by Emily Tufano, Kondaiah Palsa, Rebecka O. Serpa, Timothy B. Helmuth, Gabriela Remit-Berthet, Sara Mills-Huffnagle, Mathias Kant, Aurosman Sahu, James R. Connor
Iron is essential for normal physiological function, yet dysregulation of iron metabolism is increasingly recognized as a hallmark of cancers such as glioblastoma (GBM). Recent clinical evidence suggests that systemic iron deficiency anemia (IDA) negatively impacts GBM outcomes in a sex-dependent manner, but the mechanisms linking systemic iron availability to tumor iron metabolism remain poorly understood. Here, we interrogate the impact of systemic iron through dietary modulation (control, iron deficiency (ID), and high iron diets), stratified by sex, on tumor iron handling and GBM outcomes utilizing an immune competent (C57BL/6) GBM (GL261) mouse model. Subsequently, we analyzed clinical samples to evaluate translational value. In the preclinical study, we show that iron deficiency decreased survival in males but conferred a slight survival advantage in females, consistent with prior clinical trends. Among circulating iron markers, only ferritin light chain (FTL), but not ferritin heavy chain (FTH) or serum iron, positively correlated with survival in males but not females. In the brain, contralateral iron levels reflected dietary iron status in males but not females, further supporting sex-dependent regulation of local and circulating iron. Notably, tumor iron content remained unchanged in males but was significantly elevated in ID female tumors, complemented by increased transferrin receptor (TfR1) and FTH expression. In clinical GBM samples, we observed non-statistically significant but similar survival trends across varying iron and ferritin levels, suggesting potential translational relevance of our exploratory model. These findings demonstrate that systemic iron availability exerts a sex-specific effect on tumor iron handling, highlighting a critical relationship between systemic and tumor iron regulation in GBM.Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteraemia is a common and severe infection. With mortality rates ranging from 20–30% and long-term impairments in over a third of survivors, better treatments are urgently needed. Linezolid, a well-established treatment for pneumonia and complicated skin infections, has been shown in preclinical studies to strongly suppress S. aureus virulence factors critical to bacterial persistence and tissue damage. Hence, we aim to investigate whether the addition of linezolid to standard therapy in patients with S. aureus bacteraemia leads to an overall improvement in patient-relevant outcomes.
We will conduct a two-arm, parallel-group, multicentre, randomised controlled trial (Linezolid Plus Standard of Care) in 12 hospitals in Switzerland with blinded treating physicians, patients and outcome assessors. Hospitalised patients aged ≥18 years with S. aureus bacteraemia will be eligible. Patients will receive standard antibiotic treatment as prescribed by the treating physician. Within 72 hours of collection of the blood sample yielding the first positive blood culture, patients will be enrolled and randomised 1:1 to receive either adjunctive linezolid (600 mg orally two times per day for 5 days) or placebo. To determine patient-relevant outcomes, we implemented a comprehensive patient-representative consultation process. Consequently, we will use the desirability of outcome ranking (DOOR) established for S. aureus bacteraemia as the primary outcome at 90 days. The hierarchical composite DOOR outcome includes the following four components, ranked from most to least important: (1) survival, (2) return to level of function before S. aureus infection, (3) complications leading to treatment changes and serious adverse reactions; and (4) hospital length of stay. This approach will allow us to analyse the win ratio, that is, whether patients receiving linezolid have a better DOOR rank compared to patients in the placebo group. We calculated a target sample size of 606 patients providing 90% power at a two-sided significance level of 0.05.
Ethical approval was received from the Ethics committee for Northern and Central Switzerland (BASEC number 2025-00655). Eligible patients will be informed about the study by the local study team and asked for written consent if they wish to participate. For patients unable to provide informed consent, an appropriate substitute (ie, a close relative or a physician not involved in the research project) may make decisions based on the presumed wishes and the best interest of the patient. The patient’s own consent will be obtained as soon as their condition permits. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and in laymen's terms through various channels (social media, Swiss national portal HumRes).
To develop an empirically grounded, activity-based tariff framework for Hospital at Home (HaH) services using time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) and micro-costing to support transparent and equitable reimbursement for acute elderly care delivered at home.
Microcosting study embedded within a randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing HaH with conventional hospital admission in Denmark.
Three municipalities in the Central Denmark Region in collaboration with emergency department physicians at a regional hospital.
