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Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of... Jun 2021Homelessness is a persistent global challenge with significant health impacts on those affected. Homeless people are by definition the most exposed to weather conditions... (Review)
Review
Homelessness is a persistent global challenge with significant health impacts on those affected. Homeless people are by definition the most exposed to weather conditions and the social and economic problems caused by extreme weather and climate change and variability. This systematic review was designed to synthesize the academic literature that addresses the health and social implications of global climate change for homelessness. The question examined in this systematic scoping review is the following: What is the current state of knowledge in the scientific literature on the health and social implications of global climate change for homelessness? A systematic scoping review method was used to identify and synthesize the peer-reviewed literature relevant to this question. The databases searched were PsycINFO, Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Of the 26 papers identified in this review, 20 employed original data analyses with conclusions largely inferred from cross-sectional associations. Themes included the potential influence of climate change on homelessness prevalence, climate impacts that exacerbate specific vulnerabilities of homeless populations (e.g., chronic illness, exposure, stigmatization), and health and social outcomes. Service use and design implications were also addressed. Given the scale of the impacts of climate change on homelessness, the literature on this topic poses promising directions but is under-developed in its current state to adequately inform risk mitigation and response planning. A systems framework is proposed here to inform future research and service design.
Topics: Chronic Disease; Climate Change; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ill-Housed Persons; Humans
PubMed: 32965555
DOI: 10.1007/s11524-020-00483-1 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jul 2022Using digital technology to provide support, medical consultations, healthcare services, and to track the spread of the coronavirus has been identified as an important... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Using digital technology to provide support, medical consultations, healthcare services, and to track the spread of the coronavirus has been identified as an important solution to curb the transmission of the virus. This research paper aims to (1) summarize the digital technologies used during the COVID-19 pandemic to mitigate the transmission of the COVID-19; (2) establish the extent to which digital technology applications have facilitated mitigation of the spread of COVID-19; and (3) explore the facilitators and barriers that impact the usability of digital technologies throughout the pandemic.
METHODS
A rapid electronic search following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was conducted of available records up to June 2022 on the medical databases PubMed, Ovid, Embase, CINHAIL, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.
RESULTS
An increasing number and variety of digital health applications have been available throughout the pandemic, such as telehealth, smartphone mobile health apps, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Each technology has played a particular role in curbing COVID-19 transmission. Different users have gained benefits from using digital technology during the COVID-19 pandemic and different determinants have contributed to accelerating the wheel of digital technology implementation during the pandemic.
CONCLUSION
Digital health during the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved very rapidly, with different applications and roles aimed at curbing the pandemic.
Topics: Artificial Intelligence; COVID-19; Digital Technology; Humans; Pandemics; Telemedicine
PubMed: 35886139
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19148287 -
American Journal of Kidney Diseases :... Oct 2023COVID-19 disproportionately affects people with comorbidities, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). We describe the impact of COVID-19 on people with CKD and their...
RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE
COVID-19 disproportionately affects people with comorbidities, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). We describe the impact of COVID-19 on people with CKD and their caregivers.
STUDY DESIGN
A systematic review of qualitative studies.
SETTING & STUDY POPULATIONS
Primary studies that reported the experiences and perspectives of adults with CKD and/or caregivers were eligible.
SEARCH STRATEGY & SOURCES
MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL searched from database inception to October 2022.
DATA EXTRACTION
Two authors independently screened the search results. Full texts of potentially relevant studies were assessed for eligibility. Any discrepancies were resolved by discussion with another author.
ANALYTICAL APPROACH
A thematic synthesis was used to analyze the data.
RESULTS
Thirty-four studies involving 1,962 participants were included. Four themes were identified: exacerbating vulnerability and distress (looming threat of COVID-19 infection, intensifying isolation, aggravating pressure on families); uncertainty in accessing health care (overwhelmed by disruption of care, confused by lack of reliable information, challenged by adapting to telehealth, skeptical about vaccine efficacy and safety); coping with self-management (waning fitness due to decreasing physical activity, diminishing ability to manage diet, difficulty managing fluid restrictions, minimized burden with telehealth, motivating confidence and autonomy); and strengthening sense of safety and support (protection from lockdown restrictions, increasing trust in care, strengthened family connection).
