Raziskovanje vzrokov za nezadovoljstvo pacientov lahko izvajalcem zdravstvenih storitev omogoča vpogled v pomanjkljivosti njihovih storitev in hkrati predstavlja smiselno iztočnico za izboljšanje ...kakovosti. V članku s pomočjo kvalitativne metode netnografije ugotavljamo bistvene vzroke za nezadovoljstvo slovenskih pacientov z nemedicinskim vidikom zdravstvenih storitev in na podlagi rezultatov opozorimo na tista nemedicinska področja zdravstvenih storitev, na katerih je v prihodnje mogoče izboljšati kakovost zdravstvenih storitev z vidika zadovoljstva pacientov. Na podlagi vsebinske analize spletnih forumov ugotavljamo, da so najpogostejši razlogi za nezadovoljstvo s slovenskim zdravstvom naslednji: neprijazna komunikacija zdravstvenega osebja, pomanjkanje empatije v odnosu zdravstvenega osebja, predolgo čakanje pacienta na zdravstveno obravnavo v čakalnici, predolga čakalna doba za obisk zdravnika, neučinkovita organizacija zdravstvene obravnave, pomanjkljiva doslednost in način informiranja pacienta. Raziskava tudi opozori na pomembno vlogo spletnih skupnosti pri raziskovanju nezadovoljstva pacientov in prikaže prednosti in omejitve uporabe metode netnografije.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse whether internet forums are an appropriate source for identification of causes of dissatisfaction of patients with non-medical aspects of healthcare ...services.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the guidelines of netnography qualitative research the authors identify relevant posts or comments on selected online forums in which web users show their dissatisfaction with healthcare services. Five popular Slovenian forums representing different interest communities have been chosen and 42 forums’ topics have been reviewed.
Findings
Online communities have an important role in exploring patient dissatisfaction. Through content analysis comments were coded into meaningful categories and subcategories.
Research limitations/implications
Some comments were more explicit, while others have provided general and looser reasons for dissatisfaction, and in such cases coding and content analysis of comments was more difficult.
Practical implications
Contents expressed within online communities are helpful in designing improvement activities since they enable determination of concrete relevant measures aiming at eliminating and preventing the established causes of discontent, such as instituting new policies, introducing training programs, determining desired changes in culture.
Originality/value
Usefulness of the netnography as a qualitative method of research is confirmed through confirmation that causes of dissatisfaction of Slovenian patients, which have been identified in the authors research are similar to those identified in previous research in the field of patient satisfaction conducted in Slovenia. Results constitute a new form of researching patient dissatisfaction and expose the specific causes of patient dissatisfaction with healthcare services in Slovenia.
Posnetek s 1. okrogle mize, posvečene pekrskim dogodkom. Na fotografiji stojijo od leve proti desni: Goran Vidrih, Stojan Ledinek, Alojz Kovačič, Bojan Lunežnik in direktorica knjižnice Dragica ...Turjak, sedijo Magdalena Tovornik, Silvo Komar, voditelj Stanislav Kocutar in Andrej Kocbek.
Posnetek s 1. okrogle mize, posvečene pekrskim dogodkom. Na fotografiji od leve proti desni sedijo: Goran Vidrih, Stojan Ledinek, Alojz Kovačič, Bojan Lunežnik, Magdalena Tovornik, Silvo Komar, ...voditelj Stanislav Kocutar in Andrej Kocbek; v ozadju stoji direktorica knjižnice Dragica Turjak.
