Digital and face-to-face advances and detractions to cure the personal and financial cost of misdiagnosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Towery ◽  
Michael Hough
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Health Care ◽  
England Journal ◽  
Policy Analysis ◽  
New England ◽  
Invasive Breast Cancer ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Permanent Disability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Right

Purpose Digital transformation holds promise for addressing one of the biggest challenges in health care – misdiagnosis. About 30 per cent of health spending in 2009, i.e. roughly $750bn, was wasted on unnecessary services, excessive administrative costs, fraud and other problems. Moreover, inefficiencies cause needless suffering, states the Institute of Medicine. Leveraging emerging digital technologies in this sector stands to save thousands of lives and billions of dollars. Digital technology is being applied to this field owing to the great demand for a solution. Misdiagnosis is causing a major hemorrhaging hundreds of billions of dollars in the health industry – an estimated 10-20 per cent of cases are misdiagnosed, sometimes resulting in death or permanent disability, according to studies cited by the National Center for Policy Analysis. Additionally, experts believe as many as 31 per cent of all breast cancer cases are misdiagnosed, according to the New England Journal of Medicine, and 90,000 women are misdiagnosed with invasive breast cancer, according to Susan G. Komen. Design/methodology/approach Digital technology is being applied to this field owing to the great demand for a solution. Misdiagnosis is causing a major hemorrhaging hundreds of billions of dollars in the health industry – an estimated 10-20 percent of cases are misdiagnosed, sometimes resulting in death or permanent disability, according to studies cited by the National Center for Policy Analysis. Additionally, experts believe as many as 31 percent of all breast cancer cases are misdiagnosed, according to the New England Journal of Medicine, and 90,000 women are misdiagnosed with invasive breast cancer, according to Susan G. Komen. Findings Advance Medical’s experience is that 39 per cent of a self-selecting group of medical advocacy seekers are misdiagnosed. Directly related to this challenge, a major battleground where the war on escalating healthcare costs is being fought is in the space of utilization management tools, which help ensure insurers are paying for the right care. These tools depend on the doctor making the right diagnosis and that the treatment matches the diagnosis. But these tools are broken. Instead of checking accuracy of diagnosis (e.g. the right test was done and interpreted accurately), they are at best checking to see if the “box was checked” for any testing being done. The solution is to not only to ensure that the diagnosis is correct by having it reviewed independently but also to use technology to aid diagnosis and the physician’s overall job. Using tools such as patient portals and data management technology can aid doctors to not burn out from sorting through data but rather using healthcare technology to reduce physician exhaustion and thus misdiagnosis. Originality/value New and old tools hold promise for addressing one of the costliest and most able-to-be-impacted challenges in health care – misdiagnosis. Because of misdiagnosis, the health industry is hemorrhaging hundreds of billions of dollars and causing patients undue stress and negative medical impact. Not only does misdiagnosis have a strong effect on the economy and the solvency of the US health care system, it also has a profound effect on the people who are being misdiagnosed, as well as their families and loved ones.

Muslim Syrian refugee women’s exploration of breast cancer preventative care in a Western Canadian prairie city

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Racine ◽  
Isil Isik Andsoy ◽  
Sithokozile Maposa
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Care Policy ◽  
Preventative Care ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Canadian Prairie ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Refugee Women ◽  
Syrian Refugee

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the barriers to preventative breast cancer screening (BCS) among Muslim Syrian refugee women in a Western Canadian Prairie city. Design/methodology/approach Situated within a larger mixed-method study aimed at identifying barriers and facilitators to breast cancer (BC) preventative practices, the authors interviewed three key informants to get an in-depth understanding of the cultural, religious and social factors affecting knowledge of BC and BCS practices among Muslim Syrian refugee women. Findings Qualitative findings confirm quantitative results revealing that knowledge about BC and cultural and religious barriers on gender might translate into poor health outcomes for Muslim Syrian refugee women in a Western Canadian city. Research limitations/implications This research has limitations related to the sample size and the lack of generalizability to all refugee women. Results indicate the need to develop culturally tailored intervention programs to increase breast awareness and participation in breast-self-examination, clinical breast examination and mammography. The study has implications for health-care policy. Muslim Syrian refugee women need to be educated about BC upon arrival in Canada to counteract low participation rates, promote positive health outcomes and decrease potential costs to the health-care system. Originality/value Evidence on Muslim Syrian refugee women’s knowledge and beliefs on BC is sparse. This study addressed this gap by documenting a lack of knowledge and barriers to BCS among Muslim Syrian refugee women.

