Primary Health Care Practitioners Research Articles

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary healthcare practitioners regarding pharmacist clinics: a cross-sectional study in Shanghai

BackgroundPharmacist clinics offer professional pharmaceutical services that can improve public health outcomes. However, primary healthcare staff in China face various barriers and challenges in implementing such clinics. To identify existing problems and provide recommendations for the implementation of pharmacist clinics, this study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pharmacist clinics among primary healthcare providers.MethodsA cross-sectional survey based on the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) model, was conducted in community health centers (CHCs) and private hospitals in Shanghai, China in May, 2023. Descriptive analytics and the Pareto principle were used to multiple-answer questions. Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and binary logistic regression models were employed to identify factors associated with the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pharmacist clinics.ResultsA total of 223 primary practitioners participated in the survey. Our study revealed that most of them had limited knowledge (60.1%, n = 134) but a positive attitude (82.9%, n = 185) towards pharmacist clinics, with only 17.0% (n = 38) having implemented them. The primary goal of pharmacist clinics was to provide comprehensive medication guidance (31.5%, n = 200), with medication education (26.3%, n = 202) being the primary service, and special populations (24.5%, n = 153) identified as key recipients. Logistic regression analysis revealed that education, age, occupation, position, work seniority, and institution significantly influenced their perceptions. Practitioners with bachelor’s degrees, for instance, were more likely than those with less education to recognize the importance of pharmacist clinics in medication guidance (aOR: 7.130, 95%CI: 1.809–28.099, p-value = 0.005) and prescription reviews (aOR: 4.675, 95% CI: 1.548–14.112, p-value = 0.006). Additionally, practitioners expressed positive attitudes but low confidence, with only 33.3% (n = 74) feeling confident in implementation. The confidence levels of male practitioners surpassed those of female practitioners (p-value = 0.037), and practitioners from community health centers (CHCs) exhibited higher confidence compared to their counterparts in private hospitals (p-value = 0.008). Joint physician-pharmacist clinics (36.8%, n = 82) through collaboration with medical institutions (52.0%, n = 116) emerged as the favored modality. Daily sessions were preferred (38.5%, n = 86), and both registration and pharmacy service fees were considered appropriate for payment (42.2%, n = 94). The primary challenge identified was high outpatient workload (30.9%, n = 69).ConclusionsAlthough primary healthcare practitioners held positive attitudes towards pharmacist clinics, limited knowledge, low confidence, and high workload contributed to the scarcity of their implementation. Practitioners with diverse sociodemographic characteristics, such as education, age, and institution, showed varying perceptions and practices regarding pharmacist clinics.

Using language to identify a bladder pain component in women with Dysmenorrhoea-Related Pelvic Pain: A cross-sectional study.

Dysmenorrhoea-Related Pelvic Pain (DRPP) is a common condition, which may or may not include bladder-related symptoms. Primary health care practitioners (PHCP) rely heavily on language for diagnosis of DRPP-related conditions. However, there are no established pain descriptors to assist PHCP to determine whether an individual's DRPP may include a bladder component. To identify differences in the use of pain descriptors in women with DRPP with and without a co-existing bladder pain component, through an exploratory study of the language of pelvic pain in women. A cross-sectional online survey of Australian and New Zealand women (n = 750, ages 18-49) who have self-identified pelvic pain. Free text and predetermined pain descriptors used by women with a self-perceived bladder pain component (DRPPB+, n = 468) were compared to those without bladder pain (DRPPB-, n = 282). Statistical analysis included Pearson χ2, logistic regression and analysis of variance tests using StataCorp Stata Statistical Software combined with qualitative data from AntConc concordance software. Within free-form text, bloating (P = 0.014) and pressure (P = 0.031) were used more commonly to describe dysmenorrhoea in women with DRPPB+, while the word excruciating (P < 0.001) was more commonly used by women with DRPPB-. From a pre-determined list of descriptors, pounding (P < 0.001), tingling (P < 0.001), stabbing (P = 0.010), burning (P = 0.002) and cramping (P = 0.021) were more commonly used by women with DRPPB+, than women with DRPPB-. Systematic patterns of word use should encourage practitioners to further enquire about bladder symptoms that may co-exist with dysmenorrhoea. Knowledge of these words may be useful in targeting diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Current arrangements for training dentists in Australia on primary care dentistry

