Search Results (513)

Introduction: With the emergence of the expert patient and the expansion of health literacy, the importance of planning and building health technologies aimed at teaching and training health professionals, especially nurses, due to their activities with patients in Primary Health Care, with the aim of meeting the real and constant demands of the expert patient, is evident. Methods: Methodological study with a quantitative approach. The course was constructed based on a scope review, scientific reference, and observational visits during the months of September 2021 and August 2022. For validation, an organized electronic form was used with general information about the research and items of the course constructed for later evaluation by the judges with the three-point Likert scale and with the application of the Delphi Technique between the months of September and October 2022; for the agreement of the judges, the Content Validation Coefficient > 0.8 was considered. Results: Based on the content selected in the scope review, the reference contribution, and the observational visits, the course was constructed. Nine judges participated in the validation stage in Delphi I with a total Content Validation Coefficient above 0.90 and with some suggestions for modifications and improvements pointed out by them. In Delphi II, six judges evaluated the course, resulting in a total Content Validation Coefficient of 0.99. Conclusions: The course developed was considered valid to support the training of Primary Health Care nurses in the formation of the expert patient, with a view to promoting patient autonomy in self-care management, optimizing Primary Health Care, and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Health education plays a vital role in training health professionals and caregivers, supporting both prevention and the promotion of self-care. In this context, technology serves as a valuable ally by enabling continuous and flexible learning. Among the various domains of health education, nutrition stands out as a key element in the management of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), helping to prevent malnutrition and enhance patient well-being. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching and learning processes within a learning pathway focused on food and nutrition in the context of ALS. Methods: This study adopted a longitudinal, quantitative design. The learning pathway, titled “Food and Nutrition in ALS,” consisted of four self-paced and self-instructional Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), offered through the Virtual Learning Environment of the Brazilian Health System (AVASUS). Participants included health professionals, caregivers, and patients from all five regions of Brazil. Participants had the autonomy to complete the courses in any order, with no prerequisites for enrollment. Results: Out of 14,263 participants enrolled nationwide, 182 were included in this study after signing the Informed Consent Form. Of these, 142 (78%) completed at least one course and participated in the educational intervention. A significant increase in knowledge was observed, with mean pre-test scores rising from 7.3 (SD = 1.8) to 9.6 (SD = 0.9) on the post-test across all courses (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The self-instructional, technology-mediated continuing education model proved effective in improving participants’ knowledge about nutrition in ALS. Future studies should explore knowledge retention, behavior change, and the impact of such interventions on clinical outcomes, especially in multidisciplinary care settings. Full article

Collagen implants in neurosurgery are widely used due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ability to support tissue regeneration, but their mechanical properties, such as low tensile strength and susceptibility to enzymatic degradation, remain challenging. Current technologies are improving these implants through cross-linking, synthetic reinforcements, and advanced manufacturing techniques such as 3D bioprinting to improve durability and predictability. Industry 4.0 is contributing to this by automating production, using data analytics and machine learning to optimize implant properties and ensure quality control. In Industry 5.0, the focus is shifting to personalization, enabling the creation of patient-specific implants through human–machine collaboration and advanced biofabrication. eHealth integrates digital monitoring systems, enabling real-time tracking of implant healing and performance to inform personalized care. Despite progress, challenges such as cost, material property variability, and scalability for mass production remain. The future lies in smart biomaterials, AI-driven design, and precision biofabrication, which could mean the possibility of creating more effective, accessible, and patient-specific collagen implants. The aim of this article is to examine the current state and determine the prospects for the development of mechanical properties of collagen implant used in neurosurgery towards Industry 4.0/5.0, including ML model. Full article

