Role Of Healthcare Practitioners Research Articles

Safeguarding patients from technology-facilitated abuse in clinical settings: A narrative review.

Safeguarding vulnerable patients is a key responsibility of healthcare professionals. Yet, existing clinical and patient management protocols are outdated as they do not address the emerging threats of technology-facilitated abuse. The latter describes the misuse of digital systems such as smartphones or other Internet-connected devices to monitor, control and intimidate individuals. The lack of attention given to how technology-facilitated abuse may affect patients in their lives, can result in clinicians failing to protect vulnerable patients and may affect their care in several unexpected ways. We attempt to address this gap by evaluating the literature that is available to healthcare practitioners working with patients impacted by digitally enabled forms of harm. A literature search was carried out between September 2021 and January 2022, in which three academic databases were probed using strings of relevant search terms, returning a total of 59 articles for full text review. The articles were appraised according to three criteria: (a) the focus on technology-facilitated abuse; (b) the relevance to clinical settings; and (c) the role of healthcare practitioners in safeguarding. Of the 59 articles, 17 articles met at least one criterion and only one article met all three criteria. We drew additional information from the grey literature to identify areas for improvement in medical settings and at-risk patient groups. Technology-facilitated abuse concerns healthcare professionals from the point of consultation to the point of discharge, as a result clinicians need to be equipped with the tools to identify and address these harms at any stage of the patient's journey. In this article, we offer recommendations for further research within different medical subspecialities and highlight areas requiring policy development in clinical environments.

The preconception period as a platform for preventing diabetes and non‐communicable diseases

Increasing evidence suggests that parental risk factors for non‐communicable diseases (NCDs) in the period before conception could affect their lifelong health and increase the risk of NCDs in the offspring. While many of these risks such as obesity, smoking and dietary patterns are influenced by wider socio‐economic factors, screening and identification of risk factors can be conducted in the clinical setting to provide appropriate preventive interventions. This article discusses the role of health care practitioners in preventing the risk of NCDs and opportunities for action in the preconception period.

The medical cannabis regulatory framework in Canada: A narrative review

In 2001, Canada became one of the first countries to legalize medical cannabis; since then, the Canadian government has released policies regulating this product. In 2018, Canada passed the Cannabis Act to also legalize cannabis for recreational use and placed the previous medical cannabis regulatory framework under this same act. The purpose of this review is to provide a current account of the Canadian medical cannabis regulatory framework by examining patient access, ethical implications, and regulatory compliance. This narrative review, informed by searches conducted across academic databases and the grey literature, aims to provide a current account of the medical cannabis regulatory framework in Canada. Resources that discussed aspects of this framework were drawn upon to synthesize this review. Many resources were examined on the policies’ ethical implications, and consequences for public health and on individual patients in the context of medical cannabis use. Additionally, studies conducted thus far highlight the fact that continued research to fill knowledge gaps in the clinical evidence for different medical conditions is still very much warranted. Furthermore, ethical concerns regarding the role of healthcare practitioners under medical cannabis regulations were also explored. Opposing viewpoints towards the medicalization of cannabis and the effects of using medical cannabis continue to exist in Canada. Further research should examine the challenges and successes that were encountered under previous medical cannabis regulatory frameworks in order to ensure adequate production, distribution, and access to medical cannabis under the current and future frameworks and address existing accessibility concerns.

Diets and dietary supplements used during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates: A cross-sectional survey

IntroductionSince the beginning of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been a marked increase in the use of diets and dietary supplements (DDS) for the prevention and treatment of this emerging disease. While DDS are generally regarded as harmless, little evidence exists on the safety and efficacy of their use for COVID-19. ObjectivesTo investigate the pattern and determinants of DDS use among the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. DesignCross-sectional web-based survey. SettingAdults residing in the UAE. ParticipantsParticipants (n = 2,060) residing in the UAE were recruited from databases of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs - Sharjah networks in the various Emirates. Primary and Secondary OutcomesPrevalence and determinants for the use of different DDS for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in the UAE, and sources of information for DDS use. ResultsThe majority of participants reported using a form of the DDS understudy, with special foods being the most common (95.5%), followed by intake of citrus fruits (62.1%), supplements use (56.6%), increased water intake (50%), and herbal teas (38.4%). Only 20% of participants reported the main source of information on DDS to be health care practitioners, with the majority relying on either social media (40.4%) or family and friends (28.7%). After adjustment, female gender, older age (>40 years), and Asian ethnicities were characteristics associated with higher odds of using most of the DDS modalities and were also correlates of reporting health care practitioners as the main source of information for their DDS use. ConclusionsThe findings showed widespread use of DDS for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The use of DDS in this study was mainly guided by social media with a marginal role of health care practitioners. These findings call for a more integrative approach towards DDS to ensure its proper and safe use.