There is an expectation in Australia that dental students engage in primary care as they learn to recognise and respond to aspects of a person's general health and wellbeing. These skills, knowledge and behaviours are outlined by the Australian Dental Council, the accrediting body of dental training programs. Education in primary care dentistry can be seen integrated across the length and breadth of dental curricula yet is not commonly referred to as primary care. Interprofessional education provides opportunities for dental students to develop their professional identities as primary healthcare practitioners and be seen as such by other health professions. We propose that the primary care dentistry could be elevated by naming and noticing these activities in the curriculum.

Clinical skills development for healthcare practitioners working with patients with persistent physical symptoms (PPS) in healthcare settings: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

BackgroundThe complexity and uncertainty around Persistent Physical Symptoms (PPS) make it difficult to diagnose and treat, particularly under time-constrained consultations and limited knowledge. Brief interventions that can be utilised in day-to-day practice are necessary to improve ways of managing PPS. This review aimed to establish (i) what training primary and secondary healthcare practitioners have undertaken to develop their clinical skills when working with PPS, (ii) what training techniques or theoretical models have been used within these interventions, and (iii) how effective was the training.MethodA systematic literature search was undertaken on eight databases to identify professional development interventions for healthcare practitioners working with PPS, were of any study design, and at a minimum were single measure studies (i.e., training outcome alone). Studies were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and narratively synthesised.ResultsDespite high methodological heterogeneity across the six included studies, they all aimed to improve healthcare practitioners’ communication skills through educational (theory, awareness, attitudes, assessment, treatment, and management of PPS) and experiential (role play) learning.ConclusionsThe review findings demonstrate that developing healthcare practitioners’ communicative behaviours led to increased confidence and self-efficacy when working with PPS, which facilitated improved consultations and improvements on some patient outcomes. Barriers to the uptake of training programmes and implementation into daily clinical practice are discussed, including the need for PPS to be formally implemented into undergraduate teaching and post-qualification continuous professional development.Trial registrationThis review was registered at PROSPERO [CRD42022315631] prior to the review starting.

Case report: Zika surveillance complemented with wastewater and mosquito testing

In June 2023, a local cluster of 15 Zika cases was reported in a neighbourhood in Northeastern Singapore. The last significant local transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV) with more than 450 cases was in 2016-2017. To monitor the situation and mitigate further transmission, case, entomological and wastewater-based surveillance were carried out. Primary healthcare practitioners and the community were alerted to encourage timely case identification. Surveillance was enhanced through testing of Aedes mosquitoes collected from the National Gravitrap surveillance system, and wastewater samples were collected from a network of autosamplers deployed at manholes across the country. ZIKV RNA was detected in mosquito pools (3/43; 7%) and individual mosquitoes (3/82; 3.7%) captured, and in wastewater samples (13/503) collected from the vicinity of the cluster of cases. Respective samples collected from other sites across the country were negative. The peak detection of ZIKV RNA in mosquitoes and wastewater coincided temporally with the peak in the number of cases in the area (15-25 May 2023). The restriction of ZIKV signals from wastewater and mosquitoes within the neighbourhood suggested limited ZIKV transmission. The subsequent waning of signals suggested effectiveness of control measures. We demonstrate the utility of wastewater-based surveillance of ZIKV, which complements existing case- and entomological-based surveillance. The non-intrusive approach is particularly useful to monitor diseases such as Zika, which generally causes silent or mild infections, but may cause severe outcomes such as congenital Zika syndrome. This study was funded by Singapore's Ministry of Finance and the National Environment Agency, Singapore.

