Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 45 in total

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  1. AlHasan AJMS
    Surgery, 2023 Sep;174(3):744-746.
    PMID: 37419760 DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2023.05.042
    Surgical journals use videos for educational and promotional purposes. YouTube is a suitable social media platform for sharing videos of journal content. The Surgery journal experience on YouTube can be used to learn important information on the nature of video content, the measurement of performance, and the benefits and challenges of using YouTube to disseminate journal content. Video content can be created to deliver information and infotainment. The online performance of videos can be measured using various metrics on YouTube Analytics, including content views and engagement metrics. There are several benefits to the use of YouTube videos by surgical journals, including the dissemination of reliable information, language versatility and diversity, open access and portability, increased visibility for authors and journals, and the humanization of the journal interface. However, challenges also need to be overcome, including viewer discretion where graphic content is concerned, copyright protection, limitations of Internet connection bandwidth, algorithmic barriers imposed by YouTube itself, and violations of biomedical ethics.
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  2. Ali A, Al-Rimy BAS, Tin TT, Altamimi SN, Qasem SN, Saeed F
    Sensors (Basel), 2023 Aug 28;23(17).
    PMID: 37687931 DOI: 10.3390/s23177476
    Precision medicine has emerged as a transformative approach to healthcare, aiming to deliver personalized treatments and therapies tailored to individual patients. However, the realization of precision medicine relies heavily on the availability of comprehensive and diverse medical data. In this context, blockchain-enabled federated learning, coupled with electronic medical records (EMRs), presents a groundbreaking solution to unlock revolutionary insights in precision medicine. This abstract explores the potential of blockchain technology to empower precision medicine by enabling secure and decentralized data sharing and analysis. By leveraging blockchain's immutability, transparency, and cryptographic protocols, federated learning can be conducted on distributed EMR datasets without compromising patient privacy. The integration of blockchain technology ensures data integrity, traceability, and consent management, thereby addressing critical concerns associated with data privacy and security. Through the federated learning paradigm, healthcare institutions and research organizations can collaboratively train machine learning models on locally stored EMR data, without the need for data centralization. The blockchain acts as a decentralized ledger, securely recording the training process and aggregating model updates while preserving data privacy at its source. This approach allows the discovery of patterns, correlations, and novel insights across a wide range of medical conditions and patient populations. By unlocking revolutionary insights through blockchain-enabled federated learning and EMRs, precision medicine can revolutionize healthcare delivery. This paradigm shift has the potential to improve diagnosis accuracy, optimize treatment plans, identify subpopulations for clinical trials, and expedite the development of novel therapies. Furthermore, the transparent and auditable nature of blockchain technology enhances trust among stakeholders, enabling greater collaboration, data sharing, and collective intelligence in the pursuit of advancing precision medicine. In conclusion, this abstract highlights the transformative potential of blockchain-enabled federated learning in empowering precision medicine. By unlocking revolutionary insights from diverse and distributed EMR datasets, this approach paves the way for a future where healthcare is personalized, efficient, and tailored to the unique needs of each patient.
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  3. Yahya M'F, Wang GM, Nimbalkar S
    Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop, 2023 Jul;164(1):97-105.
    PMID: 36890012 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2022.11.013
    INTRODUCTION: The evaluation of the quality of information (QOI) and clarity of information (COI) among oral health-related videos on the video-streaming Web site YouTube is scarce. This study evaluated QOI and COI regarding temporary anchorage devices contained within videos uploaded by dental professionals (DPs) on YouTube.

    METHODS: YouTube videos were systematically acquired with 4 search terms. The top 50 videos per search term by the number of views were stored in a YouTube account. A set of inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, videos were assessed for viewing characteristics, a 4-point scoring system (0-3) was applied to evaluate QOI in 10 predetermined domains, and a 3-point scoring system (0-2) was applied to evaluate COI. Descriptive statistical analyses and intrarater and interrater reliability tests were performed.

