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Patient interviewing pedagogy in medical education has not evolved to comprehensively capture the biopsychosocial model of healthcare delivery. While gathering a patient's social history targets important aspects of social context it does not adequately capture and account for the real-time reassessment required to understand evolving factors that influence exposure to drivers of health inequities, social determinants of health, and access to supports that promote health. The authors offer a patient interviewing approach called the Contextual Interview (CI) that specifically targets dynamic and ever-changing social context information. To substantiate the use of the CI in medical education, the authors conducted a qualitative review of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones for primary care specialties (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics). Milestones were coded to the extent to which they reflected the learner's need to acknowledge, assess, synthesize and/or apply patient contextual data in real-time patient encounters. Approximately 1 in 5 milestones met the context-related and patient-facing criteria. This milestone review further highlights the need for more intentional training in eliciting meaningful social context data during patient interviewing. The CI as a cross-cutting, practical, time-conscious, and semi-structured patient interviewing approach that deliberately elicits information to improve the clinician's sense and understanding of a patient's social context. The authors reviewed future directions in researching adapted versions of the CI for undergraduate and graduate medical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the impact of Clinical Decision Support (CDS) implementation on radiology workflow at a hospital in Melbourne, Australia, showing potential benefits such as reduced unnecessary test orders and improved resource utilization. Adherence to the STARD 2015 guideline in medical imaging DTA studies was found to be suboptimal, with recommendations for improving reporting to enhance research quality. Other studies evaluated the appropriateness of imaging requests in emergency departments, overuse of neuroimaging, and the association of certain signs with injury severity in motor vehicle collision patients. Additionally, AI models were successful in identifying missed cancers in breast screening programs, indicating their potential to enhance cancer detection. [Extracted from the article]

Online platforms have proliferated in response to the increasing demand for online medical services. However, the underlying mechanisms through which online physician‒patient communication are associated with better health outcomes are under-researched. We employed mixed focus groups and in-depth interviews to investigate the impact of online physician‒patient communication on health outcomes, including psychological and physical quality of life, as well as perceived diagnosticity. A modified pathway framework was subsequently generated to illustrate the relationship between online communication and health outcomes based on the clinician‒patient communication pathway model. Overall, we redefined the concept of perceived diagnosticity in online healthcare and identified an indirect pathway through which psychological quality of life affects physical quality of life mediated by perceived diagnosticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the span of a decade, smartphones have gained popularity and acceptance among both patients and physicians thanks to their advantages in health care delivery. However, research investigating mobile patient-provider communication (MPPC) and its impact on patients’ lifestyles is only just beginning. Drawing on the pathway model of health communication and mobile technology (MTI) theory, we developed a research model to explore the effect of MPPC on lifestyle improvement, using health empowerment as a mediator and MTI as a moderator. The findings from 432 participants (Mage = 32.5 years old, female = 212) suggested that after controlling for respondents’ age, gender, education, income, and general health status, having greater communication with healthcare providers through mobile devices was positively related to lifestyle improvement and that health empowerment mediated this relationship. Moreover, MTI-emotional energy (MTIE) moderated the direct relationship between MPPC and lifestyle improvement, while MTI-dependency (MTID) moderated the indirect impact of MPPC. Individuals who hold a greater MTIE/MTID were more likely to benefit from MPPC such that they are more likely to be empowered for self-care and maintain healthy lifestyles. This study not only contributes to the growing literature on mobile health communication but also plays a reference role for interventions in patient empowerment and health promotion. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication is an integral component of effective healthcare delivery to patients, and this includes breaking bad news (BBN). However, clinicians in dentistry are rarely exposed to diseases that can negatively and seriously affect an individual's view of their future and pose a mortality risk, except for oral cancer. The aim of this study was to assess clinician practices in BBN of oral cancer diagnosis in Malaysia. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods study design was used. A qualitative study was conducted among 12 clinicians to gather relevant information regarding their practices in BBN of oral cancer diagnosis using a descriptive–interpretive approach. The themes that emerged were preparation for BBN, BBN setting, communication, emotional aspects, and summarizing the session. These themes were used to develop a questionnaire with 34 items. In the quantitative study, this questionnaire was sent to 87 clinicians who had experienced BBN of oral cancer diagnosis in the past 5 years; the response rate was 100%. An arbitrary cut-off score between the third and fourth quartiles was set to distinguish 'good' and 'poor' practice in BBN among the clinicians. The data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23.0. Overall, at least two-thirds of the clinicians had good practices in BBN of oral cancer diagnosis. The clinicians' designation (oral and maxillofacial surgery consultant/specialist vs dental officer) and BBN experiences were factors associated with their practices in BBN of oral cancer diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a person nears the end of their life, culture and ethnicity increasingly drive preferences and priorities for care. Understanding these preferences and priorities is fundamental to health care professionals' goals to respect decision making and support the individual throughout this phase of life. Across Africa, several countries are in the initial stages of implementing palliative care services in their burgeoning health care systems. Moving forward, it is imperative to consider cultural similarities and differences when compared with the Western