MyMedR

Tale of two tigers

Nature, 2005 Aug 11;436(7052):754.

PMID: 16094324

Matched MeSH terms: Research/manpower

The extension of health service coverage with traditional birth attendants: a decade of progress

WHO Chron, 1982;36(3):92-6.

PMID: 7123922

Matched MeSH terms: Maternal Health Services/manpower*

Fake Graduates

Sorooshian S

Sci Eng Ethics, 2017 06;23(3):941-942.

PMID: 27357573 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-016-9784-z

There is growing concern regarding the erosion of industries' trust in the reliability and validity of university graduates. Fake graduates are described in this letter. This article endeavors to warn of a new version of the scholarly black market, in which theses and dissertations are sold to students seeking to graduate under false pretenses.

Matched MeSH terms: Industry/manpower*

Hospital assistants in Malaysian rural health care

Heggenhougen HK

Med J Malaysia, 1978 Dec;33(2):165-77.

PMID: 39229

Matched MeSH terms: Community Health Services/manpower

Fulltext Therapeutic intervention scoring system in medical intensive care

Adam BA, Liam CK, Abdul Wahab AS

Med J Malaysia, 1989 Jun;44(2):134-9.

PMID: 2626120

A scoring system based on therapeutic intervention on critically ill patients called the therapeutic intervention scoring system (TISS) was used to assess the quantity of care provided in a medical intensive care unit. Besides observing the unit census, the severity of illness and the work load were studied. The survival rate was 77 percent. The non-survivors had admission TISS points higher than the survivors and their mean daily TISS was more than 20 points. The survivors at discharge had a mean TISS of five points. The work load showed that a nurse can effectively manage two patients who together may accumulate 24 TISS points per day. TISS points per patient rather than bed occupancy is a better indicator of the nurse's work load. Admission criteria and procedures before death certification are outlined.
Comment in: Delilkan AE. Therapeutic intervention scoring system in medical intensive care. Med J Malaysia. 1989 Dec;44(4):361-2

Matched MeSH terms: Intensive Care Units/manpower

Access to pathology and laboratory medicine services: a crucial gap

Wilson ML, Fleming KA, Kuti MA, Looi LM, Lago N, Ru K

Lancet, 2018 05 12;391(10133):1927-1938.

PMID: 29550029 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30458-6

As global efforts accelerate to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and, in particular, universal health coverage, access to high-quality and timely pathology and laboratory medicine (PALM) services will be needed to support health-care systems that are tasked with achieving these goals. This access will be most challenging to achieve in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), which have a disproportionately large share of the global burden of disease but a disproportionately low share of global health-care resources, particularly PALM services. In this first in a Series of three papers on PALM in LMICs, we describe the crucial and central roles of PALM services in the accurate diagnosis and detection of disease, informing prognosis and guiding treatment, contributing to disease screening, public health surveillance and disease registries, and supporting medical-legal systems. We also describe how, even though data are sparse, these services are of both insufficient scope and inadequate quality to play their key role in health-care systems in LMICs. Lastly, we identify four key barriers to the provision of optimal PALM services in resource-limited settings: insufficient human resources or workforce capacity, inadequate education and training, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient quality, standards, and accreditation.

Matched MeSH terms: Clinical Laboratory Services/manpower*

Medical audit. A method of assessing hospital efficiency

Dugdale AE

Med J Aust, 1970 Dec 5;2(23):1087-91.

PMID: 5491085

Matched MeSH terms: Radiology/manpower

Providing maternal and child care in rural Malaysia

Chen PC

Trop Geogr Med, 1977 Dec;29(4):441-8.

PMID: 610030

Since Independence, gained in 1957, major changes have occurred in the rural areas of Malaysia not least amongst which has been the provision of maternal and child care services to hitherto neglected areas. In the first part of this paper, the demographic and disease patterns are described. The second part outlines the general development efforts and describes in greater detail the rural health services that have been organized in Malaysia. In the concluding section, changes in mortality and morbidity are examined.