    RESULTS: Strong intrarater and interrater reliability scores were observed. Sixty-three videos from the top 58 most-viewed DPs were viewed 1,395,471 times (range, 414-124,939). Most DPs originated from the United States (20%), and orthodontists (62%) uploaded most of the videos. The mean number of reported domains was 2.03 ± 2.40 (out of 10). The mean overall QOI score per domain was 0.36 ± 0.79 (out of 3). The "Placement of miniscrews" domain scored highest (1.23 ± 0.75). The "Cost of miniscrews placement" domain scored the lowest (0.03 ± 0.25). The mean overall QOI score per DP was 3.59 ± 5.64 (out of 30). The COI in 32 videos was immeasurable, and only 2 avoided using technical words.

    CONCLUSIONS: The QOI related to temporary anchorage devices contained within videos provided by DPs through the YouTube Web site is deficient, particularly in the cost of placement. Orthodontists should be aware of the importance of YouTube as an information resource and ensure that videos related to temporary anchorage devices contain comprehensive and evidence-based information.

    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  4. Hamzah N, Malim NHAH, Abdullah JM, Sumari P, Mokhtar AM, Rosli SNS, et al.
    Neuroinformatics, 2023 Jul;21(3):589-600.
    PMID: 37344699 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-023-09637-3
    The sharing of open-access neuroimaging data has increased significantly during the last few years. Sharing neuroimaging data is crucial to accelerating scientific advancement, particularly in the field of neuroscience. A number of big initiatives that will increase the amount of available neuroimaging data are currently in development. The Big Brain Data Initiative project was started by Universiti Sains Malaysia as the first neuroimaging data repository platform in Malaysia for the purpose of data sharing. In order to ensure that the neuroimaging data in this project is accessible, usable, and secure, as well as to offer users high-quality data that can be consistently accessed, we first came up with good data stewardship practices. Then, we developed MyneuroDB, an online repository database system for data sharing purposes. Here, we describe the Big Brain Data Initiative and MyneuroDB, a data repository that provides the ability to openly share neuroimaging data, currently including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and magnetoencephalography (MEG), following the FAIR principles for data sharing.
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  5. Gupta R, Kanungo P, Dagdee N, Madhu G, Sahoo KS, Jhanjhi NZ, et al.
    Sensors (Basel), 2023 Feb 27;23(5).
    PMID: 36904822 DOI: 10.3390/s23052617
    With continuous advancements in Internet technology and the increased use of cryptographic techniques, the cloud has become the obvious choice for data sharing. Generally, the data are outsourced to cloud storage servers in encrypted form. Access control methods can be used on encrypted outsourced data to facilitate and regulate access. Multi-authority attribute-based encryption is a propitious technique to control who can access encrypted data in inter-domain applications such as sharing data between organizations, sharing data in healthcare, etc. The data owner may require the flexibility to share the data with known and unknown users. The known or closed-domain users may be internal employees of the organization, and unknown or open-domain users may be outside agencies, third-party users, etc. In the case of closed-domain users, the data owner becomes the key issuing authority, and in the case of open-domain users, various established attribute authorities perform the task of key issuance. Privacy preservation is also a crucial requirement in cloud-based data-sharing systems. This work proposes the SP-MAACS scheme, a secure and privacy-preserving multi-authority access control system for cloud-based healthcare data sharing. Both open and closed domain users are considered, and policy privacy is ensured by only disclosing the names of policy attributes. The values of the attributes are kept hidden. Characteristic comparison with similar existing schemes shows that our scheme simultaneously provides features such as multi-authority setting, expressive and flexible access policy structure, privacy preservation, and scalability. The performance analysis carried out by us shows that the decryption cost is reasonable enough. Furthermore, the scheme is demonstrated to be adaptively secure under the standard model.
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  6. Mat Dawi N, Namazi H, Hwang HJ, Ismail S, Maresova P, Krejcar O
    Front Public Health, 2021;9:609716.
    PMID: 33732677 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.609716
    The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still evolving and affecting millions of lives. E-government and social media have been used widely during this unprecedented time to spread awareness and educate the public on preventive measures. However, the extent to which the 2 digital platforms bring to improve public health awareness and prevention during a health crisis is unknown. In this study, we examined the influence of e-government and social media on the public's attitude to adopt protective behavior. For this purpose, a Web survey was conducted among 404 Malaysian residents during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) period in the country. Descriptive and multiple regression analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS software. Social media was chosen by most of the respondents (n = 331 or 81.9%) as the source to get information related to COVID-19. Multiple regression analysis suggests the roles of e-government and social media to be significantly related to people's attitudes to engage in protective behavior. In conclusion, during the COVID-19 outbreak, public health decision makers may use e-government and social media platforms as effective tools to improve public engagement on protective behavior. This, in turn, will help the country to contain the transmission of the virus.
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination*
  7. Ahmad T, Sattar K, Akram A
    Saudi J Biol Sci, 2020 Sep;27(9):2287-2292.
    PMID: 32884409 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.06.007
    Background: Social media has become the fastest growing platform for sharing and retrieving information and knowledge, and YouTube is one of the most popular and growing sources of health and educational information video-sharing website. But, videos on this open platform are not peer-assessed, therefore, the accessible data should be adequately assessed. Till date, no exploration and analysis for assessing the credibility and usefulness of Medical professionalism videos available on YouTube are conducted.

