Search Results (98)

Background: Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) serve a vital role in facilitating the exchange of scientific knowledge between pharmaceutical companies and health care professionals (HCPs), including pharmacists, ensuring the dissemination of accurate, evidence-based information to support clinical decision-making. Evaluating MSL performance is critical for demonstrating their value, yet defining appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs) remains challenging due to the combination of scientific engagement, relationship-building, and other activities that are difficult to measure. Objective: This study examines the current and perceived ideal use of quantitative and qualitative metrics for MSL performance evaluation, the difficulties in measuring MSL impact, and the perceived effectiveness of existing KPIs. Methods: A global survey of 1023 medical affairs professionals across 63 countries was conducted, gathering data on which KPIs are currently used versus which should be used, the preferred weighting of qualitative vs. quantitative metrics, and opinions on measurement difficulty and KPI effectiveness. Results: The results reveal a strong preference for qualitative metrics (52%) over quantitative metrics (7%), though most organizations primarily use activity-based metrics such as the number of key opinion leader (KOL) engagements (92%). Despite these practices, many respondents believe that MSL KPIs should focus more on impact-based qualitative metrics, such as the quality of KOL/HCP relationships and/or engagements (70%) and the quality of actionable insights gathered (67%). Furthermore, 67% of participants reported it is “difficult” or “very difficult” to measure MSL performance accurately, and only 3% revealed current KPIs and metrics used to measure MSL performance are “very effective”. These findings highlight a disconnect between the way MSLs are evaluated and the value they provide. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the need for a balanced KPI framework that integrates both qualitative and quantitative measures. A more refined performance evaluation system (incorporating stakeholder feedback, insight quality, and strategic impact) can ensure fair assessments and drive MSL effectiveness. Full article

Exercise is an evidence-based strategy shown to reduce the negative side effects associated with cancer treatment for individuals living with and beyond cancer (LWBC). Healthcare providers (HCPs) play a critical role in promoting exercise for these individuals. Notwithstanding, several barriers hinder HCPs’ ability to discuss and support exercise in clinical practice. EXCEL is an exercise intervention designed to address health disparities in access to exercise oncology resources for rural/remote individuals LWBC, including a referral pathway for HCPs to use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate HCP experiences using the EXCEL exercise referral pathway. We employed an interpretive description methodology, using semi-structured interviews to assess HCP experiences with EXCEL. Overall, HCPs felt empowered to refer to exercise when they were supported in doing so. The findings highlighted (1) a need for a better understanding of the role of exercise professionals and their integration into cancer care; (2) the need for efficient referral systems including embedding referrals into existing health care electronic record systems; and (3) sharing patient feedback with exercise oncology programs back to the HCPs to drive continued referrals. Full article

The burden of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) is increasing worldwide. National, regional, and local policies on IFI management should respond to the changing landscape. We assessed antifungal policies from five countries of varying size, IFI burden, and geography: the Netherlands, Italy, South Korea, China, and India. These countries were selected as a representative sample reflecting different types of economic and health systems that patients and providers access worldwide. This assessment focused on a comprehensive range of antifungal policy elements, including recognition and prioritization, awareness and education, prevention and monitoring, diagnosis and coordinated care, access to appropriate treatment, and diagnostic and treatment innovation. Although countries in this analysis all have some form of policy for IFI management, we have identified substantial gaps, including low prioritization of IFI diagnostics, omission of fungal pathogens from antimicrobial resistance policies, and a general lack of awareness and healthcare professional (HCP) training on IFI management. The gaps identified are intended to inform HCPs and policy- and decision-makers about aspects to consider in reducing the IFI burden for patients and health systems while demonstrating responsible antifungal stewardship. Full article