LIMITATIONS
Non-English studies were excluded, and inability to delineate themes based on stage of kidney and treatment modality.
CONCLUSIONS
Uncertainty in accessing health care during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated vulnerability, emotional distress, and burden, and led to reduced capacity to self-manage among patients with CKD and their caregivers. Optimizing telehealth and access to educational and psychosocial support may improve self-management and the quality and effectiveness of care during a pandemic, mitigating potentially catastrophic consequences for people with CKD.
PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY
During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) faced barriers and challenges to accessing care and were at an increased risk of worsened health outcomes. To understand the perspectives about the impact of COVID-19 among patients with CKD and their caregivers, we conducted a systematic review of 34 studies involving 1,962 participants. Our findings demonstrated that uncertainty in accessing care during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the vulnerability, distress, and burden of patients and impaired their abilities for self-management. Optimizing the use of telehealth and providing education and psychosocial services may mitigate the potential consequences for people with CKD during a pandemic.
Topics: Adult; Humans; COVID-19; Pandemics; Communicable Disease Control; Qualitative Research; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
PubMed: 37330133
DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2023.04.001 -
Clinical Neuropsychiatry Oct 2023Workplace ethics is a central theme in occupational health; an ethical climate aims to implement and uphold standards of integrity and fairness. Furthermore, the... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Workplace ethics is a central theme in occupational health; an ethical climate aims to implement and uphold standards of integrity and fairness. Furthermore, the correlation between ethical climate and burnout has been highlighted in several studies, and the impact of a negative ethical climate in the workplace has been reported to affect workers' mental health and job performances, resulting in increased burnout incidence. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the relationship between ethical climate and burnout in the workplace.
METHOD
This review was conducted following the PRISMA statements. Three databases were screened, including research articles written in the English language during the last 10 years, investigating the relationship between burnout and ethics in the workplace. The quality of articles was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
RESULTS
1153 records were found across three databases; after duplicate removal and screening for title and abstract, 46 manuscripts were screened by full text, resulting in 13 included studies. The majority of the included studies were performed on healthcare workers (n=7, 53.8%), and with a majority of female participants (n=9, 69.2%). Most of the included studies (n=9, 69.2%) evaluated the correlation between ethical climate and burnout, while the other four (n=4, 30.8%) evaluated ethical leadership. Four studies reported a positive correlation between ethics and work engagement. Two studies highlighted that an ethical workplace climate reduced turnover intention.
CONCLUSIONS
Ethical climate plays an important role in burnout mitigation in workers and in improving work engagement, thus helping to reduce turnover intentions. Since all of these variables have been reported to be present in clusters of workers, these aforementioned factors could impact entire workplace organizations and their improvement could lead to a better work environment overall, in addition to improving the single factors considered. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of ethical climate in the workplace.
PubMed: 38089739
DOI: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20230502 -
Biotechnology Advances Oct 2023Temperature affects cellular processes at different spatiotemporal scales, and identifying the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying temperature responses paves... (Review)
Review
Temperature affects cellular processes at different spatiotemporal scales, and identifying the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying temperature responses paves the way to develop approaches for mitigating the effects of future climate scenarios. A systems view of the effects of temperature on cellular physiology can be obtained by focusing on metabolism since: (i) its functions depend on transcription and translation and (ii) its outcomes support organisms' development, growth, and reproduction. Here we provide a systematic review of modelling efforts directed at investigating temperature effects on properties of single biochemical reactions, system-level traits, metabolic subsystems, and whole-cell metabolism across different prokaryotes and eukaryotes. We compare and contrast computational approaches and theories that facilitate modelling of temperature effects on key properties of enzymes and their consideration in constraint-based as well as kinetic models of metabolism. In addition, we provide a summary of insights from computational approaches, facilitating integration of omics data from temperature-modulated experiments with models of metabolic networks, and review the resulting biotechnological applications. Lastly, we provide a perspective on how different types of metabolic modelling can profit from developments in machine learning and models of different cellular layers to improve model-driven insights into the effects of temperature relevant for biotechnological applications.
