Search Results (801)

Background: Single-access transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) reduces the need for multiple vascular access and therefore, the related risk of related complications. However, the impact of patient age on its clinical outcomes remains uncertain. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of previously reported propensity score matched study comparing clinical outcomes of single- versus dual-access transfemoral TAVI using SAPIEN-3-Ultra. We examined the relation between patient age, access strategy and outcomes—specifically, 30-day safety endpoint according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium 3 (VARC-3) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as death, permanent pacemaker, neurological or vascular complications—using logistic regression interaction analyses, and restricted cubic spline modelling. Results: A total of 204 patients (propensity score-matched cohort) were included in the study. The elderly group were more likely to have hypertension, peripheral vascular disease or stroke. The use of single access was comparable. The elderly cohort demonstrated a tendency toward longer fluoroscopy and procedural times compared with the non-elderly group. This pattern likely reflects the greater technical complexity and heightened procedural caution often associated with older patients, including more challenging vascular anatomy and the need for careful device handling. Although not statistically significant, these findings remain clinically meaningful and are consistent with the notion that procedures in elderly patients frequently require more meticulous planning and execution. There was a significant interaction between access strategy and age in reducing MACE, but not in VARC-3 safety outcomes. Single access was associated with a significant reduction in MACE (5.4% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.015) with comparable technical and safety outcomes when compared with elderly patients who underwent dual-access TAVI. Conclusions: Single-access TAVI was linked to favourable early outcomes, maintained procedural success, and suggested a possible age-dependent pattern in the occurrence of MACE. Our findings support the need for randomised studies to demonstrate superiority of single- versus dual-access TAVI, particularly in the elderly population. Full article

Background: Early-stage elderly-care robot design requires biological analogies to be translated without turning qualitative inspiration into unvalidated numerical evidence. Methods: We audited 15 initial variables and retained a four-dimensional exploratory space: nominal shell-edge radius (V06), pre-braking trigger distance (V09), translational speed (V11), and commanded deceleration (V12). Latin hypercube samples were filtered by V09 − V11²/(2V12) ≥ 0. A derived warning margin proxy, I5 = 1 − [V11²/(2V12)]/V09, was evaluated with fixed-seed feasibility, distribution, coverage, cluster, coordinate stability, and distance-sensitivity diagnostics. Results: The pooled pre-check acceptance rate was 0.8621. I5 descriptive and distributional stability passed at N = 768→1024, but four-dimensional coverage passed in only 10/30 seeds; no sufficient N was established up to 1024. Natural cluster structure was not detected, exact representative coordinates were seed-sensitive, and selection overlap under an alternative distance definition was 0.53. Two fixed-seed points were therefore retained only as illustrative boundaries. AI-assisted images and legacy Rhino studies were used for qualitative design communication, not as validated realizations of the computation. Conclusions: The evidence-tiered workflow supports traceable exclusion of infeasible combinations and transparent product design translation while preserving explicit limits: no physical safety, usability, manufacturing, or optimality claim is made. Full article

Background and Objectives: Fragility fractures of the sacrum are increasingly recognized in elderly osteoporotic patients and can cause persistent pain, immobility, and progressive pelvic ring instability. We previously described a modified S1 corridor targeting the higher-density cranial–ventral S1 vertebral body for safe percutaneous implant placement. This study reports the clinical outcomes of osteoporotic and pathologic sacral fractures treated through this corridor and presents an exploratory comparison of two 3D-printed titanium sacroiliac fusion implants: the triangular iFuse™ Implant System and the threaded iFuse TORQ™ (SI-BONE, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA). Materials and Methods: This retrospective single-center study analyzed 58 patients with fragility or pathologic sacral fractures (FFP IIIb–V; OF 2–5) treated via the modified S1 corridor between January 2021 and March 2026. Of these, 27 patients received triangular iFuse™ implants, and 31 patients received threaded iFuse TORQ™ implants. The primary outcome was procedural safety (implant revision, neurological injury, cortical breach). Secondary outcomes included the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, operative time, and need for additional fixation. Group comparisons used non-parametric tests; multivariable linear regression adjusted for age, fracture severity (OF classification), and additional fixation. Results: At a mean follow-up of 17.8 ± 9.1 months (iFuse) and 4.1 ± 2.1 months (TORQ), no implant revisions, clinically significant cortical breaches, or neurological injuries were observed in either group. Patient-reported outcome data were available for 48 of 58 patients (20 iFuse, 28 TORQ). Patients in the iFuse™ group were older (80.9 ± 8.5 vs. 76.0 ± 9.8 years; p = 0.050), and OF classification differed between groups, with a higher proportion of OF 4 fractures in the TORQ™ group (p = 0.003). After adjustment for age, OF classification, and additional fixation, TORQ™ implantation was associated with a 15.6-point lower postoperative ODI (p < 0.001), a 13.5-point greater ODI improvement (p < 0.001), a 0.94-point lower postoperative VAS (p = 0.006), and a 1.36-point greater VAS reduction (p < 0.001). Findings remained significant in a sensitivity analysis restricted to patients without additional fixation. Conclusions: Sacroiliac fusion via a modified density-oriented S1 corridor was safe for both large implant types, with no revisions in the analyzed cohort. In this retrospective, non-randomized cohort, threaded iFuse TORQ™ implants were associated with better patient-reported outcomes after adjustment for baseline imbalances. Because the groups were not randomized and follow-up duration differed substantially, these comparative findings are hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in prospective, controlled studies. Full article

