To describe disability severity transitions in the ageing population in Switzerland using an overall functioning score to define four disability severity states (no, mild, moderate and severe) and death, and to investigate the association of multimorbidity and further predictors with these transitions.

Secondary analysis of the Swiss version of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).

Switzerland.

Community-dwelling population aged 50+ with at least two interviews in SHARE (N=3505).

Not applicable.

Primary outcome measures are the disability severity as assessed by a previously developed overall functioning score, and death status as assessed by the SHARE end-of-life interview. Transition analysis between disability severity states and death was conducted using multistate Markov models. The association between predictor variables and transition intensities was quantified using the proportional hazards assumption. Two distinct operationalisations of multimorbidity (count, burden) were used and analysed according to two separate models (A, B).

The findings for both models were similar: Estimated HRs for transition intensities suggest that being multimorbid or having a higher disease burden score increases the risk of transitioning to higher disability severity states and death for most transitions (HRs between 0.90 and 2.34 for model A compared with not being multimorbid; HRs between 0.95 and 1.46 for model B for a one-point increase in the disease burden score). In addition, most transitions to higher disability severity states and death are more likely for higher age (HRs between 1.00 and 1.14 for model A, and between 1.00 and 1.15 for model B for a 1 year increase in age), and transitions to death are less likely for women, compared with men (HRs between 0.34 and 0.88 for model A, and between 0.38 and 0.71 for model B).

This study is a first attempt to understand disability severity transitions in the older population in Switzerland. Although we believe that such an approach is suitable to inform resource allocation to LTC, rehabilitation and prevention, more detailed information on contextual factors will be important to consider for future research. Moreover, our study contributes to the discussion on how to operationalise multimorbidity in healthy ageing research.

This scoping review protocol aims to examine the role of the Internal Regulation Core (IRC) as an intra-hospital governance structure that coordinates capacity and patient flow and may function as a strategic hub for disruptive innovation in hospital management. By integrating organisational routines, rules and, when available, enabling technologies, IRCs may strengthen operational efficiency and contribute to higher-quality care delivery. As hospitals face increasing operational complexity and constrained resources, clarifying what IRCs are, how they are implemented across settings, and what innovations and impacts are reported has become a priority.

This scoping review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute guidance and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. A comprehensive search will be conducted across five databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and LILACS) and grey literature sources, without language or date restrictions. The searches were conducted up to 6 July 2025. Two reviewers will independently screen studies and extract data using a standardised form; disagreements will be resolved by consensus or a third reviewer. Findings will be synthesised descriptively and thematically, with results presented in tables and narrative summaries, including innovation streams.

Open Science Framework (10.17605/OSF.IO/HWZJS).

Diabetes is a serious health condition that challenges a person’s daily life, emotional well-being and perceived quality of life. It increases one’s risk of developing other health-related complications and encountering an early death. People with diabetes require comprehensive and meticulous management through a collaborative clinical multidisciplinary team. Optimal management reduces the risk of diabetes-related health issues. Significantly, people’s knowledge of diabetes and its management depends, to a large extent, on the adequacy and effectiveness of the diabetes-related care and education they receive. Diabetes specialist nurses (DSNs) are essential in diabetes care and education. The management of diabetes is rapidly changing, with advances in technologies to monitor glycaemic control, growth in new therapies and devices, and new ways of interacting with people with diabetes instead of traditional face-to-face consultations. DSNs are at the forefront in delivering diabetes care and have had to adapt their practice and learn new skills to embrace these changes. Meanwhile, the competency framework has evolved to keep abreast of these changes and ensure that nurses provide high-quality care for people with diabetes. A scoping review of the global core competencies of DSNs and identifying a worldwide framework of core competencies holds significant importance for their professional growth and role standardisation worldwide.

The scoping review will be conducted in accordance with Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Moreover, this protocol will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols checklist. The following online databases will be searched from the earliest available record to 4 October 2024, including CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Grey literature will be retrieved through OAIster, Google Scholar and OpenGrey, supplemented by targeted manual searches of official websites of national diabetes associations of different countries. Study selection and data extraction of the full text will be done independently by two reviewers based on the inclusion criteria and a predetermined data extraction form. In the event of any discrepancies, they will be resolved through discussion with the third reviewer. The extracted data will be summarised and exhibited in tabular or graphical form.

