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Bundesgesundheitsblatt,... Jan 2024Quality in biomedical research is a much-discussed topic among experts, research institutes, and funding organizations. Quality issues are frequently reported in the... (Review)
Review
Quality in biomedical research is a much-discussed topic among experts, research institutes, and funding organizations. Quality issues are frequently reported in the scientific and general press (e.g., stability of study results after test retake - "replication crisis"). Quality management systems are a globally accepted and established tool to guide and manage quality and to address quality problems. However, the notion of quality management is often met with resistance among researchers: low resources, too much regulation, restriction of research, and unnecessary bureaucracy are counter-arguments.The idea of implementing a quality management system for research laboratories is nothing new worldwide. There are various approaches by scientists and organizations to establish a quality management system in research laboratories and to develop a value-added system for themselves. Their expectations are an optimization of the research processes as well as an increase in effectiveness and efficiency.This report summarizes publications concerning quality measures and management in biomedical research and explains the background and advantages of quality management systems in organizations, laboratories, and research. A currently ongoing project of the Robert Koch Institute is presented as an outlook. The article is based on a literature review in English and German. In addition, internationally and nationally applicable and relevant guidelines were considered.
Topics: Laboratories; Germany; Biomedical Research
PubMed: 37982816
DOI: 10.1007/s00103-023-03797-y -
BMJ Open Sep 2023The development of learning health systems (LHSs) has often focused on optimally leveraging data. More attention should be paid to patient and public involvement or...
INTRODUCTION
The development of learning health systems (LHSs) has often focused on optimally leveraging data. More attention should be paid to patient and public involvement or community engagement in forming learning communities that work together to build LHS. This scoping review aims to identify facilitators of and barriers to involving patients and the public in building LHSs in community health services settings.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
We will use the Joanna Briggs Institute's scoping review methodology. We will review literature in English published from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2022. The databases that will be searched are MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, AgeLine, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Key inclusion and exclusion criteria include the following: we will only consider a learning community in a community health services context (eg, home care, long-term care, primary care); we will exclude literature on acute care settings; and we will consider any research designs apart from big data analytics. We will review all sources, including university student theses and dissertations. The review will proceed in three steps: (1) we will identify keywords and index terms from the MEDLINE and CINAHL databases; (2) using the keywords and index terms identified in step (1), we will search other databases and (3) we will handsearch the reference lists of the selected literature and will search for grey literature using Google. Two research assistants will screen the titles and abstracts separately, with reference to the inclusion criteria. Two researchers will then assess the full text of selected studies, also in reference to the inclusion criteria. We will present the findings in a charting table and provide a narrative summary.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
This work does not require ethics approval because the data for this scoping review are publicly available. The findings will be presented in a journal article and at conferences.
Topics: Humans; Learning Health System; Community Health Services; Patients; Home Care Services; Critical Care; Review Literature as Topic
PubMed: 37699624
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073837 -
Zhongguo Zhen Jiu = Chinese Acupuncture... Aug 2023(muscle region of meridian) is a distal diagnosis and treatment system of the sinew/fascia disorders on the base of the concept of in TCM. should be a particular...
(muscle region of meridian) is a distal diagnosis and treatment system of the sinew/fascia disorders on the base of the concept of in TCM. should be a particular palpable structure rather than a single anatomic structure with a specific distributing course. refers to a idea running through the whole process of diagnosis and treatment of sinew/fascia disorders, in which, the results, obtained by the overall observation and palpation of patient's sinew/fascia structure, are taken as the criteria of treatment. (taking the sites of sensitivity or tenderness as the points) verifies this idea in practice. Under the guidance of , through identifying the primary from the secondary, and regulating and , the spasticity and flaccidity of sinews/fascia can be cured and the induced diseases treated. The diagnosis and treatment system of , based on , develops the original theory with vague concept involved, formulates a systematic thinking of treatment for sinew/fascia disorders and provides a new approach to clinical treatment.
Topics: Humans; Meridians; Acupuncture Therapy; Muscle Spasticity
PubMed: 37577881
DOI: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20221208-0003 -
Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi [Chinese... Oct 2023With the outbreak of infectious diseases, more and more attention has been paid to surveillance and early warning work. Timely and accurate monitoring data is the basis...