Attachment styles and healthcare utilization: exploring the role of the patient-doctor relationship

BackgroundWith the purpose of improving healthcare, past research has examined the link between healthcare utilization and attachment. It is suggested that an individual’s attachment style influences both the quality of their patient-physician relationship and healthcare utilization patterns. Nevertheless, most studies concentrate on the individual aspect, overlooking the dyadic dimension; specifically, the investigation of how insecure attachment relates to health behavior within patient-physician relationships. This gap leaves the role of the patient-doctor relationship in this process unclear. Therefore, to elucidate this complex interplay, we hypothesized that the correlation between attachment and healthcare utilization is mediated by the quality of the patient-physician-relationship.MethodParticipant selection was based on electoral districts, a random-route procedure, and the Kish selection grid. The participants were visited by a trained interviewer who collected psychometric and sociodemographic information. Participants answered the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire (ECR-RD8) and the Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire (PDRQ-9). Additionally, participants were asked about their healthcare utilization. The final sample consisted of N = 2.275 participants.ResultsIn average the participants reported consulting their primary health care practitioner M(SD) = 4.44 (4.76) times in the past 12 months. Generally, the participants rated the quality of the relationship with their primary health care practitioner close to “totally appropriate” (M = 4.12 ± .69). The degree of insecure attachment manifested towards the lower extremity of the scale. The total effect of the mediation analyses was significant. Regardless, the indirect effect indicated a trend result with minimal effect sizes.ConclusionThe findings of the current study bridged the gap between attachment styles and healthcare utilization. Nonetheless, our results suggested insufficient support for the mediating role of the primary care physician in the relationship between attachment style and healthcare utilization. Considering the characteristics of the sample, this outcome may not apply in a clinical context. However, further research is needed to shed light in the revealed trends and indicate implications.

Adaptability of Integrated Community Care models in Moldova to overcome compounded crisis, including supporting refugees.&amp;nbsp;

Introduction: The Healthy Life Project in Moldova works and collaborates with local authorities across all sectors, including civil society organisations, community members and NCD patients to promote integrated, person-centered care. The aim is to ensure vulnerable people, including refugees, have access to health and social care. Overall, Moldova has received nearly 698,000 Ukrainian refugees, of which 96,646 currently remain in the country.&#x0D; Methods: Through intersectoral capacity building community teams developed local integrated care work plans, including joint assessments of people with NCDs and coordinated individual care across different sectors and community resources. The plans also involved a focus on responding to the needs of Ukrainian refugees. Within this continued implementation support, the project included questions of access to health and social care along the migratory cycle to maintain management of chronic conditions. Around 97% of refugees are residing in the host community, most of them require particular support in accessing their rights in practice, being women (59%), children (48%) and the elderly (21%).&#x0D; Results: Request for health care services from refugees (28,30%) is one of the forms of assistance expected in addition to cash handouts (76,84%) and in-kind support (35,79%). Therefore, in addition to building capacities for monitoring and management of NCDs, and the application of integrated care, the project considered specific actions for refugees. Training on managing NCDs within the refugee crisis was provided to Primary Health Care (PHC), hospital, Public Health, and emergency care management teams in 20 districts. To support and ensure mobility of PHC practitioners in responding to increased community needs due to hosted refugees, 835 medical kits were purchased and distributed, alongside protective equipment and disinfectants for both the health and social workers. A guide for community social workers on supporting refugees was developed in partnership with the National Social Assistance Agency and has since been embedded in the curricula of the social assistance faculty within the State Pedagogical University. &#x0D; During 2022, 20 integrated community care centers have reached 8,464 persons with NCDs, with 77% having their wellbeing jointly assessed by a community nurse and social worker. As a result, most of them were included in preventive measures and supported to manage NCDs (7851 persons). The most vulnerable were identified and assisted, including 15% of NCD patients (675 persons) and supported to gain access to social benefits, while people with complex needs (663 persons) received access to home health and social care. Considerable progress has been made to promote integrated working locally, between health and social care. As everywhere, collaboration is reliant on personal motivation and local relationship building, and some teams take longer than others.&#x0D; Conclusions: Such community approaches are playing an important role in coordination of efforts to support the most vulnerable, as Moldova continues to face a refugee crisis. This continuous support to build capacity and ensure implementation of common approaches, facilitated by a jointly held normative framework supports a more integrated approach to service provision at community level, coordinated by local authorities thus making more efficient use of scarce resources.&#x0D;

