Health Screening Research Articles

Optimizing preventive healthcare uptake in community pharmacies using data-driven marketing strategies

This review paper explores the potential of data-driven marketing strategies to optimize preventive healthcare uptake in community pharmacies. As accessible healthcare touchpoints, community pharmacies play a crucial role in promoting preventive health services, including vaccinations, screenings, and wellness consultations. By leveraging patient data, such as demographics, purchase history, and seasonal trends, pharmacies can implement targeted campaigns, behavioral segmentation, and personalized health education to engage patients effectively. This paper discusses practical strategies for utilizing data-driven marketing to enhance patient involvement in preventive care while addressing data privacy and patient trust challenges. The findings emphasize the need for pharmacy stakeholders to prioritize transparent communication and robust data privacy protocols to build lasting relationships with patients. Through continuous analysis of marketing initiatives, community pharmacies can foster a patient-centric approach that empowers individuals to take proactive control of their health. Ultimately, this review highlights the significant opportunity for community pharmacies to enhance public health outcomes by implementing data-driven strategies that promote preventive healthcare uptake.

Developing a data-driven predictive model for substance abuse prevention among youth using behavioral analytics

Substance abuse among youth presents a critical public health challenge, necessitating innovative approaches for early intervention and prevention. This study proposes the development of a data-driven predictive model that leverages behavioral analytics to identify youth at risk of substance abuse. The model utilizes data from multiple sources, including social media activity, school performance records, and mental health screenings, to analyze behavioral patterns that may indicate a predisposition toward substance misuse. The core methodology integrates machine learning algorithms to process and analyze large datasets, uncovering correlations between specific behaviors and the likelihood of substance abuse. Predictive features such as changes in social engagement, academic performance fluctuations, and indicators of emotional distress are identified and incorporated into the model to enhance its accuracy. By applying supervised learning techniques, the model is trained to recognize patterns in historical data, allowing it to make predictions about future substance use risks. Furthermore, the model's design emphasizes real-time monitoring and adaptability, enabling health professionals and educators to receive timely alerts and intervene early when behavioral warning signs are detected. The application of behavioral analytics in this context offers a more proactive, personalized approach to prevention, targeting at-risk individuals before they develop harmful substance use habits. In addition to its predictive capabilities, the model also provides actionable insights into effective intervention strategies. By identifying the most influential behavioral factors, it informs tailored prevention programs that address specific risk behaviors among youth. These findings can support policymakers and healthcare providers in developing data-driven, evidence-based prevention initiatives that better allocate resources to high-risk populations.

Advancing clinical MRI exams with artificial intelligence: Japan's contributions and future prospects.

In this narrative review, we review the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams, with a particular focus on Japan's contributions to this field. In the first part of the review, we introduce the various applications of AI in optimizing different aspects of the MRI process, including scan protocols, patient preparation, image acquisition, image reconstruction, and postprocessing techniques. Additionally, we examine AI's growing influence in clinical decision-making, particularly in areas such as segmentation, radiation therapy planning, and reporting assistance. By emphasizing studies conducted in Japan, we highlight the nation's contributions to the advancement of AI in MRI. In the latter part of the review, we highlight the characteristics that make Japan a unique environment for the development and implementation of AI in MRI examinations. Japan's healthcare landscape is distinguished by several key factors that collectively create a fertile ground for AI research and development. Notably, Japan boasts one of the highest densities of MRI scanners per capita globally, ensuring widespread access to the exam. Japan's national health insurance system plays a pivotal role by providing MRI scans to all citizens irrespective of socioeconomic status, which facilitates the collection of inclusive and unbiased imaging data across a diverse population. Japan's extensive health screening programs, coupled with collaborative research initiatives like the Japan Medical Imaging Database (J-MID), enable the aggregation and sharing of large, high-quality datasets. With its technological expertise and healthcare infrastructure, Japan is well-positioned to make meaningful contributions to the MRI-AI domain. The collaborative efforts of researchers, clinicians, and technology experts, including those in Japan, will continue to advance the future of AI in clinical MRI, potentially leading to improvements in patient care and healthcare efficiency.