Development of a diabetic retinopathy screening model for a district health system in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are important issues in the district health system (DHS) of South Africa (SA). Guidelines for the management of DR in SA were developed more than a decade ago but not effectively implemented.Aim: The aim of this study was to develop a suitable model for DR that could be effectively implemented by a team of healthcare practitioners (HCPs) to co-manage DM and DR in the DHS of SA.Setting: The study was conducted through Voortrekker District Hospital, Limpopo Province, SA.Methods: A saturated strategy sample study was employed, and questionnaires were distributed to 24 endocrinologists in both private and public practices in Gauteng Province and to three ophthalmologists and 10 medical officers (MOs) in ophthalmology in health institutions in Waterberg and Capricorn districts of Limpopo Province. The questionnaires distributed included questions relating to the recommended roles of primary healthcare (PHC) nurses, MOs in general practice, MOs in ophthalmology, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists, and ophthalmologists to manage patients with DM in the public sector. The Delphi technique was employed requiring experts to comment qualitatively and quantitatively to elicit the required information.Results: At PHC level, PHC nurses are to document a comprehensive patient case history and assess vitals before referring to MOs in general practice. Medical officers in general practice are to assess DM control and screen for target organ disease. All patients with DM are to be referred to optometrists for retinal photography. Optometrists and ophthalmic nurses are to detect, grade and monitor pre-proliferative stages of DR, and refer to MOs in ophthalmology or ophthalmologists at district or tertiary hospitals for surgical intervention or treatment.Conclusion: Based on the expertise of the endocrinologists and ophthalmologists concerned, a DR screening model for a DHS was proposed, reflecting the role of HCPs in the management of DM and DR in the DHS of Limpopo Province, SA.

Development of a diabetic retinopathy screening model for a district health system in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are important issues in the district health system (DHS) of South Africa (SA). Guidelines for the management of DR in SA were developed more than a decade ago but not effectively implemented. Aim: The aim of this study was to develop a suitable model for DR that could be effectively implemented by a team of healthcare practitioners (HCPs) to co-manage DM and DR in the DHS of SA. Setting: The study was conducted through Voortrekker District Hospital, Limpopo Province, SA. Methods: A saturated strategy sample study was employed, and questionnaires were distributed to 24 endocrinologists in both private and public practices in Gauteng Province and to three ophthalmologists and 10 medical officers (MOs) in ophthalmology in health institutions in Waterberg and Capricorn districts of Limpopo Province. The questionnaires distributed included questions relating to the recommended roles of primary healthcare (PHC) nurses, MOs in general practice, MOs in ophthalmology, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists, and ophthalmologists to manage patients with DM in the public sector. The Delphi technique was employed requiring experts to comment qualitatively and quantitatively to elicit the required information. Results: At PHC level, PHC nurses are to document a comprehensive patient case history and assess vitals before referring to MOs in general practice. Medical officers in general practice are to assess DM control and screen for target organ disease. All patients with DM are to be referred to optometrists for retinal photography. Optometrists and ophthalmic nurses are to detect, grade and monitor pre-proliferative stages of DR, and refer to MOs in ophthalmology or ophthalmologists at district or tertiary hospitals for surgical intervention or treatment. Conclusion: Based on the expertise of the endocrinologists and ophthalmologists concerned, a DR screening model for a DHS was proposed, reflecting the role of HCPs in the management of DM and DR in the DHS of Limpopo Province, SA.

Health practitioners' perceptions of the barriers and enablers to the implementation of reproductive genetic carrier screening: A systematic review.

