Patient-important outcomes to inform shared decision making and goal setting for diabetes treatment

ObjectiveDespite well-established treatment guidelines, diabetes is difficult to manage for many individuals. The importance of using shared decision making to optimize diabetes treatment is recognized, yet what matters most to individuals with diabetes is not well established. Our goal was to identify patients’ goals and priorities for diabetes management.MethodsWe engaged 141 participants through interviews and group concept mapping to identify patient-important outcomes (PIOs) for diabetes care. We generated a master list of PIOs by aggregating interview data coded to “goals” and ideas brainstormed during concept mapping, and then a patient advisory board sorted the PIOs into higher-level domains.ResultsWe identified 41 PIOs sorted into 7 broad domains: optimize daily self-care, optimize long term health, learn about diabetes, achieve measurable goals, manage medications, manage diet and best utilize medical / professional services.ConclusionsMost (4/7) of PIO domains focused on personal and life goals, not medically-oriented goals. Use of these PIOs and domains may facilitate more effective SDM discussions for patients with diabetes.Practice implicationsUse of PIOs from this work can enable the empowerment of patients to voice their priorities during SDM conversations, thus facilitating development of truly individualized diabetes treatment plans.     

Preferences and attitudes of young Chinese clinicians about using a shared decision making tools for communicating cardiovascular risk

ObjectiveThis study assesses the attitudes and preferences of Chinese clinicians toward their involvement in shared decision making (SDM).MethodsFrom May 2014 to May 2015, 200 Chinese clinicians from two hospitals were enrolled to complete a survey on their attitude towards SDM. We conducted the survey via face-to-face interviews before and after an educational intervention on SDM among young Chinese clinicians. The clinicians were asked to give the extent of agreement to SDM. They also gave the extent of difficulty in using decision aids (DAs) during the SDM process. The variation in the range of responses to each question before and after the SDM intervention was recorded. The frequency of changed responses was analyzed by using JMP 6.0 software. Data were statistically analyzed using Chi-square and Mann–Whitney U tests, as appropriate to the data type. Multiple logistic regressions were used to test for those factors significantly and independently associated with preference for an approach for each scenario.ResultsOf the 200 young Chinese clinicians sampled, 59.0% indicated a preference for SDM and a desire to participate in SDM before receiving education or seeing the DA, and this number increased to 69.0% after seeing the DA with the sample video of the SDM process on Statin Choice. However, 28.5% of the respondents still reported that, in their current practice, they make clinical decisions on behalf of their patients. The clinicians who denied a desire to use the DA stated that the main barriers to implement SDM or DA use in China are lack of time and knowledge of SDM.ConclusionsMost young Chinese clinicians want to participate in SDM. However, they state the main barriers to perform SDM are lack of experience and time. The educational intervention about SDM that exposes clinicians to DAs was found to increase their receptivity.     

造口护理辅助用品在大便失禁患者中的应用

目的观察造口护理辅助用品(皮肤保护膜、造口护肤粉、改良一件式造口袋)对大便失禁相关性皮炎(IAD)的防治效果。方法选择2017年3月-2018年2月本院神经外科大便失禁患者31例作为观察组,使用造口护理辅助用品进行护理;采用回顾性对照方法,将2016年3月-2017年2月本院神经外科具有同质性的大便失禁患者30例作为对照组,使用氧化锌软膏联合一次性护理垫。观察两组患者IAD的发生时间、发生率、严重程度及治疗有效率。结果观察组患者IAD发生时间明显长于对照组,Ⅰ度皮炎4例,无Ⅱ、Ⅲ度皮炎发生,对照组Ⅰ度皮炎10例,Ⅱ度3例、Ⅲ度1例,观察组IAD的发生率为12.90%,明显低于对照组46.67%,严重程度明显轻于对照组,IAD治疗有效率达100.00%,较对照组42.86%明显提高,两组比较,均P<0.05,差异有统计学意义。结论大便失禁患者使用造口护理辅助用品可预防或延缓IAD发生,减轻IAD严重程度,提高IAD治疗效果。     

2种地龙饮片不同提取法体外抗凝活性对比研究

目的 研究酒制对地龙体外抗凝活性的影响,为地龙临床应用提供科学依据。方法 分别采用传统水提法和仿生酶解提取法对生品地龙、酒制地龙进行提取,以活化部分凝血活酶时间（activated partial thromboplastin time,APTT）、凝血酶原时间（prothrombin time,PT）、凝血酶时间（thrombin time,TT）和抗凝血酶活力为指标进行抗凝活性测定,并采用BCA蛋白测定法测定可溶性蛋白、多肽含量。结果 采用水提取法时,PT和抗凝血酶滴定法均显示酒地龙与生地龙抗凝血活性相当,TT测定结果显示酒地龙抗凝血活性强于生地龙,APTT测定结果则显示地龙具有促凝血活性,且在一定范围内,浓度越高,促凝效果越强,蛋白、多肽含量为酒地龙大于生地龙;采用仿生酶解提取法时,APTT和PT测定结果显示酒地龙的抗凝血活性强于生地龙,并且蛋白、多肽含量测定结果显示酒地龙要多于生地龙,但TT和抗凝血酶滴定法并未比较出生品与酒制品之间的差异。结论 与传统水提法相比,仿生酶解提取法能更多地提取出蛋白多肽类成分,仿生酶解提取液具有更强的抗凝血活性,2种提取法均显示地龙酒制有利于可溶性蛋白、多肽的溶出,能增强体外抗凝血活性。     

