Barriers to Performing Essential Surgery at First-Level Hospitals in Pakistan: A Mixed Methods Study.

Introduction: There are numerous reasons for underutilization of the public health sector for surgery in Pakistan. This results in patients being diverted to private hospitals or tertiary care centers in urban areas. Diversions overburden the hospitals and significantly increase out-of-pocket costs for the patients.

Pregabalin for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain: A Systematic Review of Patient-Reported Outcomes.

Neuropathic pain (NeP) arises from pathologies of the nervous system, significantly impacting patient functionality and quality of life. Pregabalin is a first-line treatment for NeP, but there has been limited focus on patient-reported outcomes (PROs). This systematic review synthesizes PROs from clinical studies assessing pregabalin's efficacy in treating NeP, with a focus on sleep disturbance, mental health, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Demographic trends and disparities in mortality related to coexisting heart failure and diabetes mellitus among older adults in the United States between 1999 and 2020: A retrospective population-based cohort study from the CDC WONDER database.

Background: Heart Failure (HF) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) often coexist, and each condition independently increases the likelihood of developing the other. While there has been concern regarding the increasing burden of disease for both conditions individually over the last decade, a comprehensive examination of mortality trends and demographic and regional disparities needs to be thoroughly explored in the United States (US).

Methods: This study analyzed death certificates from the CDC WONDER database, focusing on mortality caused by the co-occurrence of HF and DM in adults aged 75 and older from 1999 to 2020.

Patient-reported primary health care experiences in Canada: The challenges faced by Nepalese immigrant men.

Background: Despite the Canadian universal healthcare system, new immigrants face a number of challenges in accessing primary healthcare (PHC) services. As immigration to Canada consistently increases, understanding various types of barriers to PHC and how they differ across different sub-groups is critical. We conducted a qualitative study among Nepalese immigrant men to learn from their experience with PHC access to inform healthcare providers, stakeholders, and policymakers to devise feasible approaches to enhancing access to care.

Assessment of Quality of Life in Patients With End-Stage Kidney Disease on Maintenance Hemodialysis Using the Missoula-Vitas Quality of Life Index.

Aim And Background: This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in end-stage kidney disease (ESRD) patients on maintenance hemodialysis through the Missoula-Vitas Quality of Life Index-15 (MVQOLI-15) to identify factors affecting their well-being.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Dialysis Unit of the Nephrology Department, Nishtar Hospital Multan. Over six months, 140 eligible patients were enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling.