Online information seeking by patients with bipolar disorder:results from an international multisite survey

Background: Information seeking is an important coping mechanism for dealing with chronic illness. Despite a growing number of mental health websites, there is little understanding of how patients with bipolar disorder use the Internet to seek information. Methods: A 39 question, paper-based, anonymous survey, translated into 12 languages, was completed by 1222 patients in 17 countries as a convenience sample between March 2014 and January 2016. All patients had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder from a psychiatrist. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and generalized estimating equations to account for correlated data. Results: 976 (81 % of 1212 valid responses) of the patients used the Internet, and of these 750 (77 %) looked for information on bipolar disorder. When looking online for information, 89 % used a computer rather than a smartphone, and 79 % started with a general search engine. The primary reasons for searching were drug side effects (51 %), to learn anonymously (43 %), and for help coping (39 %). About 1/3 rated their search skills as expert, and 2/3 as basic or intermediate. 59 % preferred a website on mental illness and 33 % preferred Wikipedia. Only 20 % read or participated in online support groups. Most patients (62 %) searched a couple times a year. Online information seeking helped about 2/3 to cope (41 % of the entire sample). About 2/3 did not discuss Internet findings with their doctor. Conclusion: Online information seeking helps many patients to cope although alternative information sources remain important. Most patients do not discuss Internet findings with their doctor, and concern remains about the quality of online information especially related to prescription drugs. Patients may not rate search skills accurately, and may not understand limitations of online privacy. More patient education about online information searching is needed and physicians should recommend a few high quality websites.

Fear of Falling and Balance Confidence in Older Adults with Diabetes Mellitus

Several determinants of fear of falling (FoF) and low balance confidence overlap with the consequences/complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). FoF is strongly associated with low balance confidence, and balance confidence mediates the relationship between FoF and balance and physical function. The purpose of this thesis was two-fold: (1) to examine the prevalence, severity and determinants of FoF in older adults (aged≥65) with DM, and (2) to evaluate the validity of the short version of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (ABC-6) and its association with balance and postural control in older adults with DM. Three separate studies were conducted of older adults with DM (DM-group) and without DM (noDM-group). Study I revealed that although FoF prevalence adjusted for age and sex was not different between-groups, the DM-group had 8.8% fewer participants in the low and 8.4% more in the high Falls-Efficacy Scale International categories when compared to the noDM-group. Higher FoF severity in the DM-group was associated with poor physical performance, being female, fall history and clinical depressive symptoms. Study II provided evidence of convergent, discriminant and concurrent validity of the ABC-6 for use in older adults with DM with and without diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Notably, the ABC-6 was more sensitive in detecting subtle differences in balance confidence between the DM-group and noDM-group when compared to the original ABC scale (ABC-16), and can be administered in less time. Study III explored balance confidence (ABC-6) and its association with balance and postural control in older adults with DM. Subtle differences in axial segmental control (i.e., lower trunk roll velocity and higher head-trunk correlations) while walking and lower balance confidence were apparent in the DM-group, even in the absence of DPN, when compared to the noDM-group. Balance confidence partially explained the variance in head-trunk stiffening between-groups, and consequently low balance confidence in older adults with DM may contribute to the dependence on postural control strategies that are normally only utilized in high-risk situations. Findings from this thesis will help to guide the development of protocols for screening and intervention recommendations of patient education and targeted rehabilitation programs for older adults with DM.

Sjuksköterskans uppfattning om omvårdnadsinsatser som främjar livskvalitet vid bipolär sjukdom : En kvalitativ intervjustudie

Bakgrund: Flera studier har visat att personer med bipolär sjukdom har en sämre livskvalitet jämfört med övriga befolkningen. Som sjuksköterska inom psykiatrisk vård är det viktigt att ha kunskap om sjukdomen för att ge bästa möjliga behandling med mål att stabilisera symtom, förebygga återfall och främja livskvalitet. Syfte: Att utifrån sjuksköterskans uppfattning beskriva vilka omvårdnadsinsatser som främjar livskvalitet vid bipolär sjukdom. Metod: En kvalitativ innehållsanalys som baserades på åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultat: Resultatet visade tre huvudteman: Kunskap om sjukdomen: betydelsen av att både patient och anhöriga fick kunskap om sjukdomen; Trygghet och kontinuitet i vården: veta var och till vem man vänder sig i vården hade stor betydelse samt Personcentrerad vård: att bli sedd och bemött som en unik person. Slutsats: Patientutbildning där man tar upp vikten av regelbundna levnadsvanor, att undvika stress samt att bli medveten om sina tidiga tecken kan hjälpa att stabilisera symtom och förebygga återfall.

