BMJ Open
January 2025
Introduction: Non-adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment poses a significant challenge to effective TB management globally and is a major contributor to the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB. Although adherence to TB treatment has been widely studied, a comprehensive evaluation of the comparative levels of adherence in high- versus low-TB burden settings remains lacking. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the levels of adherence to TB treatment in high-TB burden countries compared to low-burden countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In the UK, booster COVID-19 vaccinations have been recommended biannually to people considered immune vulnerable. We investigated, at a population level, whether the absence of detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein IgG antibody (anti-S Ab) following three or more vaccinations in immunosuppressed individuals was associated with greater risks of infection and severity of infection.
Methods: In this prospective cohort study using UK national disease registers, we recruited participants with solid organ transplants (SOTs), rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases (RAIRDs), and lymphoid malignancies.
The use of routinely collected administrative health data for research can provide unique insights to inform decision-making and, ultimately, support better public health outcomes. Yet, since these data are primarily collected to administer healthcare service delivery, challenges exist when using such data for secondary purposes, namely epidemiologic research. Many of these challenges stem from the researcher's lack of control over the quality and consistency of data collection, and - furthermore - a lessened understanding of the data being analyzed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To determine the acceptability and identify potential concerns and barriers of using a hypothetical smartphone application (app) for home monitoring (HM) of visual function among patients with diabetes.
Methods: Quantitative, cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire. Patients diagnosed with diabetes aged between 20 and 70 years were included.