scholarly journals Teaching through telemedicine: A systematic review of education-focused asthma interventions (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Culmer ◽  
Todd Smith ◽  
Catanya Stager ◽  
Andrea Wright ◽  
Karen Burgess ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Video Streaming ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Self Management ◽  
School Based ◽  
Methodological Rigor

BACKGROUND Asthma affects nearly six million children in the United States, with annual school absences totaling 13.8 million days and additional health expenses of $800/year. With limited access to health care in remote locations and underserved communities, telemedicine in a school-based setting involving partnerships between an asthmatic child and health care provider can provide patients with the opportunity to better manage chronic conditions, communicate among partners, and collaborate for solutions. OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review is to examine the findings from partnerships involving school-based telemedicine studies using live video streaming to support clinical and educational outcomes for patient-centered care. METHODS Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we searched the peer-reviewed literature with terms related to asthma, education and pediatrics and found 408 unduplicated, relevant articles. A determination to include or exclude each abstract was independently made through reviews by at least two researchers. All conflicts were resolved through a consensus by the two lead authors, resulting in five articles. We then methodically extracted data from these five articles related to a) participant background, b) research methods and purpose, and (c) outcomes (educational, self-management, clinical, quality of life (QOL), and satisfaction). We also used the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) Quality Assessment Tool to better understand the methodological rigor of each study. RESULTS Our results support telemedicine in a school-based setting as an effective means of empowering asthmatic children and their families to better manage their asthma and thereby improve quality of life. All projects utilized telemedicine technology and live two-way video streaming. We found a variety of educational and curricular tools used to deliver the sessions, with each study reporting generally positive results in terms of clinical outcomes (such as symptom-free days [SFDs] and health care utilization), learning, self-management of asthma, satisfaction with the intervention, and certain aspects of QOL, but not in terms of self-efficacy. Regarding the methodological rigor of the five studies, we rated two articles as strong, two as moderate, and one as weak. CONCLUSIONS After a review of these five studies, we believe that real-time telemedically delivered asthma education has great potential to improve QOL, enhance symptom management ability, and reduce symptom burden on asthma patients, though the results were mixed across the studies. In terms of clinical outcomes, most, but not all, studies found statistically significant improvements in terms of SFDs, symptom control, peak flow rates, and visits to physicians or an ED. Additionally, we found promising results that patient education can, under proper circumstances, positively influence symptom burden. However, further validation of the methods and tools used for these interventions is both merited and prudent.

scholarly journals The Prevalence of Sarcopenia and Its Impact on Clinical Outcomes in Lumbar Degenerative Spine Disease—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 773
Author(s):  
Wei-Ting Wu ◽  
Tsung-Min Lee ◽  
Der-Sheng Han ◽  
Ke-Vin Chang
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Degenerative Spine ◽  
Degenerative Spine Disease ◽  
Spine Disease

The association of sarcopenia with poor clinical outcomes has been identified in various medical conditions, although there is a lack of quantitative analysis to validate the influence of sarcopenia on patients with lumbar degenerative spine disease (LDSD) from the available literature. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with LDSD and examine its impact on clinical outcomes. The electronic databases (PubMed and Embase) were systematically searched from inception through December 2020 for clinical studies investigating the association of sarcopenia with clinical outcomes in patients with LDSD. A random-effects model meta-analysis was carried out for data synthesis. This meta-analysis included 14 studies, comprising 1953 participants. The overall prevalence of sarcopenia among patients with LDSD was 24.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.3%–34.3%). The relative risk of sarcopenia was not significantly increased in patients with LDSD compared with controls (risk ratio, 1.605; 95% CI, 0.321–8.022). The patients with sarcopenia did not experience an increase in low back and leg pain. However, lower quality of life (SMD, −0.627; 95% CI, −0.844–−0.410) were identified postoperatively. Sarcopenia did not lead to an elevated rate of complications after lumbar surgeries. Sarcopenia accounts for approximately one-quarter of the population with LDSD. The clinical manifestations are less influenced by sarcopenia, whereas sarcopenia is associated with poorer quality of life after lumbar surgeries. The current evidence is still insufficient to support sarcopenia as a predictor of postoperative complications.