With the outbreak of infectious diseases, more and more attention has been paid to surveillance and early warning work. Timely and accurate monitoring data is the basis of infectious diseases prevention and control. Effective early warning methods for infectious diseases can improve the timeliness and sensitivity of early warning work. This paper briefly introduces the intelligent early warning model of infectious diseases, summarizes the emerging surveillance and early warning methods of infectious diseases, and seeks the possibility of diversified surveillance and early warning in different epidemic stages and different outbreak scenarios of infectious diseases. This paper puts forward the idea of constructing a diversified method system of infectious diseases surveillance and early warning based on multi-stages and multi-scenarios and discusses the future development trend of infectious diseases surveillance and early warning, in order to provide reference for improving the construction level of infectious diseases surveillance and early warning system in China.
Topics: Humans; Population Surveillance; Communicable Diseases; Disease Outbreaks; Epidemics; China
PubMed: 37859367
DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112150-20230610-00455 -
Zhongguo Zhen Jiu = Chinese Acupuncture... Aug 2023The paper summarizes the definition, location and main indication of points recorded in (). It is found that points are the "upward moving points" in reference to the...
The paper summarizes the definition, location and main indication of points recorded in (). It is found that points are the "upward moving points" in reference to the meridian distribution rule of "rooting, running, infusing and moving"; and corresponding to the sites of "running outwards and inwards" of the meridians' "separating, meeting and running outwards and inwards". It also includes the infusing points for the sea of and marrow. The new idea, "selecting points for the treatment of obstruction in the neck gate", is proposed. Based on the systematic application of the acupoints on the nape region, it is anticipated that a new approach will be provided to the treatment of the diseases in the neck, shoulder, head, face, the five sensory organs, mental disorders and dysfunction.
Topics: Humans; Meridians; Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy
PubMed: 37577896
DOI: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20221201-k0004 -
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde Nov 2023The art heritage that has survived from medieval and early modern hospitals situated in the north of the Netherlands should be considered in the context of the...
The art heritage that has survived from medieval and early modern hospitals situated in the north of the Netherlands should be considered in the context of the multifunctional character hospitals had at the time. As a result, the heritage does not compare well with the role and function of visual art in hospitals of the 20th and 21st centuries. However, commissioning art in hospitals and other healthcare facilities is an old and fascinating tradition that, like all good traditions, changes with time. From the second half of the 20th century, many a Dutch hospital built up its own art collection. Initially with the aim of supporting art and artists, later on with the idea to elevate human beings and using art as a healing environment. The latest developments sees hospitals giving art and artists a function in training young doctors. Invariably, art manages to connect people in all ages.
Topics: Humans; Art; Delivery of Health Care; Hospitals; Netherlands
PubMed: 37994741
DOI: No ID Found -
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2023The left ventral occipitotemporal cortex has been traditionally viewed as a pathway for visual object recognition including written letters and words. Its crucial role... (Review)
Review
The left ventral occipitotemporal cortex has been traditionally viewed as a pathway for visual object recognition including written letters and words. Its crucial role in reading was strengthened by the studies on the functionally localized "Visual Word Form Area" responsible for processing word-like information. However, in the past 20 years, empirical studies have challenged the assumptions of this brain region as processing exclusively visual or even orthographic stimuli. In this review, we aimed to present the development of understanding of the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex from the visually based letter area to the modality-independent symbolic language related region. We discuss theoretical and empirical research that includes orthographic, phonological, and semantic properties of language. Existing results showed that involvement of the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex is not limited to unimodal activity but also includes multimodal processes. The idea of the integrative nature of this region is supported by the broad functional and structural connectivity with language-related and attentional brain networks. We conclude that although the function of the area is not yet fully understood in human cognition, its role goes beyond visual word form processing. The left ventral occipitotemporal cortex seems to be crucial for combining higher-level language information with abstract forms that convey meaning independently of modality.
PubMed: 37576470
DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1199366 -
HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine 2023It has been reported that children experience less severe COVID-19 symptoms than adults; however, the literature that supports this idea is evolving. The purpose of this...
BACKGROUND
It has been reported that children experience less severe COVID-19 symptoms than adults; however, the literature that supports this idea is evolving. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively characterize hospitalized COVID-19-positive pediatric patients with a focus on the assessment of risk factors for poorer outcomes, mortality, and evaluation of interventions utilized and associated clinical outcomes.
METHODS
We conducted a multi-center retrospective chart review of patients 18 years old or younger who were COVID-19 positive and admitted to any US HCA Healthcare Pediatric service line between January 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020. We identified 6081 children across 4 states and included them in our data analysis. Negative Binomial Regression was used to measure the associations between characteristics abstracted from medical records and length of hospital stay.
