Safe Health Care Research Articles

Spotted Hyena Optimizer Driven Deep Learning-Based Drug-Drug Interaction Prediction in Big Data Environment

Nowadays, smart healthcare and biomedical research have marked a substantial growth rate in terms of their presence in the literature, computational approaches, and discoveries, owing to which a massive quantity of experimental datasets was published and generated (Big Data) for describing and validating such novelties. Drug-drug interaction (DDI) significantly contributed to drug administration and development. It continues as the main obstacle in offering inexpensive and safe healthcare. It normally happens for patients with extensive medication, leading them to take many drugs simultaneously. DDI may cause side effects, either mild or severe health problems. This reduced victims’ quality of life and increased hospital healthcare expenses by increasing their recovery time. Several efforts were made to formulate new methods for DDI prediction to overcome this issue. In this aspect, this study designs a new Spotted Hyena Optimizer Driven Deep Learning based Drug-Drug Interaction Prediction (SHODL-DDIP) model in a big data environment. In the presented SHODL-DDIP technique, the relativity and characteristics of the drugs can be identified from different sources for prediction. The input data is preprocessed at the primary level to improve its quality. Next, the salp swarm optimization algorithm (SSO) is used to select features. In this study, the deep belief network (DBN) model is exploited to predict the DDI accurately. The SHO algorithm is involved in improvising the DBN model’s predictive outcomes, showing the novelty of the work. The experimental result analysis of the SHODL-DDIP technique is tested using drug databases, and the results signified the improvements of the SHODL-DDIP technique over other recent models in terms of different performance measures.

Redefining venereology practice in Tamil Nadu, South India - Nakshatra Health - A networking model.

Accessing care for sexual health has always been a challenge in our Indian context. The primary reason is a lack of awareness of modes of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STD), appropriate testing, and treatment options. The second is taboo associated with the morality of the individual. The third is the accessibility and availability of Quality STD care by allopathic specialists in comparison to the demand. This has paved way for lots of myths and misconceptions among the general public regarding STDs and HIV disease. Compounding it is the mushrooming of nonqualified practitioners and healers who claim to cure all STDs and HIV has led to poor treatment outcomes. Several methods of partnership with qualified allopathic practitioners have been tried for the provision of quality STD care by various donor-funded, HIV and STD prevention programs in the country. The key reasons for the nonsustainability of these clinics were the lack of technical capability to handle the sexual health and STD clinical cases and the huge cost involved in the advertisement and maintenance of the clinics. Seven clinicians from different geographical locations in Tamil Nadu, who were exclusively qualified in Venereology, conceived the idea of provision of comprehensive clinical care cum counseling and testing services through a networking model from December 01, 2020. The model comprised the following: (1) Dedicated YouTube channel (Nakshatra Health) to provide scientific information on STD and HIV, modes of transmission, clinical symptoms, lab testing, interpretation of results, clinical treatment options, and counseling on prevention, (2) Dedicated telephone helpline was established with WhatsApp to answer the queries of clients by the network venereologists, (3) Dedicated website (www.nakshatra.health) was developed to provide information on STD and HIV and options to clarify doubts and fix appointments online, (4) Clinical consultations were done in a hybrid mode with an option for direct clinic and online consultation. Prescriptions were provided using dedicated software instantly, (5) Networking was done with NABL-accredited labs and collection centers for performing STD and HIV tests with e-test request forms, (6) Networking was done with pharma companies to provide pre- and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) services to clients through e-prescriptions. Cross referrals were made across the network members to facilitate easy access to clinical services by clients from different parts of Tamil Nadu. The entire concept was branded as "Nakshatra health" with a tagline - "Your sparkling solution for safe sexual health care." Quality STD care and ethical practice were the underlying motos of this concept. During the 20 months (December 2020 to July 2022), 6442 phone calls and 9328 WhatsApp messages were received. 82.3% of the calls and messages were queries from clients related to their sexual exposures, and 16.4% were general information seekers. During this period, the Nakshatra Health YouTube channel had 1590 subscribers and nearly 2.4 lakh views of all its 24 videos. Among the viewers, 92.4% were male. 52.29% of viewers were between the ages of 25 and 34 years, 28.25% were between the ages of 18 and 24 years, and 17.25% viewers were between the ages of 35 and 44 years. 86% of the viewers were from India and 13% were Tamil-speaking viewers from Middle East, Southeast Asian countries and 1% were from European, African, and American countries. The most commonly watched videos were related to HIV symptoms and lab tests for STD and HIV. 16% of the viewers repeatedly watched the various videos in the series. The network laboratories provided testing services for 1082 clients with 2423 various STD/HIV tests. Totally 3328 clients availed of online consultation and 924 clients accessed clinic-based services across the network members. Among these cases, 18 cases of Syphilis (primary and secondary) and 12 cases of acute gonococcal urethritis, and 10 cases of genital warts were diagnosed and treated. 12 cases of phimosis and 4 cases of anal warts were surgically treated in collaboration with a surgeon. Through this initiative, PEP and PreP services were provided to 228 and 8 individuals. Designing a comprehensive sexual health service package is crucial to ensure the availability and ease of access to services to the general public. Provision of correct scientific information, networking and cross-referral of cases with like-minded dermatovenereologists/clinicians interested in venereology sexually transmitted infections, easily accessible clinical, laboratory, and treatment services including PreP and PEP medications, and ethical practice are the key factors for scaling this concept.