Stakeholder-Informed Solutions To Address Barriers for Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention in Thai Hypertension Care.

Premature deaths from NCDs disproportionately affect people in low- and middle-income countries. Since alcohol use is one of the most common causes of reversible hypertension, interventions targeting alcohol use may be a feasible and effective low-cost approach to synergistically reduce the prevalence of harmful drinking and high blood pressure. This study sought to identify key factors in successfully implementing alcohol use screening and brief intervention in hypertension care in Thailand. For this purpose, we surveyed participants (NRound 1 = 91, NRound 2 = 27) from three different groups of Thai stakeholders (policy- and decisionmakers, primary healthcare practitioners, and patients diagnosed with hypertension) in a two-round stakeholder elicitation. In round 1, we identified limited resources, lack of clear guidelines for lifestyle intervention, stigmatization, and inconsistent monitoring of patients' alcohol use as important barriers. In round 2, we sought to elicit solutions for the barriers identified in round 1. While stakeholders emphasized the need for adaptability to existing realities in Thai primary healthcare such as a high workload and limited digitization, they favorably evaluated a digital alcohol assessment tool with integrated, tailored advice for brief intervention as a potential scalable solution. Findings suggest that as one possible route to reduce the NCD burden caused by hypertension in Thailand, primary healthcare services may be enhanced by digital tools that support resource-effective, intuitive, and seamless delivery of alcohol screening and brief intervention.

Q fever awareness in Australia: A scoping review

ObjectiveTo investigate the level of Q fever awareness in Australia. MethodsA scoping review was conducted by searching the electronic databases Medline, PubMed and Web of Science using keywords for Q fever, awareness, knowledge, and Australian locations. The search was initially limited to articles published in the 10 years prior to June 2022 and then extended up to and including August 2023; yielding 387 records. ResultsFifteen articles were assessed as being eligible. These articles reported on surveys and interviews conducted with farmers, veterinary practitioners and nurses, medical practitioners, policy makers, researchers, industry representatives, animal science students, cat breeders, wildlife rehabilitators, and agriculture show attendees. Farmers were the largest group represented. Level of Q fever awareness amongst these communities, including those at high-risk, was generally low. The need for increased awareness was recognised. General practitioner awareness levels were low and recognised to be so by high-risk groups. Awareness of preventive measures including vaccination was greater among those with greater awareness and risk. ConclusionWith the availability of a highly effective vaccine in Australia, there is a need to increase Q fever knowledge and awareness among high-risk groups and primary health care practitioners. Implications for public healthStrategies to increase awareness and knowledge of Q fever risks and prevention strategies may assist with reducing Q fever burden in Australia.