world, where the field of palliative care evolved, to create a tailored palliative care approach that is consistent with African culture. In palliative care, understanding cultural preferences and priorities requires communication between the patient and the provider and is a crucial step toward a successful implementation in Africa. A paternalistic patient–provider relationship is the current leading model in sub-Saharan Africa.1 Aim: This narrative review explores the prevalence of paternalism and explores its appropriateness and necessity in the current application of palliative care in sub-Saharan African countries. Methods: This narrative review was conducted using four databases as well as hand searching of relevant articles sourced from references of already selected articles. A total of 730 articles were identified. Fourteen articles met the inclusion/exclusion criteria set for this narrative review. Results: In sub-Saharan Africa, the leading patient–provider relationship was determined to be paternalistic. Reasons for this were language, education, cultural norms and expectations, lack of time, and benevolence. Conclusions: The implementation of palliative care often relies on communication of patient desires and goals. Consideration is needed to determine how a provider can appropriately know these factors in a paternalistic relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Our objective was to explore the influence of health literacy on patient-physician communication. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of academic papers using PRISMA guidelines and guidance from the Joanna Briggs Institute. We explored health literacy competencies in studies by examining methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of patient-physician communication and identifying barriers and facilitators to communication in the broader context of relevant health literacy domains. Results: In total, we identified 51 papers that met inclusion criteria. Barriers to effective patient-physician communication were physicians' lack of understanding of patients' health literacy capacity, changes in healthcare delivery (time constraints and transforming technology due to COVID-19), and language barriers. Facilitators to communication included patient health literacy level, patient trust in the patient-physician relationship leading to decision-making, telehealth/digital health services, health literacy tools, and patient education materials. Conclusion: Future research, policy, and practice should aim for comprehensive assessment of all health literacy domains crucial for patient-physician communication. Delineating health literacy competencies is essential given increasing emphasis on technological resources in healthcare, culturally and linguistically appropriate care in multicultural societies, and addressing service backlogs precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings may inform educational programs focused on health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While research has been done to identify the potential implications of biometric technology on marginalized populations' privacy and autonomy, this paper contributes to existing research by examining these technologies in healthcare settings. Drawing from insights across surveillance studies, rhetoric of health and medicine, and technical communication, we identify how one leading healthcare institution in New York City has employed rhetorics of efficiency, effectiveness, safety, and security regarding its biometric technology system. This employment of biometric technologies often contributes to patients' marginalization and dismissal. As we explore, interrogating the language used by the healthcare institution to describe biometrics opens opportunities for us--surveillance studies scholars, patients, allies, students, and more--to ensure that innovations within the healthcare system promote equity, agency, and improved outcomes for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the importance of interprofessional collaborative practice in improving healthcare, especially in addressing the complex needs of patients with chronic diseases and multimorbidity. It emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals from different backgrounds to work together to provide high-quality care. The text highlights the shift towards team-based care and the necessity of empowering patients, fostering a culture of collaboration, and improving communication and training to enhance interprofessional practice. The focus is on promoting population health and addressing disparities in healthcare systems. [Extracted from the article]

Background: People with communication disabilities (CDs), which includes disabilities in speech, language, voice and/or hearing, experience health and healthcare disparities. A barrier to accessing high-quality, equitable care is the lack of effective communication between patients and their providers. Objective: In designing a patient-prompted tool to facilitate communication, we analyzed qualitative feedback on communication strategies and the experience of people with CDs, caregivers, and providers in healthcare encounters. We aimed to describe communication strategies that patients with CDs find most useful and optimize a tool for patients to share their communication strategy preferences during clinical encounters. While patient-provider communication is paramount in every interaction, we aimed to highlight the intricacies of optimizing communication for this population. Design: We performed a qualitative study utilizing focus groups and interviews with patients with CDs, their caregivers, and healthcare providers. Participants: A total of 46 individuals participated in focus groups or interviews; 26 participants self-reported a CD, nine were caregivers, and 11 were providers. Participants represented diverse types of CDs, including stuttering, aphasia, hearing loss, and people with autism or cerebral palsy who use assistive technology to communicate. Approach: Analysis of qualitative interview and focus group data was guided by a qualitative content analysis approach. Key Results: We identified three themes: (1) While communication strategies should be individualized, participants agreed upon a consolidated list of best strategies and accommodations. We used this consolidated list to finalize tool development. (2) Patients and providers preferred disclosure of the CD and desired communication strategies before the appointment. (3) Providers often do not use communication strategies and accommodations during clinical encounters. Conclusions: For patients with CDs, it is critical to acknowledge and document the CD and individualize communication strategies during healthcare visits to facilitate communication. Studies are needed to evaluate whether improved communication strategy usage leads to improved health outcomes for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After a stroke, people can find it challenging to look forward to the future. Hope, a critical resource for recovery, can be threatened and