The Strategies to Improve Primary Health Care Services: A Scoping Review

Context: Evaluation of health policies and identification of their challenges are vital for improving and implementing reforms in the healthcare system. The present study was conducted to identify interventions aimed at improving primary healthcare (PHC) services in Iran. Evidence Acquisition: This research utilizes a scoping review to examine reform interventions in PHC services across 10 selected countries: Qatar, Oman, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, and Kuwait. The study covers areas such as the PHC delivery system, human resource management, financial mechanisms, and the framework of community participation and intersectoral collaboration from 2010 to 2022. Results: The main reform strategies for PHC systems in the reviewed countries included the establishment of family medical centers with nurse support as a comprehensive strategy for service provision in public health centers; providing comprehensive and quality healthcare service packages including maternal and child health, infectious disease immunization, chronic disease monitoring, and dental care services; health education; access to essential medications; improvement of electronic health services; implementation of health promotion and continuous prevention programs; capacity enhancement; and a greater focus on health screening programs and grading of healthcare centers. Conclusions: The major findings from the reviewed countries indicate that healthcare policymakers focus on providing preventive care services, reducing maternal and child mortality, and increasing life expectancy. Programs such as referral systems, service grading, and the adoption of electronic health services are part of their reform agenda.

Multi-Informant Universal Mental Health Screening for Preschool-Aged Children by Parents and Educators: A PRISMA Systematic Review.

Children develop rapidly in the preschool period, making accurate appraisals of mental health (MH) difficult. The preschool years are a key period for early identification of MH concerns and could benefit from multi-informant, universal MH screening (UMHS). This systematic review aimed to identify multi-informant UMHS measures for preschool-aged children, and to examine their clinical utility, effectiveness, and acceptability. Studies reporting the predictive and incremental validity, effectiveness or acceptability of parent and educator-report UMHS measures for children aged 3-5years were identified through CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science. Studies were excluded if screening was not the primary focus, not universal, single informant, or primarily focussed on Autism Spectrum Disorder. A total of 11 studies using 10 measures was identified. Ten studies screened for broad MH difficulties. Three educator-report and one parent- and educator-report measures had acceptable predictive validity. One study reporting incremental validity found that adding educator-report to parent ratings significantly improved the identification of MH concerns. No studies reported on effectiveness. Three studies that explored acceptability reported strong support for either UMHS in general or specific measures. There are promising results that UMHS can accurately identify child MH concerns in the preschool period using parent and educator reports. However, with few of the examined measures reaching the benchmark standards for predictive validity and only one study examining incremental validity, further research is needed to establish clinical utility. UMHS with preschool populations appears to be acceptable; future studies should further examine multi-informant screening in preschool populations. This systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero ; registration number: CRD 42022383426).

Working conditions, health status, and musculoskeletal disorders among hospital cleaning workers: a cross-sectional study in Turkey.

Cleaning workers face many workplace risk factors and may experience many health problems. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the musculoskeletal disorders, the health status of hospital cleaning workers, and the working conditions and risk factors affecting the workplace environment. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a university hospital of Turkey. All the cleaning workers who have been working for ≥1 year were participants. The participants' socio-demographic and occupational characteristics, health complaints, workplace risk factors, occupational accidents, and ergonomic nonconformities were observed and questioned. Four hundred thirty-eight cleaning employees participated in the study. In the past year, 19.6% of participants had an occupational accident. Of those, 24.4% did not report it, and 30.2% were absent from work. No pre-employment examination was reported by 36.8% of the participants, and periodic medical examinations were never undergone by 98.4%. Low back pain was experienced by 42.0% of the participants, while 29.5% reported shoulder pain and 28.8% knee pain. While working, 83.1% of the participants bent frequently, 82.2% repeated the same movement, and 73.2% stood for a long time. Chemical substances were the most common workplace risk factors. There were significant differences according to age and gender in almost all musculoskeletal disorders. Gender differences were observed also in various health outcomes and occupational complaints. Repeated bending and prolonged standing were associated with hip/leg and foot/ankle pains; heavy lifting with low back, back, wrist/hand, and ankle/foot pains; and failure to the breaks with shoulder, knee and hip/leg pains. This research investigated the health issues and occupational safety challenges faced by hospital cleaning personnel. Specifically, it examined musculoskeletal disorders and work-related accidents, emphasizing gaps in regular health screenings for these workers. The findings underscore gender variations in these challenges and propose strategies to mitigate ergonomic risks encountered by cleaning staff. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2024;75(5).

