1,720,997 research outputs found
Patients’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior towards hospital-associated infections in Italy
No full textAppropriate tetanus prophylaxis practices in patients attending Emergency Departments in Italy
No full textPatients’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward hospital-associated infections in Italy
No full textIntegrating Telemedicine in Botulinum Toxin Type-A Treatment for Spasticity Management: Perspectives and Challenges from Italian Healthcare Professionals
No full text(1) Background: Telemedicine is a vital tool for enhancing healthcare accessibility and outcomes at reduced costs. This study aimed to assess the usability of the Maia Connected Care telemedicine platform for managing spasticity in patients receiving botulinum toxin type-A, focusing on the perspectives of Italian physiatrists with expertise in this treatment. (2) Methods: Conducted from March 2023 to June 2023, this multicenter survey involved 15 Italian physicians who used the platform for teleconsultations. Data collected included demographic details, responses to the Telemedicine Usability Questionnaire, and physician insights on patient satisfaction, treatment effectiveness, and implementation challenges in telehealth. (3) Results: The platform demonstrated high usability, with strong physician satisfaction due to its user-friendly interface and quality of interactions. A majority expressed willingness to continue telehealth for spasticity management, noting its effectiveness in improving patient satisfaction and outcomes. Challenges included replicating the depth of in-person consultations and addressing issues like reimbursement and telehealth standardization. (4) Conclusions: This study highlights telemedicine’s potential for spasticity management and clinician satisfaction, while underscoring the need for improvements in simulating in-person experiences and addressing systemic issues. The absence of patient perspectives represents a limitation, advocating for future research to optimize telemedicine practices and evaluate long-term clinical impacts
Healthcare workers and prevention of hepatitis C virus transmission: exploring knowledge, attitudes and evidence-based practices in hemodialysis units in Italy
No full textAbstract Background Evidence exists regarding the full prevention of HCV transmission to hemodialysis patients by implementing universal precaution. However, little information is available regarding the frequency with which hospitals have adopted evidence-based practices for preventing HCV infection among hemodialysis patients. A cross-sectional survey has been conducted among nurses in Calabria region (Italy) in order to acquire information about the level of knowledge, the attitudes and the frequencies of evidence-based practices that prevent hospital transmission of HCV. Methods All 37 hemodialysis units (HDU) of Calabria were included in the study and all nurses were invited to participate in the study and to fill in a self-administered questionnaire. Results 90% of the nurses working in HDU participated in the study. Correct answers about HCV pattern of transmission ranged from 73.7% to 99.3% and were significantly higher in respondents who knew that isolation of HCV-infected patients is not recommended and among those who knew that previous bloodstream infections should be included in medical record and among nurses with fewer years of practice. Most correctly thought that evidence-based infection control measures provide adequate protection against transmission of bloodborne pathogens among healthcare workers. Positive attitude was significantly higher among more knowledgeable nurses. Self-reporting of appropriate handwashing procedures were significantly more likely in nurses who were aware that transmission of bloodborne pathogens among healthcare workers may be prevented through adoption of evidence-based practices and with a correct knowledge about HCV transmission patterns. Conclusions Behavior changes should be aimed at abandoning outdated practices and adopting and maintaining evidence-based practices. Initiatives focused at enabling and reinforcing adherence to effective prevention practices among nurses in HDU are strongly needed.</p
Italian Translation and Validation of the Original ABC Taxonomy for Medication Adherence
