Religion and Medicine

Well Being ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Religion And Medicine ◽

Faith Based ◽

Baylor University ◽

Wide Range ◽

History Of ◽

In Religion and Medicine, Dr. Jeff Levin, distinguished Baylor University epidemiologist, outlines the longstanding history of multifaceted interconnections between the institutions of religion and medicine. He traces the history of the encounter between these two institutions from antiquity through to the present day, highlighting a myriad of contemporary alliances between the faith-based and medical sectors. Religion and Medicine tells the story of: religious healers and religiously branded hospitals and healthcare institutions; pastoral professionals involved in medical missions, healthcare chaplaincy, and psychological counseling; congregational health promotion and disease prevention programs and global health initiatives; research studies on the impact of religious and spiritual beliefs and practices on physical and mental health, well-being, and healing; programs and centers for medical research and education within major universities and academic institutions; religiously informed bioethics and clinical decision-making; and faith-based health policy initiatives and advocacy for healthcare reform. Religion and Medicine is the first book to cover the full breadth of this subject. It documents religion-medicine alliances across religious traditions, throughout the world, and over the course of history. It summarizes a wide range of material of relevance to historians, medical professionals, pastors and theologians, bioethicists, scientists, public health educators, and policymakers. The product of decades of rigorous and focused research, Dr. Levin has produced the most comprehensive history of these developments and the finest introduction to this emerging field of scholarship.

Religion and Health Care in East Africa

10.1332/policypress/9781447337874.001.0001 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Robert Lloyd ◽

Melissa Haussman ◽

Patrick James

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Religious Belief ◽

Religious Beliefs ◽

World View ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Seeking ◽

Religion And Health ◽

Faith Based ◽

What is the impact of religious and non-religious beliefs on health care? Health care, an essential aspect of an individual’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being, is an important way to assess this question. This book studies the relationship of the physical and spiritual domains by investigating how religious belief affects the provision and consumption of public health in three Africa countries: Uganda, Mozambique, and Ethiopia. Results all confirm the impact of religious beliefs on health perceptions, procurement, and provision. Securing good health is a key and universal aspiration. Furthermore, modern medicine is commonly understood as a means to that end. No matter the religious belief, all showed awareness of the importance and efficacy of medical treatment. On the health care provision side, faith-based entities are important, even essential, in health care for the three countries studied. A review of health outcomes, centered around the Millennium Development Goals, reveals general progress across the board. The progress towards the MDG’s has also been made by international ngo’s, including those focused specifically on women’s health. Health seeking behaviour is affected by a holistic mindset in which physical and mental health are intertwined. This world view, observed among adherents of Christianity, Islam, and African Traditional Religion, shapes Africans’ understanding of the world of sickness and health and how best to respond to its complexity. Africans thus pursue health care in a rational way, given their world view, with an openness to, and even preference, for faith-based provision where government efforts may fall short of basic needs.

Extreme morning chronotypes are often familial and not exceedingly rare: the estimated prevalence of advanced sleep phase, familial advanced sleep phase, and advanced sleep–wake phase disorder in a sleep clinic population

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsz148 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 42 (10) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Brian John Curtis ◽

Liza H Ashbrook ◽

Terry Young ◽

Laurel A Finn ◽

Ying-Hui Fu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Treatment Options ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Early Morning ◽