Background: Based on the demonstrated survival benefits of gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GemCis) therapy in the TOPAZ-1 and KEYNOTE-966 trials, GemCis plus immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has become a standard first-line treatment for unresectable biliary tract cancer. However, its safety and efficacy in elderly patients and those requiring biliary drainage remain insufficiently evaluated in real-world practice. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of GemCis plus ICI therapy, with a focus on elderly patients and those requiring biliary drainage. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer treated with GemCis plus ICI at our institution between April 2022 and September 2025. Progression-free survival (PFS) was analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method, and prognostic factors were examined using Cox proportional hazards models. PFS and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were compared between durvalumab and pembrolizumab. Results: Of the 51 patients diagnosed with unresectable biliary tract cancer during the observation period, 26 (51.0%) received GemCis plus ICI therapy. The median age was 73 years (range, 46–83 years), and 15 (57.7%) patients were male. Distant metastases were present in 22 patients (84.6%), and biliary drainage was performed in 15 (57.7%). The primary tumor sites were intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (n = 8), perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (n = 6), gallbladder cancer (n = 11), and cancer of unknown primary origin (n = 1). The ICIs used were durvalumab in 18 patients and pembrolizumab in eight patients. The median follow-up period was 214 days (range, 30–1114). The response rate was 28.6%, the disease control rate was 90.5%, and the transition rate to ICI maintenance therapy was 29.2%. IrAEs occurred in six patients (23.1%), with a significantly higher frequency in the pembrolizumab group than in the durvalumab group (50.0% vs. 11.1%). The median PFS was 8.2 months in the durvalumab group and 8.9 months in the pembrolizumab group, with no significant difference (p = 0.88). Multivariate analysis incorporating age, performance status, metastatic burden, and liver function confirmed that age ≥ 75 years remained the only independent predictor of shorter PFS (HR 5.62; 95% CI, 1.35–23.4; p = 0.02), whereas ICI regimen and biliary drainage were not significant prognostic factors. Conclusions: In clinical practice, GemCis plus ICI therapy showed no statistically significant difference in efficacy between ICI regimens in this small cohort, although this comparison was not statistically powered. Given the exploratory nature of these findings, the lower incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) observed in the durvalumab group should be interpreted with caution. Age ≥ 75 years was associated with shorter PFS. Careful patient selection is warranted when considering GemCis plus ICI therapy in elderly patients with biliary tract cancer. Full article

