Rectus Femoris Muscle Segmentation on Ultrasound Images of Older Adults Using Automatic Segment Anything Model, nnU-Net and U-Net-A Prospective Study of Hong Kong Community Cohort.

Sarcopenia is characterized by a degeneration of muscle mass and strength that incurs impaired mobility, posing grievous impacts on the quality of life and well-being of older adults worldwide. In 2018, a new international consensus was formulated to incorporate ultrasound imaging of the rectus femoris (RF) muscle for early sarcopenia assessment. Nonetheless, current clinical RF muscle identification and delineation procedures are manual, subjective, inaccurate, and challenging.

Effect of a single-session mindfulness-based intervention for reducing stress in family caregivers of people with dementia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Caregiver stress can pose serious health and psychological concerns, highlighting the importance of timely interventions for family caregivers of people with dementia. Single-session mindfulness-based interventions could be a promising yet under-researched approach to enhancing their mental well-being within their unpredictable, time-constrained contexts. This trial will evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a blended mindfulness-based intervention consisting of a single session and app-based follow-up in reducing caregiver stress.

Promoting workplace retention during global crises: An international survey of the preventive role of psychological support among victims of social discrimination in long-term care facilities.

This international cross-sectional survey examined the potential role of organizational psychological support in mitigating the association between experiencing social discrimination against long-term care (LTC) facilities' healthcare professionals (HCPs) and their intention to stay in the current workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included a convenience sample of 2,143 HCPs (nurses [21.5 %], nurse aids or residential care workers [40.

The Use of Immersive Virtual Reality Training for Developing Nontechnical Skills Among Nursing Students: Multimethods Study.

Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is a niche technology rising in popularity in nursing education. Although there is an abundance of evidence to demonstrate the effect of virtual reality (VR) on desired learning outcomes, this evidence is limited to technical or procedural skills or managing a single patient with clinical problems. Nontechnical skills (NTS), such as communication, decision-making, teamwork, situation awareness, and managerial skills, have not been explored using IVR technology.

Development and validation of a health literacy scale for family caregivers of older people with chronic illness.

Background: Family caregivers (FCs) encounter a variety of health problems in older people with chronic illness, necessitating a certain level of health literacy to access, understand, appraise and apply health information and services. This study aimed to develop and validate a scale for measuring health literacy among FCs of older people with chronic illness.

Methods: Concept mapping was first employed to develop a conceptual model of health literacy of FCs.

"How difficult it is to change dietary behaviour" experience of older people with sarcopenic obesity: a qualitative study.

Background: Dietary intervention is an important method to manage sarcopenic obesity, but the implementation in real world is difficult to achieve an ideal condition. This study aimed to the experiences of older people with sarcopenic obesity during the implementation of dietary behavioural change (DBC) intervention.

Methods: This study is a semi-structured individual interview embedded within a pilot randomized controlled trial on community-dwelling older people with sarcopenic obesity.

An AI-empowered indoor digital contact tracing system for COVID-19 outbreaks in residential care homes.

An AI-empowered indoor digital contact-tracing system was developed using a centralized architecture and advanced low-energy Bluetooth technologies for indoor positioning, with careful preservation of privacy and data security. We analyzed the contact pattern data from two RCHs and investigated a COVID-19 outbreak in one study site. To evaluate the effectiveness of the system in containing outbreaks with minimal contacts under quarantine, a simulation study was conducted to compare the impact of different quarantine strategies on outbreak containment within RCHs.

The Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality-Assisted Experiential Learning on Enhancing Empathy in Undergraduate Health Care Students Toward Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: Multiple-Methods Study.

Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR)-assisted experiential learning has the potential to foster empathy among undergraduate health care students toward older adults with cognitive impairment by facilitating a sense of embodiment. However, the extent of its effectiveness, including enhancing students' learning experiences and achieving intended learning outcomes, remains underexplored.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impacts of IVR-assisted experiential learning on the empathy of undergraduate health care students toward older people with cognitive impairment as the primary outcome (objective 1) and on their learning experience (objective 2) and their attainment of learning outcomes as the secondary outcomes (objective 3).

The effects of an e-health brisk walking intervention in increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in physically inactive older people with cognitive frailty: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Cognitive frailty is a risk for many adverse health outcomes that are commonly observed in older people. Physical activity is known to be effective to reserve cognitive frailty but the prevalence of physical inactivity is still high in older people. E-health enhances behavioural change effects through an innovative way to deliver behavioural change methods that can enhance the behavioural change effects.

Effects of a Family Caregiver-Delivered MultiSensory Cognitive Stimulation Intervention for Older People With Dementia During Coronavirus 2019: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background And Objectives: Many community dementia services such as home-visiting services and center-based activities were suspended during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic. This study investigated the efficacy of a caregiver-delivered cognitive stimulation therapy (CDCST) on people with dementia during the pandemic.

Research Design And Methods: This was a 2-arm randomized controlled trial involving 241 patient-caregiver dyads assigned to a 15-week CDCST or control group (usual care).