Human rights violations during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed R.M. Elshobake
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
Human Rights Violations ◽  
International Human Rights Law ◽  
Human Rights Law ◽  
International Human Rights ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Human ◽  
The Right

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the most prominent human rights violations during the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with international human rights law. Design/methodology/approach Through doctrinal and legal study and content analysis, this paper analyses the important relevant legal provisions under International human rights law and applies these provisions to the reality of managing the COVID-19 crisis to identify the most prominent human rights violations during the COVID-19 outbreak. This research paper considered as a review paper in that it provides a review of the most prominent measures taken during the COVID-19 crisis, which constitutes violations of international human rights law. Findings It is concluded that some measures that have been taken by countries to confront the COVID-19 pandemic have constituted violations of human rights and did not comply with the legal conditions to restrict human rights. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the ugly fractures in health-care systems, health inequities, racism and discrimination, Undermining the right to freedom of expression and the right to access information, gross negligence in protecting detainees from COVID-19 infection, all of these constitute clear violations of the principles of international human rights law. Research limitations/implications The spread of COVID-19 has not stopped, and its effects still continue, including human rights violations. Therefore, this paper cannot enumerate all human rights violations that occur during the spread of COVID-19. Practical implications Based on the results in this paper, governments need to be more prepared to face any health crisis at all levels including health care, which would reduce human rights violations. Social implications This research paper reflects positively on the social reality, as the adoption of its recommendations leads to the provision of adequate health care to all members of society in accordance with the principles of human rights, granting them the right to access information, protecting their right to freedom of expression, reducing the phenomenon of racism and discrimination and providing adequate health care to all detainees. Originality/value This paper studies an up-to-date topic that we are still living and seeing its effects. The benefit of this paper is to provide recommendations that protect human rights during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Mobile technology to give a resource-based knowledge management advantage to community health nurses in an emerging economies context

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Fletcher-Brown ◽  
Diane Carter ◽  
Vijay Pereira ◽  
Rajesh Chandwani
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Public Health Service ◽  
Health Technology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Resource

Purpose Knowledge is a key success factor in achieving competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to examine how mobile health technology facilitates knowledge management (KM) practices to enhance a public health service in an emerging economies context. Specifically, the acceptance of a knowledge-resource application by community health workers (CHWs) to deliver breast cancer health care in India, where resources are depleted, is explored. Design/methodology/approach Fieldwork activity conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with frontline CHWs, which were analysed using an interpretive inductive approach. Findings The application generates knowledge as a resource that signals quality health care and yields a positive reputation for the public health service. The CHW’s acceptance of technology enables knowledge generation and knowledge capture. The design facilitates knowledge codification and knowledge transfer of breast cancer information to standardise quality patient care. Practical implications KM insights are provided for the implementation of mobile health technology for frontline health-care professionals in an emerging economies context. The knowledge-resource application can deliver breast cancer care, in localised areas with the potential for wider contexts. The outcomes are valuable for policymakers, health service managers and KM practitioners in an emerging economies context. Social implications The legacy of the mobile heath technology is the normalisation of breast cancer discourse and the technical up-skilling of CHWs. Originality/value First, this paper contributes three propositions to KM scholarship, in a public health care, emerging economies context. Second, via an interdisciplinary theoretical lens (signalling theory and technology acceptance model), this paper offers a novel conceptualisation to illustrate how a knowledge-resource application can shape an organisation’s KM to form a resource-based competitive advantage.

