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This study aimed to explore oncological doctor-patients experiences concerning the neoplastic disease. The study involved 20 Polish doctors with cancer. Respondents answered open questions related to cancer management and opinions about themselves as oncological patients. The results of the study indicate that doctor-patients deny their susceptibility to illness, which leads to prophylaxis ignorance. Many doctors diagnosed themselves with the disease, but they needed a clear verbal confirmation of the diagnosis by another physician. Respondents well assessed professional skills of doctor-colleagues. However, communication competencies of their doctors were assessed critically. Medical narratives may become an incentive to deepen the discourse on the quality of the relationship between a doctor and a doctor-oncological patient. They may also lead to further research on the anthropological, psychological, and sociological understanding of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The development of the scientific potential linked with biobanking and research on human biological material is highly dependent on the willingness of potential donors to cooperate with entities that collect the material. For this reason, it is crucial to identify the circumstances and factors that may encourage potential participants to donate their biological material. In particular, knowledge of the motivational factors that can be modified by the persons managing a biobank may prove notably important for shaping the organizational and communication policy of the biobank and other scientific institutions. Material and methods: The research was carried out on a group of 1,100 people over 18 years of age representing the adult population of Poland in 2021. Results: More than half of the respondents declared their willingness to donate a blood sample for research purposes to a biobank (57.8%). The most often indicated incentives among the factors supporting the donation of biological material were offers of: obtaining the results of genetic tests predicting the risk of diseases (77.1%), blood tests (71.3%), the possibility of obtaining a small remuneration (64.6%) and the carrying out of genetic ancestry tests (60.4%). Conclusion: Offering the possibility of performing additional diagnostic tests, especially genetic tests, may significantly increase the willingness of potential donors to cooperate with biobanks and other entities collecting human biological material for the purpose of scientific research. However, attention should also be paid to the challenges and risks linked with respecting the privacy and autonomy of research participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic demanded changes in healthcare systems worldwide. The lockdown brought about difficulties in healthcare access. However, trauma still required further attention considering its modifications. The presented study aims to investigate the variances in epidemiological patterns of trauma during the lockdown and the previous year, with a view to better understand the modifications in healthcare provision. The authors analyzed data from the first lockdown in 2020 (12 March–30 May) and the same period in 2019 from 35 hospitals in Lublin Province. A total of 10,806 patients in 2019 and 5212 patients in 2020 were included in the research. The uncovered changes adhered to the total admissions and mortality rate, the frequency of injuries in particular body regions, and injury mechanisms. The lockdown period resulted in a reduction in trauma, requiring an altered approach to healthcare provision. Our research indicates that the altered approach facilitated during such periods is essential for delivering tailored help to trauma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prohibition of commercialisation of the human body and its parts is not applied consistently and suffers from many exceptions in the human biological material (HBM) market. Examples include the possibility of patenting certain HBM‐derived products and their commercial marketing or payments for blood donations. Thus, the current practice of marketing HBM‐derived products makes the altruistic donor most vulnerable to exploitation while being deprived of benefits. There seem to be two ways to improve this state of affairs. The first is to apply consistently the prohibition of commercialisation of the body and its parts to commercially marketed tissue and cell products as well. This would require limiting the possibility of financial gain associated with the processing, distribution and sale of HBM‐based products. Such a solution, however, does not seem to gain wide acceptance or have a chance of implementation in the near future. Therefore, introducing more transparent rules and greater donor empowerment seems more reasonable by exempting HBM from the ban on commercialisation under certain conditions and with clear limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The willingness to donate human biological material for research purposes is shaped by socio-cultural factors; however, there is a lack of studies analysing the social perception of different human tissues, which may affect such willingness. This study aimed to distinguish different sociocultural categories of human tissues and types of potential donors based on their willingness to donate material. Quantitative research was conducted on a sample of 1,100 adult Poles representative in terms of sex, place of residence and education. According to the study, people were most willing to donate urine (73.9%), blood (69.7%), hair and tears (69.6%) and the least willing to donate post-mortem brain fragments (20%), sperm (males; 36.4%) and egg cells (females; 39.6%). A factor analysis revealed four sociocultural categories of donated tissues: irrelevant, redundant, ordinary and sensitive. Based on these sociocultural categories of tissues, four types of donors were identified: reluctant, highly cooperative, average cooperative and selectively cooperative. The willingness to donate human samples for research is shaped by the sociocultural perception of different body parts and tissues. The lower the sense of "personal relationship" with a specific type of tissue, organ or part of the body, the higher the motivation to donate such biological material for research purposes. Additionally, the willingness to donate is mostly shaped by social trust in physicians and scientists, and potential donors' engagement in charity activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personal data protection has become a fundamental normative challenge for biobankers and scientists researching human biological samples and associated data. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) harmonises the law on protecting personal data throughout Europe and allows developing codes of conduct for processing personal data based on GDPR art. 40. Codes of conduct are a soft law measure to create protective standards for data processing adapted to the specific area, among others, to biobanking of human biological material. Challenges in this area were noticed by the European Data Protection Supervisor on data protection and Biobanking and BioMolecular Resources Research Infrastructure–European Research Infrastructure Consortium (BBMRI.ERIC). They concern mainly the specification of the definitions of the GDPR and the determination of the appropriate legal basis for data processing, particularly for transferring data to other European countries. Recommendations indicated in the article, which are based on the GDPR, guidelines published by the authority and expert bodies, and our experiences regarding the creation of the Polish code of conduct, should help develop how a code of conduct for processing personal data in biobanks should be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review aimed to aggregate and describe the available data about clinical nutrition in lung cancer and the role of the dietitian in multidisciplinary patient care. Scientific literature was searched in order to summarize key aspects related to clinical nutrition in lung cancer. This information can be used to arrange a proper nutritional therapy that can enhance patient treatment responses, prevent side-effects, shorten recovery time, improve prognosis and increase quality of life. An anti-inflammatory diet rich in antioxidants, immunomodulatory compounds, dietary fibre and an appropriate intake of protein can reduce the risk of initiation and progression of lung cancer, support the regeneration of tissues (also after surgery) and improve the nutritional status during the disease and after remission. A correct intake of nutrients is significant prior to disease occurrence and at every stage of treatment and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Previous studies of relationship between religiosity, health behaviors and well-being have showed mainly positive relationships, however, are very often limited to results of associative nature and subject to unmeasured confounding. This study focused on evaluating evidence for a positive association between religious service attendance (RSA), health behaviors and well-being in a longitudinal setting and robustness of these associations to unmeasured confounding. Methods Three waves (2009, 2011 and 2015) of the biennial longitudinal Polish household panel study with response from 6400 respondents were analyzed. Evidence for a positive and robust association between RSA and outcome variables was evaluated using outcome-wide regression analysis with control of all variables temporally prior to the exposure and sensitivity measures (E -values) to give information on the extent to which an unmeasured confounder would need to be associated with both the exposure and the outcomes. Results RSA is associated with reduced risk of unhealthy behaviors (smoking, alcohol use) and higher emotional well-being. These relationships are robust to substantial unmeasured confounding and difficult to explain by reference to other, unknown, variables. Evidence for a positive relationship between RSA and other well-being variables (social, physical) was less clear. Conclusions Religiosity may play an important role in public health, particularly in prevention of non-communicable diseases. The strong and robust associations between RSA and some health behaviors (i.e. tobacco use, alcohol abuse) and emotional well-being should arguably be taken into account in health education, health promotion programs, health prevention policy and psychotherapeutic approaches, particularly in more religious populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Father Damien de Veuster, or Saint Damien of Molokai (1840-1889), was one of the pioneers of the holistic approach to care provision for leprosy patients and contributed to the overcoming of the patients’ social stigmatization. He devoted his life to the lepers living in America’s only leper colony, on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, where people with leprosy were required to live under government-sanctioned medical quarantine. Father Damien gained practical skills in caring for the sick, eagerly learning wound cleansing, bandaging techniques, and drug administration from a nurse. Mahatma Gandhi said that Father Damien's work had inspired his own social campaigns in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Night and Holiday Patient Care is a place providing health services, necessary for securing patients' medical needs in efficient way and round-the-clock. Units providing such care are located in selected hospitals chosen in connection with the introduction of the hospital network since October 1, 2017. The main aim of the study was comparison of changes that occurred in the area of location and access to Night and Holiday Patient Care after and before establishing hospital network. The analysis was based on a review of the relevant legal acts available on the ISAP website, scientific articles selected from the medical databases, as well as information published on the official websites of governmental agencies and entities offering night and holiday medical services. The introduction of the hospital network has changed the number, localization and availability of places providing Nights and Holiday Patient Care. These changes resulted in, on the one side, faster access to more specialized medical care, on the other, a reduction in the number of places in some cities. These changes require monitoring in terms of access and quality of basic care services during nights and holidays, so that in the long-term it can be determined whether the applied changes were beneficial from the perspective of the patient and the health care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archives of the History & Philosophy of Medicine / Archiwum Historii i Filozofii Medycyny is the property of Polskie Towarzystwo Historii Medycyny i Farmacji and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Poland storage of human biological samples takes place at most universities and scientific institutions conducting research projects in the field of biomedicine. The First International Biobanking Conference organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in 2014 shed a light