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HIV drug resistance (DR) is a growing threat to the durability of current and future HIV treatment success. DR testing (DRT) technologies are very expensive and specialised, relying on centralised laboratories in most low and middle-income countries. Modelling for laboratory network with point-of-care (POC) DRT assays to minimise turnaround time (TAT), is urgently needed to meet the growing demand.
We developed a model with user-friendly interface using integer programming and queueing theory to improve the DRT system in Kisumu County, Kenya. We estimated DRT demand based on both current and idealised scenarios and evaluated a centralised laboratory-only network and an optimised POC DRT network. A one-way sensitivity analysis of key user inputs was conducted.
In a centralised laboratory-only network, the mean TAT ranged from 8.52 to 8.55 working days, and the system could not handle a demand proportion exceeding 1.6%. In contrast, the mean TAT for POC DRT network ranged from 1.13 to 2.11 working days, with demand proportion up to 4.8%. Sensitivity analyses showed that expanding DRT hubs reduces mean TAT substantially while increasing the processing rate at national labs had minimal effect. For instance, doubling the current service rate at national labs reduced the mean TAT by only 0.0%–1.9% in various tested scenarios, whereas doubling the current service rate at DRT hubs reduced the mean TAT by 37.5%–49.8%. In addition, faster batching modes and transportation were important factors influencing the mean TAT.
Our model offers decision-makers an informed framework for improving the DRT system using POC in Kenya. POC DRT networks substantially reduce mean TAT and can handle a higher demand proportion than a centralised laboratory-only network, especially for children and pregnant women living with HIV, where there is an immediate push to use DRT results for patient case management.
Many long-term care facilities in the United States face significant problems with nurse retention and turnover. These challenges are attributed, at least in part, to moral distress and a negative nurse practice environment.
The purpose of the study was divided into two parts: first, to investigate the relationships among nurse practice environment, moral distress, and intent to stay; second, to explore the potential mediating effect of the nurse practice environment on the intent to stay among those with high levels of moral distress.
This study was a descriptive, cross-sectional survey using targeted sampling.
A total of 215 participants completed the surveys. Participants were nationally representative of long-term care nurses by age, years of experience, employment status, and type of health setting.
This study was an online national survey of long-term care nurses' perceptions of their intent to stay, moral distress level (Moral Distress Questionnaire), and nurse practice environment (Direct Care Staff Survey). Structural equation modeling analysis explored intent to stay, moral distress, and the nurse practice environment among long-term care nurses.
The mean moral distress score was low, while the mean nurse practice environment and intent to stay scores were high. Moral distress had a significant, moderately negative association with the nurse practice environment (β = −0.41), while the nurse practice environment had a significant, moderately positive association with intent to stay (β = 0.46). The moral distress had a significant, moderately negative association with intent to stay (β = −0.20). The computed structural equation modeling suggested a partially mediated model (indirect effect = −0.19, p = 0.001).
Since the nurse practice environment partially mediates the relationship between moral distress and intent to stay, interventions to improve the nurse practice environment are crucial to alleviating moral distress and enhancing nurses' intent to stay in their jobs, organizations, and the nursing profession.
Our study demonstrated that the nurse practice environment mediates moral distress and intent to stay. Interventions to improve the nurse practice environment are crucial to alleviating moral distress and enhancing nurses' intent to stay in their jobs, organizations, and the nursing profession.
