Positive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic? A longitudinal study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physicians' work experiences and employability.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic places an enormous demand on physicians around the world. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physicians' work experiences and their ability and willingness to continue working in their profession until retirement (ie, their employability).

Design: A longitudinal comparative design was used.

Serum Biomarker Profile Including CCL1, CXCL10, VEGF, and Adenosine Deaminase Activity Distinguishes Active From Remotely Acquired Latent Tuberculosis.

Introduction: There is an urgent medical need to differentiate active tuberculosis (ATB) from latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and prevent undertreatment and overtreatment. The aim of this study was to identify biomarker profiles that may support the differentiation between ATB and LTBI and to validate these signatures.

Materials And Methods: The discovery cohort included adult individuals classified in four groups: ATB (n = 20), LTBI without prophylaxis (untreated LTBI; n = 20), LTBI after completion of prophylaxis (treated LTBI; n = 20), and healthy controls (HC; n = 20).

A Career Crafting Training Program: Results of an Intervention Study.

This intervention study examined the effects of a career crafting training on physicians' perceptions of their job crafting behaviors, career self-management, and employability. A total of 154 physicians working in two hospitals in a large Dutch city were randomly assigned to a waitlist control group or an intervention group. Physicians in the intervention group received an accredited training on career crafting, including a mix of theory, self-reflection, and exercises.

Progression of Emphysema and Small Airways Disease in Cigarette Smokers.

Background: Little is known about factors associated with emphysema progression in cigarette smokers. We evaluated factors associated with change in emphysema and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV) in participants with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: This retrospective study included individuals participating in the COPD Genetic Epidemiology study who completed the 5-year follow-up, including inspiratory and expiratory computed tomography (CT) and spirometry.

Reduced Lung-Cancer Mortality with Volume CT Screening in a Randomized Trial.

Background: There are limited data from randomized trials regarding whether volume-based, low-dose computed tomographic (CT) screening can reduce lung-cancer mortality among male former and current smokers.

Methods: A total of 13,195 men (primary analysis) and 2594 women (subgroup analyses) between the ages of 50 and 74 were randomly assigned to undergo CT screening at T0 (baseline), year 1, year 3, and year 5.5 or no screening.

Clinical research study implementation of case-finding strategies for heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the elderly with reduced exercise tolerance or dyspnea: A cluster randomized trial.

Background: Heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often remain undiagnosed in older individuals, although both disorders inhibit functionality and impair health. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a case-finding strategy of these disorders.

Methods: This is a clustered randomized trial; 18 general practices from the vicinity of Utrecht, the Netherlands, were randomly allocated to a case-finding strategy or usual care.

Patients' perspectives on the COPD-GRIP intervention, a new nursing care intervention for COPD.

Background: The nurse-led chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-Guidance Research on Illness Perception (COPD-GRIP) intervention was developed to incorporate illness perceptions into COPD care with the intention to improve the health-related quality of life of COPD patients. This individualized intervention focuses on identifying, discussing and evaluating illness perceptions and consists of three consultations with a practice nurse. The aim of this study is to explore patients' experiences regarding the COPD-GRIP intervention.

Perceptions of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Their Physiotherapists Regarding the Use of an eHealth Intervention.

Background: If eHealth interventions are not used (properly), their potential benefits cannot be fulfilled. User perceptions of eHealth are an important determinant of its successful implementation. This study examined how patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and their physiotherapists (PHTs) value an eHealth self-management intervention following a period of use.

Small airway imaging phenotypes in biomass- and tobacco smoke-exposed patients with COPD.

http://ow.ly/gXu730abpKu.

Lung Cancer in the Oldest Old: A Nation-Wide Study in The Netherlands.

Introduction: An important step in improving research and care for the oldest patients with lung cancer is analyzing current data regarding diagnostic work-up, treatment choices, and survival.

Methods: We analyzed data on lung cancer from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR-IKNL) regarding diagnostic work-up, treatment, and survival in different age categories; the oldest old (≥85 years of age) versus those aged 71-84 (elderly) and those aged ≤70 years (younger patients).

Results: 47,951 patients were included in the 2010-2014 NCR database.

CT-Based Local Distribution Metric Improves Characterization of COPD.

Parametric response mapping (PRM) of paired CT lung images has been shown to improve the phenotyping of COPD by allowing for the visualization and quantification of non-emphysematous air trapping component, referred to as functional small airways disease (fSAD). Although promising, large variability in the standard method for analyzing PRM has been observed. We postulate that representing the 3D PRM data as a single scalar quantity (relative volume of PRM) oversimplifies the original 3D data, limiting its potential to detect the subtle progression of COPD as well as varying subtypes.

Proteomic profiling of peripheral blood neutrophils identifies two inflammatory phenotypes in stable COPD patients.

