An Online Survey of the Perceptions of Clinical and Non-Clinical Professionals on Healthcare for Non-Communicable Diseases and COVID-19 Measures During the Pandemic in Malaysia

Objectives: This study assesses the opinions of health professionals in Malaysia on the disruption of non-communicable disease (NCD) services during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to January 2022. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with 191 non-clinical public health workers and clinical health service workers in Malaysia from November 2021 to January 2022. Participants were recruited by the Malaysian Ministry of Health using major networks including key experts and practitioners. Secondary respondents were subsequently enrolled through snowballing. Results: The most notable issues raised by the survey participants relate to NCD service disruption, the redirection of NCD care resources, and NCD care being overburdened post-pandemic. Respondents also reported accounts of resilience and prompt reaction from the healthcare system, as well as calls for innovation. Conclusion: Most respondents perceived that the challenges arising from COVID-19 were mostly managed well by the healthcare system, which was able to provide the necessary services to NCD patients during this health emergency. However, the study identifies gaps in the health system response and preparedness capacity, and highlights solutions for strengthening NCD services

An Online Survey of the Perceptions of Clinical Professionals on Healthcare for Non-Communicable Diseases and Covid-19 Measures During the Pandemic in Malaysia

El material suplementario del artículo puede ser encontrado de manera online en: https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1605861/full#supplementary-material Este artículo está sujeto a una licencia CC BY 4.0.Objectives: This study assesses the opinions of health professionals in Malaysia on the disruption of non-communicable disease (NCD) services during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to January 2022. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with 191 non-clinical public health workers and clinical health service workers in Malaysia from November 2021 to January 2022. Participants were recruited by the Malaysian Ministry of Health using major networks including key experts and practitioners. Secondary respondents were subsequently enrolled through snowballing. Results: The most notable issues raised by the survey participants relate to NCD service disruption, the redirection of NCD care resources, and NCD care being overburdened post-pandemic. Respondents also reported accounts of resilience and prompt reaction from the healthcare system, as well as calls for innovation. Conclusion: Most respondents perceived that the challenges arising from COVID-19 were mostly managed well by the healthcare system, which was able to provide the necessary services to NCD patients during this health emergency. However, the study identifies gaps in the health system response and preparedness capacity, and highlights solutions for strengthening NCD services.Peer reviewe

Exploring key-stakeholder perceptions on non-communicable disease care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya

Este artículo está sujeto a una licencia CC BY 4.0Introduction: over one third of total Disability-Adjusted-Life-Years lost in Kenya are due to non-communicable diseases (NCD). In response, the Government declared significant commitment towards improving NCD care. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the burden on the already overstretched health systems in Kenya. The aims of this study are to assess whether health care providers perceived NCD care to be optimal during the pandemic and explore how to improve responses to future emergencies. Methods: this cross-sectional online survey included healthcare personnel with non-clinical roles (public health workers and policy-makers) and those delivering health care (doctors and nurses). Respondents were recruited between May and September 2021 by random sampling, completed by snowball sampling. Results: among 236 participants (42% in clinical, 58% in non-clinical roles) there was an overall consensus between respondents on NCD care being disrupted and compromised during the pandemic in Kenya. Detracted supplies, funding, and technical resources affected the continuity of NCDs response, despite government efforts. Respondents agreed that the enhanced personnel capacity and competencies to manage COVID-19 patients were positive, but noted a lack of guidance for redirecting care for chronic diseases, and advocated for digital innovation as a solution. Conclusion: this paper explores the perceptions of key stakeholders involved in the management of NCDs in Kenya to improve planning for future emergency responses. Gaps were identified in health system response and preparedness capacity during the pandemic including the perceived need to strengthen NCD services, with solutions offered to guide resilience efforts to protect the health system from disruption.Peer reviewe

Anonymity in kidney paired donation: a systematic review of reasons

The objective of this study was to investigate reasons for or against anonymity that are pertinent to kidney paired donations (KPD). We conducted a systematic review of reasons using PubMed and Google Scholar until May 2022 and through snowballing. Inclusion criteria were publications that: 1) discussed organ donation anonymity; 2) was peer-reviewed; 3) presented at least one reason on anonymity. Exclusion criteria: 1) not published in a scientific journal; 2) grey literature and dissertations. Four researchers independently reviewed and selected papers based on the criteria, extracted text passages and coded them into narrow and broad reason types, selected reasons that were valid for kidney paired donations. 50 articles were included, 62 narrow reasons (n= 24 for;n= 38 against) and 13 broad reasons were coded. Broad reasons were: protection against harm, general benefits, gratitude, curiosity, unrealistic to implement, fundamental rights, respect people's wishes, professional neutrality, timing is important, information disclosure, altruism, reciprocity and donation pool. We did not find reasons that justify legal prohibition of donor-recipient interactions for KPD, if they consented to meet. Professional counselling, follow-up and careful evaluations to prevent potential harm

Opportunities and challenges of using social media big data to assess mental health consequences of the COVID-19 crisis and future major events

