Out of the boxes,out of the silos: The need of interdisciplinary collaboration to reduce poor-quality medical products in the supply chain

In this paper, we argue that understanding and addressing the problem of poor-quality medical products requires a more interdisciplinary approach than has been evident to date. While prospective studies based on rigorous standardized methodologies are the gold standard for measuring the prevalence of poor-quality medical products and understanding their distribution nationally and internationally, they should be complemented by social science research to unpack the complex set of social, economic, and governance factors that underlie these patterns. In the following sections, we discuss specific examples of prospective quality surveys and of social science studies, highlighting the value of cross-sector partnerships in driving high-quality, policy-relevant research in this area.     

Medical treatment decision-making in rural cancer patients: A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis

ObjectiveRural cancer patients have unique care needs which may impact upon treatment decision-making. Our aim was to conduct a qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis to understand their perspectives and experiences of making treatment decisions.MethodsA systematic search of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and RURAL was conducted for qualitative studies in rural cancer patients regarding treatment decision-making. Articles were screened for relevance, and data from the included articles were extracted and analysed using meta-thematic synthesis.ResultsTwelve studies were included, with 4 themes and 9 subthemes identified. Many studies reported patients were not given a choice regarding their treatment. Choice, if given, was influenced by personal factors such as finances, proximity to social supports, convenience, and their personal values. Patients were also influenced by the opinions of others and cultural norms. Finally, it was reported that patients made choices in the context of seeking the best possible medical care and the patient-clinician relationship.ConclusionsIn the rural context, there are universal and unique factors that influence the treatment decisions of cancer patients.Practical implicationsOur findings are an important consideration for clinicians when engaging in shared decision-making, as well as for policymakers, to understand and accommodate the unique rural perspective.     

泄浊消癥法治疗晚期糖尿病肾脏病的临床研究

背景 糖尿病肾脏病（DKD）的发病率逐年升高，已成为全世界终末期肾病的主要病因。然而DKD起病隐匿，进入临床蛋白尿期后进展迅速，当肾功能明显受损后，常规治疗难以延缓疾病进展。因此，探究能够延缓晚期DKD疾病进展的切实有效的治疗方法是亟待解决的临床问题。王耀献教授针对DKD晚期浊毒与癥瘕为主的病机特点，提出泄浊消癥法治疗晚期DKD，在临床实践中取得了良好疗效。 目的 以"伏热"理论和"肾络癥瘕"理论为基础，探讨泄浊消癥法治疗晚期DKD的临床疗效。 方法 采用基于真实世界的前瞻性队列研究设计，2016—2020年，于北京中医药大学东直门医院、中国中医科学院广安门医院、首都医科大学附属北京中医医院、中国中医科学院望京医院、中国中医科学院西苑医院、北京市中西医结合医院、北京市房山区中医医院就诊并符合本课题纳入标准的DKD患者为研究对象，以泄浊消癥法作为暴露因素，分为对照组和试验组。对照组予西医基础治疗，试验组在西医基础治疗的基础上联合泄浊消癥法治疗。观察周期为24周，分别于0、4、12、24周时检测两组血肌酐（Scr）、尿素氮（BUN）、24小时尿蛋白定量（24 hUTP）、总胆固醇（TC），计算估算肾小球滤过率（eGFR），记录中医症状积分；于0、12、24周时检测两组糖化血红蛋白（HbA1c）。记录试验期间记录不良事件，评价安全性。 结果 本研究共59例患者完成试验，其中试验组36例、对照组23例。时间对两组受试者eGFR、Scr、BUN水平主效应显著（P<0.05）。组间与时间对两组受试者中医症状积分变化存在交互作用（P<0.05）。组内比较发现，相较于0周，对照组在24周时Scr水平、中医症状积分升高，在12周和24周时BUN水平升高（P<0.05）；相较于0周，试验组在4周时eGFR水平升高（P<0.05）。组间比较发现，24周时试验组eGFR水平高于对照组，Scr、BUN水平和中医症状积分低于对照组（P<0.05）。对照组不良事件发生率为21.74%（5/23），试验组不良事件发生率为8.33%（3/36），两组间不良事件发生率比较，差异无统计学意义（χ2=2.15，P=0.14）。 结论 在晚期DKD治疗中，泄浊消癥法联合西医常规治疗相较于单纯西医常规治疗在延缓eGFR降低，减缓Scr、BUN水平升高，保护肾脏功能，降低热证积分，改善中医症状方面具有优势，能够提高临床疗效。     

Applying action research in pharmacy practice

Medication errors are closely associated with patient safety, as they affect quality of health care. Pharmacists play a key role in preventing such errors to ensure patient safety and enhance pharmacy service quality. Quality improvement has been suggested to be incorporated into daily practice, providing practitioners an opportunity to identify service delivery gaps and configure solutions fitting the context. This paradigm is similar to the concept of action research (AR); therefore, this research approach is deemed appropriate for improving the quality of pharmacy practice. AR is context-specific, dynamic, and systematic and is driven by a spiral process to identify problems, design solutions, and evaluate the impacts of the solution. Since AR uses multiple methods, including a spiral process, confusion may arise among practicing pharmacists and novice researchers interested in using it. This paper aims to describe key information regarding AR, including its brief history and definition, spiral process, and research methods used for data collection, key characteristics, and common limitations to help readers understand the AR protocol.     

¿Qué dicen las madres gitanas de la lactancia materna?