Background: Emergency services in urban areas are overcrowded due to a rise in mild-to-moderate acuity consultations, and physician-led home visits are less common. In response, a home-based urgent care model in an urban setting (Docadom) was developed. Consultation requests via a dedicated mobile application or phone call are triaged by a trained emergency nurse. Physicians travel to the patient via an electric cargo bike that has storage for medical equipment. During home visits, physicians perform testing/diagnosis and advanced procedures (e.g., intravenous medication delivery) and prescribe treatment (if needed). This descriptive analysis reports activities during the first 12 months of Docadom. Methods: Data from all patients seen during the first 12 months of Docadom activity (1 May 2023–30 April 2024) were analysed. Outcomes analysed included: age, sex, diagnosis, and whether the patient was referred to the hospital. Patient satisfaction (from 1 [worst] to 5 [best]) is also reported. Each outcome was analysed in two subgroups based on patient age (<75 or ≥75 years) because the Swiss health insurance system distinguishes between these two age groups, using Wilcoxon or chi-square tests as appropriate. Results: A total of 1736 patients requested a consultation (66% female; median age 70 years [interquartile range 36, 84]; 43% aged ≥75 years). The five most frequent clinical presentations were: ear, nose and throat infection, epistaxis and bronchitis (25.7%); soft tissue trauma (7.8%); acute cervical or lower back pain syndrome (5.6%); gastroenteritis and dehydration (5.0%); and cancer and general decline in the elderly (4.6%). Only 4.7% of the patients were referred to the hospital. The mean satisfaction score was 4.97 (response rate: 207/422 patients [49%] who requested a consultation via the app). Conclusions: These data highlight the feasibility and acceptability of a home-based urgent care model in an urban setting. The service effectively addressed a wide range of acute conditions, especially in elderly patients. The low hospital referral rate and high patient satisfaction are encouraging, but as a single-arm descriptive analysis without post-consultation outcome data or a comparator group, this study cannot establish clinical safety or an effect on emergency department use; these questions require a future comparative study. Full article

Pedestrian safety represents a critical priority for the development of sustainable urban mobility systems. This study proposes an innovative methodological framework integrating supervised and unsupervised learning techniques with econometric modeling to identify and interpret risk scenarios. Using the Italian national dataset from 2010 to 2023, an XGBoost model has been initially trained and tested. Then, SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAPs) have been applied to highlight contributing factors. Using the resulting SHAP values, a K-Means clustering algorithm was finally employed to segment crashes into homogeneous clusters. For each cluster, a Generalized Linear Mixed Model incorporating geographic random intercepts and temporal random slopes was calibrated. Through this hybrid-stratified approach, three risk scenarios have been identified, primarily driven by demographic vulnerability. For elderly pedestrians, the involvement of heavy vehicles nearly doubles the odds of a fatal outcome. Crash dynamics varied significantly: heavy vehicles and speeding nearly double the fatality risk for elderly pedestrians; nighttime represents a severe hazard for adults (OR = 3.87) and youths (OR = 7.99), with the latter also highly penalized by unsafe road behaviors (OR = 3.12). From a spatio-temporal perspective, random effects revealed that the Islands (Sicily and Sardinia) are the most critical macro-areas (+55.2% baseline risk for adults) and the North-West the safest. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic mitigated fatal risk for young pedestrians nationwide, had a neutral impact on the elderly, and for adults was protective in Southern regions but corresponded to higher odds of mortality in the North, reflecting altered traffic dynamics. Full article

Biomimetic wearable devices provide non-invasive physical support for elderly patients with dysphagia. However, most existing assistive products adopt fixed layouts designed through empirical methods and cannot meet differentiated needs in household, social, and medical scenarios. To fill this gap, this study constructed an integrated design framework combining the KANO-EWM-TOPSIS hybrid model and extended FCBS mapping. The KANO model was used to classify functional attributes and exclude mandatory safety indicators from weighting calculations to prevent data dilution. The entropy weight method (EWM) and TOPSIS were then adopted to calculate scenario weights and prioritize core functions. To resolve structural incompatibility in traditional rigid braces, a morphological biomimetic design scheme was proposed. Referring to the anatomical outline of the thyroid cartilage and movement rules of the infrahyoid muscle groups, a high-fidelity 3D digital model of the wearable collar was established. The biomimetic structure replicates the soft tissue compliance of the human neck. It offers adequate physical support without limiting vertical laryngeal displacement during swallowing. Simulated usability tests were conducted with 16 participants, and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) returned an overall score of 77.91. The digital design balances physiological safety and users’ psychological feelings while reducing obvious medical styling. This study offers a repeatable quantitative process and practical reference for developing human larynx anatomy-based biomimetic wearable rehabilitation devices at the preliminary design stage. Full article