BackgroundAs interest in reproductive genetic carrier screening rises, with increased availability, the role of healthcare practitioners is central in guiding uptake aligned with a couples' values and beliefs. Therefore, practitioners' views on implementation are critical to the success of any reproductive genetic carrier screening programme.AimTo explore healthcare practitioners' perceptions of the barriers and enablers to implementation.Materials & MethodsWe undertook a systematic review of the literature searching seven databases using health practitioner, screening and implementation terms returning 490 articles.ResultsScreening led to the inclusion of 26 articles for full‐text review. We found three interconnected themes relating to reproductive genetic carrier screening: (i) use and impact, (ii) practitioners' beliefs and expectations and (iii) resources.DiscussionBarriers and enablers to implementation were present within each theme and grouping these determinants by (a) community for example lack of public interest, (b) practitioner for example lack of practitioner time and (c) organisation for example lack of effective metrics, reveals a preponderance of practitioner barriers and organisational enablers. Linking barriers with potential enablers leaves several barriers unresolved (e.g., costs for couples) implying additional interventions may be required.ConclusionFuture research should draw on the findings from this study to develop and test strategies to facilitate appropriate offering of reproductive genetic carrier screening by healthcare practitioners.

Obesity Stigma: The Role of Healthcare Practitioners in Improving Patient Outcomes

Obesity Stigma: The Role of Healthcare Practitioners in Improving Patient Outcomes

Predictors of health care practitioners’ normative attitudes and practices towards sexual and reproductive health and rights: a cross-sectional study of participants from low-income countries enrolled in a capacity-building program

ABSTRACT Background: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is a concept of human rights applied to sexuality and reproduction. Suboptimal access to SRHR services in many low-income countries results in poor health outcomes. Sustainable development goals (3.7 and 5.6) give a new impetus to the aspiration of universal access to high-quality SRHR services. Indispensable stakeholders in this process are healthcare practitioners who, through their actions or inactions, determine a population’s health choices. Often times, healthcare practitioners’ SRHR decisions are rooted in religious and cultural influences. We seek to understand whether religious and cultural influences differ significantly according to individuals’ characteristics and work environment. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of healthcare practitioners’ individual characteristics and their work environment in predicting normative SRHR attitudes and behaviours (practices). We hypothesized that religion and culture could be significant predictors of SRHR attitudes and practices. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study of 115 participants from ten low-income countries attending a capacity-building programme at Lund University Sweden was conducted. Linear regression models were used to assess for the predictive values of different individual characteristics and workplace environment factors for normative SRHR attitudes and SRHR practices. Results: Self-rated SRHR knowledge was the strongest predictor for both normative SRHR attitudes and normative SRHR practices. However, when adjusted for other individual characteristics, self-rated knowledge lost its significant association with SRHR practices, instead normative SRHR attitudes and active knowledge-seeking behaviour independently predicted normative SRHR practices. Contrary to our hypothesis, importance of religion or culture in an individual’s life was not correlated with the measured SRHR attitudes and practices. Conclusion: Healthcare practitioners’ cultural and religious beliefs, which are often depicted as barriers for implementing full coverage of SRHR services, seem to be modified by active knowledge-seeking behaviour and accumulated working experience with SRHR over time.

PRAGMATIC ASPECTS OF ACADEMIC WRITING IN HEALTH CARE

A clear delineation is obvious to understand specific aspects regarding the use of academic writing in health care. Thus, more pragmatic and less general aspects of academic writing for medical purposes will be taken into account. Due to solid experience in students’ education of LSP at medical faculties, we are delighted to share our academic experience primarily with students as well as with our colleagues. The paper will be focused on emphasizing the critical points of structuring medical texts. Namely, it will present the path of text structuring to help readers understand the specific aspects of high relevance for medical authors. Also, it will draw attention to the role of health care practitioners as well as how they should evaluate this aspect in their professional communication. Furthermore, we would like to pay attention to approaching fundamental problems in academic writing in health care.

A Glimpse of Heaven: The Mental Healthcare Practitioner's Role in Supporting the Near-Death Experience.

A Glimpse of Heaven: The Mental Healthcare Practitioner's Role in Supporting the Near-Death Experience.