A consecutive subsample of 107 elderly acute patients enrolled in the RCT between June 2022 and February 2024. Resource use for HaH activities was measured prospectively using microcosting logs, time-motion observations and administrative records.
Empirically derived tariffs per HaH visit (first and subsequent) calculated using an eight-step TDABC framework incorporating process mapping, resource identification, capacity cost rates and time equations. Sensitivity analyses tested robustness to variation in key cost drivers.
The mean total tariff was 338.89 (95% CI 310.94 to 351.49) for first visits and 207.81 (95% CI 200.70 to 215.69) for subsequent visits, including treatment and transport components. Staff time was the principal cost driver, while equipment, overhead and travel reimbursement had smaller effects. The framework accommodates variation in staffing, geography and visit intensity and can be used to estimate total costs across diverse HaH pathways.
A transparent and reproducible tariff-development framework for HaH services was established using TDABC and microcosting. The model aligns reimbursement with actual resource use and care complexity and provides a transferable template for economic evaluation and operational planning.
To describe the normal heart rate (HR) of healthy newborns ≥35+0 weeks’ gestation in the first 10 min after caesarean delivery (CD) with extrauterine placental transfusion, using dry-electrode ECG (NeoBeat).
Single-centre, prospective observational study.
Norwegian County Hospital.
Newborns ≥35+0 weeks’ gestation delivered by CD under regional anaesthesia were eligible for inclusion. Newborns delivered by CD under general anaesthesia, or who needed medical intervention, were excluded.
NeoBeat was attached to the newborn’s chest immediately following delivery. The placenta was delivered without cord clamping after 60–90 s and transferred with the newborn to a resuscitation table. Modified physiology-based cord clamping (PBCC) was performed.
HR was recorded every second for 10 min. HR quartiles were calculated. Events possibly influencing HR were annotated using Liveborn Observation App.
89 newborns with a mean (SD) gestational age of 39+3 weeks (10 days) and birth weight of 3649 (536) g were included. Median (IQR) HR was 164 (117–176) and 169 (145–186) beats per minute at 20 s and 30 s, respectively, peaking at 169 (152–183) beats per minute at 4 min and then slowly decreasing to 157 (146–167) beats per minute at 10 min. HR was not significantly affected by intact-cord blood sampling (mean difference=5.4 (95% CI –1.4 to 12.1)), placental delivery (mean difference=0.7 (95% CI –3.5 to 4.9)) or cord clamping (mean difference =–0.6 (95% CI –2.1 to 0.9)).
This report describes, for the first time, HR quartiles for healthy newborns ≥350 weeks’ gestation from 15 s to 20 s and up to 10 min after CD with extrauterine placental transfusion and PBCC.
Calcium sulphate (CS) is a fully synthetic, sterile, bioabsorbable biomaterial extensively applied for the management of infected tissues and postoperative dead spaces resulting from surgical interventions. Residual DS may facilitate hematoma accumulation and bacterial colonisation, thereby heightening the risk of surgical-site infections. Within orthopaedic surgery, CS has been predominantly evaluated as a bone-void filler and an off-label antibiotic delivery vehicle—particularly in arthroplasty revisions, chronic osteomyelitis, and open fractures—yielding high rates of infection prophylaxis, bone regeneration, and low complication profiles. Commercially available as injectable ‘pearls’ or beads, CS permits local, sustained antibiotic elution while undergoing gradual biodegradation, thus obviating the need for secondary removal procedures. Over the last decade, Calcium Sulphate beads (CSBs) have transcended orthopaedics, gaining traction across general, vascular, and endocrine surgery disciplines for the prevention and treatment of complex wound infections. However, their application in plastic and reconstructive surgery remains underreported, despite the specialty's frequent engagement with complex soft-tissue defects, bone exposure, suture dehiscence, and trauma-related wounds vulnerable to infection. To our knowledge, this represents the first scoping review synthesising current evidence, clinical indications, and emerging roles of CSBs within plastic and reconstructive surgery.
In the USA, an estimated 40–50 million operations are performed annually, with high rates of adverse events. Since the 1980s, report cards have been used for outcome measures and to improve safety of surgical care. As part of Making Healthcare Safer IV—an initiative aimed at publishing evidence-based reviews as they are completed to help healthcare leaders, researchers and policymakers act more quickly on evidence-supported practices—we performed an updated review on the certainty of evidence on patient safety practices related to the use of surgical report cards and outcome measurements.