Gerincferdülés szűrése mesterséges intelligenciával

Early detection of scoliosis and other locomotor disorders is critical for effective treatment and improving the quality of life of those affected. The technology enables school nurses to make a more accurate diagnosis and make timely recommendations for the necessary interventions. In this study, we present the role of nurses in school health screening and the Tartás Pajtás tool, which was created to support school nurse screening. With the involvement of several nurses, we tested this device in a real environment and analyzed its possibilities and limitations. The results presented in the study were realized in the framework of the international project IML4E.

Hospital Dental Admissions and Caries Experience Among Children With Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: A Population-Based Record Linkage Cohort Study.

Within Aotearoa | New Zealand, rates of largely preventable severe caries and dental hospitalisations among children are increasing and inequalities exist. However, little population-based empirical evidence exists describing this oral health burden among children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs). This study aimed to estimate and compare the rates of dental hospital admissions in a near-national population of children aged ≤ 14 years with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, intellectual disability or any NDD after accounting for key confounding variables. Caries status for these children was derived from an oral health screening at 4 years and also examined. The cohort were children who had their B4 School Check (B4SC) national health screening assessment undertaken between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2018 and followed until 1 January 2020 (the study end date). Linked administrative databases, which include NDD indication and dental hospital records, were utilised. Dental hospital admissions were assessed using unadjusted and adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression models treating NDD as a discrete time-varying covariate. Caries status at 4 years of age was investigated cross-sectionally and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve used to assess predictive accuracy. The eligible sample included 433 569 children (48.6% female) with a mean age of 9.3 years at the study end date. Overall, 16 359 (3.8%) children had at least one NDD indication and 38 574 (8.9%) had at least one dental hospitalisation. In adjusted analyses, the hazard ratio of dental hospitalisation admissions was 3.40 (95% CI: 3.22-3.60) for children indicated with any NDD compared to their non-NDD counterparts. At 4 years of age B4SC screening, 465 (17.6%) children out of 2640 indicated with any NDD had visible caries compared to 61 026 (14.3%) from 427 254 children without NDD indication (prevalence ratio = 1.24 [95% CI: 1.14-1.35]). However, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for this association was 0.52 (95% CI: 0.51-0.52), suggesting negligible predictive capacity. Children with NDDs in Aotearoa, New Zealand suffer from substantial oral health inequities. Targeted preventive strategies and adaptation to primary oral health services are needed to meet the needs of neurodiverse children and redress this substantial inequity. However, targeting children with NDDs at the B4SC is unlikely to mitigate these oral health inequities.

Unhealthy Alcohol Use: Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions.

Despite the increase in daily alcohol intake in recent decades and the implementation of national health screenings, effective management strategies for alcohol consumption remain outdated. This review evaluates intervention studies on screening and behavioral counseling for unhealthy alcohol use, with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of interventions and improving health outcomes. On the basis of the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation)- ADOLOPMENT framework, systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials were examined to investigate the effectiveness of screening and counseling interventions in reducing unhealthy alcohol use. Five key questions were generated, and an evaluation and quality assessment of existing systematic reviews and new evidence related to each key question were conducted. Updating the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and Cochrane 2018 reviews, we identified five new randomized trials that evaluated screening and counseling interventions for unhealthy alcohol use. For Key Question 2, the sensitivity and specificity of the new screening studies were consistent with those of prior research. Brief interventions were confirmed to reduce alcohol use (Key Question 4a), although additional research is required for a wider array of health outcomes. One study highlighted the benefits of counseling interventions for newborn health indicators in pregnant women (Key Question 4b). No new evidence was found regarding the harms of screening (Key Question 3) or alcohol use reduction interventions (Key Question 5). This review supports the continued use of brief interventions to reduce alcohol consumption in highrisk groups and highlights the need for culturally tailored research in Korea.

