Processes of assistive technology service delivery in Bangladesh, India and Nepal: a critical reflection.

Purpose: This paper critically reviews and reflects on the processes for providing Assistive Technology (AT) services to Persons with Disabilities (PWD) in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. The aim is to investigate the AT service delivery systems in these countries and suggest improvements where weaknesses are identified.

Materials And Methods: We carried out a descriptive qualitative exploratory study in Bangladesh, India and Nepal by conducting key informant interviews with policymakers (5), AT service providers (22) and mobility and hearing related AT service users (21).

Prevalence, risk factors and quality of life of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) among men attending Primary Care slum clinics in Bangalore: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Men, more than 50 years of age, have a higher incidence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and this increases with the advancing age. The prevalence of LUTS varies in different geographical areas across the world, and studies have reported that LUTS in men may significantly affect the quality of life (QoL) and influence their health-seeking behavior. Early detection of LUTS is essential as it is related to several complications.

Cross Cultural Team Collaboration: Integrating Cultural Humility in mHealth Development and Research.

The World Health Organization called for mobile health initiatives to improve population health outcomes, particularly in limited-resource settings. The aim of our study was to reflect upon approaches embedded in cultural humility and recognize areas where improvement was needed in the social innovation collaborative development of an mHealth app to improve hypertension health literacy in India. A qualitative descriptive case study approach was employed to elicit concepts of cultural humility and areas for improvement derived from communications between project stakeholders.

Gut Microbial Profile Is Associated With Residential Settings and Not Nutritional Status in Adults in Karnataka, India.

Undernutrition is a leading contributor to disease and disability in people of all ages. Several studies have reported significant association between nutritional status and gut microbiome composition but other factors such as demographic settings may also influence the adult microbiome. The relationship between undernourishment and gut microbiome in adults has not been described to date.

Quality of wheelchair services as perceived by users in rural Bangalore district, India: a cross-sectional survey.

Background And Aim: This study investigated the current state of wheelchair services in Bangalore Rural district, as provided by Bangalore Baptist Hospital, and identified areas for improvement.

Method: a cross-sectional survey was held among 50 wheelchair users. Data was collected on demographics, satisfaction, wheelchair skills and level of disability using QUEST, WST-Q and CHART-SF questionnaires.

Reason for refusal of insulin therapy among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in primary care clinic in Bangalore.

Background: Early initiation of insulin therapy and thereby the better control of blood sugar levels has shown reduction in complications. Although insulin therapy has been demonstrated to be efficacious, its initiation is often delayed due to multiple factors including the refusal of insulin therapy by the patients. This study aims to explore the reasons for the refusal of insulin therapy in a resource-constrained primary care setting in an urban slum in India.

Can urine dipstick test be an alternative to detect urinary tract infection in limited resource setting? - A validity study from Bangalore, India.

Background: Diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) can be challenging as symptoms are nonspecific. The gold standard for the diagnosis of urine culture is not easily available in resource constrained settings. Hence, the need for affordable point of care diagnostic test could be an inexpensive alternative for urine culture or microscopy.

Paternal involvement in feeding and its association with nutritional status of children in an urban slum in a low-resource setting: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: In India, childhood malnutrition continues to be a major public health problem, especially in slums. Research mostly focuses on the role of the mother in child feeding, as she spends significantly more time with children. However, the role of fathers, their parenting skills, and child-feeding practices may also affect child development and eating behavior, independent of maternal factors.

Factors Contributing to Alcohol Relapse in a Rural Population: Lessons from a Camp-Based De-Addiction Model from Rural Karnataka.

Context: Alcohol consumption is the third largest risk factor for disease and disability in developing countries. Globally, 4% of all deaths are related to alcohol consumption every year. De-addiction measures and rehabilitation strategies can sometimes be challenging in rural population as there is a potential for a higher rate of relapse due to socio-cultural barriers such as unemployment, limited entrainment activities, and peer pressure during social events.

Oral health knowledge, attitude and practices among nurses in a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore, India: a cross-sectional survey.

Maintaining good oral health among hospitalized individuals is essential for health outcomes and quality of life. Nurses, being the primary oral care givers require adequate knowledge, attitude and practice in this area to provide effective oral health care. However, limited studies have been undertaken to evaluate this aspect of nursing care in India.

Health issues in a Bangalore slum: findings from a household survey using a mobile screening toolkit in Devarajeevanahalli.

Background: Slums are home to nearly one billion people in the world and are expanding at an exponential rate. Devarjeevanahalli is a large notified slum in Bangalore, South India which is characterised by poverty, overcrowding, hazardous living environment and social complexities. The poor living conditions not only affect the health of the people living there but also poses distinctive challenges to conducting health surveys.

Quality of life among migrant construction workers in Bangalore city: A cross-sectional study.

Context: The construction industry is one of the oldest industries in India, which employs a large number of workers of poor socioeconomic status. Bangalore has seen significant rise in the number of migrants from various parts of the country to work in construction industry. These workers suffer from lack of good accommodation, basic sanitation, health facilities, stressful working conditions, and poor social life.