Background/Objectives: The four androgen-receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) for advanced prostate cancer are broadly comparable in efficacy, so the choice between them depends on tolerability and, in elderly patients, on central nervous system (CNS) safety. CNS signals from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) now inform that choice, yet they rest on uncalibrated disproportionality, which cannot separate pharmacology from reporting. Methods: Across the full FAERS database (20,328,575 reports), we computed reporting odds ratios (ROR) for enzalutamide, apalutamide, darolutamide, and abiraterone over 32 drug–event pairs, recalibrated every estimate against a drug-specific empirical null from 18 negative controls, and corrected for multiplicity. The null was fitted two ways and validated against twelve label-established positive controls. Results: Uncalibrated analysis flagged 22 of 32 pairs, and also 41 of 72 control pairs on events judged to carry no true effect, so its null does not hold. Calibration removes that bias, but the verdict then depends on how the null is fitted: with its dispersion taken as the sample standard deviation of the control estimates, no pair reached q < 0.05, while under the maximum-likelihood fit the framework prescribes six did, three of them being CNS pairs. Positive controls confirmed that calibration retains genuine agent-specific effects, and the detection floor lay above every CNS estimate for the same agent. Conclusions: Comparative ARPI CNS signals in FAERS are not identifiable; the verdict is set by the calibration design rather than by the drugs, so such signals should not stand alone in agent selection. The firmer safety axis remains fall and fracture risk, the class’s dominant serious harm in trials and guidelines. Full article

Falls among older adults can cause serious injury and loss of independence. cStick 2.0 is a vision-enabled, IoMT-edge based smart walking-stick prototype that combines multimodal fall-risk classification with embedded obstacle awareness. The fall-risk classifiers were evaluated using a 9670-record development dataset, on which the compact DNN achieved 95.40% accuracy, 92.35% balanced accuracy, a macro F1-score of 93.90%, and a ROC-AUC of 97.44%. The Arduino Nicla Vision obstacle module used an INT8 Edge Impulse model with centroid-based direction assignment and time-of-flight distance sensing; 144 controlled trials produced 75.00% obstacle-presence accuracy at approximately 19–20 FPS. Sensor acquisition, GPS, display output, buzzer response, and CSV record accumulation were demonstrated at a prototype level. Synchronized older-adult evaluation, device-to-application communication, secure caregiver services, multimodal accessibility feedback, and longitudinal personalization remain future validation stages. Full article

Background/Objectives: Digoxin, a positive inotropic agent with a narrow therapeutic window, is used in heart failure but carries toxicity risks. This study aims to characterize the profile of digoxin-associated adverse drug reactions reported in the EudraVigilance database, focusing on drug–drug interactions, dosing errors, and off-label use. Methods: Descriptive and disproportionality analyses were performed on Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs) until 25 January 2026. Digoxin was compared with other inotropic agents by calculating the Reporting Odds Ratio and 95% confidence intervals. Results: Digoxin recorded 11,426 ICSRs, with a predominance in patients aged 65–85 years (46.4%) and over 85 years (25.1%). Higher reporting probabilities were identified for the terms “Drug interaction” and “Overdose” compared to other inotropes. Fatal outcomes were reported in 19 cases related to drug interactions and 41 cases related to overdose. Consistent disproportionality signals were found for gastrointestinal, renal, and nervous system disorders. Off-label use was reported in 0.8% of cases and was associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. Risks are exacerbated by polypharmacy and renal decline in elderly patients. Conclusions: Digoxin toxicity and cardiac complications are the primary drivers of reported morbidity. This risk profile highlights the need for the rigorous clinical monitoring, precise dose adjustments and heightened vigilance regarding drug–drug interactions. Full article

Multimorbidity risk identification in elderly health consultation scenarios is challenging because chronic disease history and medication exposure may interact through complex causal pathways. Existing LLM-, RAG-, and graph-based retrieval methods often rely on semantic relevance or graph connectivity, which may be insufficient for identifying user-specific risk mechanisms. This study proposes RACPR, a generative AI-enhanced risk-aware causal path re-ranking framework for interpretable multimorbidity risk identification. RACPR ranks candidate causal paths by integrating user-entity alignment, causal coherence, risk contribution, and path length control and uses generative AI to transform selected paths into readable, path-grounded explanations. To support controlled algorithmic evaluation, we constructed a normalized benchmark of 1002 elderly multimorbidity consultation cases covering diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. The benchmark and supporting knowledge graph were derived from publicly available biomedical and health information resources, including PubMed abstracts, guideline and review sources, DrugBank medication-safety evidence, and MedlinePlus-based terminology. Under a leakage-controlled setting, only age, diagnosed diseases, and medication exposures were used as model-accessible inputs, while abnormal indicators, support paths, and rationales were reserved for evaluation. On the test set, RACPR achieved an Accuracy of 0.659, a Precision of 0.602, a Recall of 0.938, an F1-score of 0.733, and an AUC of 0.777. Ablation analysis showed that removing the risk-aware component reduced AUC from 0.777 to 0.428. Benchmark-level explanation evaluation further showed improvements in path consistency, path hit rate, and health-oriented plausibility. These findings indicate that risk-aware causal path re-ranking improved risk ranking and explanation grounding relative to the evaluated baselines under the controlled benchmark setting. Full article

