scholarly journals Feasibility of using digital confocal microscopy for cytopathological examination in clinical practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Savitri Krishnamurthy ◽  
Kechen Ban
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Cell Suspensions ◽  
Digital Microscopy ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Liver And Kidney ◽  
Hematoxylin And Eosin ◽  
Grade 3 ◽  
Mean Time

AbstractOptical imaging modalities are emerging as digital microscopy tools for tissue examination. The investigation of these techniques for potential applications in anatomic pathology practice has focused primarily on surgical pathology and has not included cytopathological specimens. We evaluated the feasibility of using digital confocal microscopy (CM) to examine cytopathological specimens. Smears and cell suspensions collected in RPMI solution were prepared from tissue scrapes obtained from surgical resections of breast, lung, liver, and kidney. Air-dried smears and cell pellets obtained from centrifugation of the cell suspensions were stained with 0.6 mM acridine orange and imaged with a CM platform. After completion of imaging, the smears were stained with Diff-Quik (DQ), and cell pellets were routinely processed, embedded in paraffin wax, cut, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). We evaluated the mean time to acquire digital CM images; quality of images based on the extent of tissue recognition (0%, grade 0; 1–19%, grade 1; 20–50%, grade 2; >50%, grade 3); comparison of images with DQ- and H&E-stained specimens; and ability to make specific diagnoses. We imaged 91 smears and 52 cell pellets and acquired digital CM images within 2–3 min, with 92% and 88% of images, respectively, from smears and cell pellets showing grade 3 quality. On the basis of CM images, 8 smears (9%) and 7 cell pellets (14%) were categorized as benign, and 83 (91%) and 45 (88%), respectively, as malignant. Specific diagnoses were made by using digital CM images of smears and cell pellets that matched accurately with corresponding DQ- and H&E-stained preparations. The results of our first feasibility study clearly indicated the utility of CM as a next-generation digital microscopy tool for evaluating cytology specimens. Prospective clinical studies are warranted for validating our findings for potential incorporation into cytopathological clinical practice.

A Cohort Study to Evaluate Emergency Medicine Ultrasound by Non-Sonographers in Clinical Practice

Ultrasound ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 214-220
Author(s):  
Alison McGuinness ◽  
Beverly Snaith ◽  
Jean Wilson ◽  
Stephen Wolstenhulme
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Clinical Guidelines ◽  
Randomized Study ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Clinical Governance ◽  
Competency Assessment ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Mean Time

Previous research has evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of emergency medicine ultrasound (EMU); however, the literature on clinical governance issues such as the quality of training, competence of the operator, development of clinical guidelines or standard setting within individual trusts is very limited. Although national guidelines have been issued regarding governance of non-radiology performed ultrasound, it is unclear whether the expectations provided within the guidance are being implemented in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical governance and service provision of emergency medicine practitioners who had attended a two-day formal training course on EMU. The method used was a prospective non-randomized study using an electronic questionnaire to 160 clinicians who had attended a two-day EMU course. The questions investigated the clinicians’ EMU clinical practice in their departments including profession, grade, number of scans, types of examinations, equipment used and clinical governance arrangements such as scope of practice, audit, guidelines, support, archiving of reports and images. Responses were obtained from 59 of 160 (37%) delegates. The mean time they had been involved in emergency medicine was 8.31 years. Most (73%) were performing EMU in their current roles. Nearly all (86%) felt that the two-day course had given them adequate training and over half were performing extra examinations to those taught on the course. Only 23 (39%) respondents had supervision in their workplace after the course. Less than half (46%) were aware of national EMU guidelines, and only 22% of respondents indicated there were local clinical guidelines in place. A significant proportion of departments (37%) do not undertake audit. In conclusion, most of the respondents were not aware of the national guidelines around EMU and there was a lack of evidence that clinical governance issues were being enforced by all trusts. Many departments showed a limited use of clinical guidelines, audit regimes or competency assessment.

Hybrid Telecoaching for Corporate Speech Training and Potential Applications to Clinical Practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 322-324
Author(s):  
Thomas F. Burke
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Engineering Teams ◽  
Corporate Strategies ◽  
Corporate Speech ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Future Clinical Practice ◽  
Fortune 100 ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Language Pathology ◽  
Development Engineering

Purpose The purpose of this article was to describe a model for “hybrid speech telecoaching” developed for a Fortune 100 organization and offer a “thought starter” on how clinicians might think of applying these corporate strategies within future clinical practice. Conclusion The author contends in this article that corporate telecommunications and best practices gleaned from software development engineering teams can lend credibility to e-mail, messaging apps, phone calls, or other emerging technology as viable means of hybrid telepractice delivery models and offer ideas about the future of more scalable speech-language pathology services.

Nurses’ Perceptions of a Care Plan Information Technology Solution With Hundreds of Clinical Practice Guidelines in Adult Intensive Care Units: Survey Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azizeh Khaled Sowan ◽  
Meghan Leibas ◽  
Albert Tarriela ◽  
Charles Reed
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Nursing Care ◽  
Clinical Practice Guidelines ◽  
Practice Guidelines ◽  
Care Plan ◽  
System Use ◽  
Nurses Perceptions

BACKGROUND The integration of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) into the nursing care plan and documentation systems aims to translate evidence into practice, improve safety and quality of care, and standardize care processes. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate nurses’ perceptions of the usability of a nursing care plan solution that includes 234 CPGs. METHODS A total of 100 nurses from 4 adult intensive care units (ICUs) responded to a survey measuring nurses’ perceptions of system usability. The survey included 37 rated items and 3 open-ended questions. RESULTS Nurses’ perceptions were favorable with more than 60.0% (60/100) in agreement on 12 features of the system and negative to moderate with 20.0% (20/100), to 59.0% (59/100) in agreement on 19 features. The majority of the nurses (80/100, 80.0% to 90/100, 90.0%) agreed on 4 missing safety features within the system. More than half of the nurses believed they would benefit from refresher classes on system use. Overall satisfaction with the system was just above average (54/100, 54.0%). Common positive themes from the narrative data were related to the system serving as a reminder for complete documentation and individualizing patient care. Common negative aspects were related to duplicate charting, difficulty locating CPGs, missing unit-specific CPGs, irrelevancy of information, and lack of perceived system value on patient outcomes. No relationship was found between years of system use or ICU experience and satisfaction with the system (P=.10 to P=.25). CONCLUSIONS Care plan systems in ICUs should be easy to navigate; support efficient documentation; present relevant, unit-specific, and easy-to-find information; endorse interdisciplinary communication; and improve safety and quality of care.

Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing Mitomycin, Cisplatin, and Protracted Venous-Infusion Fluorouracil (PVI 5-FU) With Epirubicin, Cisplatin, and PVI 5-FU in Advanced Esophagogastric Cancer

2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 1996-2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Ross ◽  
M. Nicolson ◽  
D. Cunningham ◽  
J. Valle ◽  
M. Seymour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Study ◽  
Squamous Carcinoma ◽  
Undifferentiated Carcinoma ◽  
Palmar Erythema ◽  
Esophagogastric Cancer ◽  
Equivalent Efficacy ◽  
Venous Infusion ◽  
Grade 3 ◽  
To Receive

PURPOSE: We report the results of a prospectively randomized study that compared the combination of epirubicin, cisplatin, and protracted venous-infusion fluorouracil (PVI 5-FU) (ECF) with the combination of mitomycin, cisplatin, and PVI 5-FU (MCF) in previously untreated patients with advanced esophagogastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five hundred eighty patients with adenocarcinoma, squamous carcinoma, or undifferentiated carcinoma were randomized to receive either ECF (epirubicin 50 mg/m2 every 3 weeks, cisplatin 60 mg/m2 every 3 weeks and PVI 5-FU 200 mg/m2/d) or MCF (mitomycin 7 mg/m2 every 6 weeks, cisplatin 60 mg/m2 every 3 weeks, and PVI 5-FU 300 mg/m2/d) and analyzed for survival, response, toxicity, and quality of life (QOL). RESULTS: The overall response rate was 42.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 37% to 48%) with ECF and 44.1% (95% CI, 38% to 50%) with MCF (P = .692). Toxicity was tolerable, and there were only two toxic deaths. ECF resulted in more grade 3/4 neutropenia and grade 2 alopecia, but MCF caused more thrombocytopenia and plantar-palmar erythema. Median survival was 9.4 months with ECF and 8.7 months with MCF (P = .315); at 1 year, 40.2% (95% CI, 34% to 46%) of ECF and 32.7% (95% CI, 27% to 38%) of MCF patients were alive. Median failure-free survival was 7 months with both regimens. Global QOL scores were better with ECF at 3 and 6 months. CONCLUSION: This study confirms response, survival, and QOL benefits of ECF observed in a previous randomized study. The equivalent efficacy of MCF was demonstrated, but QOL was superior with ECF. ECF remains one of the reference treatments for advanced esophagogastric cancer.

