Prevalence and correlates of ADHD among adolescents in a Beirut community sample: results from the BEI-PSY Study

Abstract Background This study aims to investigate the prevalence, correlates and treatment seeking behavior related to ADHD among adolescents from Lebanon. Methods Five hundred and ten adolescents were recruited through multistage stratified cluster sampling of households in Beirut, and separately interviewed along with one parent/legal guardian, using the DAWBA. All adolescents completed the PRQ and the SDQ; the parent/legal guardian also completed the SDQ and provided basic demographic information, including attitudes towards seeking mental health services. Results 10.20% of the adolescents were diagnosed with ADHD. Having ADHD was associated with having academic difficulties and being involved in bullying. Adolescents with ADHD also had higher odds of drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and having comorbid emotional and conduct disorders (compared to those without ADHD). Adolescents with ADHD and their parents reported a higher burden of illness and were more likely to consider seeing a mental health professional than healthy adolescents and their parents. Conclusion ADHD among adolescents in Lebanon warrants closer attention, mainly increased awareness in the larger public, and stronger commitment to increase treatment resources to the community

Exploring patient perspectives : A qualitative inquiry into healthcare perceptions, experiences and satisfaction in Lebanon

BACKGROUND: Patient perspectives have received increasing importance within health systems over the past four decades. Measures of patient experience and satisfaction are commonly used. However, these measures do not capture all the information that is available through engaging with patients. An improved understanding of the various types of patient perspectives and the distinctions between them is needed. The lack of such knowledge limits the usefulness of including patient perspectives as components within pay-for-performance initiatives. This study aimed to explore patient perspectives on hospital care in Lebanon. It also aimed to contribute insights that may improve the national pay-for-performance initiative and to the knowledge on engaging patients towards person-centered health systems. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study using focus group discussions with persons recently discharged after hospitalization under the coverage of the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. This study was implemented in 2017 and involved 42 participants across eight focus groups. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the information provided by participants. RESULTS: Five overall themes supported by 17 categories were identified, capturing the meaning of the participants' perspectives: health is everything; being turned into second class citizens; money and personal connections make all the difference; wanting to be treated with dignity and respect; and tolerating letdown, for the sake of right treatment. The most frequently prioritized statement in a ranking exercise regarding patient satisfaction was regular contact with the patient's doctor. CONCLUSIONS: Patient perspectives include more than what is traditionally incorporated in measures of patient satisfaction and experience. Patient valuing of health and their perceptions on each of the health system, and access and quality of care should also be taken into account. Hospital pay-for-performance initiatives can be made more responsive through a broader consideration of these perspectives. More broadly, health systems would benefit from wider engagement of patients. We propose a framework relating patient perspectives to value-based healthcare and health system performance

Subcarrier Index-Power Modulated Optical OFDM (SIPM-OOFDM) for IMDD PON Systems

International audienceSIPM-OOFDM having an extra subcarrier index-power information-bearing dimension is, for the first time, proposed and investigated, which, compared to conventional OOFDM, offers considerable signal transmission capacity improvement without degrading system power budget and dispersion/nonlinearity tolerances

Subcarrier Index-Power Modulated Optical OFDM and its Performance in IMDD PON Systems

International audienceA novel transmission technique known as subcarrier index-power modulated optical OFDM (SIPM-OOFDM) is proposed, for the first time, by introducing an extra subcarrier index-power information-bearing dimension into conventional OOFDM. Detailed numerical simulations are undertaken of SIPM-OOFDM performance characteristics to identify optimum SIPM-OOFDM transceiver parameters and also to explore corresponding maximum achievable transmission performances over passive optical network (PON) systems based on intensity-modulation and direct-detection (IMDD). It is shown that, compared to conventional OOFDM, SIPM-OOFDM offers considerable signal transmission capacity improvement without increasing minimum required optical signal-to-noise ratios and degrading chromatic dispersion/nonlinearity tolerances

Overview of the main findings including content areas, categories and themes.

Overview of the main findings including content areas, categories and themes.</p

Relating patient perspectives to value-based care and health systems performance.

Relating patient perspectives to value-based care and health systems performance.</p