Matched MeSH terms: Child Health Services/manpower*; Maternal Health Services/manpower*; Rural Health/manpower*

Editorial: To serve all the people

Chen PC

Med J Malaysia, 1975 Jun;29(4):237-9.

PMID: 1196171

Matched MeSH terms: Health Manpower

Fulltext An Online Survey of the Perceptions of Clinical and Non-Clinical Professionals on Healthcare for Non-Communicable Diseases and COVID-19 Measures During the Pandemic in Malaysia

Sureshkumar S, Mustapha F, Yusoff H, Mwangi KJ, Marcus K, Kohlbrenner B, et al.

Int J Public Health, 2023;68:1605861.

PMID: 37304500 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1605861

Objectives: This study assesses the opinions of health professionals in Malaysia on the disruption of non-communicable disease (NCD) services during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to January 2022. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with 191 non-clinical public health workers and clinical health service workers in Malaysia from November 2021 to January 2022. Participants were recruited by the Malaysian Ministry of Health using major networks including key experts and practitioners. Secondary respondents were subsequently enrolled through snowballing. Results: The most notable issues raised by the survey participants relate to NCD service disruption, the redirection of NCD care resources, and NCD care being overburdened post-pandemic. Respondents also reported accounts of resilience and prompt reaction from the healthcare system, as well as calls for innovation. Conclusion: Most respondents perceived that the challenges arising from COVID-19 were mostly managed well by the healthcare system, which was able to provide the necessary services to NCD patients during this health emergency. However, the study identifies gaps in the health system response and preparedness capacity, and highlights solutions for strengthening NCD services.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Manpower

National response to neurological diseases in Malaysia: planning for the future

Abdullah JM, Hussin AM, Tharakan J, Abdullah MR, Saad R, Kamari Z, et al.

Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2006 Jul;37(4):798-805.

PMID: 17121309

The number of cases of neurological disease is expected to rise in the next 10 years, making this the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality after heart disease in Malaysia. The lack of human resources in the neurological field currently serving the Malaysian population may cause a deficiency in specialized care, especially in rural areas where neurological and neurosurgical care may be lacking. Thus, a resolve was made to increase the numbers of specialists by the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) with the help of the Ministry of Health of Malaysia. A study was made to evaluate the number of referral centers needed in strategic parts of Malaysia. Our calculation was based on service demands and operative procedures following the guidelines of the Association of British Neurologists (ABN) where 15 minutes of service time was equivalent to 1 unit. Based on 2 million population covered in the state of Kelantan by this University Hospital, 4.27 neurologists are needed to meet service demands with a consultant to population ratio (CPR) of 1:468,384, compared to 7.46 neurosurgeons, with a CPR of 1:268,097. According to the current service demands, one neurologist has to work more than 407 hours per year and one neurosurgeon 1,219 hours per year in our hospital. Hospitals with a larger catchment area would need to have more neurologists and neurosurgeons for optimal care in their area. Thus, more neurologists and neurosurgeons are needed to be produced, since the existing numbers are too small for quality care in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Hospitals/manpower*; Neurology/manpower*

Malyasian biotechnology: the valley of ghosts

Cyranoski D

Nature, 2005 Aug 4;436(7051):620-1.

PMID: 16079812

Matched MeSH terms: Biotechnology/manpower; Research/manpower*

A comparison of pharmacists' role functions across various nations: The importance of screening

Inoue Y, Takikawa M, Morita Y, Takao K, Kanamoto I, Sugibayashi K

Res Social Adm Pharm, 2016 Mar-Apr;12(2):347-54.