Development of a pain self-management intervention framework for people with spinal cord injury

Background: Pain is the most common reason for medical visits to primary health care practitioners. Pain self-management interventions are encouraged and there is no known self-management intervention framework available that clinicians and people with spinal cord injury (PWSCI) can use to guide treatment selection.Aim: This study aimed to develop a pain self-management intervention framework for PWSCI.Setting: Online and facilitated in Gauteng, South Africa.Methods: A three-round modified e-Delphi method was used to reach an 80% consensus among a 21-expert panel. Fifty-nine interventions were distributed via REDCap and a final online audio meeting was held to either include or exclude interventions in the final framework. SPSS v27 was used to analyse descriptive data and content analysis was used for qualitative responses.Results: The final developed pain self-management framework consists of 56 interventions and includes interventions from multiple health professions to encompass medical, psychological, therapeutic and social interventions. Interventions are also specified for nociceptive and/or neuropathic pain and grouped according to the biopsychosocial model.Conclusion: The interprofessional framework may be used as a guideline for PWSCI to alleviate pain, as well as assist health professionals in clinical decision-making, by providing them with the freedom to choose acceptable and adequate interventions that may be appropriate to treat the affected individual’s pain.Contribution: Pain management is a basic need at the primary healthcare level and PWSCI need access to the broad range of interventions available to manage their pain. The framework highlights the variety of appropriate interventions to guide both health professionals and PWSCI with pain relief options.

1.D. Workshop: Long COVID: A Myth or a reality?

Abstract COVID-19 has been a pandemic since 2020 and to date has resulted in a substantial global burden through both morbidity and mortality. Long term symptoms impacting the mental, social, and physical well-being among COVID-19 survivors started to be noted from early pandemic. This phenomenon was reported as Long COVID, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has now defined it as “a condition that occurs in those with probable or confirmed COVID-19 infection where symptoms last for at least two months from the onset of the infection”. Yet, the paucity of longitudinal cohort studies and clinical trials on Long COVID presents the scientific, clinical, and public health ecosystems with limited understanding pertaining to this new condition as well as presents uncertainty on whether “Long COVID is a myth or a reality?” Additionally, on a country level, the level of preparedness to deal with Long COVID at a population level and through healthcare services are not established. With over 60% of Europeans reported to suffer from Long COVID, this timely workshop is set to bring forward a pan-European expert consensus on the existence and the deterrent effects attributed to Long COVID, with recommendations for the way forward. The workshop will start off by presenting the overall impact of COVID on the well-being of middle-aged and older adults residing in 27 European countries as well as explores whether having Long COVID further deteriorate their well-being. The symptoms of Long COVID will be explored along with their effect on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), fatigue, mental well-being, while investigating the determinants that diminish HRQoL. This will provide an all-rounded approach to the direct effects of Long COVID. It is known that Long COVID individuals will seek their first medical care contact at primary healthcare. Therefore, the workshop will explore the general practitioner's knowledge, perceptions, and experience on Long COVID's diagnosis and management across two European countries. This will provide an insight whether primary healthcare practitioners are equipped with dealing with this emerging syndrome. The workshop then focuses on Italy's perspective, at a country level, in managing Long COVID through Good Clinical Practice and access to national services. Finally, a European overview of the Long-COVID-19 situation from a population health perspective will be provided and it will offer unique insights on the development of different tools, strategies and structures in national healthcare systems and their fight against long-COVID. Key messages • Long COVID is causing deterrent effects and impact the physical, mental, social and economic status of the populations. • We need better tools (e.g., registries or targeted Health Examination Surveys) to assess the situation and to customise health care provision for the current patients and avoid the further spread.

General practitioners’ knowledge, perception and experience on Long Covid: a cross-sectional study in Belgium and Malta

