Journal of evaluation in clinical practice
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In people with Parkinson's disease (PD), quantitative assessment of activities inside and outside the home is crucial for planning effective rehabilitation tailored to a person's living conditions and characteristics. ⋯ Of the 10 participants, nine had a complete data set (adoption rate 90%). The mean physical activity metre wearing time was 14.12 ± 2.26 h/day, with a mean missing time of 25.7 ± 18.1 min/day in the daily activity diary. Combining a physical activity metre and a daily activity diary is feasible in people with PD, particularly when planning rehabilitation protocols to enhance daily physical activity.
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Patient participation should encapsulate the individual's resources and needs, though such standards remain rationed for people living with a long-term health concern like kidney failure. ⋯ Both patients and staff stress the importance of patient participation, although they focus on different elements. Further person-centred conduct warrants a shared conceptualisation and strategies addressing and scaffolding patients' preferences and means.
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Medical device-integrated electronic medical records (MDI-EMR) pose significant challenges in ensuring effective usage, data security and patient safety. The complexities of MDI-EMR necessitate applying various security mechanisms to safeguard against cyber threats. Therefore, we evaluated cyber threats to MDI-EMR and the effectiveness of applied security controls using a proposed framework from sociotechnical and risk assessment perspectives. ⋯ Collaboration among the key stakeholders is crucial for implementing security controls for MDI-EMR. Balancing security measures with usability concerns is essential, as highlighted by challenges in implementing technical controls. A comprehensive approach encompassing physical, technical and administrative controls, continuous education and awareness initiatives are significant to empower staff in recognising and mitigating cyber threats effectively to safeguard medical data and ensure the integrity of healthcare systems.
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Responses to experimental pain have suggested central and peripheral sensitisation in adult patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Recent studies have proposed an algometry-derived dynamic measure of pain sensitisation, slowly repeated evoked pain (SREP), which is useful in the discrimination of painful conditions related to central sensitisation. Pain and fatigue are two symptoms that affect the general functioning of patients with SCD most significantly, however, research about experimental dynamic pain measures and their relation to the main symptoms of SCD (pain and fatigue) is still scarce. ⋯ Pain threshold and tolerance did not discriminate between patients and healthy individuals, but were useful for predicting fatigue severity in SCD. The SREP protocol provides a useful dynamic measure of pain for the discrimination and detection of enhanced pain sensitisation in patients with SCD, which could contribute to more personalised pain evaluations and treatment for these patients.
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To assess and evaluate consumer awareness and common medication use practices towards OTC analgesics, with a focus on the impact of irrational drug use and its implications for public health and safety. This includes identifying gaps in knowledge, evaluating the potential consequences of misuse, and discussing how these findings can inform future educational initiatives and policy development to promote safer medication practices. ⋯ Our study highlights the menace of self-medication practices and irrational use of OTC analgesic by the study participants. Immediate remedial measure need to be taken to discourage self-medication and improve rational use of OTC drugs which can be achieved by focusing on improving the consumers' awareness of self-medication and the rational use of medications.