Patient-centered care focuses on aligning healthcare with a person’s values and preferences to support their health and life goals. This approach is especially crucial among adolescents and young adults (AYAs—with a primary cancer diagnosis between the ages of 18 and 39) facing an uncertain or poor cancer prognosis (UPCP), whose care needs differ from those undergoing curative treatment. This study aims to gain insights from AYAs with a UPCP, their informal caregivers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to define optimal patient-centered care and identify barriers to its implementation. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 46 AYAs, 39 informal caregivers, and 49 HCPs from various clinical backgrounds. Findings highlighted the need of AYAs for an equal relationship with HCPs and active involvement in decision-making, alongside tailored information addressing their unique challenges. Informal caregivers expressed the need for information to support patients while preferring a minimal focus on themselves. HCPs noted the necessity for specialized training to meet the specific needs of AYAs with a UPCP, reporting difficulties in providing tailored support due to the disease’s uncertainties. This study’s results can lead to improved healthcare for this population and enhance educational modules for HCPs, equipping them to better support AYAs facing a UPCP. Full article

Background: Compassion is recognized as a key component of high-quality healthcare. The literature shows that compassion is essential to improving patient-reported outcomes and fostering health care professionals’ (HCPs) response and resilience to burnout. However, compassion is inherently difficult to define, and a validated tool to reliably quantify and measure patients’ experience of compassion in healthcare settings did not exist until recently. The Sinclair Compassion Questionnaire (SCQ) was compared to six similar tools in 2022 and emerged as the most reliable tool to assess compassion. The purpose of our study was to validate the SCQ in an English-speaking U.S. population. Methods: A total of 272 patients completed our survey, which included the SCQ and 17 demographic-related questions. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to establish the construct validity of the SCQ and also the five-item version, the SCQ Short Form (SCQ-SF). Results: The CFA confirmed a good model fit, with factor loadings ranging from 0.81 to 0.93. Further analysis showed strong reliability, ranging from 0.866 to 0.957, and with an overall Cronbach’s alpha = 0.96. Conclusions: This study validates the SCQ and SCQ-SF in an English-speaking U.S. population and provides researchers and HCPs with a reliable psychometric tool to measure compassion across healthcare settings. Full article

Background: The announcement of Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis may provoke negative feelings that impact the ability to cope with the disease and all life changes related to this new condition. There are scarce data on how to improve communication about PD diagnosis and which factors may influence this outcome. Methods: We performed a national French survey, investigating the diagnosis announcement impact on a large population of people living with PD (PwPD), who recently received the diagnosis (≤1 year since PD diagnosis), and on related caregivers and health care professionals (HCPs), from tertiary and community-based hospitals. Results: A total of 397 PwPD (45% female and 82% > 50 years old), 192 caregivers and 120 HCPs (69% neurologists) completed the questionnaire. The diagnosis was not expected by about 60% of PwPD and induced negative feelings in the majority (82%) of them. Negative feelings that PwPD experience in the moment of the diagnosis announcement were related with male gender [OR = 2.034, CI 95% 1.09–3.78; p = 0.025] and older age [OR = 1.05, CI 95% 1.01–1.08; p = 0.004], while tremor as the first symptom had a threshold significance [OR = 1.78, CI 95% 0.994–3.187; p = 0.052]. Half of the PwPD and caregivers considered that they did not receive enough information and one third had a short-term appointment to rediscuss the diagnosis. A total of 82% of PwPD expressed the willingness to have a multidisciplinary follow-up (PD nurse, psychologists). Only 24% of the HCPs had been trained for PD announcement. Conclusions: The way a PD diagnosis is delivered represents a pivotal moment in the journey of PwPD and caregivers. This process requires improvement in addressing the gaps expressed by PwPD, caregivers, and HCPs through a participatory approach. Full article