Optimal heart function depends on perfect synchronization between electrical and mechanical activity. In this pilot study, we aimed to investigate the electromechanical activity of the heart in ...healthy cats and cats with cardiomyopathy with phonocardiography (PCG) synchronized to an electrocardiography (ECG) pilot device. We included 29 cats (12 healthy cats and 17 cats diagnosed with cardiomyopathy) and performed a clinical examination, PCG synchronized with ECG and echocardiography. We measured the following durations with the pilot PCG device synchronized with ECG: QRS (ventricular depolarization), QT interval (electrical systole), QS1 interval (electromechanical activation time (EMAT)), S1S2 (mechanical systole), QS2 interval (electrical and mechanical systole) and electromechanical window (end of T wave to the beginning of S2). The measured parameters did not differ between healthy cats and cats with cardiomyopathy; however, in cats with cardiomyopathy, EMAT/RR, QS2/RR and S1S2/RR were significantly longer than in healthy cats. This suggests that the hypertrophied myocardium takes longer to generate sufficient pressure to close the mitral valve and that electrical systole, i.e., depolarization and repolarization, and mechanical systoles are longer in cats with cardiomyopathy. The PCG synchronized with the ECG pilot device proved to be a valuable tool for evaluating the electromechanical activity of the feline heart.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the combination of electrochemotherapy (ECT) with bleomycin and gene electrotransfer (GET) of plasmid encoding canine interleukin 12 ...(IL-12) for the treatment of canine oral malignant melanoma (OMM). Our focus was to determine the effect of the treatment on achieving local tumor control and stimulation of an antitumor immune response. Nine dogs with histologically confirmed OMM stage I to III were included in a prospective, non-randomized study. The dogs were treated with a combination of cytoreductive surgery, ECT and IL-12 GET, which was repeated up to five times, depending on the clinical response to the treatment, evaluated according to the follow-up protocol (7, 14 and 28 days after, the last treatment). One month after treatment, the objective response (OR) rate was 67% (6/9). Median survival time (MST) was 6 months and, even though the disease progressed in 8/9 patients at the end of the observation period (2 to 22 months), four animals were euthanized due to tumor-unrelated reasons. In addition, we observed a decline in the percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg) in the peripheral blood in the course of the treatment, which could be attributed to a systemic antitumor response to IL-12 GET. The results of this study suggest that a combination of ECT and IL-12 GET may be beneficial for dogs with OMM, especially when other treatment approaches are not acceptable due to their invasiveness or cost.
•Dogs with oral malignant melanoma may benefit from electrochemogenetherapy•The treatment is minimally invasive and allows for a better posttreatment function•Electrochemogenetherapy is inexpensive and can be performed on an outpaitent basis•IL-12 gene electrotransfer is associated with a decline in regulatory T cells
Electrochemotherapy (ECT) in combination with the gene electrotransfer of interleukin 12 (IL-12 GET) has been successfully used in veterinary medicine for the treatment of mast cell tumours (MCT), ...but the biomarkers that could predict response to this treatment have not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the plasma nucleosome and serum ferritin concentrations, as well as the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, in the serum of treated patients before and one and six months after treatment to evaluate their utility as potential biomarkers that could predict response to the combined treatment. The study was conducted in 48 patients with a total of 86 MCTs that we treated with the combined treatment. The blood samples used for analysing the potential predictive biomarkers were taken before treatment and one and six months after treatment, when the response to treatment was also assessed. The Nu. Q
Vet Cancer Test, the Canine Ferritin ELISA Kit, and the RX Daytona+ automated biochemical analyser were used to analyse the blood samples. The results showed that the plasma nucleosome concentration (before treatment (BT): 32.84 ng/mL (median); one month after treatment (1 M AT): 58.89 ng/mL (median);
= 0.010) and serum LDH activity (BT: 59.75 U/L (median); 1 M AT: 107.5 U/L (median);
= 0.012) increased significantly one month after treatment and that the increase correlated significantly with the presence of a more pronounced local reaction (necrosis, swelling, etc.) at that time point for both markers (nucleosome: BT (necrosis): 21.61 ng/mL (median); 1 M AT (necrosis): 69.92 ng/mL (median),
= 0.030; LDH: BT (necrosis): 54.75 U/L (median); 1 M AT (necrosis): 100.3 U/L (median),
= 0.048). Therefore, both the plasma nucleosome concentration and serum LDH activity could serve as early indicators of the effect of the treatment. In this context, the serum ferritin concentration showed no significant predictive potential for treatment response (
> 0.999 for all comparisons). In conclusion, this study provides some new and important observations on the use of predictive biomarkers in veterinary oncology. Furthermore, it emphasises the need for the continued identification and validation of potential predictive biomarkers in dogs with MCT and other malignancies undergoing ECT treatment in combination with IL-12 GET to ultimately improve treatment outcomes.
