scholarly journals Bilio-pancreatic endoscopy during COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 175628482093518
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Bove ◽  
Tommaso Schepis ◽  
Ivo Boškoski ◽  
Rosario Landi ◽  
Beatrice Orlandini ◽  
...  

On 31 December 2019, the WHO China Country Office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology detected in Wuhan (Hubei Province of China). In January 2020, a new coronavirus named SARS-CoV2 was isolated and, since that time, SARS-CoV2 related disease (COVID-19) rapidly spread all over the world becoming pandemic in March 2020. The COVID-19 outbreak dramatically affected the public-health and the health-care facilities organization. Bilio-pancreatic endoscopy is considered a high-risk procedure for cross-contamination and, even though it is not directly involved in COVID-19 diagnosis and management, its reorganization is crucial to guarantee high standards of care minimizing the risk of SARS-CoV2 transmission among patients and health-care providers. Bilio-pancreatic endoscopic procedures often require a short physical distance between the endoscopist and the patient for a long period of time, a frequent exchange of devices, the involvement of a large number of personnel, the use of complex endoscopes difficult to reprocess. On this basis, endoscopic units should take precautions with adjusted management of bilio-pancreatic endoscopy. The aim of this article is to discuss the approach to bilio-pancreatic endoscopy in the COVID-19 era with focus on diagnostic algorithms, indications, management of the endoscopic room, proper use of Personal Protective Equipment and correct reprocessing of instrumentation.

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Guttmacher

The single known instance of transmission of HIV from a health care provider to a patient raised issues concerning the responsibility of clinicians to their patients, and sparked debate over policies to prevent the spread of HIV in health care facilities. The intensity and politicization of the debate were reflected in revision of the Centers for Disease Control guidelines to control the spread of infection at health care facilities, and in legislation proposed in Congress. The guidelines and proposed legislation provoked responses by public health and medical organizations, several of which considered the measures to be unnecessarily restrictive and too costly in terms of potential benefits. This article describes the events and responses that took place during 1991–1992 after the public was made aware of the case involving transmission from provider to patient. The author examines the situation in the context of public health efforts to control the spread of HIV.


2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (S3) ◽  
pp. S224-S231
Author(s):  
Lan N. Đoàn ◽  
Stella K. Chong ◽  
Supriya Misra ◽  
Simona C. Kwon ◽  
Stella S. Yi

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the many broken fragments of US health care and social service systems, reinforcing extant health and socioeconomic inequities faced by structurally marginalized immigrant communities. Throughout the pandemic, even during the most critical period of rising cases in different epicenters, immigrants continued to work in high-risk-exposure environments while simultaneously having less access to health care and economic relief and facing discrimination. We describe systemic factors that have adversely affected low-income immigrants, including limiting their work opportunities to essential jobs, living in substandard housing conditions that do not allow for social distancing or space to safely isolate from others in the household, and policies that discourage access to public resources that are available to them or that make resources completely inaccessible. We demonstrate that the current public health infrastructure has not improved health care access or linkages to necessary services, treatments, or culturally competent health care providers, and we provide suggestions for how the Public Health 3.0 framework could advance this. We recommend the following strategies to improve the Public Health 3.0 public health infrastructure and mitigate widening disparities: (1) address the social determinants of health, (2) broaden engagement with stakeholders across multiple sectors, and (3) develop appropriate tools and technologies. (Am J Public Health. 2021;111(S3):S224–S231. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306433 )


2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (03) ◽  
pp. 518-524
Author(s):  
GHULAM SARWAR ◽  
FARIDA MANZUR ◽  
IMTIAZ HAMID

