[A Perspective on the OECD Report "Health at a Glance 2017"]

Learning prevalent patterns of co-morbidities in multichronic patients using population-based healthcare data

The prevalence of longstanding chronic diseases has increased worldwide, along with the average age of the population. As a result, an increasing number of people is affected by two or more chronic conditions simultaneously, and healthcare systems are facing the challenge of treating multimorbid patients effectively. Current therapeutic strategies are suited to manage each chronic condition separately, without considering the whole clinical condition of the patient. This approach may lead to suboptimal clinical outcomes and system inefficiencies (e.g. redundant diagnostic tests and inadequate drug prescriptions). We develop a novel methodology based on the joint implementation of data reduction and clustering algorithms to identify patterns of chronic diseases that are likely to co-occur in multichronic patients. We analyse data from a large adult population of multichronic patients living in Tuscany (Italy) in 2019 which was stratified by sex and age classes. Results demonstrate that (i) cardio-metabolic, endocrine, and neuro-degenerative diseases represent a stable pattern of multimorbidity, and (ii) disease prevalence and clustering vary across ages and between women and men. Identifying the most common multichronic profiles can help tailor medical protocols to patients' needs and reduce costs. Furthermore, analysing temporal patterns of disease can refine risk predictions for evolutive chronic conditions.

Development of a scale to evaluate nurses' recovery orientation in the dementia care

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Much research has been conducted on the relationship between recovery orientation and people diagnosed with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and mood disorders. A recovery-oriented approach by mental health professionals can reduce hospital stays and medical costs for people diagnosed with mental illness. There are similarities and differences between recovery-oriented approaches for individuals diagnosed with dementia and those diagnosed with mental illness. This reflects the characteristics of irreversible dementia. Although dementia courses at recovery colleges are increasing, dementia recovery is in its infancy and course content varies. The core of the recovery framework for individuals diagnosed with dementia is 'Continue to be me'. Recovery-oriented approaches and programmes have been developed by mental health workers for older adults, including those with dementia, but there are no outcome measures that reflect the characteristics of dementia care. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: We developed a scale to assess nurses' recovery orientation in dementia care, which has been found to be reliable, and although some validity issues remain, it is the first scale to objectively assess recovery orientation in dementia care. The emphasis is on helping people diagnosed with dementia maintain their identity, which is not adequately covered by existing measures of recovery. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The ability to objectively assess recovery orientation in dementia care allows us to identify areas of inadequacy. It can be used to reduce variation in the content of recovery college courses and as an indicator for evaluating training in recovery-oriented approaches to dementia care.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Programmes regarding recovery-oriented approaches for older people, including those with dementia, have been developed, but there are no clear indicators, and the process is still in its infancy.

PURPOSE

We developed a scale to assess nurses' recovery orientation in dementia care.

METHODS

A draft of a 28-item scale was developed based on interviews with 10 nurses, skilled in dementia care with a Japanese mental health perspective, and a literature review. A self-administered questionnaire was developed for nurses working in a dementia ward, and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test for convergent and discriminant validity. The Recovery Attitude Questionnaire was used to examine criterion-related validity.

RESULTS

An exploratory factor analysis produced a 19-item scale and identified five factors (KMO value: 0.854). The Cronbach's alpha for the overall scale was .856, with each subfactor showing a range of .742-.792, validating its reliability.

DISCUSSION

The results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the five-factor construct. Reliability was verified, but some issues remained in convergent and discriminant validity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This scale can be used to objectively assess nurses' recovery orientation in dementia care and as a measure of training in recovery-oriented approaches.

Factors Influencing the Development of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Community-Dwelling People Aged 75 Years and Older

In Asia, including Japan, dementia incidence peaks in older adults over ≥75 years; it is therefore important to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and prevent its onset in this age group. Our study hypothesized that physical and psychological status would be associated with MCI incidence among community-dwelling people aged 75 years and older. The study population comprised 291 such individuals. Participants with a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 28 or more were considered non-MCI, and those with a score of less than 28 and greater than 24 were considered to have MCI. Several other measures were also evaluated, including information about their current medical visits due to diseases, depressive symptom severity, various physical functions (trunk function, 30 s chair-stand test, one-legged stance test, timed up and go test time, 5 m walking time, grip strength, knee-extension strength, and toe-grip strength), and body composition (body fat and skeletal muscle mass). Participants suspected of having MCI had significantly shorter educational histories, higher rates of medical visits due to hypertension, and poorer balance abilities. The results suggest that these indices can be considered screening indicators for detecting MCI in people aged 75 years and older, which may be useful for planning intervention programs for this population.

Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Orthopedic Surgery: A Nationwide Analysis of the First Pandemic Year

Purpose

To analyze the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak during the first pandemic year in a single country.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was designed. The free access database of the Chilean Department of Statistics and Health Information (DEIS) was used to compare the number of orthopedic procedures between 2019 and 2020. Country mobility was exported from the Institute of Complex Engineering Systems (ISCI) free-access database; this corresponds to a direct measurement of the degree of confinement of the country. Spearman correlation (rho) was used to analyze the total monthly COVID infection trend and mobility to orthopedics procedures.

Results

The number of orthopedic surgeries fell by 22.8% during the first year of the pandemic. All surgical procedures were adversely affected, with the fracture/trauma surgeries being the least affected. The maximum adverse impact was seen in knee arthroplasty (-64%), followed by hip arthroplasty (-41%) and knee ligament reconstruction (-44%). The number of orthopedic procedures had a mild correlation to the monthly number of COVID-19 cases (rho=-0.53, p=0.08) and a strong correlation with the country's mobility (rho=0.94, p=0.0001).

Conclusions

The COVID-19 outbreak diminished the number of orthopedic procedures during 2020, and the impact was directly correlated to the country's mobility. The public health network did have a more significant adverse impact in elective surgeries due to a slower recovery than private institutions. An increase in the waiting list should be expected, which will widen the difference in access to orthopedic surgery in Chile.

Defensive antibacterial coating in revision total hip arthroplasty: new concept and early experience

BACKGROUND

Infections remains the most feared complication in total hip arthroplasty (THA). New strategies of PJI prevention includes coating of conventional implants. Defensive Antibacterial Coating (DAC), an antibacterial hydrogel coating made of hyaluronan, poly-D and L-lactide can protect biomaterials as an effective barrier at the time of implantation. In addition, it can be used with topical antibiotics to prevent early colonisation of the implant.

SCOPE

This manuscript describes the detailed function of the DAC in general as well as an analysis of its use in revision THA in a series of 28 patients in a short-term follow-up.Its use in patients undergoing cementless re-implantation after 2-staged procedures in THA is described in detail within the manuscript.

CONCLUSION

DAC found to be effective in terms of infection control and safety in our patient cohort and has been expanded for cementless 1-staged revisions in PJI of the hip in our institution.

Effects of a structured group intervention on obesity among breast cancer survivors

BACKGROUND

Obesity is associated with an increased risk for developing breast cancer and poor cancer-related outcomes. Endocrine therapy is a key part of treatment for breast cancer, but can result in weight gain. This study examined the efficacy of a structured group intervention during adjuvant endocrine therapy for obese patients with breast cancer. The intervention involved a combination of proper nutrition, exercise, and group coaching.

METHODS

Participants were patients with breast cancer who were undergoing adjuvant endocrine therapy and exhibited apparent weight gain while undergoing therapy, or had a diagnosis of abnormal lipid metabolism. We conducted a single-arm prospective study with a combined intervention. The intervention comprised 15 min of nutrition education, a 30-min group health coaching program, and three 45-min group aerobic exercise sessions. We evaluated participants' parameters (e.g., body weight, body mass index [BMI], cholesterol, psychological distress) at baseline, and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the intervention.

RESULTS

At 1 month after the intervention, there were significant reductions in body weight (p < 0.01), BMI (p < 0.01), triglyceride levels (p < 0.05), total cholesterol levels (p < 0.01), psychological distress (p < 0.05), and cancer-related fatigue (p < 0.01). At 3 and 6 months after the intervention, we observed further reductions in body weight, BMI, and triceps skinfold thickness.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that a short-term structured intervention helped modify dietary and exercise behaviors and promote health among breast cancer survivors, and resulted in favorable changes in participants' body weight.