This study does not require ethical approval, as all data will be collected from published and grey literature. The findings will be presented at relevant conferences and submitted to peer-reviewed journals for publication.

Chagas disease (CD) is one of the most neglected diseases in the world. In Latin America, CD is endemic in 21 countries, with an estimated 70 million people at risk of infection. Current treatments are limited to two nitroheterocyclic compounds: nifurtimox and benznidazole (BZN). Each has significant limitations, including long duration and safety concerns. However, data from recently completed studies suggest that reduced-duration regimens may be equally effective while enhancing safety.

NuestroBen is a phase III, randomised, multicentre clinical trial designed to assess whether shorter (2- and 4-week) regimens of BZN are non-inferior to the standard 8-week treatment. A total of 540 adult participants with no evidence of organ damage (the indeterminate form) or with mild cardiac progression (mild electrocardiographic alterations and without systolic dysfunction or symptoms), all in the chronic phase of CD, will be recruited at six study sites in Argentina and two study sites in Bolivia. Participants will be randomised to receive one of the two shortened regimens of BZN (300 mg per day for 2 or 4 weeks) or standard treatment (300 mg per day for 8 weeks). The primary endpoint is sustained elimination of parasitaemia from the end of treatment through 12 months of follow-up. Secondary endpoints will assess sustained clearance of parasitaemia at 1, 4, 6 and 8 months of follow-up from the end of treatment, drug tolerability and adherence to treatment. NuestroBen will also evaluate whether two shortened regimens of BZN improve drug tolerability and treatment adherence compared with the current standard treatment while maintaining efficacy in participants with the indeterminate form of CD or with mild cardiac involvement.

In Argentina, this study was approved by Fundación de Estudios Farmacológicos y Medicamentos ‘Luis M. Zieher’ for its conduct at the Instituto de Cardiología de Corrientes ‘Juana Francisca Cabral’ (reference: NuestroBen-2020/2021) and the Instituto Nacional de Parasitología ‘Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben’ (reference: NuestroBen-2020/2021) by Comité Institucional de Ética de Investigación en Salud for the Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero (reference: NuestroBen-2020-088/2021), by Comité de Ética en Investigación for the Hospital de Infecciosas F.J. Muñiz (reference: NuestroBen-2020–4037) and the Hospital General de Agudos D.F. Santojanni (reference: NuestroBen-2020–4039) and by Comité de Bioética for the Fundación Huésped (reference: NuestroBen-2020/2021). In Bolivia, it was approved by Comité de Ética en Investigación en Salud from the Universidad Autónoma Juan Misael Saracho (reference: NuestroBen-2020/2025). All participants are asked to provide written informed consent to participate. Recruitment processes started in July 2023, and as of 15 June 2025, 140 participants have been recruited. Findings will be shared with Argentinian and Bolivian public health officials and with the Chagas and tropical medicine communities via international conferences. Findings will also be published in medical journals.

NCT04897516.

To synthesise current evidence on physiotherapists’ use of electronic health records (EHRs), with a focus on the determinants of adoption, implementation processes and associated implementation outcomes.

A systematic review employing a narrative synthesis approach.

PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus and Web of Science, covering all records from the inception of each database to 10 May 2024.

Studies conducted in physiotherapy clinical settings and using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

Two authors independently screened articles and assessed methodological quality. Risk of bias was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool for qualitative and for cohort studies, the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for mixed-methods studies and the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for analytical cross-sectional studies.

From 3820 records screened, 9 observational studies met inclusion criteria. Key factors influencing EHR adoption included organisational readiness, perceived usefulness, managerial support and training availability. Implementation patterns clustered into three domains: recorded content, ICF framework integration and record quality. Reported outcomes focused on care quality metrics and evidence of clinical effectiveness.

Persistent challenges in physiotherapy EHR use were identified, notably in data quality, completeness and alignment with the ICF framework. Improving EHR practices is crucial to improve clinical assessment and support digital health integration. However, limited evidence and methodological heterogeneity remain key limitations.

CRD42023420267.