scholarly journals Pharmaceutical payments to certified oncology specialists in Japan in 2016: a retrospective observational cross-sectional analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e028805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akihiko Ozaki ◽  
Hiroaki Saito ◽  
Yosuke Onoue ◽  
Toyoaki Sawano ◽  
Yuki Shimada ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThis study investigated payments made by pharmaceutical companies to oncology specialists in Japan, what the payments were for and whether the receipt of such payments contravened any conflict of interest (COI) regulations.Design, setting and participantsPayment data to physicians, as reported by all pharmaceutical companies belonging to the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, were retrospectively extracted for 2016. Of the named individual recipients of payments, all certified oncologists were identified, using certification data from the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO). The individual specialisations of each of the oncologists was also identified.OutcomePayments to individual cancer specialists and what they were for were identified. Factors associated with receipt of higher value payments and payment flows to specialties were determined. Companies selling oncology drugs with annual sales of ≥5 billion yen (£33.9 million, €40.2 million and $46.0 million) (high revenue-generating drugs) were identified.ResultsIn total, 59 companies made at least one payment to oncologists. Of the 1080 oncology specialists identified, 763 (70.6%) received at least one payment, while 317 received no payment. Of the 763, some 142 (13.1%) receiving at least 1 million yen (£6,800, €8,000 and $9200) accounted for 71.5% of the total. After adjustment of covariates, working for university hospitals and cancer hospitals and male gender were key factors associated with larger monetary payments. Payments preferentially targeted on cancer specialties using high revenue-generating drugs. The JSMO has its own COI policy for its members, but the policy did not mention any specific guidelines for certified oncology specialists.ConclusionFinancial relationships were identified and quantified between pharmaceutical companies and oncology specialists, but the extent and worth varied significantly. Given the frequency and amounts of money involved in such linkages, it would be beneficial for specific COI regulations to be developed and policed for oncologists.

Author(s):  
Eiji Kusumi ◽  
Anju Murayama ◽  
Sae Kamamoto ◽  
Takahiro Maruyama ◽  
Makoto Yoshida ◽  
...  

Among all pediatric hematologist-oncologists (PHOs) certificated by the Japanese Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (JSPHO), 215 PHOs (70.0%) received $908,900 personal payments from 54 pharmaceutical companies between 2016 and 2019. Four-year combined average payments per author was $2,961 (standard deviation: $6,299). While the prevalence of physicians with payments was relatively stable during the study period with 40.4% and 44.6% in 2016 and 2019, the average annual personal payments increased nearly double from $559 in 2016 to $1,096 in 2019, respectively. Payments from the top five companies with the largest total payments accounted for 48.8% of total monetary values.


Author(s):  
Magis Mandapathil ◽  
Jens E. Meyer

Abstract Purpose Since its introduction over a decade ago, the use of robotic surgery (RS) in head and neck surgery has widely spread around the globe, with very differential adoption of this novel surgical technique in different parts of the world. In this study, we analyze the acceptance and adoption of robotic surgery in the head and neck in Germany. Materials and methods A cross-sectional analysis using a questionnaire evaluating the acceptance and adoption of RS was performed. Questionnaires were distributed to all chairmen /-women of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Departments in Germany. Results A total of 107 respondents completed the questionnaire (65.2%). At university hospitals, 71.4% of the respondents indicated that a robotic system was available, and 21.4% responded that robotic surgery was performed at their institution; 22.7% and 0.04%, respectively, at non-university hospitals. The overall adoption rate was 0.8%. The most common cases performed were TORS resection in the oropharynx. Main reasons for not adopting this technique were costs, lack of interest and available co-operations. Conclusion This study provides evidence of the extent of adoption of TORS in Germany; main perceived barriers to adoption are costs with lack of cost-covering reimbursement and insufficient co-operations with other disciplines as well as hospital administration resulting in a very low adoption rate of this technique over the past decade. Results from this study may assist in decision-making processes on adopting this technique in the future.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 681
Author(s):  
Nora A. Althumiri ◽  
Mada H. Basyouni ◽  
Ali F. Duhaim ◽  
Norah AlMousa ◽  
Mohammed F. AlJuwaysim ◽  
...  