Medication competence of nursing students in Finland

Lääkehoidon turvallinen toteuttaminen edellyttää sairaanhoitajalta hyvää lääkehoidon osaamisperustaa. Sairaanhoitajakoulutuksen tehtävänä on mahdollistaa tämän osaamisen kehittyminen. Kansainvälisissä tutkimuksissa on kuitenkin osoitettu, että lääkehoidon opetuksen laajuudessa, sisällössä ja toteutuksessa on vaihtelevuutta. Aikaisemmissa tutkimuksissa on raportoitu myös puutteita lääkehoidon osaamisessa sekä sairaanhoitajilla että sairaanhoitajaopiskelijoilla. Koulutuksen ja lääkehoidon osaamisen kehittämiseksi lääkehoidon opetuksen ja sairaanhoitajaopiskelijoiden lääkehoidon osaamisen monipuolinen arviointi ja osaamista selittävien tekijöiden tarkastelu on tarpeen. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli i) arvioida lääkehoidon opetusta suomalaisessa sairaanhoitajakoulutuksessa, ii) arvioida sairaanhoitajaopiskelijoiden lääkehoidon osaamista sekä iii) tunnistaa sairaanhoitajaopiskelijan lääkehoidon osaamiseen yhteydessä olevat tekijät. Tutkimus toteutettiin kolmessa vaiheessa. Ensimmäisessä vaiheessa kahden integroidun kirjallisuuskatsauksen kautta määriteltiin tutkimuksen kohteena oleva sairaanhoitajan lääkehoidon osaaminen ja aiemmin tunnistetut sairaanhoitajaopiskelijan lääkehoidon osaamiseen yhteydessä olevat tekijät. Toisessa vaiheessa toteutettiin valtakunnallinen lääkehoidon opetukseen liittyvä kysely hoitotyön koulutusohjelmasta vastaaville koulutuspäälliköille (n=22) ja opettajille (n=136). Tutkimuksen kolmannessa vaiheessa opintojensa alku‐ (n=328) ja loppuvaiheessa olevien sairaanhoitajaopiskelijoiden (n=338) lääkehoidon osaaminen arvioitiin ja osaamiseen yhteydessä olevat tekijät tunnistettiin. Aineistojen analyysissä käytettiin pääosin tilastollisia menetelmiä. Tulosten perusteella lääkehoidon opetuksen laajuus vaihteli eri ammattikorkeakouluissa, mutta opetuksen sisältö oli kuitenkin monipuolista. Lisää huomiota tulisi kiinnittää lääkehoidon teoreettiseen perustaan ja itsehoitoon sekä lääkehoidon ohjaukseen liittyviin sisältöalueisiin. Opiskelijoiden lääkehoidon osaamista arvioitiin säännöllisesti kaikissa ammattikorkeakouluissa. Sairaanhoitajaopiskelijan lääkehoidon osaamista arvioitiin tutkimuksessa tietotestillä, lääkelaskentatehtävillä ja lyhyiden potilastapausten ratkaisemisen avulla. Lääkehoidon osaamiseen yhteydessä olevia tekijöitä tarkasteltiin kolmesta näkökulmasta: 1) yksilölliset tekijät, 2) kliiniseen oppimisympäristöön ja 3) ammattikorkeakouluun liittyvät tekijät. Lääkehoidon teoreettista osaamista arvioivassa tietotestissä opiskelijat vastasivat keskimäärin 72 prosenttiin kysymyksistä täysin oikein; lääkelaskuista täysin oikein oli 74 % ja potilastapauksissa 57 % valitsi parhaan mahdollisen toimintatavan. Tulosten perusteella sairaanhoitajaopiskelijan osaamista selittivät eniten yksilölliset tekijät. Lääkehoidon osaamiseen yhteydessä olevien tekijöiden välillä oli eroa opintojen alussa ja lopussa. Opintojen alkuvaiheessa opiskelijan aikaisempi opintomenestys oli yhteydessä lääkehoidon osaamiseen, kun taas opintojen loppuvaiheessa siihen olivat yhteydessä opiskelijan kyky itseohjautuvaan oppimiseen sekä opiskelumotivaatio. Johtopäätöksenä voidaan todeta tutkimuksen tulosten olevan samansuuntaisia kuin aikaisemmissa tutkimuksissa. Lääkehoidon opetuksen laajuus vaihtelee opetussuunnitelmatasolla, mutta täsmällinen arviointi on vaikeaa opetuksen sisältöjen integroimisen takia. Sairaanhoitajaopiskelijoiden lääkehoidon osaaminen oli hieman parempaa kuin aikaisemmissa tutkimuksissa, mutta osaamisessa on edelleen puutteita. Lääkehoidon opetuksen ja osaamisen kehittäminen edellyttää kansallista ja kansainvälistä tutkimus‐ ja kehittämisyhteistyötä. Tutkimuksen tulokset tukevat lääkehoidon opetuksen sekä osaamisen tutkimusta ja kehittämistä.