Electronic occurrence variance reporting system: A reliable multi-platform system for the low-income settings

BackgroundReducing waste, improving quality, boosting treatment efficacy, and providing safe patient-centered health care are the top priorities for most healthcare organizations. A reliable incident reporting system is a method that can help decision-makers stay aware of any incidents that violate patient safety guidelines, examine the probable causes, and come up with new policies that can prevent future patient safety violations. MethodsIn this study, we present our newly developed electronic Occurrence Variance Reporting system (eOVR), made specifically for low-income countries with a cost as low as 5 USD/month, along with the steps required for the reporting and the potential benefits to the whole healthcare system. This system was developed using a third-party application, AppSheet, which provides already established customizable forms that would help any hospital to develop its reporting system without the need for programming experts or the expensive infrastructure needed for it. ResultsOur system is composed of three main stages that allow the participating members to report, taking a decision, and evaluating the need for further actions. We implemented a mixture of electronic tools designed to fulfill the purpose of reporting incidents and facilitating the analysis of the system gaps, especially in times of crisis using an incident report that can be generated automatically and immediately using this system. ConclusionTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first electronic model of OVR developed to be used in individual hospitals in low-income countries without the need for expensive infrastructure or hiring a professional programmer. This model could save time and offer more flexibility and versatility to both the incident reporter and the decision-makers. Lastly, offering a low-cost solution, as low as 5 USD/month, would encourage the hospitals to participate in incident reporting, as well as enhance the digitalization process in low-income countries.

Audit of Safety Profile of Drugs Being Used to Treat Elderly Type II Diabetics: Observations from a Tertiary Care Hospital

ABSTRACT Background and Objective: The treatment of elderly people who have developed Type II diabetes is a major challenge. Therefore, this study was conducted to ascertain the drug prescription pattern and the adverse effects of drugs in a tertiary care hospital. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional, observational study. This study was carried out on 164 elderly patients with diabetes mellitus attending inpatient and outpatient of the institute. This study assesses the prescribing pattern of antidiabetic drugs and adverse drugs reaction to the drugs administered. Naranjo-Algorithm Probability of American depositary receipt (ADR) scale and WHO prescribing indicators were used for assessment. This study also identifies the drug utilization in diabetic patients associated with other co-morbidities. Results: Mean age of the patient was 72.5 in both inpatient and outpatient and male:female ratio among inpatient and outpatient 1.5:1 and 1:1.3, respectively. Metformin (biguanide) was the most commonly prescribed antidiabetic drug and was followed by glimepiride. Insulin was used in 65% of inpatient. Potential drug-drug interactions were noted in 71% of inpatient and 50.8% of outpatient. The incidence of ADR observed in this study was3.6%. Conclusion: Metformin and glimepiride were the most common drugs used in both inpatient and outpatient groups. Human regular insulin analog was commonly used in both patients group. The poor reporting in pharmacovigilance although mandated by the Indian Council of Medical Research is falling short; in preempting ADR. Effective pharmacovigilance will improve the quality of life in geriatric patients and would help the treating physicians to steer towards safe and effective healthcare.

