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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patient portals are secure online platforms that allow patients to perform electronic health management tasks and engage in bidirectional information exchange with their care team. Some health systems administer Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) health risk assessments through the patient portal. Scalable opportunities from portal-based administration of risk assessments are not well understood. Our objective is 2-fold-to understand who receives vs misses an AWV and health risk assessment and explore who might be missed with portal-based administration...

The International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas charts the availability and capacity of kidney care globally. In the North America and the Caribbean region, the Atlas can identify opportunities for kidney care improvement, particularly in Caribbean countries where structures for systematic data collection are lacking. In this third iteration, respondents from 12 of 18 countries from the region reported a 2-fold higher than global median prevalence of dialysis and transplantation, and a 3-fold higher than global median prevalence of dialysis centers...

Globally, there remain significant disparities in the capacity and quality of kidney care, as evidenced by the third edition of the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA). In the ISN North and East Asia region, the chronic kidney disease (CKD) burden varied widely; Taiwan had the heaviest burden of treated kidney failure (3679 per million population [pmp]) followed by Japan and South Korea. Except in Hong Kong, hemodialysis (HD) was the main dialysis modality for all other countries in the region and was much higher than the global median prevalence...

The International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA) was established to aid understanding of the status and capacity of countries to provide optimal kidney care worldwide. This report presents the current characteristics of kidney care in the ISN Newly Independent States (NIS) and Russia region. Although the median prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was higher (11.4%) than the global median (9.5%), the median CKD-related death rate (1.4%) and prevalence of treated kidney failure (KF) in the region (411 per million population [pmp]) were lower than they are globally (2...

Background In Malaysia, the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) has been recognized as a vital instrument for evaluating oral health-related quality of life among the elderly population. Its integration into the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) in 2018 demonstrates the country's dedication to understanding and addressing the unique oral health challenges faced by older individuals. The NHMS, led by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, serves as a crucial platform for identifying and addressing healthcare needs, while also working towards achieving sustainable development goals...

Distal femur fractures are severe all over the world. The goal of the study was to assess the effect of physiotherapy on ROM, strength, and improving quality of life. Due to the anatomy of distal femur fracture, the Ilizarov ring fixator is useful as it helps maintain mobility and stability. Distal femur fractures are most treated surgically compared to non-surgical treatment. The use of external fixators differs according to the patient's condition and the stability of the patient. This study's objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based procedure prepared for the management of distal femur fracture and chronic osteomyelitis femur...

BACKGROUND: The Sanofi/GSK AS03-adjuvanted (VidPrevtyn Beta) vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA (Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5) bivalent vaccine were offered to adults aged 75 years and over in England from 3rd April 2023. This is the first time an adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine has been administered as part of a UK COVID-19 vaccination programme. In clinical trials, antibody levels generated were comparable with mRNA vaccines but there are no real-world data on the effectiveness or duration of protection...

BACKGROUND: Ethiopia, with about 10% of Africa's population, has little direct information on causes of death, particularly in rural areas where 80% of Ethiopians live. In 2019-2020, we conducted electronic verbal autopsies (e-VA) to examine causes of death and quantify cause-specific mortality rates in rural Ethiopia. METHODS: We examined deaths under 70 years in the three years prior to the survey dates (November 25, 2019-February 29, 2020) among 2% of East Gojjam Zone (Amhara Region) using registered deaths and adding random sampling in this cross-sectional study...

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Impaired masticatory performance results in nutritional deficiencies in older adults. This systematic review aims to investigate the following clinical question (CQ): Do occlusal supports impact nutritional intake or nutritional status in older individuals? MATERIALS AND METHODS: An extensive systematic literature search was performed to summarize the currently available knowledge to address the CQ. The cohort and intervention studies with participants of ≧60 years old or a mean age of 65 years performed before May 2021 were included...