    Objective: To analyze the video sources, contents and quality of YouTube videos about the topic of medical professionalism.

    Methods: A systematic search was accomplished on YouTube videos during the period between March 1, 2020 and March 27, 2020. The phrases as significant words used throughout YouTube web search were 'Professionalism in Medical Education', Professionalism in medicine', 'Professionalism of medical students', 'Professionalism in healthcare'. 'Teaching professionalism', 'Attributes of professionalism'. The basic information collected for each video included author's/publisher's name, total number of watchers, likes, dislikes and positive and undesirable remarks. The videos were categorized into educationally useful and useless established on the content, correctness of the knowledge and the advices. Different variables were measured and correlated for the data analysis.YouTube website was searched the using keywords 'Professionalism in Medical Education', Professionalism in medicine', 'Professionalism of medical students', 'Professionalism in healthcare'. 'Teaching professionalism', and 'Attributes of professionalism'.

    Results: After 2 rounds of screening by the subject experts and critical analysis of all the 137 YouTube videos, only 41 (29.92%) were identified as pertinent to the subject matter, i.e., educational type. After on expert viewing these 41 videos established upon our pre-set inclusion/exclusion criteria, only 17 (41.46%) videos were found to be academically valuable in nature.

    Conclusion: Medical professionalism multimedia videos uploaded by the healthcare specialists or organizations on YouTube provided reliable information for medical students, healthcare workers and other professional. We conclude that YouTube is a leading and free online source of videos meant for students or other healthcare workers yet the viewers need to be aware of the source prior to using it for training learning.

    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  8. Munsour EE, Awaisu A, Hassali MAA, Abdoun E, Dabbous Z, Zahran N, et al.
    Int J Clin Pract, 2020 Aug;74(8):e13527.
    PMID: 32386077 DOI: 10.1111/ijcp.13527
    INTRODUCTION: In patients with diabetes, better health communication is associated with better health outcomes including medication adherence and glycaemic control. The conventional patient information leaflet does not consider the cultural and behavioral perspectives of diverse patient populations. Consumer medicine information (CMI) is a written information about the prescription drugs developed by organisations or individuals other than a drug manufacturer that is intended for distribution to consumers at the time of medication dispensing.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of CMI on medication adherence and glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes in Qatar.

    METHODS: We developed and customised CMI for all the anti-diabetic medications used in Qatar. A randomised controlled trial in which the intervention group patients (n = 66) received the customised CMI with usual care, while the control group patients (n = 74) received usual care only, was conducted. Self-reported medication adherence and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c ) were the primary outcome measures. Glycaemic control and medication adherence parameters were measured at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months in both groups. Medication adherence was measured using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8).

    RESULTS: Although the addition of CMI resulted in better glycaemic control, this did not reach statistical significance, possibly because of the short-term follow-up. The median MMAS-8 score improved from baseline (6.6 [IQR = 1.5]) to 6-month follow-up (7.0 [IQR = 1.00]) in the intervention group. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference between the intervention and the control groups in terms of MMAS-8 score at the third visit (7.0 [IQR = 1.0]) vs 6.5 (IQR = 1.25; P-value = .010).