Feasibility and acceptability testing of CommSense: A novel communication technology to enhance health equity in clinician-patient interactions.

Quality patient-clinician communication is paramount to achieving safe and compassionate healthcare, but evaluating communication performance during real clinical encounters is challenging. Technology offers novel opportunities to provide clinicians with actionable feedback to enhance their communication skills. This pilot study evaluated the acceptability and feasibility of CommSense, a novel natural language processing (NLP) application designed to record and extract key metrics of communication performance and provide real-time feedback to clinicians. Metrics of communication performance were established from a review of the literature and technical feasibility verified. CommSense was deployed on a wearable (smartwatch), and participants were recruited from an academic medical center to test the technology. Participants completed a survey about their experience; results were exported to SPSS (v.28.0) for descriptive analysis. Forty (n = 40) healthcare participants (nursing students, medical students, nurses, and physicians) pilot tested CommSense. Over 90% of participants "strongly agreed" or "agreed" that CommSense could improve compassionate communication (n = 38, 95%) and help healthcare organizations deliver high-quality care (n = 39, 97.5%). Most participants (n = 37, 92.5%) "strongly agreed" or "agreed" they would be willing to use CommSense in the future; 100% (n = 40) "strongly agreed" or "agreed" they were interested in seeing information analyzed by CommSense about their communication performance. Metrics of most interest were medical jargon, interruptions, and speech dominance. Participants perceived significant benefits of CommSense to track and improve communication skills. Future work will deploy CommSense in the clinical setting with a more diverse group of participants, validate data fidelity, and explore optimal ways to share data analyzed by CommSense with end-users.

Aboriginal Men’s Business: A Literature Review of Factors Affecting Aboriginal Men Accessing Sexual Health Services

Introduction: Aboriginal men are relatively young, with a median age of 22 years, nearly half that of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Aboriginal men also have the highest mortality rates and have the lowest life expectancy. Sexually Transmissible Infection (STI) rates are extremely overrepresented in lower socio-economic groups, including minority populations. STI rates among Aboriginal communities are significantly higher when compared to the non-Aboriginal population. Aims: In the context of multiple factors impinging on the sexual health of Aboriginal men, we sought to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature for the purpose of developing a framework through which needs and actions to improve sexual health could be identified and understood. Methods: A targeted, comprehensive search strategy was developed using keywords and synonyms related to the aims of the project. The search included scholarly peer reviewed academic literature available and grey literature from the Wollongong Hospital and the NSW Health library. The search was made more efficient by entering search terms into the Deakin University EBSCOhost search engine, and Google Scholar was searched separately. Grey literature searching was conducted with Clinical Information Access Portal (CIAP), Informit and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Results: The search produced a total number of 385 papers from peer reviewed publications and grey literature. A total of 95 duplicates were removed, leaving 290 papers. After incorporating the screening process, exclusion and inclusion criteria, the total number of articles selected for review was 31 articles. Discussion: The thematic analysis identified that cultural considerations of Aboriginal ‘Men’s business’ involving traditional lifestyle, cultural practices and the impact of colonisation were only briefly covered in the included studies. The findings of the literature review indicated that Aboriginal men’s health is deeply influenced by their socio-economic status and cultural wellbeing. This review provided limited findings relating to service provision support for Aboriginal men. Conclusion: Overall, this review presented several concerning factors and evidence of the difficulties for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men accessing sexual health services. Literature identified the long-standing health statistics and deterioration of health and social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. While both mainstream health and non-government services are offering limited provision of culturally safe and appropriate healthcare pathways.