scholarly journals Evaluating the success of the tele-pathology system in governmental hospitals in Kuwait: an explanatory sequential mixed methods design

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Jasem Buabbas ◽  
Tareq Mohammad ◽  
Adel K. Ayed ◽  
Hawraa Mallah ◽  
Hamza Al-Shawaf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Support Services ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Technical Support ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
System Quality ◽  
Mixed Methods Design ◽  
Telepathology System

Abstract Background Telepathology is the practice of reviewing and exchanging pathological images through telecommunication systems to obtain diagnoses remotely. Studying the factors that make such a system successful and favourable is important to ensure the merits of its implementation in clinical practice. Objective This study aims to evaluate the success of a telepathology system from the users’ perspectives, using specific evaluation criteria, namely: system quality, information quality, technical service quality, user satisfaction, and benefits. Methods A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was adopted in this study, which consists of two phases. Initially, a questionnaire was distributed via WhatsApp to all of the pathologists (total: 45) working at governmental hospitals in Kuwait. Followed by, semi-structured interviews with ten senior pathologists. Results Forty pathologists responded to the questionnaire, giving an 89% response rate. There were 42.5% of the respondents aged between 35–44 years old, and 52.5% were male. The quantitative results reveal that most of the respondents were satisfied with the quality of the telepathology system with a mean of 2.6025 (Standard Deviation (SD) = 0.47176), whereas they were dissatisfied with the quality of the information with a mean of 2.4100 (SD = 1.580) and the technical support services with a mean of 2.2750 (SD = 0.99535). In addition, there was disagreement on the benefits of telepathology in clinical practice among the pathologists with a mean of 2.4667 (SD = 0.77552). The qualitative results indicate that the lack of interest in and little experience with using the system were behind the general dissatisfaction of most of the respondents. All of the interviewees were satisfied with the performance of the telepathology system and considered it successful; however, the quality of the technical support services, including training workshops, was deemed deficient. Conclusion This study concluded that telepathology system in Kuwait is functioning well and has been successful in its implementation; however, pathologists are dissatisfied with it, mainly due to the deficient quality of the technical support services provided. In addition, the successful implementation of such advanced technologies requires careful steps to be taken on multiple levels: technical, organisational, and managerial. Recommendations were suggested.

scholarly journals Quality of life assessments in clinical practice using either the EORTC-QLQ-C30 or the SEIOQL-DW: a randomized study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Kettis ◽  
Hanna Fagerlind ◽  
Jan-Erik Frödin ◽  
Bengt Glimelius ◽  
Lena Ring
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Health Related Qol ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Secondary Outcomes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Effective patient-physician communication can improve patient understanding, agreement on treatment and adherence. This may, in turn, impact on clinical outcomes and patient quality of life (QoL). One way to improve communication is by using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Heretofore, studies of the impact of using PROMs in clinical practice have mostly evaluated the use of standardized PROMs. However, there is reason to believe that individualized instruments may be more appropriate for this purpose. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of the standardized QoL-instrument, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life C-30 (EORTC-QOL-C30) and the individualized QoL instrument, the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life-Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW), in clinical practice. Methods In a prospective, open-label, controlled intervention study at two hospital out-patient clinics, 390 patients with gastrointestinal cancer were randomly assigned either to complete the EORTC-QOL-C30 or the SEIQoL-DW immediately before the consultation, with their responses being shared with their physician. This was repeated in 3–5 consultations over a period of 4–6 months. The primary outcome measure was patients’ health-related QoL, as measured by FACIT-G. Patients’ satisfaction with the consultation and survival were secondary outcomes. Results There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to study outcomes. Neither intervention instrument resulted in any significant changes in health-related QoL, or in any of the secondary outcomes, over time. This may reflect either a genuine lack of effect or sub-optimization of the intervention. Since there was no comparison to standard care an effect in terms of lack of deterioration over time cannot be excluded. Conclusions Future studies should focus on the implementation process, including the training of physicians to use the instruments and their motivation for doing so. The effects of situational use of standardized or individualized instruments should also be explored. The effectiveness of the different approaches may depend on contextual factors including physician and patient preferences.