Background: Food waste and food insecurity may co-exist in various balances in developing and developed countries. This study aimed to explore the levels of food waste and food insecurity, the factors associated with them, and their relationships at the household and individual levels in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted via computer-assisted phone interviews in January 2021. Quota sampling was utilized to generate balanced distributions of participants by gender across all the administrative regions of Saudi Arabia. Data collection included household demographics, food waste and disposal, the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Results: Out of the 2807 potential participants contacted, 2454 (87.4%) completed the interview. The mean age was 31.4 (SD = 11.7; range = 18–99) and 50.1% were female. The weighted prevalence of uncooked food waste in the last four weeks was 63.6% and the cooked food waste was 74.4%. However, the food insecurity weighted prevalence at the individual level (FIES) was 6.8%. In terms of food insecurity at the household level (HFIAS), 13.3% were in the “severely food insecure” category. Moreover, this study found that “moderately food insecure” households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste uncooked food (relative risk (RR) = 1.25), and the “mildly food insecure” (RR = 1.21) and “moderately food insecure” (RR = 1.17) households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste cooked food. However, “food secure” households were associated with a decreased likelihood to waste cooked food (RR = 0.56). Finally, this study identified four household factors associated with food waste and three household factors that were associated with “severe food insecurity.” Conclusions: This first national coverage study to explore food waste and food insecurity at the individual level and household level, identified household factors associated with food waste and food insecurity and identified new associations between food waste and food insecurity in Saudi Arabia. The associations found between food waste and food insecurity are potential areas of intervention to reduce both food waste and food insecurity at the same time, toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to food waste and food security.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 878
Author(s):  
Mohamed A. Baraka ◽  
Amany Alboghdadly ◽  
Samar Alshawwa ◽  
Asim Ahmed Elnour ◽  
Hassan Alsultan ◽  
...  

Factors reported in the literature associated with inappropriate prescribing of antimicrobials include physicians with less experience, uncertain diagnosis, and patient caregiver influences on physicians’ decisions. Monitoring antimicrobial resistance is critical for identifying emerging resistance patterns, developing, and assessing the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. Improvement in prescribing antimicrobials would minimize the risk of resistance and, consequently, improve patients’ clinical and health outcomes. The purpose of the study is to delineate factors associated with antimicrobial resistance, describe the factors influencing prescriber’s choice during prescribing of antimicrobial, and examine factors related to consequences of inappropriate prescribing of antimicrobial. A cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare providers (190) in six tertiary hospitals in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The research panel has developed, validated, and piloted survey specific with closed-ended questions. A value of p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. All data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS version 23.0). 72.7% of the respondents have agreed that poor skills and knowledge are key factors that contribute to the inappropriate prescribing of antimicrobials. All of the respondents acknowledged effectiveness, previous experience with the antimicrobial, and reading scientific materials (such as books, articles, and the internet) as being key factors influencing physicians’ choice during antimicrobial prescribing. The current study has identified comprehensive education and training needs for healthcare providers about antimicrobial resistance. Using antimicrobials unnecessarily, insufficient duration of antimicrobial use, and using broad spectrum antimicrobials were reported to be common practices. Furthermore, poor skills and knowledge were a key factor that contributed to the inappropriate use and overuse of antimicrobials, and the use of antimicrobials without a physician’s prescription (i.e., self-medication) represent key factors which contribute to AMR from participants’ perspectives. Furthermore, internal policy and guidelines are needed to ensure that the antimicrobials are prescribed in accordance with standard protocols and clinical guidelines.


Author(s):  
Oladele Vincent Adeniyi ◽  
Chikwelu Larry Obi ◽  
Daniel Ter Goon ◽  
Benson Iweriebor ◽  
Nonkosi Selanto-Chairman ◽  
...  