PMID: 26072001 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2015.05.005

In recent years, several developed countries reported on new multidisciplinary roles of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants, especially considering the former's expanding functions. This paper examines differences in pharmacists' and pharmacy assistants' professional roles and the dispensing system in Japan with those in the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and the Philippines. A review of relevant literature was supplemented by interviews of dispensary staff at hospitals and community pharmacies in Malaysia and the Philippines. The UK, Philippines, and Malaysia had dispensing assistants who performed dispensing roles, while Japan did not. Although pharmacy assistants occasionally performed screening and dispensing inspections due to the lack of pharmacists, it is necessary for pharmacists participating in risk management to ensure formula optimization and monitoring. Pharmacists' contribution to medical care involves ensuring safety in drug therapy and overall medical services. Screening is the most fundamental and important function performed exclusively by pharmacists, thereby establishing their status within the medical system.

Matched MeSH terms: Community Pharmacy Services/manpower; Pharmacy Service, Hospital/manpower

Medical records development in Malaysia

Ching CY

IHRIM, 1995 Feb;36(1):3-5.

PMID: 10142965

Matched MeSH terms: Hospitals, Public/manpower; Medical Records Department, Hospital/manpower

Clinical Activity Monitoring System (CATS): An automatic system to quantify bedside clinical activities in the intensive care unit

Guo P, Chiew YS, Shaw GM, Shao L, Green R, Clark A, et al.

Intensive Crit Care Nurs, 2016 Dec;37:52-61.

PMID: 27401048 DOI: 10.1016/j.iccn.2016.05.003

Monitoring clinical activity at the bedside in the intensive care unit (ICU) can provide useful information to evaluate nursing care and patient recovery. However, it is labour intensive to quantify these activities and there is a need for an automated method to record and quantify these activities. This paper presents an automated system, Clinical Activity Tracking System (CATS), to monitor and evaluate clinical activity at the patient's bedside. The CATS uses four Microsoft Kinect infrared sensors to track bedside nursing interventions. The system was tested in a simulated environment where test candidates performed different motion paths in the detection area. Two metrics, 'Distance' and 'Dwell time', were developed to evaluate interventions or workload in the detection area. Results showed that the system can accurately track the intervention performed by individual or multiple subjects. The results of a 30-day, 24-hour preliminary study in an ICU bed space matched clinical expectations. It was found that the average 24-hour intervention is 22.0minutes/hour. The average intervention during the day time (7am-11pm) is 23.6minutes/hour, 1.4 times higher than 11pm-7am, 16.8minutes/hour. This system provides a unique approach to automatically collect and evaluate nursing interventions that can be used to evaluate patient acuity and workload demand.

Matched MeSH terms: Critical Care/manpower; Critical Care Nursing/manpower

Fulltext Radiation exposure to operating theatre personnel during fluoroscopic-assisted orthopaedic surgery

Radhi AM, Masbah O, Shukur MH, Shahril Y, Taiman K

Med J Malaysia, 2006 Feb;61 Suppl A:50-2.

PMID: 17042230

Orthopaedic procedures especially dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation, interlocking nailing (ILN) of the tibia and femur require fluoroscopic assistance. Frequent exposure to radiation is a major concern to members of the orthopaedic surgical team. This study was undertaken to measure shallow (skin) dose to the operating team personnel and deep (whole body) dose to the surgeon during such procedures in view to provide guidelines to the operating team members regarding the number of procedures allowable for them to perform or assist annually. Skin dose for the operating personnel and whole body dose for the operating surgeon during 25 procedures; ten cases of DHS, seven and six cases of ILN of the tibia and femur respectively, was measured using Thermoluminescent Dosimeter (TLD) chips. The shallow radiation dose for theatre personnel ranged from 0.19 mSy to 0.61 per case while the deep dose for the surgeon was 0.28, 0.55 and 0.81 mSy for seven cases of tibial ILN, ten cases of DHS and six cases of femur ILN respectively. The surgeon has the highest radiation exposure than other theatre personnel and the whole body exposure for DHS was higher than that of for ILN. However, the estimated cumulative dose was still far below the permissible annual dose limit.

Matched MeSH terms: Operating Rooms/manpower*; Orthopedics/manpower*

The traditional healer in obstetric care: A persistent wasted opportunity in maternal health

Aborigo RA, Allotey P, Reidpath DD

Soc Sci Med, 2015 May;133:59-66.

