Journal of evaluation in clinical practice
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Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is prevalent and a complex multifactorial condition. The incidence is rising. CPPS patients may benefit from multidisciplinary care in a structured care pathway. ⋯ Stakeholder focus groups using the nominal group technique was a pivotal step in the development of our CPPS care pathway. This step led to fundamental recommendations, of which a personalised treatment plan at an earlier stage in the patient journey might be the most impactful. This is now implemented, and we monitor the effects on outcomes, quality of life and patient's satisfaction.
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Approximately 50% of Americans report having low health insurance literacy, leading to uncertainty when choosing their insurance coverage to best meet their healthcare needs. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association between lack of prescription drug benefit knowledge and problems paying medical bills among Medicare beneficiaries. ⋯ Tailored programmes aimed at improving beneficiaries' knowledge of prescription drug benefits, reducing out-of-pocket costs and preventing comorbidities may be considered for the at-risk population to address the problem.
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Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a growing concern as a result of the widespread and excessive use of antibiotics. Because of this, China's health authorities have implemented a number of antibiotic control measures, including a requirement that the intensity of antibiotic usage stay within 40.00 DDDs. This study, which used a tertiary general hospital in Sichuan Province as an example, examined the hospital's trend in antibiotic use from 2021 to 2023, the relationship between antibiotic use and hospitalization days and CMI, and the viability of 40.000 DDDs in light of the evolving medical landscape. ⋯ Hospitals should concentrate on the issue of surgical departments' lengthy preoperative prophylactic medication times. AUD management should also be dynamically modified based on CMI, particularly in departments in the second quadrant (low CMI and high AUD). Furthermore, it is challenging to maintain the hospital AUD target value of 40.00 DDDs under the new medical model, given the decline in hospitalization days of discharged patients and the high prevalence of infectious diseases. It is also unclear whether this target value is still appropriate given the current state of medicine.
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Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant transformative potential across various sectors, particularly in health care. This study aims to develop a protocol for the content analysis of a method designed to assess AI applications in drug-related information, specifically focusing on contraindications, adverse reactions, and drug interactions. By addressing existing challenges, this preliminary research seeks to enhance the safe and reliable integration of AI into healthcare practices. ⋯ This preliminary study demonstrates the potential for using an AI-powered tool to standardize drug-related information retrieval, particularly for contraindications and adverse reactions. While AI responses were generally appropriate, improvements are needed in identifying contraindicated drug interactions. Further research with larger datasets and broader evaluations is required to enhance AI's reliability in healthcare settings.
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Telehealth has been consistently viewed as a viable solution for addressing healthcare inaccessibility and mitigating the impact of health workforce shortages in rural areas. However, despite high utilisation in rural areas, little is known about the unintended consequences of telehealth in terms of unexpected benefits and drawbacks. ⋯ This study provides insights into the unintended consequences of telehealth. While telehealth has improved certain aspects of healthcare in rural areas such as the improved support for rural clinicians and the reduced disruption to patients' daily routines, it has also introduced unforeseen challenges such as the transfer of medicolegal burden to local clinicians in rural emergency care facilities to compensate for the absence of physical examinations. These findings feed into decision-making useful for informing and improving telehealth implementation in rural Australia to maximise unexpected benefits, minimise risks, and ensure the long-term viability of telehealth services.