can be supported or diminished through interactions with clinicians. As such, understanding how conversations can support people embarking on life after a stroke is critical. Our study explored how clinicians talk about the future with patients and considered what factors shape how these conversations occur. Methods: This study drew on the Interpretive Description methodology, informed by principles of ethnographic inquiry. We conducted 300 hours of observations and 76 interviews with five people with stroke and 37 clinicians. Data were analysed using the reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We constructed three themes that reflect how clinicians talk about the future with people in inpatient stroke services: (1) constrained temporal horizons, (2) limited talk controlled by clinicians, and (3) opening some doors while closing others. Conclusions: Conversations about the future after stroke were constrained and limited: constrained to short-term futures and limited in what aspects of life after stroke were discussed. Creating conversational and relational spaces where people are supported to look to the future with a sense of possibility, hope, and potential is vital for assisting people to move forward in their lives after their stroke. Given its role in supporting people to move forward in their lives, communication must be seen as a core clinical skill and a clinical intervention in its own right. This qualitative study examines how healthcare practitioners talk about life after stroke with people in inpatient stroke services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud computing is a technology that holds great promise and has potential to revolutionize the healthcare sector. Many security and privacy issues are brought up by the cloud's centralization of data for both patients and healthcare professionals. There is a need for maintaining secrecy in communication in exchanging medical data between the sender and the receiver, which can be done by cryptography. This article presents a cryptographic algorithm (encryption and decryption) to have a secure communication of digital health care confidential data using DNA cryptography and Huffman coding. The interesting property is the cipher size obtained from our algorithm is equal to the size of the cipher obtained from the character set of given data. Security analysis is provided to show the security of data when stored and transmitted to the cloud. The cryptographic requirements, key space analysis, key and plain text sensitivity, sensitive score analysis, sensitivity and specificity, optimal threshold, randomness analysis, uniqueness of implementation, entropies of binary bits, DNA bases, DNA bases with Huffman code, Huffman encoded binary bits and cloud service provider's risk are analyzed. The method proposed is compared with other cryptographic methods and results that it is more secure and stronger than other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our knowledge about the attitudes of healthcare staff to palliative care in pediatric oncology is scarce. We aimed to assess their perceptions of palliative care in Hungary and find answers to the question of how to provide good palliative care for children. Method: Physicians (n = 30) and nurses (n = 43) working in the field of pediatric oncology (12 of them specialized in hospice care) were interviewed. Palliative care practice (communication, integration of palliative care, professionals' feelings and attitudes, and opportunities for improvement) was assessed by semi-structured interviews evaluated in a mixed quantitative and qualitative way by narrative categorical content analysis and thematic analysis. Results: All providers displayed high negative emotions, positive evaluations, and used many active verbs. Nurses showed higher levels of denial, more self-references, and were more likely to highlight loss. Physicians emphasized the importance of communication regarding adequate or inadequate palliative care. Hospice specialists showed a higher passive verb rate, a lower self-reference, a lower need for psychological support, and a greater emphasis on teamwork and professional aspects. Conclusion: Our results show that nurses are more emotionally stressed than doctors in palliative care in pediatric oncology. To our knowledge, a study comparing doctors and nurses in this field has yet to be carried out. Our results suggest that pediatric oncological staff can positively evaluate a child's palliative care despite the emotional strain. Regarding hospices, professional practice in palliative care may be a protective factor in reducing emotional distress and achieving professional well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Information and communication technologies (ICTs) improve patient‐centered care and are routinely used in Allergic Rhinitis (AR), but patients' preferences and attitudes are unexplored. This study examines AR‐related information preferences and ICT use by AR patients. Methods: A survey‐based cross‐sectional study was carried out in Ecuador from July to September 2019 in seven centers of reference for allergic disease. Participants were 18 years or older, diagnosed with AR and had access to ICT and the Internet. Descriptive and binomial logistic regressions were performed. A value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 217 patients were included. 47% (n = 102) used ICTs to learn about AR, of which 38.2% (n = 83) found it useful. Most of participants (75%, n = 164) did not think that ICTs reduce their need to see a doctor. Individuals with poorer quality of life were more likely to utilize ICTs to contact their doctor (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.04–1.55), and more likely to be interested in AR‐related content (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.00–1.52). Patients with long‐term AR or other allergies were less likely to use ICTs (OR 0.92 and OR 0.40 respectively). Higher education and lower quality of life may increase AR apps adoption (OR 4.82, 95% CI 1.11–21.00). Academic preparation five‐fold increased ICT use for health provider communication (OR 5.29, 95% CI 1.18–23.72). Mild‐persistent AR enhanced the probabilities of using ICTs to share experiences and communicate with other patients (OR 12.59, 95% CI 1.32–120.35). Conclusions: Our study emphasizes the importance of tailoring digital resources to patient needs by considering factors such as quality of life, education, and specific subgroups within the AR patient population. Additionally, the findings suggest that while ICTs can play a valuable role in patient education and support, they should complement, rather than replace, traditional medical care for many AR patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Sports Creativity is the property of Journal of Sports Creativity 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.)

Copyright of General Medicine & Health Sciences / Medycyna Ogólna i Nauki o Zdrowiu is the property of Witold Chodzki Institute of Rural Medicine 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.)

