Patient Point Of View Research Articles

Patient Participation in Nursing Homes: A Meta-Synthesis Review

The aim of this study is to gain insight, from a caring science perspective, regarding what patient participation means to older residents in nursing homes. Patient participation must be safeguarded by nurses, but this cannot be done without considering the patient's point of view. The research question is as follows: What does patient participation mean to elderly nursing home residents from a caring science perspective? Using a meta-synthesis approach, seven primary studies are chosen for a hermeneutical analysis. The following subcategories stand out: “I want to be seen and heard,” “I depend upon others,” and “I want to decide myself.” With these findings, a caring science ontology became apparent: Dignity, interdependence, and autonomy are necessary in order to facilitate patient participation.

Caring behavior and associated factors among nurses working in Jimma University specialized hospital, Oromia, Southwest Ethiopia, 2019

BackgroundNursing care behavior and nurse’s perception of effective care behavior is an act, conduct, and mannerism enacted by professional nurses that convey concern, safety, and attention to the patient. Behavior associated with caring has a paramount role in linking nursing interaction to the client in experiences but, the concept is ambiguous and elusive toward different scholars to reach on common understanding. Only a few studies have been done on the caring behavior and associated factors globally, and no study was done in this study area. Therefore; the purpose of this study was to assess caring behavior and its associated factors among nurses working in Jimma University specialized hospital, southwest Ethiopia.MethodsAn institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted on a sample of 224 nurses working in Jimma university specialized hospital from March 20–April 20, 2019. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics including frequency table, mean, standard deviation and percentage were employed. Bivariate and multiple linear regression analysis was used with regression coefficient (β), coefficient of the determinant (R2), CI 95% and p < 0.05 were used for statistical significance.ResultsThe overall proportion of nurses caring behavior was 80.3% which was mostly measured in terms of professional –technical (82.9%) and psychosocial (81.3%) dimension. Job satisfaction as personal satisfaction (beta = 1.12, p = 0.00), professional satisfaction, (beta = 1.07, p = 0.00), joint participation in caring process (beta = 0.58, p = 0.00,) satisfaction with nurse management (beta = 0.85, p = 00) were significantly associated with caring behavior.ConclusionThe proportion of nurses who had a high perception of caring behavior was found to be lower. Thus, all predictors have their own effect on enhancing job satisfaction, improving and creating conducive management and working environment to increase caring behavior. Further comparative studies involving multidisciplinary and patient point of view were recommended.

Prevalence of Retained Primary Teeth without Permanent Successors among Orthodontic Patients in Basrah City/ Iraq

Background: the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of retained primary teeth (RPT) and the most favorable treatment option from the patient point of view. Method: The study sample consist of 508 orthodontic patients, 367 females and 141 males with aged range from (7-35) years old, all patients where clinically examined and panoramic radiographs were recorded for them. Result and Conclusion: No significant differences were found in total prevalence of RPT between males and females, while a significant difference was found in relation between types of treatment of retained primary teeth with age. The total prevalence of RPT was 3.7% among orthodontic patients examined in this study. The most frequently RPT was the primary second molar. RPT found more frequently in the maxilla, the majority of the patient has one RPT but the female patients has a higher incidence of two or more RPT than males, the most favorable treatment option of RPT without a permanent successor is extraction and closing the space. How to Cite this Article Pubmed Style Hashim RS, Mohammed DR, Refaat MM. of Retained Primary Teeth without Permanent Successors among Orthodontic Patients in Basrah City/ Iraq. SRP. 2020; 11(10): 94-99. doi:10.31838/srp.2020.10.16 Web Style Hashim RS, Mohammed DR, Refaat MM. of Retained Primary Teeth without Permanent Successors among Orthodontic Patients in Basrah City/ Iraq. http://www.sysrevpharm.org/?mno=9690 [Access: March 29, 2021]. doi:10.31838/srp.2020.10.16 AMA (American Medical Association) Style Hashim RS, Mohammed DR, Refaat MM. of Retained Primary Teeth without Permanent Successors among Orthodontic Patients in Basrah City/ Iraq. SRP. 2020; 11(10): 94-99. doi:10.31838/srp.2020.10.16 Vancouver/ICMJE Style Hashim RS, Mohammed DR, Refaat MM. of Retained Primary Teeth without Permanent Successors among Orthodontic Patients in Basrah City/ Iraq. SRP. (2020), [cited March 29, 2021]; 11(10): 94-99. doi:10.31838/srp.2020.10.16 Harvard Style Hashim, R. S., Mohammed, . D. R. & Refaat, . M. M. (2020) of Retained Primary Teeth without Permanent Successors among Orthodontic Patients in Basrah City/ Iraq. SRP, 11 (10), 94-99. doi:10.31838/srp.2020.10.16 Turabian Style Hashim, Rawaa Saadoon, Dana R. Mohammed, and Majed Mohamed Refaat. 2020. of Retained Primary Teeth without Permanent Successors among Orthodontic Patients in Basrah City/ Reviews in Pharmacy, 11 (10), 94-99. doi:10.31838/srp.2020.10.16 Chicago Style Hashim, Rawaa Saadoon, Dana R. Mohammed, and Majed Mohamed Refaat. Prevalence of Retained Primary Teeth without Permanent Successors among Orthodontic Patients in Basrah City/ Iraq. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy 11 (2020), 94-99. doi:10.31838/srp.2020.10.16 MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style Hashim, Rawaa Saadoon, Dana R. Mohammed, and Majed Mohamed Refaat. Prevalence of Retained Primary Teeth without Permanent Successors among Orthodontic Patients in Basrah City/ Iraq. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy 11.10 (2020), 94-99. Print. doi:10.31838/srp.2020.10.16 APA (American Psychological Association) Style Hashim, R. S., Mohammed, . D. R. & Refaat, . M. M. (2020) of Retained Primary Teeth without Permanent Successors among Orthodontic Patients in Basrah City/ Reviews in Pharmacy, 11 (10), 94-99. doi:10.31838/srp.2020.10.16

