scholarly journals A Smart Mobile Application to Simplify Medical Documents and Improve Health Literacy: System Design and Feasibility Validation (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasha Hendawi ◽  
Juan Li ◽  
Shadi Alian
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
User Study ◽  
Drug Effects ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Skill Levels ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Medical Documents ◽  
Medical Materials ◽  
The Individual

BACKGROUND People with low health literacy experience more challenges in understanding instructions given by their health providers, following prescriptions, and understanding their healthcare system well enough to get the maximum benefits. People with insufficient health literacy have a higher risk of making medical mistakes, more chances of experiencing adverse drug effects, and inferior control of chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate a mHealth application, MediReader, to help individuals better understand complex medical materials and improve their health literacy. METHODS MediReader is designed and implemented through several steps: (1) Measure and understand an individual’s health literacy level. (2) Identify medical terminologies the individual may not understand based on his/her health literacy. (3) Annotate and interpret the identified medical terminologies tailored to the individual’s reading skill levels with meanings defined in the appropriate external knowledge sources. (4) Evaluate MediReader with task-based user study and satisfaction surveys. RESULTS Based on the comparison with a control group, user study results demonstrate that MediReader can improve users’ understanding of medical documents. The improvement is especially significant for users with lower health literacy levels. The satisfaction survey shows that users are satisfied with the tool in general. CONCLUSIONS MediReader provides an easy-to-use interface for users to read and understand medical documents. It can effectively identify medical terms a user may not understand, and then annotate and interpret them with appropriate meanings with languages that the user can understand. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of using this tool to improve an individual’s understanding of medical materials.

Lipid-based Nose Ointment for Allergic Rhinitis

2005 ◽  
Vol 133 (5) ◽  
pp. 754-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urban Wilhelm Geisthoff ◽  
Andreas Blum ◽  
Marianne Rupp-Classen ◽  
Peter-Karl Plinkert
Keyword(s):  
Allergic Rhinitis ◽  
Nasal Congestion ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Significant Drop ◽  
Intention To Treat ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Tertiary Care Centers ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Individual Scores

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of a lipid-based nose ointment in treating allergic rhinitis. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective, open, randomized, controlled clinical study in the outpatient departments of 2 tertiary care centers. RESULTS: No specific adverse effects were observed. The nose ointment under investigation led to a significant improvement in sneezing and nasal itching (17 patients). There was no significant change for nasal congestion and rhinorrhea in the intention-to-treat sets. However, there was still a significant drop of the mean relative total symptom score derived from the individual scores. All scores remained unchanged in the untreated control group (16 patients). CONCLUSION: Topical application of the nose ointment as a supportive treatment leads to a significant improvement of symptoms in allergic rhinitis. SIGNIFICANCE: The prevalence of allergic rhinitis is about 10% to 20% in the population. Our study results are encouraging and should be assessed in further research because changes in the therapeutic guidelines may be suggested.

scholarly journals Effects of steroid growth promoter on morphological and biochemical adaptations in liver of broiler

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2330-2337
Author(s):  
Nasrin Sultana ◽  
Marzia Afrose ◽  
Kazi Rafiq
Keyword(s):  
Biochemical Parameters ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Growth Promoter ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Commercial Broiler ◽  
Group A ◽  
Liver Morphology ◽  
Biochemical Analyses ◽  
Group B ◽  
The Individual

Aim: The study was conducted to observe the effects of dexamethasone (DEX) on the gross study and histomorphometry of liver and on the alterations of biochemical parameters of broilers. Materials and Methods: Ninety day-old chicks were collected and assigned to one of three groups: The control, Group A, and Group B. The control, Group A, and Group B were fed for 28 days with a homemade ration, a commercial broiler type ration, and a homemade ration with DEX (7 mg/kg feed), respectively. Liver samples were collected from the individual birds after sacrificing on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 of the experiment. Morphometric characteristics (length, weight, color, and texture) of the liver were examined. Histomorphological alterations of the liver were assessed with routine hematoxylin and eosin staining. To measure the biochemical parameters, blood samples were collected on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 of the experiment. Liver function test was performed spectrophotometrically by analyzing serum biochemical markers, that is, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was performed for the detection of hepatic steroids. Results: Hemorrhagic and congested livers were found in broilers of Group B. There were no significant changes found in weight and length of the livers; only numerical decrease in weight and length was observed in birds of Group B. Liver width was increased in Group B on day 21. Histological observation of livers showed accumulation of lipid droplets, congestion of the sinusoids, and central veins in broilers of Group B. Biochemical analyses showed increased levels of ALT in Group B as compared to Group A on day 14 of the experiment. TLC evaluation revealed a positive result in Group B on 28 days of the experiment. Conclusion: The present study results show that DEX may alter the liver morphology and the concentration of ALT in the circulation of broilers.