Get PDFMedication adherence represents a complex and multifaceted process. Standardized terminology is essential to enable a reproducible process in various languages. The study’s aim was to translate and adapt the original Ascertaining Barriers for Compliance (ABC) Taxonomy on medication adherence, first proposed in 2012, into Italian language. The study was carried out according to the Preferred Methods for Translation of the ABC Taxonomy for Medication Adherence adopted by the ESPACOMP. Key steps included: (1) a systematic literature review using PubMed and Embase according to the PRISMA Guidelines to identify published Italian terms and definitions, and Italian adherence experts; (2) a forward translation of terms and definitions; (3) panelists’ selection; (4) a three-round Delphi survey. From the systematic review, 19 studies allowed detection of 4 terms, 4 definitions and 767 Italian experts. To these, Italian ESPACOMP members and experts though snowball sampling were added. The identified Italian adherence experts received the Delphi questionnaire. The Italian ABC Taxonomy was achieved after three rounds of Delphi survey by reaching at least a moderate consensus on unambiguous naming and definition of medication adherence-related terms. The Taxonomy is intended to be used in research, academic, and professional fields in order to harmonize adherence terminology and avoid confusion in comparing research findings
Validity and Reliability of a Tool for Determining Appropriateness of Days of Stay: An Observational Study in the Orthopedic Intensive Rehabilitation Facilities in Italy
No full textTo test the validity and reliability of a tool specifically developed for the evaluation of appropriateness in rehabilitation facilities and to assess the prevalence of appropriateness of the days of stay.The tool underwent a process of cross-cultural translation, content validity, and test-retest validity. Two hospital-based rehabilitation wards providing intensive rehabilitation care located in the Region of Calabria, Southern Italy, were randomly selected. A review of medical records on a random sample of patients aged 18 or more was performed. statistic for the assessment of the appropriateness of days of stay were 93.4% and 0.82, respectively. A total of 371 patient days was reviewed, and 22.9% of the days of stay in the sample were judged to be inappropriate. The most frequently selected appropriateness criterion was the evaluation of patients by rehabilitation professionals for at least 3 hours on the index day (40.8%); moreover, the most frequent primary reason accounting for the inappropriate days of stay was social and/or family environment issues (34.1%).The findings showed that the tool used is reliable and have adequate validity to measure the extent of appropriateness of days of stay in rehabilitation facilities and that the prevalence of inappropriateness is contained in the investigated settings. Further research is needed to expand appropriateness evaluation to other rehabilitation settings, and to investigate more thoroughly internal and external causes of inappropriate use of rehabilitation services
Appropriateness of Intrapartum Antibiotic Prophylaxis to Prevent Neonatal Group B Streptococcus Disease.
No full textThe aims of this study were to describe the adherence to CDC guidelines for intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) and to identify possible factors influencing noncompliance with guidelines. We conducted a retrospective study in Italy. Our cohort included women in whom antenatal Group B Streptococcus (GBS) screening was not performed, was performed, but results were not available at the time of labor or delivery and women who were positive for GBS colonization. The indications for complete execution of IAP according to revised CDC guidelines was evaluated. It was considered adequate when performed with a recommended antibiotic at least four hours prior to delivery. The cohort included 902 women. Among those who had performed rectal and vaginal swabs (or recto-vaginal swabs), results were available in 86.9% of vaginal swabs and in 87.1% of rectal swabs and GBS was detected in 59.8% of vaginal swabs and in 71% of rectal swabs. 49.2% women had indication for GBS prophylaxis. Among these, 91.1% received an antibiotic during labor. Totally appropriate IAP was performed in 36.3% deliveries, an inappropriate antibiotic was administered in 10.4% women, the remaining 45.3% women received partially appropriate IAP; of these, 15.5% had received antibiotics through an inappropriate route of administration, 18.2% an inappropriate dosage regimen. Overall, 27.5% women received intrapartum ampicillin with inappropriate timing. Multivariate analysis showed that totally appropriate prophylaxis was significantly more likely in women who had no previous live birth, who had vaginal delivery, and a positive result at antenatal GBS screening. Despite satisfactory GBS screening implementation, there is still a substantial gap between optimal and actual IAP. We hypothesize that the complexity of the CDC guidelines may partially explain this shortcoming. Future efforts will include initiatives focused at enabling and reinforcing adherence to evidence-based prevention practices
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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