Association of Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry (PRISm) with All-Cause Mortality: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Numerous studies indicate that preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. However, the impact of PRISm severity, particularly about FVC, on mortality risk remains unclear. To determine whether PRISm was associated with mortality and to identify specific groups with particularly increased mortality rates. This retrospective study enrolled individuals older than 40 years who underwent comprehensive health screening at the Center for Health Promotion, Samsung Medical Center, between 2003 and 2020. PRISm was characterized by FEV1/FVC ≥ 0.7 and FEV1 <80% of predicted values. Participants were classified into three groups: normal lung function, PRISm with normal FVC, and PRISm with low FVC (FVC <80% predicted). We compared all-cause mortality rates using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazard ratio model. Among 106,458 individuals, 86,208 exhibited normal lung function, while 6,249 had PRISm with normal FVC, and 14,001 had PRISm with low FVC. Over a median follow-up of 10.1 years, 2,219 participants succumbed. Individuals with PRISm experienced a higher cumulative mortality rate compared to those with normal lung function (39 vs. 16 per 10,000 person-years; adjusted HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.31-1.56). The fully-adjusted HRs for all-cause mortality in PRISm with normal and low FVC were 1.25 (95% CI 1.03-1.52) and 1.47 (95% CI 1.33-1.62) relative to those with normal lung function, respectively. PRISm is associated with an increased risk of death, particularly when accompanied by low FVC.

Abstract 4138672: Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Adults with Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease

Background: Most international guidelines recommend intensive blood pressure (BP) targets (e.g., &lt;130/80 mm Hg) for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the data supporting these recommendations are limited, particularly for those with concomitant diabetes. Hypothesis: Systolic BP (SBP) &lt;130 mm Hg and diastolic BP (DBP) &lt;80 mm Hg are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults with diabetes and CKD. Aims: To determine the association of BP with incident CVD risk among adults with diabetes and CKD. Methods: From a Korean nationwide health screening database, we identified 373,966 adults aged 20-79 with both diabetes and CKD who: (1) underwent baseline health examinations in 2009-2013; (2) had ≥3 BP measurements; and (3) did not have CVD at baseline. The associations of baseline average SBP and DBP with CVD risk were assessed using multivariable-adjusted cause-specific Cox models. The primary outcome was CVD event, defined as a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, or death from CVD. Results: The median (Q1-Q3) age of the participants was 62 (53-70) years; 40.8% were female. Over a median follow-up of 10.2 years, a total of 40,781 incident CVD events occurred. Compared with SBP 130 to &lt;140 mm Hg as the referent group, the multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CIs) for CVD event in the SBP ≥150 mm Hg, 140 to &lt;150 mm Hg, 120 to &lt;130 mm Hg, and &lt;120 mm Hg groups were 1.34 (1.29-1.39), 1.11 (1.08-1.14), 0.89 (0.87-0.91), and 0.77 (0.74-0.80), respectively. Compared with DBP 80 to &lt;90 mm Hg as the referent group, the HRs (95% CIs) in the DBP ≥100 mm Hg, 90 to &lt;100 mm Hg, 70 to &lt;80 mm Hg, and &lt;70 mm Hg groups were 1.70 (1.56-1.85), 1.19 (1.15-1.24), 0.88 (0.86-0.90), and 0.83 (0.80-0.87), respectively (Figure A). SBP &lt;130 mm Hg and DBP &lt;80 mm Hg were each associated with a reduced CVD risk in a log-linear manner (Figure B, Figure C). The findings were consistent when examining kidney instead of cardiovascular outcomes. Conclusion: Among patients with diabetes and CKD, SBP below 130 mm Hg and DBP below 80 mm Hg were associated with a reduced risk of CVD.

Evaluation of New Mental Health Diagnoses After Pediatric Traumatic Injuries at a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center.