scholarly journals Features of etiopathogenesis of psychosomatic and somatoform disorders

2012 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-468
Author(s):  
L P Marincheva ◽  
M V Zlokazova ◽  
A G Solov’ev
Keyword(s):  
Autonomic Dysfunction ◽  
Somatoform Disorders ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Psychosomatic Disorders ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Coping With Stress ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys ◽  
The Individual

Aim. To identify the features of etiopathogenesis of somatoform and psychosomatic disorders in adolescents. Methods. Examined were 426 adolescents and their families. The main group - 321 patients of the Kirov City Children’s Clinical Hospital, which included two subgroups: 117 adolescents with somatoform autonomic dysfunction, and 204 - with psychosomatic disorders; the mean age was 15.1±1 years. The control group consisted of 105 adolescents who were students of secondary schools in the city of Kirov with the first group of health; the mean age was 15.1±1 years. The clinical-psychopathological method of investigation, questionnaire surveys, and experimental psychological tests were used in order to perform the study. Results. The conducted study confirms the multifactor nature of the pathogenesis of psychosomatic disorders (identified was the importance of biological, psychological and social factors) and makes it possible to suggest that the onset of symptoms of psychosomatic disorders is formed according to the main stages of the nonspecific response to stress, from the autonomic neurotic reactions during somatoform autonomic dysfunction (at the stage of resistance) to the development of the psychosomatosis picture - during the development of psychosomatic disorders (at the exhaustion stage). The level of disease development is determined by both the individual predisposition and the spectrum of adaptive responses to stress. All this confirms the need for earliest detection of somatoform autonomic dysfunction in order to prevent the development into a chronic process and its progression. Conclusion. Complex treatment is of great importance, including the personal-oriented psychotherapy aimed at the development of adaptive mechanisms for coping with stress.

scholarly journals What is the meaning of health literacy? A systematic review and qualitative synthesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e000351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenxi Liu ◽  
Dan Wang ◽  
Chaojie Liu ◽  
Junnan Jiang ◽  
Xuemei Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Concept Of Health ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Cochrane Library ◽  
Improve Health

The objective of this review was to clarify what health literacy represents. A systematic review with qualitative syntheses was performed (CRD42017065149). Studies concerning health literacy in all settings were included. Studies before 15 March 2017 were identified from PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycARTICLES and the Cochrane Library. The included literature either had defined the concept of health literacy or made a detailed explanation of health literacy. A total of 34 original studies met the inclusion criteria, including 13 involved in previous systematic reviews and 21 new studies. Health literacy was commonly conceptualised as a set of knowledge, a set of skills or a hierarchy of functions (functional-interactive-critical). The construct of health literacy covers three broad elements: (1) knowledge of health, healthcare and health systems; (2) processing and using information in various formats in relation to health and healthcare; and (3) ability to maintain health through self-management and working in partnerships with health providers. Health literacy is defined as the ability of an individual to obtain and translate knowledge and information in order to maintain and improve health in a way that is appropriate to the individual and system contexts. This definition highlights the diversity of needs from different individuals and the importance of interactions between individual consumers, healthcare providers and healthcare systems.

Penatalaksanaan IMD pada Ibu Postpartum Sectio Caesarea Mempengaruhi Status Gizi dan Kecepatan Produksi ASI

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-120
Author(s):  
Nursari Abdul Syukur ◽  
Susi Purwanti
Keyword(s):  
Breast Milk ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Sectio Caesarea ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Study Results

Many mothers who give birth to Sectio Caesarea (SC) do not Initiate Early Breastfeeding (IMD), which fails exclusive breastfeeding. This study aimed to determine the effect of IMD management in postpartum SC mothers on nutritional status, speed of milk production, and quality of breast milk protein. Method: quantitative research with quasi approach experiment. The research design used was a pre-post-test control non-equivalent control group. A sampling of this study used the Consecutive method sampling with a sample of 20 mothers who gave birth by cesarean section (SC). Hypothesis testing uses the independent t-test and the Mann-Whitney test. The study results showed an influence on the management of IMD in postpartum SC mothers on the speed of ASI production (p-value=0.004) and nutritional status (p-value=0.028). There was no effect of IMD management on postpartum SC mothers on the quality of breast milk protein (p-value = 0.543). This study recommends that the hospital implement an IMD promotion program before the abdominal wall is closed as a form of intervention to increase milk production and maternal nutritional status

