scholarly journals Next-Generation Digital Biomarkers for Tuberculosis and Antibiotic Stewardship: Perspective on Novel Molecular Digital Biomarkers in Sweat, Saliva, and Exhaled Breath

10.2196/25907 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. e25907
Author(s):  
Noe Brasier ◽  
Michael Osthoff ◽  
Fiorangelo De Ieso ◽  
Jens Eckstein
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Exhaled Breath ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Digital Biomarkers

The internet of health care things enables a remote connection between health care professionals and patients wearing smart biosensors. Wearable smart devices are potentially affordable, sensitive, specific, user-friendly, rapid, robust, lab-independent, and deliverable to the end user for point-of-care testing. The datasets derived from these devices are known as digital biomarkers. They represent a novel patient-centered approach to collecting longitudinal, context-derived health insights. Adding automated, analytical smartphone applications will enable their use in high-, middle-, and low-income countries. So far, digital biomarkers have been focused primarily on accelerometer data and heart rate due to well-established sensors originating from the consumer market. Novel emerging smart biosensors will detect biomarkers (or compounds) independent of a lab and noninvasively in sweat, saliva, and exhaled breath. These molecular digital biomarkers are a promising novel approach to reduce the burden from 2 major infectious diseases with urgent unmet needs: tuberculosis and infections with multidrug resistant pathogens. Active tuberculosis (aTbc) is one of the deadliest diseases from an infectious agent. However, a simple and reliable test for its detection is still missing. Furthermore, inappropriate antimicrobial use leads to the development of antimicrobial resistance, which is associated with high mortality and health care costs. From this perspective, we discuss the innovative approach of a noninvasive and lab-independent collection of novel biomarkers to detect aTbc, which at the same time may additionally serve as a scalable therapeutic drug monitoring approach for antibiotics. These molecular digital biomarkers are next-generation digital biomarkers and have the potential to shape the future of infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Next-Generation Digital Biomarkers for Tuberculosis and Antibiotic Stewardship: Perspective on Novel Molecular Digital Biomarkers in Sweat, Saliva, and Exhaled Breath (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noe Brasier ◽  
Michael Osthoff ◽  
Fiorangelo De Ieso ◽  
Jens Eckstein
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Exhaled Breath ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Digital Biomarkers

UNSTRUCTURED The internet of health care things enables a remote connection between health care professionals and patients wearing smart biosensors. Wearable smart devices are potentially affordable, sensitive, specific, user-friendly, rapid, robust, lab-independent, and deliverable to the end user for point-of-care testing. The datasets derived from these devices are known as digital biomarkers. They represent a novel patient-centered approach to collecting longitudinal, context-derived health insights. Adding automated, analytical smartphone applications will enable their use in high-, middle-, and low-income countries. So far, digital biomarkers have been focused primarily on accelerometer data and heart rate due to well-established sensors originating from the consumer market. Novel emerging smart biosensors will detect biomarkers (or compounds) independent of a lab and noninvasively in sweat, saliva, and exhaled breath. These molecular digital biomarkers are a promising novel approach to reduce the burden from 2 major infectious diseases with urgent unmet needs: tuberculosis and infections with multidrug resistant pathogens. Active tuberculosis (aTbc) is one of the deadliest diseases from an infectious agent. However, a simple and reliable test for its detection is still missing. Furthermore, inappropriate antimicrobial use leads to the development of antimicrobial resistance, which is associated with high mortality and health care costs. From this perspective, we discuss the innovative approach of a noninvasive and lab-independent collection of novel biomarkers to detect aTbc, which at the same time may additionally serve as a scalable therapeutic drug monitoring approach for antibiotics. These molecular digital biomarkers are next-generation digital biomarkers and have the potential to shape the future of infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Understanding the perspectives of older adults and elderly regarding vaccination; a snapshot in four European countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Timen ◽  
R Eilers ◽  
S Lockhart ◽  
R Gavioli ◽  
S Paul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Syncytial Virus

Abstract Prevention of infectious diseases in elderly by immunization is a prerequisite to ensuring healthy ageing. However, in order for the vaccine programs to be effective, these need to be provided by health care professionals who have up-to-date knowledge and high motivation. Furthermore, the knowledge and attitudes towards vaccination in the targeted age groups needs to be fully understood. When focusing on the information provision, it is important to know from whom or which institution older adults and elderly would like to receive and in which form. In January 2019, an international project called the VITAL (The Vaccines and InfecTious diseases in the Ageing population) project was started, within the framework of IMI (Innovative Medicines Initiatives). One of the goals of the VITAL project is to develop strategies to educate and train health care professionals (HCPs) and to promote awareness among stakeholders involved in elderly care management. We briefly focus on the results of studies undertaken in four European countries (Italy, France, The Netherlands and Hungary), which reveal the perspective of older adults and elderly regarding influenza, pneumococcal, herpes zoster vaccination and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well as generic characteristics of the vaccines and diseases. We will show how attitudes towards vaccination are represented in our study population and which determinants influence the decision-making process of accepting vaccination. Furthermore, we shall elaborate on how the decision-making process towards vaccination takes place and which additional information is needed. In the second part of the session, we shall invite the audience to reflect on the findings and identify the factors they consider most important for setting up a training and education programme on vaccination.