Objective: Varicella zoster virus (VZV), a member of the Herpesviridae family, is known as the causative agent of chickenpox (varicella). Following primary infection, VZV can remain latent for life and may reactivate over time to cause herpes zoster (shingles). Advanced age, immunodeficiency, and certain chronic illnesses are major risk factors for the development of herpes zoster. To prevent herpes zoster, a live zoster vaccine was licensed in 2006, followed by a recombinant zoster vaccine with higher efficacy in 2018. In Türkiye, the recombinant zoster vaccine was licensed in 2024. Raising awareness among healthcare workers is important both for their own health and the safety of vulnerable patients. This study aimed to evaluate healthcare workers’ knowledge and awareness of herpes zoster infection and zoster vaccines across the country, as well as to determine the prevalence of prior herpes zoster infection among them. Methods: After obtaining ethical approval, a nationwide multicenter survey was conducted. A questionnaire was distributed to healthcare workers via an online link. Participation was entirely voluntary. The survey collected demographic information (age, sex, profession, years of experience) and included questions on knowledge of herpes zoster, history of zoster infection, symptoms and severity (if applicable), awareness of the zoster vaccine, and vaccination attitudes. Results: A total of 5180 healthcare workers participated, of whom 3505 were female. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 79 years (mean age: 34.24 ± 11.52). Regarding professions: 47.9% were physicians, 21.3% were nurses or midwives, 0.8% were dentists or dental technicians, and 30% were from other healthcare professions. Among participants, 54.4% had ≤10 years of professional experience, 20% had comorbidities, and 10.5% were using immunosuppressive medications. It was found that 9.6% had previously had herpes zoster, 8.8% had no knowledge of the disease, 39.6% were aware of the vaccine, and 20.1% were unwilling to pay for vaccination. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that being a physician significantly increased the likelihood of having correct knowledge by 1.961 times compared to other professions (p < 0.001, CI: 1.608–2.392). Similarly, those who had heard of herpes zoster were 3.191 times more likely to answer correctly than those who had not (p = 0.011, CI: 1.650–6.172). Male gender was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of having accurate knowledge compared to females (p = 0.001, OR = 0.720, CI: 0.594–0.874). Conclusions: This study revealed that healthcare workers’ knowledge and awareness regarding herpes zoster and its vaccines are generally insufficient. The recent licensing of the vaccine in Türkiye may explain this, but it is critical for healthcare professionals to be more informed about risk groups and vaccination indications in order to enhance the effectiveness of preventive healthcare services. Given the potential for serious complications of herpes zoster in elderly and immunocompromised individuals, the importance of vaccination should be emphasized more strongly to healthcare workers. Furthermore, the finding that 20.1% of those aware of the vaccine were deterred by its cost highlights the need to improve vaccine accessibility. Economic barriers preventing healthcare workers from being vaccinated emphasize the importance of making the vaccine widely available through public support to protect both healthcare workers and patient safety. Full article

