Multiple organizations around the world have issued evidence-based exercise guidance for patients with cancer and cancer survivors. Recently, the American College of Sports Medicine has updated its exercise guidance for cancer prevention as well as for the prevention and treatment of a variety of cancer health-related outcomes (eg, fatigue, anxiety, depression, function, and quality of life). Despite these guidelines, the majority of people living with and beyond cancer are not regularly physically active. Among the reasons for this is a lack of clarity on the part of those who work in oncology clinical settings of their role in assessing, advising, and referring patients to exercise. The authors propose using the American College of Sports Medicine's Exercise Is Medicine initiative to address this practice gap. The simple proposal is for clinicians to assess, advise, and refer patients to either home-based or community-based exercise or for further evaluation and intervention in outpatient rehabilitation. To do this will require care coordination with appropriate professionals as well as change in the behaviors of clinicians, patients, and those who deliver the rehabilitation and exercise programming. Behavior change is one of many challenges to enacting the proposed practice changes. Other implementation challenges include capacity for triage and referral, the need for a program registry, costs and compensation, and workforce development. In conclusion, there is a call to action for key stakeholders to create the infrastructure and cultural adaptations needed so that all people living with and beyond cancer can be as active as is possible for them.
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Background: Emergency department utilization has increased tremendously over the past years, which is accompanied by an increased necessity for emergency medicine research to support clinical practice. Important sources of evidence are systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs), but these can only be informative provided their quality is sufficiently high, which can only be assessed if reporting is adequate. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of reporting of SRs and MAs in emergency medicine using the PRISMA statement. Methods: The top five emergency medicine related journals were selected using the 5-year impact factor of the ISI Web of Knowledge of 2015. All SRs and MAs published in these journals between 2015 and 2016 were extracted and assessed independently by two reviewers on compliance with each item of the PRISMA statement. Results: The included reviews (n = 112) reported a mean of 18 ± 4 items of the PRISMA statement adequately. Reviews mentioning PRISMA adherence did not show better reporting than review without mention of adherence (mean 18.6 (SE 0.4) vs. mean 17.8 (SE 0.5); p = 0.214). Reviews published in journals recommending or requiring adherence to a reporting guideline showed better quality of reporting than journals without such instructions (mean 19.2 (SE 0.4) vs. mean 17.2 (SE 0.5); p = 0.001). Conclusion: There is room for improvement of the quality of reporting of SRs and MAs within the emergency medicine literature. Therefore, authors should use a reporting guideline such as the PRISMA statement. Active journal implementation, by requiring PRISMA endorsement, enhances quality of reporting.
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Background: A paradigm shift in health care from illness to wellbeing requires new assessment technologies and intervention strategies. Self-monitoring tools based on the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) might provide a solution. They enable patients to monitor both vulnerability and resilience in daily life. Although ESM solutions are extensively used in research, a translation from science into daily clinical practice is needed. Objective: To investigate the redesign process of an existing platform for ESM data collection for detailed functional analysis and disease management used by psychological assistants to the general practitioner (PAGPs) in family medicine. Methods: The experience-sampling platform was reconceptualized according to the design thinking framework in three phases. PAGPs were closely involved in co-creation sessions. In the ‘understand’ phase, knowledge about end-users’ characteristics and current eHealth use was collected (nominal group technique – 2 sessions with N = 15). In the ‘explore’ phase, the key needs concerning the platform content and functionalities were evaluated and prioritized (empathy mapping – 1 session with N = 5, moderated user testing – 1 session with N = 4). In the ‘materialize’ phase, the adjusted version of the platform was tested in daily clinical practice (4 months with N = 4). The whole process was extensively logged, analyzed using content analysis, and discussed with an interprofessional project group. Results: In the ‘understand’ phase, PAGPs emphasized the variability in symptoms reported by patients. Therefore, moment-to-moment assessment of mood and behavior in a daily life context could be valuable. In the ‘explore’ phase, (motivational) functionalities, technological performance and instructions turned out to be important user requirements and could be improved. In the ‘materialize’ phase, PAGPs encountered barriers to implement the experience-sampling platform. They were insufficiently facilitated by the regional primary care group and general practitioners. Conclusion: The redesign process in co-creation yielded meaningful insights into the needs, desires and daily routines in family medicine. Severe barriers were encountered related to the use and uptake of the experience-sampling platform in settings where health care professionals lack the time, knowledge and skills. Future research should focus on the applicability of this platform in family medicine and incorporate patient experiences.
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Er bestaat een nauwe samenhang tussen de reuk- en smaakperceptie.Veel chemosensorische stoornissen die leiden tot eengestoorde smaak zijn in feite reukstoornissen. Aandacht vragendeoorzaken van chemosensorische stoornissen zijn veroudering, hetgebruik van medicamenten, natuurlijke eiwitten, het mondbrandsyndroom,nervustrauma’s, beluchtingsproblemen ter hoogte vanhet reukzintuig, beschadiging van het reukepitheel en oncologischeaandoeningen of de behandeling daarvan. Een chemosensorischestoornis heeft gevolgen voor het genot van voedingsmiddelenen het psychisch welbevinden, kan leiden tot gewichtsverlies ofgewichtstoename en tot te weinig inname van vitaminen en mineralen.De behandeling van een chemosensorische stoornis kanbestaan uit medicatie, een chirurgische correctie, verbetering vande mondgezondheid, reukrevalidatie en voedingsadviezen.