Topics: Temperature; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Phenotype; Models, Biological
PubMed: 37348662
DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108203 -
Sleep Medicine Reviews Oct 2016Psoriasis is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disorder which manifests as dermatologic lesions, and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in about 30% of cases. Psoriasis is... (Review)
Review
Psoriasis is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disorder which manifests as dermatologic lesions, and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in about 30% of cases. Psoriasis is associated with multiple comorbidities including metabolic syndrome, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular events, obesity and psychiatric disorders, which can all affect the course of sleep disorders. A systematic review of the literature on the relationship between psoriasis, PsA, and formal sleep disorders identified 33 studies. There is an increased prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with 36%-81.8% prevalence in psoriasis versus 2%-4% in the general population. There was also an increase in the prevalence of restless legs syndrome of 15.1%-18% in psoriasis versus 5%-10% in European and North American samples. The wide variety of insomnia criteria used in studies resulted in an insomnia prevalence of 5.9%-44.8% in psoriasis, which is insufficient to show an elevated prevalence when the general population has a 10% prevalence of chronic insomnia and 30-35% prevalence of transient insomnia. There is evidence that symptoms of insomnia in psoriasis are directly mediated by pruritus and pain. Treatments that decrease the cutaneous symptoms in psoriasis were successful in mitigating insomnia, but did not show improvements in OSA where the relationship with psoriasis is multifactorial.
Topics: Comorbidity; Humans; Psoriasis; Restless Legs Syndrome; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders
PubMed: 26624228
DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2015.09.003 -
Population Health Management Dec 2021Little information has been compiled across studies about existing interventions to mitigate issues of medical financial hardship, despite growing interest in health... (Review)
Review
Little information has been compiled across studies about existing interventions to mitigate issues of medical financial hardship, despite growing interest in health care delivery. The purpose of this qualitative systematic scoping review was to examine content and outcomes of interventions to address medical financial hardship. PRISMA guidelines were applied to present results using PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL, published between January 1980 and August 2020. Additional studies were identified through reference lists of selected papers. Included studies focused on mitigating medical financial hardship from out-of-pocket (OOP) health care expenses as an intervention strategy with at least 1 evaluation component. Screening 2412 articles identified 339 articles for full-text review, 12 of which met inclusion criteria. Variation was found regarding targets and outcome measurement of intervention. Primary outcomes were in the following categories: financial outcomes (eg, OOP expenses), behavioral outcomes, psychosocial, health care utilization, and health status. No included studies reported significant reduction in OOP expenses, perceptions of financial burden/toxicity, or health status. However, changes were observed for behavioral outcomes (adherence to treatment, patient needs addressed), some psychosocial outcomes (mental health symptoms, perceived support, patient satisfaction), and care utilization such as routine health care. No patterns were observed in the achievement of outcomes across studies based on intensity of intervention. Few rigorous studies exist in this emerging field, and studies have not shown consistent positive effects. Future research should focus on conceptual clarity of the intervention, align outcome measurement and achieve consensus around outcomes, and employ rigorous study designs, measurement, and outcome follow-up.
Topics: Financial Stress; Health Expenditures; Humans
PubMed: 33989065
DOI: 10.1089/pop.2021.0043 -
Risk and protective factors associated with adolescent depression in Singapore: a systematic review.Singapore Medical Journal Apr 2023Adolescent depression is prevalent, and teen suicide rates are on the rise locally. A systemic review to understand associated risk and protective factors is important... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Adolescent depression is prevalent, and teen suicide rates are on the rise locally. A systemic review to understand associated risk and protective factors is important to strengthen measures for the prevention and early detection of adolescent depression and suicide in Singapore. This systematic review aims to identify the factors associated with adolescent depression in Singapore.
METHODS
A systematic search on the following databases was performed on 21 May 2020: PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO. Full texts were reviewed for eligibility, and the included studies were appraised for quality using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Narrative synthesis of the finalised articles was performed through thematic analysis.
RESULTS
In total, eight studies were included in this review. The four factors associated with adolescent depression identified were: (1) sociodemographic factors (gender, ethnicity); (2) psychological factors, including childhood maltreatment exposure and psychological constructs (hope, optimism); (3) coexisting chronic medical conditions (asthma); and (4) lifestyle factors (sleep inadequacy, excessive internet use and pathological gaming).