Modern approaches to the treatment of mastitis in women of reproductive age

2016 ◽  
pp. 191-108
Author(s):  
A.A. Sukhanova ◽  
◽  
Yu.M. Melnik ◽  
O.O. Karlova ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ultrasound Examination ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Herbal Remedies ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Women Of Reproductive Age ◽  
Clinical Method ◽  
Gynecological Examination ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Observation Period

The aim of the study: to study the efficacy and safety of use Mastofemin in the treatment of various forms of mastitis in women of reproductive age. Materials and methods. The study included 62 women of reproductive age (mean age of 33.5±2.3 years) who were screened in the Kiev city center reproductive and perinatal medicine. Women were divided into 2 groups. The first (main) group consisted of 32 patients who received the proposed treatment using herbal remedies Mastofemin 1 capsule 2 times per day for 3 months; 30 patients of the second (control) group were under observation and received no treatment. These groups were representative and homogeneous on age, clinical symptoms and sonographic characteristics. The clinical method included evaluation of complaints of patients, anamnesis, presence of concomitant gynecologic pathology, inspection, palpation of the lymph nodes and the breast and obtaining a discharge from the nipples to conduct cytological examination, which allowed excluding from the study women with suspected malignancy of the process. All the patients were performed ultrasound examination of the breast. The review was supplemented with vaginal gynecological examination and ultrasound examination of small pelvis organs to assess the condition of the uterus and its appendages, the diagnosis of gynecological diseases. Results. Summarizing obtained in this study results one should stress the positive long-term effect of applying Mastofemin for the treatment of proliferative changes of the breast in women of reproductive age. This is manifested by a decrease in the intensity of clinical signs of mastitis, consistent with the results of sonographic control. Established positive dynamics in the treatment of cystic mastitis, dectective and when combined cystic mastopathy with dectective. In the control group of patients for a given observation period (6 months) no significant changes in clinical signs of mastitis and sonographic characteristics. Regression of disease has not occurred in any of the patients, in 2 patients increased sensitivity of the breast after 6 months moved to the soreness. Sonographic characteristics of mastitis during the observation period did not change. Thus, the use of Mastofemin aimed at pathogenetic treatment of mastitis and prevention of breast cancer. Conclusion. Application of Mastofemin during the treatment of mastitis in women of reproductive age significantly improves the clinical condition of patients; reduce the subjective and objective symptoms of the disease. The positive effect of the treatment with Mastofemin proved in the case of the treatment of sonographic following forms of mastitis: cystic mastopathy, cystic mastopathy with dectectasy. Mastofemin may be the drug of choice for complex conservative monotherapy in women of reproductive age with proliferative changes in the breast, and can also be used as part of complex treatment in patients with diffuse changes of the breast when combined with hyperplastic processes of the myometrium and endometrium. Keywords: mastopathy, breast gland, herbal medicine, herbal remedies, Mastofemin.

Brief psycho-education for caregivers of persons with first episode psychosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Praful Prabhuappa Kapse ◽  
Manisha Kiran
Keyword(s):  
First Episode Psychosis ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Episode Psychosis ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Expressed Emotions ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Group Family

Caring for the persons with first episode psychosis is challenging and demanding. It may lead to the increased burden, expressed emotions among the caregivers. The numerous studies have shown that high burden and negative expressed emotions among caregivers can lead to early relapse in the patients with first episode psychosis. To evaluate the effects of the brief psychoeducation on the caregivers burden and expressed emotions. A quasi experimental - before and after with control group research design was adopted for the study. A total of 60 caregivers have participated in the study, of which 30 caregivers in experimental group and 30 caregivers in the control group. Family Burden Interview Schedule (Pai and Kapoor, 1981) and Attitude Questionnaire (Sethi et al., 1981) was used to assess caregiver's burden and expressed emotions. At end of the psychoeducation intervention, burden among caregivers and negative expressed emotions of the caregivers have significantly reduced. The positive expressed emotions have been increased. Study results demonstrates the importance of psychoeducation intervention in reducing the burden and negative expressed emotions.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SERUM CAVEOLIN-1 LEVELS IN GASTRIC CANCER PATIENTS