Prevalence of complaints of arm, neck, and shoulders among computer professionals in Bangalore: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Complaints of arm, neck, and shoulders (CANS) is a common problem among patients whose work involves computer use, but often ignored most importantly by the physicians partly due to not being able to appreciate the importance of taking a careful detailed occupational history of exposure to a repetitive activity involving upper arms. Upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders constitute a major portion of occupation-related illness with annual costs related to treatment and absenteeism from work ranging between $45 and 54 billion in the United States.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study was done to assess the factors contributing to CANS among computer professionals in Bangalore.

Identification of priority health conditions for field-based screening in urban slums in Bangalore, India.

Background: Urban slums are characterised by unique challenging living conditions, which increase their inhabitants' vulnerability to specific health conditions. The identification and prioritization of the key health issues occurring in these settings is essential for the development of programmes that aim to enhance the health of local slum communities effectively. As such, the present study sought to identify and prioritise the key health issues occurring in urban slums, with a focus on the perceptions of health professionals and community workers, in the rapidly growing city of Bangalore, India.

Benefit or Harm? A Study on Impact of Collusion on the Quality of Life among Palliative Care Patients.

Background: In India, roughly one-half of patients undergoing cancer treatment are unaware of their diagnosis or treatment. The intention of this study is to determine the prevalence of collusion and its influence on quality of life (QOL) among patients in palliative care settings.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 palliative care patients to assess the extent of knowledge about their diagnosis and prognosis.

Barriers to cardiovascular disease risk reduction: Does physicians' perspective matter?

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is emerging as a major epidemic and the leading cause of death and disability in India. This study is an attempt to understand the barriers and challenges faced by physicians in CVD risk reduction in a rural setting.

Methods: The study was conducted among 34 physicians across six randomly selected villages of Bangalore Rural District.

Quality of Diabetic Care among Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangalore, South India: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Despite high prevalence of diabetes, translation of practice recommendations to care is still deficient in Asian and developed countries. The objective of this study is to assess the quality of care provided to diabetic patients and extent of knowledge transfer by the provider to these patients as a measure of the quality of service.

Materials And Methods: A cross sectional study was done among 190 diabetic patients over a period of 6 months.

Treatment of uncomplicated symptomatic urinary tract infections: Resistance patterns and misuse of antibiotics.

Introduction: Uncomplicated but symptomatic urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common problem seen in practice. The study was undertaken to assess the most common pathogens responsible for uncomplicated symptomatic UTIs and the antimicrobial resistance pattern in a hospital in Bangalore. The study also explores the issue of antibiotic usage for these patients.

VNTR typing of Mycobacterium leprae in South Indian leprosy patients.

Objectives: To study the suitability, stability and diversity of short tandem repeat (STR) genomic markers to elicit strain variation in the Mycobacterium leprae isolates within leprosy patients from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states in South India.

Materials And Methods: Slit skin smear (SSS) samples were collected from lesions and various body sites of newly diagnosed leprosy patients. The SSSs from each patient were pooled, except in the case of five patients.

Costs and health effects of screening and delivery of hearing aids in Tamil Nadu, India: an observational study.

Background: The burden of disease of hearing disorders among adults is high, but a significant part goes undetected. Screening programs in combination with the delivery of hearing aids can alleviate this situation, but the economic attractiveness of such programs is unknown. This study aims to evaluate the population-level costs, effects and cost-effectiveness of alternative delivering hearing aids models in Tamil Nadu, India

Methods: In an observational study design, we estimated total costs and effects of two active screening programs in the community in combination with the provision of hearing aids at secondary care level, and the costs and effects of the provision of hearing aids at tertiary care level.

Validity of the WHO operational classification and value of other clinical signs in the classification of leprosy.

The objective of this study is to examine the validity of the WHO operational classification using skin smear results as the gold standard and explore the value of additional clinical signs independently and in combination with the WHO classification. Between 1985 and 2000, 5439 new untreated leprosy patients were registered at the Schieffelin Leprosy Research and Training Center, Karigiri. They were classified according to the Ridley Jopling classification as well as WHO operational classification based on the number of skin lesions.

Relapses in multibacillary patients treated with multi-drug therapy until smear negativity: findings after twenty years.

The Schieffelin Leprosy Research and Training Center at Karigiri, India participated in several of the World Health Organization (WHO) trials. The first trial on combined therapy in multi-bacillary leprosy was initiated in 1981. The main objectives of this field trial were to evaluate the efficacy of WHO recommended regimens in preventing relapses, especially drug resistance relapses.

Secondary rifampin resistance following multi-drug therapy--a case report.

This is the first report of secondary resistance to rifampin following MDT in a patient with prolonged, but irregular treatment. Repeated mouse foot-pad studies demonstrated resistance to dapsone after several years of monotherapy, and following subsequent MDT the studies demonstrated the development of resistance to rifampin.