Ikääntyneen voimavaraistumista tukeva potilasohjaus päivystysosastolla kotiutumisen yhteydessä

Lisääntyvä ikääntyneiden määrä asettaa vaatimuksia terveydenhuollon järjestämiselle niin Suomessa kuin maailmanlaajuisestikin. Ikääntyneiden monialaiset ongelmat yhdessä perussairauksien kanssa muodostavat monimutkaisen kokonaisuuden, joka voi johtaa avun hakemiseen päivystyksestä. Ikääntyneiden hoidossa esiintyvät erityispiirteet, hoidettavien kognitiivisen toimintakyvyn heikkeneminen, lyhentyneet hoitoajat ja hoidon painopisteen siirtyminen kotiin vaativat hoitohenkilökuntaa yhä enenevässä määrin kiinnittämään huomiota potilasohjaukseen. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kuvata päivystysosastolta kotiutuvien ikääntyneiden ja sairaanhoitajien välisten ohjauskeskusteluiden rakennetta ja sisältöä. Tavoitteena oli tuottaa tietoa siitä, mitä voimavaraistumista tukevia piirteitä ja tiedon osa-alueita esiintyy ohjauskeskusteluissa. Tutkimuksen aineisto kerättiin ei-osallistuvalla havainnoinnilla videoimalla päivystysosastolta kotiutuvien ikääntyneiden ohjaustilanteita (n=22) syksyllä 2015. Osallistuneiden potilaiden keski-ikä oli 79 vuotta. Aineisto analysoitiin deduktiivisella sisällönanalyysilla. Ohjauskeskustelun rakenteesta etsittiin voimavaraistumista tukevia piirteitä ja sisältöä analysoitiin kuuden voimavaraistumista tukevan tiedon osa-alueen pohjalta (biofysiologinen, toiminnallinen, kokemuksellinen, sosiaalinen, eettinen ja taloudellinen). Ohjauskeskustelujen alussa ei asetettu ohjauksen tavoitteita tai arvioitu ikääntyneiden aikaisemman tiedon tasoa. Ohjauskeskustelut etenivät pääosin hoitajien määrittäminä. Ikääntyneet kysyivät vähemmän kysymyksiä ja heidän yksisanaisten puheenvuorojensa määrä oli suurempi kuin hoitajilla. Ikääntyneiden osallistumista ohjauskeskusteluun ei myöskään tuettu. Kysymyksen esitettyään hoitajat antoivat ikääntyneille mahdollisuuden vastata, mutta eivät varmistaneet, olivatko nämä ymmärtäneet ohjauksen. Ohjauskeskusteluiden sisältöä tarkasteltaessa tietoa ikääntyneille välitettiin pääasiassa biofysiologisen tiedon osa-alueelta (tietoa hoidosta ja oireista). Toiseksi eniten tietoa välitettiin ikääntyneille toiminnallisen tiedon osa-alueelta (liikkuminen ja kotona selviytyminen) ja sosiaalisen tiedon osa-alueelta (omaisten osallistuminen hoitoon). Taloudellisen tiedon osa-alue jäi aineistossa pieneksi. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat tarvetta kiinnittää huomiota ohjauskeskusteluiden rakenteeseen ja sisältöön etenkin hoidettaessa ikääntyneitä, joilla on monitahoisia terveysongelmia. Tutkimuksesta saatavaa tietoa voidaan hyödyntää suunniteltaessa ja toteuttaessa ikääntyneiden potilasohjausta päivystyksessä sekä suunniteltaessa sairaanhoitajien potilasohjauskoulutusta.