Pathway Analysis on the Effects of Nursing Informatics Competency, Nursing Care Left Undone, and Nurse Reported Quality of Care on Nursing Productivity among Clinical Nurses

Nursing informatics competency is used to manage and improve the delivery of safe, high-quality, and efficient healthcare services in accordance with best practices and professional and regulatory standards. This study examined the relationship between nursing informatics competency (NIC), nursing care left undone, and nurse reported quality of care (NQoC) and nursing productivity. A path model for their effects on nursing productivity among clinical nurses was also established. Data were collected using structured questionnaires answered by 192 nurses working in a tertiary hospital located in J city, Korea, and analyzed using SPSS/WIN 23.0 and AMOS 21.0 program. The fit indices of the alternative path model satisfied recommended levels χ² = .11 (p = .741), normed χ² (χ²/df) = .11, SRMR = .01, RMSEA = .00, GFI = 1.00, NFI = 1.00, AIC = 18.11. Among the variables, NIC (β = .44, p < .001), NQoC (β = .35, p < .001) had a direct effect on nursing productivity. Due to the mediating effect of NQoC on the relationship between NIC and nursing productivity, the effect size was .14 (95% CI .08~.24). Meanwhile, nursing care left undone through NQoC in the relationship between NIC and nursing productivity, has a significant mediation effect (estimate .01, 95% CI .00~.03). The explanatory power of variables was 44.0%. Education and training for enhancing NIC should be provided to improve nursing productivity, quality of care and to reduce missed nursing care. Furthermore, monitoring the quality of nursing care and using it as a productivity index is essential.

Lived experiences and drivers of induced abortion among women in central Uganda.

Although unsafe abortions are preventable, they are one of the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. Despite the serious potential health consequences, there is limited published information about drivers and challenges of obtaining abortions in restrictive settings such as Uganda. This limits efforts to improve programing for preventing unsafe abortion and providing comprehensive post abortion care. This study sought to understand the drivers and explain the lived abortion experiences among women from central Uganda, in an effort to promote greater access to safe reproductive healthcare services, and reduce unsafe abortions. This qualitative study included 40 purposely selected women who self-reported an abortion, living in Kampala and greater Rakai district, Uganda. They were part of a larger survey using respondent driven sampling, where seed participants were recruited from selected facilities offering post-abortion care, or through social referrals. Data were collected from May to September 2021 through in-depth interviews. Audio data were transcribed, managed using Atlas.ti 9, and analyzed thematically. The findings show that the underlying drivers stemmed from partners who were unsupportive, denied responsibility, or had raped/defiled women. Career and education decisions, stigma and fear to disappoint family also contributed. Women had feelings of confusion, neglect, betrayal, or shame after conception. Abortion and post-abortion experiences were mixed with physical and emotional pain including stigma, even when the conditions for safe abortion in the guidelines were satisfied. Although most women sought care from health facilities judged to provide safe and quality care, there was barely any counselling in these venues. Confidantes and health providers informed the choice of abortion methods, although the cost ultimately mattered most. The mental health of women whose partners are unsupportive or who conceive unintendedly need consideration. Abortion provided psychological relief from more complicated consequences of having an unplanned birth for women.

Interprofessional Case Conference Enhances Group Learning and the Quality, Safety, Value, and Equity of Team-Based Care.

