the challenges of their illness. By examining patient experiences gleaned from medical and scientific journals, the study underscores the necessity of supporting individuals suffering from various diseases. As John Paul II thoughtfully remarks in Salvifici Doloris, there is a profound need to address patients' inquiries about "the cause, the reason, and equally, the purpose of suffering, and, in brief, a question about its meaning." Taking this into account, this paper contextualizes the theology of suffering articulated by Pope John Paul II in SD within the experiences of patients who contracted COVID-19 during the global pandemic. To embark on this discussion, the following themes about suffering are expounded: First, Insights into the Weight of Suffering Among Persons who Contracted COVID-19. Second, Understanding of Suffering in Salvifici Doloris, and Third, The Salvific Meaning of Suffering in COVID-19 and its Transformative Experience.

Collaborative practices for children with medical complexities and their families: A scoping review

Objective This scoping review aimed to provide an overview of collaborative practices for children with medical complexities and their families by life stage.Methods This scoping review was conducted based on the JBI scoping review manual using the PubMed, CINAHL, and Medical Journal databases. Search terms included "collaboration," "intersectoral collaboration," "children with medical complexity," and "children with special healthcare needs," whereas control words included "children with special healthcare needs," "children with medical care," "children with severe mental and physical disabilities," and "children with severe mental and physical disabilities." The inclusion criteria were articles in Japan that reported on practices for children (aged 0-18 years) with medical care needs and collaboration among other multiple professions, research articles, excluding review and protocol articles, and English or Japanese articles. For the analysis, collaboration-related practices were extracted from selected papers, categorized based on similarities in content, and further summarized according to the life stage. Three researchers discussed the selection of papers, data extraction, and analysis until a consensus was reached.Results The analysis included 30 papers (27 Japanese and three English papers). Regarding publication year, 14 papers were published within the last 3 years. Additionally, 19 case and 26 practice reports and 11 studies (quantitative research; one, qualitative research; 10) were published by professionals. Regarding collaborative practices, 160 cases were extracted and classified into nine. In "discharge support," practices in all subcategories were reported for preschoolers, whereas only two of the five subcategories were reported for school-aged children. Contrastingly, in the "maintenance phase in preschool, daycare, and school," preschoolers reported practices in two of the seven subcategories. Additionally, various professionals from the fields of medicine, welfare, education, and administration were involved in the collaboration.Conclusion There were differences in the reporting of collaborative practices at each life stage. Although numerous professionals were involved, reports of collaborative practices among them were unevenly distributed. Eventually, it will be necessary to investigate the nature of collaborative practices among various professionals, focusing on children and their families.