Role of healthcare practitioners in rotavirus disease awareness and vaccination – insights from a survey among caregivers

ABSTRACTAn online survey was designed to assess awareness and understanding of Rotavirus (RV) gastroenteritis (RVGE), and knowledge and attitudes towards RV vaccination in Germany, Poland, Turkey, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. Survey participants (n = 1500) comprised parents, expectant parents and guardians of children ≤5 years of age who have sole or joint responsibility for health and well-being decisions relating to their child, who were recruited from an online panel and provided their consent for study participation. Participants from most countries had a high level of awareness of RV infections (mean: 82%) and of those aware of RV, a mean of 61% participants were aware that RV was the most common cause of GE, however the majority (mean: 59%) were unaware that nearly every child would be infected with RVGE by the age of 5 years. Healthcare professional (HCP) recommendation was identified as the key driver for participants seeking vaccination (48%–75% of participants stated this reason, with results differing by country) followed by availability of RV vaccine in the national immunization program. Despite a high level of awareness of RVGE among participants, fostering knowledge regarding the difficulty of RVGE prevention, the risk of RV contraction and the associated serious consequences like dehydration is imperative to improve RV vaccination uptake. HCPs, being the primary influence on participants’ decision on vaccination, are best suited to bridge existing knowledge gaps and recommend parents to vaccinate their children against RVGE.

Surgeon General Urges More Americans to Carry Naloxone

Surgeon General Urges More Americans to Carry Naloxone

Adopting a role: A performance art in the practice of medicine

The practice of medicine has evolved a long way from its origin, where healing was practised as an art in ancient Greece. In current healthcare training, the focus is on clinical features and the treatment thereof. The connection to the arts in the practice of medicine has been lost – one of the reasons why students of medicine lose their empathy during their years of training. In this article, I explore the correlations between the art of performance and medicine, with particular focus on the training of students of medicine. The notion is investigated that if medical students learn to adopt a professional role by incorporating certain non-assuming facets of the art of performance into their training, they could learn to step in and out of the role of healthcare practitioner (HCP). This action could assist them not only in reflecting on their practice as HCPs, but could also afford them the opportunity of debriefing, as they are equipped with the tools to view their role as HCPs more objectively. The acquisition of tools to step in and out of the role of HCP, complemented by the process of debriefing through reflection, could afford students of medicine the ability to deal with the emotional labour that training to become a future HCP brings. In turn, this may empower them to retain the empathy that they inherently possessed when they enrolled as students.

HPV positive oropharyngeal cancer: risky sexual behavior and the role of health care practitioners

HPV positive oropharyngeal cancer: risky sexual behavior and the role of health care practitioners

The management of diabetic retinopathy in the public sector of eThekwini district of KwaZulu-Natal

Background: Estimates from the year 1990–2010 showed an increase in blindness and vision impairment (moderate or severe) because of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Sub-Saharan Africa’s sub-regions (central, eastern, southern and western Africa).1 The rate of DR in South Africa is expected to increase because of the lack of screening protocols and policies for the management of diabetic eye disease in the district health system of South Africa. Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the current role of healthcare practitioners (HCPs) towards managing DR in the eThekwini district of KwaZulu-Natal.Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and questionnaires were distributed to a total of 104 HCPs in public health institutions situated in the northern eThekwini district of KwaZulu-Natal. Clinics and community health centres (CHCs) were selected based on the assumption that primary healthcare nurses, medical officers (MOs) and ophthalmic nurses and/or optometrists practice at these institutions. The hospitals selected were the referral institutions for the selected clinics and CHCs. The questionnaires distributed included questions relating to diabetic patient registers, referrals to and from other HCPs, management of ocular complications, ocular screening methods, fundus examinations and involvement in screening programmes.Results: Over a third of the ophthalmologists (35.3%) indicated that DR was present at the initial examination in more than 50% of patients, though overall ophthalmologists reported loss of vision in at least one eye in fewer than 5% of patients on presentation. Less than half of the public sector general practitioners or MOs (40.6%) conducted fundus examinations but 90.6% did not dilate pupils, although 71.9% had knowledge on the use of a direct ophthalmoscope. Only 40.6% of the MOs discussed the ocular complications of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM) with patients and 62.5% encouraged regular eye examinations. Less than 50% of the MOs (43.8%) referred patients complaining of visual difficulties to optometrists and 9.4% referred to the ophthalmic nurses. Only 6.25% referred patients with DM needing further evaluation to ophthalmologists. Data from the optometrists were inconclusive because of the poor response rate of 5 (20%). None of the ophthalmic nurses reported doing fundus photography or refractions. Two-thirds of the ophthalmic nurses were interested in training to properly grade DR.Conclusion: The study established that there are key challenges in referral, training and practice in the management of DR. These need to be addressed in order to develop a comprehensive approach for the prevention and management of visual impairment and blindness because of DM.