scholarly journals Classification of endonasal HHT lesions using digital microscopy

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Haubner ◽  
A. Schneider ◽  
H. Schinke ◽  
M. Bertlich ◽  
B. G. Weiss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasia ◽  
Digital Microscopy ◽  
Digital Microscope ◽  
Lower Severity ◽  
Gender Specific Differences ◽  
Vegf Level

Abstract Background Recurrent spontaneous epistaxis is the most common clinical manifestation and the most debilitating symptom in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) patients. To this date, there exist only a classification of HHT patients by different genetic mutations. There is no standard classification for the mucocutaneous endonasal manifestations of HHT. The aim of the present study was to document the variety of endonasal HHT lesions using digital microscopy and to propose a clinical classification. Methods We recorded the endonasal HHT lesions of 28 patients using a digital microscope. We reconstructed the 3D images und videos recorded by digital microscope afterwards and classified the endonasal lesions of HHT in two classes: Grade A, presence of only flat telangiectasias in the mucosa level and Grade B, (additional) presence of raised berry or wart-like telangiectasia spots. We investigated also Haemoglobin level by routine laboratory procedures, plasma VEGF level by ELISA, Severity of epistaxis by epistaxis severity score (ESS) and quality of life by a linear visual analogue scale (VAS). Results We found a higher quality of life and a lower severity of epistaxis in Grade A patients in comparison to Grade B patients. No difference in plasma VEGF level and in Haemoglobin between Grad A patients and Grade B patients could be detected. Plasma VEGF levels showed no gender specific differences. It could also not be correlated to the extranasal manifestation. Conclusion The classification for endonasal manifestation of HHT proposed in this study indicates severity of epistaxis und quality of life. Digital microscopy with the ability of 3D reconstruction of images presents a useful tool for such classifications. The classification of endonasal HHT lesions using digital microscopy allows to evaluate the dynamic of HHT lesions in the course of time independent of examiner. This allows also to evaluate the efficacy of the different treatment modalities by dynamic of HHT lesions. Moreover digital microscopy is very beneficial in academic teaching of rare diseases.

scholarly journals Nanocomposite scaffolds for accelerating chronic wound healing by enhancing angiogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamed Nosrati ◽  
Reza Aramideh Khouy ◽  
Ali Nosrati ◽  
Mohammad Khodaei ◽  
Mehdi Banitalebi-Dehkordi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Wound Healing ◽  
Tissue Regeneration ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Healing Process ◽  
The Body ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Nanocomposite Scaffolds

AbstractSkin is the body’s first barrier against external pathogens that maintains the homeostasis of the body. Any serious damage to the skin could have an impact on human health and quality of life. Tissue engineering aims to improve the quality of damaged tissue regeneration. One of the most effective treatments for skin tissue regeneration is to improve angiogenesis during the healing period. Over the last decade, there has been an impressive growth of new potential applications for nanobiomaterials in tissue engineering. Various approaches have been developed to improve the rate and quality of the healing process using angiogenic nanomaterials. In this review, we focused on molecular mechanisms and key factors in angiogenesis, the role of nanobiomaterials in angiogenesis, and scaffold-based tissue engineering approaches for accelerated wound healing based on improved angiogenesis.

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