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Procedural pain and distress in children can result in severe short- and long-term consequences, including post-traumatic stress syndrome and needle phobia. While distraction techniques (e.g., toys, music) have been widely used, virtual reality (VR) offers a novel, immersive form of distraction. Despite the rapid development of VR technologies, there is a lack of comprehensive evidence regarding which paediatric patients and procedures benefit most from VR interventions.
We conducted a scoping review following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A systematic search across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed) identified studies from January 1, 2000 to November 15, 2025. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-experimental designs assessing VR for pain/anxiety management during medical procedures in paediatric patients, with outcomes including pain intensity, distress, feasibility, satisfaction or safety.
Of the 5458 original database citations, 201 were eligible for full-text evaluation. Of these articles, a total of 22 were included in the scoping review. RCTs comprised 81.8% (n = 18). The majority (86.4%) employed immersive VR and 27.3% utilized cost-effective smartphone-based systems. Procedures targeted included venipuncture, needle-related interventions, intravenous access, surgery and burn wound care. Approximately 86.4% of studies reported VR's superiority over standard care in reducing procedural pain and distress.
VR is an effective, non-pharmacological tool for managing procedural pain and distress in paediatric clinical settings, showing promise for integration into routine care. However, existing studies exhibit methodological heterogeneity and focus primarily on short-term outcomes. Future research should prioritize large-scale, rigorously designed RCTs with long-term follow-up, and focus on developing standardized, evidence-based VR protocols for diverse paediatric populations.
No patient or public contribution was required for this scoping review, as it only synthesized existing published literature without primary data collection.
by Xiuqun Yuan, Yuting Chen, Huihui Lu, Pei Zheng, Yanyan Zhang, Min Chen, Xia Sheng
ObjectivesPost-prostatectomy patients experience urinary incontinence, fluctuating quality of life, and psychosocial distress during early survivorship. Evidence-based nursing models addressing long-term supportive needs remain limited. This study developed and evaluated an enhanced survivorship-oriented care model designed to improve postoperative functional recovery and quality-of-life outcomes.
MethodsA retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary urologic center. The improved survivorship model was developed based on our previous PROSTATE care model, integrating nurse-led continuous follow-up, psychosocial support, and structured rehabilitation. A total of 1062 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy between June 2024 and May 2025 received the enhanced survivorship care, compared with 673 patients treated between June 2023 and December 2023 under the previous PROSTATE care model. Outcomes included urinary continence, quality of life, postoperative complications, and length of stay. Between-group comparisons were performed using independent-samples tests, and repeated-measures ANOVA was applied to assess longitudinal changes.
ResultsBoth groups demonstrated significant improvements in urinary recovery and quality of life over time (time × group interaction, P Conclusion
The enhanced survivorship care model demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in quality of life and continence recovery, while maintaining patient safety. These findings support its clinical value and potential for wider implementation as a structured survivorship strategy following radical prostatectomy.
To explore baseline activities of daily living (ADL) profiles and their association with memory decline over time in cognitively healthy, community-dwelling older adults.
Observational panel study.
This study analysed data from Waves 7–10 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (the search was performed on May 28, 2024), including 2925 older adults aged above 65 with no dementia or cognitive impairments at baseline (Wave 7, 2014–2015). To categorise participants by their daily functional abilities at baseline, latent class analysis was conducted to derive participants' activities of daily living profiles. A linear mixed model was used to explore whether these baseline activity profiles might predict different memory decline rates (trajectories) over time, accounting for baseline demographic factors (gender, age, ethnicity, education, marital status and chronic diseases).
Social demographics (younger age, female gender, white ethnicity, higher education and being partnered) and ADL profiles outweigh health conditions in predicting participants' memory function. Different baseline profiles were linked to different memory decline trajectories. An impairment profile with grocery shopping capability was linked to slower memory decline.
This study showed that ADL profiles had a substantial correlation with memory decline, accounting for the significant impact of sociodemographic factors. An impairment profile that preserved grocery shopping abilities appeared to offer protective benefits and potentially slow memory decline.
Strengthening nursing strategies that support older adults in maintaining the ability to grocery shop, such as guiding caregivers to promote involvement rather than shopping for the older adults entirely, or accompanying older adults grocery shopping as part of community nursing care, might help delay age-related memory decline in this population.
Patients or members of the public were not directly involved in the study's design, conduct, reporting, or dissemination plans.
To develop an instrument for assessing competence in emerging infectious disease prevention among health and care workers in long-term care institutions and evaluate its psychometric properties.
A cross-sectional, descriptive design utilising both qualitative and quantitative methods was employed.
Based on scale development guidelines, the scale was developed in two phases, namely the scale development phase and scale testing phase, with the staff of long-term care institutions as the study population and their workplaces as the sampling unit.
The scale comprises 27 items across three dimensions: 14 items pertaining to professional role performance, 7 items addressing workplace resources, and 6 items focusing on soft skills in communication and collaboration. Content analysis was conducted via a focus group discussion; content validity analysis was carried out via expert reviews; item analysis was performed via a pilot study; and construct validity and reliability were ensured via factor analysis and internal consistency testing, respectively. The total variance explained by the three factors of the 27-item scale was 64.8%, demonstrating acceptable validity and reliability with a Cronbach's α value of 0.97.
This scale demonstrates excellent reliability and validity, making it suitable for clinical practice and research. In practice, this instrument could also assist managers in adjusting policies to adapt to dynamic situations and enhance the quality of care in long-term care institutions. Nonetheless, further research is warranted to refine the scale and enhance its generalisability.
The scale is a psychometrically robust tool tailored for the evaluation of competence in emerging infectious disease prevention in long-term care institutions. It assesses the role performance, workplace resources, and soft skills of health and care workers in these institutions, which are crucial for guiding educational interventions and shaping policies to enhance disease prevention, ultimately improving care quality.
No patient or public contribution.
The interaction between dementia and changes in health status accelerates the progression of dementia and health deterioration. Although health indicators exist for older adults, comprehensive ones for dementia are lacking.
To (1) establish core health indicators for older adults with dementia, (2) develop an integrated health assessment toolkit for older adults with dementia, and (3) test the feasibility and applicability of the integrated health assessment toolkit.
This study involved two phases. In the first phase, using the Delphi method, opinions from 10 experts were synthesized to establish core health indicators for older adults with dementia. In the second phase, with a descriptive research approach, an integrated health assessment toolkit was developed, evaluated by 10 daycare case managers for feasibility, and then pilot tested with 50 older adults with dementia across three daycare centers.
The core health indicators for older adults with dementia covered 18 indicators in five domains: (1) cognitive and behavioral impairment, (2) sensory and perceptual impairment, (3) disease and dysfunction, (4) functional fitness deterioration, and (5) social isolation. After two rounds of assessments, experts rated the criteria's importance and clarity at 0.94 and 0.89 on the scale-level content validity index/universal agreement (S-CVI/UA), respectively. In the second phase, the integrated health assessment toolkit was developed, which integrated five observational assessment scales and six physical function measures. The average applicability scores ranged from 7.80 to 9.90 out of 10. In the pilot test, the assessment process proceeded smoothly without any adverse events. However, 10 participants did not comply with wearing the actigraphy device.
The core health indicators and the corresponding health assessment toolkit are feasible to assess the health of older adults with dementia that could provide valuable insights and guide future interventions to enhance their well-being.
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