Access to health care based on need rather than ability to pay was the founding principle of the Canadian health-care system. Medicare was born in one province in 1947. It spread across the country ...through federal cost sharing, and eventually was harmonised through standards in a federal law, the Canada Health Act of 1984. The health-care system is less a true national system than a decentralised collection of provincial and territorial insurance plans covering a narrow basket of services, which are free at the point of care. Administration and service delivery are highly decentralised, although coverage is portable across the country. In the setting of geographical and population diversity, long waits for elective care demand the capacity and commitment to scale up effective and sustainable models of care delivery across the country. Profound health inequities experienced by Indigenous populations and some vulnerable groups also require coordinated action on the social determinants of health if these inequities are to be effectively addressed. Achievement of the high aspirations of Medicare's founders requires a renewal of the tripartite social contract between governments, health-care providers, and the public. Expansion of the publicly funded basket of services and coordinated effort to reduce variation in outcomes will hinge on more engaged roles for the federal government and the physician community than have existed in previous decades. Public engagement in system stewardship will also be crucial to achieve a high-quality system grounded in both evidence and the Canadian values of equity and solidarity.
Indigenous scholars are leading initiatives to improve access to genetic and genomic research and health care based on their unique cultural contexts and within sovereign-based governance models ...created and accepted by their peoples. In the past, Indigenous peoples' engagement with genomicresearch was hampered by a lack of standardized guidelines and institutional partnerships, resulting in group harms. This article provides a comparative analysis of research guidelines from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States that pertain to Indigenous peoples. The goals of the analysis are to identify areas that need attention, support Indigenous-led governance, and promote the development of a model research policy framework for genomic research and health care that has international relevance for Indigenous peoples.
Despite improvements in mortality rates over the past several decades, cardiovascular (CV) disease remains the leading cause of death for African-Americans (AAs). Innovative approaches through mobile ...health (mHealth) interventions have the potential to support lifestyle change for CV disease prevention among AAs. We aimed to translate a behavioral theory-informed, evidence-based, face-to-face health education program into an mHealth lifestyle intervention for AAs. We describe the design and development of a culturally relevant, CV health and wellness digital application (app) and pilot testing using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach with AA churches.
This mixed methods study used a 4-phase iterative development process for intervention design with the AA community. Phase 1 included focus groups with AA community members and church partners (n = 23) to gain insight regarding potential app end user preferences. In Phase 2, the interdisciplinary research team synthesized Phase 1 input for preliminary app design and content development. Phase 3 consisted of a sequential 3-meeting series with church partners (n = 13) for iterative app prototyping (assessment, cultural tailoring, final review). Phase 4, a single group pilot study among AA church congregants (n = 50), assessed app acceptability, usability, and satisfaction.
Phase 1 focus groups indicated general and health-related apps preferences: multifunctional, high-quality graphics/visuals, evidence-based, yet simple health information and social networking capability. Phase 2 integrated these preferences into the preliminary app prototype. Phase 3 feedback was used to refine the app prototype for pilot testing. Phase 4 pilot testing indicated high app acceptability, usability, and satisfaction.
This study illustrates integration of formative and CBPR approaches to design a culturally relevant, mHealth lifestyle intervention to address CV health disparities among AAs. Given the positive app perceptions, our study supports the use of an iterative development process by others interested in implementing an mHealth lifestyle intervention for racial/ethnic minority communities.
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03084822.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
How many medical students one day speak at their faculty's Festschrift? I submitted the title of “Disparities in Indigenous Health: What can we do?” JP would have expected this topic from me but I do ...not think the audience expected how my world as a First Nations surgeon whose career actually focused on Indigenous health more than endocrine surgery was why JP wanted this topic on her Festschrift program. The pillars upon which we wanted it to stand and grow were: 1) Students (both current and future), 2) Curriculum and Teaching (to create Indigenous content and pedagogies that were missing in elementary schools, high-schools and post-secondary institutions on a national level) and, 3) Indigenous health research recognizing that the power of knowledge generated by research and subsequently shared would most benefit those who have access to the opportunity and choice to participate in that research. Otherwise, one relies on the generalizability of the results and hopes the marginalization or outright exclusion from research will not impact the trust required to enable research partnerships or impact the positive health outcomes such knowledge generation can create. Since it started in 2014, the CEIH has created 19 courses including: eight core courses (2018) and three elective courses in its Certificate in Indigenous Public Health program, five courses that aggregate to create the Indigenous Health Administration and Leadership Program (2019), UBC 23 24 which is a cultural safety curriculum that is interdisciplinary and since its inception (2017) has been taken by over 4000 health career program students as an expected course in 13 different programs including, but certainly not limited to, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry.
Predictors of in-hospital complications after pericardiectomy: A nationwide outcomes study Gopaldas, Raja R., MD; Dao, Tam K., PhD; Caron, Normand R., MD ...
Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery/The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery/The journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery,
05/2013, Letnik:
145, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Objective Advances in medical care had caused a paradigm shift in the indications for pericardiectomy. We evaluated the current predictors of in-hospital complications for pericardiectomy. Methods ...Patients who underwent pericardiectomy between 1998 and 2008 were identified from the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Risk-adjusted logistic regression model was used to analyze the predictors of surgical outcomes. Results A total of 13,593 patients underwent pericardiectomy during this period. Pericardiectomy was performed for constrictive pericarditis (28%; n = 3851), pericardial calcification (15%; n = 2061), secondary malignancies (3%; n = 456), adhesive pericarditis (2%; n = 318), and other causes (40%; n = 5461). Unadjusted mortality and complication rates were approximately 8% and 48%, respectively. Fourteen percent of patients required blood transfusion. Only 62% were routinely discharged home. After risk adjustment, age, female gender, comorbidity index, and the primary diagnosis independently predicted in-hospital mortality and overall complication rates ( P < .05). Calcific pericarditis was the only etiology associated with lower risk-adjusted mortality (odds ratio OR, 0.48), operative complications (OR, 0.32), overall complications (OR, 0.32), incidence of transfusion (OR, 0.38), and highest routine discharge rates (OR, 1.84); P < .001 for all. Constrictive pericarditis had the highest requirement for cardiopulmonary bypass (OR, 6.41; P < .01) and incidence of bleeding complications (OR, 2.61; P < .01). Conclusions Morbidity remains high for pericardiectomy. In addition to age, gender, and comorbidities, attention should be given to etiology during surgical planning or referral. This significantly influences the requirement for cardiopulmonary bypass, chances of bleeding complications, and transfusion requirements.
A method for assessing the relative sensitivity of research metrics is proposed and illustrated by comparing 18 outcome measures from a published study of the cognitive, mood, and hormonal effects of ...four different levels of stress induced by intense military training. Research on the human response to stress often assesses multiple disparate dependent measures. Selecting the most sensitive is difficult as formal methods to compare varied dependent measures have not been developed. The method first converts the outcome measures into standard scores (z-scores) and then compares them using analysis of variance to determine whether there are differences in how they assess the impact of graded levels of exposure to stress. The analysis detected various significant interactions in several measures and suggests self-report mood questionnaires were more sensitive to the stressors present in the study than the cognitive or hormonal measures which were used. These findings support the effectiveness of the z-score based method as a useful procedure for objectively evaluating the differential sensitivity of various metrics. This method could be useful for research on other independent variables when use of multiple assessment strategies is appropriate. It could be used for evaluating studies yielding conflicting results, such as those detecting effects on one parameter but not others. In such instances, cross-metric inconsistencies may be due to differential sensitivity of measurement strategies rather than actual differences in the effects of the independent-variable on the domains under investigation.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Despite significant improvements in pediatric cancer survival outcomes, there remain glaring disparities in under-represented racial and ethnic groups that warrant mitigation by the scientific and ...clinical community. To address and work towards eliminating such disparities, the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC) and Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) established a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) working group in 2020. The DEI working group is dedicated to improving access to care for all pediatric patients with central nervous system (CNS) tumors, broadening diversity within the research community, and providing sustainable data-driven solutions. To this end, the DEI working group aims to coordinate regular educational sessions centered on critical DEI topics in pediatric research and clinical care of pediatric patients, with a focus on pediatric neuro-oncology. In April 2022, the group led a moderated panel of experts on Indigenous Peoples’ rights and participation in clinical research activities. The following paper serves to provide the scientific community a perspective on how to prioritize the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in research with cultural sensitivity and with the intent of improving not only representation, but patient outcomes regardless of patient race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background.
CONTEXT: Peer-led interventions have become a popular method of providing sexual health education to adolescents, but the efficacy of this approach and the methodological quality of recent trials ...have not been systematically reviewed. METHODS: Electronic and hand searches were conducted to identify quasi-randomized and randomized controlled trials of peer-led adolescent sexual health education published from 1998 to 2005. Studies were eligible if they had an appropriate comparison group, provided preintervention and postintervention data, and reported all outcomes. Study results were summarized and, where appropriate, pooled; in addition, 10 aspects of studies' methodological quality were assessed. RESULTS: Thirteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Pooled, adjusted results from seven trials that examined the effects of peer-led interventions on condom use at last sex found no overall benefit (odds ratio, 1.0). None of the three trials that assessed consistent condom use found a benefit. One study reported a reduced risk of chlamydia (0.2), but another found no impact on STD incidence. One study found that young women (but not young men) who received peer-led education were more likely than nonrecipients to have never had sex. Most interventions produced improvements in knowledge, attitudes and intentions. Only three studies fulfilled all 10 of the assessed quality criteria; two others met nine criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Despite promising results in some trials, overall findings do not provide convincing evidence that peer-led education improves sexual outcomes among adolescents. Future trials should build on the successful trials conducted to date and should strive to fulfill existing quality criteria.
Background
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a very common problem throughout the world. One treatment possibility is the multidisciplinary programme (MP) in a rehabilitation centre, which provides ...intensive rehabilitation through physical exercise to quickly improve the patient conditions. Patients nevertheless do not always continue the exercises when they return home. This study thus evaluated compliance with a personalised home-based programme for CLBP patients post-MP.
Methods
A randomised controlled single-blind trial was conducted. Thirty patients were randomised into two groups and participated in an MP for 4 weeks. They were then given an exercise booklet for home rehabilitation. In addition, each patient in the experimental group constructed a personalised exercise programme with a physiotherapist. The control group was only encouraged to continue the exercises at home. To assess therapeutic compliance, both groups were asked to document each completed exercise in a logbook. In addition, pain intensity, flexibility, muscle endurance, activity limitations, participation restrictions, and beliefs about physical activity were assessed at the beginning and end of the MP and again after 12 weeks at home.
Results
Compliance was good for all activities in both groups, but there were no significant differences between groups. All participants improved on the criteria by the end of MP, and both groups maintained the improvements in most of the criteria at 3-month follow-up.
Conclusion
This study showed the effectiveness of an MP for CLBP in the short and medium term. However, future research should focus on longer-term compliance.
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