Search Results for: Screening del cancro alla prostata

Objective
To assess the appropriateness, acceptability and feasibility of implementing the Test-it PrCr Urinalysis Dipstick Test (LifeAssay Diagnostics, South Africa) in referral hospitals in Ghana.

Participants
96 healthcare professionals were trained on the protein-to-creatinine (PrCr) test, which was integrated into protocols alongside standard-of-care tests between November 2021 and April 2022. Test users completed questionnaires post training. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) and seven key informant interviews were conducted to evaluate test procedure comprehension, insights into training effectiveness, usability/user confidence, perceptions, attitudes towards the test and barriers and facilitators of use.

Results
High product usability, user confidence and satisfaction were reported. Staff perceived the test as easy to use and similar to current products. Misinterpretations of test results were less likely for strong results. Facilitators of use included effective trainings, sensitisation of the product and key stakeholder endorsement. Challenges impacting implementation feasibility included the short shelf life of test strips (3 months) after opening cannisters, the added complexity of the ratiometric result interpretation and the test’s lack of other parameters that are included in current products (eg, glucose, nitrate), limiting its broader clinical utility for antenatal care screening. All FGD participants agreed that the use of the PrCr test would not change current practices/protocols for dipstick use.

Conclusion
Although the Test-It PrCr test is easy to use and well accepted, key product attributes limit its implementation feasibility in this setting. It may be more appropriate for monitoring high-risk women in this context.

Objective
To understand the importance and potential impact on uptake of different attributes of risk-based innovations in the context of risk-stratified healthcare for cancer screening and symptomatic diagnosis.

Design
The online survey comprised a discrete choice experiment (DCE) in which participants chose between two risk assessment options or to opt out of risk stratification. There were six attributes: test method, type (genetic or non-genetic), location, frequency, sensitivity and specificity. Participants were randomly allocated to consider the choice in an asymptomatic or symptomatic context.

Setting
Members of the public in the UK.

Participants
1202 participants completed the DCE.

Outcome measures
Conditional logistic regression and latent class analysis informed modelling of predicted preferences for a range of innovations with different features.

Results
Overall, participants preferred risk assessments over opting out and prioritised sensitivity, with test method and specificity also important. Genetic and non-invasive tests were favoured. With sensitivity and specificity of 80% or better, participants would be more likely to take up a risk assessment than not. Comparing the asymptomatic and symptomatic contexts, 65% and 73% of participants would be very likely to participate regardless of the innovation used, and 29% and 13% of participants might participate depending on the method, sensitivity and specificity. A minority showed strong dislike of risk-based innovations, particularly within screening.

Conclusions
There are high levels of public support for risk-based innovations within risk-stratified cancer healthcare, especially for referral decision-making and using genetic and non-invasive tests. Optimising risk-based innovations is needed to engage those whose participation is contingent on test methods and performance metrics.

Objectives
To develop and validate an automated diabetic macular oedema (DME) classification system based on the images from different three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (3-D OCT) devices.

Design
A multicentre, platform-based development study using retrospective and cross-sectional data. Data were subjected to a two-level grading system by trained graders and a retina specialist, and categorised into three types: no DME, non-centre-involved DME and centre-involved DME (CI-DME). The 3-D convolutional neural networks algorithm was used for DME classification system development. The deep learning (DL) performance was compared with the diabetic retinopathy experts.

Setting
Data were collected from Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chaozhou People’s Hospital and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College from January 2010 to December 2023.

Participants
7790 volumes of 7146 eyes from 4254 patients were annotated, of which 6281 images were used as the development set and 1509 images were used as the external validation set, split based on the centres.

Main outcomes
Accuracy, F1-score, sensitivity, specificity, area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and Cohen’s kappa were calculated to evaluate the performance of the DL algorithm.

Results
In classifying DME with non-DME, our model achieved an AUROCs of 0.990 (95% CI 0.983 to 0.996) and 0.916 (95% CI 0.902 to 0.930) for hold-out testing dataset and external validation dataset, respectively. To distinguish CI-DME from non-centre-involved-DME, our model achieved AUROCs of 0.859 (95% CI 0.812 to 0.906) and 0.881 (95% CI 0.859 to 0.902), respectively. In addition, our system showed comparable performance (Cohen’s : 0.85 and 0.75) to the retina experts (Cohen’s : 0.58–0.92 and 0.70–0.71).

Conclusions
Our DL system achieved high accuracy in multiclassification tasks on DME classification with 3-D OCT images, which can be applied to population-based DME screening.