Health literacy has been identified as an influential factor affecting the HIV care continuum and HIV epidemic, but recent systematic reviews found mixed relationships between health literacy and HIV medication adherence. This may be partially due to discrepancies between health literacy conceptualizations, health literacy measures, and the lifeworld, day-to-day challenges that persons with HIV (PWH) face as they seek and receive care. To address these challenges, a new health literacy tool, Communicating Care Needs Tool for HIV (CCNT-HIV), was developed. With survey responses from 118 PWH, the current study compares CCNT-HIV with the Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool (BRIEF) and the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS) by conducting a principal component analysis. Six principal components were identified for CCNT-HIV; one principal component was identified for BRIEF; and three principal components were identified for AAHLS. With a correlation analysis, relevance among principal components across the three tools validated CCNT-HIV. This study extended the scope of health literacy measures by emphasizing the relational, multi-variable, collaborative impacts stakeholders make on patients' health management. Practical implications for how health literacy tools, like the CCNT-HIV, can be used to directly benefit patients and their health management are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective communication between health care clinicians and Aboriginal patients is critical to delivering high quality, accessible, culturally secure health care. Despite this, ineffective communication is a well-documented barrier, and few studies have reported interventions to improve communication. Clinical Yarning is a patient centred communication framework for Aboriginal health care. Building on this framework, this study reports the development and evaluation of a Clinical Yarning education program. Methods: A Clinical Yarning education program was developed, underpinned by the principles of cultural security and adult learning, informed by a behavioural skills approach. The program was delivered in five health/education settings in one rural Western Australian region. Mixed-methods evaluation included a retrospective pre/post questionnaire to ascertain changes in participants' knowledge, confidence, competence and their perceptions about communication in Aboriginal health care, and the program. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were undertaken with health service managers who oversaw each health care setting and who had not participated in the education program, to explore perceptions about the program and implementation considerations. Results: Twenty-eight health care clinicians and six students completed training and the evaluation survey. There were significant improvements in self-rated communication skills, ability, confidence, knowledge, and perceived importance of communication training from pre to post-program. Participants strongly recommended the program to others, and most commonly valued the simulation/interactive learning activities. Health service managers acknowledged the limitations in most existing cultural training, and felt Clinical Yarning addressed a need; both the concept of Clinical Yarning and the education program provided were valued. Considerations identified for future implementation included: building multilevel partnerships within health services, offering alternate training options such as eLearning or train-the-trainer approaches, and integrating into existing development programs. Workforce transiency and availability were a barrier, particularly in remote areas. Conclusions: This study offers preliminary support for the Clinical Yarning education program and provides a foundation for further development of this training approach. A future priority is implementation research to investigate the impact of the Clinical Yarning education program on health care and patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On World Heart Day 2022, the Mexican Society of Cardiology, the Inter-American Society of Cardiology, and the World Heart Federation collaborated on a communication regarding the increased risk of adverse cardiovascular health outcomes in transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals. This document, called the Tijuana Declaration, urged the global cardiovascular community to work toward understanding and mitigating this problem. This article aims to unpack the numerous factors that lead to it. An example is the social stigma faced by members of the TGD community, which leads to increased stress and risk for cardiovascular complications. TGD patients are also more likely to have insufficient access to health care, and those that do receive care are often faced with providers that are not adequately educated about the unique needs of their community. Finally, there is some evidence to suggest that gender-affirming hormone therapies have an impact on cardiovascular health, but studies on this subject often have methodological concerns and contradictory findings. Decreasing the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events in this community requires interventions such as educational reform in the medical community, an increase in research studies on this topic, and broader social initiatives intended to reduce the stigma faced by TGD individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in digital health, systems biology, environmental monitoring, and artificial intelligence (AI) continue to revolutionize health care, ushering a precision health future. More than disease treatment and prevention, precision health aims at maintaining good health throughout the lifespan. However, how can precision health impact care for people with a terminal or life-limiting condition? We examine here the ethical, equity, and societal/relational implications of two precision health modalities, (1) integrated systems biology/multi-omics analysis for disease prognostication and (2) digital health technologies for health status monitoring and communication. We focus on three main ethical and societal considerations: benefits and risks associated with integration of these modalities into the palliative care system; inclusion of underrepresented and marginalized groups in technology development and deployment; and the impact of high-tech modalities on palliative care's highly personalized and "high-touch" practice. We conclude with 10 recommendations for ensuring that precision health technologies, such as multi-omics prognostication and digital health monitoring, for palliative care are developed, tested, and implemented ethically, inclusively, and equitably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial discusses the trade-offs involved in determining the positivity threshold for faecal immunochemical tests (FIT) used in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. A study of 47,265 Norwegians examined the impact of different positivity thresholds on colonoscopy demand, detection rates of CRC and advanced adenomas, and adverse events. Results showed that as the threshold increased, positivity rates and colonoscopy demand decreased, while PPVs for CRCs and AAs increased. The study highlights the need for countries and health care systems to optimize resources when deciding on FIT thresholds for CRC screening. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents a case study of an 84-year-old man with a pruritic rash, highlighting the importance of correlating clinical and histopathological findings for accurate diagnosis. Topics include distinguishing between different dermatological conditions such as erythema gyratum repens, granuloma annulare, and lepromatous leprosy based on clinical presentation and histopathological features.