by Philipp D. Koellinger, Aysu Okbay, Hyeokmoon Kweon, Annemarie Schweinert, Richard Karlsson Linnér, Jan Goebel, David Richte, Lisa Reiber, Bettina Maria Zweck, Daniel W. Belsky, Pietro Biroli, Rui Mata, Elliot M. Tucker-Drob, K. Paige Harden, Gert Wagner, Ralph Hertwig
The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) serves a global research community by providing representative annual longitudinal data of respondents living in private households in Germany. The dataset offers a valuable life course panorama, encompassing living conditions, socioeconomic status, familial connections, personality traits, values, preferences, health, and well-being. To amplify research opportunities further, we have extended the SOEP Innovation Sample (SOEP-IS) by collecting genetic data from 2,598 participants, yielding the first genotyped dataset for Germany based on a representative population sample (SOEP-G). The sample includes 107 full-sibling pairs, 501 parent-offspring pairs, and 152 triads, which overlap with the parent-offspring pairs. Leveraging the results from well-powered genome-wide association studies, we created a repository comprising 66 polygenic indices (PGIs) in the SOEP-G sample. We show that the PGIs for height, BMI, and educational attainment capture 22∼24%, 12∼13%, and 9% of the variance in the respective phenotypes. Using the PGIs for height and BMI, we demonstrate that the considerable increase in average height and the decrease in average BMI in more recent birth cohorts cannot be attributed to genetic shifts within the German population or to age effects alone. These findings suggest an important role of improved environmental conditions in driving these changes. Furthermore, we show that higher values in the PGIs for educational attainment and the highest math class are associated with better self-rated health, illustrating complex relationships between genetics, cognition, behavior, socio-economic status, and health. In summary, the SOEP-G data and the PGI repository we created provide a valuable resource for studying individual differences, inequalities, life-course development, health, and interactions between genetic predispositions and the environment.Parkinson’s disease (PD) represents the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease with an increasing prevalence worldwide. It is characterised by complex motor and non-motor symptoms that lead to considerable disability. Specialised physiotherapy has been shown to benefit patients with PD. The Parkinson Netzwerk Therapie (PaNTher) was created to improve access to specialised physiotherapy tailored to care priorities of PD patients. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness, acceptability and needs of the PaNTher network by neurologists and physiotherapists involved in the network in outpatient care.
This is a mixed-method, prospective, pragmatic non-randomised cohort study of parallel groups, with data collection taking place in Bavaria, Germany, between 2020 and 2024. Patients with PD insured by the Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse Bayern (AOK Bayern) living in Bavaria will be recruited for study participation by network partners. Patients in the intervention group must reside in Munich or the surrounding area to ensure provision of specialised physiotherapy in close proximity to their place of residence. Controls receive care as usual. Six and 12 months after baseline, all patients receive a follow-up questionnaire. Mixed-effect regression models will be used to examine changes in impairment of activities of daily living and quality of life of patients with PD enrolled in the programme over time compared with usual care. Qualitative interviews will investigate the implementation processes and acceptability of the PaNTher network among neurologists and physiotherapists. The study is expected to show that the PaNTher network with an integrative care approach will improve the quality and effectiveness of the management and treatment of patients with PD.
The study has been approved by the ethics committee at the medical faculty of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (20-318). Results will be published in scientific, peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences.
Increasing numbers of young people attending university has raised concerns about the capacity of student mental health services to support them. We conducted a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to explore whether provision of an 8 week mindfulness course adapted for university students (Mindfulness Skills for Students—MSS), compared with university mental health support as usual (SAU), reduced psychological distress during the examination period. Here, we conduct an economic evaluation of MSS+SAU compared with SAU.
Economic evaluation conducted alongside a pragmatic, parallel, single-blinded RCT comparing provision of MSS+SAU to SAU.
616 university students randomised.
The primary economic evaluation assessed the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained from the perspective of the university counselling service. Costs relate to staff time required to deliver counselling service offerings. QALYs were derived from the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Dimension 6 Dimension (CORE-6D) preference based tool, which uses responses to six items of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE-OM; primary clinical outcome measure). Primary follow-up duration was 5 and 7 months for the two recruitment cohorts.
It was estimated to cost £1584 (2022 prices) to deliver an MSS course to 30 students, £52.82 per student. Both costs (adjusted mean difference: £48, 95% CI £40–£56) and QALYs (adjusted mean difference: 0.014, 95% CI 0.008 to 0.021) were significantly higher in the MSS arm compared with SAU. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was £3355, with a very high (99.99%) probability of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of £20 000 per QALY.
MSS leads to significantly improved outcomes at a moderate additional cost. The ICER of £3355 per QALY suggests that MSS is cost-effective when compared with the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence thresholds of £20 000 per QALY.
Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12615001160527.
FreshRSS 