DO CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH SCREENING PROGRAMS AND FOCUSED COUNSELING HAVE IMPACT ON PATIENT HABITS AND LIFESTYLE CHANGE? EARLY RESULTS OF THE HEART SMART SCREENING PROGRAM

The pediatrician is in a unique and powerful position, both in his own office and in his community. By taking an active role in designing, executing, and evaluating screening programs, he can help insure that resources are used economically and usefully, and that a broadened view of screening and health results in positive programs. He should insist that vital components of any screening program include intervention and dissemination of information to those who need it. To do less is to abdicate a responsibility which cannot be delegated to others, even though many screening programs are initiated and conducted by nonphysicians.

Download Full-text

Feasibility of integrating mental health screening into youth HIV Care in a Low-Middle Income Country Setting

10.31124/advance.16602212.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Merrian Brooks ◽

Bathusi Phetogo ◽

Makhetha Monyane-Pheko ◽

Onkemetse Phoi ◽

Ontibile Tshume ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Screening Program ◽

Case Reports ◽

Severe Case ◽

Health Screening ◽

Mental Health Screening ◽

Hiv Care ◽

Screening Programs

Introduction: Youth living with HIV (YLWH) experience higher rates of mental illness than their peers. Holistic care for YLWH may involve adopting mental health screening programs into comprehensive HIV care to help identify and address mental health concerns in young people. We explored various contexts, procedures, and safety measures throughout the integration and maintenance of a mental health screening program for adolescents attending an HIV referral clinic in Gaborone, Botswana. Methods: Implementation goals included a safety goal of 100% appropriate referral rate for emergency cases, and a screening goal of 70% of the approximately 1100 adolescent and young adults who were clients of the clinic at least once in the one year review period. Frequent meetings with the behavioral health team and relevant clinic staff were conducted to determine when, where and how to screen the clients. Referral procedures and an emergency protocol for certain “red flag” behaviors was developed to facilitate a warm handing off to trained mental health professionals along with a backup for non-mental health clinicians to assist in the absence of the PSS team. Every other week severe score case reports were produced by the screening team to prevent loss to follow up of suicidal ideation, hallucination or very high scores. Mild to moderate cases were referred to clinicians trained in brief intervention therapy. Results: Of the 846 clients screened, 191 (19.2%) had severe scores. Eight (4.1%) of these 191 severe case scores were either not immediately reported, or were inappropriately referred. Two of those eight had suicidal ideation and were not immediately referred but were appropriately followed up after being identified during bimonthly implementation team meetings. Identifying a specific trained person tasked with facilitating the screening was found to be most helpful. As was training the clinicians in methods to respond to mild to moderate results, particularly during unavailability of PSS team members. A clear and detailed protocol for severe cases was also noted as a key element in keeping the screening program safe. Conclusions: Establishing a universal screening program in an LMIC is possible with the consideration of various contextual factors.

Download Full-text

A Statistical Model for Assessing the Need for Medical Care in a Health Screening Program

Clinical Chemistry ◽

10.1093/clinchem/19.1.113 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 113-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Stuart C Hartz

Keyword(s):

Statistical Model ◽

Medical Care ◽

Screening Program ◽

Logistic Function ◽

Health Screening ◽

Maximum Likelihood Estimates ◽

Unknown Parameters ◽

Linear Discriminant ◽

Screening Programs ◽

Health Screening Program

Abstract This is a statistical model (the "multiple logistic model") for pooling data from many variables into a single probability estimate that a person examined in a health screening system requires medical care. Because discrete variables are frequently studied in health screening programs, the required assumption of multivariate normality of the predictor variables related to many statistical techniques is seldom fulfilled. A computing method is given that avoids this assumption by directly assuming the appropriateness of logistic function and obtains the corresponding maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) of the unknown parameters. Fisher’s linear discriminant function (LDF) may be used to provide the initial estimates of these parameters, which are necessary for the application of the MLE computing procedure. The algorithms to estimate these coefficients are discussed for both the LDF and MLE models, and an application of these methods to a set of data is presented and other applications of this procedure are proposed

Download Full-text

Health status of veterans with spinal cord injury during screening program in Tehran 2013: Investigating the pulmonary function - a preliminary report

10.7287/peerj.preprints.766v1 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Ghasem Azimi ◽