Sleep Phase ◽

Medical Disorders ◽

Wide Range ◽

Prevalence Estimates ◽

History Of ◽

Clinic Population

Abstract Study Objectives Report the first prevalence estimates of advanced sleep phase (ASP), familial advanced sleep phase (FASP), and advanced sleep–wake phase disorder (ASWPD). This can guide clinicians on the utility of screening for extreme chronotypes both for clinical decision-making and to flag prospective participants in the study of the genetics and biology of FASP. Methods Data on morning or evening sleep schedule preference (chronotype) were collected from 2422 new patients presenting to a North American sleep center over 9.8 years. FASP was determined using a severity criterion that has previously identified dominant circadian mutations in humans. All patients were personally seen and evaluated by one of the authors (C.R.J.). Results Our results demonstrate an ASP prevalence of 0.33%, an FASP prevalence of 0.21%, and an ASWPD prevalence of at least 0.04%. Most cases of young-onset ASP were familial. Conclusions Among patients presenting to a sleep clinic, conservatively 1 out of every 300 patients will have ASP, 1 out of every 475 will have FASP, and 1 out of every 2500 will have ASWPD. This supports obtaining a routine circadian history and, for those with extreme chronotypes, obtaining a family history of circadian preference. This can optimize treatment for evening sleepiness and early morning awakening and lead to additional circadian gene discovery. We hope these findings will lead to improved treatment options for a wide range of sleep and medical disorders in the future.

Scar Resurfacing

Textbook on Scar Management ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-44766-3_36 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 311-316

Author(s):

Fiona M. Wood

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Healing Process ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Skin Surface ◽

History Of ◽

Secondary Healing ◽

The Impact ◽

Selection Of

AbstractScar resurfacing is focused on the improvement in the quality of a scar by disruption of the skin surface and reducing the bulk of the scar by control of the secondary healing process. The prerequisite is knowledge of the wound healing and scarring process such that the intervention can be designed to reduce the risk of increasing the scarring.The clinical examination and assessment of the scar will guide the selection of the technique addressing the specific aspects of the scar, such as the pigment restoration and volume reduction, with the aim of blending the scar with the surrounding uninjured skin.Understanding the natural history of the scar, the impact it has on the patient, and the techniques available for improvement provides the clinical decision-making matrix to drive an improved scar outcome. Resurfacing is one opportunity for scar modulation which needs to be taken into context relative to the range of conservative and surgical therapeutic opportunities explored within the chapters of the book.

Paramedic experiences of providing care in wales (UK) during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic (PECC-19): a qualitative study using evolved grounded theory

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-048677 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. e048677

Author(s):

Nigel Rees ◽

Lauren Smythe ◽

Chloe Hogan ◽

Julia Williams

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Decision Making ◽

Grounded Theory ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Health Services ◽

Social Process ◽

Well Being ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

ObjectiveTo explore paramedic experiences of providing care during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and develop theory in order to inform future policy and practice.DesignQualitative study using constructivist evolved grounded theory (EGT) methodology. One-to-one semistructured interviews were conducted using a general interview guide. Voice over Internet Protocol was used through Skype.SettingConducted between March 2020 and November 2020 in the Welsh Ambulance Services National Health Services Trust UK which serves a population of three million.ParticipantsParamedics were recruited through a poster circulated by email and social media. Following purposive sampling, 20 Paramedics were enrolled and interviewed.ResultsEmergent categories included: Protect me to protect you, Rapid disruption and adaptation, Trust in communication and information and United in hardship. The Basic Social Process was recognised to involve Tragic Choices, conceptualised through an EGT including Tragic personal and professional choices including concerns over personnel protective equipment (PPE), protecting themselves and their families, impact on mental health and difficult clinical decisions, Tragic organisational choices including decision making support, communication, mental health and well-being and Tragic societal choices involving public shows of support, utilisation and resourcing of health services.ConclusionsRich insights were revealed into paramedic care during the COVID-19 pandemic consistent with other research. This care was provided in the context of competing and conflicting decisions and resources, where Tragic Choices have to be made which may challenge life’s pricelessness. Well-being support, clinical decision making, appropriate PPE and healthcare resourcing are all influenced by choices made before and during the pandemic, and will continue as we recover and plan for future pandemics. The impact of COVID-19 may persist, especially if we fail to learn, if not we risk losing more lives in this and future pandemics and threatening the overwhelming collective effort which united society in hardship when responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic.Trial registration numberIRAS ID: 282 623.

Methods and measures: what’s new for MS?