Background: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) presents significant health challenges globally. Despite its prevalence in diverse geographical regions, there is a paucity of literature synthesizing evidence on healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward SCD assessment and management. This meta-aggregative review systematically examined and synthesized existing qualitative research to elucidate healthcare professionals’ KAP regarding SCD assessment and management. Methods: This meta-aggregative review followed Aromataris and Pearson’s guidelines and the PRISMA framework for systematic review reporting. The search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL Web of Science, Google Scholar, Dimensions AI, and HINARI. Quality appraisal was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool. Results: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) demonstrate varying levels of KAP toward SCD assessment and management. Studies reveal low-to-moderate levels of general knowledge among HCPs, with nurses often exhibiting poorer understanding than physicians. Deficiencies in awareness of specific interventions, such as chemoprophylaxis and prenatal diagnosis, are noted, along with gaps in SCD assessment and diagnosis, particularly in pain management and premarital screening. Attitudes toward SCD patients vary, and practices reveal inconsistencies and deficiencies, including inadequate nutritional counseling and barriers in emergency departments. However, interventions aimed at improving HCPs’ KAP show promise in enhancing understanding and attitudes toward SCD, suggesting potential avenues for improvement. Conclusions: Educational initiatives targeted at both student nurses and practicing healthcare providers, coupled with the implementation of standardized protocols and guidelines, can enhance knowledge acquisition and promote consistent, high-quality care delivery. Future studies should improve the quality of their methods in this area of study. Full article

As a flagship of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the European Commission supports EU member states’ efforts to strengthen and expand the routine vaccination of girls and boys against human papillomavirus (HPV). Populations across Europe have grown in diversity, and health systems must adapt to meet the specific needs of increasing diversity. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) must strive to communicate HPV vaccine information in a culturally sensitive manner and address specific concerns related to cultural beliefs, trust in health systems and perceived risks. The objectives of this exploratory study are to identify which themes are most frequently raised during the recommendation of vaccination to minors based on the characteristics of the population (religion, region of origin, gender, level of education and language proficiency) and to collect strategies to improve communication with a diverse population. A survey was distributed through various European public health institutions to HCPs in the region and their networks. The survey included multi-response questions (themes addressed during vaccination recommendation based on population characteristics) and open-ended questions (own qualitative comments and strategies). The most common issues that arise during vaccine recommendation are a lack of knowledge, followed by misinformation. Differences were detected according to the population characteristics. Suggested strategies to improve HPV vaccine recommendation focused on the following aspects: affordability; sexuality and gender; communication platforms; multilingualism; quality of care; school collaboration. HCPs report differences according to the characteristics of the population receiving the recommendation. Personalisation of the recommendations would help to optimise the decision-making process for some groups. Full article

Background and Objectives: Death is an unavoidable experience in any person’s life and affects not only the dying person but also their caregivers. The dying process has been displaced from homes to health care facilities in the majority of cases. Facing death and dying has become an everyday life of health care professionals (HCP), especially in palliative care (PC) settings. This study aimed to investigate the death attitudes among HCPs in Serbia. Materials and Methods: The Serbian version of the Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-RSp) was used as a measurement instrument. Results: The average age of the 180 included participants was 42.2 ± 9.9 years; the majority were females (70.0%), with more than 10 years of working experience (73.0%), physicians (70.0%) and those working in a non-oncological (non-ONC) field (57.78%). The mean total score of DAP-RSp was 124.80 ± 22.44. The highest mean score was observed in the neutral acceptance dimension (NA) (5.82 ± 0.90) and lowest in the Escape acceptance (EA) (2.57 ± 1.21). Higher negative death attitudes were reported among nurses compared to physicians (p = 0.002). Statistically significant differences were observed in the fear of death (FD) and death avoidance (DA) domains, favoring PC specialists and oncologists (p = 0.004; p = 0.015). Physicians working in Oncology (ONC) showed lower FD values (p = 0.001) compared to non-ONC departments. Conclusions: Attitudes toward death among HCPs are of great importance for the well-being of both HCPs and patients. Negative attitudes can lead to deficient care. The fear of death is highly represented among Serbian HCPs working in non-ONC fields, including both nurses and physicians. This study emphasizes the need for further research to comprehensively explore and understand HCPs’ attitudes toward death. This research highlights the need for the development of an educational curriculum across all levels of medical education, aimed at overcoming the fear of death and enhancing coping strategies, which will improve the care for patients diagnosed with terminal illnesses. Full article

