Patients' experiences of very early supported discharge after stroke: safety, emotional support and feelings of control in everyday life.

Objective: Early supported discharge (ESD) aims to enable the transition of care from specialised stroke units to patients' homes. Even though ESD is well-researched, little is known about the experiences faced by persons with stroke in very early supported discharge (VESD). The aim of this study was to understand these experiences when participating in a VESD rehabilitation program.

Coming home in the context of very early supported discharge after stroke - An interview study of patients' experiences.

Objectives: To explore patients' experiences of coming home and managing everyday life within the context of very early supported discharge after stroke (VESD).

Study Design: An explorative qualitative study using semi structured interviews.

Method: This study was nested within a randomised controlled trial,; Gothenburg Very Early Supported Discharge (GOTVED), comparing a home rehabilitation intervention given by a coordinated team (VESD) with conventional care.

The feasibility and efficacy of the group-based therapy for smoking cessation in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

Introduction: Tobacco epidemic is a global public health concern, killing more than 8 million people annually. Individual therapy is the standard of care of behavioral intervention for smoking cessation in Malaysia and group-based therapy for smoking cessation is an alternative to behavioral intervention commonly used in the western population effectively. The study explored the feasibility and efficacy of group-based therapy for smoking cessation for smokers who want to quit smoking at a quit smoking clinic and community centers in an urban setting in Malaysia.

Are smoking restrictions at public venues and psychosocial beliefs associated with intentions to quit smoking among smokers in Malaysia?

The Malaysian government reinforced smoking restrictions at public venues to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. This study examined whether smokers' reports about smoking restrictions and psychosocial beliefs were associated with quit intentions among Malaysian smokers. Data from 1047 cigarette smokers (103 females and 944 males) aged 18 and older from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Malaysia Wave 1 Survey were analyzed with bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models.

Reasons for using e-cigarettes and support for e-cigarette regulations: Findings from the 2020 ITC Malaysia Survey.

Introduction: Malaysia has the largest e-cigarette (EC) market in Southeast Asia, and it has been estimated that 17% of adult daily cigarette smokers also used ECs on a daily basis in 2020. However, few studies have examined the reasons people use ECs in Malaysia. This cross-sectional study of adult cigarette smokers from Malaysia assessed reasons for EC use and their support for key proposed EC regulations.

Methods of the 2020 (Wave 1) International Tobacco Control (ITC) Malaysia survey.

The ITC Malaysia Project is part of the 31-country ITC Project, of which the central objective is to evaluate the impact of tobacco control policies of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This article describes the methods used in the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Malaysia (MYS1) Survey. Adult smokers and non-smokers aged ≥18 years in Malaysia were recruited by a commercial survey firm from its online panel.

A systematic review of group therapy programs for smoking cessation in Asian countries.

Introduction: Tobacco causes more than 8 million deaths each year. Behavioral interventions such as group therapy, which provides counselling for smoking cessation, can be delivered in group form and smokers who receive cessation counselling are more likely to quit smoking compared to no assistance. We review the evidence of group-based counselling for smoking cessation for smokers in Asian countries.

An Open-Label, Head to Head Comparison Study between Prucalopride and Lactulose for Clozapine Induced Constipation in Patients with Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia.

Clozapine remains as the gold standard for the management of treatment resistant schizophrenia. Nevertheless, mortality and morbidity associated with Clozapine is partly contributed by its adverse effect of constipation in view of its prominent anticholinergic properties. Despite the evidence that approximately 60% of patients on Clozapine will experience constipation, there is no proper guideline as to the best laxative in the treatment of Clozapine induced constipation.

The use of e-cigarettes among university students in Malaysia.

Introduction: E-cigarette use is an emerging phenomenon with increasing recognition and acceptance globally. This study aims to create a profile of e-cigarette users among university students in Malaysia.

Methods: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional research involving six universities in Malaysia.

Goal-setting in physiotherapy: exploring a person-centered perspective.

: To analyze definitions and related requirements, processes, and operationalization of person-centered goal-setting in the physiotherapy research literature; to discuss those findings in relation to underlying principles of person-centeredness; and to provide an initial framework for how person-centered goal-setting could be conceptualized and operationalized in physiotherapy. : A literature search was conducted in the databases: CINAHL, PubMed, PEDro, PsycINFO, REHABdata and Scopus. A content analysis was performed on how person-centered goal-setting was described.

Intra- and inter-rater reliability of Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity in stroke.

Objective: The Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) is recommended for evaluation of sensorimotor impairment post stroke, but the item-level reliability of the scale is unknown. The study aims to determine intra- and inter-rater reliability of the FMA-UE at item-, subscale- and total score level in patients with early subacute stroke.

Design: Intra/inter-rater reliability.

Locked-in syndrome in Sweden, an explorative study of persons who underwent rehabilitation: a cohort study.

Objective: Locked-in syndrome (LiS) is a rare condition, characterised by a complete paresis except for vertical eye movements and blinking with cognitive functions intact, commonly caused by ischaemia in the ventral pons. Previous studies have indicated that persons with LiS can live on for many years and have a good quality of life (QoL). To our knowledge, LiS has never been studied in Sweden.

Minimal important differences for fatigue patient reported outcome measures-a systematic review.

Background: Fatigue is the most frequent symptom reported by patients with chronic illnesses. As a subjective experience, fatigue is commonly assessed with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Currently, there are more than 40 generic and disease-specific PROMs for assessing fatigue in use today.

Patients' expectations of coming home with Very Early Supported Discharge and home rehabilitation after stroke - an interview study.

Background: An Early Supported Discharge (ESD) and rehabilitation from a coordinated team in the home environment is recommended in several high-income countries for patients with mild to moderate symptoms after stroke. Returning home from the hospital takes place very early in Sweden today (12 days post stroke), thus the term Very Early Supported Discharge (VESD) is used in the current study. The aim of this study was to describe patients' expectations of coming home very early after stroke with support and rehabilitations at home.

Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability at the item level of the Action Research Arm Test for patients with stroke.

Objective: To examine the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) at the item level after stroke.

Design: An intra-rater and inter-rater reliability study.

Subjects: Thirty-five participants (median age 62 years, median time post-stroke 22 months) with impaired upper extremity function after stroke were included in the study.

Empowering Malaysian dentists to tobacco dependence treatment conduct.

As a signatory to the World Health Organisation 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Malaysia has policies in place and funded 300 public Quit clinics. Unfortunately, government dentists are not included to run tobacco dependence treatment. A cross-sectional exploratory survey was carried out to seek Malaysian dentists' opinion on their knowledge, perception and willingness to conduct tobacco dependence treatment.

Gothenburg very early supported discharge study (GOTVED) NCT01622205: a block randomized trial with superiority design of very early supported discharge for patients with stroke.

Background: Stroke is the disease with the highest costs for hospital care and also after discharge. Early supported discharge (ESD) has shown to be efficient and safe and the best results with well-organised discharge teams and patients with less severe strokes. The aim is to investigate if very early supported discharge (VESD) for stroke patients in need for on-going individualised rehabilitation at home is useful for the patient and cost effective.