•Electroporation and electrochemotherapy with bleomycin caused endotheliitis.•They also caused vascular smooth muscle cell destruction in portal vein anastomosis.•Regeneration of endothelium and ...organization of fibrosis was seen after 28 days.•Histology of the treated veins were consistent with normal healing process.•Electrochemotherapy of portal vein anastomosis is safe and feasible.
Electrochemotherapy (ECT11Electrochemotherapy.) is used for treatment of unresectable abdominal malignancies. This study aims to show that ECT of porcine portal vein anastomosis is safe and feasible in order to extend the indications for margin attenuation after resection of locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma. No marked differences were found between the control group and ECT treated groups. Electroporation thus caused irreversible damage to the vascular smooth muscle cells in tunica media that could bedue to the narrow irreversible electroporation zone that may occur near the electrodes, or due to vasa vasorum thrombosis in the tunica externa. Based on the absence of vascular complications, and similar histological changes in lienal veinanastomosis, we can conclude that ECT of portal vein anastomosis is safe and feasible.
Brachycephalic dogs with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) are a valuable animal model for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in humans. Clinical signs of upper airway obstruction improve ...after surgical treatment of BOAS, but the impact of surgery on morphology and function of the heart has not been studied. Therefore, we aimed to compare the echocardiographic variables of dogs before and after surgical treatment of BOAS. We included 18 client-owned dogs with BOAS (7 French Bulldogs, 6 Boston Terriers, and 5 Pugs) scheduled for surgical correction. We performed a complete echocardiographic examination before and 6 to 12 (median 9) months after surgery. Seven non-brachycephalic dogs were included in the control group. After surgery, BOAS patients had a significantly (
< 0.05) larger left atrium to aortic ratio (LA/Ao), left atrium in the long axis index, and thickness of the left ventricular posterior wall in diastole index. They also had a higher late diastolic annular velocity of the interventricular septum (Am) and increased global right ventricular strain and left ventricular global strain in the apical 4-chamber view, as well as a higher caudal vena cava collapsibility index (CVCCI). Before surgery, BOAS patients had a significantly lower CVCCI, Am, peak systolic annular velocity of the interventricular septum (Si), and early diastolic annular velocity of the interventricular septum (Ei) compared to non-brachycephalic dogs. After surgery, BOAS patients had a smaller right ventricular internal diameter at base index, right ventricular area in systole index, mitral annular plane systolic excursion index, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion index, as well as lower values of Am, Si, Ei, and late diastolic annular velocity of the interventricular septum, and a larger LA/Ao compared to non-brachycephalic dogs. Significant differences between BOAS patients and non-brachycephalic dogs indicate higher right heart pressures and decreased systolic and diastolic ventricular function in BOAS dogs, which is in accordance with the results of studies in OSA patients. In parallel with the marked clinical improvement, right heart pressures decreased, and right ventricular systolic and diastolic function improved after surgery.
Editorial: COVID-19 Pandemics and Politics Hintea, Calin Emilian; Klun, Maja; Nemec, Juraj
NISPAcee journal of public administration and policy,
06/2022, Letnik:
15, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
This short editorial proposes a specific topic for comprehensive research in COVID-19 in the CEE area, namely the role of politicians and politics during the pandemic. The text includes three short ...country case studies (Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia), describing different aspects of the politics/political fighting relationship and the COVID-19 pandemic. The experts’ arguments suggest that the “motto of the day” should be working together and not fighting each other. However, nothing (“almost nothing”) like this is visible in our region – or at lease in our three case studies, the only positive aspect from this point of view is the joint call of all parliamentary group leaders for vaccination in Slovenia. By its content, the editorial calls for comprehensive research on the aims of the current antagonistic situation and possible actions.
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