METHODS: This study employed a mixed-methods design, conducted in two rural settlement areas in 2022. Data were collected through surveys on SHS and SFH knowledge and face-to-face interviews using a topic guide. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS software while the qualitative data were analyzed using the thematic approach via NVivo 12.
RESULTS: Sixty participants completed the survey. Most of the respondents had a good (38%) or moderate (48%) knowledge level of SHS. No association was found between sociodemographic factors and knowledge level. Seven of the nine interviewees knew specific SHS-related health risks. Most participants believed that implementing SFH requires quitting or reducing smoking. Barriers to establishing a SFH included personal convenience, habits, attitudes, and social influence. Family encouragement, practicability, government, and quitting smoking were the facilitators for SFH.
CONCLUSIONS: These rural communities had moderate knowledge level of SHS and SFH. Men's knowledge, beliefs and perceptions like associating SFH with quitting smoking may prevent SFH adoption. It is critical for the government and stakeholders to disseminate information and develop socially and culturally acceptable health promotion programs, incorporating the considerations from this study to increase the chances of SFH implementation in rural areas.
METHODS: Data were collected from 10 researchers from 10 different countries (Australia, China, the UK, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turkiye) using semi-structured interviews. NVivo was employed for data analysis.
RESULTS: Based on the responses, five themes about the influence of ChatGPT on academic and research writing were generated, i.e., opportunity, human assistance, thought-provoking, time-saving, and negative attitude. Although the researchers were mostly positive about it, some feared it would degrade their writing skills and lead to plagiarism. Many of them believed that ChatGPT would redefine the concepts, parameters, and practices of creativity and plagiarism.
DISCUSSION: Creativity may no longer be restricted to the ability to write, but also to use ChatGPT or other large language models (LLMs) to write creatively. Some suggested that machine-generated text might be accepted as the new norm; however, using it without proper acknowledgment would be considered plagiarism. The researchers recommended allowing ChatGPT for academic and research writing; however, they strongly advised it to be regulated with limited use and proper acknowledgment.
OBJECTIVES: To describe the demographic and disease features of the full cohort of patients enrolled in the United in Fight against prOstate cancer (UFO) registry.
DESIGN: The UFO registry was a multi-national, longitudinal, observational study of patients with PC presenting to participating tertiary care hospitals in eight Asian countries/regions.
METHODS: Patients with high-risk localized PC (HRL), non-metastatic biochemically recurrent, or metastatic PC were consecutively enrolled from September 14, 2015 until September 1, 2020 and followed for up to 5 years.
RESULTS: Among the full cohort of 3635 patients, 425 had HRL, 389 had non-metastatic biochemically recurrent, and 2821 had metastatic PC. Median follow-up time was 4.2, 4.2, and 2.6 years, respectively. At first diagnosis, the mean age ranged from 65.7 to 69.1 years, 38.5% had extra-capsular tumor extension, 34.0% had regional lymph node metastases, and 65.1% had distant metastases. Quality-of-life scores at enrollment were significantly worse in patients with metastatic disease. Decisions to start therapy were mainly driven by treatment guidelines and disease progression. The decision to discontinue hormonal therapy was often due to disease progression. Few patients received novel hormonal therapies despite their availability.
CONCLUSION: The UFO registry provides a detailed, contemporary picture of the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of patients with PC in Asia. There is an unmet medical need to improve access to novel agents in Asia, aiming to improve quality of life and clinical outcomes.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02546908, Registry Identifier: NOPRODPCR4001.
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore qualitative insights from community pharmacists regarding antibiotic supply and usage, analyze sentiments related to AMR, and highlight the crucial role of community pharmacists in AMR stewardship at the primary care/community level.
METHODS: This study engaged community pharmacists in Thailand through semi-structured interviews to obtain in-depth insights into the antibiotic supply and perceptions of AMR. Additionally, sentiment analysis, which evaluates the emotional tone of the pharmacists' responses, was conducted to enrich the findings.