    CONCLUSION: CMI for anti-diabetic medications when added to usual care has the potential to improve medication adherence and glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, providing better health communication and CMI to patients with diabetes is recommended.

    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination/methods*
  9. Ashari MA, Zainal IA, Zaki FM
    Diagn Interv Radiol, 2020 Jul;26(4):296-300.
    PMID: 32352915 DOI: 10.5152/dir.2020.20232
    The world is facing an unprecedented global pandemic in the form of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which has ravaged all aspects of life, especially health systems. Radiology services, in particular, are under threat of being overwhelmed by the sheer number of patients affected, unless drastic efforts are taken to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus. Proactive measures, therefore, must be taken to ensure the continuation of diagnostic and interventional support to clinicians, while minimizing the risk of nosocomial transmission among staff and other patients. This article aims to highlight several strategies to improve preparedness, readiness and response towards this pandemic, specific to the radiology department.
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination/methods
  10. Calisher C, Carroll D, Colwell R, Corley RB, Daszak P, Drosten C, et al.
    Lancet, 2020 03 07;395(10226):e42-e43.
    PMID: 32087122 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30418-9
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination*
  11. Teo HC, Campos-Arceiz A, Li BV, Wu M, Lechner AM
    PLoS One, 2020;15(9):e0239009.
    PMID: 32932516 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239009
    International attention on the environmental impacts of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is increasing, but little is known internationally about the large corpus of Chinese BRI environmental research. We present the first systematic review of the Chinese and English-language BRI environmental research, supported with text mining and sentiment analysis. We found that the research is dominated by Chinese authors writing about BRI routes within China in Chinese, even though concerns around BRI are largely about impacts and benefits within host countries, and the volume of publications in English is recently catching up. Different disciplines and methods are well-represented across languages, apart from specific types of Chinese social science papers. The sentiments of academic research are largely neutral and less polarised than media discourse. We recommend that scientists and practitioners should pay more attention to BRI environmental impacts in developing countries and proactively engage local voices.
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination/methods*
  12. Lee JY, Chan CKY, Chua SS, Paraidathathu T, Lee KK, Tan CSS, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2019 Oct 22;9(10):e026575.
    PMID: 31640990 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026575
    OBJECTIVE: Telemedicine has been promoted as an economical and effective way to enhance patient care, but its acceptance among patients in low-income and middle-income countries is poorly understood. This study is aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus that used telemedicine to manage their condition.

    DESIGN: In-depth and focus group interviews were conducted with participants who have engaged in telemedicine. Questions included were participants' perception on the programme being used, satisfaction as well as engagement with the telemedicine programme. All interviews and focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using a thematic approach.

    PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: People with type 2 diabetes (n=48) who participated in a randomised controlled study which examined the use of telemedicine for diabetes management were recruited from 11 primary care clinics located within the Klang Valley.

    RESULTS: Twelve focus groups and two in-depth interviews were conducted. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (1) generational difference; (2) independence and convenience, (3) sharing of health data and privacy and (4) concerns and challenges. The main obstacles found in patients using the telemedicine systems were related to internet connectivity and difficulties experienced with system interface. Cost was also another significant concern raised by participants. Participants in this study were primarily positive about the benefits of telemedicine, including its ability to provide real-time data and disease monitoring and the reduction in clinic visits.

    CONCLUSION: Despite the potential benefits of telemedicine in the long-term care of diabetes, there are several perceived barriers that may limit the effectiveness of this technology. As such, collaboration between educators, healthcare providers, telecommunication service providers and patients are required to stimulate the adoption and the use of telemedicine.NCT0246680.

