Symptom-Level Description of Nursing Perceptions About Unwarranted Clinical Variation, Inequality in Access to Cancer Services, Specific-Symptom Knowledge: An Italian Web-Based Survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 151138
Author(s):  
Silvia Belloni ◽  
Cristina Arrigoni ◽  
Federica Dellafiore ◽  
Valentina Biagioli ◽  
Alessio Piredda ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Halit Cinarka ◽  
Mehmet Atilla Uysal ◽  
Atilla Cifter ◽  
Elif Yelda Niksarlioglu ◽  
Aslı Çarkoğlu

AbstractThis study aims to evaluate the monitoring and predictive value of web-based symptoms (fever, cough, dyspnea) searches for COVID-19 spread. Daily search interests from Turkey, Italy, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom were obtained from Google Trends (GT) between January 1, 2020, and August 31, 2020. In addition to conventional correlational models, we studied the time-varying correlation between GT search and new case reports; we used dynamic conditional correlation (DCC) and sliding windows correlation models. We found time-varying correlations between pulmonary symptoms on GT and new cases to be significant. The DCC model proved more powerful than the sliding windows correlation model. This model also provided better at time-varying correlations (r ≥ 0.90) during the first wave of the pandemic. We used a root means square error (RMSE) approach to attain symptom-specific shift days and showed that pulmonary symptom searches on GT should be shifted separately. Web-based search interest for pulmonary symptoms of COVID-19 is a reliable predictor of later reported cases for the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Illness-specific symptom search interest on GT can be used to alert the healthcare system to prepare and allocate resources needed ahead of time.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Taggart ◽  
Melvin Chin ◽  
Winston Liauw ◽  
Alex Dolezal ◽  
John Plahn ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction A shared model of care between cancer services and primary health care is safe and acceptable and can address the increasing demands on cancer services for long term follow-up. This paper describes the challenges developing an interactive shared care plan for colorectal cancer follow-up care that supports collaboration between the care team and patient. Methods A systematic literature review was undertaken to identify web-based care plans for follow-up cancer care that would inform the implementation of a system to share an individualised care plan. We conducted individual consultations with 25 key informants/stakeholders to understand the requirements and challenges of establishing the web-based care plan and to identify the technical options to share the care plan. This was followed by a structured group consultation with 13 key stakeholders to obtain agreement on the model of care and the technical solution to share the care plan. Results We identified five web-based shared care plans for cancer follow-up care. These systems supported the creation and/or access to view or share the care plan via internet log-in, email or hard copy. None of the SCP had interactive functionalities to support collaboration and none of the included papers reported formalised models of shared care between cancer services and primary care. The challenges identified included the security, privacy and sharing of patient information between public health services and primary health care and poor integration of clinical information systems. A primary care practitioners’ care planning system was selected for the pilot as it addressed the challenge of sharing clinical information between the public health system and external clinicians, partially addressed integration (integrated with the primary care clinical information systems but did not integrate with the cancer centre systems), supported collaboration between the care team and patient and was relatively inexpensive. Conclusion Primary care shared care planning systems seem a suitable option for sharing clinical information between a cancer service and primary care practitioners. We plan to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this interactive shared care plan to support shared cancer follow-up care.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Taggart ◽  
Melvin Chin ◽  
Winston Liauw ◽  
John Lewis ◽  
Alex Dolezal ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction A shared model of care between cancer services and primary health care is safe and acceptable and can address the increasing demands on cancer services for long term follow-up. This paper describes the challenges developing an interactive shared care plan for colorectal cancer follow-up care. Methods A systematic literature review identified the use, functionality, and impact of web-based shared care plans to support cancer follow-up. Workshops with key stakeholders and consultations with clinicians, consumers and information service providers were conducted to agree on a model of care and technology options to interactively share a care plan. Results Seventeen papers reported five web-based shared care plan systems for cancer follow-up. These systems supported the creation and/or access to view or share the care plans using email or by downloading and printing a copy. The challenges we found included issues with the security, privacy and sharing of patient information between public health services and primary health care and poor integration of clinical information systems. We selected a primary care practitioners’ care planning system as it was interactive, integrated with primary care practitioner’ clinical information systems, was relatively inexpensive and addressed the sharing of clinical information with external clinicians to the public health system. Conclusion Primary care shared care planning systems seem a suitable option for sharing clinical information between a cancer service and primary care practitioners. We plan to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this interactive shared care plan to support shared cancer follow-up care.