on the situation of Polish biobanking infrastructures. The country has around 40 large biorepositories, which store unique biological material such as whole brains, muscle fibers from patients with rare diseases, as well as thousands of samples from patients with lifestyle diseases. There are only two population-based biobanks working locally and several disease-oriented biobanks specializing mainly in oncological diseases. Consortium BBMRI.pl created plans for establishing a Polish Network of Biobanks, with national node which meets standards for biobanks and cooperation to guarantee development of biomedical sciences and international collaboration between Poland and other countries. The Polish network will enhance research activities, due to better visibility of samples and data that are stored in the national biobanking catalogue. However, it requires more than a comprehensive understanding of all benefits. The list of examples of benefits can be presented as follows: (i) a reduction of the duration and cost of clinical trials and subsequent time to market for anticancer drugs; (ii) more precise patient diagnosis and the associated impact on treatment and lower healthcare costs for providers, individuals, and the nation; (iii) improvements in research experiment time frames and data efficiencies; (iv) convergence to an industry standards for biospecimen quality; (v) optimization of capital infrastructure and IT technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Adequacy of pain management in surgical patients is a major contributor to overall treatment outcomes and positive illness perceptions. However, it may be subjectively predetermined by a patient's beliefs about pain control. This study assesses the relationships between beliefs about pain control and perceptions of illness in thoracic surgical patients. Materials and method. A total of 135 patients (72 women and 63 men; mean age 58.4±14.25y) were enrolled in the questionnaire study based on the Beliefs about Pain Control Questionnaire (BPCQ) by S. Skevington and the Multidimensional Essence of Disease and Illness Scale (MEDIS) by J. Sak. Analyses were conducted with use of the k-means clustering technique and one-way ANOVA. Results. Applied classification revealed 3 different clusters of patients with regard to their beliefs about pain control: 1) weak, undifferentiated pain control; 2) intensified influence of chance pain control; 3) strong undifferentiated pain control. Significant differences in illness perceptions between clusters were disclosed in 3 MEDIS dimensions: self-realization constraints (F=4.70; p=0.01; 1 vs. 3), mental dysfunction (F=3.44, p=0.04; 1 vs. 3) and physical dysfunction (F=3.10, p=0.05; 1 vs 2). Patients in cluster 3 demonstrated a greater feeling of self-realization constraints and mental dysfunction than in cluster 1, whereas patients in cluster 2 perceived physical dysfunction as a greater distress than those in cluster 1. Conclusions. Beliefs about pain control significantly influence illness perceptions, and thus may affect the results of treatment in surgical patients. Psychological modelling of beliefs about pain control may offer a valuable way to improve overall clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archives of the History & Philosophy of Medicine / Archiwum Historii i Filozofii Medycyny is the property of Polskie Towarzystwo Historii Medycyny i Farmacji and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Throughout centuries, many interpretations of miraculous healings have been offered by philosophers, theologians, physicians and psychologists. Different approaches to miracles originate from the differences in understanding of causative factors, concepts of nature and the relationship between God and nature. Despite many skeptical arguments, a vast majority of people (approximately 70%) in modern Western societies share a belief in miracles and millions of sick people pilgrimage to sanctuaries seeking their occurrence. The aim of the research was to describe the social perception of miraculous healings, and the relationship between beliefs in miraculous healings, religiosity and meaning in life. A survey was conducted on a group of 178 respondents aged 18 to 30 (M = 21.5; SD = 2.31), 90% Catholics. The obtained results show that it is possible to describe the perception of miraculous healings in category of the essence of the causative factors (natural/supranatural) and definiteness (defined/undefined). The majority (88%) of the respondents believed in miracles and most frequently associated them with God's action/intervention, less often with the still undiscovered possibilities of the human organism or the nature, and the least with medical biases. Respondents with stronger religiosity more often understood miraculous healings as an act of God than the activity of unspecified supernatural powers. Moreover, higher religiosity and understanding of miraculous healings as an effect of the supernatural specified determinant was connected with higher meaning in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Diametros: An Online Journal of Philosophy is the property of Diametros: An Online Journal of Philosophy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction. Care is seen as something that is peculiar to the medical sciences but its meaning and status tor physicians and nurses differs. Objectives. The aim of this research was to learn how nursing and medical students understand and define care, and how their definition and views on their practice of caring change as they advance through their studies. Material and methods. The study was conducted among two groups of students: before and after their first practicum (n=102). Analysis of the students' answers was carried out using Colaizzi's phenomenological descriptive methodology, which means that a qualitative approach was used. Results. The qualitative analysis shows that the medical and nursing students define care in the same way, using 9 main categories: compassion, commitment, competence, confidence, conscience, communication, patience, courage and support. The nursing students viewed their caring to be within both practical and emotional dimensions and this was a core feature of their identity as nurses. Medical students, on the other hand, viewed the practical dimension of care as an additional activity. All the students in the study underlined the importance of having time to care and showed that, for them, 'time' in this context has a moral meaning. What was interesting to the research team centered on the initial attitudes to 'caring' from both medical and nursing students. Conclusions. We found