Traumatic injury is associated with significant mental health morbidity. To evaluate the need for implementation of active-post injury mental health screening at a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma center, we aimed to characterize all new mental health diagnoses after injury and evaluated for patient or injury factors that may aid in targeting of future screening. A single-center retrospective analysis of trauma patients aged 6-18years presenting in 2022 was performed. Our primary outcome was a new DSM-5 mental health diagnosis documented after traumatic injury. Patients with and without a new mental health diagnosis were compared by age, sex, race, ethnicity, injury type/mechanism, injury severity score (ISS), intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and length of stay (LOS). 492 patients were included. Their median (IQR) age was 13.5 (10.4, 15.4) years. The median (IQR) follow-up interval was 157 (9, 429) days. There were 24 (4.9%) children with a new mental health diagnosis: 12 (50%) with trauma-related stress disorders, with the remaining having diagnoses such as depressive or anxiety disorders. Patients with a new mental health diagnosis had longer LOS (3.0 [1.8, 7.5] vs 2.0 [1.0, 3.3] days, P = 0.02) and were more likely to have sustained penetrating injury (P = 0.01). There were no differences in demographics, rates of preexisting mental health diagnosis or area deprivation index (P > 0.05). There were fewer new mental health diagnoses in our cohort than expected, likely underestimating the acute need. Comprehensive post-injury screening is imperative to sufficiently identify and intervene upon mental health morbidity after pediatric trauma.

Prevalence of depressive symptoms in adolescents living with HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa

Background: Adolescents living with HIV (ALWHIV) are more vulnerable to developing depressive symptoms. Despite this knowledge, the screening for depression is not routinely integrated into HIV treatment programmes.Aim: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms among ALWHIV.Setting: The study was carried out in the primary healthcare clinics and an antiretroviral clinic situated in a district hospital, West Rand District, Johannesburg.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 125 ALWHIV. The modified Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-A) was used to screen for depressive symptoms with a score of ≥ 5 deemed significant. A distress protocol was used for immediate psychological intervention.Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 44.8% and the majority of ALWHIV reported mild-moderate symptoms (36.8%). Overall, 25.6% of adolescents had suicidal behaviours. Those with psychosocial difficulties and those who reported a previous suicide attempt were 3.6 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.17–11.03) and 6.9 (aOR 6.93, 95% CI:1.39–34.55) times likely to develop depressive symptoms, respectively.Conclusion: A high prevalence of depressive symptoms was found in ALWHIV. Psychosocial difficulties and previous suicide attempts were predictive factors for depressive symptoms. This highlights the unmet need for the integration of mental health screening and overall mental health services into adolescent HIV programmes.Contribution: This study emphasises an urgent need for routine mental health screening and prompt psychosocial support in ALWHIV.

Abstract 4113188: Increased Physical Activity Intensity Associated with Reduced Risk of Atrial Fibrillation among Older Adults in South Korea: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) may be associated with a lower risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), but this relationship remains controversial. In particular, further research is needed on the association between changes in PA intensity and AF risk among older adults. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that an increase in PA intensity would be associated with a reduced risk of AF among older adults aged 65 years and older in South Korea. Aim: This cohort study aimed to evaluate the association between changes in metabolic equivalent tasks (METs)-min/week and the risk of AF in the elderly using a nationally representative database. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Korea National Health Insurance Service (KNHIS) database. This cohort included 1,726,697 individuals aged 65 years and older without a history of cardiovascular disease diagnosis who underwent two consecutive health screening examinations from 2009 to 2012. PA was defined as MET-min/week derived from two consecutive health examinations during 2009-2010 (1st period) and 2011-2012 (2nd period), respectively. The primary outcome was an AF diagnosis during the follow-up period from 2013 to 2021. We estimated the sub-distribution hazard ratio (sHR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association of changes in PA intensity with AF using Fine-Gray sub-distribution hazard models after adjustment for covariates. Results: This study included 1,726,697 participants (mean age 71.08; 46.78% male). An increase in PA intensity was associated with a reduced risk of AF (P for trend&lt;0.001). Compared to persisting in physical inactivity, a change in PA intensity from physically inactive to ≥1000 MET–min/week was associated with a lower risk of AF (sHR, 0.83, 95% CI, 0.81-0.85). In contrast, a change in PA intensity from ≥1000 MET–min/week to being physically inactive was associated with a higher risk of AF (sHR, 1.30, 95% CI, 1.27-1.33) as compared to persistence in ≥1000 MET–min/week of PA intensity. Conclusions: An increase in MET-min/week may be associated with a reduced risk of AF among adults aged 65 years and older. Therefore, interventions encouraging PA should be recommended to maximize the health benefits of AF prevention in the elderly.