The incorporation of digital health into the medical curricula is becoming more important to better prepare doctors in the future. Digital health comprises a wide range of tools such as electronic health records, health information technology, telemedicine, telehealth, mobile health applications, wearable devices, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. The present study aimed to explore the medical and biomedical students’ perspectives on the integration of digital health in medical curricula. A cross-sectional study was conducted on the medical and biomedical undergraduate students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The response rate was 37%. The majority of respondents were in the MD (Doctor of Medicine) program (84.4%), while 29 students (15.6%) were from the BMS (Biomedical Sciences) program. A total of 55.38% agreed that they were familiar with the term ‘e-Health’. Additionally, 143 individuals (76.88%) reported being aware of the definition of e-Health. Specifically, 69 individuals (37.10%) utilize e-Health technologies every other week, 20 individuals (10.75%) reported using them daily, while 44 individuals (23.66%) indicated that they never used such technologies. Despite having several benefits, challenges exist in integrating digital health into the medical curriculum. There is a need to overcome the lack of infrastructure, existing educational materials, and digital health topics. In conclusion, embedding digital health into medical curricula is certainly beneficial for creating a digitally competent healthcare workforce that could help in better data storage, help in diagnosis, aid in patient consultation from a distance, and advise on medications, thereby leading to improved patient care which is a key public health priority. Full article

Introduction: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs), especially those from underserved communities, often face barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH). This pilot study evaluated the implementation of mobile health technologies to promote SRH care, including the integration of the Rapid Adolescent Prevention Screening^TM (RAAPS) and the Health-E You/Salud iTu^TM (Health-E You) app at a School-Based Health Center (SBHC) in Los Angeles using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework. Methods: This multi-method pilot study included the implementation of an integrated tool with two components, the RAAPS electronic health screening tool and the Health-E You app, which delivers tailored SRH education and contraceptive decision support to patients (who were sex-assigned as female at birth) and provides an electronic summary to clinicians to better prepare them for the visit with their patient. Quantitative data on tool usage were collected directly from the back-end data storage for the apps, and qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and in-clinic observations. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify implementation barriers and facilitators. Results: Between April 2024 and June 2024, 60 unique patients (14–19 years of age) had a healthcare visit. Of these, 35.00% used the integrated RAAPS/Health-E You app, and 88.33% completed the Health-E You app only. All five clinic staff were interviewed and expressed that they valued the tools for their educational impact, noting that they enhanced SRH discussions and helped uncover sensitive information that students might not disclose face-to-face. However, the tools affected clinic workflows and caused rooming delays due to the time-intensive setup process and lack of integration with the clinic’s primary electronic medical record system. In addition, they also reported that the time to complete the screener and app within the context of a 30-min appointment limited the time available for direct patient care. Additionally, staff reported that some students struggled with the two-step process and did not complete all components of the tool. Despite these challenges, clinic staff strongly supported renewing the RAAPS license and continued use of the Health-E You app, emphasizing the platform’s potential for improving SRH care and its educational value. Conclusions: The integrated RAAPS and Health-E You app platform demonstrated educational value and improved SRH care but faced operational and technical barriers in implementing the tool. These findings emphasize the potential of such tools to address SRH disparities among vulnerable AYAs while providing a framework for future implementations in SBHCs. Full article

Patient involvement in health technology assessment (HTA) processes is increasingly recognized as pivotal for informed, equitable, and patient-relevant health care decision-making. With the implementation of Joint Scientific Consultations (JSCs) and Joint Clinical Assessments (JCAs) under Regulation (EU) 2021/2282, the European Union has a unique opportunity to design harmonized mechanisms that reflect best practices from established HTA systems. This article, drawing on the Acute Leukemia Advocates Network (ALAN)’s comparative analysis of HTA practices across seven countries (Canada, England, Scotland, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy), examines how current patient involvement processes can inform the JCA framework. It identifies opportunities to replicate effective practices and proposes strategies to embed patient voices meaningfully into the JCA process. By prioritizing robust and inclusive patient involvement, the EU can establish a global benchmark for impactful and consistent HTA processes. By leveraging lessons from international HTA systems and prioritizing clear frameworks, early involvement, and capacity building, the EU can set a global standard for meaningful patient participation in HTA processes. ALAN is an independent global network of patient organizations dedicated to improving outcomes for patients with acute leukemia. Full article