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Although many publications have documented the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in children and adolescents, the recent review showed that there are only few well-controlled studies that support the efficacy of CAM in the treatment and clinical improvement of children with asthma. However, some evidence has been found that specific CAM techniques are differentially associated with psychosocial outcomes, indicating the importance of examining CAM modalities individually, as well as within culturally specific contexts. Based on the previous study of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment in children’s asthma, this study examined the efficacy of TCM in areas with differing air pollution. This study is based on a longitudinal qualitative data and observations of families of children with asthma collected between 2009 and 2012 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The study results indicate that while TCM treatment of children can be beneficial to treatment of asthma, environmental pollution renders positive effects of alternative treatment largely ineffective. https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
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IntroductionThe Dutch Medical Doctor-Global Health (MD-GH) prepares to work in low-resource settings (LRS) by completing a hybrid postgraduate training program of 2 years and 9 months, with clinical and public health exposure in the Netherlands and a Global Health residency in LRS. The objectives of the program include acquiring clinical skills to work as a physician in a setting with different (often more severe) pathology and limited resources. In public health teaching, emphasis is given, among other, to adapting to a culturally different environment. After graduation, MD-GH work in a wide variety of countries and settings for variable time. As part of a curriculum review, this study examines MD-GHs' perception of the quality of the training program and provides recommendations for improvement.MethodsA qualitative study was performed. Thematic analysis was applied to semi-structured interviews with 23 MD-GH who graduated between 2017 and 2021.ResultsMD-GHs predominantly worked as clinicians; several were (also) involved in management or capacity building. The clinical training program adequately addressed general skills, but did not sufficiently prepare for locally encountered, often severe, pathology. During the training, adequate supervision with clear learning goals was found pivotal to a positive learning experience. Gaps included clinical training in Internal Medicine (particularly infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases) and Paediatrics. Public Health teaching as well as cultural awareness should be intensified and introduced earlier in the program. The Global Health residency was considered important, but tasks and learning outcomes varied. Teaching, supervision, and capacity building were considered increasingly important key elements of working in LRS. Consensus favoured the current duration of the training program without extension.DiscussionWhile the generalist nature of the MD-GH training was appreciated, the program would benefit from additional clinical training in infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and Paediatrics. Moving forward, emphasis should be placed on structured mentorship, enhanced public health teaching, and standardized residency programs with clearly delineated objectives to better equip MD-GH professionals for their multifaceted roles in LRS. Moreover, future revisions of the training program should incorporate the perspectives of host institutes in LRS and tailor the training needs.
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Abstract geschreven door R.J. Dijkink (Saxion), J.C. Lötters (Universiteit van Twente & Bronkhorst High-Tech BV), B.I. van den Berg (Medical Spectrum Twente) en C.A.J. Damen (Saxion). Initial investigations into the use of a MEMS based multi-parameter sensor for the characterization of medicine mixtures are presented. The current results show good results for density and mediocre results for heat capacity. Viscosity measurements have not yet produced any usable results. However there are clear flaws in the setup which could be the cause of this and which will no
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Talloze studies tonen aan dat een fysiek actieve leefstijl bloeddruk, cholesterol en gewicht verlaagt, botten en spieren versterkt en het risico van hart- en vaatziekten, darmkanker en diabetes type II vermindert. Bewegen kan dus worden gezien als een medicijn wat voor iedereen toegankelijk is.
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The present study examined efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment in Dutch children with asthma in areas with differing air pollution. The study results indicate that TCM treatment of children living in more polluted urban area is less successful then that of children living in cleaner air area. http://dx.doi.org/10.5402/2012/547534 https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
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Rationale: The PG-SGA is a validated instrument to assess malnutrition and its risk factors. Its patient component, i.e. the PG-SGA Short Form (SF), can be used as screening instrument. In this multicenter study, we aimed to assess diagnostic accuracy of the PG-SGA SF and NRS 2002, in patients at the Internal Medicine ward.Methods: In 192 patients (76.0±13.5 years; 53% female) in 9 Portuguese internal medicine wards, malnutrition risk was assessed by PG-SGA SF and NRS 2002. PG-SGA SF ≤8 was defined as low/medium malnutrition risk and NRS 2002 ≤2 as low risk. PG-SGA SF ≥9 and NRS 2002 ≥3 were defined as high malnutrition risk. Nutritional status was assessed by the full PG-SGA (reference method). Malnutrition was defined as PG-SGA Stage B (moderate/suspected malnutrition) or Stage C (severely malnourished). Diagnostic accuracy was tested by sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and receiver operating curve. Agreement between PG-SGA and NRS-2002 was tested by McNemar’s test and Cohen’s kappa (κ).Results: Forty-six % and 53% were categorized as at risk of malnutrition by PG-SGA SF and NRS 2002, respectively. In total, 55% were malnourished. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of PG-SGA SF and NRS 2002 were 0.84, 1.00, 1.00, 0.83 and 0.74, 0.74, 0.77 and 0.70, respectively. Area under curve of PG-SGA SF and NRS 2002 was 0.987 and 0.778 respectively. McNemar’s test showed no significant disagreement (p=0.86) between PG-SGA SF and NRS 2002. Cohen’s kappa showed weak agreement (κ=0.492; p<0.001) (Table 1).Conclusion: Our findings indicate that in patients at the internal medicine ward, PG-SGA SF shows better diagnostic accuracy than NRS 2002, i.e. better sensitivity and specificity.
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