Malin Holst’s Post

Great paper on the power and potential for primary care to deliver research , thanks Philip Evans, and team and NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research)

💥The following paper: "Effects of Implementing Personalized Health Education in Ambulatory Care on Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Compliance and Satisfaction with Treatment" is published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine MDPI at: https://lnkd.in/gGKVJzqK We invite you to read this paper at the above link. And also hope that you could consider JPM (https://lnkd.in/g3jxwN_H) when submitting your next paper.

Researchers from The University of Hong Kong talk about the merits and outline the challenges of integrating oral health into general health services for older adults and to propose the approaches that could be taken. Read the full paper here 🖱️ https://brnw.ch/21wJOu0 The prevalence of oral diseases in the older adult population remains high worldwide and is expected to surge in the coming decade. The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed the oral health of older adults as one of its pivotal concerns. Oral health affects general health, and oral diseases increase mortality and morbidity in older adults. Integrating oral health into the general health service with a patient-centred approach can be an effective way to improve oral and systemic health for older adults simultaneously. This integration tackles the shared risk factors of both oral and noncommunicable diseases, aids in the early detection of systemic disease, strengthens health surveillance, enhances efficient data sharing, and allows for the better allocation of resources and the workforce in the healthcare system. However, the oral healthcare sector operates as an isolated field, with an emphasis on intervention rather than prevention, which presents a key challenge to the success of integration. Therefore, refocusing oral healthcare service on prevention is paramount. In addition, approaches taken in clinical practice implementation, interprofessional education and training, technology and innovation, research and evaluation, advocacy by national professional oral healthcare organizations, and policy making will ensure the efficient, effective, and long-term integration of oral and general health services. Integrating these services would foster the accessibility and affordability of oral healthcare services for older adults to improve their oral health and overall well-being in the coming decade.

Population Health Versus Precision Medicine More people can live longer, happier, and healthier lives if as a nation we focus on our environment, socio-economic status, ethnic variations, persistent gender discrimination, and other self-induced non-medical risks—rather than personalized medicine or precision medicine.   This thought was well developed in a New England Journal of Medicine “Perspective.” https://lnkd.in/eHxnS3uh   No doubt clinical medicine has changed the way we live for the better. However, the greatest change for the better in overall life expectancy in the history of civilization has been an effective sewer system combined with a safe drinking water supply.   There is great enthusiasm for precision medicine or any scientific medical research to move society forward, and this enthusiasm derives from the assumption that sophisticated and rapidly evolving science will contribute to clinical practice. The argument that research helps lower morbidity and mortality has already been proven many times. One noteworthy example in our lifetime is the prevention of polio worldwide, except for three countries that are unaccepting of modern public health measures (Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan).   “There is now broad consensus that health differences between groups and within groups are not driven by clinical care but by social-structural factors that shape our lives,” according to the Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University.   We struggle with limited resources to care for our population and the world’s population by concentrating on prevention. But healthy eating, purposeful movement, work-life balance, and many of the nine principles of the Blue Zones Project would yield greater dividends than the vast spending on precision medicine. Realistically we as a nation and as a world civilization may get more “bang for our buck,” by preventing illness rather than developing new technologies for repair purposes.   Nonetheless, public investments in our nation’s public health versus precision medicine will continue to be debated—much the same way that funding pure science versus applied science has been debated for decades. There probably is no “right” answer, but looking at cost benefit with the focus on how many people will be helped by adding years of quality life is a reasonable metric. This measure is called a “quality-adjusted life-year” (QALY). It is a measure of both the quality and the quantity of life lived.   The United States spends about 18% on health care but ranks 37th out of developed nations for quality of healthcare according to the World Health Organization. Most other developed nations spend only high single digits of GNP, with longer and healthier life spans.   As a nation, we have opportunities we have always responded to. I’m optimistic we can both develop precision medicine and improve population health.

❗🗞 Important new study: Despite the high prevalence of long COVID symptoms and their impact on school/work attendance, most emergency department (ED) patients have limited awareness and knowledge of long COVID, and many have not received care for their symptoms, according to findings from a study led by Robert Rodriguez, MD. Results from the national, multicenter study were published in Annals of Emergency Medicine on September 24. “Most long COVID studies rely on traditional surveillance methods that miss underserved populations who use EDs as their primary health care source. In medically underserved ED populations, we sought to determine (1) whether there are gaps in awareness and self-declared understanding about long COVID illness, and (2) the prevalence, impact on school/work attendance, and receipt of care for long COVID symptoms,” the research team wrote. To improve care for underserved populations, EDs should develop protocols for the diagnosis, education, and treatment of long COVID, the authors concluded. In addition to Dr. Rodriguez, University of California, San Francisco emergency medicine coauthors include Brian Chinnock, MD, Melanie Molina, MD, MAS, and Mireya Arreguin. Read: https://lnkd.in/daPZ2FFq

National cancer screening and prevention programs in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face several challenges related to their unique characteristics and healthcare systems. Specific challenges include population size, health system governance and service delivery, data management, research, financing, and care and treatment policies. Addressing these challenges in SIDS requires a comprehensive and multi-stakeholder approach. Collaborative efforts involving governments, international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector can help overcome some of these obstacles. Additionally, SIDS may benefit from sharing best practices and lessons from similar contexts to develop tailored cancer screening and prevention strategies. This conference is an opportune forum to highlight these challenges to key stakeholders and, together, formulate comprehensive solutions. We all have an important role in addressing these challenges, so let's participate virtually or in person. #NCDs #Cancer #cancerprevention #Health #Advocacy

"When the answers from health research are not what you want to hear, how do you make sense of them? "Negative reactions, disagreement with the findings or disengaging with the research team will not make the results of a clinical trial change or disappear. But I have experienced all those responses when sharing results, which has prompted me to reflect on how research results are received by others." In this blog post, Amanda Roberts from the Rapid Eczema Trials team shares the questions that help her reflect on her research results. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eswFT_sr #Eczema #HealthResearch

Latest from me: Hopkins Business School to Platform COVID-19 Contrarians at Health Policy Symposium Johns Hopkins has world class medical and public health school. Unfortunately neither are involved in the health policy symposium the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School is hosting this week in Washington DC. Three of the contrarian doctors from the Stanford conference we previously wrote about are speaking. Two of them worked in the Trump White House to push a dangerous herd immunity strategy. Also speaking are a lot of people from interest groups in the Koch network of influence. Charles Koch is a major donor to both Stanford ($3.3 million from 2020-2023) and Hopkins ($1.3 million from 2021-2022). Two of these contrarian doctors have testified to the GOP-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. This house subcommittee and these “conferences” serve the purpose of re-writing pandemic to push an anti-public health agenda favored by right-wing business interests – just ahead of the presidential election. The dangerous anti-science narratives of these contrarians are not something academia should be validating by platforming. This is not about academic freedom or censorship; this is an issue of academic integrity and information safety. https://lnkd.in/e8pYXaee

Unlock the Future of Health Outcomes Research! Enroll in the intensive online program: Measurement, Design, and Analysis Methods for Health Outcomes Research. Gain the skills to measure, design, and analyze health outcomes research studies and data. Learn to incorporate patient-centered measures, evaluate chronic disease therapies, determine cost-effectiveness of treatments, and assess population health risks. Organizations worldwide rely on health outcomes research for actionable data to make better decisions. Advance your expertise and make a significant impact in health outcomes research. Learn More : https://lnkd.in/e59gsZjq  

Valuable insights on the road ahead for #globalsurgery advocates in this article!