Journal of evaluation in clinical practice
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Individuals living in rural or medically underserved areas (MUA) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) face significant barriers to specialised pulmonary care, including pulmonologists, diagnostic spirometry, and pulmonary rehabilitation. Remote spirometry for diagnostic screening and disease monitoring may mitigate access barriers and contribute to improved COPD management in this population. This study protocol describes the proposed implementation of a Mobile Health (mHealth) intervention using Bluetooth-enabled portable spirometry combined with a mobile disease management platform. ⋯ An mHealth intervention using Bluetooth-enabled remote portable spirometry is a potential solution to expanding healthcare access and improving outcomes in under-resourced populations at risk for increased morbidity and mortality. This study will evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of mHealth and remote monitoring, including symptom reporting among at-risk under-resourced adults with COPD.
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Premenstrual syndrome is a women's health problem affecting women of reproductive age. Early traumas may have negative effects on women's health. Childhood traumas are thought to be an important risk factor for the emergence of premenstrual syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between premenstrual syndrome and childhood traumas in women. ⋯ Childhood traumas were found to be an important factor affecting the occurrence of premenstrual syndrome and exacerbating its symptoms. Early detection of childhood traumas may prevent long-term problems that may occur in individuals.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Pragmatic Clinical Trial
Podiatric Clinical Triage in a Foot and Ankle Orthopaedic Clinic: A Randomised Trial.
Hospitals are increasingly utilising allied-health professionals to provide clinical triage to patients. While these positions are routinely implemented, and several observational studies have reported positive outcomes, the effectiveness of this intervention has been rarely tested in a clinical trial. ⋯ A clinical triage service has minimal impact on PROMS for foot and ankle pain or chronic musculoskeletal pain, but it is generally well-received, is cost-effective, and participants were more likely to report global improvement if they attended.
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Routine clinical biochemistry tests are crucial for clinical diagnostics and play a key role in enhancing outpatient turnover efficiency and patient satisfaction. This study aimed to implement Lean Six Sigma in the biochemistry laboratory of a hospital in China to improve efficiency and quality by reducing turnaround time. ⋯ Lean Six Sigma aimed to reduce the turnaround time for biochemical tests have significant advantages. This study confirms the effectiveness of Lean Six Sigma in a Chinese clinical laboratory setting and provides guidance for optimizing efficiency in global clinical laboratories with limited implementation experience, constrained technical and equipment resources, and high demand for medical diagnostics.
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Observational Study
Associations Between COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Persistent Symptoms: A Prospective Study of Reproductive-Age Women.
The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between prolonged complaints of women who had COVID-19 infection and whose symptoms persisted and their vaccination status against COVID-19. ⋯ The study indicated that certain prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 infection were less common among participants vaccinated with Sinovac. In this group, the menstrual cycle length increased, while menstrual pain decreased.