Accessing dental anxiety online support groups: An exploratory qualitative study of motives and experiences

Objectives: In recent years, Internet access has grown markedly providing individuals with new opportunities for online information retrieval, psychological advice and support. The objectives of the present study were to explore the context through which dentally anxious individuals access an online support group and the nature of their online experiences. Methods: An online questionnaire was completed by 143 individuals who accessed the Dental Fear Central online support group bulletin board. Qualitative analysis was conducted on the responses. Results: Analysis revealed three emergent themes which reflected the motives and experiences of individuals: ‘Searching for help’, ‘Sharing fears’ and ‘I feel empowered’. Conclusion: This exploratory study suggests that for most individuals accessing this online support group was a positive and beneficial experience. Practice Implications: Online support groups may represent a convenient and beneficial tool that may assist certain individuals to confront their debilitating anxiety/phobia and successfully receive dental care.

Social support in cyberspace: A content analysis of communication within a Huntington’s Disease online support group

Objective: Huntington’s Disease (HD) is an inherited disorder, characterised by a progressive degeneration of the brain. Due to the nature of the symptoms, the genetic element of the disease and the fact that there is no cure, HD patients and those in their support network often experience considerable stress and anxiety. With an expansion in Internet access, individuals affected by HD have new opportunities for information retrieval and social support. The aim of this study is to examine the provision of social support in messages posted to a HD online support group bulletin board. Methods: In total, 1313 messages were content analysed using a modified version of the Social Support Behaviour Code developed by Cutrona & Suhr (1992). Results: The analysis indicates that group members most frequently offered informational (56.2%) and emotional support (51.9%) followed by network support (48.4%) with esteem support (21.7%) and tangible assistance (9.8%) least frequently offered. Conclusion: This study suggests that exchanging informational and emotional support represents a key function of this online group. Practice implications: Online support groups provide a unique opportunity for health professionals to learn about the experiences and views of individuals affected by HD and explore where and why gaps may exist between evidence-based medicine and consumer behaviour and expectations.

Estágio realizado no Programa Comunitário PLE²NO

A OA é a doença reumática mais comum no ser humano e uma doença crónica com impacto elevado na sociedade. Tem repercussões na saúde, ao nível da funcionalidade, comprometendo a realização das atividades da vida diária e a qualidade de vida dos indivíduos. Uma das articulações mais afetada pela OA é a articulação do joelho. O tratamento eficaz requer a combinação de tratamentos farmacológicos e não farmacológicos. Os tratamentos não farmacológicos, principalmente o exercício e a educação do doente têm vindo a ganhar importância, no que se refere ao controlo dos sintomas. A realização do estágio curricular surge no programa comunitário PLE²NO. O programa é considerado uma opção não farmacológica no tratamento e controlo dos sintomas da Osteoartrose (OA) no joelho. Os principais objetivos do estágio no PLE²NO consistiram: aquisição de conhecimentos teóricos relacionados com OA e práticos com vista ao aperfeiçoamento da prescrição do exercício; aquisição de competências essenciais à ótima liderança e comunicação com as pessoas e instituições envolvidas; prescrição de exercício a indivíduos com OA no joelho; cativar e motivar as pessoas para a prática de exercício; e determinar a eficácia de um programa de 3 meses de educação e exercício nos sintomas, aptidão física e qualidade de vida dos idosos com OA no joelho. Na aptidão física verificaram-se diferenças significativas na capacidade aeróbia, flexibilidade e velocidade da marcha. Nos indicadores de saúde houve melhoria em praticamente todos os parâmetros avaliados: mobilidade, cuidados pessoais, dor/mal-estar e sintomas de ansiedade/depressão. Assim, esta intervenção revelou-se ser uma mais-valia para o tratamento não farmacológico da osteoartrose do joelho a médio prazo.