Background: COPD is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease of the airways and it is well accepted that the GOLD classification does not fully represent the complex clinical manifestations of COPD and this classification therefore is not well suited for phenotyping of individual patients with COPD. Besides the chronic inflammation in the lung compartment, there is also a systemic inflammation present in COPD patients. This systemic inflammation is associated with elevated levels of cytokines in the peripheral blood, but the precise composition is unknown.

Computed tomographic findings in subjects who died from respiratory disease in the National Lung Screening Trial.

We evaluated the prevalence of significant lung abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) in patients who died from a respiratory illness other than lung cancer in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST).In this retrospective case-control study, NLST participants in the CT arm who died of respiratory illness other than lung cancer were matched for age, sex, pack-years and smoking status to a surviving control. A chest radiologist and a radiology resident blinded to the outcome independently scored baseline CT scans visually and qualitatively for the presence of emphysema, airway wall thickening and fibrotic lung disease.

Prognostic Value of Geriatric 8 and Identification of Seniors at Risk for Hospitalized Patients Screening Tools for Patients With Lung Cancer.

Background: Because of the time-consuming aspect of geriatric assessments, cancer specialists are seeking shorter screening tools to distinguish fit and frail patients. We analyzed the predictive value of the Geriatric 8 (G8) and Identification of Seniors at Risk for Hospitalized Patients (ISAR-HP) in elderly patients with lung cancer.

Patients And Methods: From January 2014 to April 2016, the data from patients with lung cancer aged > 70 years at 2 teaching hospitals in the Netherlands were included in a database.

The Effect of A Geriatric Assessment on Treatment Decisions for Patients with Lung Cancer.

Background: Decision-making for older patients with lung cancer can be complex and challenging. A geriatric assessment (GA) may be helpful and is increasingly being used since 2005 when SIOG advised to incorporate this in standard work-up for the elderly with cancer. Our aim was to evaluate the value of a geriatric assessment in decision-making for patients with lung cancer.

Parametric response mapping on chest computed tomography associates with clinical and functional parameters in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: In the search for specific phenotypes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) computed tomography (CT) derived Parametric Response Mapping (PRM) has been introduced. This study evaluates the association between PRM and currently available biomarkers of disease severity in COPD.

Methods: Smokers with and without COPD were characterized based on questionnaires, pulmonary function tests, body plethysmography, and low-dose chest CT scanning.

Nurses' perspectives of a new individualized nursing care intervention for COPD patients in primary care settings: A mixed method study.

Background: The major challenges in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) care are guiding a patient in daily living with the consequences of the disease, reducing the impact of symptoms and improving Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). The new nurse-led COPD-Guidance, Research on an Illness Perception (COPD-GRIP) intervention translates the evidence concerning illness perceptions and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) into a practice nurse intervention. The aim is to explore the nurses' experiences with applying the new COPD-GRIP intervention.

Positive predictive value of ELISpot in BAL and pleural fluid from patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the positive predictive value (PPV) of ELISpot in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and pleural fluid for the diagnosis of active tuberculosis (TB) in real-life clinical practice, together with the added value of a cut-off >1.0 for the ratio between the extra-sanguineous and systemic interferon-gamma responses in positive samples.

Methods: A retrospective, single-centre study was performed.

Follow-up of CT-derived airway wall thickness: Correcting for changes in inspiration level improves reliability.

Objectives: Airway wall thickness (AWT) is affected by changes in lung volume. This study evaluated whether correcting AWT on computed tomography (CT) for differences in inspiration level improves measurement agreement, reliability, and power to detect changes over time.

Methods: Participants of the Dutch-Belgian lung cancer screening trial who underwent 3-month repeat CT for an indeterminate pulmonary nodule were included.

Efficacy of an mHealth intervention to stimulate physical activity in COPD patients after pulmonary rehabilitation.

Physical inactivity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with poor health status and increased disease burden. The present study aims to test the efficacy of a previously developed mobile (m)Health intervention to improve or maintain physical activity in patients with COPD after pulmonary rehabilitation.A randomised controlled trial was performed in 32 physiotherapy practices in the Netherlands.

Aortic Valve and Thoracic Aortic Calcification Measurements: How Low Can We Go in Radiation Dose?

Objective: This study aimed to determine the lowest radiation dose and iterative reconstruction level(s) at which computed tomography (CT)-based quantification of aortic valve calcification (AVC) and thoracic aortic calcification (TAC) is still feasible.

Methods: Twenty-eight patients underwent a cardiac CT and 20 patients a chest CT at 4 different dose levels (routine dose and approximately 40%, 60%, and 80% reduced dose). Data were reconstructed with filtered back projection, 3 iDose levels, and 3 iterative model-based reconstruction levels.

Technology use by older adults in the Netherlands and its associations with demographics and health outcomes.

Information and communications technology (ICT) has the potential to contribute to the quality of life of older adults. The aim of this study was to analyze the use of a broad array of ICT devices and services among Dutch older adults and to determine whether demographics and health outcomes are associated with this use. A questionnaire was dispensed among a group of Dutch older adults (≥65 years).