Irish journal of medical science
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Evaluating the impact of pharmaceutical care services on the clinical outcomes of epilepsy: a randomised controlled trial.
The involvement of pharmacists in the provision of specialised care to patients with epilepsy is poor. ⋯ These findings provide justification for the integration of pharmaceutical care services with other elements of health care for epilepsy patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effectiveness of planned discharge education on health knowledge and beliefs in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a randomized controlled trial.
To the best of our knowledge, no other studies investigated acute myocardial infarction patients' beliefs and knowledge level after the discharge education. ⋯ Planned discharge education had a positive effect on the knowledge level of cardiovascular diseases risk factors, drug compliance, nutritional compliance, and individual follow-up in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
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We aimed to assess stroke care at an Irish university teaching hospital and benchmark against national (Irish National Audit of Stroke 2019) and international (6th SSNAP Annual Report; American Heart Association, 2013) practice to inform a quality improvement strategy. ⋯ Using national and international audit data as an institutional benchmark provides a standard with which a service can be compared to highlight areas for improvement. We identified mood screening, swallow screening, thrombectomy rates, length of stay and time to neuroimaging as key areas for development in our centre. We are currently completing a process map to determine cause, effect, and solutions, and we will implement change using PDSA methodology as per SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines. The results of the re-audit cycle for 2020 will be available in 2021 to inform our progress. Ongoing quality improvement is essential for stroke care, which is a leading cause of death and disability in Ireland.
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Postgraduate specialty training in Ireland is associated with considerable cost. Some of these are mandatory costs such as medical council fees, while others are necessary to ensure career progression, such as attendance at courses and conferences. In particular, surgical specialities are believed to be associated with high training costs. It is unknown how these costs compare to those borne by counterparts in other specialities. ⋯ This study demonstrated that a career in surgery is associated with higher ongoing costs for higher degrees and courses than counterparts in non-surgical training. All surgical trainees surveyed felt that better financial support should be available. Increasing financial support for may be a tangible way to mitigate against attrition during training.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Reminiscence therapy serves as an optional nursing care strategy in attenuating cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression in acute ischemic stroke patients.
Reminiscence therapy is revealed to improve cognitive function and attenuate psychological disorders in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease patients, while its application in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is seldom reported. So, the current study aimed to explore the effect of reminiscence therapy on cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression, and disease recurrence in AIS patients. ⋯ Reminiscence therapy cripples cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression, but does not affect RFS in AIS patients, indicating its potential for post-stroke management.