Systematic review using the Grade of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.
PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and the Cochrane Library were searched from November 2011 to May 2023.
We included primary research studies (randomised control trials or observational studies with a comparison group, including pre–post studies) or observational studies that investigated a surgical report card in adult or paediatric surgical patients at the hospital or surgeon level in inpatient or outpatient settings. Excluded studies included: narrative reviews, scoping reviews, editorials, commentaries, abstracts, studies that measured only patient knowledge or levels of engagement or studies using local surgical dashboard data.
Screening and eligibility were done in duplicate, while data extraction was done by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer. Specific items in the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomised Studies - of Interventions tool and a modification of the National Institutes of Health Tool were used to assess for bias in studies. Two reviewers assessed each study for risk of bias. A modified version of the GRADE framework was used to assess the certainty of evidence.
We identified 19 studies that met the inclusion criteria: 13 primary research studies and 6 descriptive studies of surgical collaboratives. Of the primary studies, nine used a pre–post or longitudinal study design and four used a regression discontinuity or concurrent controlled design. Seven of the studies were about the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project. Five studies were from single institutions and the remainder included nine to greater than 700 hospitals. Pre–post studies of report cards that prompted quality improvement (QI) programmes all reported improvements in outcomes, longitudinal studies reported benefits in some but not all outcomes and one in four controlled before-and-after studies reported a statistically significant mortality benefit. All studies, except for one, were at moderate or high risk of bias. Six collaboratives were identified with preliminary data.
Based on the above evidence, the theoretical rationale and parallel evidence in other settings, we judged that it was moderate certainty that report cards and outcomes measurements can improve surgical outcomes. However, given the evidence from studies where report cards were actively linked to institutional QI initiatives, we recommend that outcome data must be paired with actionable QI efforts to meaningfully improve patient outcomes.
Emotional and behavioural problems (EBPs) are receiving increasing attention at the global level, and preschool children are no exception. These issues have a significant impact on future development. Preventive interventions in preschool age are effective in preventing more serious disorders by improving social skills, emotional regulation and resilience in children. Although various preventive interventions have been developed and their effectiveness demonstrated, the evidence remains fragmented. At present, there has been no comprehensive study mapping EBPs prevention interventions at the preschool age level using the Neuman Systems Model approach.
This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews.The completed scoping review will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A systematic search will be conducted in four major databases, namely Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and online searches using Google Scholar, without language and publication year restrictions. Two reviewers will independently screen the literature according to the inclusion criteria and then extract the data. Any differences between the two reviewers will be resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. We will compile, summarise and analyse the extracted data and present the results in figures, tables and descriptive narratives to ensure clarity and facilitate comparison across studies.
Ethical approval is not required, as the review will use only published literature. Findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed international journal and may inform policy and practice in early childhood preventive interventions.
Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/zg6ty).
Patients discharged from intensive care units (ICUs) are at high risk of adverse long-term outcomes including cardiovascular and/or renal events and a 1-year mortality of approximately 22%. Plasma biomarkers measured at ICU discharge have demonstrated strong prognostic value, with elevated cardiac or renal biomarkers identifying patients at particularly high risk of poor outcomes. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors are now widely recognised for their cardioprotective and nephroprotective effects in chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart failure or chronic kidney disease. These agents improve both morbidity and mortality across a range of high-risk populations. We hypothesise that a therapeutic strategy aimed at preventing the progression of cardiovascular and/or renal injury following ICU discharge may improve long-term outcomes in ICU survivors.
This is a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted across 16 teaching and non-teaching ICUs in France. We will enrol 600 adult patients (18 years of age or older) who have received mechanical ventilation and/or vasopressors for at least 24 hours during their ICU stay, and who meet at least one of the following criteria at ICU discharge: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) >800 pg/mL or BNP >90 ng/L, an estimated glomerular filtration rate between 25 and 90 mL/min/m². Eligible patients will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either dapagliflozin (10 mg once daily) or a matching placebo for a duration of 1 year. The primary outcome is a composite endpoint assessed at 1 year after randomisation, comprising: all-cause mortality, unscheduled hospitalisation for acute heart failure and decrease in renal function. Feasibility will be assessed based on patient and clinical acceptability and recruitment performance, including enrolment rates across participating centres.