Assessment of body balance of patients treated with the Ilizarov method for tibial nonunion

The biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system in patients after tibial nonunion treatment using the Ilizarov method have not yet been fully explored. From the orthopaedic and patient point of view, after the treatment, an assessment should be carried out of the biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system. The aim of this study was to assess the body balance of patients treated with the Ilizarov method for tibial nonunion. The research group included 24 individuals with a mean age of 55 years, who were treated for aseptic tibial nonunion with the Ilizarov method. The control group was matched to the study group in terms of gender and age, and consisted of 32 subjects with a mean age of 50.5 years and no significant medical history. This study evaluated the balance of patients with the use of pedobarography. In the control group, a statistically significantly shorter path of centre of gravity was observed. There were no statistical differences between the study and control groups for the field area of the centre of gravity. There were no statistical differences between the study and control groups for the minor axis length or major axis length of the centre of gravity. There was a relationship between the centre of pressure path length and the age of the participants in both the control group and the study group. Treatment of patients with tibial nonunion with the Ilizarov fixator achieves similar balance to healthy volunteers. In the pedobarographic evaluation, patients treated for tibial nonunion using the Ilizarov method had similar statics of the musculoskeletal system to healthy volunteers.

Early Phase of Primary Melanoma Growth from the Patient Point of view: A Prospective Cross Sectional Study on Melanoma over 1 mm in Thickness.

Most melanomas are diagnosed by the patients themselves or by their partners or relatives; they alone can describe its history. We designed a prospective cross-sectional study to describe patients’ perception of morphology, growth pattern and kinetics of their primary melanoma over 1 mm in thickness before resection. Patients were interviewed with a questionnaire, a grid representing 9 possible scenarios of melanoma growth, and a set of 87 photographs of potential aspects of melanomas and precursors. Most patients were able to describe the growth of their melanoma and select pictures representative of its successive aspects before resection. Among 453 patients, 60% reported a preexisting lesion present for years. Growth pattern scenarios concurred with tumor kinetics but with no statistical difference between nodular and superficial spreading subtypes. These subjective patient-reported indicators about melanoma growth over time could dynamically complement its objective pathological analysis otherwise static at a single time point.

Validation of the patient measure of safety (PMOS) questionnaire in Australian public hospitals.