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/1352458512470311 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 19 (6) ◽

pp. 709-713 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Nancy E Mayo ◽

Stanley Hum ◽

Ayse Kuspinar

Keyword(s):

Measurement Theory ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Bottom Line ◽

Good Question ◽

Mathematical Properties ◽

Potential Efficacy ◽

History Of ◽

The Impact ◽

Multiple Health

At no other time in the history of multiple sclerosis (MS) has the accurate measurement of health outcomes been so important. There are now many kinds of interventions of proven or potential efficacy available for people with MS and many other methods are under investigation. Not all outcomes that matter can be measured with a biological parameter. Many important outcomes of treatment can be assessed only by asking the patient directly. For clinical decision making, asking one good question, asking it consistently, and writing down the answer will produce historically accurate data to judge MS progression on life-altering constructs like fatigue, depression and pain. To get a total score from items in a questionnaire, Rasch Measurement Theory provides a way of estimating the extent to which the items form a linear continuum with mathematical properties. Preference-based measures, when the preferences are derived from patients, permit the impact of the multiple health dimensions associated with MS to be valued. The bottom line is, ask a good question and you will likely get a good answer, ask a poor question and assuredly, you will not.

The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and its Lockdown Measures on the Mental and Functional Health of Older Individuals

Psychiatric Quarterly ◽

10.1007/s11126-021-09943-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Chiara Fastame ◽

Ilaria Mulas ◽

Valeria Putzu ◽

Gesuina Asoni ◽

Daniela Viale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Decline ◽

Wearable Sensors ◽

Well Being ◽

Functional Health ◽

Cognitive Deterioration ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

The Impact ◽

Healthy Participants

AbstractThe effect of the COVID-19 on the physical and mental health of Italian older individuals displaying signs of cognitive deterioration has not been deeply investigated. This longitudinal study examined the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on the psychological well-being and motor efficiency of a sample of Italian community-dwellers with and without cognitive decline. Forty-seven participants underwent instrumental gait analysis performed in ecological setting using wearable sensors, and completed a battery of tasks assessing cognitive functioning and psychological well-being, before and after the full lockdown due to the COVID-19 spreading. A series of Multivariate Analyses of Variance (MANOVAs) documented that the superior gait performance of the cognitively healthy participants exhibited before the COVID-19 spread, vanished when they were tested at the end of the lockdown period. Moreover, before the outbreak of the COVID-19, cognitively healthy participants and those with signs of cognitive decline reported similar levels of psychological well-being, whereas, after the lockdown, the former group reported better coping, emotional competencies, and general well-being than the participants displaying signs of cognitive decline. In conclusion, the full COVID-19 outbreak had a significant impact on the mental and motor functioning of older individuals with and without signs of cognitive deterioration living in Italy.

Assessing the impact of the European resilience curriculum in preschool, early and late primary school children

School Psychology International ◽

10.1177/01430343211025075 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 014303432110250

Author(s):

Celeste Simões ◽

Anabela C. Santos ◽

Paula Lebre ◽

João R. Daniel ◽

Cátia Branquinho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Well Being ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Control Group ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Mental Health Difficulties ◽

Prosocial Behaviours ◽

Resilience is an individual’s ability to adapt successfully to and persevere during and after significant challenges. Resilience programmes based on a socioemotional learning approach have been associated with an increase in protextive factors (e.g., prosocial competencies), improvements in physical and mental health, and a decrease in internalised and externalised symptoms. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of the RESCUR curriculum implemented in Portuguese schools on students’ academic, behavioural, and socioemotional outcomes, based on child and teacher reports. Participants included 1,084 children (53.2% male) aged 3-15 ( M = 7.24, SD = 2.31). A quasi-experimental study compared outcomes for an experimental intervention group (AIG) with a waiting list control group (WG). The results showed the RESCUR programme decreased mental health difficulties while increasing both prosocial behaviours and well-being. In addition, academic performance increased for those in preschool after implementation. Both teachers and children consistently reported positive behavioural changes in resilience-related competencies after implementing RESCUR. Our findings contribute to the recent research on the potential of RESCUR to address key socioemotional competencies and improve relevant protextive factors. Study limitations and future recommendations are addressed.