scholarly journals Building perspective awareness as a workplace practice

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Andersson ◽  
Lotta Dellve ◽  
Gunnar Gillberg ◽  
Hans Lindgren
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Health Care Organization ◽  
Work Organization ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dialogue Model ◽  
Organizational Conditions ◽  
The Right

Purpose The present study aims to describe the implementation of a facilitated dialogue model intended to improve communication across professional logics and knowledge boundaries in two units of a large health-care organization in Sweden. Design/methodology/approach This is a mixed-methods study with interviews, field observations and follow- up questionnaires that were conducted during the implementation process. Findings The conclusion drawn in this study is that it is possible to change and improve the dialogue between health-care professionals with the help of a tailored, facilitated dialogue model. The authors found that different professional logics can indeed meet and share perspectives if the right conditions are provided. Moreover, an improved dialogue between different professional groups may contribute to work satisfaction, engagement, social cohesion and communication between professionals. Practical implications This study shows that the right organizational conditions, such as support from managers, must exist if the model’s inherent possibilities are to be used. Inhouse facilitation may be a sustainable model for facilitated workplace dialogue when its implementation is supported by the overall organization. Originality/value The contribution is an empirically based analysis of a new form of model for mediating perspectives within an organization with distinct professional roles. This study shows how, under the right conditions, the model can contribute to a perspective awareness and thus a more mature work organization.

Immunogene therapy with interleukin-2—secreting fibroblasts for intracerebrally metastasizing breast cancer in mice

2001 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Praveen Deshmukh ◽  
Roberta P. Glick ◽  
Terry Lichtor ◽  
Risha Moser ◽  
Edward P. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Interleukin 2 ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Intracerebral Injection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Prolongation ◽  
Immunogene Therapy ◽  
The Right ◽  
Fine Print

Object. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in American women. Brain metastases occur in 15 to 30% of patients with breast cancer, and this usually results in death. Despite the availability of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, the prognosis for patients with breast cancer that has metastasized to the intracerebral region remains poor. This study was designed to determine if an intracerebrally metastasizing breast tumor could be treated successfully with a cellular vaccine consisting of allogeneic fibroblasts (H-2K) modified to secrete interleukin (IL)—2. Methods. The authors used EO771 breast cancer cells, derived from a spontaneously arising breast-cancer tumor in C57BL/6 mice. The authors first determined the length of survival of C57BL/6 mice that had been injected with varying numbers of EO771 cells into the right frontal lobes and found that 100% of those animals that received a dose of 104 cells died within 41 days, whereas 100% of the group that received 103 cells died within 23 days. Based on these results, 5 × 104 EO771 cells were injected into the right frontal lobe of C57BL/6 mice and the animals were treated intracerebrally with a single intratumoral injection of 106 allogeneic fibroblasts genetically engineered to secrete IL-2. The allogeneic fibroblasts transfected with the IL-2 gene formed large quantities of IL-2 as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Control groups of animals were treated with either allogeneic fibroblasts transfected with the retroviral vector, but not the IL-2 gene, or with media. The effects of this treatment on the animal's survival and the tumor's histopathological characteristics were investigated. The results indicate a significant prolongation (p < 0.005) of survival in animals with intracerebrally metastasizing breast cancer treated only with IL-2—secreting allogeneic fibroblasts. Tumor did not develop in four of 10 animals in the IL-2—treated group, and these animals were rechallenged at 90 days by intracerebral injection of tumor, but no treatment cells, and compared with four naive animals receiving intracerebral tumor. Again, animals that previously had been treated with IL-2—secreting fibroblasts had a markedly prolonged survival (p < 0.05) compared with control animals following a second challenge with tumor cells. Histopathological examination revealed smaller tumors associated with lymphocytic infiltrations in the treated animals. Conclusions. This work represents a new treatment for breast cancer that has metastasized to the brain in which a cellular vaccine consisting of allogeneic fibroblasts genetically engineered to secrete cytokines is used as a novel means for delivery of immunogene therapy and demonstrates the induction of long-term immunity against tumor.