    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  13. Lojanapiwat B, Lee JY, Gang Z, Kim CS, Fai NC, Hakim L, et al.
    Prostate Int, 2019 Jun;7(2):60-67.
    PMID: 31384607 DOI: 10.1016/j.prnil.2018.06.001
    The Asian Prostate Cancer (A-CaP) study is an Asia-wide initiative that was launched in December 2015 in Tokyo, Japan, with the objective of surveying information about patients who have received a histopathological diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) and are undergoing treatment and clarifying distribution of staging, the actual status of treatment choices, and treatment outcomes. The study aims to clarify the clinical situation for PCa in Asia and use the outcomes for the purposes of international comparison. Following the first meeting in Tokyo in December 2015, the second A-CaP meeting was held in Seoul, Korea, in September 2016. This, the third A-CaP meeting, was held on October 14, 2017, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with the participation of members and collaborators from 12 countries and regions. In the meeting, participating countries and regions presented the current status of data collection, and the A-CaP office presented a preliminary analysis of the registered cases received from each country and region. Participants discussed ongoing challenges relating to data input and collection, institutional, and legislative issues that may present barriers to data sharing, and the outlook for further patient registrations through to the end of the registration period in December 2018. In addition to A-CaP-specific discussions, a series of special lectures were also delivered on the situation for health insurance in the United States, the correlation between insurance coverage and PCa outcomes, and the outlook for robotic surgery in the Asia-Pacific region. Members also confirmed the principles of authorship in collaborative studies, with a view to publishing original articles based on A-CaP data in the future.
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  14. Cicero A, Meyer D, Shearer MP, AbuBakar S, Bernard K, Carus WS, et al.
    Emerg Infect Dis, 2019 May;25(5).
    PMID: 31002062 DOI: 10.3201/eid2505.181659
    A strategic multilateral dialogue related to biosecurity risks in Southeast Asia, established in 2014, now includes participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and the United States. This dialogue is conducted at the nonministerial level, enabling participants to engage without the constraints of operating in their official capacities. Participants reflect on mechanisms to detect, mitigate, and respond to biosecurity risks and highlight biosecurity issues for national leadership. Participants have also identified factors to improve regional and global biosecurity, including improved engagement and collaboration across relevant ministries and agencies, sustainable funding for biosecurity programs, enhanced information sharing for communicable diseases, and increased engagement in international biosecurity forums.
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  15. Negrini S, Arienti C, Engkasan JP, Gimigliano F, Grubisic F, Howe T, et al.
    Eur J Phys Rehabil Med, 2019 Apr;55(2):314-318.
    PMID: 30938139 DOI: 10.23736/S1973-9087.19.05785-X
    During its second year of existence, Cochrane Rehabilitation worked hard to accomplish new and old goals. The Review Committee completed the massive task of identifying and "tagging" all rehabilitation reviews in the Cochrane library. The Publication Committee signed agreements with several international journals and started the publication of Cochrane Corners. The Education Committee performed educational activities such as workshops in International Meetings. The Methodology Committee has completed a two days Cochrane Rehabilitation Methodological Meeting in Paris of which the results will soon be published. The Communication Committee reaches almost 5,000 rehabilitation professionals through social media, and is working on the translation of contents in Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch, Croatian and Japanese. Memoranda of Understanding have been signed with several National and International Rehabilitation Scientific Societies, Universities, Hospitals, Research Centres and other organizations. The be4rehab (best evidence for rehabilitation) project has been started with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to extract from Cochrane reviews and clinical guidelines the best currently available evidence to produce the WHO Minimum Package of Rehabilitation Interventions. The Cochrane Rehabilitation ebook is under development as well as a priority setting exercise with 39 countries from all continents.
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  16. Wong LP, Alias H, Aghamohammadi N, Nik Sulaiman NM
    Biomed Environ Sci, 2018 09;31(9):705-711.
    PMID: 30369349 DOI: 10.3967/bes2018.095
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  17. Teerawattananon Y, Luz K, Yothasmutra C, Pwu RF, Ahn J, Shafie AA, et al.
    Int J Technol Assess Health Care, 2018 Jan;34(3):260-266.
    PMID: 29911515 DOI: 10.1017/S0266462318000223
    OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the historical development of the HTAsiaLink network, draw lessons for other similar initiatives globally, and to analyze key determinants of its success and challenges for its future development.