Patients can provide a unique perspective on the safety of care in hospitals. Understanding that the extent to which the way hospitals are organized for quality and safety is associated with patient perceptions of care is becoming increasingly valued and necessary for the direction of targeted interventions across healthcare systems. The UK-developed patient measure of safety (PMOS) assesses eight domains of ward safety from the patient point of view and has recently been adapted and piloted in Australia. The aim of this study is to test the psychometric properties of PMOS-Australia (PMOS-A) amongst a large cohort of hospitalized patients. Cross-sectional questionnaire validation assessment. As part of the DUQuA project, the PMOS-A survey was distributed within acute myocardial infarction, hip fracture and stroke departments across 32 large public hospitals in Australia. Patients could complete the PMOS-A independently, or request the assistance of a family member/guardian, or staff on the wards-space was included to record mode of completion. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was undertaken on a calibration sample to generate the model, and a validation sample was used to cross-validate the model. A subset of only those participants who received assistance for PMOS-A completion was also tested using CFA on a calibration and validation sample. Model fit indices (chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio [Chi-square:DF], root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA], comparative fit indices [CFI], standardized root mean squared residual [SRMR]), Cronbach's α, average inter-item correlations, construct reliability and cross-loadings were examined with reference to recommended thresholds to establish the extent of convergent validity and discriminant validity. A marker of criterion validity was assessed through testing associations between the PMOS-A and adherence to clinical guidelines. Across the calibration and validation samples of the full (N=911) and assisted completers only subset (N=490), three (Chi-square:DF, SRMR, RMSEA) of the four indices consistently or almost always met thresholds for acceptable model fit. CFI indices did not meet the recommended limits (0.72-0.78, against a target > 0.9). Positive relationships were found for all tests between PMOS-A and adherence to clinical guidelines, and these were significant when assessed in the calibration datasets for the full and assisted completion samples. A sufficiently reliable and valid measure of patient perceptions of safety has been developed. These findings should provide adequate support to justify the use of this measure to assess patient perceptions of safety in Australian hospitals and can be modified for use elsewhere.

Legal pitfalls in urology

The juridification of medicine affects all disciplines, including urology. Therefore, in this discipline it can well happen that patients not only feel wrongly treated or complain that atreatment was not performed lege artis but also demand compensation or even bring criminal charges. From the patient point of view, the doctor is often more likely to blame for acomplication that has arisen or for ahoped for but failed treatment success, than that it is accepted that acomplication is typical for the intervention, which, despite the greatest medical care, unfortunately can become reality and is afateful course. Insurance against claims for damages can be taken out. Not to be underestimated, however, is the personal burden of the accusations with which doctors are confronted by patients, relatives, expert witnesses and courts and against which one must defend oneself. This can mean additional work in addition to the normal medical workload. Therefore, the legal pitfalls in urology should be known.

The Impact of Service Quality on Patient Satisfaction and Revisiting Intentions: The Case of Public Emergency Departments

This study attempts to (a) identify the main quality indicators that affect "service quality" and (b) examine the effect of "patient satisfaction" on patient "revisiting intentions." The sample includes patients of 2 hospitals, 1 urban and 1 provincial. The comparative analysis of 2 emergency departments (EDs) with different characteristics aims at understanding their diverse problems and their specific needs from a patient point of view. Empirical data were collected in the fall of 2015. Three hundred questionnaires were distributed in person. A total of 169 valid questionnaires, 80 from hospital A and 89 from hospital B, were returned, with a response rate of 56.3%. The Structural Equation Modeling technique revealed that overall satisfaction is strongly influenced by "perceived service quality" (β = .79), while it positively affects patient "behavioral intentions" (β = .39). Also, "perceived waiting time" proved to have a more intense impact on "perceived service quality" (β = -.59), rather than on "perceived technical and functional quality" (β = .18). Moreover, it was determined that patients visiting the urban ED pay more attention in waiting times, while patients visiting the provincial ED care about receiving both quality and timely health care services. Overall, the study provides insight about the main factors affecting "perceived service quality" and "overall satisfaction." These factors fall into 2 distinct categories: "perceived technical and functional quality" and "perceived waiting time." The study concludes that "overall satisfaction" acts as a mediator between "perceived service quality" and patient "behavioral intentions," while "perceived waiting time" is the most significant indicator of service quality and the most crucial predictor of ED patient satisfaction. Moreover, it offers empirical evidence concerning the differences in the way patients rate the services offered by a hospital, based on the hospital size and the region it is located (urban or provincial).