Patients seeking treatment for complex conditions require coordinated care from interprofessional clinicians. Collaborative engagement in an interprofessional community of practice is crucial to the collective competence of a team and the provision of high-quality, safe health care leading to improved patient outcomes. The objective of this descriptive, cross-sectional study was to describe interprofessional communication, coordination, and collaboration of participants in an integrated practice unit that was structured to include weekly case conferences as part of routine practice. Data were collected from October 2019 to February 2020. Web-based surveys were administered to a convenience sample that included 33 questions and followed the CHERRIES checklist for reporting results. Items focused on team knowledge, impact on patient care, and communication, and conference focus and effectiveness. Descriptive and survey item analysis included frequency, percentage, means and standard deviation, Chi-square, and Pearson correlation analysis. Patient outcome data were collected via a Patient Global Impression of Improvement scale and were analyzed using a paired sample t test. Survey respondents (n = 161) included clinicians and administrative staff. Results demonstrated that interprofessional case conferences improved the collective competence of the team, including team knowledge and communication. Participants viewed case conferences as a means to enhance care delivery quality, value, safety, and equity. In the study period, there was also a statistically significant improvement between the patient's first follow-up and last visits. Survey respondents indicated that case conferences were an effective means to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care through interprofessional collaboration and education.

What are COVID-19 Patient Preferences for and Experiences with Virtual Care? Findings From a Scoping Review.

Virtual care became a routine method for healthcare delivery during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Patient preferences are central to delivering patient-centered and high-quality care. The pandemic challenged healthcare organizations and providers to quickly deliver safe healthcare to COVID-19 patients. This resulted in varied implementation of virtual healthcare services. With an increased focus on remote COVID-19 monitoring, little research has examined patient experiences with virtual care. This scoping review examined patient experiences and preferences with virtual care among community-based self-isolating COVID-19 patients. We identified a paucity of literature related to patient experiences and preferences regarding virtual care. Few articles focused on patient experiences and preferences as a primary outcome. Our research suggests that (1) patients view virtual care positively and to be feasible to use; (2) patient access to technology impacts patient satisfaction and experiences; and (3) to enhance the patient experience, healthcare organizations and providers need to support patient use of technology and resolve technology-related issues. When planning virtual care modalities, purposeful consideration of patient experiences and preferences is needed to deliver quality patient-centered care.

Exploring the Experiences of the Consent Process for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People Having Cardiac Surgery and Participating in Medical Research: A Study Protocol

Background: Gaining informed consent is a critical step before any medical procedure, and before taking part in medical research. Cultural differences in concepts of health and healing, communication, language, and racism, can play a part in forming barriers to gaining informed consent for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, a lack of informed consent can worsen distrust and contribute to continuing health disparities. This protocol describes a study aimed at providing a better understanding of informed consent experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people undergoing heart surgery and participating in research. This will be complemented by comparing those experiences to the ones of the clinicians and researchers who obtain informed consent from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Methods: The study will be conducted at the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Western Australia and Townsville University Hospital in Queensland. Participants will include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients undergoing cardiac surgery, clinicians of the cardiothoracic surgery team and medical researchers at both hospitals. Yarning will be used as an Indigenous research method to collect meaningful data from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people undergoing cardiac surgery whilst semi-structured interviews will be conducted to explore Clinician’s and researchers’ experiences. Data from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participant will be analysed following a cyclical approach to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are not lost during data interpretation. Inductive thematic analysis of data will be conducted to yield practical recommendations. Conclusions: We present the protocol of a study that will inform the development of strategies to ensure that informed consent processes are culturally appropriate and guarantee Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s right to self-determination. This will contribute to the provision of culturally safe healthcare services and promote the conduct of medical research that is ethical, safe and benefits Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LEAN SIX SIGMA PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABILITY: A BLUEPRINT FOR POST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The global crisis caused by Covid-19 and its impact on the healthcare system has been far-reaching and challenging in virtually all countries. Lean six sigma in Malaysia has never improvised an account for this case of the uncommon event as it only focuses on daily operations and productions that are in stability and in alignment with the demand to capacity in an effective way. This study, therefore, attempts to compare and contrast the previous researches on lean practices, six sigma, industrial evolution, and healthcare sustainability to investigate where the paucity of literature lies and to deploy new strategies for the post-pandemic. Currently, the healthcare industry is motivated to update its conventional delivery systems to smart sophisticated systems due to the growing challenges within the services organization. The study found that integrating industrial revolution 4.0 technologies into the services optimizes sustainable healthcare management. As providing affordable, reliable, and safe healthcare while improving efficient performance remains challenging in the healthcare industry, this study posits that a hybrid of industrial revolution technologies, lean practices, and six sigma are enhancers of social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The study also reveals the significant contributions of operations and services management practices and how the strategic implementation of modern technologies and performance variation can improve sustainable performance in the healthcare sector

