Complementary Medicine in Acute Care Hospitals: Questionnaire Survey with Heads of Bavarian Hospitals.

Introduction: The demand for complementary medicine (CM) is well studied in the outpatient sector, but representative data on type and extent of inpatient care using CM are missing. Therefore, our aim was to examine the range of CM treatments offered and the types of indications for using CM in acute care hospitals in the German state of Bavaria.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey by contacting the medical heads of all 388 Bavarian acute care hospitals between November 2020 and April 2021.

Experiences of family caregivers 3-months after stroke: results of the prospective trans-regional network for stroke intervention with telemedicine registry (TRANSIT-Stroke).

Background: Long-term support of stroke patients living at home is often delivered by family caregivers (FC). We identified characteristics of stroke patients being associated with receiving care by a FC 3-months (3 M) after stroke, assessed positive and negative experiences and individual burden of FC caring for stroke patients and determined factors associated with caregiving experiences and burden of FC 3 M after stroke.

Methods: Data were collected within TRANSIT-Stroke, a regional telemedical stroke-network comprising 12 hospitals in Germany.

Two years' experience of implementing a comprehensive telemedical stroke network comprising in mainly rural region: the Transregional Network for Stroke Intervention with Telemedicine (TRANSIT-Stroke).

Background: Telemedicine improves the quality of acute stroke care in rural regions with limited access to specialized stroke care. We report the first 2 years' experience of implementing a comprehensive telemedical stroke network comprising all levels of stroke care in a defined region.

Methods: The TRANSIT-Stroke network covers a mainly rural region in north-western Bavaria (Germany).

Relationship between neighbourhood socioeconomic position and neighbourhood public green space availability: An environmental inequality analysis in a large German city applying generalized linear models.

Background: The environmental justice framework states that besides environmental burdens also resources may be social unequally distributed both on the individual and on the neighbourhood level. This ecological study investigated whether neighbourhood socioeconomic position (SEP) was associated with neighbourhood public green space availability in a large German city with more than 1 million inhabitants.

Methods: Two different measures were defined for green space availability.

Resources of dark skies in German climatic health resorts.

Illumination of nocturnal environments is increasing steadily worldwide. While there are some benefits for mankind, light at night affects animals, plants, and human health by blurring the natural distinction between day and night. International regulations exist to protect the environment for the maintenance of human health but nocturnal darkness is not considered.

A glossary for biometeorology.

Here we present, for the first time, a glossary of biometeorological terms. The glossary aims to address the need for a reliable source of biometeorological definitions, thereby facilitating communication and mutual understanding in this rapidly expanding field. A total of 171 terms are defined, with reference to 234 citations.

Urban and rural mortality rates during heat waves in Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany.

In large cities such as Berlin, human mortality rates increase during intense heat waves. Analysis of relevant data from north-eastern Germany revealed that, during the heat waves that occurred between 1990 and 2006, health risks were higher for older people in both rural and urban areas, but that, during the two main heat waves within that 17-year period of time, the highest mortality rates were from the city of Berlin, and in particular from its most densely built-up districts. Adaptation measures will need to be developed, particularly within urban areas, in order to cope with the expected future intensification of heat waves due to global climate change.