Irish journal of medical science
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Europe's General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is a set of data protection rules on the acquisition, storage, use, and access of personal data. GDPR came into effect in May 2018 when it was introduced across all 27 European Union (EU) member states and the European Economic Area (EEA). Maintaining compliance with this legislation has presented significant new challenges for ongoing clinical research. ⋯ GDPR has introduced complexity to the processing and sharing of personal data among researchers. This study has identified differences in the perception of GDPR and willingness to consent to data being used in clinical research between doctors and patients. Measures to adequately inform prospective research participants on data processing and the evolving landscape of data protection regulation should be prioritised.
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Review
The role of data science in healthcare advancements: applications, benefits, and future prospects.
Data science is an interdisciplinary field that extracts knowledge and insights from many structural and unstructured data, using scientific methods, data mining techniques, machine-learning algorithms, and big data. The healthcare industry generates large datasets of useful information on patient demography, treatment plans, results of medical examinations, insurance, etc. The data collected from the Internet of Things (IoT) devices attract the attention of data scientists. ⋯ Data science and big data analytics can provide practical insights and aid in the decision-making of strategic decisions concerning the health system. It helps build a comprehensive view of patients, consumers, and clinicians. Data-driven decision-making opens up new possibilities to boost healthcare quality.
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Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is the most common deep neck infection, occurring as a consequence of bacterial acute tonsillitis or as a result of infection of the Weber glands, with frequent and life-threatening complications. ⋯ Οver 10% of PTA cases may develop complications, the most common of which is extension into deep neck spaces. Comorbid conditions increase the risk of complications. Despite the wide range of treatment strategies, incision and drainage remain the cornerstone of surgical treatment. In patients with no comorbidities, intravenous antibiotics appear to have no advantage over oral antibiotics.
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Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a significant symptom of COVID-19 and may be the earliest symptom, or it may sometimes be the only manifestation of the disease. ⋯ The patients presenting to the hospital with self-reported OD may have less lung involvement and a milder disease course compared to patients without OD on admission.
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International evidence indicates that about 10% of people with alcohol dependence will seek and commence treatment each year. Based upon Irish estimates of prevalence of dependence, a target of 690.0 treated cases per 100,000 population per annum is expected. ⋯ Despite high rates of alcohol consumption and dependence, the rate of treatment entry nationally is sub-optimal, although there are wide geographic variations. There is a need to better understand the reasons for low treatment entry rates in Ireland for people with alcohol dependence. Monitoring and surveillance play a key role in measuring the successful efforts to reduce the harm of alcohol.