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients face a four-fold higher suicide risk than the general US population. This study explores psychosocial aspects of GI cancer patient experiences, assessing suicidal ideation and behavior, mental distress during treatment phases, and psychosocial factors on mental health. Methods: A two-phase mixed-methods approach involved a web-based survey and follow-up interviews. Quantitative data analysis validated mental health and suicidal ideation constructs, and correlation analyses were performed. The patient journey was charted from diagnosis to treatment. Results: Two hundred and two individuals participated, with 76 from the rural Appalachian region and 78 undergoing treatments. Quantitative analysis showed a higher prevalence of passive suicidal ideation than active planning. The post-treatment recovery period was the most emotionally challenging. Qualitative data emphasized emotional support and vulnerability to isolation. Care quality concerns included individualized treatment plans and better communication. Patients also needed clear, comprehensive information about treatment and side effects. The in-depth interview with four GI cancer patients revealed a healthcare system prioritizing expedient treatment over comprehensive care, lacking formal psychological support. AI emerged as a promising avenue for enhancing patient understanding and treatment options. Conclusions: Our research advocates for a patient-centric model of care, enhanced by technology and empathetic communication. Full article

Introduction: This prospective descriptive study explored the disparities in perceptions and experiences regarding healthcare services between providers and users during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a specific focus on the impact of the digital divide on access to and quality of care. The study revealed significant inconsistencies in the experiences of healthcare providers and patients, particularly regarding the effectiveness of digital health interventions. Methods: This study was a prospective descriptive analysis conducted to evaluate and compare the use of electronic healthcare services between healthcare employees (HΕs) (N = 290) and consumers (Cs) (N = 263) from December 2024 to May 2025, utilizing an electronic survey after the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure the statistical validity of the sample size, a power analysis was performed using G*Power 3.1.9.2 software. A questionnaire was developed to evaluate the readiness of healthcare employees and consumers for electronic healthcare services. It was validated to ensure reliability within this population and comprised 49 questions. Results: The response rate of the participants was 89.19%, and the Cronbach’s alpha for the questionnaire was 0.738. The study revealed notable differences in perceptions regarding health-related information and digital health technologies across genders and age groups. Specifically, 28.8% of females and 27.3% of males considered it important to be well-informed about health issues (χ² = 8.83, df = 3, p = 0.032). Conclusions: This research contributes to filling a gap in comparative analyses of provider and user perspectives, offering a comprehensive view of how digital health was adopted and experienced during a global crisis. Practically, it provides an evidence base to guide future interventions aimed at fostering more equitable, resilient, and user-friendly digital healthcare systems. Full article

The European Health Technology Assessment (HTA) regulation (HTAR) came into effect in January 2025 and impacts the HTA process in all European Member States. Member States must give due consideration to the joint clinical assessment (JCA) report. This may require adaptations at the national level. This paper describes the anticipated changes to the Dutch national HTA process and how the Dutch National Health Care Institute (Zorginstituut Nederland, ZIN) prepared for this, because sharing experience between Member States can be of general interest for future expansion of the EU HTAR. ZIN’s implementation activities were facilitated by a project-governance structure and by a continuous gap analysis of the current national assessment and appraisal process of medicinal products, resulting in a concrete action plan. The implementation of the HTAR has two major implications for ZIN’s HTA process, namely that the scoping phase starts much earlier and that the JCA report is the starting point for the national assessment. Gaps, challenges and issues were identified in the categories: information and knowledge, IT and template, communication and stakeholder engagement, capacity and resources, and financial aspects. Based on a thorough and well-defined implementation plan, ZIN is ready to implement the HTAR in national HTA processes and to take on (co-)assessor roles for JCA of medicinal products in 2025. Full article

