Knowledge and Attitudes of Healthcare Professionals Regarding Disabilities in Eastern India.

Background: Globally, a substantial portion of the population lives with significant disabilities. Despite advancements, individuals with disabilities continue to experience poorer health outcomes, often due to inadequate knowledge and attitudes among healthcare providers. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals regarding disabilities in a tertiary care setting.

Designing a summative assessment blueprint in community medicine: an expert consensus approach at All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Background: Despite the increasing integration of competency-based education in medicine, there remains a significant gap in effectively assessing educational outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for designed assessment blueprints that accurately reflect both curriculum content and competency standards in Community Medicine for undergraduate students. This study, conducted across the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) network, develops a summative assessment blueprint aimed at standardizing evaluations in medical education across diverse geographic locations in India.

Methods: Twenty-five experts from 10 All India Institutes of Medical Science were invited via email and contributed for summative assessment for a theory paper.

Mass drug administration coverage evaluation for lymphatic filariasis in selected endemic districts of Jharkhand, India.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate mass drug administration (MDA) coverage for lymphatic filariasis (LF) in selected endemic districts of Jharkhand, India, and to identify household-level determinants of drug consumption.

Methods: A cross-sectional coverage evaluation survey was conducted in the Deoghar, Giridih and Godda districts of Jharkhand in 2023 within 6 wk of the completion of the MDA campaign. The survey included 9039 individuals from 1680 households across 56 randomly selected clusters (three urban, eight tribal and 45 rural).

Barriers, Facilitators of Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation, and Deworming Program among School-Going Adolescents of Deoghar, Jharkhand, India: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background: This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators of iron and folic acid supplementation and deworming programs among school-going adolescents.

Methods: A mixed-method observational study was conducted among adolescents in the 8th to 10th standards and their teachers across four schools in Deoghar, Jharkhand, India, using simple random sampling. The study included a questionnaire on socio-demographics, knowledge (34 items) (α=0.

Effect of educational intervention on risk factors of cardiovascular diseases among school teachers: a quasi-experimental study in a suburb of Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Objective: This prospective study aimed to evaluate the effects of a health education intervention on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among school teachers.

Methods: The study, conducted from August 2016 to May 2017, involved teachers from four schools in Baruipur, West Bengal, India. It was a multicentric, quasi-experimental study with an intervention group receiving tailored health education promoting lifestyle modifications, while the control group received no intervention.

Pattern and predictors of mortality among inborn and out born neonates on ventilatory support: an unmatched case-control study.

Background: Limited literature was available on the pattern and determinants of mortality among inborn neonates in comparison to the out born ones. The study's goal was to investigate the patterns and risk factors for mortality among hospitalised, on-ventilator inborn and out born neonates.

Materials And Methods: It was an unmatched, case-control, pilot study conducted between January and December 2020 using information retrieved from the medical records of patients attending the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary healthcare facility, namely Narayan Medical College & Hospital, situated in eastern India.

An Epidemiological Study of the Quality of Life of Children With Beta-Thalassemia Major (β-TM) and Its Correlates in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Background and objectives In contrast to their peers who are healthy, children with thalassemia disease are likely to have a lower quality of life (QoL). Knowledge of attributes affecting the QoL of thalassemic children may help identify key areas of intervention to improve it. Thus, the current study was envisioned to find out the quality of life (QoL) of children with beta-thalassemia major (β-TM) and its various correlates.

Capacity building among frontline health workers (FHWs) in screening for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs): Findings of an implementation study from Bihar, India.

Background: Community-based screening is one of the key preventive strategies to tackle the ever-rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) under the National Programme for Prevention & Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).

Objective: The current study was aimed to build capacity among frontline health workers (FHWs) in screening for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) under NPCDCS in the selected districts of Bihar state.

Methodology: This was an implementation study with follow-up components, conducted among 75 FHWs [14 auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and 61 accredited social health activists (ASHAs)] from 15 primary healthcare facilities across four districts of Bihar state from October 2019 to September 2021.

Predictors of Mortality among Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 during the First Wave in India: A Multisite Case-Control Study.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 disease (COVID-19) has caused more than 6 million deaths globally. Understanding predictors of mortality will help in prioritizing patient care and preventive approaches. This was a multicentric, unmatched, hospital-based case-control study conducted in nine teaching hospitals in India.

Universalization of Healthcare for Non-Communicable Diseases in India - Promise of Health and Wellbeing, Insurance for Universal Health Coverage.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) pose a significant global health and economic burden, necessitating universal health coverage (UHC). Out-of-pocket (OOPs) payments for healthcare, particularly in low- and middle-income countries lacking social protection and health insurance, contribute to impoverishment and catastrophic expenditure. This scoping review aimed to assess the state of UHC for NCDs in India, including the progress made, coverage of government health insurance schemes, challenges faced, and their potential solutions.

Transfusion-transmitted infections, its risk factors and impact on quality of life: An epidemiological study among β-thalassemia major children.

Background: Multi-transfused thalassemic children are at higher risk of acquiring transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs). There are limited data available on TTIs among thalassemic children, especially on its impact on their quality of life (QoL).

Aim: The aim of this study is to find out the proportion of multi-transfused β-thalassemia major (β-TM) children suffering from TTIs, its risk factors and impact on QoL.

Financial literacy and its correlates among healthcare professionals of India: An ignored educational need.