Background: Virtual patient-to-provider messaging systems such as text messaging have the potential to improve healthcare access; however, little research has used theory to understand the barriers and facilitators impacting uptake of these systems by patients and healthcare providers. This review uses the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to explore barriers and facilitators of patient-to-provider messaging. Methods: A rapid umbrella review method was followed. Medline and CINAHL were searched for review articles that examined patient-to-provider implementation barriers and facilitators by patients or healthcare providers. Two coders extracted implementation barriers and facilitators, and one coder mapped these barriers and facilitators on to the COM-B and TDF. Results: Fifty-nine unique barriers and facilitators were extracted. Regarding healthcare provider oriented barriers and facilitators, the most frequently identified COM-B components included Reflective Motivation (identified in 42% of provider barriers and facilitators), Psychological Capability (19%) and Physical Opportunity (19%) and TDF domains included Beliefs about Consequences (identified in 28% of provider barriers and facilitators), Environmental Context and Resources (19%), and Social Influences (17%). Regarding patient oriented barriers and facilitators, the most frequently identified COM-B components included Reflective Motivation (identified in 55% of patient barriers and facilitators), Psychological Capability (16%), and Physical Opportunity (16%) and TDF domains included Beliefs about Consequences (identified in 30% of patient barriers and facilitators), Environmental Context and Resources (16%), and Beliefs about Capabilities (11%). Conclusions: Both patients and healthcare providers experience barriers to implementing patient-to-provider messaging systems. By conducting a COM-B and TDF-based analysis of the implementation barriers and facilitators, this review highlights several theoretical domains for researchers, healthcare systems, and policy-makers to focus on when designing interventions that can effectively target these issues and enhance the impact and reach of virtual messaging systems in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Social Sciences Institute / Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi is the property of Bingol University / Rectorate 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.)

Background: The UK medicines legislation was amended ten years ago (2013) to allow podiatrists and physiotherapists independent prescribing rights, the first of the allied health professions to do so. Non-medical prescribing formed one part of a broader policy agenda promoting role flexibility in response to the challenge of an ageing population and the need to maintain effective health provision in the face of a contracting workforce. Aim: The aim of this study was to outline the experiences of the Department of Health AHP medicines project board team in working towards independent prescribing for podiatry and physiotherapy, with a particular focus on the challenges encountered. Methods: In depth, open-ended interviews were conducted with eight of the core members of the project team, drawn from those individuals who served throughout the duration of the project (2010–2013). Included were the former Department of Health Chief and Deputy Chief Allied Health Professions Officers; the Department of Health Engagement and Communications Officer; representatives of the Health and Care Professions Council; the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency; the Council of Deans of Health; the Royal College of Podiatry and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (The team also included the representative of the Allied Health Professions Federation. However, as that representative is also a researcher in this study, he has recused himself from any role as a participant.). Data were transcribed and subject to a thematic analysis. Results: A complex picture of the project emerged revealing a range of obstacles and challenges, including inter-professional role boundary tensions and negative prior assumptions about the two professions. Success hinged upon the adoption of a dual strategy involving submission of a robust case of need focused on patient benefit coupled with the careful management of professional expectations. Underpinning theory from the sociology of the professions offers a supportive explanatory framework for understanding the relationships between the various stakeholders involved. Conclusions: Ultimately, success depended upon aligning the project aims with healthcare policy through a clear focus on patient benefit. Balancing competing professional and policy demands through a continual emphasis on improved patient care laid the foundations for future projects by other allied health professions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication is the key tool to success. When it comes to healthcare communication, there is a vast gap between medical professionals and patients especially people with a lesser education and people belonging to rural areas. Communication is very much essential in providing quality medical care and content to patients. The effect of the languages and the scientific terms used by medical professionals becomes difficult for the common audience to understand; hence, the understanding gap also increases. This study demonstrates how language becomes a hurdle in healthcare communication depending on the location or locality of the hospital. The main objective of this research paper is to find how language becomes a barrier in health communication depending on the location of the hospital and the communication challenges experienced by rural and urban audiences in hospitals. It will also focus on how infographic designs can help the audience in reducing the communication gap in understanding healthcare information. We have collected 300 samples from 20 different hospitals from both Rural & Urban areas of Jaipur-I City, Rajasthan India. The paper also highlights some of the challenges posed by the language barrier and recommends a few suggestions. This research finding indicates that the language barrier in health communication can be minimized with the use of infographic designs for communication with the audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer and its treatment can be related to sequelae and late effects that impact the quality of life at survivorship. These symptoms can be physical, psychological and social and can affect up to 80% of the cancer survivors. Method: Participants were 183 adult Mexican cancer survivors who answered the Cancer Survivor's Unmet Needs (CaSUN-Mx) Measure using the open question, "Describe any unmet need you have had in the last month that has not been asked previously". The qualitative BOTTOM-UP analysis was performed to process the answers. Results: There were 241 identified units excluding the category "none". The result was 143 units with reported needs divided into nine categories; the most frequent category was Comprehensive care services (nutrition, psychology, physical therapy, and medical oncology), followed by follow-up/sequelae needs, information and communication with the medical team, access to health services, group and social support, followed by readaptation and work issues, legal needs, aesthetic care needs and COVID-19 pandemic needs. Conclusions: Patients do not perceive adequate attention to comprehensive care issues. They present difficulties in adapting to life after cancer