scholarly journals National approaches to trichiasis surgical follow-up, outcome assessment and surgeon audit in trachoma-endemic countries in Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. bjophthalmol-2019-315777
Author(s):  
Grace Mwangi ◽  
Paul Courtright ◽  
Anthony W Solomon

BackgroundPoor outcomes of trichiasis surgery, including postoperative trichiasis, are common in many trachoma-endemic countries in Africa. To improve outcomes, WHO recommends regular follow-up and outcome assessment of surgical cases plus audit of trichiasis surgeons.AimsTo assess national approaches to trichiasis surgical follow-up, outcome assessment and audit, and identify national targets for good surgical outcome (defined as the percentage of patients undergoing surgery for trichiasis remaining free of post-operative trichiasis for a defined interval after surgery).MethodsA cross-sectional survey was carried out between May and July 2018, involving all 29 known-trachoma-endemic countries in Africa. An emailed questionnaire was used to collect information on national targets for surgical outcomes, policies, monitoring and strategies to address underperformance by surgeons.ResultsAll national programmes provided information; 2 of the 29 had not yet implemented trichiasis surgery as part of their trachoma elimination programme. Findings from 27 countries are therefore reported. Only four countries reported having a national policy for trichiasis surgery follow-up and outcome assessment and only two had a national policy for conducting audits of trichiasis surgeons. Only 9 of the 27 countries had a cut-off point at which poorly performing surgeons would be instructed to discontinue surgery until retraining or other interventions had been undertaken.DiscussionTo address the challenge of post-operative trichiasis and other poor outcomes, national trachoma programmes should create and implement policies and systems to follow up patients, assess surgical outcomes and monitor the performance of individual surgeons through post-surgical audits.

Author(s):  
Soufiane El Moussaoui ◽  
Kamal Kaoutar ◽  
Ahmed Chetoui ◽  
Abdeslam El Kardoudi ◽  
Fatiha Chigr ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Exclusive breastfeeding is the best form of nutrition for infants during the first 6 months of life. Nevertheless, the practice of breastfeeding is currently declining throughout the world. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practice and its associated factors among mothers living in Marrakesh province, Morocco. METHODS: The data were collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding practice. RESULTS: Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was 50.2%. Mothers with age more than 30 years, residing in rural area, receiving counseling related breastfeeding during antenatal follow up and having knowledge about duration of breastfeeding were more likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding than their counterparts. CONCLUSION: Although the prevalence of breastfeeding in Marrakesh was higher than the last national survey report but it is still insufficient. These findings have to stress authorities and deciders to sensitize mothers and future mothers to increase exclusive breastfeeding practice notably through the involvement of health professionals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna O’Sullivan ◽  
Anette Alvariza ◽  
Joakim Öhlén ◽  
Cecilia Larsdotter

Abstract Background It is widely recognised, that family members are central to care of people with advanced illness, and that support should be provided to all family members in need thereof. The aim of this study was to investigate family members’ experiences of support received during the last three months of life, at the time of death and after the death of a person with advanced illness. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional survey design was employed, using the VOICES(SF) questionnaire and multiple methods for data analyses. The sample consisted of 485 bereaved family members (aged: 20–90 years old, 70% women) of people who died in hospital between August 2016-April 2017. Results Of the family members, 58,8% reported they had received enough help and support during the illness, whereas 30,2% had not. Family members’ comments about support during the illness were mainly related to care the ill person had or had not received, rather than about support they themselves received. Of all family members, 52,8% reported having had enough support at the time of the ill person’s death. Related to support at death, 14,6% reported that the imminence of death was not clear, which was described as having affected their opportunity to be with the dying person at the time of death. Of all, 25,2% had a follow-up conversation after the death, 48% did not and did not want to, and 21% had no follow-up conversation, but would have liked one. A follow-up conversation was described as helpful for the bereavement process, and disappointment was expressed when not receiving support after the death. Conclusions Family members’ experiences of support were partly related to whether the ill person’s care needs were fulfilled. Healthcare staff expressing empathy and respect in the care of dying people and their family members were important for family members’ experiences of support. Family members’ difficulty recognising that death was imminent and the importance of healthcare staff providing them with clear information were expressed in connection with support at death. Follow-up conversations were valued by family members, especially if with a healthcare professional who was present at the time of death.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waqas Hameed ◽  
Syed Khurram Azmat ◽  
Moazzam Ali ◽  
Wajahat Hussain ◽  
Ghulam Mustafa ◽  
...  