Objectives
Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) have been used in undergraduate and graduate medical education and in other health professions for a long time. They are regarded as a suitable way for bridging the gap between competency-based education and actual work tasks in the workplace. In nursing education, EPA development started later, and it is unclear which EPAs have been developed and implemented yet. This scoping review aims to identify which EPAs have been developed in nursing education, which of these have even been implemented and what the empirical evidence supports any effects of implementation.

Design
Scoping review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.

Data sources
MEDLINE and EMBASE via OVID, CINAHL and ERIC via EBSCOhost were searched for the period 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2023.

Eligibility criteria
Publication period from the first mention of EPAs in 1995 to 2023, no language restrictions, all types of literature if they had a clear mention of EPAs, all academic nursing education fields, EPAs had to be mentioned in the title or abstract.

Data extraction and synthesis
Screening was conducted in a two-stage process with two authors. 13 suitable articles were included which describe either the development, implementation or assessment of EPAs.

Results
Results indicated that EPAs have been developed in 16 areas of nursing education, including special areas such as palliative care or emergency/intensive care. The activities health status assessment, care measures, leadership/management, diagnoses, care plans and protocols, emergency care measures and participation in diagnostics and/or therapy were described most often. In 4 out of 13 cases, EPAs were implemented. Described evidence indicated that the use of EPAs improved critical thinking, promoted flexibility in teaching and led to a mindset change.

Conclusions
EPAs are increasingly developed and implemented in nursing education. There seem to be overlaps between EPAs mainly covering the steps of the nursing care process.

Introduction
The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) may be as high as 38% in the adult population with potential serious complications, multiple comorbidities and a high socioeconomic burden. However, there is a general lack of awareness and knowledge about MASLD and its progressive stages (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and fibrosis). Therefore, MASLD is still far underdiagnosed. The ‘Global Research Initiative for Patient Screening on MASH’ (GRIPonMASH) consortium focuses on this unmet public health need. GRIPonMASH will help (primary) healthcare providers to implement a patient care pathway, as recommended by multiple scientific societies, to identify patients at risk of severe MASLD and to raise awareness. Furthermore, GRIPonMASH will contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of MASLD and improved identification of diagnostic and prognostic markers to detect individuals at risk.

Methods
This is a prospective multicentre observational study in which 10 000 high-risk patients (type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, metabolic syndrome or hypertension) will be screened in 10 European countries using at least two non-invasive tests (Fibrosis-4 index and FibroScan). Blood samples and liver biopsy material will be collected and biobanked, and multiomics analyses will be conducted.

Ethics and dissemination
The study will be conducted in compliance with this protocol and applicable national and international regulatory requirements. The study initiation package is submitted at the local level. The study protocol has been approved by local medical ethical committees in all 10 participating countries. Results will be made public and published in scientific, peer-reviewed, international journals and at international conferences.

Registration details
NCT05651724, registration date: 15 Dec 2022.

Objective
With the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the rational use of antibiotics is crucial. This study aimed to evaluate the antibiotic use patterns and influencing factors of compliance in Shanxi Province Hospitals between 2015 and 2021 and provide data support for the management of antibiotics.

Design
This was a retrospective observational study of trends in antibiotic use and data reporting trends in the context of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS).

Data sources
The analysis involved annual antibiotic data from hospitals covered by China’s National Clinical Improvement System (NCIS). We obtained information on hospital characteristics (eg, city, a deidentified hospital code and hospital level) from Shanxi Provincial Pharmaceutical Quality Control Centre.

Eligibility criteria
Our study included Shanxi hospitals that reported annual antibiotic data to the NCIS system in any year between 2015 and 2021.

Results
The number of hospitals reporting antibiotic data has increased annually. Between 2015 and 2021, a total of 221 hospitals in 11 cities were analysed. The proportion of patients undergoing clean surgical procedures with prophylactic antibiotic prescriptions decreased from 45.08% to 40.0% between 2019 and 2021, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of –5.80 (p=0.103). The intensity of antibiotic treatment among inpatients was from 42.00 to 39.70 daily defined dose between 2017 and 2021, with a CAGR of –1.40 (p=0.015). The proportion of inpatients with antibiotic prescriptions decreased from 51.42% to 47.14% between 2015 and 2021, with a CAGR of –1.44 (p

Introduction
Cervical screening rates in the UK are falling, limiting our ability to prevent cervical cancer. Peak incidence of cervical cancer coincides with average age of childbirth, and women with young children are less likely to be screened. Current UK guidelines advise waiting 12 weeks after delivery to perform cervical screening, but this recommendation is not based on evidence from the era of liquid-based cytology or high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. New mums suggested offering cervical screening at 6 weeks postdelivery, in conjunction with the postnatal check-up with the general practice team in primary care. This study aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a paired-sample study design for cervical screening at 6 weeks and 12 weeks postnatal.