Abstract Background Over 10% of Covid-19 infected people experience persistent symptoms (Long Covid). As most Long Covid cases are in patients with a mild acute Covid-19 infection, primary health care and general practitioners (GPs) are at the forefront in their care. This study investigated GPs’ knowledge, perception and experience on Long Covid at cross-country level. Methods A cross-sectional study targeting GPs was conducted in Belgium and Malta during mid-2022. An online survey on Long Covid was disseminated. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results The survey was completed by 150 GPs (105 for Belgium, 45 for Malta). In both countries, most GPs reported insufficient scientific knowledge and information on Long Covid diagnosis and treatment. Accessibility to educational material was limited and an awareness-rising campaign was seen as merited, especially by Maltese GPs (OR = 6.81, 95%CI [1.49;31.12]). For diagnosing Long Covid, 54.7% reported the requirement of a positive Covid-19 test, more among Belgian than Maltese GPs (64.3% vs 45.2%, p = 0.036). To assess Long Covid, GPs applied diagnostic criteria by themselves (47.3%) in combination with persistent symptoms. 76.0% GPs reported caring for Long Covid patients, irrespective of practice type and GPs’ country, sex or age (p = 0.353; p = 0.241; p = 0.194; p = 0.058). Although most GPs (94.7%, p = 0.291) stated that Long Covid patients should follow multidisciplinary approach, only 29.8% of them reported to care for these patients by multidisciplinary cooperation and 48.3% by themselves/GP colleagues. Conclusions GPs frequently provide care to Long Covid patients and GPs’ care showed similarities at cross-country level. Although GPs perceived lack of scientific knowledge and educational material on Long Covid, similar diagnostic criteria were noted. Across Europe, uniform evidence-based guidelines, scientific support and training for GPs must be a priority to empower GPs in their Long Covid approach.

Determinants of primary healthcare providers' readiness for integration of ART services at departmental levels: A case study of Lira City and District, Uganda.

Decreasing or flattening funding for vertical HIV services means that new and innovative ways of providing care are necessary. This study aimed to assess the determinants of readiness for integration of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) services at the departmental level among primary health care providers (PHCP) at selected health facilities in Lira District. A cross-sectional survey employing mixed methods approaches was conducted between January and February 2022 among 340 primary healthcare practitioners (PHCP) at selected health facilities in Lira district. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data. Quantitative data was analyzed using Stata version 15. and presented as proportions, means, percentages, frequencies, and odds ratios. Logistic regression was used to determine associations of the factors with readiness for ART integration at a 95% level of significance. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The majority 75.2% (95% CI; 0.703-0.795) of the respondents reported being ready for the integration of ART services. PHCPs who were aware of the integration of services and those who had worked in the same facility for at least 6 years had higher odds of readiness for integration of ART, compared with their counterparts [aOR = 7.36; 95% CI = 3.857-14.028, p-value <0.001] for knowledge and duration at the current facility [aOR = 2.92; 95% CI = 1.293-6.599, p-value < 0.05] respectively. From the qualitative data, the dominant view was that integration is a good thing that should be implemented immediately. However, several challenges were noted, key among which include limited staffing and drug supplies at the facilities, coupled with limited space. The study reveals a high level of readiness for the integration of ART services at departmental levels among Primary Healthcare Providers. Notably, PHCPs knowledgeable about integration and those who spent at least six years at the current health facility of work, were strong determinants for the integration of ART services in resource limited settings. In light of these findings, we recommend that policymakers prioritize the implementation of training programs aimed at upskilling healthcare workers. Furthermore, we advocate that a cluster randomized controlled trial be conducted, to evaluate the long-term effects of this integration on overall health outcomes.

Risk factors of recurrent respiratory infections in early school-age children

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) annually rank first in the structure of infectious diseases both in Ukraine and worldwide. ARIs are the leading cause of disability and death in preschool children, and with recurrent episodes, they can impact the physical and psychological aspects of children's health, imposing a significant medical burden on families, healthcare systems, and society as a whole. Preventing recurrent respiratory infections (RRIs) can only be achieved through timely intervention in risk factors.Aim: to determine the influence of risk factors on the development of recurrent episodes of acute respiratory infections in children aged 5 to 7 years and to develop preventive measures for their control in primary healthcare settings.Materials and Methods. The authors retrospectively analyzed medical records of 342 children aged 5 to 7 years. The main group included children with RRIs (264), and the control group consisted of children with sporadic illness episodes (78). Results: the incidence of RRIs in children has two peaks at ages 3 and 6, which is likely associated with the commencement of attendance in childcare settings (kindergarten and school). Key prenatal and postnatal, clinical-anamnestic, and social risk factors that increase the likelihood of recurrent respiratory infections in younger school-age children were identified.Conclusions. factors significantly increasing the likelihood of developing RRIs in a child include: ARI episode within the first 6 months of life (OR = 22, 95% CI 11.6 - 41.7), previous pneumonia (OR = 12, 95% CI 3.7 - 40), and the presence of chronic infection foci in the form of tonsillitis (OR = 8.2, 95% CI 4.3 - 15.6), p=0.0001. Primary healthcare practitioners should follow strategies to modify these risk factors and not wait for further depletion of the child's adaptive potential (sanitation of chronic infection foci, promotion of breastfeeding, and tobacco cessation).