CONCLUSION
The identified factors were largely similar to those reported in the global literature, except for sleep inadequacy along with conspicuously absent factors such as academic stress and strict parenting, which should prompt further research in these areas. Further research should focus on current and prospective interventions to improve mental health literacy, targeting sleep duration, internet use and gaming, and mitigating the risk of depression in patients with chronic disease in the primary care and community setting.
PubMed: 37171423
DOI: 10.4103/singaporemedj.SMJ-2021-192 -
American Journal of Infection Control Sep 2016Several clusters of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections associated with contaminated endoscopes have recently been reported. Interim guidelines for... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Several clusters of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections associated with contaminated endoscopes have recently been reported. Interim guidelines for mitigating endoscope-associated transmission have been proposed, but there has not been a systematic appraisal of CRE prevention practices.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review of endoscope-associated CRE infection episodes, abstracting information on outbreak detection, mitigation, outcomes, and corrective steps taken to prevent recurrence.
RESULTS
Seven distinct outbreaks were identified in the published literature, and 5 of these were associated with duodenal endoscopy, with the remaining 2 associated with cystoscopy and ureteroscopy. Several investigators noted difficulties in cleaning protocols surrounding difficult to access components, such as the elevator on duodenoscopes. The published investigations did not report any failures of sterilization. It is unclear if routine reprocessing was ineffective, or difficult to execute properly.
CONCLUSIONS
Meticulous cleaning protocols and increased surveillance are necessary to prevent and detect future outbreaks of CRE and to determine whether more stringent measures, such as sterilization, are needed for duodenoscopes.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Carbapenems; Disease Transmission, Infectious; Endoscopy; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriaceae Infections; Humans; beta-Lactam Resistance
PubMed: 27179395
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2016.03.029 -
Journal of Environmental Health Science... Dec 2022Climate change is among the most renowned concerns of the current century, endangering the lives of millions of people worldwide. To comply with the United Nations... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Climate change is among the most renowned concerns of the current century, endangering the lives of millions of people worldwide. To comply with the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21), hospitals should be on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although hospitals contribute to climate change by emitting greenhouse gases, they are also affected by the health consequences of climate change. Despite all the guidance provided, hospitals need more radical measures to confront climate change. The current study was carried out to examine the components of hospitals' adaptation to climate change and to review measures to confront climate change in hospitals.
METHOD
This systematic review was designed and carried out in 2020. The required information was collected from international electronic databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. Moreover, Iranian datasets such as Scientific Database (SID), Irandoc, Magiran, and IranMedex were reviewed. No restriction was considered in the methodology of the study. For the relevant thesis, the ProQuest database was also explored. The related sources were examined and the Snowball method was applied to find additional related studies. The research team also reviewed other accessible electronic resources, such as international guidelines and academic websites. The checklist of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI, 2017) was employed in order to evaluate the quality of the included papers. The studies published until June1, 2020, were included in the study.
RESULTS
Of 11,680 published documents in the initial search, the full-texts of 140 were read after evaluating the titles and abstracts, of which 114 were excluded due to lack of sufficient information related to countermeasures in hospitals. Finally, the full-texts of 26 studies were reviewed to extract the required components. Two strategies were found, including climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation, with 13 components including water, wastewater, energy, waste, green buildings, food, transportation, green purchasing policy, medicines, chemicals and toxins, technology, sustainable care models, and leadership in hospitals were identified as affecting these measures and strategies.
CONCLUSION
Considering the significance of climate change and strategies to confront it as one of the current challenges and priorities in the world, it is necessary to develop a framework and model to reduce the effects of climate change and adapt to climate changes in hospitals and other health centers. The identification and classification of the measures and components, influencing hospital adaptability and solutions for reducing the climate change impacts could be the first stage in developing this strategy. This is because it is impossible to create this framework without identifying these factors and their mutual impacts at the first. In the present study, through a systematic review using a comprehensive approach, the related components were explored and divided into two categories, including measures to reduce the effects and measures to adapt to climate change. The results of this study can be useful in developing a comprehensive action model to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt hospitals to climate change.
PubMed: 36406601
DOI: 10.1007/s40201-022-00810-5