Methods and analysis
A study of 100 participants will be performed to assess feasibility and acceptability of cervical screening at both 6 weeks and 12 weeks postnatal, with urine self-sampling using a Colli-pee collection device at each time point. This will inform whether women are prepared to undergo cervical screening at 6 weeks postnatal and the feasibility of a future pair-wise diagnostic test accuracy (of HPV and abnormal cervical cytology) study or whether alternative study designs are needed. Participants must be aged 24.5–64 years old and eligible for the National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme (NHS CSP). At each appointment, participants will complete a questionnaire about their experience and thoughts regarding screening. Substudies ask participants who withdraw or decline to participate their reasons, to identify barriers. The study will be closed for recruitment once 100 participants have completed the 6-week screen in Postnatal Instead of Normally-Timed Cervical Screening (PINCS-1) or if recruitment is poor and 50% not recruited by 6 months, indicating that a paired-sample design is not feasible.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval for PINCS-1 was given by the Stanmore Research Ethics Committee. The results, including participant feedback at each stage, built into the trial design, will inform the design of large studies to determine accuracy and clinical impact of cervical screening at 6 weeks postnatal, identifying whether giving choice (eg, from timing of appointments and/or offering self-sampling) will improve screening uptake. Data will inform the sample size needed for future studies to have adequate power. Results will also inform future NHS CSP management. Results will be shared via scientific publication and via conventional and social media channels accessed by young women.

Trial registration number
ISRCTN10071810.

None of the POC-TTT met the WHO target product profile minimum requirements for a TB triage test of 90% sensitivity and 70% specificity when a POC device was used for screening in a typical setting studied. Further research, specifically focusing on head-to-head comparisons and combination tests are recommended.

Introduction
Secure mental health pathways are complex. They are typically based around secure hospitals, but also interface with justice agencies and other clinical services, including in the community. Consideration of risk is fundamental to clinical care and to decisions relating to a patient’s stepwise journey through the pathway. Patient autonomy and involvement in decision-making are policy priorities for health services. However, improving collaboration in risk-related decisions in secure services is complicated by potential issues with insight and capacity and the necessary involvement of other agencies. In addition, although some collaborative approaches are feasible and effective, their impact, mechanisms and the contexts in which they work are not well understood. Therefore, using realist methodology, this review will outline what works, for whom, why and under what circumstances in terms of collaborative risk assessment and management in secure services.

Methods and analysis
The review will consist of four stages: (1) Development of an initial programme theory to explain how and why collaborative risk assessment and management works for different groups of people, (2) search for evidence, (3) data selection and extraction and (4) evidence synthesis and development of a final programme theory. Our initial programme theory will be informed by an informal search of the literature and consultation with experts and patient and public involvement and engagement representatives. Following this, our formal literature search will include both the published and unpublished literature. During full text screening, each document will be assessed according to the principles of rigour and relevance and, if included, data will be extracted and synthesised to refine the programme theory.

Ethics and dissemination
This protocol is for a review of published literature and so does not require ethical approval. The main output will be the final programme theory. Remaining gaps will inform planned future work to further refine the theory using mixed methods. Our dissemination strategy will be codeveloped with our public and patient involvement group and will include publishing findings in a peer-reviewed journal and presenting findings at relevant professional conferences, as well as engaging patient, carer and clinician groups directly.

Objective
Older adults are prone to developing multiple chronic diseases and have increased medication usage. This has led to the prescription of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). This study aimed to assess PIM prevalence among patients visiting the primary care unit (PCU) of a tertiary care hospital and evaluate the associated factors.

Design
A retrospective cross-sectional study by reviewing medical records in the hospital information system.

Setting
The PCU of a tertiary care hospital.

Participants
Patients aged ≥65 years who visited the PCU between 1 June and 30 November 2023 and received at least one oral medication.

Primary and secondary outcome measures
PIMs were diagnosed using the updated American Geriatrics Society Beers criteria 2023, and logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with PIM prescriptions.

Results
The study included 1600 participants, of whom 62.9% were female, with a median age of 72.0 years (IQR=68.0–77.0). The prevalence of PIMs was 39.4%. The three most common PIMs prescribed were diuretics, benzodiazepines and sulfonylureas. An increasing number of underlying diseases, presenting with acute illness (compared with follow-up only) and being treated by staff physicians (compared with trainee physicians) were significantly associated with increased odds of PIM prescriptions (adjusted OR (95% CI) = 1.59 (1.42 to 1.79), 1.58 (1.28 to 1.94) and 1.84 (1.33 to 2.54), respectively).

Conclusion
PIM prescriptions among older patients in the PCU were high, particularly in those with multiple comorbidities and acute illness presentations. Therefore, physicians should prescribe medications with caution, and various explicit criteria can be used as screening tools to prevent PIM prescriptions.