Clinical Conundrums When Integrating the QbTest into a Standard ADHD Assessment of Children and Young People

Neuropediatrics ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1722674 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Carsten Vogt

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Ecological Validity ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Real Life ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Standard Clinical Practice ◽

Novel Method ◽

AbstractThe uptake of the QbTest in clinical practice is increasing and has recently been supported by research evidence proposing its effectiveness in relation to clinical decision-making. However, the exact underlying process leading to this clinical benefit is currently not well established and requires further clarification. For the clinician, certain challenges arise when adding the QbTest as a novel method to standard clinical practice, such as having the skills required to interpret neuropsychological test information and assess for diagnostically relevant neurocognitive domains that are related to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or how neurocognitive domains express themselves within the behavioral classifications of ADHD and how the quantitative measurement of activity in a laboratory setting compares with real-life (ecological validity) situations as well as the impact of comorbidity on test results. This article aims to address these clinical conundrums in aid of developing a consistent approach and future guidelines in clinical practice.

Prognostic Factors for Persistent Symptoms in Adults With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: an Overview of Systematic Reviews

10.21203/rs.3.rs-948335/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Julien Déry ◽

Béatrice Ouellet ◽

Élaine de Guise ◽

Ève-Line Bussières ◽

Marie-Eve Lamontagne

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Prognostic Factors ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Persistent Symptoms ◽

Wide Range ◽

Overview Of Systematic Reviews

Abstract Background: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is an increasing public health problem, because of its persistent symptoms and several functional consequences. Understanding the prognosis of a condition is an important component of clinical decision-making and can help to guide prevention of persistent symptoms following mTBI. Prognosis of mTBI has stimulated several empirical primary research papers and many systematic reviews leading to the identification of a wide range of factors. We aim to synthesize these factors to get a better understanding of their breadth and scope.Methods: We conducted an overview of systematic reviews. We searched in databases systematic reviews synthesizing evidence about prognosis of persistent symptoms after mTBI in the adult population. Two reviewers independently screened all references and selected eligible reviews based on eligibility criteria. They extracted relevant information using an extraction grid. They also rated independently the risk of bias using the ROBIS tool. We synthesized evidence into a comprehensive conceptual map to facilitate the understanding of prognostic factors that have an impact on persistent post-concussion symptoms.Results: From the 3857 references retrieved in database search, we included 25 systematic reviews integrating the results of 312 primary articles published between 1957 and 2019. We examined 35 prognostic factors from the systematics reviews. No single prognostic factor demonstrated convincing and conclusive results. However, age, sex and multiple concussions showed an affirmatory association with persistent post-concussion outcomes in systematic reviews.Conclusion: We highlighted the need of a comprehensive picture of prognostic factors related to persistent post-concussion symptoms. We believe that these prognostic factors would guide clinical decision and research related to prevention and intervention regarding persistent post-concussion symptoms.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42020176676

Music Therapy Pre-internship Education and Training: Support for a Methods-Based Approach

Music Therapy Perspectives ◽

10.1093/mtp/miab026 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Susan C Gardstrom ◽

James Hiller ◽

Annie Heiderscheit ◽

Nancy L Jackson

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Best Practice ◽

Well Being ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Education And Training ◽

Population Based ◽

Music Therapists ◽

Training Support ◽

And Training

Abstract As music therapists, music is our primary realm of understanding and action and our distinctive way of joining with a client to help them attain optimal health and well-being. As such, we have adopted and advocate for a music-focused, methods-based (M-B) approach to music therapy pre-internship education and training. In an M-B approach, students’ learning is centered on the 4 music therapy methods of composing, improvising, re-creating, and listening to music and how these music experiences can be designed and implemented to address the health needs of the diverse clientele whom they will eventually encounter as practicing clinicians. Learning is highly experiential, with students authentically participating in each of the methods and reflecting on these self-experiences as a basis for their own clinical decision-making. This is differentiated from a population based (P-B) approach, wherein students’ attention is directed at acquiring knowledge about the non-musical problems of specific “clinical populations” and the “best practice” music interventions that are presumed to address these problems. Herein, we discuss both approaches, identifying the limitations of a P-B perspective and outlining the benefits of an M-B curriculum and its relevance to 21st-century music therapy practice.