Coping with cancer: A qualitative study of adolescent and young adult perspectives

ObjectivesCancer can have long-term biopsychological impacts for young people that persist for years. To promote adjustment, it is essential to understand how young people cope, yet this is relatively understudied.MethodsThis study explored the coping strategies using semi-structured interviews with 16 young people with cancer aged 15–24 years. Eligible participants were diagnosed within the previous 24 months and recruited through Australian Youth Cancer Services. Transcribed interviews were analysed using content analysis.ResultsCoping strategies included: seeking support; controlling the focus; avoiding negatives and staying positive; meaning making and; changes with time. During treatment, seeking support, focussing on the present, distraction and avoidance were commonly applied. Following treatment, planning for the future, avoidance of re-traumatising situations and meaning making were used.ConclusionFindings support the concept of coping as a dynamic process where different strategies are used depending on the stressor, available resources and previous experiences.Practice ImplicationsComprehensive, developmentally appropriate psychosocial assessments, open communication, education and information provision, as well as appropriate referral for support are essential, particularly for young cancer survivors identified at risk.     

The social vulnerability metric (SVM) as a new tool for public health

Objective

To derive and validate a new ecological measure of the social determinants of health (SDoH), calculable at the zip code or county level.

Data Sources and Study Setting

The most recent releases of secondary, publicly available data were collected from national U.S. health agencies as well as state and city public health departments.

Study Design

The Social Vulnerability Metric (SVM) was constructed from U.S. zip-code level measures (2018) from survey data using multidimensional Item Response Theory and validated using outcomes including all-cause mortality (2016), COVID-19 vaccination (2021), and emergency department visits for asthma (2018). The SVM was also compared with the existing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to determine convergent validity and differential predictive validity.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

The data were collected directly from published files available to the public online from national U.S. health agencies as well as state and city public health departments.

Principal Findings

The correlation between SVM scores and national age-adjusted county all-cause mortality was r = 0.68. This correlation demonstrated the SVM's robust validity and outperformed the SVI with an almost four-fold increase in explained variance (46% vs. 12%). The SVM was also highly correlated (r ≥ 0.60) to zip-code level health outcomes for the state of California and city of Chicago.

Conclusions

The SVM offers a measurement tool improving upon the performance of existing SDoH composite measures and has broad applicability to public health that may help in directing future policies and interventions. The SVM provides a single measure of SDoH that better quantifies associations with health outcomes.     

2022年上海市医师协会全科医师分会年会主题报告（一）

本文内容来源于2022年7月22日由上海市医师协会、上海市医师协会全科医师分会主办的"第二届海上全科医师论坛"，主要包括《基层医疗在整合医疗中的作用》《创建全科医学科为国家临床重点专科》《上海市基层卫生发展趋势》《拥抱变化，更好更强》四部分。其中，《基层医疗在整合医疗中的作用》从整合程度、整合层面、整合方向3个维度阐释了"整合医疗"的概念与内涵，并就整合医疗在制度、管理、支付、服务模式、技术应用5个层面的实现路径做了详细介绍；在分析基层医疗和整合医疗共性特征的基础上，阐释基层医疗在上述5个层面对整合医疗的助推作用。《创建全科医学科为国家临床重点专科》从全科医学科在卫生保健改革、满足居民卫生服务需求中的重要作用出发，阐述了创建全科医学科为国家临床重点专科的必要性，认为创建临床重点专科需做到：提高全科医学科学术地位，推进全科医学人才建设，提升全科医学科区域协同能力，形成全方位全周期健康照护专科特色，加快全科医学科研创新发展。《上海市基层卫生发展趋势》肯定了基层卫生对城市健康发展的贡献，提出在"大健康"的背景下进一步的重点工作为推进健康老龄化和实现出生人口提升计划；上海基层卫生的发展趋势在于创新，而基层卫生高质量发展工作的创新需要由全科医生作为推动者和牵头者，创造出新的健康服务模式。《拥抱变化，更好更强》，认为当前社区卫生服务的"薄弱"之处，并非发展之初的硬件或人员配置不足，而是体现在全科学科建设方面。全科医学领域工作者应主动面对和接纳当前国家健康战略的变化、健康需求的变化、医学模式的变化、自身发展/管理的变化，开展主动健康，应对多病共存，加强全-专结合，关注需方角度的服务评价，以助力全科医学学科建设。     

