OPTIMIZING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS: FIVE CONVERSATIONS THAT CAN HELP IMPROVE HEALTH COMMUNICATION AND CARE FOR ELDERLY PATIENTS

An increased use of social networks is one of the most far-reaching consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from the traditional media, as the main drivers of social communication in crisis situations, individual profiles have emerged supported by social networks, which have had a similar impact to the more specialized communication media. This is the hypothesis of the research presented, which is focused on health communication and based on a virtual ethnography methodology with the use of social metrics. The aim is to understand the relationship established between the population in general and digital media in particular through the measurement of engagement. In this regard, a comparative study was carried out that describes this phenomenon over a period of six months on three social networks: YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, with a sample composed of specialized health media versus healthcare professionals. The results point to a new communications model that opens up a new space for agents whose content has a degree of engagement comparable to and even exceeding that of digital media specialized in health communication. The conclusions show that the crisis of the pandemic has accelerated the transformation of the communication sector, creating new challenges for the communication industry, media professionals, and higher education institutions related to market demands.

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Reducing Dietary Salt to Improve Health in the Americas: Fact Sheet for Healthcare Professionals

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e524492010-001 ◽

2013 ◽

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Dietary Salt ◽

Fact Sheet ◽

Improve Health

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Does Online Community Participation Contribute to Medication Adherence? An Empirical Study of Patients with Chronic Diseases

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18105100 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 5100

Author(s):

Jyh-Jeng Wu ◽

Yueh-Mei Chen ◽

Paul C. Talley ◽

Kuang-Ming Kuo

Keyword(s):

Medication Adherence ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Online Communities ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Online Community ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Informational Support ◽

Chronic Patients ◽

The Relationship

Effectively improving the medication adherence of patients is crucial. Past studies focused on treatment-related factors, but little attention has been paid to factors concerning human beliefs such as trust or self-efficacy. The purpose of this study is to explore the following aspects of patients with chronic diseases: (1) The relationship between emotional support, informational support, self-efficacy, and trust; (2) the relationship between self-efficacy, trust, and medication adherence; and, (3) whether chronic patients’ participation in different types of online communities brings about significant statistical differences in the relationships between the abovementioned variables. A questionnaire survey was conducted in this study, with 452 valid questionnaires collected from chronic patients previously participating in online community activities. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling analysis showed that emotional support and informational support positively predict self-efficacy and trust, respectively, and consequently, self-efficacy and trust positively predict medication adherence. In addition, three relationships including the influence of emotional support on trust, the influence of trust on medication adherence, and the influence of self-efficacy on medication adherence, the types of online communities result in significant statistical differences. Based on the findings, this research suggests healthcare professionals can enhance patients’ self-efficacy in self-care by providing necessary health information via face-to-face or online communities, and assuring patients of demonstrable support. As such, patients’ levels of trust in healthcare professionals can be established, which in turn improves their medication adherence.

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Dementia associated with epilepsy

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610205002024 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 17 (s1) ◽

pp. S195-S206 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Paulo Caramelli ◽

Luiz Henrique Martins Castro

Keyword(s):

Adverse Effects ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Treatment Guidelines ◽

Hippocampal Sclerosis ◽

Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy ◽

Mesial Temporal Lobe ◽

Impaired Cognition ◽

Biological Abnormality ◽

Available Information ◽

The Relationship

In this review, we explore the relationship between epilepsy and cognition and between epilepsy and dementia. Chronic epilepsy, particularly mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) with hippocampal sclerosis, may be associated with impaired cognition, which can be secondary to uncontrolled seizures, to adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) or to the underlying biological abnormality. The choice of an adequate AED with an appropriate dose regimen may lead to a favorable outcome. This feature is especially relevant in elderly patients with dementia and associated epilepsy, a vulnerable population in which the diagnosis of seizures can be difficult and for whom treatment guidelines are not yet available. Based on available information and on data derived from studies with other populations, recommendations for the management of these patients are presented.

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