The present commentary discusses how social media big data could be used in mental health research to assess the impact of major global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We first provide a brief overview of the COVID-19 situation and the challenges associated with the assessment of its global impact on mental health using conventional methods. We then propose social media big data as a possible unconventional data source, provide illustrative examples of previous studies, and discuss the advantages and challenges associated with their use for mental health research. We conclude that social media big data represent a valuable resource for mental health research, however, several methodological limitations and ethical concerns need to be addressed to ensure safe use

Health-related biological and non-biological consequences of forgoing healthcare for economic reasons

Forgoing healthcare for economic reasons has been previously associated with adverse health outcomes, including a higher risk of hospitalization, a lower quality of life, and worse self-reported health. However, the exact cause-to-effect relation between forgoing healthcare and health-related outcomes has been insufficiently described. Here, we investigate the prospective health consequences of forgoing healthcare for economic reasons using data from "ReBus" (N = 400), a prospective study examining the health consequences of forgoing healthcare (Baseline: 2008-2013, Follow-up: 2014-2016). Using regression models, we explored the baseline determinants of forgoing healthcare, including socioeconomic, demographic, and pre-existing health-risk factors, and examined the associations between forgoing healthcare at baseline and health deterioration at follow-up, using highly pertinent biomarkers (glucose, glycated hemoglobin, lipids, blood pressure) and SF-36 questionnaire data. Low income, low occupation, low education, and smoking were associated with higher odds of forgoing healthcare at baseline. Forgoing healthcare for economic reasons at baseline was subsequently related to detrimental changes in glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and blood pressure (BP) at follow-up, independently of baseline socioeconomic factors (Glucose-β = 0.19, 95%CI[0.03;0.34], HDL-β = -0.07, 95%CI[-0.14;0.01], BP-β = 3.30, 95%CI[-0.01;6.60]). Moreover, we found strong associations between forgoing healthcare and adverse SF-36 health scores at follow-up, with individuals forgoing healthcare systematically displaying worse health scores (6%-11% lower scores). For the first time, we show that forgoing healthcare for economic reasons predicts adverse health-related consequences 2-8 years later. Our findings shall further encourage the implementation of public health measures aimed at identifying individuals who forgo healthcare and preventing the adverse health consequences of unmet medical needs.</p

Opportunities and challenges of using social media big data to assess mental health consequences of the COVID‑19 crisis and future major events

The present commentary discusses how social media big data could be used in mental health research to assess the impact of major global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We first provide a brief overview of the COVID-19 situation and the challenges associated with the assessment of its global impact on mental health using conventional methods. We then propose social media big data as a possible unconventional data source, provide illustrative examples of previous studies, and discuss the advantages and challenges associated with their use for mental health research. We conclude that social media big data represent a valuable resource for mental health research, however, several methodological limitations and ethical concerns need to be addressed to ensure safe use

Assertive community treatment for high-utilizing alcohol misuse patients: a before-and-after cohort study protocol

Abstract Background The challenge posed by Alcohol-Related Frequent Attenders (ARFAs) in Emergency Departments (EDs) is growing in Singapore, marked by limited engagement with conventional addiction treatment pathways. Recognizing this gap, this study aims to explore the potential benefits of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) - an innovative, community-centered, harm-reduction strategy—in mitigating the frequency of ED visits, curbing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls, and uplifting health outcomes across a quartet of Singaporean healthcare institutions. Methods Employing a prospective before-and-after cohort design, this investigation targeted ARFAs aged 21 years and above, fluent in English or Mandarin. Eligibility was determined by a history of at least five ED visits in the preceding year, with no fewer than two due to alcohol-related issues. The study contrasted health outcomes of patients integrated into the ACT care model versus their experiences under the exclusive provision of standard emergency care across Hospitals A, B, C and D. Following participants for half a year post-initial assessment, the evaluation metrics encompassed socio-demographic factors, ED, and EMS engagement frequencies, along with validated health assessment tools, namely Christo Inventory for Substance-misuse Services (CISS) scores, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness scores, and Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised (CESD-R-10) scores. Discussion Confronted with intricate socio-economic and medical challenges, the ARFA cohort often grapples with heightened vulnerabilities in relation to alcohol misuse. Pioneering the exploration of ACT’s efficacy with ARFAs in a Singaporean context, our research is anchored in a patient-centered approach, designed to comprehensively address these multifaceted clinical profiles. While challenges, like potential high attrition rates and sporadic data collection, are anticipated, the model’s prospective contribution towards enhancing patient well-being and driving healthcare efficiencies in Singapore is substantial. Our findings have the potential to reshape healthcare strategies and policy recommendations. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT 04447079. Initiated on 25 June 2020

Additional file 1 of Assertive community treatment for high-utilizing alcohol misuse patients: a before-and-after cohort study protocol

Supplementary Material 1: SPIRIT Checklis

Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in Geneva, Switzerland (SEROCoV-POP): a population-based study

Assessing the burden of COVID-19 on the basis of medically attended case numbers is suboptimal given its reliance on testing strategy, changing case definitions, and disease presentation. Population-based serosurveys measuring anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (anti-SARS-CoV-2) antibodies provide one method for estimating infection rates and monitoring the progression of the epidemic. Here, we estimate weekly seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the population of Geneva, Switzerland, during the epidemic