Applying a "medical deserts" lens to cancer care services in the North-West region of Romania from 2009 to 2022 - a mixed-methods analysis.

Background: Medical deserts pose significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, leading to unmet healthcare needs and exacerbated health issues, particularly in underserved regions.

Methods: This study aims to characterise cancer care services in the North-West region of Romania through the lens of medical desertification, employing a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative analysis - descriptive statistics - of secondary data from the Activity of Healthcare Units reports from 2009 to 2022, along with qualitative data - thematic analysis - from interviews with cancer patients and healthcare professionals, were employed to uncover the current state of cancer care in Romania.

Defining medical deserts-an international consensus-building exercise.

Background: Medical deserts represent a pressing public health and health systems challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the gap between people and health services, yet a commonly agreed definition of medical deserts was lacking. This study aims to define medical deserts through a consensus-building exercise, explaining the phenomenon to its full extent, in a manner that can apply to countries and health systems across the globe.

Romanian patients' access to clubfoot treatment services.

The number of clubfoot new cases in Romania is on the rise. According to orthopedic research, the Ponseti method is the elective treatment for clubfeet. This paper aims to provide an overview of the current facilitators and barriers in accessing clubfoot treatment services in Romania and to assess the impact of care-related factors on patients' well-being.

Predictors of planned caesarean section births in a sample of Romanian women.

Objectives: Romania has one of the highest incidences of births by caesarean section (CS) in the European Union (EU). The present study aims to identify the possible predictors of planned caesarean section (PCS) in a convenience sample of Romanian women.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the cross-sectional data collected as part of the EU-level Babies Born Better online survey from 1908 Romanian women who gave birth between 2013 and 2018.

Normative data for optical coherence tomography in children: a systematic review.

The purpose of this study is to systematically review the reported data of normal optical coherence tomography (OCT) results in the paediatric population. A systematic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases, using the keywords "optical coherence tomography"; "normative data" or "healthy eyes"; "children" or "paediatric population". Studies with at least 50 participants were included, irrespective of the OCT equipment employed.

An assessment of the occupational and environmental health needs in seven Southeastern European and West-Central Asian countries.

Eastern European and Central Asian countries are undergoing rapid socioeconomic and political reforms. Many old industrial facilities are either abandoned, or use outdated technologies that severely impact the environment. Emerging industries have less regulation than in developed countries and environmental and occupational problems seem to be increasing.

Defining informal payments in healthcare: a systematic review.

Objectives: To explore the literature for the definitions of informal payments in healthcare and critically analyze the proposed definitions. This will serve in the process of getting to a coherent definition of informal payments, which will further support acknowledging and addressing them globally.

Methods: A search strategy was developed to identify papers addressing informal payments on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Econlit, EconPapers and Google Scholar.

Antioxidant effects of a grape seed extract in a rat model of diabetes mellitus.

In the present study we investigated the anti-hyperglycaemic and antioxidant effect of grape seed extract, a polyphenolic flavonoid, in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: Group I: non-diabetic control; Group II: diabetic control; Group III: diabetic rats treated with grape seed extract, administered via an intragastric tube (0.6 ml/rat), at a dose of 100 mg/kg for 20 consecutive days after the induction of diabetes mellitus.