Journal of medical Internet research
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J. Med. Internet Res. · Sep 2021
Content and Communication of Inpatient Family Visitation Policies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sequential Mixed Methods Study.
Inpatient health care facilities restricted inpatient visitation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no existing evidence of how they communicated these policies to the public nor the impact of their communication choices on public perception. ⋯ Health systems can immediately improve public receptiveness of restrictive visitation policies by emphasizing community protection, ownership over the facility's policy, and promoting family-centered care.
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J. Med. Internet Res. · Sep 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialComparing a Virtual Reality-Based Simulation App (VR-MRI) With a Standard Preparatory Manual and Child Life Program for Improving Success and Reducing Anxiety During Pediatric Medical Imaging: Randomized Clinical Trial.
The experience of undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be anxiety provoking, particularly for pediatric patients and their families. Alternative methods to improve success and experiences without the use of sedation are needed. ⋯ Digital preparation experiences using VR-based media could be a viable solution to improve the success of nonsedated MRI scans, with outcomes comparable with hospital-based in-person preparatory programs. Future research should focus on validating the results in a real MRI setting.
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J. Med. Internet Res. · Sep 2021
Trends and Patterns in the Public Awareness of Palliative Care, Euthanasia, and End-of-Life Decisions in 3 Central European Countries Using Big Data Analysis From Google: Retrospective Analysis.
End-of-life decisions, specifically the provision of euthanasia and assisted suicide services, challenge traditional medical and ethical principles. Austria and Germany have decided to liberalize their laws restricting assisted suicide, thus reigniting the debate about a meaningful framework in which the practice should be embedded. Evidence of the relevance of assisted suicide and euthanasia for the general population in Germany and Austria is limited. ⋯ Our results demonstrate that legal measures securing patients' autonomy at the end of life may lower the search activities for topics related to euthanasia and assisted suicide. Palliative care may be a meaningful way to raise awareness of the different options for end-of-life care and to guide patients in their decision-making process regarding the same.
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J. Med. Internet Res. · Sep 2021
ReviewOverview of Technologies Implemented During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review.
Technologies have been extensively implemented to provide health care services for all types of clinical conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. While several reviews have been conducted regarding technologies used during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were limited by focusing either on a specific technology (or features) or proposed rather than implemented technologies. ⋯ Technologies played a crucial role in mitigating the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We did not find papers describing the implementation of other technologies (eg, contact-tracing apps, drones, blockchain) during the first wave. Furthermore, technologies in this review were used for other purposes (eg, drugs and vaccines discovery, social distancing, and immunity passport). Future research on studies on these technologies and purposes is recommended, and further reviews are required to investigate technologies implemented in subsequent waves of the pandemic.
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J. Med. Internet Res. · Sep 2021
Characterization and Identification of Variations in Types of Primary Care Visits Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Catalonia: Big Data Analysis Study.
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the care model of health systems around the world upside down, causing the abrupt cancellation of face-to-face visits and redirection of the model toward telemedicine. Digital transformation boosts information systems-the more robust they are, the easier it is to monitor the health care system in a highly complex state and allow for more agile and reliable analysis. ⋯ The disruption in the primary care model in Catalonia has led to an explosive increase in the number of non-face-to-face visits. There has been a reduction in the number of visits for diagnoses related to chronic pathologies, respiratory infections, obesity, and bodily injuries. Instead, visits for diagnoses related to socioeconomic and housing problems have increased, which emphasizes the importance of social determinants of health in the context of this pandemic. Big data analytics with routine care data yield findings that are consistent with those derived from intuition in everyday clinical practice and can help inform decision making by health planners in order to use the next few years to focus on the least-treated diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.