RESULTS
Of the total cohort, 2.7% had at least one comorbidity. The majority of patients were discharged shortly after admission with 93.6% of patients spending less than 48 hours as an inpatient. The mortality rate during the study period was 0.1%. Factors found to be significantly associated with an increased length of stay were time in the intensive care unit (ICU), surgeries, developmental disorders, diabetes, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideation, and type of admission.
CONCLUSION
The results of this cohort show there was a low disease burden at baseline and during hospitalization in pediatric patients positive for COVID-19. However, as the pandemic continues, future studies that further describe COVID-19 in children will be crucial to fully understand the disease course.
PubMed: 37753411
DOI: 10.36518/2689-0216.1522 -
Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao. Yi Xue Ban =... Jan 2024Disease control priority (DCP) is an important public health intervention strategy. Diseases that should be prioritized for prevention and control are first screened...
Disease control priority (DCP) is an important public health intervention strategy. Diseases that should be prioritized for prevention and control are first screened with a series of criteria, including the severity of the disease burden, the effectiveness of disease control technologies, the prevention and control capacity of the existing health system, etc. Then, the prevention and control technologies for these diseases undergo qualitative evaluation (eg, face-to-face interviews, expert consultation, workshops, etc) and quantitative evaluation (eg, cost-benefit analysis, multi-criteria decision analysis, etc). Finally, the public health initiatives that should be prioritized are identified. From the conception of the idea, to the formal proposition of the concept, to guidance for practice, DCP has gone through more than 70 years of development. Through DCP, significant contributions has been made to improving the efficiency of health care service systems and promoting the health of populations in developing countries. Herein, we systematically reviewed the background, development history, realization method, and practical applications of DCP, focusing on exploring the application potential of DCP in health governance and providing technical support and decision-making reference for the comprehensive promotion of the Healthy China Initiative.
Topics: China; Health Priorities; Health Status; Public Health; Communicable Disease Control
PubMed: 38322541
DOI: 10.12182/20240160603 -
Lin Chuang Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai... Oct 2023By detecting the levels of proteins in the Toll-like receptor-4/nuclear factor-κB (TLR4/NF-κB) signaling pathway and downstream proinflammatory cytokines in...
By detecting the levels of proteins in the Toll-like receptor-4/nuclear factor-κB (TLR4/NF-κB) signaling pathway and downstream proinflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with Meniere's disease (MD), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were collected to investigate the correlation between sleep disorders and MD and the role of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in mediating sleep disorders inducing MD. Thirty-two MD patients and 20 family members of patients without middle ear and inner ear related diseases were selected. Basic data, PSQI and fasting peripheral blood of all subjects were collected. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.The levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), monocyte chemokine-1(MCP-1), Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) in peripheral blood were detected by ELISA, and the data were statistically analyzed. ①PSQI score of MD group was higher than that of normal control group, and the difference was statistically significant(<0.01); The scores of every factors of PSQI in MD group were higher than those in normal control group, and the scores of factors 2, 4 and 6 were significantly different from those in normal control group. ②In the MD group, there were 18 patients with sleep disorders, with a prevalence rate of 56.25%, including 6 males with a prevalence rate of 50.00% and 12 females with a prevalence rate of 60.00%. ③The levels of five test indexes in MD group, sleep disorder group and non-sleep disorder group were higher than those in control group, and the levels of TLR4 and NF-κB in MD group were significantly different from those in control group(<0.05). The levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, TLR4 and NF-κB in sleep disorder group were significantly different from those in control group(<0.05). The levels of five test indexes in non-sleep disorder group were not statistically significant compared with those in control group. The levels of five test indexes in the MD sleep disorder group were higher than those in the MD group and the non-sleep disorder group, with no statistical significance. The levels of five test indexes in MD group were higher than those in non-sleep disorder group, with no statistical significance(>0.05). ①Sleep disorders may be one of the important predisposing factors of some MD, and the effects of sleep disorders on MD are different between the sexes. ②Sleep disorders may activate TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway to induce MD. The selection of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway related proteins and downstream pro-inflammatory factor inhibitors to intervene MD may provide a new idea for protecting the hearing balance function of MD.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Meniere Disease; NF-kappa B; Signal Transduction; Sleep Deprivation; Toll-Like Receptor 4; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
PubMed: 37828881
DOI: 10.13201/j.issn.2096-7993.2023.10.005