(1) Background: Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychiatric conditions and have a rising prevalence. Patients with anxiety disorders can, however, be deterred from seeking treatment due to associated stigmas and medication side effects. Evidence indicates that promising digital health solutions to address those concerns reside in the growing field of extended reality (XR). The limited literature synthesis from the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) regarding the experiences and effectiveness of XR-based anxiety disorder therapies motivated the undertaking of this systematic review. (2) Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines on the following databases: CINAHL, APA PsycNet and PubMed. The search was completed on 23 January 2024 with no restriction on the time of publication. Studies were screened based on a predetermined selection criteria relevant to the research aims. (3) Results: Five studies fulfilled the inclusion requirements. The majority investigated the use of XR tools for individual therapy and indicated that they can be as effective for patients as traditional methods and can aid in HCPs’ therapeutic tasks. (4) Conclusions: XR-based anxiety disorder therapies are generally perceived as immersive and with minimal side effects by patients, while HCPs mostly consider XR tools as practical and assistive. However, refinements with the XR setup could further improve the experience. Such modalities represent potent drug-free alternatives or supplements to traditional therapy and could be considered for remote, individual care. The findings’ generalisability requires further research into more conditions within the anxiety disorder group, as well as larger sample sizes. Full article

Background: To improve Shared decision-making (SDM) regarding personalized post-treatment surveillance, the Breast Cancer Surveillance Decision Aid (BCS-PtDA), integrating personalized risk information, was developed and implemented in eight hospitals. The aim of this mixed-methods study was to (1) assess the implementation and participation rates, (2) identify facilitators and barriers for use by health care professionals (HCPs), (3) quantify the observed level of SDM, and (4) evaluate risk communication and SDM application in consultations. Methods: Implementation and participation rates and patients’ BCS-PtDA use were calculated using hospital registry data and BCS-PtDA log data. HCPs’ perspective on facilitators and barriers were collected using the MIDI framework. Observed SDM levels in consultation transcripts were quantified using the OPTION-5 scale. Thematic analysis was performed to assess consultation content. Results: The average PtDA implementation and participation rates were, respectively, 26% and 61%. HCPs reported that the PtDA supported choice awareness. Reported barriers for implementation were mainly increased workload and a lack of perceived benefits. The consultation analysis (n = 64) showed patients were offered a choice, but deliberation was lacking. Risk communication was generally adequate. Discussion: When the BCS-PtDA was used, patients were clearly given a choice regarding their post-treatment surveillance, but information provision and SDM application can be improved. Full article

Digitization has become involved in every aspect of life, including the healthcare sector with its healthcare professionals (HCPs), citizens (patients and their families), and services. This complex process is supported by policies: however, to date, no policy analysis on healthcare digitalization has been conducted in European countries to identify the main goals of digital transformation and its practical implementation. This research aimed to describe and compare the digital health policies across four European countries; namely, their priorities, their implementation in practice, and the digital competencies expected by HCPs. A multiple-case study was performed. Participants were the members of the Digital EducationaL programme invoLVing hEalth profEssionals (DELIVER), a project funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme, involving three countries (Denmark, Italy, and Slovenia) and one autonomous region (Catalonia—Spain). Data were collected using two approaches: (a) a written interview with open-ended questions involving the members of the DELIVER project as key informants; and (b) a policy-document analysis. Interviews were analysed using the textual narrative synthesis and the word cloud policy analysis was conducted according to the Ready, Extract, Analyse and Distil approach. Results showed that all countries had established recent policies at the national level to address the development of digital health and specific governmental bodies were addressing the implementation of the digital transformation with specific ramifications at the regional and local levels. The words “health” and “care” characterized the policy documents of Denmark and Italy (309 and 56 times, 114 and 24 times, respectively), while “development” and “digital” (497 and 478 times, respectively) were common in the Slovenia document. The most used words in the Catalonia policy document were “data” and “system” (570 and 523 times, respectively). The HCP competencies expected are not clearly delineated among countries, and there is no formal plan for their development at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing educational levels. Mutual understanding and exchange of good practices between countries may facilitate the digitalization processes; moreover, concrete actions in the context of HCP migration across Europe for employment purposes, as well as in the context of citizens’ migration for healthcare-seeking purposes are needed to consider the differences emerged across the countries. Full article