国内健康信息研究作者合著网络及研究主题分析

目的分析核心作者、作者合著网络特征,推测国内健康信息研究的发展阶段、主要研究力量及主要研究主题。方法以CNKI期刊库为数据源,以"健康信息"及相关词为主题词,检索2000—2018年的相关文献,基于普莱斯定律及综合指数法确定核心作者,使用数据统计软件Excel及社会网络分析软件Vcinet,利用综合指数以及社会网络分析法计算作者间联系合作紧密度,并离析高产合作子网。结果文献量以较快指数型速率增长。作者合作率较高且信息传输渠道较通畅,2000—2018年国内研究的合著率稳定在80%,但学者的合作关系较为单一,多集中在同一机构或同一师门,阻碍了跨机构学者的交流合作。主要合作团队活跃度较高且核心成员多为研究领域的核心作者,科研产出量较大且被引频次较高。结论国内研究正处于旺盛发展期,但未形成稳定的核心作者群体。学者间因同机构或师门关系产生固定合作,健康信息管理、公众健康行为、健康教育等为核心作者或活跃团队研究的主要主题。     

Real-World Impact of Transferring the Dispensing of Hospital-Only Medicines to Community Pharmacies During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ObjectivesIn Portugal, the dispensing of most outpatient specialty medicines is performed exclusively through hospital pharmacies and totally financed by the National Health Service. During the COVID-19 first wave, the government allowed the transfer of the dispensing of hospital-only medicines (HOMs) to community pharmacies (CPs). This study aimed to measure the value generated by the intervention of CP in the dispensing of HOM.MethodsA single-arm, before-and-after study with 3-month follow-up was conducted enrolling a randomly selected sample of patients or caregivers with at least 1 dispensation of HOM through CP. Data were collected by telephone interview. Main outcomes were patients’ self-reported adherence (Measure Treatment Adherence), health-related quality of life (EQ-5D 3-Level), satisfaction with the service, and costs related to HOM access.ResultsOverall 603 subjects were recruited to participate in the study (males 50.6%) with mean 55 years old (SD = 16). The already high mean adherence score to therapy improved significantly (P < .0001), and no statistically significant change (P > .5757) was found in the mean EQ-5D score between baseline (0.7 ± 0.3) and 3-month follow-up (0.8 ± 0.3). Annual savings account for €262.1/person, arising from travel expenses and absenteeism reduction. Participants reported a significant increase in satisfaction levels in all evaluated domains—pharmacist’s availability, opening hours, waiting time, privacy conditions, and overall experience.ConclusionsChanging the dispense setting to CP may promote better access and satisfaction. Moreover, it ensures the persistence of treatments, promotes savings for citizens, and reduces the burden of healthcare services, representing a crucial public health measure.     

Maternal influenza vaccination and child mortality: Longitudinal,population-based linked cohort study

Influenza vaccination is recommended to protect mothers and their infants from influenza. Few studies have evaluated the association between maternal influenza vaccination and child mortality. We aimed to evaluate the association between in utero exposure to seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) and mortality among young children. This longitudinal, population-based cohort study included 191,247 maternal-child pairs in Western Australia between April 2012 and December 2017. Maternal vaccine information was obtained from a state-wide antenatal vaccination database. Mortality was defined as a record of a death registration. We used Cox proportional hazard models, weighted by the inverse-probability of treatment (vaccination), to estimate the hazard ratio of child mortality associated with in utero exposure to seasonal IIV. This study found no association between in utero exposure to seasonal IIV and mortality through age five years.     

A commitment to marginalized children in the European Union: The hope and challenges of the EU Child Guarantee

While children in general are usually seen as a societal priority, many children are disadvantaged by marginalization, with adverse effects on health and development. Following feasibility studies, the European Commission has now adopted a formal Child Guarantee of service access. This paper links the Feasibility Studies to other reports on the need to address marginalized and institutionalized children. The problems in identifying and quantifying such children are outlined, as are the challenges of planning for these groups of children and the difficulty of finding universal definitions and data. This European Union initiative is timely, given that around a quarter of European children are marginalized, while the effects of Covid-19 will add to this marginalization.