This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (CPP Ile-de-France 5). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants prior to enrolment and the initiation of any study-related procedures. Dapagliflozin is a widely available medication with an established safety profile. If proven effective, it would represent a readily deployable strategy to improve long-term outcomes in ICU survivors. The study is described in accordance with the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials framework, and key design features and methodological decisions are outlined accordingly. DAPA-ICU aims to evaluate the efficacy of dapagliflozin in cardiorenal protection among critically ill patients following ICU discharge. The main trial results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal as soon as they become available after final analysis.
The aim of this study is to determine if a geriatric co-management model, referred to as ‘The Geriatric Emergency Medicine (GEM)-team’ is associated with less admissions to hospital in older patients compared with the usual care without increasing the risk of mortality or 30-day emergency department (ED) readmissions.
This observational, controlled study used 18-month data prospectively collected from hospital records. Inverse probability weighting was used to account for baseline differences.
An ED at a suburban Dutch general hospital, receiving approximately 10 000 patients aged 70 or older per year.
All patients aged 70 or older were screened according to predefined criteria. When positively screened patients were presented at the ED on weekdays between 09:00–17:00, they received geriatric co-management. Outside these hours and when the capacity of the GEM team was reached, patients received care as usual.
Geriatric co-management at the ED involves a geriatric multidisciplinary team in collaboration with the primary ED physician who share management and responsibility for the provided medical treatment and nursing care starting directly at the primary assessment.
The primary outcome was hospital admission and secondary outcomes were the composite outcome of 30-day ED readmissions and mortality.
Patients receiving geriatric co-management (n=972) had lower odds for hospitalisation (OR: 0.77, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.91) compared with the control group (n=1355) while 30-day ED readmissions and mortality did not differ between groups (OR: 1.11, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.36).
Geriatric co-management at the ED is associated with decreased hospital admissions while 30-day ED readmissions or mortality was not impacted. These preliminary results contribute to the evidence that geriatric co-management may be an effective intervention for older patients with frailty at the ED.
The global burden of cancer is increasingly concentrated in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where health systems face significant challenges such as late-stage diagnosis, limited resources and restricted access to specialised care. Palliative care plays a vital role in improving symptom control and quality of life for patients with cancer, particularly as care delivery shifts toward ambulatory and community-based settings. In this context, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) are crucial for capturing patients’ perspectives on the quality of care. However, the use and characteristics of these instruments in ambulatory palliative care settings within LMICs remain poorly understood. This systematic review aims to identify and map PROMs and PREMs used among adult patients with cancer receiving ambulatory palliative care in LMICs, and to examine their content, psychometric properties and alignment with key domains of quality palliative care.
This systematic review protocol was developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA) guidelines. The search will be conducted across seven databases from the database inception to December 2025. Two independent reviewers will screen titles, abstracts and full-text articles using Rayyan software to identify studies involving adults (≥18 years) with cancer in ambulatory palliative care settings. Data extraction will capture study characteristics, instrument content and psychometric properties. The final review will be reported in accordance with the PRISMA-COSMIN for Outcome Measurement Instruments. A narrative synthesis will be conducted, mapping the identified instruments against the eight domains of the National Consensus Project Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care to identify measurement gaps and inform future instrument development. A meta-analysis will be conducted if sufficient homogeneity exists.
This review will include only published data; therefore, no approval is required. The findings of this review will be presented at conferences and published in an open-access peer-reviewed journal.
CRD420251273579.
To evaluate the feasibility and relevance of the LIFE-UP Day audit, a simple, 1-day benchmarking tool based on the multidisciplinary LIFE-UP bundle (Limit sedation, optimise nutritional Intakes, engage Families, promote Exercise and follow-UP the patients after discharge) and assessing the implementation of postintensive care syndrome (PICS) prevention strategies in daily practice.
Exploratory multicentre cross-sectional audit study.
Eight Belgian adult intensive care units (ICUs), between April and July 2024.
All patients present at 08:00 on the audit day and hospitalised for ≥24 hours.
An independent nurse collected data on sedation, analgesia, nutrition, family empowerment, physical exercise and post-ICU follow-up. A multidimensional LIFE-UP composite score (raw 0–10 points), normalised to a 5-point scale, was created to quantify adherence to PICS prevention practices based on current recommendations. Feasibility was evaluated through data accessibility, resource needs, cooperation of ICU teams and the ability to complete the audit within 1 day. Relevance was evaluated through adherence to the bundle, assessed by comparing LIFE-UP scores between ICUs. Quantitative results were expressed as median and IQR.