treatment, presenting physical, emotional, social, and legal issues and needs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet of Things (IoT) based Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN), play a very important role in the implementation of IoT devices. It is an upcoming research area in which we implement new advancement techniques, such as various algorithms. In this research, we explore how to secure IoT devices from cyber-attacks and also define how to handle the communication packets between IoT devices. Some IoT devices require more resources for communication so we define the techniques used to reduce these resources. The main purpose of this review is to provide a quick review of all techniques for novice researcher who wants to start their research in this domain. Now the universe is getting smaller due to a sharp growth in scientific and technological research. The development of communication technologies over the past few decades is remarkable. It has gotten harder for medical associates to take care of the patients by coming into the hospital and then personally checking them. The population of the world is increasing and the area is getting smaller. The development of wireless communication has provided a solution to these issues in the form of a remote health monitoring system. The WBAN in the domain of medicine provides the best way for patient monitoring inside or outside the hospital. Through WBAN, we can easily monitor the patient's state without visiting the hospital. WBAN is used in multiple areas such as energy-saving, eHealth monitoring systems to maintain the quality services of data, and many other areas. In this paper, we survey the current state of various aspects of WBAN technologies that are being used in healthcare applications, the targeted area is the eHealth monitoring system. Using multiple WBAN techniques, we aim to identify which techniques are giving better results in data transmission, storing, and maintaining patient data privacy and also identify the best performance using multiple techniques based on the two most important parameters such as ‘throughput’, and ‘delay’. These parameters estimate the overall performance of any WBAN system. We collected data from the last 15 years' papers. The major contribution of this paper is to identify the best technique in e-healthcare among all in terms of delay and throughput used in the past recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on differentiating pigmented purpuric dermatoses (PPDs) from potentially serious conditions, including COVID-19-related cutaneous changes, retiform purpura, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, stasis dermatitis, and cellulitis. Topics include the clinical characteristics, histopathology, and treatment options for various PPD variants, as well as the challenges of diagnosing and managing these conditions in the context of telemedicine and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: This study aimed to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on essential primary healthcare services at public primary healthcare facilities. Methods: The number of weekly consultations for antenatal care (ANC), outpatient (OPD), immunisations (EPI), family planning (FP) and HIV services, between January 2018 and December 2020, were collected from 25 facilities in Masaka district, Uganda, 21 in Goma, and 29 in Kambia district, Sierra Leone. Negative binomial regression models accounting for clustering and season were used to analyse changes in activity levels between 2018, 2019 and 2020. Results: In Goma, we found no change in OPD, EPI or ANC consultations, FP was 17% lower in March-July 2020 compared to 2019, but this recovered by December 2020. New diagnoses of HIV were 34% lower throughout 2020 compared to 2019. In Sierra Leone, compared to the same periods in 2019, facilities had 18–29% fewer OPD consultations throughout 2020, and 27% fewer DTP3 doses in March-July 2020. There was no evidence of differences in other services. In Uganda there were 20–35% fewer under-5 OPD consultations, 21–66% fewer MCV1 doses, and 48–51% fewer new diagnoses of HIV throughout 2020, compared to 2019. There was no difference in the number of HPV doses delivered. Conclusions: The level of disruption varied across the different settings and qualitatively appeared to correlate with the strength of lockdown measures and reported attitudes towards the risk posed by COVID-19. Mitigation strategies such as health communications campaigns and outreach services may be important to limit the impact of lockdowns on primary healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Conflict, fragility and political violence, that are taking place in many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have devastating effects on health. Digital health technologies can contribute to enhancing the quality, accessibility and availability of health care services in fragile and conflict-affected states of the MENA region. To inform future research, investments and policy processes, this scoping review aims to map out the evidence on digital health in fragile states in the MENA region. Method: We conducted a scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. We conducted descriptive analysis of the general characteristics of the included papers and thematic analysis of the key findings of included studies categorized by targeted primary users of different digital health intervention. Results: Out of the 10,724 articles identified, we included 93 studies. The included studies mainly focused on digital health interventions targeting healthcare providers, clients and data services, while few studies focused on health systems or organizations managers. Most of the included studies were observational studies (49%). We identified no systematic reviews. Most of the studies were conducted in Lebanon (32%) followed by Afghanistan (13%) and Palestine (12%). The first authors were mainly affiliated with institutions from countries outside the MENA region (57%), mainly United Kingdom and United States. Digital health interventions provided a platform for training, supervision, and consultation for health care providers, continuing education for medical students, and disease self-management. The review also highlighted some implementation considerations for the adoption of digital health such as computer literacy, weak technological infrastructure, and privacy concerns. Conclusion: This review showed that digital health technologies can provide promising solutions in addressing health needs in fragile and conflict-affected states. However, rigorous evaluation of digital technologies in fragile settings and humanitarian crises are needed to inform their design and deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Viewpoint discusses ways to ensure the proficiency of bilingual communication among health care staff in patient-clinician encounters, such as language testing and use of professional interpreters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are the categorical name for a set of more than 30 craniomandibular health disorders for which there has been much controversy in both diagnosis and management. Obviously, a critical mass of health practitioners with specialized training in pain management, orofacial pain and TMDs needs serious consideration here in Australia. The first is advocacy of dental occlusal "imbalances" (also described using various synonyms) as the cause of TMDs, and advocacy for occlusal treatment (of any sort) for TMDs. [Extracted from the article]

