Journal of evaluation in clinical practice
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Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of avoidable blindness among adults globally, and screening programmes can enable early diagnosis and prevention of progression. Artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic solutions have been developed to diagnose diabetic retinopathy. The aim of this review is to identify ethical concerns related to AI-enabled diabetic retinopathy diagnostics and enable future research to explore these issues further. ⋯ While the technical developments in AI-enabled diabetic retinopathy diagnostics receive the bulk of the research focus, we found that insufficient attention is paid to how this technology is accessed equitably in different settings and which safeguards are needed against exploitative practices. Such ethical issues merit additional exploration and practical problem-solving through primary research. AI-enabled diabetic retinopathy screening has the potential to enable screening at a scale that was previously not possible and could contribute to reducing preventable blindness. It will only achieve this if ethical issues are emphasised, understood, and addressed throughout the translation of this technology to clinical practice.
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Awareness of their standing relative to best practices motivates primary healthcare (PHC) teams to improve their practices. However, gathering the data necessary to create such a portrait is a challenge. An effective way to support the improvement of the practices of PHC teams is to simplify the availability of data portraying aspects of their practices that might need improvement. Timely access is one of the foremost challenges of PHC. Yet, very few tools supporting reflections on the implementation of best practices to improve access are available to PHC teams. ⋯ This reflective tool provides a portrait of PHC team members' advanced access practices as well as an automated report that contains personalized and prioritized recommendations for improvement. Further developments are necessary for its optimal use among PHC professionals other than physicians and nurse practitioners.
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Medical humanities education is an integral component of medical education. However, the current landscape of research on medical humanities education remains incomplete. The purpose of this study is to identify the trends in research on medical humanities education and provide a global overview of the field by analysing various aspects such as sources, authors, literature, and keywords. The aim is to offer insights and recommendations for the future development of medical humanities education. ⋯ These shifts in research hotspots signify the dynamic nature of the field, adapting to evolving contexts and emerging research domains. By embracing cross-cultural perspectives and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, stakeholders in medical humanities education can collectively enrich the field, promote inclusivity, and enhance the overall educational experience for healthcare professionals.
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Spanish community pharmacy has been incorporating some methods and approaches in the evaluation and improvement of quality, with the ISO 9001 standard being the most used reference. The experience of a community pharmacy in Spain is presented. The pharmacy implemented a management system based on the ISO 9001 standard in 2020, using the Deming cycle with the aim of enhancing the quality of pharmaceutical care. The results obtained in the processes over the following 2 years are also presented. ⋯ The implementation of a methodology based on the ISO 9001 standard has facilitated: (1) Integrating process management as a regular working methodology, (2) A focus on the continuous improvement of services, (3) Achieving recognition of the staff efforts and involvement.
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Nongovernment medical institutions have gradually become a significant part of China's healthcare system, with a growing numbers of staff. However, the current status of anesthesiology staff in these institutions is unclear. To gain insight into this situation and to compare it with public hospitals, the national anesthesia professional committee of the Chinese Nongovernment Medical Institutions Association (CNMIA) designed and conducted the national cross-sectional survey. ⋯ Nongovernment medical institutions have fewer employees, similar workloads, relatively low job stress and higher job satisfaction compared to public hospitals. Low income and difficulty falling asleep/insomnia are significant issues that require attention.