Objectives: (1) To determine the mode of services being rendered and practices done by the health care providers of the study area. (2) To identify various socio-demographic factors about the health care providers. A health care provider provides preventive, curative, rehabilitative and spiritual health services to the community. Health care is being provided by not only the registered and qualified doctors, but also by non-qualified non-registered and inexperienced persons in Pakistan. Methodology: A total of 57 health care providers from the union council 42 area in district Faisalabad were included. A pre-tested questionnaire to know about the services and practices of the individuals was served upon them to collect the relevant data. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Union council 42 area in district Faisalabad. Period: 2008. Results: Out of 57, 30 (52.63%) were males and 27 (47.37%) were females. Most of them, 18 (31.6%) were above 49 years of age. 51 (89.47%) were practicing in the private; whereas, only 2(3.51%) in the public sector. Most of the individuals, 21 (36.8%) were LHW and only 2(3.5%) were doctors or medical assistants; 3(5.3%) were dispensers, 9(15.8%) were hakeems and 7 (12.3%) homeopaths. Most of them, 40(70.2%) were matriculates and 14(24.6%) graduates. Only 20 (35.1%) were having certificates and 11(19.3%) were diploma holders. Further, only 2(11.76%) out of 57 were registered with PM&DC and Punjab Medical Faculty. 30 (52.6%) individuals were rendering curative and only 5 (8.8%) preventive services. None of the health care providers was rendering laboratory, x-ray or ultrasound services. Most of the individuals, 36 (63.2%) were practicing allopathy and 7(12.3%) homeopathy way of treatment. Further, most of the professionals, 45 (78.95%) were not doing any surgery. As regards sterilization, the most 8(66.7%) were practicing boiling of instruments. Most of them 47 (82.45%) were giving injections to the patients, however, using disposable syringes, and 27(57.4%) were disposing of the syringes by cutting the needles to dump. 20 (42.55%) were referring their patients to DHQ Hospital and 47 (82.46%) were keeping the record. Conclusions: Qualified medical professionals were scarce in the locality. However, allopathic system of medicine was being widely practiced. Only LHWs were providing curative services with proper training to deliver first aid services.


Curationis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nokulunga H. Cele ◽  
Maureen N. Sibiya ◽  
Dudu G. Sokhela

Background: Homosexual patients are affected by social factors in their environment, and as a result may not have easy access to existing health care services. Prejudice against homosexuality and homosexual patients remains a barrier to them seeking appropriate healthcare. The concern is that lesbians and gays might delay or avoid seeking health care when they need it because of past discrimination or perceived homophobia within the health care thereby putting their health at risk.Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of homosexual patients utilising primary health care (PHC) services in Umlazi in the province ofKwaZulu-Natal (KZN).Method: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study was conducted which was contextual innature. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants. The findings of this study were analysed using content analysis.Results: Two major themes emerged from the data analysis, namely, prejudice against homosexual patients by health care providers and other patients at the primary health care facilities, and, homophobic behaviour from primary health care personnel.Conclusion: Participants experienced prejudice and homophobic behaviour in the course of utilising PHC clinics in Umlazi, which created a barrier to their utilisation of health services located there. Nursing education institutions, in collaboration with the National Department of Health, should introduce homosexuality and anti-homophobia education programmes during the pre-service and in-service education period. Such programmes will help to familiarise health care providers with the health care needs of homosexual patients and may decrease homophobic attitudes.


Dental Update ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-160
Author(s):  
Lakshman Samaranayake ◽  
Sukumaran Anil

COVID-19 Vaccines are currently the talk of the world. The internet is full of memes on COVID-19 vaccines - myths more than truths. In this commentary we further review some of the issues related to the success and failure of COVID-19 vaccines, and the theoretical and practical elements on vaccinations and immunity that the dental health care providers have to be knowledgeable, so as to offer advice and guidance to their team, the patients, as well as the public.


2002 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 134-139
Author(s):  
Kathleen M. Martin

The premise of the presentation is a challenge to health care providers to examine the quality of services currently provided in health care facilities across the country. While the Canadian health care system is under scrutiny with numerous reviews and commissions, the underlying question is: are the structural changes making a difference? We need to consider the recommendations in the latest report from the Institute of Medicine, Crossing the Quality Chasm. The report calls for a sweeping redesign and suggests a set of ten new rules to guide patient/clinician relationships. Dietitians must take the lead on implementation of systematic changes, model the way and get involved in the necessary changes. As the report suggests, the gap between where we are and where we need to go in providing quality health care services is not just a crack; it is in fact a chasm.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 929-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodyn Platt ◽  
Minakshi Raj ◽  
Sharon L.R. Kardia