Eczacı ve Hasta Arasındaki İletişimin Hastaların Gözünden Değerlendirilmesi

Amaç: Eczacıların sundukları hizmetlerin hasta gözünden değerlendirilmesidir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Araştırmanın örneklemini, Malatya'da rastgele seçilmiş yaş aralığı 20-65 yıl olan toplam 100 hasta oluşturmuştur. Hasta-eczacı iletişimini değerlendirmeye yönelik bir anket uygulanmıştır. Veri toplama aracı olarak, araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen anket formu ve 4'lü likert ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizi SPSS ver 20 Paket programı kullanılarak, ki-kare testi ile analiz edilmiştir. p<0,05 istatistiksel olarak anlamlı kabul edilmiştir. Bulgular: Çalışma sonuçlarına göre eczacıların büyük çoğunluğunun hastaları ile iletişim kurarken anlaşılır bir dil kullandığı (%82), güler yüzlü ve ilgili olduğu (%89), dürüst ve güvenilir olduğu (%81) bulunmuştur. Hastaların ise büyük kısmının eczacısından memnun olduğu (%91), mahremiyete dikkat ettiği (%88) ve eczacısının hastalar arasında ayrım yapmadığı (%68) gözlenmiştir. Eczacıların hastaya verdikleri bilgileri tekrarlattırması (%17), sözlü iletişimin yanı sıra yazılı kaynaklar da sunması (%51), eczanelerinde bulunma sürelerine özen göstermesi (%46), eczanede hastanın kendini rahat ifade edebileceği bir mekânın bulunması (%47) eczacı-hasta iletişiminde geliştirilmesi gereken faktörler olarak sıralanabilmektedir. Sonuç: Eczacıların hastaları ile kuracakları iletişimde geliştirmesi gereken yönler; ilaçların nasıl kullanılacağını hastalara tekrarlattırması, hastalarına sözlü bilgi vermenin yanı sıra yazılı doküman da sağlaması, hastalar arasında ayrım yapılmadığını hastanın düşünmesinin sağlanması, kadınların yanı sıra erkek hastaların da eczacılarına güvenmeleri ve çekinmeden konuşmalarının sağlanması, eczanede hastaların sorunlarını eczacı ile paylaşabilecekleri uygun bir mekânın bulunması olarak sıralanabilmektedir.

Strategies Christian Nurses Use to Create a Healing Environment

From Nightingale forward, nursing has understood that interaction of person, nurse, and environment facilitates optimal outcomes. Yet, there remains a need for research on the paradigm concept of environment and creation of a healing environment. This classical, grounded theory study aimed to identify (1) strategies Christian nurses used to create a healing environment and enhance well-being, (2) outcomes they perceived resulting from these strategies, and (3) factors they regarded as either enhancing or inhibiting the creation of the healing environments. A criterion-based, purposive sample of Christian nurses (N = 15) was interviewed between June 2013 and January 2014 until data saturation was reached. Data were analyzed using constant comparative methods in consultation with a grounded theory expert. “Charting the healing path,” the core category, consists of four phases: helping patients get better, fostering the healing environment, charting a healing path, and observing outcomes. The “charting the healing path” model informs development of the environment domain of nursing knowledge. Knowing the patient, the juncture of nurse and patient points of view, and the resultant nurse–patient partnership promote best potential outcomes to be realized incrementally during, and after, hospitalization.

Care of Patients During Emergency Caesarian Section - Evaluation of Quality Characteristics from the Patients Point of View

An emergency caesarian section can be a terrifying experience for expectant mothers. Fear for her own life as well as her unborn child's is a traumatic event that can result in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of this survey was to define scales and items that describe the quality of care of parturients in cases of emergency caesarian section. A pool of items was developed via a 2-step online Delphi survey administered to women who had undergone an emergency caesarian section. The resulting parameters were evaluated for relevance and validity in a larger patient collective. Lastly, we identified factors that could be grouped into relevant scales. After validating the results of the Delphi survey, 5 scales with 18 items were identified. They encompassed the following dimensions: "team external effect," "mother's level of information," "subjective evaluation," "personal integrity," and "after-care." These items could explain 58.2% of total variance and provide a stable factorial solution (KMO 0.76). To our knowledge, this is the first time a German criteria checklist has been developed to evaluate the care of expectant mothers undergoing an emergency caesarian section. This checklist can be used in addition to medical outcomes to measure quality of care. Further studies are needed to evaluate practical implementation and its impact on patient care.