Homeopathy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lex Rutten ◽  
Tom Smedley ◽  
Galen Ives ◽  
Peter Gold ◽  
Bernardo Merizalde ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A novel pandemic disease offered the opportunity to create new, disease-specific, symptom rubrics for the homeopathic repertory. Objective The aim of this study was to discover the relationship between specific symptoms and specific medicines, especially of symptoms occurring frequently in this disease. Materials and Methods Worldwide collection of data in all possible formats by various parties was coordinated by the Liga Medicorum Homeopathica Internationalis. As the data came in, more symptoms were assessed prospectively. Frequent analysis and feedback by electronic newsletters were used to improve the quality of the data. Likelihood ratios (LRs) of symptoms were calculated. An algorithm for combining symptom LRs was programmed and published in the form of an app. The app was tested against 18 well-described successful cases from Hong Kong. Results LRs of common symptoms such as ‘Fatigue’ and ‘Headache’ provided better differentiation between medicines than did existing repertory entries, which are based only on the narrow presence or absence of symptoms. A mini-repertory for COVID-19 symptoms was published and supported by a web-based algorithm. With a choice of 20 common symptoms, this algorithm produced the same outcome as a full homeopathic analysis based upon a larger number of symptoms, including some that are traditionally considered more specific to particular medicines. Conclusion A repertory based on clinical data and LRs can differentiate between homeopathic medicines using a limited number of frequently occurring epidemic symptoms. A Bayesian computer algorithm to combine symptoms can complement a full homeopathic analysis of cases.


2009 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
pp. 633-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander C. Chester ◽  
Jastin L. Antisdel ◽  
Raj Sindwani

Background: Although multiple studies have demonstrated that symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) improve after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), a systematic large-scale evaluation of specific symptom response has not been performed. Objective: To analyze the relative effectiveness of surgery in the improvement of individual CRS symptoms. Study Design: A literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane databases, and other Web-based sources from January 1, 1980 through June 1, 2008 was performed. Studies of 20 or more adult patients with CRS that used symptom severity scores to analyze at least 3 major CRS criteria (facial pressure, nasal obstruction, postnasal discharge, and hyposmia) or 2 major CRS criteria plus headache were included. Subjects and Methods: Inclusion criteria were met by 21 of 289 ESS studies reviewed. Meta-analysis was conducted for each symptom separately with the standardized difference between the preoperative and postoperative severity scores as the effect size (ES). Results: A total of 2070 patients with CRS were studied a mean of 13.9 months after ESS. All symptoms demonstrated improvement compared with their respective preoperative severity scores by an overall ES of 1.19 (95% confidence interval, 0.96 to 1.41; I2 = 81.7%) using the random-effects model. Nasal obstruction (ES, 1.73) improved the most, with facial pain (ES, 1.13) and postnasal discharge (ES, 1.19) demonstrating moderate improvements. Hyposmia (ES, 0.97) and headache (ES, 0.98) improved the least. Conclusion: The relative improvements in major CRS symptoms and headache after surgery are similar, with the exception of nasal obstruction, which improves most.


1998 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 671-674
Author(s):  
JF Chaves ◽  
JA Chaves ◽  
MS Lantz
Keyword(s):  

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 82-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva van Leer

Mobile tools are increasingly available to help individuals monitor their progress toward health behavior goals. Commonly known commercial products for health and fitness self-monitoring include wearable devices such as the Fitbit© and Nike + Pedometer© that work independently or in conjunction with mobile platforms (e.g., smartphones, media players) as well as web-based interfaces. These tools track and graph exercise behavior, provide motivational messages, offer health-related information, and allow users to share their accomplishments via social media. Approximately 2 million software programs or “apps” have been designed for mobile platforms (Pure Oxygen Mobile, 2013), many of which are health-related. The development of mobile health devices and applications is advancing so quickly that the Food and Drug Administration issued a Guidance statement with the purpose of defining mobile medical applications and describing a tailored approach to their regulation.


2008 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
MITCHEL L. ZOLER
Keyword(s):  

2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (19) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
BRUCE JANCIN
Keyword(s):  

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