Purpose Nations such as the USA are investing in technologies such as electronic health records in order to collect, store and transfer information across boundaries of health care, public health and research. Health information brokers such as health care providers, public health departments and university researchers function as “access points” to manage relationships between the public and the health system. The relationship between the public and health information brokers is influenced by trust; and this relationship may predict the trust that the public has in the health system as a whole, which has implications for public trust in the system, and consequently, legitimacy of involved institutions, under circumstances of health information data sharing in the future. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors aimed to examine characteristics of trustors (i.e. the public) that predict trust in health information brokers; and further, to identify the factors that influence trust in brokers that also predict system trust. The authors developed a survey that was administered to US respondents in 2014 using GfK’s nationally representative sample, with a final sample of 1,011 participants and conducted ordinary least squares regression for data analyses. Findings Results suggest that health care providers are the most trusted information brokers of those examined. Beliefs about medical deceptive behavior were negatively associated with trust in each of the information brokers examined; however, psychosocial factors were significantly associated with trust in brokers, suggesting that individual attitudes and beliefs are influential on trust in brokers. Positive views of information sharing and the expectation of benefits of information sharing for health outcomes and health care quality are associated with system trust. Originality/value This study suggests that demonstrating the benefits and value of information sharing could be beneficial for building public trust in the health system; however, trust in brokers of information are variable across the public; that is, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs are associated with the level of trust different individuals have in various health information brokers – suggesting that the need for a personalized approach to building trust.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Stein

Genetics has fascinated societies since ancient times, and references to traits or behaviors that appear to be shared or different among related individuals have permeated legends, literature, and popular culture. Biomedical advances from the past century, and particularly the discovery of the DNA double helix, the increasing numbers of links that were established between mutations and medical conditions or phenotypes, and technological advances that facilitated the sequencing of the human genome, catalyzed the development of genetic testing. Genetic tests were initially performed in health care facilities, interpreted by health care providers, and included the availability of counseling. Recent years have seen an increased availability of genetic tests that are offered by companies directly to consumers, a phenomenon that became known as direct-to-consumer genetic testing. Tests offered in this setting range from the ones that are also provided in health care establishments to tests known as ‘recreational genomics,’ and consumers directly receive the test results. In addition, testing in this context often does not involve the availability of counseling and, when this is provided, it frequently occurs on-line or over the phone. As a field situated at the interface between biotechnology, biomedical research, and social sciences, direct-to-consumer genetic testing opens multiple challenges that can be appropriately addressed only by developing a complex, inter-disciplinary framework.


Author(s):  
Ahmed Bhayat ◽  
Usuf Chikte

To describe the current oral health care needs and the number and category of dental personnel required to provide necessary services in South Africa (SA). This is a review of the current disease burden based on local epidemiological studies and the number of oral health personnel registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). In SA, oral health services are rendered by oral hygienists, dental therapists, dentists, and dental specialists. Dental caries remains one of the most prevalent conditions, and much of them are untreated. The majority of oral care providers are employed in the private sector even though the majority of the population access the public sector which only offers a basic package of oral care. The high prevalence of caries could be prevented and treated by the public sector. The infrastructure at primary health care facilities needs to be improved so that dentists performing community service can be more effectively utilized. At present, SA requires more dental therapists and oral hygienists to be trained at the academic training institutions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Eshagh Ildarabadi ◽  
Hamed Mortazavi ◽  
Ali Talebi ◽  
Toktam Kianian ◽  
Saman Saber

<p><strong>INTRODUCTION: </strong>Health care providers (Behvarzan) are the primary health care givers and their educational skills are an important factor to offer safe health care and promote the public health. So that this study was conducted to evaluate the educational skills among health care providers in educating the referrals to health homes.</p><p><strong>METHODS: </strong>This cross-sectional was conducted in health homes of Esfarayen health care network in 2015. By the method of enumeration 81 health care providers were included to the study. Data was collected by the questionnaire of evaluating the educational skills of Behvarz(s) designed by the researcher. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and analytical tests such as Pearson's correlation, independent T-test and ANOVA by the SPSS v.20.</p><p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>The results of this study had shown that 45.7% of subjects had good educational skills. Also the statistical calculation showed a significant difference between some variables such as internet usage (p=0.008) and internet usage in workplace (p=0.001) with Behvarz(s) educational skills.</p><p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>The educational skills of Behvarz(s) working in health homes was satisfactory. A significant relation was found between educational skills and some other factors. So then planning for upgrading the educational skills of Behvarz(s) and conducting much more studies to find effective factors on educational skills is recommended.</p>


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