Improving Cancer Diagnosis in Alberta, Canada: A Qualitative Study of Emergency Department Healthcare Providers' Perspectives on Diagnosing Cancer in the Emergency Setting.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, with diagnoses increasing annually. In Alberta, many cancer cases are detected in emergency departments, often at advanced stages. Despite the significant role of emergency departments in cancer diagnosis, limited research exists on the experiences of healthcare providers in this context.

Medical complexity in emergency and urgent care settings: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Considering the impact of non-medical factors (personal and social) on patients with multiple chronic conditions, the term 'medical complexity' is gaining traction as it encompasses both medical and non-medical aspects of patients' medical needs. When primary care is not able to provide timely care for chronic challenges or acute concerns, complex patients require care in emergency or urgent care settings. The concept of medical complexity is continually evolving, although without a universally accepted or standardised definition that determines if an adult patient is considered complex.

Potentially Avoidable Emergency Department Utilization by Persons with Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objective: Greater accessibility to ambulatory services may mitigate emergency department (ED) presentations for lower acuity issues. This study examined ED utilization patterns for individuals with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in a universal access healthcare setting.

Methods: Linked population-based administrative datasets in Alberta, Canada (fiscal years 2008-2017) were assessed for yearly ED visit frequency, timing, triage acuity, most responsible diagnoses, and disposition for persons with PsA and AS.

Care for older adults living with dementia in the emergency department: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of care partner roles and perspectives.

Objective: Care partners play a vital role in supporting persons living with dementia (PLWD) in using medical services. We conducted a meta-synthesis to explore care partner perspectives of ED care for PLWD, as well as healthcare provider (HCP) perceptions of care partner roles within the ED, to identify care gaps and facilitators across the ED continuum.

Methods: MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Embase databases were searched from inception to 8 May 2023.

Emergency department trends for inguinal hernia and gallbladder disease before and after COVID-19 scheduled surgery interruptions: lessons for hospital capacity management.

Objectives: Postponing scheduled surgeries may alleviate emergency department (ED) crowding by increasing inpatient beds for ED patients but the impact of such measures are unclear. We determined if scheduled surgery cancellations for inguinal hernia and gallbladder disease during the coronavirus pandemic affected ED presentations, hospitalizations, and complications.

Methods: This database review included Albertans ≥ 18 with ED presentations for inguinal hernia and gallbladder disease from March 1, 2018 to May 31, 2022.

Illnesses Associated With Increased Length of Stay for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalisations.

Background: Individuals experiencing homelessness (IEH) tend to have increased length of stay (LOS) in acute care settings, which negatively impacts health care costs and resource utilisation. It is unclear however, what specific factors account for this increased LOS. This study attempts to define which diagnoses most impact LOS for IEH and if there are differences based on their demographics.

Transition experiences of adolescents and young adults working with a patient navigator.

Introduction: The transition from pediatric to adult care poses challenges for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with chronic conditions and their caregivers. A patient navigator (PN) intervention may mitigate transition-related barriers.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted within a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

Methodological Challenges in Randomized Controlled Trials of mHealth Interventions: Cross-Sectional Survey Study and Consensus-Based Recommendations.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) refers to using mobile communication devices such as smartphones to support health, health care, and public health. mHealth interventions have their own nature and characteristics that distinguish them from traditional health care interventions, including drug interventions. Thus, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of mHealth interventions present specific methodological challenges.

Transsynaptic modulation of cerebellar nuclear cells: theta AC-burst stimulation.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) and its variants are being tested in clinical trials for treatment of neurological disorders, and cerebellar tACS (ctACS) in particular has garnered much interest because of the involvement of the cerebellum in these disorders. The main objective of this study was to investigate the frequency tuning curves for the entrainment of the Purkinje cells (PCs) and the cerebellar nuclear (CN) cells by their axonal projections. In addition, we aimed to investigate the temporal and steady-state characteristics of the PC-CN transsynaptic modulation under clinically relevant stimulation waveforms.

Restructuring the role of emergency departments in the healthcare systems: a vector to improving physician resilience.

Healthcare systems are continuously evolving to respond to new geodemographic demands, among other challenges. At the forefront of this exercise of malleability, Emergency Departments (EDs) are often put to test as the default access point, while the rest of the system takes time to adapt. Once highly adaptable, years of cumulative strain have stressed the limits of the current organization of Emergency Departments (ED) within the healthcare system worldwide.

Cerebellar transcranial AC stimulation produces a frequency-dependent bimodal cerebellar output pattern.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (ctACS) has the potential to be an appealing, non-invasive treatment option for psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, its potential has been limited by significant knowledge gaps in the details and mechanisms of how ctACS affects cerebellar output on single cell and population levels. We investigated this issue by making single-unit recordings of Purkinje cells (PC) and lateral cerebellar nuclear (Lat CN) cells in response to ctACS in anesthetized adult female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Cancer cells restrict immunogenicity of retrotransposon expression via distinct mechanisms.

To thrive, cancer cells must navigate acute inflammatory signaling accompanying oncogenic transformation, such as via overexpression of repeat elements. We examined the relationship between immunostimulatory repeat expression, tumor evolution, and the tumor-immune microenvironment. Integration of multimodal data from a cohort of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients revealed expression of specific Alu repeats predicted to form double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) and trigger retinoic-acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like-receptor (RLR)-associated type-I interferon (IFN) signaling.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Veterans With Combat-Associated Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Cumulative data indicate that new protocols of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may induce neuroplasticity and improve clinical symptoms of patients suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of HBOT on veterans with combat-associated PTSD (CA-PTSD) in a randomized, sham-controlled trial. Male veterans aged 25-60 years with CA-PTSD, with a Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for (CAPS-5) score above 20, were included.

Emergency medicine: a global perspective on its past, evolution, and future.

Emergency Medicine (EM) has continuously evolved since its origins on the battlefields of eighteenth-century Europe. Adapting to emerging challenges in healthcare, it has, in the past 70 years, developed to become a critical safety net for society. Despite its resilience and many accomplishments, EM still faces significant challenges, including workforce attrition, resource constraints, and the need for ongoing innovation.

ZnO with Different Morphologies Sensitized by Metalloporphyrins as Catalysts for H Production by Water Splitting Under Sunlight.

In this work, zinc oxide with different morphologies and textural properties were prepared and sensitized with metalloporphyrins (MPs) aiming to improve its solar energy harvesting capability for H production by water splitting under sunlight (a 300 W Xe/Hg lamp). An anionic iron(III)porphyrin and a cationic manganese(III)porphyrin were immobilized on different ZnO solids predominantly by electrostatic interactions. In general, the prepared MP-free ZnO solid yielded modest catalytic results which had apparently no direct correlation with their textural properties or morphology.

Modulating patient output: rethinking the role of EM in the healthcare system.

Overcrowding has become a significant issue in Emergency departments (EDs) around the world. Overcrowding contributes to a chaotic, unsafe and disorganized environment, increasing the burden on healthcare teams, and has led to deteriorating working conditions, with subsequent higher rates of burnout. This review aims to discuss different solutions to improve the process of patient discharge from the ED, either to an inpatient unit, another hospital, or to an outpatient setting, and the impact this component of patient flow can have on physician well being.