PMID: 25841096 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.03.046

Traditional medical systems in low income countries remain the first line service of choice, particularly for rural communities. Although the role of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) is recognised in many primary health care systems in low income countries, other types of traditional practitioners have had less traction. We explored the role played by traditional healers in northern Ghana in managing pregnancy-related complications and examined their relevance to current initiatives to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. A grounded theory qualitative approach was employed. Twenty focus group discussions were conducted with TBAs and 19 in-depth interviews with traditional healers with expertise in managing obstetric complications. Traditional healers are extensively consulted to manage obstetric complications within their communities. Their clientele includes families who for either reasons of access or traditional beliefs, will not use modern health care providers, or those who shop across multiple health systems. The traditional practitioners claim expertise in a range of complications that are related to witchcraft and other culturally defined syndromes; conditions for which modern health care providers are believed to lack expertise. Most healers expressed a willingness to work with the formal health services because they had unique knowledge, skills and the trust of the community. However this would require a stronger acknowledgement and integration within safe motherhood programs.

Matched MeSH terms: Maternal Health Services/manpower*; Obstetrics/manpower*

Malaysia's social policies on mental health: a critical theory

Mubarak AR

J Health Soc Policy, 2003;17(1):55-72.

PMID: 14620736

This article aims to review the social policies on mental health and mental illness in Malaysia. Using critical theory, major policy issues pertaining to mental health and mental illness such as mental health legislation, prevalence rates and quality of services available to the people with mental health problems are discussed in detail. Implications of these issues on persons with mental health problems are critically evaluated. The paper highlights that the other countries in ASEAN region also require similar review by policy literature.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Manpower; Psychiatry/manpower

Fulltext Setting up home-based palliative care in countries with limited resources: a model from Sarawak, Malaysia

Devi BC, Tang TS, Corbex M

Ann Oncol, 2008 Dec;19(12):2061-6.

PMID: 18641007 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdn422

The provision of palliative care (PC) and opioids is difficult to ensure in remote areas in low- and middle-income countries. We describe here the set up of a home-care program in Sarawak (the Malaysian part of the Borneo Island), where half the population lives in villages that are difficult to access.

Matched MeSH terms: Delivery of Health Care/manpower; Home Care Services/manpower; Palliative Care/manpower

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cytology practice: An international survey in the Asia-Pacific region

Wang YH, Bychkov A, Chakrabarti I, Jain D, Liu Z, He S, et al.

Cancer Cytopathol, 2020 Dec;128(12):895-904.

PMID: 32931161 DOI: 10.1002/cncy.22354

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on various aspects of cytology practice in the Asia-Pacific region.

METHODS: An online questionnaire was distributed to cytopathology laboratories in 24 Asia-Pacific countries to explore the impact of restrictive measures on access to health care, use of general and personal protective equipment (PPE), and changes in cytology workflow and workload from February to April 2020.

RESULTS: A total of 167 cytopathology laboratories from 24 countries responded to the survey; the majority reported that restrictive measures that limited the accessibility of health care services had been implemented in their cities and/or countries (80.8%) and their hospitals (83.8%). The respondents noted that COVID-19 had an impact on the cytologic workflow as well as the workload. Approximately one-half of the participants reported the implementation of new biosafety protocols (54.5%) as well as improvements in laboratory facilities (47.3%). Rearrangement or redeployment of the workforce was reported in 53.3% and 34.1% of laboratories, respectively. The majority of the respondents reported a significant reduction (>10%) in caseload associated with both gynecological (82.0%) and nongynecological specimens (78.4%). Most laboratories reported no significant change in the malignancy rates of both gynecological (67.7%) and nongynecological specimens (58.7%) compared with the same period in 2019.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of the survey demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant reduction in the number of cytology specimens examined along with the need to implement new biosafety protocols. These findings underscore the need for the worldwide standardization of biosafety protocols and cytology practice.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Manpower/organization & administration; Health Manpower/standards; Health Manpower/statistics & numerical data

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