A study of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in rural setup

Background: Cholelithiasis is one of the major healthcare problems faced by the adult population all over the world. The disease prevalence is ever increasing because of the changing lifestyles and dietary habits. With emergence of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, it has become standard treatment modality for all kind of patients of gall stone disease. But still in India laparoscopic procedures are not routinely carried out in rural setup. So, we have decided to carry out this prospective study of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in rural setup mainly emphasizing on the cost benefit aspect and its impact on economical aspect of the rural government hospital as well as the patient’s financial burden.Methods: In this prospective randomized study, 60 patients of symptomatic cholelithiasis were grouped into open cholecystectomy (OC) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) groups randomly (30 each). The preoperative, intra operative and postoperative findings were noted and compared with each other and also with previous studies. The results are compared using paired t test and chi square test.Results: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was better than open cholecystectomy in terms of less analgesic requirement, postoperative hospital stay, surgical site infection with better cosmetic outcome. The results were comparable regarding intra operative complications. Only duration of surgery was comparatively more in laparoscopic group. Thus, overall laparoscopic cholecystectomy was cost effective alternative as compared to open cholecystectomy.Conclusions: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is better alternative to open cholecystectomy in term of less intra and postoperative complications as well as decreased financial burden on public health sector and patient point of view.

Defining quality of recovery - What is important to patients?

Postoperative recovery is a complex process with several interrelated domains. Traditionally, the absence of negative physiological symptoms like nausea and pain, along with avoidance of major postoperative complications, has been the standard set by clinicians and hospitals for a satisfactory postoperative recovery. Nonetheless, evidence from recent studies reports these items to be the least important from the patient point of view. Effective communication, active involvement of the patient in their healthcare decisions, and empathy from healthcare providers are rated by patients as significant factors for their quality of recovery. Although challenging to study, the development of a multimodal, patient-centered approach to evaluate the postsurgical period is critical for a truly comprehensive assessment of recovery quality. This review provides an overview of our current understanding of how patient factors like satisfaction can be impacted by the Anesthesia Care Team and how overall quality of recovery is related to perioperative patient experiences.

P717Adults with congenital heart disease: lack of specific disease related medical health care from the patients point of view

P717Adults with congenital heart disease: lack of specific disease related medical health care from the patients point of view

High treatment adherence, satisfaction, motivation, and health-related quality of life with fingolimod in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis - results from a 24-month, multicenter, open-label Danish study.

PurposeTreatment adherence is a prerequisite for treatment success and therefore an important consideration to assure that therapeutic goals are achieved both from a patient point of view and for optimal health care resource utilization. Published data on treatment adherence with fingolimod (Gilenya®) are limited. Therefore, this study investigated treatment adherence in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated with fingolimod in Denmark.Patients and methodsThis was a 24-month, multicenter, open-label study, investigating treatment adherence, satisfaction, motivation, and health-related quality of life (QoL) in RRMS patients treated with fingolimod. In addition, the effect of a motivational interview support program on these measures was evaluated. Treatment adherence was assessed by pill count. Treatment satisfaction, motivation, and QoL were assessed by patient-reported outcomes (PROs).ResultsA total of 195 patients were enrolled in the study. A very high treatment adherence was observed during the entire study with no statistically significant difference between study visits before (99%) and after (97%) the motivational interview. In accordance, a high level of treatment satisfaction was found in the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication 9, which was scored high throughout the study with the highest scores seen for the convenience domain (ranging from 94.51 to 95.78). Furthermore, additional PROs demonstrated a high health-related QoL, a self-determined form of motivation for taking medication, and a patient perception of an autonomy supportive approach provided by the health care provider, at all study visits.ConclusionHigh levels of treatment adherence, satisfaction, motivation, and QoL were observed in Danish RRMS patients treated with fingolimod. As these positive measures were observed at all study visits and throughout the study, no effect of the motivational interview support program was found.

Which patient and doctor behaviours make a medical consultation more effective from a patient point of view. Results from a European multicentre study in 31 countries

ObjectiveTo assess European patients' preferences regarding seven aspects of doctor-patient communication. Methods6049 patients from 31 European countries evaluated 21 doctor and 12 patient behaviours, through a patient-generated questionnaire (PCVq). Multilevel models explored the effects of patient characteristics, contextual and cultural dimensions on preferences. ResultsPatients attributed more responsibility to doctors, by giving greater importance to doctor than to patient factors, in particular to Treating the patient as a partner and as a person and Continuity of care.Gender, age, education, the presence of chronic illness and two of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, Individualism and Indulgence, showed differential evaluations among patients. Women gave greater importance to all seven communication aspects, older patients to being prepared for the consultation, lower educated patients to Treating patient as a person and Thoughtful planning. Patients from countries with an indulgent background rated all seven communication aspects of greater importance. A more individualistic orientation was related to lower importance regarding the four doctor's factors and the patient factor Open and Honest. ConclusionsTreating the patient as a person and providing continuity of care emerged as universal values. Practice implicationsThe findings should represent a landmark for the adaptation of patient-generated communication guidelines and programs in Europe.