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Tas ◽  
S Karabulut ◽  
K Erturk ◽  
D Duranyildiz
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Histological Grade ◽  
Clinical Importance ◽  
Disease Stage ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Caveolin 1 ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Gastric Cancer Patients

Aim: Caveolin-1 plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of various carcinomas and its expression affects the survival of cancer patients. However, the molecular function of caveolin-1 and its possible clinical importance has remained uncertain in gastric cancer. No clinical trial has examined serum caveolin-1 levels in gastric cancer patients so far, instead all available results were provided from studies conducted on tissue samples. In the current study, we analyzed the soluble serum caveolin-1 levels in gastric cancer patients, and specified its associations with the clinical factors and prognosis. Material and Methods: Sixty-three patients with pathologically confirmed gastric cancer were enrolled into the trial. Serum caveolin-1 concentrations were detected by ELISA method. Thirty healthy subjects were also included in the study. Results: The median age of patients was 62 years, ranging from 28 to 82 years. The serum caveolin-1 levels in gastric cancer patients were significantly higher than those in control group (p < 0.001). The common clinical parameters including patient age, sex, lesion localization, histopathology, histological grade, disease stage, and various serum tumor markers (e.g. LDH, CEA, and CA 19.9) were not found to be associated with serum caveolin-1 levels (p > 0.05). Similarly, no correlation existed between serum caveolin-1 concentration and chemotherapy responsiveness (p = 0.93). Furthermore, serum caveolin-1 level was not found to have a prognostic role (p = 0.16). Conclusion: Even though it is neither predictive nor prognostic, serum caveolin-1 level may be a valuable diagnostic indicator in patients with gastric cancer. Key

Health Literacy and Long-Term Care Needs among Thai Elderly in Rural Communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 103 (12) ◽  
pp. 1315-1324
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptom ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Study Results

Background: Factors related to long-term care needs have been studied widely, but there is limited research about the influence of health literacy on long-term care needs among the elderly in rural communities where the social context and care environment are uniquely different. Objective: To examine factors influencing long-term care needs among Thai elderly in rural communities. Materials and Methods: The present study used the cross-sectional design. The study sample included 477 elderly persons, who were members of the communities in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. Multi-stage random sampling was used to select participants. They were interviewed using the demographic and health information questionnaire, the Thai Geriatric Depression Scale (TGDS), the health literacy scale of Thai adults and long-term care needs questionnaire. The selected factors examined as independent variables included some demographic factors, depressive symptom, and health literacy. Results: The present study results revealed significant positive relationships existing between long-term care needs with age and depressive symptom, while negative relationships between income and health literacy were reported. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that four of nine determinants of long-term care needs: age, depressive symptom, health knowledge and understanding, and ability managing their health condition significantly predicted long-term care needs at a level of 18% (R² adjusted=0.18, p<0.001). Conclusion: The present study results showed associations between personal and health literacy factors with long-term care needs. These findings prove that it is vitally important for healthcare professionals to consider the rural elderly’s mental health status and health literacy when providing care and planning treatment. Keywords: Health literacy, Long-term care needs, Rural community

scholarly journals Comparative evaluation of WIMP and immersive natural finger interaction: a user study on CAD assembly modeling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Fechter ◽  
Benjamin Schleich ◽  
Sandro Wartzack
Keyword(s):  
User Interfaces ◽  
User Study ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Natural Interaction ◽  
Assembly Modeling ◽  
3D Space ◽  
Computer Mouse ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Assembly Procedure

AbstractVirtual and augmented reality allows the utilization of natural user interfaces, such as realistic finger interaction, even for purposes that were previously dominated by the WIMP paradigm. This new form of interaction is particularly suitable for applications involving manipulation tasks in 3D space, such as CAD assembly modeling. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the suitability of natural interaction for CAD assembly modeling in virtual reality. An advantage of the natural interaction compared to the conventional operation by computer mouse would indicate development potential for user interfaces of current CAD applications. Our approach bases on two main elements. Firstly, a novel natural user interface for realistic finger interaction enables the user to interact with virtual objects similar to physical ones. Secondly, an algorithm automatically detects constraints between CAD components based solely on their geometry and spatial location. In order to prove the usability of the natural CAD assembly modeling approach in comparison with the assembly procedure in current WIMP operated CAD software, we present a comparative user study. Results show that the VR method including natural finger interaction significantly outperforms the desktop-based CAD application in terms of efficiency and ease of use.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document