Health Services Research Papers & Publications

Hemodialysis patients suffer from poor health-related quality of life which results in a higher risk of hospitalization and mortality. This study investigates the importance of pharmaceutical care and role of pharmacist for hemodialysis patients to optimize drug therapy, minimize drug related problems and thereby improving their health-related quality of life. The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of pharmaceutical care interventions on health-related quality of life of hemodialysis patients in Benghazi, Libya. Randomized control study was carried out after getting an ethical approval from the committee of the hospital. Health-related quality of life was assessed using SF-36 instrument for all the patients (n = 80). Among them, 40 patients were received the normal care along with brief medication review and counselled by pharmacists for two months. Then, health-related quality of life was assessed again for those 40 patients who received the pharmaceutical care. Data was analyzed using an appropriate methods. The results showed that the quality of life for hemodialysis patients was poor in both physical and emotional aspects. After implementation of appropriate pharmaceutical care to the patients, their quality of life improved significantly. Health-related quality of life is an important determinant of treatment effectiveness in dialysis patients

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Effective communication between patients and doctors is fundamental to high-quality healthcare, patient safety, and overall satisfaction. However, the onset of COVID-19 has prompted significant shifts in communication from in-room and face-to-face interactions to virtual consults. The impact of this pandemic related change on patient-doctor communication goals, processes, attributes, and environment remains unclear. We undertook a scoping review involving the systematic search of seven academic databases for relevant articles published up to and including June 2021. In total, 47 articles were identified that met the inclusion criteria. We applied the patient-doctor communication framework to guide our deductive thematic analysis of articles included, sorting results from reported studies and position papers into themes and sub-themes. The theme of communication goals highlighted sub-themes related to patient safety, convenience, affordability, and satisfaction; preparation included sub-themes on technology interventions, workforce training, and digital literacy; participant attributes included compassion for doctors and rebuilding trust among patients; and communication process included issues related to telemedicine or video conferencing, challenges with diminished patient privacy, and distractions in the patient's home setting. Finally, the environment theme included insights into doctors' workload, isolation, and anxiety and how changes requiring increases in virtual consults iteratively altered confidence in care provision and communication with patients. Results of the scoping review provide important insights for strengthening virtual patient-doctor interactions, including target areas for training and professional development during and beyond the current pandemic.

Mahuapatra1@gmail.com

Food nutrients are essential for the growth and development of human. In several parts of the world, Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta), is a tropical root crop cultivated for food formulations and consumption by humans. This study was conducted to assess the nutritional evaluation (weight gain, protein efficiency ratio, net protein retention, and biological value) of the processed cocoyam, soya bean (Glycine max) flours and their blends by feeding trials using Albino rabbits. The sun-dried samples were milled to size (sieve with 25 µm aperture size) to obtain homogenous flours. Blends were obtained with various ratios according to the percentage of soya bean/cocoyam flours. The biological value, protein efficiency ratio, and net protein retention were analysed using standard methods for the calculations. Net protein retention of soya bean flour was higher than that for cocoyam flour. The highest biological value was given by the 50% blend, while the lowest was given by the control diet. The higher the protein efficiency ratio values, the higher the protein quality. The highest protein efficiency ratio value was given by soya bean flour, while the lowest value was from Cocoyam flour. The best blend of Cocoyam and soya bean flours obtained based on chemical and nutritional evaluations was the 50% blend of soya bean and Cocoyam flours.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Adolescents’ scholastic and social life has become increasingly reliant on the internet and mobile technology in recent years. Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is a growing problem in Indian adolescents. However, in many cases, this use has become obsessive, causing them to neglect other elements of their lives. Adolescents account for over 35% of internet users in India. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychosomatic problems related to internet overuse among school going adolescent students. This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 348 students in selected schools of Aspur block in Dungarpur-district, Rajasthan, India in the month of February 2016. Problematic internet use (PIU) was assessed by Young’s twenty question internet addiction test. The Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-42) and self structured questionnaire check list was used to measure psychosomatic problems among adolescents. Approximately 5.17% adolescents showed Problematic internet use (PIU). Adolescents with PIU were associated with age between 14-16 year, males,10th class of study, using internet since more than 3 years, being at home, mobile as a source of internet use, purpose of internet use with online gaming. Compared with normal internet users, there were significant correlation between Problematic Internet Use and Somatic Complaints r=0.3660, p<0.05, Depression r=0.3982, p<0.05. Anxiety r=0.2512, p<0.05 and Stress r=0.2886, p<0.05. Problematic internet use (PIU) is an increasing problem among teenagers and it has been linked to psychosomatic issues. Timely Effective measures are needed to prevent the spread of this problem