A distress thermometer with a cutoff score of ≥ 6 is the optimal point to identify highly distressed patients with advanced cancer stages in resource-limited countries without palliative care services.

Purpose: Although the distress thermometer (DT) scale has been widely validated and used in different cancer types and settings, an optimal cutoff score of DT is not defined to screen advanced cancer patients. The study aimed to define the optimal DT's cutoff score among advanced cancer patients in resource-limited countries without palliative care services and to assess the prevalence and factors associated with psychological distress among this population.

Methods: A secondary analysis was performed.

The Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality Applications on Enhancing the Learning Outcomes of Undergraduate Health Care Students: Systematic Review With Meta-synthesis.

Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) applications are gaining popularity in health care education. They provide an uninterrupted, scaled environment capable of simulating the full magnitude of sensory stimuli present in busy health care settings and increase students' competence and confidence by providing them with accessible and repeatable learning opportunities in a fail-safe environment.

Objective: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effects of IVR teaching on the learning outcomes and experiences of undergraduate health care students compared with other teaching methods.

The role of trust and habit in the adoption of mHealth by older adults in Hong Kong: a healthcare technology service acceptance (HTSA) model.

Background: Evidence from the literature suggests that mobile health (mHealth) services can potentially improve healthcare outcomes among older adults. Hence, the government of Hong Kong has recently taken several community and information technology (IT) services initiatives to train older adults on how to enhance their abilities and interest in using mHealth technology. Although mHealth services have been widely implemented globally, their adoption and use by older adults are very low, including those in Hong Kong.

Long-term effects of e-Health secondary prevention on cardiovascular health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: Despite the well-documented short-to-medium-term effectiveness of e-Health (electronic health) secondary prevention interventions on patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), there is limited empirical evidence regarding long-term effectiveness. This review aims to evaluate the long-term effects of e-Health secondary prevention interventions on the health outcomes of patients with CVD.

Methods And Results: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.

Groningen Frailty Indicator-Chinese (GFI-C) for pre-frailty and frailty assessment among older people living in communities: psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy.

Background: The early identification of pre-frailty and frailty among older people is a global priority because of the increasing incidence of frailty and associated adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to validate the Groningen Frailty Indicator-Chinese (GFI-C), a widely used screening instrument, and determine the optimal cut-off value in Chinese communities to facilitate pre-frailty and frailty screening.

Methods: This methodological study employed a cross-sectional and correlational design to examine the psychometric properties of GFI-C, namely, internal consistency, stability, and concurrent and construct validities.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a 6-week hybrid mindfulness-based intervention in reducing the stress among caregivers of patients with dementia during COVID-19 pandemic: protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI), an emotion-focused approach, has been shown promising and sustainable effects on enhancing the well-being of caregivers of patients with dementia (PWD). However, the conventional MBI was quite demanding, had high rates of attrition and inconsistent long-term effect. The social distancing measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic also restricted face-to-face psychosocial intervention.

"How are You Doing?" on the Healthy Aging of the Community-Dwelling Oldest-Old in the Shadow of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: Globally, the oldest-old population is growing rapidly. Little is known about the perceived well-being of the community-dwelling oldest-old, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the oldest-old's perceptions of aging well and the COVID-related impacts on them.

Gathering policymakers' perspectives as an essential step in planning and implementing palliative care services at a national level: an example from a resource-limited country.

Background: Despite increasing recognition of the role played by palliative care (PC) services, the priorities of policymakers in supporting PC remain unclear and have sometimes engendered controversy. There are few studies exploring policymakers' perspectives towards PC services, with most shedding light on obstacles to PC development. Furthermore, no study has explored policymakers' perspectives towards providing PC at the national level in resource-limited countries.

Sarcopenia and its association with objectively measured life-space mobility and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in the oldest-old amid the COVID-19 pandemic when a physical distancing policy is in force.

Introduction: The oldest-old are highly vulnerable to sarcopenia. Physical distancing remains a common and effective infection-control policy to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission during the pandemic. Sarcopenia is known to be associated with impaired immunity.

Exploring nursing students' learning experiences and attitudes toward older persons in a gerontological nursing course using self-regulated online enquiry-based learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities adopted online teaching as the primary teaching and learning method. Most of the online teaching, however, has been limited to the broadcasting of asynchronous lectures and sharing of teaching materials.

Objectives: To explore undergraduate nursing students' self-regulated learning experiences, satisfaction, and attitudes toward older persons in a gerontological nursing course using online self-regulated enquiry-based learning (EBL) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assessment of the Educational and Health Care System-Related Issues From Physicians' and Nurses' Perspectives Before Developing a Palliative Care Program Within the Palestinian Health Care System: A Cross-sectional Study.

A scarcity in research assessing the palliative care (PC) educational and health care system-related issues has been reported in the Middle East region; the region comprises a wide range of economically diverse countries. Discrepancies across countries have created difficulties in adopting other countries' experiences. This study aimed to assess PC knowledge, attitude, educational needs, and health care system-related issues from physicians' and nurses' perspectives before developing PC services within the Palestinian health care system.