    METHODS: This study is based on the collective and direct experiences of the founding members of the HTAsiaLink Network. Data were collected from presentations they made at various international forums and additional information was reviewed. Data analysis was done using the framework developed by San Martin-Rodriguez et al.Results and Conclusions:HTAsiaLink is a network of health technology assessment (HTA) agencies in Asia established in 2011 with the aim of strengthening individual and institutional HTA capacity, reducing duplication and optimizing resources, transfer and sharing of HTA-related lessons among members, and beyond. During its 6 years, the network has expanded, initiating several capacity building activities and joint-research projects, raising awareness of the importance of HTA within the region and beyond, and gaining global recognition while establishing relationships with other global networks. The study identifies the determinants of success of the collaboration. The systemic factors include the favorable outlook toward HTA as an approach for healthcare priority setting in countries with UHC mandates. On organizational factors, the number of newly established HTA agencies in the region with similar needs for capacity building and peer-to-peer support was catalytic for the network development. The interactional aspects include ownership, trust, and team spirit among network members. The network, however, faces challenges notably, financial sustainability and management of the expanded network.

    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  18. Azrul Ghazali, Sivadass Thiruchelvam, Kamal Nasharuddin Mustapha, Ahmad Kamal Kadir, Fatin Faiqa Norkhairi, Nora Yahya, et al.
    ASM Science Journal, 2018;11(2):117-123.
    MyJurnal
    Series of catastrophic floods that we have witnessed over the last decade in Malaysia have necessitated the adoption of reliable early warning system. Ultimate concern during any event of natural or manmade disaster would be information dissemination to lessen the disaster impact on lives and property. The Bertam Valley incident in the wee hours of 23rd October 2013 has been considered as the game changer of how we view the role of vulnerable communities in facing dam-related disasters. Empowerment of local communities has been considered as vital in disaster management, as they are often the first responders to disaster. Local Community-Based Early Warning System (CBEWS) is a smart mechanism operated by the communities. This study revolves around the actual implementation of such system in Cameron Highlands in the effort of increasing human resilience towards damrelated disasters. While establishing the system, the Bertam Valley community has received support from different individuals and organisations. It is paramount that the community develops and maintains close coordination and strong links with these stakeholders. The performance of early warning systems can be evaluated via key parameters such as timeliness, accuracy, reliability, user friendliness, flexibility, and costs & benefits.
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  19. Yeong SW, Choong YC
    Complement Ther Med, 2017 Dec;35:92-108.
    PMID: 29154074 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2017.09.005
    OBJECTIVES: We investigated the knowledge and characteristics of herbal supplement usage of the customers of community pharmacies in a Malaysian population.

    DESIGN AND SETTING: Self-administered questionnaires (in English, Malay, or Chinese) were provided to customers at three community pharmacies in Malaysia (Ipoh, Perak). Questionnaire validation and translation validation were performed. A pilot study was conducted before actual questionnaire distribution. Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

    RESULTS: Total number of participants was 270 (99 males and 171 females) with majority from the 31-50 age group (41.5%). Among the participants, 45.6% were herbal users. The most commonly used herbal supplements were evening primrose oil (17.9%), ginkgo biloba (13.0%), and milk thistle (8.5%). The participants seemed to have sufficient knowledge regarding herbal supplements including safety, quality, and indication of use from medical literature. Participants obtained information about herbal supplements from pharmacists (26.9%), package inserts (25.2%), friends (20.5%), and the Internet (13.3%) more often than from their doctors (9.8%). Most herbal users did not inform their doctors about their usage of herbal supplements (68.3%) or the side effects (61.5%). Herbal supplement users also tended to be women, >50-year-old, and those with higher monthly household incomes.

    CONCLUSIONS: Community pharmacists have a vital role in educating their customers about the safe use of herbal supplements. The participants had sufficient knowledge about herbal supplement usage; therefore, customers of these community pharmacies may have benefitted from the advice of the pharmacists. Further studies could be carried out in future on the knowledge, skills and roles of community pharmacists in the safe use of herbal supplements.

    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination
  20. Asim Z, Sorooshian S
    Sao Paulo Med J, 2017 08 21;136(1):96-97.
    PMID: 28832811 DOI: 10.1590/1516-3180.2017.0122210517
    Matched MeSH terms: Information Dissemination/ethics*
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