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Background: Patient handover (handoff in America) is the transfer of information and accountability among nurses assigned to patient care. Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation (ISBAR) is currently the most popular framework for framing handovers. However, research shows that incomplete handovers and information transfers among healthcare providers and nurses exist and are responsible for adverse patient events. Materials and Methods: The current systematic review aims to view contemporary literature on handover, especially but not exclusively in psychiatric settings, and to extract current conditions from Electronic Patient Records (EPRs) using the ISBAR framework. A total of fifty-five scientific papers were selected to support the scoping review. Eligibility criteria included structured research to analyze outcomes, completed by reviewing policy papers and professional organization guidelines on I/SBAR handovers. Results: Our systematic review shows that the application of ISBAR increases interprofessional communication skills and confidence and the quality of the transfer of clinical information about patients, resulting in increased patient safety and quality of care. Conclusions: Implementing the knowledge and application of structured patient handover will respond to current recommendations for service improvement and quality of care. Furthermore, nurses who use ISBAR also reported its benefits as they feel they can deliver what is required for patient care information in a structured, fast, and efficient way. A further increase in the efficacy of handovers is reported by using EPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 lockdown, social isolation and feelings of loneliness (SIFL) in the older population have increased, and they can be a risk of dementia, especially in vulnerable older people. The current research is a systematic review meta-analysis of the studies that approach the risk of dementia in older people with SIFL. The ten studies selected for meta-analysis utilised an opportunistic sample of older people in the community from age 50 to above with no dementia and enrolment. The populations consisted of cohorts of an average of 8,239 people, followed for a mean period of 6.41 years. Random effect meta-analysis summarised the Cox Proportional Hazard Ratios and Relative Risks of the individual studies. Results of the meta-analysis show that in older people, the risk of developing dementia because of the impact of prolonged loneliness and social isolation is about 49 to 60% [HR/HR = 1.49; CI95=1.37−1.61] higher than in those who are not lonely and socially isolated. The biopsychosocial model of dementia supports the need for more integrated social programs and reduced risks for the older persons who, during the COVID-19 lockdown, have suffered from deprivation of support from primary carers and restricted social interactions. During the COVID-19 lockdown, social isolation and feelings of loneliness in the general population have increased. Older persons are more vulnerable to social isolation and feelings of loneliness (SIFL). SIFL in older people has been associated with an increased risk of dementia. The current study's findings suggest the need to improve healthcare policies to reduce the impact of SIFL in older persons during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnosis of factitious disorder (FD) is frequently difficult and patients may present with physical symptoms only, psychiatric symptoms only or with a combination of both. As long as the nature of the disease is so secretive and large‐scale studies are almost impossible, every case report is important. Here, the authors present a case of severe FD and the therapeutic approach taken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapidly progressive dementias are conditions that typically cause dementia over weeks or months. They are a particular challenge for psychiatrists and neurologists as the differential diagnosis is often different from the more typical, slowly progressive dementias. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential, as many of the aetiologies are treatable. CreutzfeldtJakob Disease (CJD) is a very rare, progressive and lethal illness caused by prions. Here, the authors present a case of CJD that manifested itself as rapidly progressive dementia, with psychosis, without any neurological signs and symptoms initially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The study objective was to epidemiologically analyse patients presenting at an adult and mixed-gender psychiatric inpatient unit in Essex, Kingswood Centre, UK, to report the predominant diagnoses, gender, and admission duration. Method and material: Meta-analysis and descriptive statistics analysed the year 2016 discharge data on Excel® for 162 patients. ICD-10 codes classified their mental illnesses. Results: Meta-analysis evidenced statistically significant heterogeneity in numbers admissions (I2=95%; p=0.001), length (I2=78%; p=0.001), and gender (I2=76%; p=0.001). The prevailing diagnosis was borderline personality disorder (BPD) (rate, 95% CI=0.46 [0.38-0.54]). The longest admission was for schizoaffective disorder (mean duration, 95% CI=53 [22.65-83.34], p=0.001). Gender presented a prevalence of male over female admissions for schizophrenia (OR, 95% CI=0.14 [0.05-0.35], p=0.001) and BPD with prevalence of female over male admissions (OR, 95% CI=2.79 [1.35-5.76], p=0.05). Conclusion: Female patients with BPD were the most represented category in non-forensic psychiatric inpatient wards in the population studied. Male patients with schizophrenia represented the other gender highly represented. The longest admission was recorded for schizoaffective disorder due to the complexity to treat both mood and psychotic symptoms. It is likely that women with BPD will be the future recipients of psychiatric inpatient and outpatient healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the type, severity and progression of psychiatric pathologies in a sample of 372 outpatients (age range 18-65 years) referred by their primary general practitioners (GPs) to an Urgent Referral Team (URT) based in a psychiatric hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland. This team offers immediate appointments (1- to 7-day delays) for rapid assessments and early interventions to the outpatients referred by their primary family doctors. Method: One-sample t-test and z statistic were used for data analysis. From the total population, a convenience sample of 40 people was selected and assessed to evaluate whether follow-up appointments after the first visit could reduce the severity of suicidal ideation, depression and anxiety in the outpatients seen by the URT. A two-sample t-test and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to assess the variations in the scores during the follow-up visits. Results: We found a statistically significant prevalence of depressive disorders, comorbid with anxiety at first presentation in people who were females, white, never married, living with a partner, not studying and not in paid employment. The common presentation of borderline personality disorder and dysthymia in this population underscores its vulnerability to major socioeconomic challenges. Conclusion: The data confirmed the impact that primary care cooperation with psychiatric hospitals can have on the psychiatric system, and as a reflection, on the population's mental health and well-being. In fact, active cooperation and early diagnosis and intervention will help detect cases at risk in the general population and reduce admissions into hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent increase in the number of patients accessing healthcare services with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder continues to put unprecedented pressure on healthcare professionals. It is likely that considerable national health service resources will have to be allocated to these patients in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent increase in the number of patients accessing healthcare services with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder continues to put unprecedented pressure on healthcare professionals. It is likely that considerable national health service resources will have to be allocated to these patients in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "The use of (silent) mannequins to teach communication skills to medical students: An experimental approach in Italy," "Boundaries around the drug industry: A prescription" and "Research as a syllabus in medical undergraduate curriculum: Is this important in nurturing future researchers?"

A letter to the editor is presented which comments on communication skills training (CST) in medical education and on the effect of the practitioner's personality, values, and leadership style on communicating empathy.

Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, such as aggression or agitation are very frequent in Alzheimer's disease with most guidelines recommending memantine as first‐line pharmacological treatment. Here, the authors describe a patient who developed bradycardia when prescribed memantine and the subsequent changes required to her medication management to avoid further cardiac adverse reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of doctor's illegible handwriting, which according to an article published in the "Time" magazine is responsible for the death of about 7,000 individuals each year.