The effectiveness of hope-fostering interventions in palliative care: A systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 026921632199472
Author(s):  
Natalia Salamanca-Balen ◽  
Thomas V Merluzzi ◽  
Man Chen
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Quasi Experimental

Background: The concept of hope is an important theme in chronic illness and palliative care and has been associated with increased psycho-spiritual well-being and quality of life. Psycho-spiritual interventions have been described in this population, but no systematic review of hope-enhancing interventions or hopelessness-reducing interventions has been conducted for persons with palliative care diseases. Aim: To describe and assess the effectiveness of interventions in palliative care that measure hope and/or hopelessness as an outcome. Design: This systematic review and meta-analysis was pre-registered (Prospero ID: CRD42019119956). Data sources: Electronic databases, journals, and references were searched. We used the Cochrane criteria to assess the risk of bias within studies. Results: Thirty-five studies (24 randomized controlled trials, 5 quasi-experimental, 6 pre-post studies) involving a total of 3296 palliative care patients were included. Compared with usual/standard cancer care alone, interventions significantly increased hope levels at a medium effect size ( g = 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.28–0.93) but did not significantly reduce hopelessness ( g = −0.08, 95% CI = −0.18 to 0.02). It was found that interventions significantly increase spirituality ( g = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.02–1.37) and decrease depression ( g = −0.29, 95% CI = −0.51 to −0.07), but had no significant effect over anxiety, quality of life, and symptom burden. Overall, quality of evidence across the included studies was rated as low. Conclusions: Evidence suggests that interventions can be effective in increasing hope in palliative care patients.

scholarly journals Current Evidence for Continuous Vital Signs Monitoring by Wearable Wireless Devices in Hospitalized Adults: Systematic Review

10.2196/18636 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. e18636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jobbe P L Leenen ◽  
Crista Leerentveld ◽  
Joris D van Dijk ◽  
Henderik L van Westreenen ◽  
Lisette Schoonhoven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Continuous Monitoring ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Wireless Devices

Background Continuous monitoring of vital signs by using wearable wireless devices may allow for timely detection of clinical deterioration in patients in general wards in comparison to detection by standard intermittent vital signs measurements. A large number of studies on many different wearable devices have been reported in recent years, but a systematic review is not yet available to date. Objective The aim of this study was to provide a systematic review for health care professionals regarding the current evidence about the validation, feasibility, clinical outcomes, and costs of wearable wireless devices for continuous monitoring of vital signs. Methods A systematic and comprehensive search was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 2009 to September 2019 for studies that evaluated wearable wireless devices for continuous monitoring of vital signs in adults. Outcomes were structured by validation, feasibility, clinical outcomes, and costs. Risk of bias was determined by using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies 2nd edition, or quality of health economic studies tool. Results In this review, 27 studies evaluating 13 different wearable wireless devices were included. These studies predominantly evaluated the validation or the feasibility outcomes of these devices. Only a few studies reported the clinical outcomes with these devices and they did not report a significantly better clinical outcome than the standard tools used for measuring vital signs. Cost outcomes were not reported in any study. The quality of the included studies was predominantly rated as low or moderate. Conclusions Wearable wireless continuous monitoring devices are mostly still in the clinical validation and feasibility testing phases. To date, there are no high quality large well-controlled studies of wearable wireless devices available that show a significant clinical benefit or cost-effectiveness. Such studies are needed to help health care professionals and administrators in their decision making regarding implementation of these devices on a large scale in clinical practice or in-home monitoring.

scholarly journals Does Conservative Kidney Management Offer a Quantity or Quality of Life Benefit Compared to Dialysis? A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buur Louise Engelbrecht ◽  
Madsen Jens Kristian ◽  
Eidemak Inge ◽  
Krarup Elizabeth ◽  
Lauridsen Thomas Guldager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Place Of Death ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Elderly Individuals ◽  
Secondary Outcomes ◽  
The Cochrane Library

Abstract Background Patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD5) collaborate with their clinicians when choosing their future treatment modality. Most elderly patients with CKD5 may only have two treatment options: dialysis or conservative kidney management (CKM). The objective of this systematic review was to investigate whether CKM offers a quantity or quality of life benefit compared to dialysis for some patients with CKD5.MethodsThe databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were systematically searched for studies comparing patients with CKD5 treated with CKM or dialysis. The primary outcomes were mortality and quality of life (QoL). Hospitalization, symptom burden, and place of death were secondary outcomes. For studies reporting hazard ratios, pooled values were calculated, and forest plots conducted.ResultsTwenty-four primary studies, all observational, were identified. All studies except one reported an increased mortality in patients treated with CKM (pooled hazard ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.41-0.69). For patients aged ≥ 80 years and for elderly individuals with comorbidities, results were ambiguous. In most studies, CKM seemed advantageous for QoL and secondary outcomes. Findings were limited by the heterogeneity of studies and biased outcomes favouring dialysis.ConclusionsIn general, patients with CKD5 live for a shorter time on CKM than on dialysis. In patients aged ≥ 80 years old, and in elderly individuals with comorbidities, the survival benefits of dialysis seem to be lost. Regarding QoL, symptom burden, hospitalization, and place of death, CKM may have advantages. Higher quality studies are needed to guide patients and clinicians in the decision-making process.

scholarly journals P1062EXPANDED DIALYSIS (HDX): IS THERE AN IMPACT ON PATIENT REPORTED SYMPTOM?