that students of both nursing and medicine do not begin their studies with different attitudes and concepts of care. However, after their initial exposure to practical placements a process begins which forges different identities around the concept of care. This implies trends in the division of professional roles during their initial education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The factors that influence gaining good results of prophylactic programs are human attitudes to health. These attitudes manifest themselves as individual beliefs and health-oriented behaviors. Aim. The aim of the research was to investigate relations between the health control types and health behaviors performed by the university students. Material and methods. The research was conducted in the group of 532 Polish university students in 2009. The average age in the researched group was M=20.74 (SD=1.542). Two questionnaires were used in the survey: the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC) worked out by Wallston, Wallston & R. DeVellis and the Inventory of Health Behaviors (IHB) by Juczynski. The MHLC scale allows for evaluating three dimensions of the health locus of control, namely: Internal Health Locus of Control (IHLC), Powerful Others Health Locus of Control (PHLC) and Chance Health Locus of Control (CHLC). The Inventory of Health Behaviors (IHB) allows for estimating various kinds of health behaviors categorized into four groups: diet habits, preventive behaviors, positive psychical attitude and health practices. Results. The health behaviors correlate most strongly with the PHLC dimension. The higher result in the PHLC dimension was obtained, the higher were the results in the following three dimensions: preventive behaviors, positive psychical attitudes and health practices. Results. The health behaviors correlate most strongly with the PHLC dimension. The higher result in the PHLC dimension was obtained, the higher were the results in the following three dimensions: preventive behaviors, positive psychical attitudes and health practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advance directive and other declarations of will made by patients in a case of mental illness still raise ethical and legal issues. In Poland there is no legal regulation, neither research about code of conduct in situation of do not attempt resuscitation. There are also not enough studies regarding Healthcare workers' opinion about DNAR declaration (Do Not Attempt Resuscitation). The study is aimed at finding out emergency medical system nurses opinion on the subject of enforcing do not attempt resuscitation in situation of circulatory and respiratory arrest. Methods: The research was conducted by means of the diagnostic survey method applying a self - constructed questionnaire. The study was carried out among 82 (100%) nurses, from September to December 2011. Obtained information were analyzed statistically, Chi-square of independence with assumed p ≤ 0.05. level of significance was used for statistical analysis. Results: The study of the respondents' opinion shows that 67% Healthcare employees think that DNAR declaration should be obligatory in Poland. Contrary opinion has 7.3% of respondents. In their opinion the decision to refrain from resuscitating should be made by attending physician − 46.3% and medical board − 29.3%. Information enclosed within DNAR declaration, in most of respondents' opinion − 59.5%, should be only passed on in written form. Conclusions: Majority of respondents agree that patients have a right to refrain from resuscitating as a self − determination act. Respondents concur the introduction of DNAR declaration in Polish Healthcare system. In respondents' opinion that decision should be required in written form and an attending physician should decide about its implementation, what violates the existing rule. The execution of living will declaration raises ethical issues. Additionally, it also appears as public/social problem. The last stage of incurable disease is given as justifiable circumstances of DNAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population biobanks offer new opportunities for biomedical research, and are fundamental for the development of personalized medicine and public health genomics. On the other hand they demand new rules in order to guarantee donor rights (informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, non-discrimination). The main dimensions of respecting donor rights are: good communication skills with society (public consultation) and with individual donors (informed consent), appropriate biobanks organization (secure IT system, encoding and data anonymization, access to data), supervisory systems (Ethics Committees and Research Committees) and legal norms con-cerning the storage, management and transfer of samples and data, and non-discrimination rules. The article presents population biobanks in selected European countries (UK, Spain, Estonia) in the context of donor rights in the process of biobanking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population biobanks offer new opportunities for public health, are rudimentary for the development of its new branch called Public Health Genomics, and are important for translational research. This article presents organizational models of population biobanks in selected European countries. Review of bibliography and websites of European population biobanks (UK, Spain, Estonia). Some countries establish national genomic biobanks (DNA banks) in order to conduct research on new methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the genetic and lifestyle diseases and on pharmacogenetic research. Individual countries have developed different organizational models of these institutions and specific legal regulations regarding various ways of obtaining genetic data from the inhabitants, donors' rights, organizational and legal aspects. Population biobanks in European countries were funded in different manners. In light of these solutions, the authors discuss prospects of establishing a Polish national genomic biobank for research purpose. They propose the creation of such an institution based on the existing network of blood-donation centres and clinical biobanks in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history of thinking about miracles in relation to medicine. According to the author, the issue of miracles is complicated and multidimensional. He noted that the most general characterization of a miracle is an event that causes wonder. He emphasized several definitions of miracles, and the difficulty to present a detailed and commonly accepted one.