The audit was tested in 87 patients aged 68 (59–74) years, 9 (5–15.5) days after their admission. The audit was feasible across all ICUs: necessary data were available, resources required were minimal and cooperation was excellent. The LIFE-UP score highlighted significant variability between ICUs (2.5 (1.75–2.75), p
The LIFE-UP Day audit proved feasible and provides a first structured framework for benchmarking. Broader implementation will be essential to validate the LIFE-UP score, refine the model and ultimately determine whether it can translate into improved patient and family outcomes.
Shared decision making (SDM) is advocated as an approach for patient-centred asthma care. However, this approach may not always be feasible or preferred by patients and/or healthcare professionals (HCPs). Knowledge and insights into whether and how the preferred collaboration style in medical decision making is discussed and managed during consultations for severe asthma are limited.
To investigate how HCPs’ and patients’ preferred collaboration styles in treatment decision making are experienced, discussed and managed during consultations.
Qualitative research using semi-structured interviews with HCPs specialised in severe asthma and a focus group with severe asthma patients in The Netherlands. Inductive thematic analysis was used, with results reported according to the COREQ checklist.
Four themes concerning HCPs’ and patients’ experiences were identified: (1) overall preference for SDM, yet (2) ambiguity of SDM’s content, (3) variation in application of SDM and (4) friction between medical focus and patient autonomy in SDM. A fifth theme concerned the discussion and management of collaboration style preferences: limited metacommunication. HCPs and patients seem unable to identify each other’s preferences in collaboration styles. Overall, a lack of communication regarding how to collaborate in making treatment decisions was found. Varying views on meaning and content of collaboration styles, especially SDM, and HCPs’ medical focus seemed to contribute to the lack of communication.
With the lack of communication regarding preferences in collaborating, HCPs and patients are likely to miss out on effective collaboration. Future studies should explore how views and preferences regarding HCP-patient collaboration can be bridged.
Patient awareness of their diagnosis and management plan is crucial for improving compliance, empowering patients and enhancing outcomes. We aimed to assess surgical patients’ awareness of their diagnosis, management plans and associated factors.
A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2024 to March 2025 on 400 adult surgical inpatients who had undergone surgery in the general surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, and orthopaedic wards at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. Data were collected using a structured written questionnaire and analysed using the SPSS V.25. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with patients’ awareness of their diagnosis and care plan, with significance determined using adjusted ORs and 95% CIs.
Overall, 52% of respondents had global awareness of their clinical conditions and management plans. Awareness was highest for clinical diagnosis (78.9%), necessity of admission (78.9%) and operations performed (72.0%). However, more than 50% of respondents did not seek information on the diagnosis, possible cause and investigation related to their condition. In multivariable analysis, patients with tertiary education were 7.12 times more likely to have global awareness than those without formal education (adjusted OR, AOR=7.12; 95% CI 1.95 to 25.95), and patients living in urban areas were 3.15 times more likely to have global awareness than those in rural areas (AOR=3.15; 95% CI 1.63 to 6.10; p
Awareness of various aspects of healthcare ranged from 35.5% to 78.9%, with about half of respondents demonstrating global awareness of their diagnosis and management plans. Implementing shared decision-making models may improve patients’ understanding of their care plans.
Early-stage mycosis fungoides (MF) is diagnostically challenging due to overlap with inflammatory dermatoses. Age-related immunological and cutaneous changes may modify histopathological presentation. We aimed to compare clinical, histopathological and immunophenotypic features of early-stage MF between geriatric and non-geriatric patients.
Multicentre retrospective cross-sectional study.
Dermatology departments of tertiary centres in Türkiye.
A total of 541 patients diagnosed with early-stage MF were included and stratified into geriatric (≥65 years) and non-geriatric (18–64 years) groups.
The primary outcomes were age-related differences in histopathological and immunohistochemical features. Secondary outcomes included clinical characteristics and quality of life measures. Primary endpoints were prespecified a priori (epidermotropism, basilar lymphocytes, epidermal atrophy, dermal lymphocytic infiltration, papillary dermal fibrosis and CD4-dominant versus CD8(+)/CD4(–) phenotypes); all other comparisons were considered exploratory.