Abstract 4137975: 9-Year Longitudinal Assessment of the 12-lead Electrocardiogram of Volunteer Firefighters

Introduction: In the US, the most common cause of death among active-duty firefighters is sudden cardiac death (SCD). Underlying heart diseases are important propagator of ventricular tachyarrhythmias that cause SCD. The objective of this abstract is to assess the incidence of underlying heart disease, identified on 12-lead electrocardiograph (ECG), that may place firefighters at greater risk of SCD. Methods: We digitalized 12-lead ECGs recorded among firefighters who visited a firefighter health screening program at least 4 times from 2011-2019. We extracted the interval measurements (Heart Rate, T-axis, QRS-axis, QRS duration, QTc duration) and interpretation statements from each of the 12-lead ECGs and grouped potential propagators of ventricular tachyarrhythmias including left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), coronary artery disease (CAD), and cardiac conduction disease. We used simple mean imputation to handle missing data. Descriptive statistics including means and frequencies were used to analyze the sample. Results: Among 465 firefighters (90.1% male) with a mean age of 47.1 (±13.6) whom 1,296 12-lead ECGs were analyzed, 21.5% (n=278) of Heart Rate, 0.39% (n=5) T-axis, 26.4% (n=342) QRS-axis, 40.0% (n=518) QRS duration, 5.40% (n=70) QTc duration were abnormal. In addition to intervals, the 12-lead ECGs generated 1,970 interpretation statements of which 28.2% (n=555) were deemed possible pathoanatomical substrates including 3.1% (n=34) LVH, 24.7% (n=137) CAD, and 69.2% (n=384) cardiac conduction diseases. Among cardiac conduction diseases, intraventricular conduction disease was the most prevalent (n=204, 36.8%), followed by vertical axis (n=70, 12.6%), right bundle branch block (n=59, 10.6%), left anterior fascicular block (n=34, 6.1%), and left bundle branch block (n=17, 3.1%). Interestingly, we did not observe a temporal relationship regarding the number of pathoanatomical substrates over the screening period. Conclusions: Nearly 30% of the interpretation statements generated from 12-lead ECGs were indicative of possible pathoanatomical substrates that cause SCD, which reflects the apparently negative effect of fire suppression activity on one’s cardiopulmonary health. Our result justifies the imperative need of effective prevention method for cardiac conduction diseases among firefighters. Further research is needed to collect 12-lead ECG systematically amongst other measures such as diet and BMI which reflect work culture and lifestyle of firefighters.

Mental health curricula in predoctoral dental school programs: A content analysis.

Given the prevalence of mental health concerns, dentists have an opportunity to provide mental health screenings to enhance overall patient care. The purpose of this study is to summarize and discuss the characteristics of mental health curricula related to patient care in accredited dental schools. We identified accredited predoctoral dental programs incorporating mental health training related to patient care into their curriculum. We summarized course characteristics and thematically analyzed course descriptions using headings from the National Library of Medicine. From our review of curricula from 80 dental programs, 27 included a mental health component, and these were found in both didactic and clinical courses. Behavioral science and building clinical competence were the most common themes. While mental health is an important component in overall patient care, a minority of accredited dental programs' curricula address it. Further, the manner and extent of inclusion varies. Including mental health training into dental curricula will better prepare dentists for their patients' comprehensive health needs.