The article provides information on the consequences of believing in miracles in medical decision making. Topics include the concept of miracles for health care providers and Ethicists, the theoretical models on the details of the beliefs on miraculous healings, and the connections between the perceptions of miraculous healings and variables including relativism, external critique and negativity associated with the meaning in life.

From ancient times, light has played a significant role in the treatment of diseases. The modern discoveries (eg, ultraviolet radiation) and modern inventions (eg, the electric generator or the electric lightbulb), as well as balneologic experiences of the treatment with sunlight, contributed to the transition from heliotherapy to artificial light phototherapy at the end of the 19th century. Nils Ryberg Finsen (1860-1904) was the founder of modern phototherapy. He is famous for applying an electric carbon arc torch in treating patients with lupus vulgaris using ultraviolet radiation. Subsequently, phototherapy using artificial light sources gained importance in the treatment of skin diseases with a noninfectious etiology. William Henry Goeckerman (1884-1954) chose an ultraviolet B light to treat psoriasis. Improvement in the effectiveness of dermatologic phototherapy occurred in 1947, when methoxypsoralen was isolated. During the 20th century, phototherapy was applied to new therapeutic areas, such as neonatology, psychiatry, and ophthalmology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important dermatologic diseases from the sociologic viewpoint has been leprosy. Those with leprosy were isolated, excluded from society, and stigmatized. Such a stigma indicates the strong feeling that a leprosy patient is shameful and should not be accepted by society. During the first millennium, leprosy was rapidly inscribed in the system of religious prohibitions—the disease was a punishment by God for wrongdoing, and the disease was associated with the lower spheres of the society. Social perception of leprosy gradually changed during the time of Crusades. The care for lepers became a Christian obligation, and celebrating Holy Masses as for the dead was forsaken. The sick were forced to stay at leprosaria, particularly from the 14th through the 19th centuries when fear of leprosy was at a high point. Admission to a leprosarium was mandatory not only for patients with leprosy but also even those suspected of having the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The year 2012 marked the 100th anniversary of the death of Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen (1841-1912), a Norwegian physician known for his identification of Mycobacterium leprae as the causative agent of leprosy. In the second half of the 19th century, the medical community believed leprosy had a noninfectious etiology, and it was not until Hansen uncovered the relationship between M leprae and the clinical manifestations of this disease did that belief begin to change. Strengthening of the late 19th and early 20th century beliefs of the infectious etiology of leprosy made it possible to develop an effective treatment for this still terrible disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

OBJECTIVE Recognizing patients' psychological problems and understanding their social needs constitute important tasks for medical personnel, because these issues substantially contribute to overall outcome of treatment. People afflicted with surgical diseases need to determine the sense of everyday pursuits and activities and balance it against the therapeutic process. The aim of the study was to assess the relationships between the perception of illness, satisfaction with life and meaning of life among surgical patients. METHODS A total of 225 patients undergoing surgical treatment in the thoracic surgery department were enrolled in the questionnaire study using Multidimensional Essence of Disease and Illness Scale (MEDIS), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) and Life Meaningfulness Scale (LMS). Relationships between variables were assessed with Pearson's correlation. RESULTS The analysis disclosed negative correlations between the perception of the disease in the light of self-realization constraints and the feeling of satisfaction with one's life (R = −0.25; P < 0.01), an affective component of the LMS (R = −0.29; P < 0.001) and the total result of the LMS (R = −0.21; P < 0.01). Similar relationships were observed between the MEDIS dimension describing a disease as a social withdrawal and the total result of the SWLS (R = −0.21; P < 0.05) and the affective component of the LMS (R = −0.23; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Suboptimal hospitalization-related perception of the disease due to self-realization constraints profoundly impairs psychological welfare of patients and may exert negative impact on the overall outcome of treatment. We believe that surgical patients require early psychological, social and spiritual support to prevent these harmful psycho-social consequences of illness and hospital stay. Preoperative clinical application of presented scales may be useful to select patients who require more psychological attention in providing information about planned surgical treatment and expected outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]