The study aims at demonstrating how social communication has changed in terms of flows and content during the COVID-19 pandemic to get to the fact that health system organizations have embarked on a path of rapprochement with the citizen that starts from the methods of communication and interaction. This article presents an exploratory and multidisciplinary study conducted through the analysis of the Facebook page of the Italian Local Health Units (LHUs) site in the areas with the highest cumulative COVID-19-induced mortality rate. The study affirms that they are in an early stage of the process both for the acquisition of skills for social communication and for the definition of a communication strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a public health problem in Indonesia despite various efforts to combat it. TB is the leading cause of death in Indonesia and requires more comprehensive action, including in health communication. Indonesia ranks second after India in the number of TB cases and fourth in TB deaths in Asia. Efforts to address TB in Indonesia continue, including the implementation of more comprehensive prevention and treatment programs and effective health communication campaigns. However, the implementation of health communication in TB management in Indonesia still faces challenges such as infrastructure, policy, human resources, and community participation. Evaluation of the effectiveness of health communication implementation is also necessary to measure its impact on increasing public awareness, participation in prevention and treatment programs, and improving the quality of health services. This literature review describes the situation of TB in Indonesia, the role of health communication in TB management, factors influencing implementation, effectiveness evaluation, implementation challenges, and strategies to improve health communication implementation in TB management in Indonesia. This literature review can provide useful information for researchers, health practitioners, and policymakers in managing TB in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study will discuss the use of social media within the scope of health communication. The study aimed to analyze the social media use of companies in the health sector using augmented and virtual reality within the scope of health communication. The study is essential since there is no research on the health communication of health companies using augmented and virtual reality technology. While the health companies using the augmented and virtual reality technology of the universe of the study constitute the sample, the Youtube channel of the XRHealth company is selected by random sampling among these companies. The Youtube channel contents of XRHealth company were analyzed with the content analysis method in the Maxqda program, and the following results were obtained: Shares were made about primary health care services, health promotion/development, and preventive health services. Among these topics, preventive health services were mainly included. Within the scope of preventive health services, videos about doctors, patients, and pieces of training for both doctors and patients are published. In addition to rehabilitation services within primary health care services, virtual and augmented reality and diagnosis-treatment services were included in the video. Content aimed at least promoting and improving health has been produced on the Youtube channel. As a result, a high concentration of protective and primary health care services in video content reveals the importance of AR and VR technology in health education in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Currently, the main challenges of the frameworks for healthcare monitoring are as follows: minimising latency, especially for delay-sensitive diseases such as sudden heart disease; identifying health situation in a timely and accurate manner when correlating physiological indicators and context information; reducing the risk of exposure because health data are highly private. In response to the above, this paper proposes a framework for 5G-secure-smart healthcare monitoring (5GSS) to achieve the following goals: fast and accurate identification of context-aware health situation, blockchain-based secure data sharing, and low-latency services for emergent patients. The framework consists of a data acquisition layer, a diagnosis and security layer (edge cloud), and a health service layer. The proposed framework adopts the following key technologies: a 5G-IPv6 communication network, context-aware health situation identification-based similarity measure, and blockchain-based secure data sharing mechanism. Finally, a prototype system has been implemented to monitor hypertensive heart disease, confirming its effectiveness with respect to a real scenario. Combined with the data of 45 patients, the prototype system can identify health situations with an accuracy of 96.34% at a sensitivity of 92.46% and a specificity of 93.62%, while significantly reducing the latency and improving the data sharing security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to address the impacts of the social pandemic on the lives of the deaf in the psychological and scope. A qualitative research was carried out using the semi-structured interview as an instrument. Data collection took place in March 2022 in March 2022. Total sample number was found in January. The profile interviews were based on Bardin's method of analysis and distributed as main statements in 4 categories: sociodemographic; social relationships; communication and psychological impacts. From the analysis, it was possible to perceive that the pandemic exacerbated the lack of accessibility that already existed in the lives of deaf subjects in the professional scope and as well as the techniques used to communicate, such as through lip reading. It can be seen that the "mandatory isolation" factor directly influenced the quality of mental health and that social networks played an essential role in maintaining social relationships during the period of isolation. In addition, they lack good communication within health services, such as lack of study within health services, as well as assistance in the lives of health professionals. It is hoped that this study will contribute to the reflection of how the lack of communication can contribute to the experience and instigate painful health professionals to communicate effectively to patients about health, offering comprehensiveness and quality. in the assistance provided to this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telemedicine platforms have emerged as one of the most harnessed studies in recent years, especially after the spread of pandemics. Due to the epidemic, telemedicine distribution to rural or isolated areas has become an urgent need. However, there are several obstacles to providing remote medical care, the most significant of which is protecting patient data while sustaining the speed of communication between the patient and the medical staff. The significant of this study is to provides a lightweight encryption/decryption technique that uses on the internet of medical things in stance of bio-sensors and bio-actuators. This study is one of the cybersecurity approaches, such type of encryption has little effect on the speed of data transmission. The Diffie Hellman technique is used as a lightweight encryption method because it includes four encryption-keys. The efficiency of the proposed encryption method has been compared with several equivalent methods. According to experimental results, the proposed encryption method represents a lightweight and secure method which can accomplish the level of protection that required to secure medical information despite the data’s disarray. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Awareness creation through mass media has the potential to promoted positive behaviors and discourage negative health-related behaviors through direct and indirect pathways. In this study, we examined the association between exposure to mass media and maternal health care services utilization among women in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: We used data from the recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted between 2010 and 2020. A total of 28 countries with a survey dataset within 2010–2020 were included in our study. We included 199,146 women who had ever had a pregnancy in the last five years preceding the survey. Weighting was applied. Multilevel mixed-effect models were considered to account for cluster-level variations and correct inferences. Fixed and random effects estimates were reported. Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to present the results. Also, we presented the random intercept variations, intraclass correlation coefficient, and model fitness. Results: Women who listened to radio at least once every week (aOR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.07,1.15) were more likely to attend ANC as against those who did not listen to radio at all. Also, women who watched television at least once a week (aOR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.33,1.46) were more likely to attend ANC compared to those who did not watch television at all. Women who read newspaper/magazine at least once a week (aOR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.14,1.41); listened to radio at least once a week (aOR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.07,1.17); and watched television at least once a week (aOR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.24,1.40), were more likely to utilize SBA than those who did not read newspaper/magazine; listen to radio; and watch television at all. Women who read newspaper/magazine at least once a week (aOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.27,1.45); listened to radio at least once a week (aOR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.32,1.42); and watched television at least once a week (aOR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.32,1.47) were more likely to utilize PNC compared to those who did not. Conclusions: The study identified a strong positive relationship between mass media exposure and maternal health care services utilization. Specifically, exposure to radio and television were positively associated with ANC visitations. Moreover, exposure to mass media (newspaper/magazine, radio and television) were positively associated with SBA and PNC utilization. Policymakers and other non-governmental organizations should continuously invest resources in the design and implementation of maternal health service utilization educational programs through all the mass media channels to scale up women's maternal health service services utilization uptake in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aimed to describe and evaluate the applicability of the critical incident technique (CIT) in qualitatively identifying the health-related outcomes of professional–patient communication. We described and evaluated the applicability of the CIT by analyzing previous CIT studies in the field of multidisciplinary health research, as well as conducting a study in which the CIT was applied. We based our description and evaluation on the qualitative research model developed by Carter and Little (2007). Our evaluation showed that in addition to defining the critical requirements of professional–patient communication in relation to specific outcomes, the CIT could be applied in defining the significance of the multidimensional nature of professional–patient communication. However, the successful use of the CIT requires correct epistemological, methodological, and method-related choices regarding the CIT’s application in the research frame and the type of information sought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has caused a transformation in the organizational structure of the healthcare system that directly affects the management of its communication. This article aims to know the communication strategy of hospitals in Spain in a context of normality and what have been the main changes and adaptation needs caused by the pandemic. For this purpose, the information is collected and analyzed from a structured questionnaire and two focus group with health communication professionals. The results obtained confirm that pandemic modifies the type of tasks carried out in the three communication areas and transforms both the information requested and the priority in the use of channels for its transmission. Furthermore the work concludes that the health crisis has accelerated the development of the digitization and of Spanish health and communication systems. Finally, the professionals consider that the pandemic has favored the knowledge and recognition of the communication function inside and outside the hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

General practitioners (GPs) often deal with patient requests, yet little is known about the types of requests and how GPs respond. We used real-life Dutch consultations (recorded in 2015) to identify how care is requested in clinical practice. We analysed sixty-six consultations using an inductively and deductively developed codebook. Coders categorised five items of patient requests: type, speaker, formulation, GP response, and resolution. Correlations between these items were analysed with chi-square analyses. We identified 257 patient requests. Most requests concerned information or advice (n = 191, 74.3 %). When patients requested medical care, they often did so indirectly (χ2 (1)= 69.66, p <.001). Request type predicted the resolution: GPs were more likely to meet requests for information than for medical care (χ2(1) = 5.45, p =.019). More than half of the medical care requests that were followed by an explanation were not met (n = 5, 55.6 %). When a request was not met, GPs used communication strategies such as offering alternatives, referencing examination results, and depersonalisation. Asking questions, co-construction of a request, and explaining are important diagnostic and therapeutic tools for GPs in conversing with the patient. These conversational strategies could be trained to help GPs evaluate requests while maintaining a good GP-patient relationship. • General practitioners (GPs) receive an average of four requests per consultation. • The majority of patients request information rather than medical care. • Medical care requests were more often indirectly formulated. • GPs more often met request for information than for medical care. • Explaining and asking questions are important tools for GPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhanced patient engagement: By providing patients with real-time feedback on their health status, digital health tools and wearable devices can foster increased patient engagement and motivate individuals to adopt healthier behaviors [[5]]. Digital health tools and wearable technologies can empower patients to take charge of their own health by providing real-time feedback on their physical activity, sleep patterns, and other lifestyle factors. [Extracted from the article]