Oral anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation, the patients and physicians experiences of the consultation:a qualitative study

Background: Oral anticoagulation (OAC) reduces stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), however it is still underutilized and sometimes refused by patients. This project was divided in two inter-related studies. Study 1 explored the experiences that influence prescription of OAC by physicians. Study 2 explored the experiences which influence patients' decisions to accept, decline or discontinue OAC. Methods: Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted in both studies. In Study 1four sub-groups of physicians (n = 16) experienced with OAC in AF were interviewed: consultant cardiologists, consultant general physicians, general practitioners and cardiology registrars. In Study 2 three sub-groups of patients (n = 11) diagnosed with AF were interviewed; those who accepted, refused, and who discontinued warfarin. Results: Study 1: Two over-arching themes emerged from doctors' experiences: (1) communicating information and (2) challenges with OAC prescription for AF. Physicians still adopt a paternalistic approach to decision-making. They should instead motivate patients to take part in treatment discussions and choices should reflect the patient's needs and concerns. Physician education should focus more on communication skills, individualised care and time-management as these are critical for patient adherence. Continuous OAC education for AF should adopt a multi-disciplinary approach. Further, interpreters should also be educated on medical communication skills. Study 2: Three over-arching themes comprised patients' experiences: (1) the initial consultation, (2) life after the consultation, and (3) patients' reflections. Patient education during the initial consultation was critical in increasing patient's knowledge of OAC. On-going patient education is imperative to maintain adherence. Patients valued physicians' concern for their needs during decision-making. Patients who had experience of stroke were more receptive to education aimed towards stroke risk reduction rather than bleeding risk. Patients' perceptions of warfarin are also influenced by the media. Comment: Qualitative research is crucial in exploring barriers to treatment as it provides an excellent insight into patients' experiences of healthcare. A patient-centred approach should be adopted and incorporated into physicians' education. Education and patient involvement in the decision-making process is essential to promote treatment acceptance and long-term adherence

Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions to prevent falls in older people: a systematic overview. The SENATOR Project ONTOP Series

Background: Falls are common events in older people, which cause considerable morbidity and mortality. Non-pharmacological interventions are an important approach to prevent falls. There are a large number of systematic reviews of non-pharmacological interventions, whose evidence needs to be synthesized in order to facilitate evidence-based clinical decision making. Objectives: To systematically examine reviews and meta-analyses that evaluated non-pharmacological interventions to prevent falls in older adults in the community, care facilities and hospitals. Methods: We searched the electronic databases Pubmed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PEDRO and TRIP from January 2009 to March 2015, for systematic reviews that included at least one comparative study, evaluating any non-pharmacological intervention, to prevent falls amongst older adults. The quality of the reviews was assessed using AMSTAR and ProFaNE taxonomy was used to organize the interventions. Results: Fifty-nine systematic reviews were identified which consisted of single, multiple and multi-factorial non-pharmacological interventions to prevent falls in older people. The most frequent ProFaNE defined interventions were exercises either alone or combined with other interventions, followed by environment/assistive technology interventions comprising environmental modifications, assistive and protective aids, staff education and vision assessment/correction. Knowledge was the third principle class of interventions as patient education. Exercise and multifactorial interventions were the most effective treatments to reduce falls in older adults, although not all types of exercise were equally effective in all subjects and in all settings. Effective exercise programs combined balance and strength training. Reviews with a higher AMSTAR score were more likely to contain more primary studies, to be updated and to perform meta-analysis. Conclusions: The aim of this overview of reviews of non-pharmacological interventions to prevent falls in older people in different settings, is to support clinicians and other healthcare workers with clinical decision-making by providing a comprehensive perspective of findings.