scholarly journals COVID-19 pandemic impact on dentists in Latin America’s epicenter: São-Paulo, Brazil

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256092
Author(s):  
Tatiane Fernandes Novaes ◽  
Maisa Camillo Jordão ◽  
Carlos Felipe Bonacina ◽  
André Oswaldo Veronezi ◽  
Carlos Ariel Rodrigues de Araujo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
The State ◽  
Financial Impact ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
The Impact

The state of São Paulo, Brazil, where more than 94.000 dentists are currently registered, has become the epicenter of COVID-19 in Latin America. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on dentists in this state. A semi-structured questionnaire was sent via e-mail to 93.280 dentists with active registration in the Dental Council of São Paulo (CROSP). The impact of COVID-19 pandemic was assessed through questions related to demographic, socioeconomic, dental practice characteristics and personal protective equipment (PPE) use. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between all the variables (p<0.05). Over 8 days, 2113 responses were received. Only 26.52% of the sample reported a low-income reduction (from 0–10%), while the majority of dentists reported a more negative financial impact, 35.6% with a reduction of more than 50% of their monthly income. Dentists who worked in the private sector and at the capital had a greater financial impact when compared to those of the public sector and countryside of the state (p<0.05). Furthermore, about 83% reported not having received any specific training to control the transmission of coronavirus in the health area. This study provides evidence of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the routine of dentists in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Hopefully, this study will help dental and other health care professionals to better understand the consequences of disease in dental settings and strengthen preparedness throughout the dental health care system.

Stratification and “Universality”

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany D. Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
State Level ◽  
Universal Health Care System ◽  
Documentation Status ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Universal Health ◽  
Care System

Tiffany D. Joseph’s chapter examines how stratification of access by immigration status effectively undermined a “universal” health policy. While the ACA only extended coverage to U.S. citizens and eligible documented immigrants, Massachusetts pursued a universal health care system at the state level and offered coverage to all residents, regardless of documentation status. Despite this policy that aimed for inclusion, immigrants in Massachusetts were still more likely than non-immigrants to remain uninsured. Joseph interviewed Brazilian and Dominican immigrants, health care professionals, and immigrant/health organization employees to find out why immigrants remained uninsured. She identified immigration-related, health care system, and bureaucratic barriers that prevented individuals from effectively accessing care. Massachusetts serves as both a model and a cautionary tale for ACA implementation, with barriers exacerbated for immigrant, low-income, and minority populations.

scholarly journals CARDIOLOGY RESEARCH INTERNSHIP FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS PROVIDES UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR NEXT GENERATION OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (11) ◽  
pp. 3655
Author(s):  
Monique North ◽  
Kevin Harris ◽  
Ross Garberich ◽  
Jay Traverse ◽  
David Hurrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Next Generation

scholarly journals Training of Ultrasound in Neonatology: Global or Local?

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 338-345 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Obstet Gynecol ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Basic Health ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
Training Opportunities

ABSTRACT From the beginning of its use in neonatology, ultrasound is used more frequently and for many indications. Number of indications is increasing from year to year, while the training opportunities and curricula are not following the same trend. Nowadays ultrasound has been used for determination of functional hemodynamics in critically sick neonates which increases educational burden on the young neonatologists. This only applies to the developed countries where neonatology is well developed, while in low income so called developing countries some basic health problems of neonates have not been solved and there is substantial lack of health care professionals and equipment as well. How to cite this article Stanojevic M. Training of Ultrasound in Neonatology: Global or Local? Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2013;7(3):338-345.

Formal assessment of teamwork among cancer health care professionals in 3 large tertiary centers in Nigeria.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18126-e18126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abiola Falilat Ibraheem ◽  
Olutosin Alaba Awolude ◽  
Myhammad-yaqub Murtazha Habeebu ◽  
Anthonia Chima Sowunmi ◽  
Popoola Abiodun Olaniyi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Optimal Outcomes ◽  
Quality Cancer Care ◽  
Key Stakeholders

e18126 Background: Cancer is fast becoming a common cause of death in developing world. Over the last decade, there have been strategies to bring quality cancer care to underserved patients around the world. In low-income countries, poor utilization of principles of teamwork is a major barrier to achieving quality services. The intent of this study is to assess teamwork as perceived by the health care workers caring for cancer patients Methods: We conducted a survey among health care professionals involved in cancer care in 3 tertiary centers in the southwestern part of Nigeria from July to November 2016. Respondents rated teamwork using the previously validated ÒSafety Attitudes QuestionnaireÓ. For this analysis we focused on the teamwork climate subscale. This subscale is scored on a scale of 0-100 with mean (SD) values,in US ambulatory population of 69.7 (17). We compared ratings by professionals using analysis of variance Results: Overall 373 professionals completed the survey: Physicians (47%), nurses (14%), pharmacists (6%) and others (33%). Some results are shown in table Conclusions: Cancer care is complex and depends on teamwork amongst health care professionals to achieve optimal outcomes. While overall teamwork scores was consistent with US ambulatory studies , there are important variations that provide targets for intervention. Physicians rated teamwork poorly both intra and inter professionally. Pharmacists rated inter professional teamwork with nurses particularly poorly. Further data on additional subscales of the instrument and by individual centers will be presented. Efforts to transform cancer care need to focus on building trust among the key stakeholders. This is true in developing world where there is a need to maximize the use of limited resources to improve patient outcomes. [Table: see text]

