Search

Patients living with multiple myeloma (MM) have a substantial disease burden and face multiple barriers to care. Building upon our previous research using mixed methods, this focus group research aimed to identify patients' priorities regarding specific social and identity-related needs, map these prioritized needs to the disease journey, and describe patient-generated ideas to improve patient support. Participants noted that patients with MM need a range of emotional, social, and financial support throughout the disease journey. They identified initial MM diagnosis and treatment adherence as two critical points in the MM journey where patients need the most support and assistance. The findings of this research suggest that overall, patients with MM need comprehensive support, ideally from a multidisciplinary team consisting of health care providers, patient advocates, social workers, and psychologists to help patients understand their disease and treatment options, make informed treatment decisions, adhere to treatment, and ultimately reduce their disease burden and improve outcomes. This research revealed that patients with MM need varying types and levels of support, with the most common needs including information on disease and treatment, connections to financial resources and support systems, assistance with navigating insurance options, and transportation and logistical support for medical appointments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving healthcare requires appropriate community involvement supported by appropriate partner engagement methods. This research aims to develop a complex tool for evaluating the social responsibility of health facilities regarding community involvement and development. We developed areas of a new reference framework for the sustainability of healthcare organizations, which includes the area of community involvement and expansion. It is made up of nine indicators. These were designed using the most representative activities reported by hospitals around the world. Their testing was conducted in an orthopedic emergency hospital. The designed indicators are community engagement actions; the interventions' content adapted to the community; partnership and networking; the involvement of volunteers and training networks; the involvement and participation of professional associations; community-involved local opinion leaders; satisfaction with partnerships; initiatives together with the community; and educational visits. The testing and validation of health practices of the indicators highlighted their adequacy with the proposed purpose of the research and the promotion of sustainable development. We have also verified their compatibility with the requirements of national hospital accreditation legislation and the European framework for quality assurance in hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of recent studies have shown that wastage and inefficiency are a significant problem in all global healthcare systems. One initiative that could radically improve the operational efficiency of health systems is to make a paradigm shift in data ownership—that is, to transition such systems to a patient-centric model of data management by deploying blockchain technology. Such a development would not only make an economic impact, by radically cutting wastage, but would deliver significant social benefits by improving patient outcomes and satisfaction. However, a blockchain-based solution presents considerable challenges. This research seeks to understand the principal factors, which act as barriers to the acceptance of a blockchain-based patient-centric data management infrastructure, in the healthcare systems of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. The study represents an addition to the current literature by examining the perspectives and views of healthcare professionals and users. This approach is rare within this subject area, and is identified in existing systematic reviews as a research gap: a qualitative investigation of motivations and attitudes among these groups is a critical need. The results of the study identified 12 key barriers to the acceptance of blockchain infrastructures, thereby adding to our understanding of the challenges that need to be overcome in order to benefit from this relatively recent technology. The research is expected to be of use to healthcare authorities in planning a way forward for system improvement, particularly in terms of successfully introducing patient-centric systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this review of reviews was to identify the reasons for missed nursing care and to shed light on how nurses prioritize what care they miss. Missed nursing care refers to essential nursing activities or tasks that are omitted or not completed as planned during a patient's care. This omission can result from various factors, such as staffing shortages, time constraints, or communication issues, and it can potentially compromise the quality of patient care and safety. Identifying and addressing missed nursing care is crucial to ensure optimal patient outcomes and the well-being of healthcare professionals. To be included, reviews had to use the systematic review process, be available in the English language, examine missed care in hospitals and at home, and include participants who were over eighteen years old. The review intended to answer the following questions: 'Why nursing care is missed?' 'How nurses prioritize what care they missed?'. An umbrella review was developed guided by the JBI methodology and using PRISMA-ScR. A total of 995 reviews were identified. According to the inclusion criteria, only nine reviews were finally evaluated. The findings indicate that care is missed due to staffing levels, organizational problems, and the working climate. Prioritization of care depends on acute care needs as well as educational and experiential background. Missed nursing care is associated with patient safety and the quality of provided nursing care. Specifically, it has negative impacts on patients, healthcare professionals, and healthcare service units. Organizational characteristics, nursing unit features, and the level of teamwork among nursing staff affect Missed Nursing Care. Individual demographic characteristics of the staff, professional roles, work schedules, and adequate staffing may potentially contribute to the occurrence of Missed Nursing Care, which is why they are under investigation. However, further consideration is needed regarding the management of patient needs and nurse prioritization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]