Abstract Background This study describes the characteristics of pregnant women on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the rate of peripartum virologic suppression in a large prevention of mother-to-child transmission cohort who delivered in some selected maternity centers in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. In addition, the study examines the factors associated with virologic suppression in the cohort. Methods This multicenter, retrospective cross-sectional analysis included medical data of 1709 women with human immunodeficiency virus between September 2015 and May 2016 in Eastern Cape Province. The main outcome measure was the rate of peripartum virologic suppression, defined as viral load (VL) &lt;1000 copies/mL and undetectable viremia (VL &lt;20 copies/mL). Correlates of peripartum virologic suppression and undetectable viremia were examined by fitting logistic regression model analysis. Results Of 1463 women with available VL results, the overall rate of peripartum suppression was 82%, and undetectable viremia was 56.9%. Being aged 24 years or younger (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.68 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .48–.94]), smoking during pregnancy (AOR, 0.50 [95% CI, .28–.90]), and starting ART in the first trimester were associated with lower odds of viral suppression (&lt;1000 copies/mL). Women who had never defaulted ART had an increased odds of having an undetectable VL (AOR, 3.09 [95% CI, 2.12–4.49]) and virologic suppression (AOR, 3.88 [95% CI, 2.62–5.74]) compared to those who defaulted. Conclusions More than half of the women achieved undetectable VL, and 4 in 5 women achieved viral suppression at delivery in the region. Early antenatal booking, combined with enhanced adherence support for pregnant women on ART, would be crucial toward achieving the goal of elimination of mother-to-child transmission in the region.


Author(s):  
Yuan Fang ◽  
Amy van Grieken ◽  
Irene N. Fierloos ◽  
Dafna A. Windhorst ◽  
Harrie Jonkman ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A high parenting self-efficacy (PSE) has been associated with positive parenting and positive child development. However, there is limited and inconsistent information on factors associated with PSE. Objective To investigate factors associated with PSE in parents of children aged 0–7 years old, and to explore whether the associations were different between mothers and fathers. Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the baseline data from a prospective cohort study: the CIKEO study. A total of 1012 parents (mean age = 33.8, SD = 5.0) completed self-reported measure of PSE and 18 potential factors associated with PSE. Results Multivariable models revealed that lower parenting stress, fewer child behavior problems, better eating behavior, better parental and child general health, a smaller number of children living in the household, higher perceived level of social support and having a migration background were associated with higher levels of PSE (p < 0.05). The association between family functioning and PSE differed between mothers and fathers (p for interaction = 0.003): with beta and 95% confidence interval being: 1.29 (− 2.05, 0.87), and 0.23 (− 0.46, 3.29), respectively. Conclusions A range of parental, child and social-contextual factors in relation to PSE were identified. The patterns of associations for most of the factors were similar among mothers and fathers. However, the association between family functioning and PSE might differ for mothers and fathers. Our findings are relevant for tailoring and implementing successful interventions and effective policy making in child care. Trial registration Netherlands National Trial Register number NL7342. Date of registration: 05-November-2018, retrospectively registered.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 871-875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig D. Seaman ◽  
Mariya Apostolova ◽  
Jonathan Yabes ◽  
Diane M. Comer ◽  
Margaret V. Ragni

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidia Del Piccolo ◽  
Valeria Donisi ◽  
Ricciarda Raffaelli ◽  
Simone Garzon ◽  
Cinzia Perlini ◽  
...  

Objective: To assess the psychological distress of healthcare providers (HCPs) working in the field of obstetrics during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to identify factors associated with psychological distress at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational level.Design: Cross-sectional survey study.Setting: Four University hospitals in Italy.Participants: HCPs working in obstetrics, including gynecologists, residents in gynecology and obstetrics, and midwives.Methods: The 104-item survey Impatto PSIcologico COVID-19 in Ostetricia (IPSICO) was created by a multidisciplinary expert panel and administered to HCPs in obstetrics in May 2020 via a web-based platform.Main Outcome Measures: Psychological distress assessed by the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) included in the IPSICO survey.Results: The response rate to the IPSICO survey was 88.2% (503/570), and that for GHQ-12 was 84.4% (481/570). Just over half (51.1%; 246/481) of the GHQ-12 respondents reported a clinically significant level of psychological distress (GHQ-12 ≥3). Psychological distress was associated with either individual (i.e., female gender, stressful experience related to COVID-19, exhaustion, and the use of dysfunctional coping strategies), interpersonal (i.e., lower family support, limitations in interactions with colleagues), and organizational (i.e., reduced perception of protection by personal protective equipment, perceived delays on updates and gaps in information on the pandemic) factors in dealing with the pandemic.Conclusions: Results confirm the need for monitoring and assessing the psychological distress for HCPs in obstetrics. Interventions at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational level may relieve the psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and foster resilience skills in facing emotional distress.


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