The Right to Be Covered

2021 ◽  
pp. 257-282
Author(s):  
Lewis A. Grossman
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Therapeutic Choice ◽  
History Of ◽  
Patient Groups ◽  
The Right

This chapter explores the paradoxical assertion of freedom of therapeutic choice in the context of reimbursed health care. Cries of “rationing!” and “death panel!” are directed at every suggestion of a limitation on government insurance coverage. This chapter traces the history of the notion of a “right to be reimbursed” for one’s therapeutic choices since the 1930s. It explores the persistent public insistence on “a right to choose one’s doctor” in insurance plans. It describes the history of drug formularies and patients’ resistance to them. The chapter focuses most intensively on the controversy surrounding the FDA’s November 2011 withdrawal of provisional approval of Avastin for the treatment of breast cancer. Conservatives and patient groups used the language of rights to attack this decision even though it did not remove the drug from the market; the protesters’ real fear was that insurance plans would stop reimbursing patients for this use.

scholarly journals Remarks on Angina Pectoris

2005 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabino Scardi ◽  
Luca Perazza
Keyword(s):  
England Journal ◽  
Angina Pectoris ◽  
New England ◽  
Correct Diagnosis ◽  
Breast Pain ◽  
Italian Translation ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Right

In the first volume of the New England Journal of Medicine of 1812, J. Warren published a paper on the subject of angina pectoris, in which clearly emerge the difficulties facing the physicians of that time in trying to formulate a correct diagnosis and prescribe the right therapy. We thought it would be certainly of interest to offer our readers an Italian translation of this article, obviously with some stylistic modifications and supplemented with information coming from other historical scientific works. William Heberden in his report on “ breast pain” was the first physician to use the term “angina” and the description of symptoms that he gave in 1772 is still today valid and correct.

An investigation of healthcare supply chain management and patient responsiveness

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdussamet Polater ◽  
Osman Demirdogen
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Demand Forecasting ◽  
Health Care Industry ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Industry ◽  
Supplier Performance ◽  
Patient Responsiveness ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to focus on the impact of supply chain (SC) integration, demand forecasting and supplier performance on patient responsiveness at public hospitals through the mediating role of SC flexibility. Design/methodology/approach To measure the above stated correlation, a Likert scale with five points and 23 items was used and structural equation modeling was applied. The scale was applied to public hospitals. Statistical software programs (SPSS 18 and LISREL 8.8) were used to analyze the data. The analysis of reported statistics is based on a sample of 129 logistics and SC specialists at public hospitals in the cities representing different regions of Turkey. Findings The research hypotheses are supported as a result of the analysis. The research reveals that SC flexibility has a mediation effect between SC integration, demand forecasting, supplier performance and patient responsiveness. Practical implications The increasing number of population, geopolitical position, migration waves, man-made and natural disasters lead Turkish health-care industry to have effective SC plans to satisfy the patients’ needs successfully and reduce the effects of these fatal events. In this sense, SC flexibility is an important factor for health-care industry in responding changing patient demands. At this juncture, the main point is to bring required resources together in the right place and at the right time. Otherwise, health-care institutions cannot serve the affected people because of the non-availability of supply. To achieve it, public health-care institutions should give more importance to the SC principles. Originality/value Success in SC flexibility in health care can directly affect patient welfare. Thus, focusing on the patient responsiveness is an important aim of the health-care industry. However, it was determined that less attention has been given to understanding patient satisfaction as a result of SC operations. The results indicate that patient responsiveness improvement should be included into strategic plans, and SC efforts should be used as a means of satisfying patient needs quickly. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the mentioned relationships at public hospitals. Findings of this paper will have a significant contribution for researchers and health-care professionals in understanding the impact of SC to patient responsiveness.

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