Arash Divanbeigi ◽

Taher Doroudi ◽

Amir Emami ◽

Alireza Yarandi

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Pulmonary Function ◽

Screening Program ◽

Care Program ◽

Health Screening ◽

Screening Programs ◽

Cord Injury ◽

The Mean ◽

Complete Spinal Cord Injury

Respiratory problems are a major cause of mortality in people with spinal cord injury. More than 2000 veterans with spinal cord injury live in Iran. This study aimed to evaluate the pulmonary function of veterans with spinal cord injury participating in the health-screening program in Tehran-2013. This retrospective descriptive study was conducted by reviewing participants’ medical records. All veterans (368) were male with the mean age of 49.62 ± 6.45 years. The mean time since injury was 27.17 ± 5.03 years; 32 veterans (8.7%) suffered from tetraplegia and 336 (91.3%) were paraplegic; 120 veterans (32.6%) had complete spinal cord injury and 248 had incomplete spinal cord injury (67.4%). Among them, 159 veterans had difficulty coughing; 198 complained of dyspnea and 119 had a history of hospitalization for pneumonia during the last year. It seems that veterans’ pulmonary status in the screening was appropriate indicating the suitability of periodic visits to veterans in the home care program. It is suggested that future studies be conducted simultaneously with health screening programs.

Download Full-text

Control of hypertension and diabetes among adults aged over 40 years with or without physical disabilities

International Journal on Disability and Human Development ◽

10.1515/ijdhd-2014-0016 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Jung-A Lee ◽

Jong Heon Park

Keyword(s):

Plasma Glucose ◽

Screening Program ◽

Physical Disabilities ◽

Female Gender ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Tertiary Hospital ◽

Health Screening ◽

Effective Control ◽

Screening Programs ◽

Glucose Levels

AbstractDisabled individuals have poorer health compared to non-disabled individuals and they exhibit a higher prevalence of chronic diseases, such as hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM). We explored how effectively blood pressure (BP) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level, factors influencing development of HTN and DM, were controlled in disabled and non-disabled individuals over the age of 40 years. We hypothesized that control of BP and FPG levels in disabled individuals would be lower than that in non-disabled participants.Records of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) were analyzed and the health screening program database was examined between the years 2007 and 2009. We identified patients who had used healthcare services to treat HTN or DM. Health-related information that might influence effective control of both BP and FPG levels in those with or without physical disabilities were examined.The extent of effective BP and DM control did not differ between people with and without disabilities, but plasma glucose levels were slightly better controlled in individuals with disabilities than those without disabilities. HTN and DM control was more closely associated with female gender, age, grade of disability, non-smoking and non-drinker status, engagement in physical activity, presentation for health examinations, and frequent tertiary hospital visits for HTN management.Our paper is significant because of our focus on differences between disabled and non-disabled individuals. Our results and future data from NHIS health screening programs can be used to regularly monitor population health status and to evaluate information relevant to the management of HTN and DM control.

Download Full-text

Health status of veterans with spinal cord injury during screening program in Tehran 2013: Investigating the pulmonary function - a preliminary report

10.7287/peerj.preprints.766 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Ghasem Azimi ◽

Arash Divanbeigi ◽

Taher Doroudi ◽

Amir Emami ◽

Alireza Yarandi

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Pulmonary Function ◽

Screening Program ◽

Care Program ◽

Health Screening ◽

Screening Programs ◽

Cord Injury ◽

The Mean ◽

Complete Spinal Cord Injury

Respiratory problems are a major cause of mortality in people with spinal cord injury. More than 2000 veterans with spinal cord injury live in Iran. This study aimed to evaluate the pulmonary function of veterans with spinal cord injury participating in the health-screening program in Tehran-2013. This retrospective descriptive study was conducted by reviewing participants’ medical records. All veterans (368) were male with the mean age of 49.62 ± 6.45 years. The mean time since injury was 27.17 ± 5.03 years; 32 veterans (8.7%) suffered from tetraplegia and 336 (91.3%) were paraplegic; 120 veterans (32.6%) had complete spinal cord injury and 248 had incomplete spinal cord injury (67.4%). Among them, 159 veterans had difficulty coughing; 198 complained of dyspnea and 119 had a history of hospitalization for pneumonia during the last year. It seems that veterans’ pulmonary status in the screening was appropriate indicating the suitability of periodic visits to veterans in the home care program. It is suggested that future studies be conducted simultaneously with health screening programs.

Download Full-text

Annual adult health screening: barriers, challenges and effectiveness

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20215023 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 518

Author(s):

Abrar A. Al Yamani ◽

Fahad A. Mahnshi ◽

Abdullah A. Alkhalifah ◽

Abdullah M. Alsawadi ◽

Bader O. Alnefaie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

High Risk ◽

Screening Program ◽

Health Screening ◽

Economic Factors ◽

Adult Health ◽

Screening Programs ◽

Premarital Screening ◽

Barriers And Challenges ◽

Screening Barriers

Although it has been well-established that screening for early detection and intervention practices has been associated with favorable outcomes, there have been many concerns about the potential of these approaches to cause harm to the patients. In addition, evidence also shows some associated barriers and challenges to these approaches that need to be considered by healthcare authorities when planning for such approaches. The present literature review discusses annual adult health screening programs' effectiveness, barriers, and challenges. There is no doubt that these screening programs can help identify undiagnosed disorders among many patients with various conditions, like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and different cancers. Moreover, the effectiveness of these screening programs can be best highlighted by the premarital screening program in Saudi Arabia, which targets high-risk couples for developing certain conditions and infections. However, it should be noted that there are many barriers and challenges to conducting health screening campaigns, like cultural and economic factors. Other challenges might also include the rates of false-positive tests, overdiagnosis, and knowledge about the screening programs.