Effective cancer diagnosis, treatment and control depend on interactions among numerous distinct factors, from technology to data to skills to sociology. But a crucial influence is the extent to which the health system takes account of the distinct perspectives of the many different groups of interdependent stakeholders concerned with cancer, including patients, practitioners and planners. This paper provides some elucidation as to how far and how efficiently these interactions currently take place in Europe. It also makes some tentative suggestions as to how conscious systematic interventions could improve cancer outcomes. It is based on a series of expert panels and surveys conducted by the European Alliance for Personalised Medicine (EAPM) that provided information at the national level on three selected parameters: implementation of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and liquid biopsy (LB), attitudes of patients to prevention and practices of sharing genomic data among healthcare professionals (HCPs). The varying data infrastructure highlights the urgent need for substantial improvements to accommodate the increasing importance of genomics data in cancer diagnosis and care. Additionally, we identify disparities in age-specific approaches to cancer prevention, emphasising the necessity for tailored strategies to address unique age group perspectives. Moreover, distinct regional prioritizations in cancer treatment underscore the importance of considering regional variations when shaping future cancer care strategies. This study advocates for collaborative data sharing supported by technological innovation to overcome these challenges, ultimately fostering a holistic and equitable provision of cancer care in Europe. Full article

Implantable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) devices are demonstrating, as of today, the fastest-growing market for implantable cardiac devices. As such, they are becoming increasingly common in patients for measuring heart electrical activity. ICMs constantly monitor and record a patient’s heart rhythm, and when triggered, send it to a secure server where health care professionals (HCPs) can review it. These devices employ a relatively simplistic rule-based algorithm (due to energy consumption constraints) to make alerts for abnormal heart rhythms. This algorithm is usually parameterized to an over-sensitive mode in order to not miss a case (resulting in a relatively high false-positive rate), and this, combined with the device’s nature of constantly monitoring the heart rhythm and its growing popularity, results in HCPs having to analyze and diagnose an increasingly growing number of data. In order to reduce the load on the latter, automated methods for ECG analysis are nowadays becoming a great tool to assist HCPs in their analysis. While state-of-the-art algorithms are data-driven rather than rule-based, training data for ICMs often consist of specific characteristics that make their analysis unique and particularly challenging. This study presents the challenges and solutions in automatically analyzing ICM data and introduces a method for its classification that outperforms existing methods on such data. It carries this out by combining high-frequency noise detection (which often occurs in ICM data) with a semi-supervised learning pipeline that allows for the re-labeling of training episodes and by using segmentation and dimension-reduction techniques that are robust to morphology variations of the sECG signal (which are typical to ICM data). As a result, it performs better than state-of-the-art techniques on such data with, e.g., an F1 score of 0.51 vs. 0.38 of our baseline state-of-the-art technique in correctly calling atrial fibrillation in ICM data. As such, it could be used in numerous ways, such as aiding HCPs in the analysis of ECGs originating from ICMs by, e.g., suggesting a rhythm type. Full article

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are increasing among men who have sex with men (MSM). Screening can improve the detection and outcome of asymptomatic STIs in high-risk populations. Self-sampling may be a resource-optimized strategy; however, its diagnostic reliability compared to testing by healthcare professionals (HCPs) requires further investigation. In this prospective, multicenter cohort study in a high-income country, asymptomatic MSM with a sexual risk profile for STIs were included. Sequential swabs for STI nucleic acid-based diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) were performed after randomization, either through self-sampling or HCP-performed sampling. Baseline demographic information, sexual risk behavior, and acceptance and feedback on self-sampling were recorded using an electronic questionnaire. Out of 236 asymptomatic MSM, 47 individuals (19.9%) tested positive for CT and/or NG through self- or HCP-performed sampling. For CT, the sensitivity was 93.3% for both sampling methods, while for NG, it was 90.0% for self-sampling and 95.0% for HCP-performed sampling. Our study demonstrates that self-sampling for asymptomatic STIs has a comparable diagnostic outcome to HCP-performed sampling, with high acceptance in high-risk MSM. Full article