ASSOCIATION OF BILATERAL RADIOULNAR SYNOSTOSIS WITH OSTEOGENESIS IMPERFECTA TYPE 1 – CASE PRESENTATION

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a group of rare congenital conditions characterized mainly by bone brittleness secondary to mutations in the genes encoding collagen. The medical history together with a clinical examination in detail of the fractures is highly important in directing the diagnosis towards OI. The authors present an OI case diagnosed in an 11-years old patient with a history of multiple fractures, with bone deformations, which associates a rare congenital malformation – bilateral radioulnar synostosis. This case needs multidisciplinary monitoring (pediatric, orthopaedic, genetic, psychologic)

Assessment of the Need for Psychological Help for Cancer Patients and Their Close Relatives

Представлена проблема потребности онкологических пациентов и их близких родственников в психологической помощи. На фоне повышения распространенности онкологических заболеваний растет число людей, которые близко сталкиваются с критической ситуацией онкозаболевания и связанными с ней физическими, психологическими и социальными трудностями. С помощью онлайн-опроса изучена потребность онкологических пациентов и их близких родственников в психологической помощи, которая может выражаться явно (в виде желания обратиться, реального обращения, нуждаемости в помощи) либо скрыто (в виде интенсивных страхов, переживаний в связи с болезнью). В исследовании участвовали онкологические пациенты (N=73, 43 женщины) и близкие родственники онкологических пациентов (N=426, 268 женщин) старше 18 лет. Респонденты ответили на вопросы онлайн-анкеты о проблемах, переживаниях, страхах, желании обратиться и реальном обращении за психологической помощью, причинах обращения/ необращения, психостигматизирующих установках. Выявлена значительная потребность в психологической помощи, наблюдаемая как явно, так и скрыто. Обнаружено косвенное подтверждение эффективности психологической помощи для снижения интенсивности страхов: группа обратившихся к психологу имела более низкий уровень страхов по сравнению с теми, кто не обратился (p=0,006). Анализ причин необращения за помощью позволил выделить три основных барьера: неинформированность о возможности получения помощи, ее недоступность, психостигматизирующие установки. Результаты свидетельствуют о необходимости информационно-просветительской работы как среди уязвимых групп, так и среди всего населения по борьбе со стигматизирующими установками, а также по информированию онкопациентов и их близких о возможности и важности получения психологической помощиThe paper addresses the issue of the need for psychological assistance for cancer patients and their close relatives. Considering an increase in the prevalence of cancer, we observe a growing number of people who are closely faced with a critical situation of cancer and the associated physical, psychological and social difficulties. The hypothesis was that these two groups have the need for psychological help, which can be expressed explicitly (in the form of a desire to get a referral, actual visiting the specialist, thoughts about getting help), or implicitly (in the form of intense fears, emotional distress caused by the disease). The study involved cancer patients (N=73, 43 women) and close relatives of cancer patients (N=426, 268 women) over 18 years old. The respondents answered the questions of the online questionnaire about problems, experiences, fears, the desire to get a referral and actual getting psychological help, the reasons for it, psycho-stigmatizing attitudes. A pronounced need for psychological help was revealed, observed both explicitly and implicitly. An indirect confirmation of the effectiveness of psychological assistance for reducing the intensity of fears was found: the group of those who consulted a psychologist had a lower level of fears as compared to those who did not (p=0,006). The reasons for not seeking help include three main barriers: lack of information about the possibility of receiving help, its inaccessibility, psycho-stigmatizing attitudes. The results indicate the need for outreach and awareness work among both vulnerable groups and the entire population, to combat stigmatizing attitudes, as well as to inform cancer patients and their relatives about the possibility and importance of receiving psychological hel

Barriers and drivers of positive COVID-19 vaccination behaviours among healthcare workers in Europe and Central Asia: a qualitative cross-country synthesis

Abstract Vaccination uptake is essential to controlling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers (HCWs) play a critical role in receiving, recommending and delivering COVID-19 vaccination. Understanding the specific influences on each behaviour enables the development of targeted and tailored interventions to improve vaccination uptake. This paper presents a qualitative synthesis of HCWs’ individual and context barriers and drivers to these three vaccination behaviours across 10 countries in Europe and Central Asia. Qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions with 378 HCWs between December 2020 and March 2022 were synthesised and organised by four COM (capability, physical and social opportunity, motivation) factors. Differences by stage of COVID-19 vaccine roll-out (in preparation, early and late delivery) were explored. Receiving vaccination related to all four factors. Recommending vaccination mostly related to capability and motivation. HCWs were generally well-informed by official sources and viewed vaccination as the way to end the pandemic, acknowledging their important role in this. Colleagues, family and friends were positive influences on personal vaccination decisions. However, knowledge gaps were evident, particularly amongst nurses who relied on (social) media. Concerns about safety and effectiveness, often connected to knowledge gaps, were heightened by the accelerated timeline for COVID-19 vaccine development and approval. This impeded some HCWs’ motivation to receive and recommend vaccination even in the later roll-out countries. Delivering vaccination was facilitated by support from public health organisations, teamwork and service re-organisation, more evident amongst later roll-out countries. Ongoing high workloads, stress and burnout hindered delivery. Complex and inter-related factors affecting HCWs’ vaccination behaviours were identified. These insights should inform the design of multifaceted interventions (e.g., communication skills training, management support for HCWs’ mental health, and engaging them in decision-making for service redesign); not only for COVID-19 vaccination as it is integrated into routine services but for routine immunization as a whole