The geriatric group had a higher proportion of males (59.5% vs 47.1%; p=0.004), while lesion type, duration, surface involvement and Dermatology Life Quality Index scores did not differ between groups. Histopathologically, epidermotropism (81.3% vs 63.3%), basilar lymphocytes (57.1% vs 45.7%), epidermal atrophy (26.6% vs 13.8%), dermal lymphocytic infiltration (75.8% vs 58.5%) and papillary dermal fibrosis (55.2% vs 38.4%) were more frequent in geriatric patients (all p
Although clinical characteristics were comparable across age groups, geriatric patients showed differences in reported histopathological and immunophenotypic features; these observations may facilitate clinicopathological recognition of early-stage MF in older individuals. However, some features (particularly epidermal atrophy and superficial/papillary fibrosis) are not MF-specific and may partly reflect background age- and site-related changes.
Cadmium is a metal that poses significant health risks, particularly in occupational environments where exposure can happen. The main objective of this scoping review is to review the cadmium exposure levels in the different occupational settings in the European Union (EU), considering the regulatory measures currently in place. The secondary objectives, depending on the availability of data, are (a) to identify the occupational settings where higher exposure levels occur, (b) to identify any geographical and temporal differences and trends within the EU and (c) to identify the most relevant co-exposures reported.
A scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews reporting guidelines. Studies reporting quantitative occupational data on cadmium exposure obtained through human biomonitoring and/or air monitoring will be included. A descriptive analysis of the findings will be performed.
This protocol for a scoping review does not require ethical approval as it is based on secondary data. The dissemination plan of the scoping review includes its publication in a scientific journal of reference, as it is expected that it will provide important knowledge to support ongoing and future occupational health interventions in the EU, at the technical and regulatory levels.
This study is registered at the Open Science Framework (OSF), 7 April osf.f2w3h.
To examine Australian General Practitioners’ (GPs) confidence in initiating oral anticoagulants (OACs) for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), and their practices for monitoring treatment adherence.
Cross-sectional online survey.
GPs practising in metropolitan, regional and rural/remote locations in Australia.
1765 Australian GPs recruited through professional GP networks.
GPs’ self-reported confidence initiating OACs; practices monitoring patient adherence and persistence; and perceived barriers to adherence. Demographic data including clinical experience and geographic location were collected. 2 analyses were used to examine associations between the key outcome variables and GP location and clinical experience.
Of 1765 respondents, 83.1% had practised for >10 years and 27.6% worked in regional or rural/remote areas. Overall, only 50.2% reported high confidence initiating OACs in patients with CHA2DS2-VA score ≥2 (a cumulative stroke risk score with a score of 1 for: congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, vascular disease and age 65-74 years and 2 for: stroke/transient ischaemic attack, age ≥ 75 years). Unsurprisingly, confidence was higher among GPs with >10 years experience (51.5%) compared with 5–10 years (44.9%) and
Only half of GPs reported high confidence initiating OAC treatment, and approximately a quarter do not routinely monitor medication adherence or persistence. Targeted strategies to improve confidence and align practices with guideline recommendations are required. Appropriate education should be developed targeting the specific issues underlying lack of confidence in initiating OAC and the practice of referring newly diagnosed patients to cardiology. Further research into implementing systems for monitoring and improving adherence and persistence would be worthwhile in the context of these findings.
In the context of declining total fertility rates, many governments are seeking the optimal blend of policy interventions to encourage childbirth. Scholars have mapped how pronatal policy agendas are shaping social policies, yet there has been less attention on how such agendas shape health policies. This review will map and synthesize the evidence on how pronatal policies affect sexual and reproductive healthcare.
A scoping review will be conducted using two searches. One search will identify relevant peer-reviewed papers in Medline, EMBASE, social policy and practice, global health and Web of Science databases. A second search will identify relevant grey literature from Overton and Policy Commons databases. Sources will be managed using Rayaan software and studies selected based on specified inclusion criteria. Data will be extracted using a customised extraction form, mapped and subsequently synthesised using narrative approach.
This review will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed manuscript and conference presentations. Ethics and patient engagement are not required for a scoping review.
CRD420251156155.
While there exist many individual and organisation-level initiatives aimed at reducing physician burnout and promoting wellness, there are no comprehensive frameworks or guidelines for evaluating initiatives targeted at physicians. To address this gap, we conducted a rapid review to understand the current state of initiative evaluation in this field and develop an evaluation framework for initiatives aimed at physician burnout and wellness.
A rapid review based on the Cochrane rapid review methods guidance.