Combining a large collection of patient data and advanced technology, healthcare organizations can excel in medical research and increase the quality of patient care. At the same time, health records present serious privacy and security challenges because they are confidential and can be breached through networks. Even traditional methods with federated learning are used to share data, patient information might still be at risk of interference while updating the model. This paper proposes the Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning with Homomorphic Encryption (PPFLHE) framework, which strongly supports secure cooperation in healthcare and at the same time providing symmetric privacy protection among participating institutions. Everyone in the collaboration used the same EfficientNet-B0 architecture and training conditions and keeping the model symmetrical throughout the network to achieve a balanced learning process and fairness. All the institutions used CKKS encryption symmetrically for their models to keep data concealed and stop any attempts at inference. Our federated learning process uses FedAvg on the server to symmetrically aggregate encrypted model updates and decrease any delays in our server communication. We attained a classification accuracy of 83.19% and 81.27% when using the APTOS 2019 Blindness Detection dataset and MosMedData CT scan dataset, respectively. Such findings confirm that the PPFLHE framework is generalizable among the broad range of medical imaging methods. In this way, patient data are kept secure while encouraging medical research and treatment to move forward, helping healthcare systems cooperate more effectively. Full article

In higher education, the emotional intelligence (EI) of university professors, defined as the ability to perceive, understand, manage and utilize emotions effectively, is increasingly recognized as a pivotal factor in enhancing students’ academic achievement and psychological well-being. However, the scarcity of studies directly linking professors’ EI to students’ well-being highlights a critical research gap. This systematic review investigates how professors’ emotional competencies influence student outcomes—such as academic performance, engagement, motivation, and mental health—and identifies the factors that mediate or moderate these effects. Findings indicate that professors’ EI, particularly empathy, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills, significantly enhances student engagement, motivation, and academic satisfaction, with indirect effects on psychological well-being. Cultural context, teaching modality (e.g., online vs. in-person), and professors’ age and experience moderate these effects and influence effect sizes. Qualitative synthesis further highlighted contextual gaps in the literature. The limited focus on well-being and outcomes and reliance on self-report measures underscore the need for longitudinal, culturally diverse studies and performance-based EI assessments. The value of this research lies in its potential to inform evidence-based educational practices and institutional policies. By elucidating the role of professors’ EI, the review lays the groundwork for developing faculty training programs aimed at strengthening emotional competencies and fostering inclusive, supportive learning environments that promote student growth and resilience. This is especially relevant given the growing prevalence of stress, anxiety, and disengagement among university students, exacerbated by post-pandemic challenges and academic pressures. Understanding the impact of EI can inform culturally responsive interventions, improve student retention, and enhance institutional effectiveness, thereby addressing a pressing need in contemporary higher education. In today’s rapidly evolving technological, social, and cultural landscape, universities have both the opportunity and the responsibility to act as catalysts for the creation of an educational culture that promotes social well-being. This requires adopting educational and organizational models that prioritize human care and the quality of interpersonal relationships. To be effective, these priorities must be integrated into all university operations, from governance to student support and talent development. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adherence to healthy behaviors after open-heart surgery is crucial for recovery and long-term health. Traditional patient education methods can be enhanced by using technology to improve engagement and self-care. This study aimed to develop and assess the feasibility of the “Term-Jai” smartphone application for promoting healthy heart behaviors in open-heart surgery patients. Methods: The “Term-Jai” psychological theory-based application was tested quantitatively and qualitatively over a 30-day period with 13 patients (age 44–78 years) following open-heart surgery between November 2023 and March 2024. Participant engagement, healthy behaviors, user experience, and usability were assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS), satisfaction ratings, healthy behavior questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. Results: The application was feasible, with 70% of participants remaining engaged during the intervention. The average SUS score was 80.2 ± 10.3, indicating good usability. Participants found the application’s information useful, clear, and easy to understand, showing improvements in health behaviors following application usage. The qualitative analysis highlighted the application’s intuitive design and potential for supporting cardiac rehabilitation. High satisfaction scores suggested its effectiveness despite some barriers to application usage around technical support and personalized exercise progression. Conclusions: The “Term-Jai” application is a promising tool for promoting healthy behaviors in patients following open-heart surgery. The application shows good usability and participant satisfaction, indicating its potential for broader implementation after further refinements. Full article