Introduction. Women who do not switch to alternate methods after contraceptive discontinuation, for reasons other than the desire to get pregnant or not needing it, are at obvious risk for unplanned pregnancies or unwanted births. This paper examines the factors that influence women to switch from Intrauterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD) to other methods instead of terminating contraceptive usage altogether.Methods. The data used for this study comes from a larger cross-sectional survey conducted in nine (9) randomly selected districts of Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan, during January 2011. Using Stata 11.2, we analyzed data on 333 women, who reported the removal of IUCDs due to reasons other than the desire to get pregnant.Results. We found that 39.9% of the women do not switch to another method of contraception within one month after IUCD discontinuation. Use of contraception before IUCD insertion increases the odds for method switching by 2.26 times after removal. Similarly, postremoval follow-up by community health worker doubles (OR = 2.0) the chances of method switching. Compared with women who received free IUCD service (via voucher scheme), the method switching is 2.01 times higher among women who had paid for IUCD insertion.Conclusion. To increase the likelihood of method switching among IUCD discontinuers this study emphasizes the need for postremoval client counseling, follow-up by healthcare provider, improved choices to a wider range of contraceptives for poor clients, and user satisfaction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 01-13
Author(s):  
Archana Mavoori ◽  
Sudha Bala ◽  
Rajiv Kumar Bandaru ◽  
Aruna Kumari Yerra

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic has imposed upon the entire community norms of social distancing and home quarantine. Follow up consultations in these times can be made through teledermatology through smart phones. Success of this technology in these hours of crisis depends upon the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of patients towards teledermatology. Follow up consultations done through teleconsultations will decrease risk of exposure to COVID-19 among psoriasis patients who need frequent follow ups. Aim: The main objective of this study is to assess the awareness, knowledge, attitude and practice of teledermatology through teledermatology among psoriasis patients at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey, from Psoriasis Clinic registry maintained in the outpatient department of DVL of a tertiary care teaching hospital in India is conducted. A pre-validated self-administered questionnaire is used for the survey to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of teledermatology. Analysis will be done as per study objectives using descriptive statistics for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data. Results: Out of 150 patients, 87(58%) were males and females were 63(42%). Most common age group to participate in the study was 36-45 years- 43(28.7%). Majority of participants were educated up to –graduate 53(35.3%). Males had higher knowledge and attitude scores compared to females. Most of the patients found using teleconsutations easy and convenient. Conclusion: Teledermatology is the need of the hour to be implemented in these hours of COVID-19 pandemic.


F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assem M. Khamis ◽  
Lara A. Kahale ◽  
Hector Pardo-Hernandez ◽  
Holger J. Schünemann ◽  
Elie A. Akl

Background: The living systematic review (LSR) is an emerging approach for improved evidence synthesis that uses continual updating to include relevant new evidence as soon as it is published. The objectives of this study are to: 1) assess the methods of conduct and reporting of living systematic reviews using a living study approach; and 2) describe the life cycle of living systematic reviews, i.e., describe the changes over time to their methods and findings. Methods: For objective 1, we will begin by conducting a cross-sectional survey and then update its findings every 6 months by including newly published LSRs. For objective 2, we will conduct a prospective longitudinal follow-up of the cohort of included LSRs. To identify LSRs, we will continually search the following electronic databases: Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane library. We will also contact groups conducting LSRs to identify eligible studies that we might have missed. We will follow the standard systematic review methodology for study selection and data abstraction. For each LSR update, we will abstract information on the following: 1) general characteristics, 2) systematic review methodology, 3) living approach methodology, 4) results, and 5) editorial and publication processes. We will update the findings of both the surveys and the longitudinal follow-up of included LSRs every 6 months. In addition, we will identify articles addressing LSR methods to be included in an ‘LSR methods repository’. Conclusion: The proposed living methodological survey will allow us to monitor how the methods of conduct, and reporting as well as the findings of LSRs change over time. Ultimately this should help with ensuring the quality and transparency of LSRs.


Author(s):  
Kathleen Sheridan ◽  
Melissa A. Kelly ◽  
David T. Bentz

The purpose of the study presented in this chapter was to examine students’ perceptions of the importance of various indicators of teaching presence for their success in online courses. A cross-sectional survey design was used to identify the indicators that students perceived to be most important and to determine whether there were potential differences between graduate students and undergraduate students in terms of the students’ perceptions. Although the indicators that students rated as most important were similar for both groups of students, there were statistically significant differences for a few of the indicators. Students’ comments suggested additional indicators and provided insights about the importance of dispositions in online courses.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e000263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay Andrea Smith ◽  
Sarah Caughey ◽  
Susan Liu ◽  
Cassandra Villegas ◽  
Mohan Kilaru ◽  
...  