scholarly journals Staff Perspectives Toward Challenges in a Newly Established Cancer Center in Tanzania: A Qualitative Study

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Zainab Alwash ◽  
Oliver Henke ◽  
Furaha Serventi ◽  
Eva Johanna Kantelhardt
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Training And Education ◽  
The Government

PURPOSE Cancer is a growing public health concern in low-income countries (LICs). From 14 million new patient cases identified worldwide each year, 8 million are diagnosed in LICs. The fatality rate is 75% in LICs compared with 46% in high-income countries. Causes are low literacy levels, lack of awareness and knowledge about cancer, and limited education of health care professionals that leads to late detection and diagnosis. In Tanzania, cancer incidence will double to 60,000 in 2030. The referral hospital of Northern Tanzania established a new cancer unit in December 2016 to meet these needs. However, there is limited knowledge about perceptions of health care professionals toward cancer care in LICs. This study aims to understand attitudes and perspectives of those professionals and the treatment-related challenges in a newly established center to assist future efforts in this field. METHODS A qualitative method approach using in-depth interviews was chosen to achieve inductive conceptualization. Analysis of data was performed according to qualitative content analysis. RESULTS Eleven interviews were conducted. Five main categories were found: training and education of staff, availability of financial support, challenges in management, interests in future developments, and job satisfaction. Subcategories elaborated in more detail within the main categories. CONCLUSION Limitations in staffing, training, and education were major concerns. The importance of sustainable funding and the needed cooperation of the government with international aid were identified as key points. The involvement of different stakeholders requires guidance by health care management. Health care professionals expressed their satisfaction with the possibilities of treating cancer and the rewarding feedback from patients. Misconceptions and poor knowledge by patients were mentioned as reasons for delayed health-seeking behavior. Screening and awareness programs were seen as useful interventions.

scholarly journals Cardiology Research Internship for Undergraduate Students Provides Unique Opportunity for Next Generation of Health Care Professionals

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 985-988
Author(s):  
Monique North ◽  
Kevin M. Harris ◽  
Ross Garberich ◽  
Jay Traverse ◽  
David Hurrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Next Generation

scholarly journals Physiotherapists’ Use of Web-Based Information Resources to Fulfill Their Information Needs During a Theoretical Examination: Randomized Crossover Trial

10.2196/19747 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. e19747
Author(s):  
Cailbhe Doherty ◽  
Arash Joorabchi ◽  
Peter Megyesi ◽  
Aileen Flynn ◽  
Brian Caulfield
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Portal System ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
Federated Search ◽  
Web Browser

Background The widespread availability of internet-connected smart devices in the health care setting has the potential to improve the delivery of research evidence to the care pathway and fulfill health care professionals’ information needs. Objective This study aims to evaluate the frequency with which physiotherapists experience information needs, the capacity of digital information resources to fulfill these needs, and the specific types of resources they use to do so. Methods A total of 38 participants (all practicing physiotherapists; 19 females, 19 males) were randomly assigned to complete three 20-question multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) examinations under 3 conditions in a randomized crossover study design: assisted by a web browser, assisted by a federated search portal system, and unassisted. MCQ scores, times, and frequencies of information needs were recorded for overall examination-level and individual question-level analyses. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess differences between conditions for the primary outcomes. A log file analysis was conducted to evaluate participants’ web search and retrieval behaviors. Results Participants experienced an information need in 55.59% (845/1520) MCQs (assisted conditions only) and exhibited a mean improvement of 10% and 16% in overall examination scores for the federated search and web browser conditions, respectively, compared with the unassisted condition (P<.001). In the web browser condition, Google was the most popular resource and the only search engine used, accounting for 1273 (64%) of hits, followed by PubMed (195 hits; 10% of total). In the federated search condition, Wikipedia and PubMed were the most popular resources with 1518 (46% of total) and 1273 (39% of total) hits, respectively. Conclusions In agreement with the findings of previous research studies among medical physicians, the results of this study demonstrate that physiotherapists frequently experience information needs. This study provides new insights into the preferred digital information resources used by physiotherapists to fulfill these needs. Future research should clarify the implications of physiotherapists’ apparent high reliance on Google, whether these results reflect the authentic clinical environment, and whether fulfilling clinical information needs alters practice behaviors or improves patient outcomes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document