Improving health outcomes among older adults in India: effectiveness and implementability of a novel comprehensive geriatric assessment based intervention

Background There is significant evidence on the benefits of comprehensive assessment in older adults. But this evidence is primarily from western countries and in secondary care settings. National policies in India recognize this need and envision community-based screening and facility-based assessment programs integrated into the care pathways for the elderly. However, this is yet to translate into specific interventions, primarily due to lack of complex interventions necessary and evidence of their effectiveness. This study aims to design and pilot an integrated (Community + Facility) Elderly Health Status Assessment and Screening (EHSAS) intervention to improve health outcomes of older adults and assess its feasibility for implementation in Indian rural settings. Methods We propose a hybrid design where we will build the complex intervention, develop and validate the tools needed, pilot it using an exploratory cluster randomized trial and evaluate its implementatbility using the Exploration-Preparation-Implementation-Sustainment (EPIS) framework. Conclusions This study will fill critical gaps in evidence regarding the effectiveness of geriatric screening and assessment in community and primary care settings in low-middle income countries and provide validated tools and implementation models for adoption into national programs. Registration CTRI/2023/07/055661

Health screening and its association with emergency department visits and related costs among home-dwelling older adults

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the health screening procedure for home-dwelling older adults in reducing emergency department visits and associated costs. Methods Data were derived from health screenings from 2020 to 2021 for 75-year-old home-dwelling residents of Western Finland. The study compared emergency department visits and associated costs between older adults who participated in the health screening (intervention group) and those who did not (non-intervention group). For each older adult, three non-intervention controls were matched according to age, sex, health screening year and wellbeing service county. Emergency department visits and International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes from one year before to two years after health screening were analyzed. Results In the non-intervention group, a 19% increase in emergency visit rates was seen (457–564 per 1000 person-years), while the intervention group showed a 67% decrease (165–23). Annual costs for the non-intervention group increased from 148 euros (€) to €183, a mean ratio increase of 1.24 per person-year (range 1.08–1.40). In contrast, the intervention group’s costs decreased from €53 to €8, a mean reduction ratio of 0.15 per person-year (range 0.10–0.71). The intervention group had lower frequency of visits for respiratory and circulatory diseases but higher for digestive and metabolic diseases, unlike the non-intervention group. Conclusions The implementation of the health screening is an effective strategy for reducing both the frequency of emergency department visits and associated costs in home-dwelling older adults in good condition.

Mental Health Experiences of Muslim American Women During the Perinatal Period

ObjectiveTo describe the mental health experiences of Muslim American women in the perinatal period. DesignQualitative descriptive. SettingTelephone interviews. ParticipantsEighteen Muslim American women who gave birth in the last 12 months. MethodsWe used a semistructured guide to conduct individual interviews and thematic network analysis to identify key themes across the interviews. ResultsParticipants had a mean age of 32.5 years, 83% were White, and 17% were Asian. Educational attainment ranged from high school diploma to doctorate degree (83% completed a bachelor’s degree or higher), and 83% reported U.S. citizenship. We identified four organizing themes: Need for Tailored Mental Health Support; Challenging Screening Experiences; Mental Health Experiences That Affect Maternal–Infant Bonding; and Faith, Culture, and Mental Health. ConclusionFindings underscore the need for culturally responsive mental health screening and enhanced support tailored to Muslim American women during the perinatal period. Health care providers should use culturally sensitive care approaches to build trust and enhance mental health outcomes.

Robotic Assisted Ultrasound-Guided Endovascular Stent Implantation in a Vascular Model.

Endovascular procedures are the preferred method for treating peripheral arterial disease. However, limited imaging options during these procedures, such as X-rays and contrast media, expose patients and healthcare professionals to potentially harmful radiation. This study introduces a robotic ultrasound system (RUSS) for navigating endovascular procedures in order to reduce radiation and provide additional information. The RUSS comprises a seven-degree-of-freedom robotic arm that navigates an ultrasound transducer across a specific region of interest. The system is controlled by a self-programed software designed to navigate the robotic arm in a methodical and reproducible manner using a foot switch. An endovascular surgeon investigated the guidance and visibility of various guidewires and successfully implanted three stents in a vascular leg phantom using the RUSS without further radiation exposure. The innovative set-up has several potential applications, including radiation-free endovascular procedures as well as health screening and diagnostic support in vascular medicine.