RESULTS: Interviews with 23 community pharmacists highlighted the practices, challenges, and strategies related to antibiotic supply and use. Key findings include the identification of barriers such as patient demand and lack of awareness about antimicrobial resistance (AMR), alongside strategies for improvement such as public education and professional development. Sentiment analysis reveals a cautiously optimistic perspective toward enhancing rational antibiotic use, underscoring the importance of comprehensive approaches that combine education, ethics, and regulatory measures to address the complexities of antibiotic management at community pharmacies.
CONCLUSION: This study underscores the necessity of public awareness, pharmacist-patient relationships, and regulatory reforms for the rational use of antibiotics in community pharmacies. These findings emphasize that pharmacist education and adherence to professional ethics are essential for mitigating antimicrobial resistance and promoting rational antibiotic use.
METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and individual patient meta-analysis, which we report according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses of Individual Participant Data guidelines. PubMed and Embase were searched from inception to May 29, 2023, using the terms ((stroke) AND (randomised OR randomized) AND (tranexamic acid) AND (haemorrhage OR hemorrhage)). We included randomized trials comparing tranexamic acid with placebo in participants with primary intracerebral hemorrhage who had a spot sign and who had follow-up imaging within the required timeframe. Individual patient data were provided by each study and were integrated by the coordinating center. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. The primary endpoint was hematoma growth within 24 hours, defined as ≥33% relative or ≥6 mL absolute hematoma expansion compared with baseline, analyzed using mixed-effects-modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors, adjusted for baseline hematoma volume. Safety outcomes were mortality and major thromboembolic events within 90 days.
RESULTS: Of 197 studies identified, 3 were eligible, contributing 162 participants for the primary analysis (60 female and 102 male). Hematoma growth occurred in 36 of 74 (49%) participants treated with tranexamic acid, compared with 48 of 88 (55%) participants treated with placebo (adjusted risk ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.84-0.89, p < 0.001). Adjusted median absolute hematoma growth was 1.60 mL (95% CI 0.77-2.43) lower with tranexamic acid vs placebo. No differences in functional outcome or safety were observed.
DISCUSSION: Tranexamic acid modestly reduced hematoma growth in patients with CT angiography spot signs treated within 4.5 hours of onset. Given the trials in the meta-analysis were individually neutral, these results require further validation before clinical application.
METHODS: Data spanning 2011 to 2019, sourced from the WHO Global Health Observatory and the World Bank Database, form the foundation of this study. This study employs an enhanced two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess the efficiency of health system stages in ASEAN countries. Equity in health resource distribution is evaluated using health resource agglomeration degree and concentration curves across demographic, geographic, and economic aspects. Furthermore, the Entropy-Weighted TOPSIS method is utilized to integrate equity across these dimensions, measuring the overall fairness in health resource allocation across different countries. Finally, rankings of health system fairness and efficiency are compared to assess the overall development level of health systems.
RESULTS: The overall efficiency of the ASEAN health systems from 2011 to 2019 averaged 0.231, with an upward trend in the first stage efficiency at 0.559 and a downward trend in the second stage at 0.502. The health resource agglomeration degree indicated that Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia had HRAD and HRPD values significantly greater than 1, and Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos predominantly had indices significantly less than 1. The concentration curve for hospital beds was the closest to the line of absolute equity. During the study period, the health resource concentration curve increasingly approached absolute equity, shifting from above to below the concentration curve. Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia consistently remained in the first quadrant of the quadrant plot, and Myanmar and Cambodia were consistently in the third quadrant.
CONCLUSION: ASEAN countries face two key challenges in their healthcare systems: first, while many nations such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam have improved resource allocation efficiency, this hasn't yet translated into better health services. To address this, establishing national health sector steering committees, focusing on workforce training and retention, and implementing centralized monitoring systems are crucial. Second, there is a growing disparity in healthcare development across ASEAN. Promoting balanced resource distribution and leveraging ASEAN's economic integration for regional collaboration will help bridge these gaps and foster more equitable healthcare systems.