Background: Financial literacy is a person's capability to manage their own monetary matters. There was no information available on financial literacy status of healthcare professionals (HCPs) of India. So, the current research was formulated to assess the financial literacy status and its correlates among HCPs of India.

Resilience level, its determinants and its effect on psychological well-being: A cross-sectional evaluation among school-going adolescents of Patna, Bihar, India.

Background: Adolescents with higher resilience levels are reported to be less vulnerable to psychological illnesses. The study examined resilience level, its determinants and its effect on psychological well-being among school-going adolescents of Patna, Bihar, India.

Methods: Adopting cross-sectional design we examined resilience levels among the study participants reading in the sixth, seventh and eighth standards of selected schools of Patna district using the Child Youth Resilience Measure-Revised questionnaire during March 2021.

Early Determinants of Length of Hospital Stay: A Case Control Survival Analysis among COVID-19 Patients admitted in a Tertiary Healthcare Facility of East India.

Background: Length of hospital stay (LOS) for a disease is a vital estimate for healthcare logistics planning. The study aimed to illustrate the effect of factors elicited on arrival on LOS of the COVID-19 patients.

Materials And Methods: It was a retrospective, record based, unmatched, case control study using hospital records of 334 COVID-19 patients admitted in an East Indian tertiary healthcare facility during May to October 2020.

Tobacco use pattern and quitting behaviour among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from a pan India online survey.

Background: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) have a definite role in tobacco control and can help immensely by setting examples. The current study aimed to study the tobacco use pattern and quitting behaviour among HCPs of India during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We addressed the research objective using a cross-sectional, anonymous online survey using 'google form" among 687 HCPs of India during December 2020.

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine in preventing infection and disease severity: a case-control study from an Eastern State of India.

Effectiveness of corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccines used in India is unexplored and need to be substantiated. The present case-control study was planned to elicit the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing infection and disease severity in the general population of Bihar, India. This case-control study was conducted among people aged ≥45 years during April to June 2021.

Evaluation of Ivermectin as a Potential Treatment for Mild to Moderate COVID-19: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial in Eastern India.

Background: There has been a growing interest in ivermectin ever since it was reported to have an in-vitro activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This trial was conducted to test the efficacy of ivermectin in mild and moderate coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19).

Methods: A double blind, parallel, randomised, placebo-controlled trial conducted among adult COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate disease severity on admission in a COVID dedicated tertiary healthcare of eastern India.

Attributes of screening and vaccination for cervical cancer: insights of an online survey among female school teachers of Kota, Rajasthan, India.

Cervical cancer is largely preventable. The study was aimed to find out the attributes of screening and vaccination for cervical cancer among female school teachers of Kota, Rajasthan, India. It was an observational study, cross-sectional in design conducted among female school teachers of Kota, Rajasthan, India using a predesigned structured questionnaire administered by Google Form during the months of March to May, 2020.

Epidemiological determinants of COVID-19 infection and mortality: A study among patients presenting with severe acute respiratory illness during the pandemic in Bihar, India.

Objectives: The study was designed to explore epidemiological characteristics, determinants of COVID-19 infection development and mortality of patients presenting with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) to a tertiary care health facility of Bihar.

Methods: This was an observational record-based study, longitudinal in design. Data of 281 SARI patients who have attended All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India during 25 April 2020, till 12 July 2020 (16 weeks) were used for the study.

Health seeking behavior of β-thalassemia major children and its attributes: An epidemiological study in Eastern India.

Background: Health seeking behaviour (HSB) of thalassemic children is one of the rarely explored entity.

Aim: To explore HSB of β-Thalassemia Major (β-TM) children and its attributes.

Materials And Methods: It was a cross-sectional design, observational study, conducted among 328 β-TM children and their caregivers attending a tertiary care health facility of Kolkata; West Bengal situated in Eastern India in between May 2016 and April 2017 with a structured schedule.

Doctor Consultation through Mobile Applications in India: An Overview, Challenges and the Way Forward.

Objectives: To layout mHealth (mobile health) applications operating in India with the facility of either online doctor consultation or offline doctor appointment booking.

Methods: A cross-sectional, observational and web-based study was conducted. We searched the Google Play Store with the search strategy "health apps in India".

Care-Related Quality of Life of Caregivers of Beta-Thalassemia Major Children: An Epidemiological Study in Eastern India.

Caregivers are the persons who provide care at the time of distress or illness. They face many stress and strain to provide the best possible medical care for their children. There are very few studies that explored the care-related quality of life (CarerQoL) of the caregivers of thalassemic children and its correlates.

Performance of revised national tuberculosis control program in Bihar: A situational analysis.

Background: Monitoring of a program is a continuous assessment of certain key indicators of it through periodic reports. The efficiency of a health program is assessed by comparing its achievements with the expectations.

Methods: The study was conducted based on the annual TB report of India for the year 2018 in order to monitor (Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program) RNTCP performance in the Bihar State and its various districts.

Malnutrition, Its Attributes, and Impact on Quality of Life: An Epidemiological Study among β-Thalassemia Major Children.

Background: India is home to a large number of thalassemic children. Despite malnutrition being an essential determinant of their therapeutic goals and quality of life (QoL), it was hardly ever explored. With this background, this study aimed to estimate the proportion of β-thalassemia major (β-TM) children experiencing malnutrition, its attributes, and impact on their QoL.