Patientutbildningens betydelse för livskvalitèn hos patienter med hjärtsvikt : En litteratur studie

Introduktion: Runt 250 000 personer i Sverige är drabbade av hjärtsvikt. Det finns olika grader av hjärtsvikt som påverkar patienters dagliga liv på olika nivåer vilket kan påverka patienters livskvalité. Livskvalité är ett brett begrepp som är multidimensionellt. Patientutbildning är en del av sjuksköterskans profession och syftar till att hjälpa patienter förbättra sin egen hälsa. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien var att belysa patientutbildningens betydelse för livskvalitén hos patienter med hjärtsvikt. Metod: Under litteraturstudien har Polit och Beck (2016) niostegsmodell använts. Till litteratursökningen användes databaserna Cinahl och PubMed. Databassökningen resulterade i 10 artiklar samt två artiklar som söktes manuellt. Artiklarna granskades kritiskt och utgjorde därefter materialet för litteraturstudiens resultat. Resultat: Det slutgiltiga resultatet delades in i två huvudteman vilka var En förändrad tillvaro och Kunskap och trygghet med totalt fem underteman. Slutsats: Litteraturstudien påvisar att patientutbildning kan påverka patienter med hjärtsvikt då livskvalitén generellt har förbättrats för de patienter som erhållit patientutbildning. Litteraturstudien visar att patientutbildning kan ge en förändrad fysisk funktion, socialt och emotionellt stöd, förmåga att utföra egenvård samt ge kunskap, förståelse och kontroll över tillståndet.

Cognitive impairment in heart failure

The clinical syndrome of heart failure is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation and mortality in older adults. Due to ageing of the general population and improved survival from cardiac disease the prevalence of heart failure is rising. Despite the fact that the majority of patients with heart failure are aged over 65 years old, many with multiple co-morbidities, the association between cognitive impairment and heart failure has received relatively little research interest compared to other aspects of cardiac disease. The presence of concomitant cognitive impairment has implications for the management of patients with heart failure in the community. There are many evidence based pharmacological therapies used in heart failure management which obviously rely on patient education regarding compliance. Also central to the treatment of heart failure is patient self-monitoring for signs indicative of clinical deterioration which may prompt them to seek medical assistance or initiate a therapeutic intervention e.g. taking additional diuretic. Adherence and self-management may be jeopardised by cognitive impairment. Formal diagnosis of cognitive impairment requires evidence of abnormalities on neuropsychological testing (typically a result ≥1.5 standard deviation below the age-standardised mean) in at least one cognitive domain. Cognitive impairment is associated with an increased risk of dementia and people with mild cognitive impairment develop dementia at a rate of 10-15% per year, compared with a rate of 1-2% per year in healthy controls.1 Cognitive impairment has been reported in a variety of cardiovascular disorders. It is well documented among patients with hypertension, atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease, especially after coronary artery bypass grafting. This background is relevant to the study of patients with heart failure as many, if not most, have a history of one or more of these co-morbidities. A systematic review of the literature to date has shown a wide variation in the reported prevalence of cognitive impairment in heart failure. This range in variation probably reflects small study sample sizes, differences in the heart failure populations studied (inpatients versus outpatients), neuropsychological tests employed and threshold values used to define cognitive impairment. The main aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of cognitive impairment in a representative sample of heart failure patients and to examine whether this association was due to heart failure per se rather than the common cardiovascular co-morbidities that often accompany it such as atherosclerosis and atrial fibrillation. Of the 817 potential participants screened, 344 were included in this study. The study cohort included 196 patients with HF, 61 patients with ischaemic heart disease and no HF and 87 healthy control participants. The HF cohort consisted of 70 patients with HF and coronary artery disease in sinus rhythm, 51 patients with no coronary artery disease in sinus rhythm and 75 patients with HF and atrial fibrillation. All patients with HF had evidence of HF-REF with a LVEF <45% on transthoracic echocardiography. The majority of the cohort was male and elderly. HF patients with AF were more likely to have multiple co-morbidities. Patients recruited from cardiac rehabilitation clinics had proven coronary artery disease, no clinical HF and a LVEF >55%. The ischaemic heart disease group were relatively well matched to healthy controls who had no previous diagnosis of any chronic illness, prescribed no regular medication and also had a LVEF >55%. All participants underwent the same baseline investigations and there were no obvious differences in baseline demographics between each of the cohorts. All 344 participants attended for 2 study visits. Baseline investigations including physiological measurements, electrocardiography, echocardiography and laboratory testing were all completed at the initial screening visit. Participants were then invited to attend their second study visit within 10 days of the screening visit. 342 participants completed all neuropsychological assessments (2 participants failed to complete 1 questionnaire). A full comprehensive battery of neuropsychological assessment tools were administered in the 90 minute study visit. These included three global cognitive screening assessment tools (mini mental state examination, Montreal cognitive assessment tool and the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status) and additional measures of executive function (an area we believe has been understudied to date). In total there were 9 cognitive tests performed. These were generally well tolerated. Data were also collected using quality of life questionnaires and health status measures. In addition to this, carers of the study participant were asked to complete a measure of caregiver strain and an informant questionnaire on cognitive decline. The prevalence of cognitive impairment varied significantly depending on the neuropsychological assessment tool used and cut-off value used to define cognitive impairment. Despite this, all assessment tools showed the same pattern of results with those patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation having poorer cognitive performance than those with heart failure in sinus rhythm. Cognitive impairment was also more common in patients with cardiac disease (either coronary artery disease or heart failure) than age-, sex- and education-matched healthy controls, even after adjustment for common vascular risk factors.