Clinical Data based XGBoost Algorithm for infection risk prediction of patients with decompensated cirrhosis: a 10-year (2012–2021) Multicenter Retrospective Case-control study

ObjectivesTo appraise effective predictors for infection in patients with decompensated cirrhosis (DC) by using XGBoost algorithm in a retrospective case-control study.MethodsClinical data were retrospectively collected from 6,648 patients with DC admitted to five tertiary hospitals. Indicators with significant differences were determined by univariate analysis and least absolute contraction and selection operator (LASSO) regression. Further multi-tree extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) machine learning-based model was used to rank importance of features selected from LASSO and subsequently constructed infection risk prediction model with simple-tree XGBoost model. Finally, the simple-tree XGBoost model is compared with the traditional logical regression (LR) model. Performances of models were evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), sensitivity, and specificity.ResultsSix features, including total bilirubin, blood sodium, albumin, prothrombin activity, white blood cell count, and neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio were selected as predictors for infection in patients with DC. Simple-tree XGBoost model conducted by these features can predict infection risk accurately with an AUROC of 0.971, sensitivity of 0.915, and specificity of 0.900 in training set. The performance of simple-tree XGBoost model is better than that of traditional LR model in training set, internal verification set, and external feature set (P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe simple-tree XGBoost predictive model developed based on a minimal amount of clinical data available to DC patients with restricted medical resources could help primary healthcare practitioners promptly identify potential infection.

Models of clinical supervision of relevance to remote area nursing & primary health care: A scoping review.

Nurses in remote primary health care settings work in difficult conditions, in isolated and disadvantaged communities, and often must work beyond their scope to provide advanced assessments and treatments to support the community. Therefore, remote area nurses require support to develop their skills and knowledge to work safely within their full scope of practice. Clinical supervision is widely used in health professions for this purpose; however, models of supervision for nursing have not been implemented or evaluated within remote primary health care settings. The purpose of this study was to search the literature to source suitable clinical supervision models that could pertain to the remote area nursing context. An initial search of the literature found no clinical supervision models developed for remote or isolated practice nurses so a scoping review was conducted searching for publications related to advanced practice generalist health practitioners in primary health care, including practice nurses, nurse practitioners and general practitioners. This was seen as a suitable substitute because the phenomena of interest were the model of supervision rather than the specific skills or knowledge being developed. The scoping review search yielded 251 articles from 5 journal databases of which 11 articles met the inclusion criteria. Each clinical supervision model was described and synthesised using qualitative description. The 11 models of clinical supervision had differing formats including; individual and group clinical supervision, in-person, telephone, medical records review and video case study. Whilst several models were described in the literature, none were directly transferrable to the remote area context. The absence of supervision for cultural safety was significant. There was a variety of modes including face-to-face, virtual, individual and group proposed. Cultural considerations were lacking in all of the models. Our study recommends a hybrid clinical supervision model suitable for consultation and validation through pilot testing with remote area nurses. There is potential for this model to be used globally in isolated contexts due to the option of virtual participation.

Can social prescribing put the 'social' into the biopsychosocial management of people with long-term musculoskeletal disorders?

Chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a significant burden on individuals' quality of life and society and are made more complex by the presence of multimorbidity. It is recommended that interventions targeting MSD be sustainable, equitable and incorporate the biopsychosocial model of care (BPS). A criticism of the BPS approach is that the social component of this model is not addressed adequately during the management of people with long-term MSD and that a gap exists between theory and implementation. The use of social prescribing (SP) as an intervention to bridge this gap is discussed. Social prescribing is a holistic non-medical person-centered approach to well-being that utilizes link workers (LW) to support individuals with long-term conditions (LTC) in the community. Social prescribing referrals are received from primary healthcare practitioners to LW and range from light touch signposting for employment or financial advice to more intensive support for LTC such as obesity, decreased physical activity and mental health needs. There is evidence to suggest that SP interventions are effective in the management of LTC; however, due to the paucity of high-quality evidence, it is difficult to be conclusive. Large-scale randomised controlled trials are recommended to support the use of SP interventions in the management of LTC.

A predictive score for severity in patients with confirmed dengue fever in a tertiary care hospital in Kerala, India.

The study aimed to identify predictors of severe dengue during the 2017 epidemic and to develop and validate a simple predictive score for severity. A retrospective analytical study was conducted using clinical and laboratory data from adult dengue patients with a confirmed microbiological diagnosis. The study included patients who presented to a tertiary care centre in Kerala, India, during the febrile phase (≤4d) between June 2017 and February 2019. Using appropriate statistical tests, we derived predictors of severe disease and computed a risk score model. Of the 153 patients (mean age 50±17y; 64% males), 31 (20%) had severe dengue and 4 (3%) died. Petechial lesions, hypoalbuminemia (<3.5 g/dl), elevated alanine aminotransferase (>40IU/l) and urea >40IU/l were significant predictors. Our scoring system (cut-off: 2) showed excellent performance, with an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.9741, sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 96% and accuracy of 98%. The risk score was secondarily validated on 48 patients hospitalized from March 2019 to June 2019. Our scoring system is easy to implement and will help primary healthcare practitioners in promptly identifying severe dengue cases upon hospital presentation.

Diagnostic Accuracy and economic value of a Tiered Assessment for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (DATAforFASD): Protocol

IntroductionAustralian practices for diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are lengthy and require specialist expertise. Specialist teams are based in urban locations; they are expensive and have prolonged waitlists. Innovative,...

Prevalence and reasons to seek traditional healing methods among residents of two localities in North Kordofan State, Sudan 2022: A cross-sectional study.

Traditional medicines are one of Africa's primary response mechanisms to medical emergencies, while, in other communities, all healthcare decisions are based on indigenous traditions and beliefs. For millions of individuals who reside in rural areas throughout low- and middle-income nations, those healers serve as their only primary healthcare practitioners. This study intends to examine the availability, preferences, and practices of traditional medicine seeking among the Sudanese of North Kordofan state. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in two conveniently chosen localities in North Kordofan state, namely Barrah, and Shaikan. A structured questionnaire with three sections-sociodemographic, attitudes, and forms of traditional medical practices-was used for face-to-face interviews with the residents. The frequency (n) and percentage (%) of categorical data are presented. The Chi-square and Fischer exact tests were performed to determine characteristics related to traditional medicine practice and the preferred type of medicine among participants; a p value of.05 was considered significant. A total of 302 residents took part in the study, with the 15-30 age group constituting the majority. The majority of participants (89.1%) used traditional medicine, and the majority of them (92.4%) learned about it from their families. The major type of traditional medicine (60.3%) used was a medical herbs-herb practitioner. Cultural influences (57%) and the effectiveness of traditional medicines (48.3%) were the most common reasons for seeking those medicines. Most participants seek traditional medicine, with traditional herbs and holy recitation commonly used. Affordability, therapeutic effectiveness, and cultural and religious influence were reasons for preferring traditional medicine.