METHODS: Breast cancer patients were recruited from three Malaysian hospitals between June and November 2017. We compared the proportion of patients who rated PROs as very important (scored 7-9 on a 9-point Likert scale) between Malaysian patients and data collected from patients in HICs via the ICHOM questionnaire development process, using logistic regression. A two-step cluster analysis explored differences in PROs among Malaysian patients.
RESULTS: The most important PROs for both cohorts were survival, overall well-being, and physical functioning. Compared with HIC patients (n = 1177), Malaysian patients (n = 969) were less likely to rate emotional (78% vs 90%), cognitive (76% vs 84%), social (72% vs 81%), and sexual (30% vs 56%) functioning as very important outcomes (P
METHODS: Through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Costs in Oncology study, 1,294 newly diagnosed patients with cancer (Ministry of Health [MOH] hospitals [n = 577], a public university hospital [n = 642], private hospitals [n = 75]) were observed in Malaysia. Cost diaries and questionnaires were used to measure incidence of financial toxicity, encompassing financial catastrophe (FC; out-of-pocket costs ≥ 30% of annual household income), medical impoverishment (decrease in household income from above the national poverty line to below that line after subtraction of cancer-related costs), and economic hardship (inability to make necessary household payments). Predictors of financial toxicity were determined using multivariable analyses.
RESULTS: One fifth of patients had private health insurance. Incidence of FC at 1 year was 51% (MOH hospitals, 33%; public university hospital, 65%; private hospitals, 72%). Thirty-three percent of households were impoverished at 1 year. Economic hardship was reported by 47% of families. Risk of FC attributed to conventional medical care alone was 18% (MOH hospitals, 5%; public university hospital, 24%; private hospitals, 67%). Inclusion of expenditures on nonmedical goods and services inflated the risk of financial toxicity in public hospitals. Low-income status, type of hospital, and lack of health insurance were strong predictors of FC.
CONCLUSION: Patients with cancer may not be fully protected against financial hardships, even in settings with universal health coverage. Nonmedical costs also contribute as important drivers of financial toxicity in these settings.
METHODS: A total of 229 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or older participated in this study. Variables were measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Revised University of California at Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).
RESULTS: There was an independent association between DSI and quality of life (P < .05) and between DSI and hearing loss alone and cognitive function (P < .05) in older adults. In addition, higher education was associated with better quality of life and cognitive function.
CONCLUSIONS: DSI is a significant factor affecting the quality of life and cognitive function in older adults. Sociodemographic factors such as education play an important role in improving quality of life and cognitive function. Thus, increasing the awareness of this disability is important to ensure that older adults receive the necessary support services and rehabilitation to improve their level of independence.
METHODS: Using Cochrane, PubMed, and Google Scholar as the search engines, full-text articles in the scope of the study, written in English and within 10 years of publication were selected.
RESULTS: Out of the 677 articles, 27 articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria, where data was compiled into a table, outlining the general characteristics and findings. Throughout the different forms of H2 administration, study design and types of cancers reported, outcomes were found to be consistent.
CONCLUSION: From our analysis, H2 plays a promising therapeutic role as an independent therapy as well as an adjuvant in combination therapy, resulting in an overall improvement in survivability, quality of life, blood parameters, and tumour reduction. Although more comprehensive research is needed, given the promising outcomes, H2 is worth considering for use as a complement to current cancer therapy.
METHODS: This study recruited 450 people with TDT, aged 18 and above, of both genders through all regional Thalassaemia societies in Malaysia and from the two participating hospitals, over five months in year 2016. A self-administered questionnaire including 'Healthy Days Core Module', WHOQOL-BREF and employment measurements was used. Multiple linear regression models were fitted with associations adjusted for several potential confounders.
RESULTS: A total of 196 adults with TDT responded to the survey (43.6% response rate). Almost half (45%) had comorbidities and 9% suffered multiple complications: bone-related (13%), hormonal (12%), cardiac (3%) and infections (2%), resulting in 23% seeking treatment more than twice monthly. Within a month, they suffered from at least three days with poor physical and or mental health and their normal daily activities were disrupted up to three days. 36% were jobless and 38% of those with a job were receiving salaries below RM1000. The mean WHOQOL-BREF score (mean (SD)) was: physical health 62.6 (15.5), psychological health 64.7 (15.7), social relationship 64 (15.9), environmental health 60.8 (16.7). Having days with mental issues, financial status, education level, ethnic and marital status were main factors affecting QOL scores. Open questions showed dissatisfaction with health service provision, conflicting judgement in prioritising between health and job, and poor public empathy.