Prevalencia y factores asociados a síndrome burnout en docentes vs personal administrativo pertenecientes a una universidad privada en Bogotá en el 2016

El Síndrome de Burnout, es una condición cuya detección ha venido en aumento en las últimas décadas. Sin embargo, son pocos los estudios realizados en docentes universitarios en Colombia. El objetivo del presente estudio es estimar la prevalencia y los factores asociados, en población administrativa y docente de una universidad privada.

Mercadeo farmacéutico de productos bajo prescripción: efectos de las estrategias Direct-to-Consumer-Advertising en el comportamiento de los consumidores y de prescripción de los médicos

Este proyecto se origina en el interés de analizar las estrategias actuales de promoción de productos farmacéuticos, en el marco del debate sobre el efecto persuasivo o informativo que la publicidad directa tiene sobre los consumidores. El objetivo es determinar el efecto de las estrategias de promoción directa para consumidores (Direct to Consumer Advertising [DTCA]) sobre el comportamiento de compra de pacientes y las prescripciones que formulan los médicos en el mercado de productos bajo receta en Estados Unidos. Para tal fin se propuso realizar una monografía que incluyera una revisión de literatura de carácter argumentativo, consultando información de nivel secundario en bases de datos científicas cuyos contenidos obedecieran a criterios metodológicos determinados por la naturaleza argumentativa del estudio. Adicionalmente, se analizó el debate sobre estos anuncios a la luz de dos estudios realizados a pacientes con cáncer de seno, próstata y colon, liderados por el Pennsylvania Cancer Registry con los productos biofarmacéuticos Avodart® y Flomax®. Finalmente, la investigación se fundamentó en la relación del mercado farmacéutico en Estados Unidos con cada uno de los agentes que interactúan en él; consumidores, médicos prescriptores y empresas farmacéuticas, así como el valor que estos comparten través de dichas interacciones. Se concluye que el comportamiento de compra de los consumidores está determinado por la naturaleza de la patología que padecen y el comportamiento de los profesionales que prescriben a sus pacientes se ve influenciado por los anuncios DTCA.