Homeostasis 3: nurses as external agents of control in hypothyroidism

The role of healthcare practitioners in reversing homeostatic imbalances essentially makes them external agents of homeostatic control-they are replacing the usual assessment, controlling and effector aspects that operate intrinsically in health (homeostasis) but have failed in ill-health (homeostatic imbalances). This article examines the homeostatic imbalance of hypothyroidism, using a case study to draw analogies between the components of homeostatic theory and those of the nursing process. After reading this article, nurses should be able to explain: how the components of homeostasis are associated with health, and how failure of one or more of these components of homeostasis is associated with illness; that illness arises from a cellular, and therefore chemical, homeostatic imbalance; that hypothyroidism is a cellular imbalance of low levels of thyroid hormone, which is identified by signs and symptoms (i.e. other homeostatic imbalances) related to these low levels; and understand how primary care nurses looking after people with hypothyroidism are acting as external agents of homeostatic control.

Information to fight the flab:

The purpose of the paper is to examine information use and information literacy in the context of weight management. It reports on a two-year study funded by the Department of Health known informally as the Net.Weight Study. Net.Weight examined the potential for increased, innovative and effective uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support the self management of weight. The research was conducted in the city of Brighton & Hove by an inter-disciplinary team from the University of Brighton. The paper gives a brief overview of the various methods used in the study as a whole but discusses one strand, the user survey, in more detail. The survey gathered data on people’s information and ICT use around weight management. The design of the survey questionnaire required the adaptation of existing literacy assessment instruments and this process is described in this paper. The findings show that people use a wide range of information sources for information and support around weight management. The most useful sources are slimming groups, food packaging, friends and family, magazines, TV and health books, thus representing a variety of media, formal and informal, and including human sources. The internet was reported to be a useful source for around half the survey respondents and is most often used for information about diet and exercise. A majority of respondents described themselves as active information seekers and confident about their information skills. They are less confident about internet information than information generally and even less confident about using the internet to support weight management activities. The concept of literacies, particularly around information and health, provide a framework for examining the Net.Weight findings. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for health information policy and for those interested in applying information literacy theory to health. The role of healthcare practitioners in weight management information is addressed, as is the need for targeted rather than generic health information. It is suggested that the work done in the education sector to increase awareness of information literacy and improve skills could provide a useful model of good practice in a health context. However, the evidence provided by the Net.Weight study suggests that for such an approach to be relevant it needs to reflect the complexity of health information processes in everyday lives.

To boldly lead

Leadership in Health Care Jill Barr and Lesley Dowding; SAGE Publications Ltd; 2008; 260 pp $44.95 ISBN 978-1412920681 The role of health care practitioners is to provide patients with advice and guidance about health and disease. This is what it means to be a teacher; this is what it means to be a

Managing oral chemotherapy: The healthcare practitioner’s role

[corrected] Management of the side effect profiles of the new oral cancer chemotherapeutic agents differs from those of traditional oral chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. The healthcare practitioner's role in counseling and managing these toxicities as well as methods for assessing and promoting adherence is reviewed. Many side effects from traditional oral cancer chemotherapeutic agents are the result of their effects on healthy cells as well as cancer cells. The side effects from the novel targeted therapies differ from those of traditional chemotherapy. Managing side effects and patient self-administration in non-traditional settings without supervision may affect patient adherence, especially with the newer agents. Social and psychological factors also can affect adherence. Various methods are available to assess adherence, including obtaining prescription refill histories and performing pill counts. Counseling patients, asking patients to keep a diary of doses and side effects, and following up with patients at clinic visits or through telephone contact are all methods that promote adherence. Patient education should address the proper dose, frequency, timing with respect to food and other medications, what to do if a dose is missed, side effects to anticipate, and what to do if side effects occur. Healthcare practitioners play an important role in educating patients regarding potential side effects to oral chemotherapy and assessing and promoting adherence to the treatment regimen.