Background: In elderly community services, information technology is reshaping the daily lives of older adults in unprecedented ways. It effectively addresses the issue of frailty in the community by strengthening support networks and dynamic risk management. Despite its vast potential, there remains a need to explore further enabling methods in the realm of elderly community services. Objectives: This study aims to provide a significant theoretical and practical foundation for information technology in this field by systematically analyzing the progress and trends of digital transformation facilitated by information technology. Materials and method: To map the advancements and emerging trends in this evolving field, this study conducts a bibliometric analysis of 461 relevant publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (2004–2024). The research employs bibliometric methods and utilizes tools such as CiteSpace and VOSViewer to analyze collaborations, keywords, and citations, as well as to perform data visualization. Results: The findings indicate that current research hotspots mainly focus on “community care”, “access to care”, “technology”, and “older adults”.Potential development trends include (1) further exploration of information technology in elderly care to provide more precise health management solutions; (2) systematically building community elderly service systems to offer more detailed elderly care services; (3) strengthening interdisciplinary information sharing and research collaboration to drive innovation in community elderly care models; and (4) introducing targeted policy and financial support to improve the specific implementation framework of information technology in elderly community services. Conclusions: This study provides empirical support for the development of relevant theories and practices. Furthermore, the research outcomes offer valuable insights into business opportunities for practitioners and provide important recommendations for formulating elderly service policies. Full article

Objective: Esophageal cancer (EC) is difficult to visually identify, rendering early detection crucial to avert the advancement and decline of the patient’s health. Methodology: This work aimed to acquire spectral information from EC images via Spectrum-Aided Visual Enhancer (SAVE) technology, which improves imaging beyond the limitations of conventional White-Light Imaging (WLI). The hyperspectral data acquired using SAVE were examined utilizing sophisticated deep learning methodologies, incorporating models such as YOLOv8, YOLOv7, YOLOv6, YOLOv5, Scaled YOLOv4, and YOLOv3. The models were assessed to create a reliable detection framework for accurately identifying the stage and location of malignant lesions. Results: The comparative examination of these models demonstrated that the SAVE method regularly surpassed WLI for specificity, sensitivity, and overall diagnostic efficacy. Significantly, SAVE improved precision and F1 scores for the majority of the models, which are essential measures for enhancing patient care and customizing effective medicines. Among the evaluated models, YOLOv8 showed exceptional performance. YOLOv8 demonstrated increased sensitivity to squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), but YOLOv5 provided reliable outcomes across many situations, underscoring its adaptability. Conclusions: These findings highlight the clinical importance of combining SAVE technology with deep learning models for esophageal cancer screening. The enhanced diagnostic accuracy provided by SAVE, especially when integrated with CAD models, offers potential for improving early detection, precise diagnosis, and tailored treatment approaches in clinically pertinent scenarios. Full article

Background/Objectives: Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (DTC), comprising papillary and follicular carcinomas, is the most common type of thyroid cancer. This is highly infectious and increasing at a higher rate. Some patients experience recurrence even after undergoing successful treatment. Early signs of recurrence can be hard to identify, and the existing health care system cannot always identify it on time. Therefore, predicting its recurrence accurately and in its early stage is a significant clinical challenge. Numerous advanced technologies, such as machine learning, are being used to overcome this clinical challenge. Thus, this study presents a novel approach for predicting the recurrence of DTC. The key objective is to improve the prediction accuracy through hyperparameter optimization. Methods: In order to achieve this, we have used a metaheuristic algorithm, the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) and its modified version. The modifications that we introduced in the original WOA algorithm are a piecewise linear chaotic map for population initialization and inertia weight. Both of our algorithms optimize the hyperparameters of the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model to increase the overall performance. The proposed algorithms were applied to the dataset collected from the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Machine Learning Repository to predict the chances of recurrence for DTC. This dataset consists of 383 samples with a total of 16 features. Each feature captures the critical medical and demographic information. Results: The model has shown an accuracy of 99% when optimized with WOA and 97% accuracy when optimized with the modified WOA. Conclusions: Furthermore, we have compared our work with other innovative works and validated the performance of our model for the prediction of DTC recurrence. Full article