Portable air cleaners (PACs) equipped with HEPA filters are gaining attention as cost-effective means of decreasing indoor particulate matter (PM) air pollutants and airborne viruses. However, the performance of PACs in naturalistic settings and spaces beyond the room containing the PAC is not well characterized. We conducted a single-blinded randomized cross-over interventional study between November 2020 and May 2021 in the homes of adults who tested positive for COVID-19. The intervention was air filtration with PAC operated with the HEPA filter set installed ("filter" condition) versus removed ("sham" condition, i...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

The coronavirus disease pandemic has had an important impact worldwide. The population aged over 65 years and aged dependent persons are the population groups which have suffered in a highest level the consequences of the pandemic in terms of cases and death. In Spain, the situation is similar to other countries, but regional studies are needed because competencies on long-term care depend on regional public administration. Thus, the aim of this work is to analyse social and individual factors associated with the risk of mortality of legally recognised dependent people during the pandemic compared to a non-pandemic period...

OBJECTIVES: High-need, high-cost (HNHC) patients represent a small proportion of patients in the US, but result in disproportionately higher healthcare utilization. Teaching Internal Medicine (IM) resident trainees to provide high value care for HNHC patients is critical. We sought to improve resident attitudes and increase clinical skills associated with treating HNHC patients by creating a curriculum that leveraged the UCLA Extensivist Program, a patient-centered medical home for HNHC patients...

Early intervention is imperative for potentially fatal dermatologic diseases such as pemphigus vulgaris. In rural Nepal, limited public awareness, home remedies, and delays in healthcare access lead to poor outcomes. Although biopsy confirms the diagnosis, experienced dermatologists can make an accurate clinical diagnosis when characteristic skin lesions are present.

Exploiting admission thresholds for participating in Erasmus, the most popular higher education study abroad programme in Europe, we implement a regression discontinuity design and show that student mobility does not delay graduation and, in addition, has a positive and significant impact on the final graduation marks of undergraduate students. We find that Erasmus mobility improves graduation results for undergraduate students enrolled in scientific and technical fields and for those who apply in the first year of their studies, especially when enrolled in more demanding degree courses...

BACKGROUND: Healthcare access for chronic low back pain is complex and should consider not only the health system, but patient care seeking experiences as well. People who live in rural and remote communities and/or identify as being Indigenous may often encounter additional barriers to accessing care for chronic low back pain; thus, these contexts must be considered to fully understand barriers and facilitators. AIMS: The aim of this study was to understand care-seeking experiences of people living with chronic back pain in Saskatchewan and determine unique experiences facing urban, rural, remote, and/or Indigenous peoples...

INTRODUCTION: Medical conferences are an integral aspect of medical education as they allow attendees to stay up to date with recent advancements in medicine, to develop presentation and communication skills, and to network and establish connections with professionals in their field of interest. But, when the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was declared in March 2020, face-to-face medical conferences were suspended, and conference organizers began shifting their meetings to virtual platforms...

This study aimed to investigate the sexual behaviors among working children and the associated factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 1937 working children in the 10-18 age range in 15 provincial capitals in 2019-20 (Feb-May); the Response rate was 94.9%. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the variable of sexual behaviors. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported. The prevalence of sexual behaviors in working children was 4...

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Group A streptococcus (GAS) carriage among adults is studied less than in children. The variability of reported carriage rates is considerably large and differs among diverse geographic areas and populations. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of GAS carriage among adults in Israel. METHODS: In this prospective study, conducted in a large healthcare maintenance organization in Israel, we obtained pharyngeal cultures from adults attending the clinic without upper respiratory tract complaints or fever...

Home and community-based services (HCBS) for older adults have been promoted worldwide to address the growing problems of aging. This systematic review included 59 studies published from 2013 to 2023 to explore factors influencing the utilization of HCBS among older adults. The review identified 15 common factors grouped into four levels of influence: individual, inter-relationship, community, and social contextual levels. The findings suggest that HCBS utilization is a dynamic process influenced by multiple factors at different levels...