Engaging patients as teachers of clinical interview skills

AIMS AND METHOD To engage patients as teachers of psychiatrists in training and non-consultant career grades, for the purpose of enhancing doctors’ understanding of the patient point of view and of the complexity of the doctor-patient relationship. Patients have been engaged as teachers in a recurrent cycle of ‘Basic Interview Skills’ workshops and the views of the doctors about this initiative have been elicited through a brief anonymous and confidential questionnaire. RESULTS Thirty-six psychiatric senior house officers (SHOs), general practitioners, Vocational Training Scheme SHOs in psychiatry, and staff grade and trust doctors in psychiatry have participated in four cycles of workshops. Five patients have engaged in the workshops as teachers, alongside the clinical tutor. Questionnaire feedback indicated some specific criticisms of a number of participants and dissatisfaction by a small minority of doctors, but the overall evaluation of the experience was positive. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Engagement of patients as teachers of psychiatrists in training and other new doctors in mental health services is desirable, feasible and welcomed by most doctors. With due attention to the legitimate sensitivities of participants, the practice of engaging patients as teachers of doctors working in psychiatry could be generalised in training schemes and services across the country.

According to employee and patient point of view; factors affecting quality of physical therapy applications and patient safety

According to employee and patient point of view; factors affecting quality of physical therapy applications and patient safety

Pursuing meaningful end-points for stem cell therapy assessment in ischemic cardiac disease.

Despite optimal interventional and medical therapy, ischemic heart disease is still an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although not included in standard of care rehabilitation, stem cell therapy (SCT) could be a solution for prompting cardiac regeneration. Multiple studies have been published from the beginning of SCT until now, but overall no unanimous conclusion could be drawn in part due to the lack of appropriate end-points. In order to appreciate the impact of SCT, multiple markers from different categories should be considered: Structural, biological, functional, physiological, but also major adverse cardiac events or quality of life. Imaging end-points are among the most used - especially left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) measured through different methods. Other imaging parameters are infarct size, myocardial viability and perfusion. The impact of SCT on all of the aforementioned end-points is controversial and debatable. 2D-echocardiography is widely exploited, but new approaches such as tissue Doppler, strain/strain rate or 3D-echocardiography are more accurate, especially since the latter one is comparable with the MRI gold standard estimation of LVEF. Apart from the objective parameters, there are also patient-centered evaluations to reveal the benefits of SCT, such as quality of life and performance status, the most valuable from the patient point of view. Emerging parameters investigating molecular pathways such as non-coding RNAs or inflammation cytokines have a high potential as prognostic factors. Due to the disadvantages of current techniques, new imaging methods with labelled cells tracked along their lifetime seem promising, but until now only pre-clinical trials have been conducted in humans. Overall, SCT is characterized by high heterogeneity not only in preparation, administration and type of cells, but also in quantification of therapy effects.

Hand hygiene practices amongst patients

Hand hygiene is seen as one of the principal means of preventing hospital based infections for both staff and patients. While there are many guidelines for hand hygiene practices for health professionals, there is a scarcity of research studies about the attitudes and hand hygiene practices among patients. The aim of this study is to explore nurses and patient attitudes and behaviours towards patient hand hygiene at a tertiary teaching hospital in Western Sydney. This descriptive study used patient observations of hand hygiene practices using a validated observation tool; face-to-face interviews with patients and a survey of nurses. Interviews and surveys were textually and quantitatively analysed. A total of 105 patient observations, 50 patient interviews and 51 nurse surveys were collected. The majority of patients and nurses respectively reported hand hygiene as an important aspect of everyday life in preventing infection in the hospital setting. However, this contrasts with the poor patient hand hygiene compliance identified using the patient observation tool. Patient interviews found that more encouragement and education by staff, increased signage and easily accessible facilities will increase hand hygiene practices. This study highlights the importance of patient input in understanding the entirety of hand hygiene practice from both the nurses and patients point of view. Further training of nursing staff in promoting a hand hygiene friendly environment will have a powerful influence among patients and in delivering patient centred care.