ObjectiveTo know and deepen in the evaluation, and experience of gypsy women with breastfeeding.MethodQualitative study with an interpretative phenomenological approach, through a focus group with the participation of six mothers of gypsy ethnicity, users of the Fuente de San Luis Health Center in the city of Valencia.ResultsThe barriers described by these mothers regarding breastfeeding refer to a lack of family support, an association of breastfeeding to sacrifice and to the dependence of the baby to the breast. From the accounts of these mothers it is perceived, a disinterest in breastfeeding and a lack of confidence in their own bilogy, which together with a low participation in maternal education activities, have meant the barriers that have mostly limited and largely hindered breastfeeding in this group of mothers.ConclusionsIt would be desirable to implement improvement actions that would pay more attention to promote, protect and support breastfeeding in this group.     

Empowerment in people with Parkinson’s disease: A scoping review and qualitative interview study

ObjectiveTo synthesize empowerment definitions in Parkinson’s disease (PD) literature and understand people with PD’s perspective on empowerment in the context of an existing empowerment conceptual model.MethodsThis mixed-methods study included a scoping review of PD empowerment literature and interviews with adults with PD. Five databases were searched for articles that defined empowerment concepts. We analyzed 1:1 semi-structured interviews on empowerment with people with PD. All data were analyzed using hybrid thematic analysis.ResultsEight of 242 records were included in this review. Empowerment is defined as an intrapersonal (e.g., personal control over oneself or healthcare) or interpersonal construct (e.g., person-centered care). Thirty-seven participants completed the interview. Participants perceived empowerment as a multifaceted concept that interacts with determinants and moderators from different ecological levels.ConclusionEmpowerment is a noteworthy multilevel and relational construct that can interplay with important health-related factors. The developed working conceptual model of empowerment can inform future studies to explore empowerment concepts in more depth and develop PD empowerment-based interventions.Practice implicationsThe empowerment definitions, indicators, determinants, and moderators identified in this study can help researchers, clinicians, and policymakers critically conceptualize empowerment and develop interventions to support people with PD.     

乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿患者自我管理体验的质性研究

目的 了解乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿患者自我管理中的体验和感受，为临床制订解决方案提供参考。 方法 采用质性研究方法对15例乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿患者进行半结构式访谈，采用Colaizzi7步分析法分析资料。 结果 提炼出6个主题，包括缺乏自我管理知识、思想上未引起足够重视、管理方式的差异化、自我管理过程中存在诸多障碍、自我管理中的情绪问题和社会支持不足。 结论 乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿患者在自我管理过程中存在较多问题，医护人员应帮助患者纠正对疾病的错误认知及处理方式，树立良好的自我管理行为与习惯，重视患者由自我管理产生的心理问题，联合家庭和社会共同提高患者的自我管理能力。     

Zhang Weishen: A Pioneer in the Development and Industrial Production of Penicillin in New China

The research and development of penicillin started with difficulty before 1949 and achieved certain results. In 1951, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhang Weishen, as the only Chinese scientist who had been trained and worked in a penicillin research and development center in the United States for many years, overcame many difficulties and returned to China. In 1953, with the efforts of Zhang Weishen and his colleagues, China realized the industrialized production of penicillin, alleviating the urgent needs of the masses. Antibiotics has also become the first discipline to achieve major scientific and technological achievements after the founding of the New China. In the mid-1950s, the technical breakthrough in the localization of lactose substitutes marked the localization of the raw materials of the penicillin-producing culture medium, which paved the way for the industrialized production of penicillin with Chinese characteristics. Antibiotics have become one of the most widely used and affordable drugs for hundreds of millions of patients in China, and China has since ended the humiliating history of the “Sick Man of East Asia".     

Dietary Practices After Primary Treatment for Ovarian Cancer: A Qualitative Analysis From the OPAL Study

BackgroundLittle is known about the dietary practices of women who have completed primary treatment for ovarian cancer, many of whom will go on to have cancer recurrence and further treatment. Knowledge of dietary practices is needed to optimize care.ObjectiveOur aim was to identify dietary practices after primary treatment for ovarian cancer and evaluate how these practices differ by disease recurrence and treatment status.DesignWomen with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer were provided with the following open-ended question after completing a food frequency questionnaire: “Is there anything we haven’t asked you about your diet in the last 1 to 2 months that you feel is important?”Participants/settingParticipants were from the OPAL (Ovarian Cancer Prognosis and Lifestyle) Study in Australia.Main outcomesThe main outcomes were dietary practices after primary treatment for ovarian cancer and factors affecting these practices.AnalysisParticipants’ responses were analyzed using content analysis. Individual content codes were categorized and reported by recurrence and treatment status at questionnaire completion.ResultsTwo hundred eighty-six women provided responses on 363 questionnaires. Those undergoing further treatment for recurrence commonly reported dietary regimens with clinical indications (eg, low fiber to avoid bowel obstructions, high energy/protein to minimize nutritional deficits). Those not undergoing further treatment frequently reported “popular” diets (eg, organic, plant-based, and alkaline). For women with cancer recurrence, dietary practices were affected by poor appetite and late effects of treatment. For women without recurrence, other comorbidities, geographical location, family, and friends appeared to influence dietary practices. In both groups, nutrition information sources and personal beliefs informed dietary practices. Participant responses that referenced media or online sources often included misinformation.ConclusionsAfter primary treatment for ovarian cancer, women report dietary practices that may not be captured in standard food frequency questionnaires. Dietary practices and factors affecting these practices likely differ by treatment and recurrence status. Improved access to evidence-based dietary information and support is needed.