Background/Objectives: Traffic accidents are a significant public health issue. Pedestrians are considered the most vulnerable victims, showing the highest mortality rates. Thus, mortality rate indicators reflect the effectiveness of policies and safety measures applied to urban mobility. Therefore, the study objective is to identify trends in pedestrian mortality to foster an understanding of the local reality and to propose effective interventions for the safety and mobility of this population. Methods: This ecological time-series study used secondary data from the Unified Health System Information System (DATASUS) on all traffic accident-related deaths in Espírito Santo, Brazil, from 2009 to 2020. Data were classified according to the 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Variables included sex (male; female), age group (in years: 0 to 80+), and victim type (pedestrian). Mortality rates were logarithmically transformed (base 10), and the Prais–Winsten regression model was employed using STATA 13.0. Results: A total of 1969 traffic accident-related deaths were recorded. Males accounted for 75% of deaths, individuals of mixed race (pardo) represented 57%, and 72% were unmarried. A significant reduction in mortality rates was observed across age groups, especially among individuals aged 0–24 years. Mortality trends remained stationary only among individuals aged 80 years and older. Overall, the mortality rate decreased throughout the study period, from 5.51 to 1.69 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Conclusion: Pedestrian mortality rates from traffic accidents in Espírito Santo showed a decreasing trend, particularly among children and young people, while remaining stable among the elderly. Full article

Background/Objectives: Azacitidine (AZA) is the standard of care for patients with higher-risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS). There is limited real-life data, however, characterizing its efficacy and safety profile in elderly patients. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort chart review to compare front-line AZA therapy in patients ≥75 years (elderly) vs. <75 years (younger) with higher-risk MDS treated at our cancer center. The primary endpoint was overall survival and main secondary endpoints included response, as per the 2006 International Working Group consensus criteria, leukemia-free survival, transfusion independence, and safety outcomes. Results: In total, 55 patients were elderly (median age: 79.9 years), including 27 patients >80 years, and 41 were younger (median age: 69.4 years). Baseline demographic variables were similar between both groups. The majority of elderly patients (98%) received the full dose of AZA (75 mg/m²), compared with 90% of younger patients. The median number of AZA cycles was 8 (range: 2–69) in elderly and 7.75 (range: 1–96) in younger patients. Treatment delays occurred in 36.4% of elderly and 29.3% of younger patients, most commonly due to infection complications in both groups (p = 0.076). Disease control rates (complete remission + partial remission + stable disease) were 92.9% in the younger subgroup and 96.4% in the elderly subgroup (p = 0.154). Relapse occurred in 48.8% of younger patients and 40.0% of elderly patients. Median overall survival (OS) was 17.3 months for the younger subgroup, 15.7 months for the elderly subgroup (p = 0.771), and 11.9 months among patients >80 years (p = 0.381). Mortality rates and causes of death were similar between both subgroups. Most common causes of death included disease progression, sepsis, febrile neutropenia, and pneumonia. Conclusions: AZA monotherapy resulted in a high response rate and was well-tolerated in elderly patients with higher-risk MDS. These findings remain consistent in the real-world setting despite potential confounding factors that may contribute to inferior outcomes. Full article

Background: Patients with severe chronic anemia often require frequent blood transfusions. Many are elderly with comorbidities and limited mobility, making regular hospital visits burdensome. In some cases, patients may receive transfusions despite hemoglobin levels being above the clinical threshold due to logistical challenges, leading to unnecessary exposure to risks, inefficient use of blood units, and resource strain. This study aims to evaluate the use of point-of-care (POC) hemoglobin measurements under controlled outpatient clinic conditions, as an initial step toward potential future home-based monitoring by the patients or their caregivers, with the goal of optimizing transfusion timing, aiming to reduce unnecessary hospital visits while maintaining patient safety. Methods: A total of 127 patients from a hemato-oncology outpatient clinic at Carmel Medical Center were evaluated using a nurse-operated POC device to sample capillary blood, with 236 paired measurements concurrently analyzed via venous blood in the laboratory. Demographic and clinical data were assessed to evaluate factors associated with agreement between POC and laboratory measurements. Statistical analysis included Bland–Altman plots and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: The POC device showed a moderate correlation with laboratory results (r = 0.73, p < 0.001), with a mean difference of 1.20 g/dL (SD = 1.94 g/dL) but wide limits of agreement (−3.20 to 5.50 g/dL). No significant differences were observed across demographic or clinical subgroups. Notably, all 156 paired measurements with POC-measured hemoglobin >7 g/dL were confirmed by laboratory testing. Conclusions: Although POC hemoglobin devices are not suitable as standalone tools for routine monitoring of chronic anemia, the high negative predictive value observed at the 7 g/dL threshold suggests that they may be useful for ruling out severe anemia. If validated in larger multicenter and home-use studies, POC Hb devices might contribute to reducing unnecessary hospital visits and transfusions. Full article