Quality of life of patients with spinal muscular atrophy: A systematic review

ObjectivesTo systematically review the literature of quality of life (QoL) of patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare, autosomal-recessive neuromuscular disease associated with extensive morbidity and elevated mortality.MethodsWe searched Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed for full-text, English-language articles (published between January 1, 2000 and July 31, 2018) reporting results from studies of QoL of patients with SMA. We excluded review and editorial articles, studies reporting results for samples comprising <5 patients (to allow for meaningful inference), and case reports/qualitative assessments.ResultsOf 824 identified articles, 15 met study criteria. Included publications contained data derived from samples from a total of 11 countries and three continents (Europe, North America, and South America). Estimates of the latent trait, primarily derived using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core Scales and the PedsQL 3.0 Neuromuscular Module, indicated impairment in patient QoL, in particular physical functioning. However, both patient self- and caregiver proxy-assessments varied markedly across studies and subgroups. Among adult individuals, the mean self-assessed EuroQol-5D-3L utility has been estimated at 0.16 for a pooled sample of patients with SMA type I, II, and III, and −0.01 for SMA type II. Little is known of the impact of available treatments, including nusinersen, on patient QoL.ConclusionsOur review show that QoL is impaired in SMA, mainly due to compromised physical health, but also reveal that little is known of the impact of the disease across different phenotypes and clinical interventions.     

Patients’ experience of partial tooth loss and expectations to treatment: a qualitative study in Danish and Swedish patients

Knowledge of impairments, wishes and expectations is essential to make correct decisions regarding oral rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to investigate discomforts, wishes and expectations in patients’ with partial edentulism before entering oral rehabilitation. In Copenhagen, Denmark, and Malmö, Sweden, respectively, 20 patients with partial edentulism seeking rehabilitation were interviewed in a semistructured qualitative manner. The interviews were transcribed and analysed yielding overall domains. Six themes appeared as overall domains: (i) experienced impairments, (ii) experienced social awareness, (iii) expectation to treatment, (iv) expectation to durability/survival, (v) coping strategies dealing with the tooth loss including explanations of the tooth loss and (vi) modifications to experienced impairment. The impairments were mostly experienced as problems in social settings. Most participants expressed a simple wish to function normally; a fixed solution was preferred. Many Danish participants accepted a removable solution whereas only few Swedish participants did so. The domains ‘coping strategies’ and ‘modifications’ were not part of the chosen topics of interest, indicating a high wish of the participants to explain their tooth loss and how they coped with it. In conclusion, a large degree of social impairment was found in the patient group along with several coping strategies. The impairments were modified by a number of factors indicating that highly individualised care and treatment is needed. A state of normality was described as the primary treatment wish with a higher acceptance of removable solutions in Denmark than in Sweden. For final decision‐making, surrounding factors seemed to influence the patients’ choices.     

Ethical Issues in Practice With Older Women Who Misuse Substances

Older women who misuse substances represent a growing population within the United States. Yet, helping professionals lack guidance in addressing ethical issues that arise in working with these older women. The purpose of this article is to (a) examine what we know about older women who misuse substances, (b) address professional ethical dilemmas and other ethical issues that emerge in treating and delivering services to older women, (c) identify barriers for treatment, and (d) propose practice recommendations. Specifically, the authors examine the overarching professional ethical dilemma or tension between client autonomy and professional beneficence that emerges in treating and delivering services to older women. Implications are delineated for professional education, gender-and age-sensitive substance misuse services, and research and policy efforts.     

Physicians’ comprehension of the German Patients’ Rights Act: A cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThe German Patients' Rights Act (PRA), promulgated on February 25, 2013, was created to enhance transparency of patients' rights. This prospective study aimed to objectively measure physicians' comprehension of the PRA.MethodsWe generated a controlled study design, developing a questionnaire consisting of six case scenarios with 4–7 dichotomous items each. The survey concluded with seven 5-point-Likert scale questions, dealing with the PRA’s effects. Physicians teaching at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU) Münster served as the intervention group, and medical students from WWU Münster at the beginning of their clinical education formed the control group. Physicians were surveyed in November 2015; students were surveyed in February 2016.ResultsA total 56 completed surveys of physicians and 134 of students were analyzed. Of a total 33 points, on average physicians answered 21.04 (95% confidence interval (CI) 20.43–21.64) items correctly, a significantly higher result than students' 19.74 (95% CI 19.31–20.17) points (p < 0.001; Hedges' g = 0.53). Estimations of the PRA’s effects were ambiguous. Students agreed with the PRA’s supporting effect more often than physicians (p < 0.001) whereas physicians felt increased uncertainty arising from the PRA.ConclusionComprehension of the PRA increases significantly over the course of medical work experience; however, this comprehension is limited among medical experts. The PRA leads to ambiguity and uncertainty in the medical decision-making process.