Objectives
To identify currently available functional vision tests and evaluate their use as clinical trial outcome measures in ophthalmology.

Design
Scoping review using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines.

Methods
A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE and Embase (via Ovid) for articles published between 1 January 2003 and 1 August 2024. Additional grey literature was sourced from institutional repositories, conference proceedings and a manual citation search. Article screening was conducted against a predefined inclusion criteria by two independent, masked reviewers, with a third reviewer acting as arbiter. The inclusion criteria were English language articles which feature a test assessing functional vision in patients with an ophthalmological disease. Details of source characteristics, test methodology and accessibility and evidence of test validation were collected.

Results
Of 2665 articles returned by the search, 73 were included and 45 unique tests of functional vision were identified. Diseases affecting the peripheral retina were mainly affected, accounting for 77% (56 out of 73) of the diseases featured in all included studies. Overall, 82% (37 out of 45) functional vision tests reported evidence of statistical validation with varying robustness. Functional vision tests were mapped to domains of orientation and mobility, facial recognition, observer-rated task performance, visual search and driving. Obstacle courses assess vision-guided orientation and mobility, correlate highly with clinical measures of visual function in severe peripheral retinal disease and have been validated for use in clinical trials. Their requirement of physical space and time limits utility in multicentre trials; equivalent tests leveraging virtual reality and eye tracking technologies are in development. Early iterations of visual search tests to simulated realistic scenes have demonstrated discriminative ability, even in paediatric patients.

Conclusions
Functional vision tests can facilitate research into future novel ophthalmological treatments that prioritise patients in terms of how clinical benefit is defined. The principal barriers to the uptake of these tests are lack of accessibility, low quality validation and that many tests remain early in their development stage. This review captures the current landscape of functional vision tests and serves as a reference for investigators and regulatory bodies to evaluate the suitability of these tests for ophthalmic clinical trials.

Circulation, Volume 151, Issue 21, Page 1508-1511, May 27, 2025.

Objectives
Our study was designed to assess whether paired normal-tumour testing increased access to targeted therapy, clinical trials and influenced cancer screening recommendations given to patients and their families.

Design
Prospective cohort study.

Setting
Academic cancer centre in the Pacific Northwest region of the USA.

Participants
Patients newly diagnosed between 01 January 2021 and 31 December 2022 with cancers of the oesophagus, gastro-oesophageal junction and stomach (CEGEJS) were included. All other cancer diagnoses such as head and neck, duodenal and lower gastrointestinal tract cancers were excluded.

Intervention
Paired germline and tumour genetic test within 90 days of new patient visit.

Primary outcome measures
Number of targeted therapies received (or not) when eligible, follow-up treatment data and number of inherited predispositions to cancers identified. No secondary outcome measures.

Results
Of 42 patients, 32 (76.2%) were eligible for at least one targeted therapy. 19 patients received immunotherapy, when 16 had a biomarker predicting immunotherapy benefit, and benefit of immunotherapy was unclear for 3. Another 11 did not have this biomarker, and 6 of them received immunotherapy. Six pathogenic variants were identified in four high-risk genes. By 01 January 2024, 18 patients (42.9%) had died of complications of cancer.

Conclusion
More than 75% of patients who received tumour testing were eligible for a targeted therapy regardless of their stage at diagnosis, emphasising the need to expand access to testing with staging workup to improve survival outcomes. Six families received personalised screening recommendations, thanks to this study.

Objective
Pancreatic cancer diagnoses are frequently preceded by a new diabetes diagnosis. Screening individuals newly diagnosed with diabetes could enable the earlier detection of pancreatic cancer. We sought to estimate the risk of pancreatic cancer by age, sex, race and time since diabetes diagnosis.

Design
Claims-based cohort study.

Setting
Johns Hopkins Medicine conducted this deidentified claims-based cohort study using the Optum Labs Data Warehouse.

Participants
Insurance enrollees from 1/2008–9/2018 were identified as non-diabetic or newly diagnosed diabetic. Our risk set included 4 732 313 individuals (424 129 newly diabetic) in 5 844 934 enrolment periods.

Primary outcome measures
Time to pancreatic cancer. Diabetes and cancer were defined using International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9/10 codes.

Results
Individuals with newly diagnosed diabetes were at an increased HR of pancreatic cancer, but this effect waned over time. The HR of pancreatic cancer following a diabetes diagnosis was higher in younger individuals and varied by race (lower HR in non-White individuals) (p

This narrative review examines the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of adults with absolute iron deficiency without anemia and iron-deficiency anemia.

Lo screening neonatale ha ridotto l’ipotiroidismo congenito