Dr K C Yadav

Background and Objectives: The outpatient department (OPD) pharmacy is a section of the hospital pharmacy that helps patients obtain their prescribed medications. However, on-time delivery of medications and patients’ convenient access to the pharmacy are the hallmarks of a well-designed health-care system. Therefore, he aim of this study was to develop a pharmacy triage tool to improve patient flow and reduce waiting time in the fourth-floor pharmacy at Hamad General Hospital (HGH). Methods: This prospective and observational study was conducted on 14,740 patients who attended the OPD pharmacy (HGH, Qatar) between January 15, 2022 and March 15, 2022. This prospective and observational study consisted of three periods: A root cause analysis, a pre-intervention period of 1 month (January 15, 2021–February 14, 2021) and an intervention period of 1 month (15 February–15 March). We developed a pharmacy triage tool to improve patient flow and reduce waiting time by identifying patients who need their medications to be dispensed, as well as classifying patients to get the right patient to the right place and implementing a patient flow system to improve efficiency spends in pharmacy queues. Results: The results of this study showed that the use of the triage system in the pharmacy reduced the average waiting time of patients from 50 min to 15 min. The results were statistically significant at p<0.0001. Conclusion: We concluded that applying the pharmacy triage tool improved quality of services in health-care systems and decreased waiting time in the OPD pharmacy. The pharmacy triage tool is a new approach to enhancing the quality of healthcare and leads to an increase in the efficiency of OPD pharmacies.

Karishma

Background/Objectives: Healthcare discrimination poses significant challenges to the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people living with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the role of social support in alleviating these effects has not been fully explored. Drawing on Cohen and Wills’ social support buffering model, this study examined whether social support moderates the association between healthcare discrimination and HRQoL among individuals with T2D. Methods: We analyzed data from 5180 adults with T2D enrolled in the All of Us Research Program. Healthcare discrimination was assessed using the modified Everyday Discrimination Scale (mEDS), social support with the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS), and HRQoL (physical and mental domains) with the PROMIS Global Health Scale. Moderation analyses were conducted through linear regression models. Results: Greater exposure to healthcare discrimination was associated with poorer physical and mental HRQoL. Social support demonstrated a significant moderating effect on mental HRQoL: as social support increased, the negative association between healthcare discrimination and mental well-being weakened. However, this buffering effect was not observed for physical HRQoL. Conclusions: Findings suggest that social support can mitigate the adverse mental health consequences of healthcare discrimination among individuals with T2D. Interventions aimed at strengthening social support networks warrant investigation as potential strategies to improve the mental HRQoL of people with T2D who encounter discrimination in healthcare environments.

Emmanuel Ekpor

Background: Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) remains a critical public health concern in Nigeria, with significant implications for maternal and fetal health. Despite national policy guidelines advocating the use of Intermittent Preventive Treatment in pregnancy using Sulphadoxine- Pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP), its uptake remains suboptimal in many rural communities. This study aimed to assess the factors influencing IPTp-SP utilization among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics (ANCs) in rural areas of Abia State. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted, involving 422 pregnant women selected through a multistage sampling technique across three predominantly rural Local Government Areas (LGAs): Ugwunagbo, Isiala Ngwa South, and Ukwa East. Data were collected using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Pearson correlation analyses were employed to examine associations between socio-demographic variables, accessibility, beliefs, health system factors, and IPTp uptake. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The majority of respondents were married (82.0%), aged between 25 and 34 years (46.9%), and had attained at least secondary education (71.1%). Key barriers to IPTp uptake included drug unavailability (30.6%), long waiting times (28.9%), fear of side effects (19.4%), and cultural beliefs (23.0%). Notably, only 24.6% reported consistent IPTp-SP availability during ANC visits, and 46.4% had to purchase the drugs outside the clinic. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between IPTp uptake and distance to clinic (r = -0.412, p = 0.001), health education (r = 0.562, p < 0.001), drug availability (r = 0.489, p = 0.002), and cultural beliefs (r = -0.297, p = 0.012). Chi-square analysis confirmed significant relationships between IPTp uptake and education level (χ² = 19.438, p = 0.001), awareness (χ² = 24.511, p < 0.001), and satisfaction with ANC services (χ² = 14.257, p = 0.003). Conclusion: The study highlights multifaceted determinants affecting IPTp-SP uptake among pregnant women in rural Abia State. These include socio-demographic factors, health system challenges, cultural beliefs, and availability of services. Interventions aimed at increasing awareness, ensuring consistent drug availability, and improving ANC service delivery are critical to enhancing IPTp coverage in rural Nigeria.

Karishma