CARING FOR HOMEBOUND VETERANS DURING COVID-19 IN THE US DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL FOSTER HOME PROGRAM

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic made older, homebound adults with multiple chronic conditions increasingly vulnerable to contracting the virus. The United States (US) Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Foster Home (MFH) program cares for such Veterans residing in private homes of non-VA caregivers. In this qualitative study, we assessed adaptations to delivering safe and effective healthcare during the early stages of the pandemic for Veterans living in rural MFHs, interviewing (n=37) VA MFH care providers at 19 MFH programs across the US. We identified themes reflecting adaptations to care provision, including care providers increasing communication and education to caregivers who prioritized Veteran safety. Caregivers coordinated increasing telehealth visits, applied creative strategies to mitigate social isolation of Veterans and themselves, and Veterans were prioritized for in-home COVID-19 vaccinations. Study findings illustrate the importance of clear, regular communication and intentional care coordination to ensure high quality care for vulnerable, homebound populations during crises.

Accurate identification and documentation of First Nations women and babies attending maternity services: How can we 'close the gap' if we can't get this right?

Policies and strategies addressing the health inequities experienced by First Nations peoples are critical to ensuring the gap in outcomes between First Nations and non-Indigenous peoples is closed. The identification of First Nations peoples is vital to enable the delivery of culturally safe and sensitive health care. Complete and accurate health data are essential for funding and evaluation of such initiatives. To describe the processes used and accuracy of identification and documentation of First Nations mothers and babies during the period of the implementation of a culturally responsive caseload model of maternity care at three major metropolitan maternity services in Melbourne, Australia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using administrative and clinical data. There was variation in when and how First Nations identification was asked and documented for mothers and babies. Errors included 14% of First Nations mothers not identified at the first booking appointment, 5% not identified until after the birth and 11% of First Nations babies not identified in the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection documentation. Changes to documentation and staff education were implemented to improve identification and reduce inaccuracies. To improve disparities in health outcomes, mainstream health services must respond to the needs of First Nations peoples, but improved care first requires accurate identification and documentation of First Nations peoples. Implementing and maintaining accuracy in collection and documentation of First Nations status is essential for health services to provide timely and appropriate care to First Nations people and to support and grow culturally appropriate and safe services.

Does lower use of academic affiliation by university faculty in top U.S. newspapers contribute to misinformation about abortion?

ABSTRACT Background University faculty are considered trusted sources of information to disseminate accurate information to the public that abortion is a common, safe and necessary medical health care service. However, misinformation persists about abortion’s alleged dangers, commonality, and medical necessity. Methods Systematic review of popular media articles related to abortion, gun control (an equally controversial topic), and cigarette use (a more neutral topic) published in top U.S. newspapers between January 2015 and July 2020 using bivariate analysis and logistic regression to compare disclosure of university affiliation among experts in each topic area. Results We included 41 abortion, 102 gun control, and 130 smoking articles, which consisted of 304 distinct media mentions of university-affiliated faculty. Articles with smoking and gun control faculty experts had statistically more affiliations mentioned (90%, n = 195 and 88%, n = 159, respectively) than abortion faculty experts (77%, n = 54) (p = 0.02). The probability of faculty disclosing university affiliation was similar between smoking and gun control (p = 0.73), but between smoking and abortion was significantly less (Ave Marginal Effects – 0.13, p = 0.02). Conclusions Fewer faculty members disclose their university affiliation in top U.S. newspapers when discussing abortion. Lack of academic disclosure may paradoxically make these faculty appear less ‘legitimate.’ This leads to misinformation, branding abortion as a ‘choice,’ suggesting it is an unessential medical service. With the recent U.S. Supreme Court landmark decision, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and subsequent banning of abortion in many U.S. states, faculty will probably be even less likely to disclose their university affiliation in the media than in the past.

Artificial Intelligence in Health: Enhancing a Return to Patient-Centered Communication.

The medical environment is on the verge of a dramatic transformation as artificial intelligence (AI) evolves. With the inevitable shift toward AI in health care delivery, there are concerns around its implementation, including ethics, privacy, data representation, and the potential for eliminating physicians. However, AI cannot replicate a physician's knowledge and understanding of the patient as a person and the conditions in which he or she lives. Therefore, provider-patient communication will be paramount in providing safe and effective health care. This piece describes the importance of patient-centered communication and the unintentional move away from this in recent times. We argue that patient-provider communication is vital in the age of AI as it will integrate into the way medicine is practiced, thus leading to more time with the patient to build rapport, trust, and empathy. This will ultimately lead to optimal health-related outcomes.

Patients Experience with Telemedicine during COVID-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary Cancer Center in Qatar

Background: The Coronavirus-19 is an ongoing global pandemic that to date, has resulted in over 5 million deaths with more than 240 million cases worldwide. COVID-19 has caused a major burden on public health; however, it simultaneously shed the light on pre-existing gaps within current health care systems worldwide. Health care systems were burdened through both inpatient as well as outpatient settings, with a notable decline in outpatient clinic follow ups. Fortunately, many innovated solutions were being created to tackle the may barriers, one being telehealth. Telemedicine is the provision of medical information exchanged via electronic communication. This is done through a growing variety of services, such as audio or video calls, emails, and other forms of telecommunication. It is a promising means that can provide care to a selected group of patients, particularly cancer patients who are at a higher risk in comparison to the general population. It provides a safe and alternative route to combat patient care while minimizing their risk of exposure. In this study we provide insight to patients experience with telemedicine through this pandemic. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 279 (RR:85%) patients in tertiary cancer care center National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) in Qatar. Our inclusion criteria included patients following regularly by telemedicine in outpatient clinics during COVID 19, patients aged 18 years and above, ability to complete the questionnaire over the phone and with no language barriers. We excluded patients who did not respond to the phone call after 5 attempts (at different times on different days), patients who were abroad, patients who did not consent to answer the questionnaire and patients who had expired. Data was collected through phone calls whereby a standard introductory script followed by a survey questionnaire was read by the physician to patients. We focused on patients' experience with telemedicine services amid the pandemic. This was done by using 7 questions that were scaled from 1 through 6, using a six-point Likert scoring system. It was divided into two main categories; category 1 comprised of patients' demographics and category 2 comprised of 7 questions on their feedback and satisfaction scale. Results: Over a period of 6 weeks, 297 patients were contacted over the phone to answer the survey questionnaire (Table 1). The cohort of patients included 46.1% with solid tumor malignancy, 38.4% with benign hematological conditions and 15.5% with hematological malignancies. More than 80% of patients somewhat to strongly agreed that telemedicine met their care needs, improved their confidence in their health care system, and were generally satisfied with the quality of care provided. It was evident that the level of communication through telemedicine was not compromised over the phone as 89% of patients somewhat to strongly agreed they could freely talk; 90% understood their physicians' recommendations and more than half of the patients (89%) felt they could freely communicate their concerns. Although 88% of participants were somewhat to strongly satisfied with their telemedicine experience; if given the choice most would prefer in person consultations over teleconsultations (68% vs. 32%, respectively). Having said that, 90% would still be willing to take part in future teleconsultations. Conclusions: Telemedicine is a revolutionary system that has pioneered a new era for delivering patient care. Integration of telemedicine-based care into our standard practices in the future, could potentially provide a safe health care system in addition to being time and cost-effective for health sectors and patients alike. Our study indicates an overall positive experience among patients towards the use of telemedicine. Although our data did show that patients preferred in-person visitations majority were not opposed to future teleconsultations. Cancer care providers may explore the reasoning as well as solutions for this with future studies. We as health care professionals should look to implementing patient as well as physician education so that we may expand the telehealth approach in the future. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Overview of Infection Control in Primary Healthcare