BackgroundHemorrhage remains a major cause of death around the world. Eighty percent of trauma patients in India do not receive medical care within the first hour. The etiology of these poor outcomes is multifactorial. We describe findings from the first Stop the Bleed (StB) course recently offered to a group of medical providers in southern India.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 101 participants who attended StB trainings in India was performed. Pre-training and post-training questionnaires were collected from each participant. In total, 88 healthcare providers’ responses were analyzed. Three bleeding control skills were presented: wound compression, wound packing, and tourniquet application.ResultsAmong participants, only 23.9% had received prior bleeding control training. Participants who reported feeling ‘extremely confident’ responding to an emergency medical situation rose from 68.2% prior to StB training to 94.3% post-training. Regarding hemorrhage control abilities, 37.5% felt extremely confident before the training, compared with 95.5% after the training. For wound packing and tourniquet application, 44.3% and 53.4%, respectively, felt extremely confident pre-training, followed by 97.7% for both skills post-training. Importantly, 90.9% of StB trainees felt comfortable teaching newly acquired hemorrhage control skills. A significant majority of participants said that confidence in their wound packing and tourniquet skills would improve with more realistic mannequins.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first StB training in India. Disparities in access to care, long transport times, and insufficient numbers of prehospital personnel contribute to its significant trauma burden. Dissemination of these critical life-saving skills into this region and the resulting civilian interventions will increase the number of trauma patients who survive long enough to reach a trauma center. Additionally, considerations should be given to translating the course into local languages to increase program reach.Level of EvidenceLevel IV.


2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-262
Author(s):  
Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo ◽  
Edlaine Faria de Moura Villela ◽  
Stijn Van Hees ◽  
Thalia Tibério dos Santos ◽  
Pieter Vanholder ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
pp. 2001209
Author(s):  
Pinja Ilmarinen ◽  
Adrienn Pardo ◽  
Leena E. Tuomisto ◽  
Iida Vähätalo ◽  
Onni Niemelä ◽  
...  

BackgroundObesity has been associated with poor outcomes of asthma in cross-sectional studies but long-term effect of obesity on asthma remains unknown.AimsTo study the effects of obesity, found at the time of diagnosis of adult-onset asthma, on 12-year prognosis by focusing on oral corticosteroid (OCS) use and respiratory-related hospital admissions.MethodsPatients diagnosed with adult-onset asthma (n=203) were divided into three categories based on diagnostic BMI (<25, 25–29.9, ≥30 kg·m−2) and followed for 12-years as part of Seinäjoki Adult Asthma Study. Self-reported and dispensed OCS were assessed for the 12-year period. Data on hospital admissions were analysed based on medical records.Results12 years after diagnosis, of the patients obese (≥30 kg·m−2) at diagnosis, 86% remained obese. During the follow-up, no difference was found in the weight gain between the BMI categories. During the 12-year follow-up, patients obese at diagnosis reported more often use of OCS courses (46.9% versus 23.1%, p=0.028), were dispensed OCS more often (81.6% versus 56.9%, p=0.014) and at higher doses (median 1350 (IQR 280–3180)mg versus 600 (0–1650)mg prednisolone, p=0.010) compared to normal-weight patients. Furthermore, obese had more often ≥1 respiratory-related hospitalisation compared to normal-weight patients (38.8% versus 16.9%, p=0.033). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, obesity predicted oral corticosteroid use and hospital admissions.ConclusionsIn adult-onset asthma, patients obese at diagnosis mostly remained obese at long-term and had more exacerbations and respiratory-related hospital admissions compared to normal-weight patients during 12-year follow-up. Weight loss should be a priority in their treatment to prevent this outcome.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Lufunda Lukama ◽  
Chester Kalinda ◽  
Warren Kuhn ◽  
Colleen Aldous

Background. Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) diseases are an oft overlooked global health concern. Despite their high prevalence and associated morbidity and mortality, ENT diseases have remained neglected in health care delivery. In Zambia and many other low-income countries, ENT services are characterized by poor funding, unavailable surgical procedures, and erratic supply of essential drugs. Objective. To investigate ENT service provision in Zambia with regard to availability of surgical procedures and supply of essential drugs. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted using a piloted structured questionnaire between 17 January 2017 and 2 January 2018. Included in the study were the 109 hospitals registered with the Ministry of Health (MoH) across the 10 provinces of Zambia. Results. Of the participating hospitals, only 5.9% (n=1) and 40% (n=2) of Second-Level Hospitals (SLH) and Third-Level Hospitals (TLH), respectively, carried out tympanoplasty, myringotomy, and grommet insertion (M+G). Frontal trephination and external ethmoidectomy were offered in 11.7% (n=2) and 40% (n=2) of SLH and TLH, respectively. While tracheostomy (39.3%, n=24), tonsillectomy (27.9%, n=17), and adenoidectomy (27.9%, n=17) were the most widely performed head and neck procedures, laryngectomy was carried out by 1 hospital. Between 14.8% (n=9) and 36.1% (n=22) of hospitals lacked antibiotic and/or antiseptic ear drops. Despite 96.7% (n=59) of the respondents acknowledging ENT as an important branch of clinical practice, only 15.3% (n=4) of the hospitals had a budget for ENT. Also, 6.6% (n=4) of the respondents thought the discipline of ENT had received enough attention. Conclusion. ENT service delivery in Zambia is limited with regard to performed surgical procedures and availability of essential drugs, necessitating urgent intervention. The findings from this study may be used to direct national policy on the improvement of provision of ENT services in Zambia.


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