Download Full-text

Feasibility of integrating mental health screening into youth HIV Care in a Low-Middle Income Country Setting

10.31124/advance.16602212 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Merrian Brooks ◽

Bathusi Phetogo ◽

Makhetha Monyane-Pheko ◽

Onkemetse Phoi ◽

Ontibile Tshume ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Screening Program ◽

Case Reports ◽

Severe Case ◽

Health Screening ◽

Mental Health Screening ◽

Hiv Care ◽

Screening Programs

Introduction: Youth living with HIV (YLWH) experience higher rates of mental illness than their peers. Holistic care for YLWH may involve adopting mental health screening programs into comprehensive HIV care to help identify and address mental health concerns in young people. We explored various contexts, procedures, and safety measures throughout the integration and maintenance of a mental health screening program for adolescents attending an HIV referral clinic in Gaborone, Botswana. Methods: Implementation goals included a safety goal of 100% appropriate referral rate for emergency cases, and a screening goal of 70% of the approximately 1100 adolescent and young adults who were clients of the clinic at least once in the one year review period. Frequent meetings with the behavioral health team and relevant clinic staff were conducted to determine when, where and how to screen the clients. Referral procedures and an emergency protocol for certain “red flag” behaviors was developed to facilitate a warm handing off to trained mental health professionals along with a backup for non-mental health clinicians to assist in the absence of the PSS team. Every other week severe score case reports were produced by the screening team to prevent loss to follow up of suicidal ideation, hallucination or very high scores. Mild to moderate cases were referred to clinicians trained in brief intervention therapy. Results: Of the 846 clients screened, 191 (19.2%) had severe scores. Eight (4.1%) of these 191 severe case scores were either not immediately reported, or were inappropriately referred. Two of those eight had suicidal ideation and were not immediately referred but were appropriately followed up after being identified during bimonthly implementation team meetings. Identifying a specific trained person tasked with facilitating the screening was found to be most helpful. As was training the clinicians in methods to respond to mild to moderate results, particularly during unavailability of PSS team members. A clear and detailed protocol for severe cases was also noted as a key element in keeping the screening program safe. Conclusions: Establishing a universal screening program in an LMIC is possible with the consideration of various contextual factors.

Download Full-text

Human Papillomavirus Selected Properties and Related Cervical Cancer Prevention Issues

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612826666200422094205 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (18) ◽

pp. 2073-2086

Author(s):

Saule Balmagambetova ◽

Andrea Tinelli ◽

Ospan A. Mynbaev ◽

Arip Koyshybaev ◽

Olzhas Urazayev ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Human Papillomavirus ◽

Cancer Prevention ◽

Screening Program ◽

Hpv Infection ◽

Cervical Cancer Prevention ◽

Point Of View ◽

Prevention Strategies ◽

Middle Income ◽

Screening Programs

High-risk human papillomavirus strains are widely known to be the causative agents responsible for cervical cancer development. Aggregated damage caused by papillomaviruses solely is estimated in at least 5% of all malignancies of the human body and 16% in cancers that affect the female genital area. Enhanced understanding of the complex issue on how the high extent of carcinogenicity is eventually formed due to the infection by the Papoviridae family would contribute to enhancing current prevention strategies not only towards cervical cancer, but also other HPV associated cancers. This review article is aimed at presenting the key points in two directions: the current cervical cancer prevention and related aspects of HPV behavior. Virtually all applied technologies related to HPV diagnostics and screening programs, such as HPV tests, colposcopy-based tests (VIA/VILI), conventional and liquid-based cytology, currently available are presented. Issues of availability, advantages, and drawbacks of the screening programs, as well as vaccination strategies, are also reviewed in the article based on the analyzed sources. The current point of view regarding HPV is discussed with emphasis on the most problematic aspect of the HPV family concerning the observed increasing number of highly carcinogenic types. Present trends in HPV infection diagnostics throughout the human fluids and tissues are also reported, including the latest novelties in this field, such as HPV assay/self-sample device combinations. Besides, a brief outline of the related prevention issues in Kazakhstan, the leading country of Central Asia, is presented. Kazakhstan, as one of the post-soviet middle-income countries, may serve as an example of the current situation in those terrains, concerning the implementation of globally accepted cervical cancer prevention strategies. Along with positive achievements, such as the development of a nationwide screening program, a range of drawbacks is also analyzed and discussed.

Download Full-text