Infection control is of utmost importance in primary healthcare settings to prevent the spread of infections, safeguard patients and healthcare workers, and maintain a safe healthcare environment. The effective implementation of infection control measures is vital to prevent the spread of infections, protect patients and healthcare workers, and maintain a safe healthcare environment. This article provides an overview of infection control practices in primary healthcare, highlighting key strategies and considerations. It covers topics such as Key Strategies, Significance of Infection Control, infection control toolkit, Comprehensive Approach, Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes. By implementing effective infection control measures, primary healthcare facilities can ensure the delivery of safe and high-quality care

Patient Satisfaction with Healthcare Services Among Inpatients in The Covid-19 Isolation Room

Patient care in the isolation room differs from other rooms, including strict hygiene, proper personal protective equipment, and minimal patient contact. Furthermore, this study aims to portray patient satisfaction with healthcare services among inpatients in the COVID-19 isolation room. It was a descriptive study using a retrospective descriptive methodology. The population was inpatients in the COVID-19 isolation room at Surabaya Islamic hospital for January-May 2021. In addition, the sample was 128 respondents with a total sampling method. The authors used a questionnaire portraying patient satisfaction with health care services based on reliability, assurance, tangible, empathy, and responsiveness dimensions. The data was processed descriptively in a frequency distribution table. The results showed that respondents were satisfied with the reliability dimension (the ability of doctors and nurses to explain, listen, and speed up handling complaints). In addition, they were satisfied with tangible (room facilities, cleanliness of rooms, cleanliness of beds and bathrooms); empathy (attention of doctors, the ability of nurses to motivate and communicate well); assurance (friendly and polite healthcare services, safe healthcare services, and good healthcare service), and responsiveness (fast and accurate healthcare treatments, diagnostics, and easy healthcare procedures). Thus, inpatients in the COVID-19 Isolation Room at Surabaya Islamic hospital for January-May 2021 were satisfied with healthcare services based on reliability, assurance, tangible, empathy, and responsiveness dimensions. However, the empathy dimension had the lowest score among the five dimensions. So, emotional intelligence training is essential to improve health workers' empathy for patients.

Are mass gathering events hot spot for spreading of infectious diseases: The Kumbh Mela experience

Kumbh Mela, the largest spiritual mass gathering, witnessed around 240 million pilgrims in 2019 at Prayagraj. The huge gathering poses challenges of different kinds including easy transmission of infectious diseases. This research aims to identify the types and causes of infectious diseases and discuss the government's efforts for health and sanitation management. Secondary data from various reports have been used to support the study for which related websites, Prayagraj Mela Authority reports, peer-reviewed articles, and related literatures were studied. Qualitative and quantitative analyses have been done to find trends and have comparative studies among various Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh Melas. The study finds that there is spread of infectious diseases like Acute respiratory infections, fever, skin disease, dysentery etc. during the Kumbh Mela due to the huge population, restricted space, pressure on sanitation infrastructure, unhygienic living conditions, solid and liquid wastes generated during Mela, and pilgrims' social and religious psychologies. The number of pilgrims of the occasion has increased heavily with time. Based on the anticipated number various efforts and initiatives of the government and management such as advance disease surveillance system, HEAT map, ensuring safe drinking water, better sanitation and healthcare facilities has increased over the years to reduce its impact. Mass gathering events always draw attention to health hazards and in fact the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forced to think about the organization of mass gathering events in future. The mega tent city that accommodates nearly millions of pilgrims in the river bed is significant not only for India but also for mass gathering research at the international level to draw policy and provide the opportunity to generate the evidence and document base for risk prevention, mitigation, and management planning of infectious diseases and disasters.