MEDLINE, Embase and PsycInfo were searched from database inception to 2 May 2024 for concepts related to physicians, wellness initiatives and burnout, and organisational efforts.
We included studies with initiatives aimed at physician burnout, wellness or experience; targeted physicians, residents, fellows and/or physician faculty; were evaluated in some format; and took place within healthcare settings.
Two independent reviewers extracted data according to a standard template. For each study, we noted information related to the type of wellness initiative, evaluation approach, components measured in evaluations (‘evaluation indicators’) and gaps in evaluation. The same reviewers analysed the data quantitatively and thematically. Findings were reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.
The database search yielded a total of 3786 references, of which 105 were included based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Various types of wellness initiatives (eg, mindfulness, peer support programmes, communities of practice) were delivered multimodally, or via curriculums and workshops, among other formats. Common evaluation approaches included surveys (95%, n=100/105) and interviews or focus groups (17%, n=18/105). Evaluation indicators spanned five categories: impacts (94.3%, n=99/105), participants’ reactions (65.7%, n=69/105), perspective and behaviour changes (46.7%, n=49/105), implementation (45.7%, n=48/105) and continuous improvement (6.7%, n=7/105). Evaluation gaps included limited responses from participants, failure to capture certain indicators (eg, physician turnover) and limited longitudinal measures.
Based on the findings and existing models, we developed a physician-focused evaluation framework, constituting two domains: implementation and impacts. This framework can enable organisations to better understand, assess and improve initiatives aimed at physician well-being, which can have positive impacts on patient care and the healthcare system.
Invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring is critical for perioperative and critically ill patients, yet traditional radial artery cannulation near the wrist joint is prone to catheter dysfunction (eg, kinking, occlusion) due to positional changes, compromising accuracy and patient safety. This trial hypothesises that modifying the cannulation site to 1.5–2.5 cm proximal to the radial styloid process may enhance catheter stability.
This is a prospective, parallel-group, randomised, controlled, analyst-blinded trial. A total of 486 participants (243 per group) will be enrolled at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University. Eligible patients (18–75 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I–III, requiring elective surgery with radial artery cannulation) will be randomised 1:1 to the modified group (1.5–2.5 cm proximal to the radial styloid process) or the conventional group (traditional site). The primary outcome is the incidence of arterial catheter dysfunction (defined by criteria such as blood sampling difficulty, position-dependent waveform or improved waveform post-square wave test). Secondary outcomes include frequency of catheter dysfunction, damping abnormality rate, first-puncture success rate, number of arterial punctures, arterial cannulation time, complication incidence and blood pressure measurement differences.
This study protocol (V.4.0) was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China on 2 September 2025. The first participant was recruited on 15 September 2025, with an estimated completion date of 31 December 2025. Informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals.
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) poses a significant public health challenge among employed adults. Lifestyle modifications have been shown to be effective in preventing the onset and progression of MetS in employed adults, and the widespread adoption of mobile and wearable technologies introduces an appealing approach to mHealth lifestyle interventions. When widely implementing smartphone-based interventions for employed adults, enhancing equitable access and promoting wearable device use for those with MetS is a more cost-effective way to reduce health disparities, particularly in resource-limited settings. However, relevant evidence is currently lacking.
This study aims to design an mHealth-based Healthy Lifestyle Promotion (MYLIFE) trial, a three-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT), to evaluate the effectiveness of a smartphone-based lifestyle intervention and a combined smartphone-based lifestyle intervention with intensive intervention for MetS individuals using wearable devices, in reducing MetS risk among employed adults.
This is a three-arm, parallel, single-blind, cluster RCT with a 12-week intervention and a total follow-up of 1 year. The trial will recruit 120 workplaces from the Chinese Cohort of Working Adults in a 1:1:1 ratio to either a control group or one of two intervention groups. Within these workplaces, a total of at least 348 eligible participants will be enrolled. The regular mHealth group will receive smartphone-based intervention. The intensive mHealth group will receive smartphone-based intervention for all participants, and an additional wearable device-intensive intervention for those with MetS. The primary outcome is the Chinese MetS Z score at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes include MetS Z score, prevalence of MetS, specific MetS components, questionnaire-based indicators, and clinical outcomes at 12 weeks and 1 years. The main analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle, using mixed-effects models to assess between-group differences in outcomes.
The protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the West China School of Public Health and the West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University (Gwll2025024). The findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific conferences.
ChiCTR2500101904.