CONCLUSION: The adults with TDT perceived their health as good and had less unhealthy days when compared with people with other chronic diseases. However, some perceived themselves to be facing more life disruption in a rather non-supportive community and that health services do not meet their needs. Future qualitative studies are needed to focus on their perceived needs and to look for more tailored supportive approaches.
METHODS: The OASES-A-J was administered to 200 adults who stutter in Japan. All respondents also evaluated their own speech (SA scale), satisfaction of their own speech (SS scale) and the Japanese translation version of the Modified Erickson Communication Attitude scale (S-24). The test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the OASES-A-J were assessed. To examine the concurrent validity of the questionnaire, Pearson correlation was conducted between the OASES-A-J Impact score and the S-24 scale, SA scale and SS scale. In addition, Pearson correlation among the impact scores of each section and total were calculated to examine the construct validity.
RESULTS: The OASES-A-J showed a good test-retest reliability (r=0.81-0.95) and high internal consistency (α>0.80). Concurrent validity was moderate to high (0.55-0.75). Construct validity was confirmed by the relation between internal consistency in each section and correlation among sections' impact scores. Japanese adults showed higher negative impact for 'General Information', 'Reactions to Stuttering' and 'Quality of Life' sections.
CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the OASES-A-J is a reliable and valid instrument to measure the impact of stuttering on Japanese adults who stutter. The OASES-A-J could be used as a clinical tool in Japanese stuttering field.
AIMS: The main aim was to systematically evaluate the available evidence regarding the effectiveness of structured patient education on their knowledge, participation, wound healing, and quality of life.
METHODS: The search strategy retrieved studies published between 2009 and 2021 in English across PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library. Adult participants aged 18 years and above were included. Randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, and interventional studies were all included in this review. Three independent reviewers assessed the methodological quality of the studies, prior to critical appraisal, using standardized tools, that is, the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for randomized and non-randomized studies. A narrative synthesis was conducted.
RESULTS: A total of eight studies (466 participants) were included in this review. Available evidence indicated improved patient knowledge, participation, and quality of life with structured patient education. However, there was insufficient high-quality evidence to conclude the effect on wound healing.
LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Structured patient education for PI was deemed to help improve patients' knowledge, participation, and quality of life. More rigorous trials are needed for the effect on wound healing progress. Thus, future educational interventions should include wound care components that describe the patient's role in promoting wound healing. A well-structured patient education program protocol is crucial to ensure the educational intervention was measurable in its effectiveness and reproducibility.
METHOD: Cross-sectional study on 68 parents of Malaysian children aged 2-18 years with TSC. QOL was assessed using proxy-report Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) V.4.0, and scores compared with those from a previous cohort of healthy children. Parents also completed questionnaires on child behaviour (child behaviour checklist (CBCL)) and parenting stress (parenting stress index-short form). Multiple regression analysis was used to determine sociodemographic, medical, parenting stress and behavioural factors that impacted on QOL.
RESULTS: The mean proxy-report PedsQL V.4.0 total scale score, physical health summary score and psychosocial health summary score of the patients were 60.6 (SD 20.11), 65.9 (SD 28.05) and 57.8 (SD 19.48), respectively. Compared with healthy children, TSC patients had significantly lower mean PedsQL V.4.0 total scale, physical health and psychosocial health summary scores (mean difference (95% CI): 24 (18-29), 20 (12-27) and 26 (21-31) respectively). Lower total scale scores were associated with clinically significant CBCL internalising behaviour scores, age 8-18 years and Chinese ethnicity. Lower psychosocial health summary scale scores were associated with clinically significant CBCL internalising behaviour scores, Chinese ethnicity or >1 antiepileptic drug (AED).
CONCLUSION: Parents of children with TSC reported lower PedsQL V.4.0 QOL scores in all domains, with psychosocial health most affected. Older children, those with internalising behaviour problems, of Chinese ethnicity or on >1 AED was at higher risk of lower QOL. Clinicians need to be vigilant of QOL needs among children with TSC particularly with these additional risk factors.
METHODS: The AAQ II which has been translated into Malay language via back translation procedure was distributed to 101 cancer patients and 100 non-cancer patients. The evaluation of psychometric properties in this study included content validity index, internal consistency, parallel reliability, exploratory factor analysis, concurrent validity, sensitivity and specificity of AAQ II Malay version.
RESULTS: AAQ II Malay version has established good content validity index, acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha value of 0.91, excellent parallel reliability and adequate concurrent validity. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) results demonstrated AAQ II Malay version is a unidimensional factor instrument. The result of sensitivity and specificity of AAQ II Malay version indicated cancer patients who scored more than 17.5 were having significant psychological inflexibility.
CONCLUSION: AAQ II Malay version is a reliable and valid instrument to measure psychological inflexibility among cancer patient in Malaysia.