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarrin Penny ◽  
Fabio R Salerno ◽  
Lisa Hur ◽  
Christopher McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Response To Therapy ◽  
High Flux ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Dialysis Membranes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background and Aims High flux dialysis membranes sufficiently remove smaller sized uremic toxins however, the accumulation and retention of larger middle molecular weight toxins, which are associated with chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease and suboptimal outcomes are poorly cleared. The recent advent of medium-cut-off dialysis membranes, labelled “expanded dialysis” (HDx) are permeable to molecules of larger size responsible for poor clinical outcomes. However, it remains unclear if HDx can directly impact the symptoms associated with hemodialysis (HD). Symptom burden plays a significant role in quality of life (QOL) and mortality rates in the HD population. The London Evaluation of Illness (LEVIL), an application-based platform has been developed to measure patient reported outcomes (PROM). In comparison to cross-sectional PROM’s, LEVIL more accurately represents the fluctuations in daily symptoms and the impact of intervention. LEVIL evaluates general well-being, energy, sleep, appetite, pain and breathing, all of which are outcomes of interest on symptom burden in chronic kidney disease. Our aim was to determine if HDx therapy had any effect on symtoms/QOL domains using LEVIL. Method 28 patients from two dialysis centers in London Ontario were consented to participate. Patients were required to be over 18 years of age and on conventional thrice weekly maintenance HD for at least three months. 23 participants completed study and analyzed (five lost for various reasons). Baseline (BL) symptom characteristics were obtained while using high flux membrane for two weeks. Symptoms continued to be measured throughout the 12 weeks of HDx therapy two-three times weekly using LEVIL. Laboratory biomarkers including beta-2 microglobulin and free-light chains were collected at baseline and after 12 weeks of HDx therapy. Results Patients were stratified into tertiles (high/middle/low) using mean values of BL symptoms scores in each domain (wellbeing, energy, sleep, appetite, pain, breathing). Those in the high BL group were labeled as “control”. Low and middle BL measures were further stratified into responders vs. non-responders (responders were considered to have a 50% increase in any symptom domain by ≥50%). Of those domains which responded to HDx, 76% also had low BL scores with 27% having middle BL scores. General wellbeing, energy and sleep were domains with the greatest response reaching statistical significance after eight weeks of therapy. HDx had limited effect on appetite, pain and breathing. Although stratification was per domain, overall, 74% of the population studied did respond in at least one domain, with some responding in as many as five. Conclusion HDx using Theranova (Baxter) shows the most benefit in domains with low BL measures. Additionally, not everyone who had low BL scores responded after 12 weeks of therapy, leaving us to question whether HDx may have a latent effect in some individuals/populations. Those who had no response to therapy in certain domains also had greater baseline quality of life respectively. This information may assist in decision making/rationale for the utilization and implementation of such therapy. Although more work is required to further stratify symptoms in relation to demographic/biochemical finding and clinical outcomes. It is evident that HDx improves patient reported symptoms and QOL.

scholarly journals Patient Self-Management of Asthma Using Mobile Health Applications: A Systematic Review of the Functionalities and Effects

2017 ◽  
Vol 08 (04) ◽  
pp. 1068-1081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrdad Farzandipour ◽  
Ehsan Nabovati ◽  
Reihane Sharif ◽  
Marzieh Arani ◽  
Shima Anvari
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Mhealth Apps ◽  
Health Applications

Objective The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence regarding the effects of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) for self-management outcomes in patients with asthma and to assess the functionalities of effective interventions. Methods We systematically searched Medline, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We included English-language studies that evaluated the effects of smartphone or tablet computer apps on self-management outcomes in asthmatic patients. The characteristics of these studies, effects of interventions, and features of mHealth apps were extracted. Results A total of 10 studies met all the inclusion criteria. Outcomes that were assessed in the included studies were categorized into three groups (clinical, patient-reported, and economic). mHealth apps improved asthma control (five studies) and lung function (two studies) from the clinical outcomes. From the patient-reported outcomes, quality of life (three studies) was statistically significantly improved, while there was no significant impact on self-efficacy scores (two studies). Effects on economic outcomes were equivocal, so that the number of visits (in two studies) and admission and hospitalization-relevant outcomes (in one study) statistically significantly improved; and in four other studies, these outcomes did not improve significantly. mHealth apps features were categorized into seven categories (inform, instruct, record, display, guide, remind/alert, and communicate). Eight of the 10 mHealth apps included more than one functionality. Nearly all interventions had the functionality of recording user-entered data and half of them had the functionality of providing educational information and reminders to patients. Conclusion Multifunctional mHealth apps have good potential in the control of asthma and in improving the quality of life in such patients compared with traditional interventions. Further studies are needed to identify the effectiveness of these interventions on outcomes related to medication adherence and costs.

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