Identifying factors in the provision of intravenous stroke thrombolysis in Malaysia: a multiple case study from the healthcare providers' perspective.

Background: Translation into clinical practice for use of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for the management of ischemic stroke remains a challenge especially across low- and middle-income countries, with regional inconsistencies in its rate. This study aimed at identifying factors that influenced the provision of IVT and the variation in its rates in Malaysia.

Methods: A multiple case study underpinning the Tailored Implementation for Chronic Diseases framework was carried out in three public hospitals with differing rates of IVT using a multiple method design.

"It kinda helped us to be there": students' perspectives on the use of virtual patient software in psychiatry posting.

Background: At the Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Malaysia, a virtual patient software program, DxR Clinician, was utilised for the teaching of neurocognitive disorder topics during the psychiatry posting of undergraduate medical students in a modified team-based learning (TBL) module. This study aimed to explore medical students' learning experiences with virtual patient.

Methods: Ten students who previously underwent the learning module were recruited through purposive sampling.

Risk-taking in consumers' online purchases of health supplements and natural products: a grounded theory approach.

Background: Health supplements and natural products are widely used by the general public to support physical function and prevent disease. Additionally, with the advent of e-commerce, these products have become easily accessible to the general public. Although several theoretical models have been used to explain the use of health supplements and natural products, empirical evidence on how consumers make decisions to purchase online health supplements and natural products remains limited.

A grounded theory research protocol on an attempt to practice interprofessional collaborative care by a primary care clinic health professional fresh graduate in diabetes care.

Interprofessional collaborative care (IPCC) can improve the quality of care in patients with chronic diseases in primary care settings. In Malaysia, many medical and healthcare universities have adopted the concept of the interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) framework by the World Health Organization (WHO) and implemented interprofessional learning (IPL) in their curriculum to prepare fresh graduates for interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in the health workforce albeit in various degrees. However, there are potential challenges in putting what they have learned into practice, especially in managing chronic diseases due to the complexity of behavior changes required.

Exploring Malaysian parents' and teachers' cultural conceptualization of adolescent social and emotional competencies: A qualitative formative study.

Introduction: Global implementation of social and emotional learning (SEL) has been suggested to incorporate a systematic cultural adaptation process which relies on ground-up empirical data of a target cultural group in tailoring a culturally sensitive SEL intervention. Preliminary formative studies among local parents and educators were done to explore the conceptualization of social and emotional competencies (SECs) in various cultural settings, such as the continent of Africa and among the indigenous and refugee groups. Unfortunately, little scholarship has been devoted to studying the SEL adaptation process in Southeast Asian regions.

Treatment outcomes of extended versus nonextended intensive phase in pulmonary tuberculosis smear positive patients with delayed sputum smear conversion: A retrospective cohort study at primary care clinics in Kota Kinabalu.

Introduction: Delayed sputum smear conversion in patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis is a crucial problem at primary care clinics in Sabah resulting in poor treatment outcomes. This study aimed to compare the treatment outcomes between extended and nonextended intensive phase treatments among patients with delayed sputum smear conversion and to identify the factors associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes.

Method: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from a Malaysian tuberculosis registry, medical records and clinic referral emails from five primary care clinics in Kota Kinabalu from January 2014 to December 2018.

Rightful place of qualitative research in family medicine and healthcare.

Evidence-based medicine is the foundation of current medical practice. Suitable evidence is needed to support the holistic approach in clinical practice. Quantitative research produces some evidence needed for disease treatment based on probabilities or averages.

Stroke thrombolysis in a middle-income country: A case study exploring the determinants of its implementation.

Introduction: Translation of evidence into clinical practice for use of intravenous thrombolysis in acute stroke care has been slow, especially across low- and middle-income countries. In Malaysia where the average national uptake was poor among the public hospitals in 2018, one hospital intriguingly showed comparable thrombolysis rates to high-income countries. This study aimed to explore and provide in-depth understanding of factors and explanations for the high rates of intravenous stroke thrombolysis in this hospital.

Comparative performance of public and private primary care service delivery in Malaysia: An analysis of findings from QUALICOPC.

Introduction: Primary care services are essential in achieving universal health coverage and Malaysia is looking into public-private partnership to overcome resource constraints. The study aims to compare the performance of primary care service delivery dimensions between public and private sector.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used the data from the Malaysian International Quality and Costs of Primary Care (QUALICOPC) study conducted in 2015-2016.

Validation of the Malay Self-Report Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology in a Malaysian Sample.

Depression is ranked as the second-leading cause for years lived with disability worldwide. Objective monitoring with a standardized scale for depressive symptoms can improve treatment outcomes. This study evaluates the construct and concurrent validity of the Malay Self-Report Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR16) among Malaysian clinical and community samples.

Perception of the Movement Control Order during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study in Malaysia.

Malaysia implemented its first Movement Control Order (MCO) during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to slow the transmission of the virus. This study aimed to explore the public perception of the MCO implementation and people's experiences during this period. The study employed qualitative explorative in-depth interviews conducted with 23 Malaysian adults from various demographic backgrounds.

Comparison between primary care service delivery in Malaysia and other participating countries of the QUALICOPC project: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Most countries including Malaysia have set goals to incorporate a strong primary care into the healthcare system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the strength of service delivery process dimensions in Malaysia and compare it with England, the Netherlands, Spain, North Macedonia, Romania and Turkey which participated in the Quality and Costs of Primary Care (QUALICOPC) study.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilised the QUALICOPC study data on primary care performance, which was conducted in 2011-2013 (QUALICOPC in Europe Australia, New Zealand and Canada) and 2015-2016 (Malaysia).

Recruitment and participation of a survey in a public-private primary care setting: experience from the QUALICOPC Malaysia.

Aim: The purpose of this paper is to describe the recruitment strategies, the response rates and the reasons for non-response of Malaysian public and private primary care doctors in an international survey on the quality, cost and equity in primary care.

Background: Low research participation by primary care doctors, especially those working in the private sector, is a challenge to quality benchmarking.

Methods: Primary care doctors were sampled through multi-stage sampling.

Gender differences in factors influencing intention to undergo cardiovascular disease health checks: A cross-sectional survey.

Background: Undergo a health check for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important strategy to improve cardiovascular (CV) health. Men are reported to be less likely to undergo cardiovascular disease (CVD) health check than women. Gender difference could be one of the factors influencing health seeking behaviour of men and women.

Quality of hypertension management in public primary care clinics in Malaysia: An update.

Introduction: Adequate control of hypertension is a global challenge and is the key to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors. This study evaluates management of hypertensive patients in primary care clinics in Malaysia.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 13 784 medical records from 20 selected public primary care clinics in Malaysia was performed for patients aged ≥30 years old who were diagnosed with hypertension and had at least one visit between 1st November 2016 and 30th June 2019.

Priorities for primary health care policy implementation: recommendations from the combined experience of six countries in the Asia-Pacific.

Primary health care is essential for equitable, cost-effective and sustainable health care. It is the cornerstone to achieving universal health coverage against a backdrop of rising health expenditure and aging populations. Implementing strong primary health care requires grassroots understanding of health system performance.

Factors Influencing Professional Help-Seeking Behavior During First Episode Psychosis in Schizophrenia: An Exploratory Study on Caregivers' Perspective.

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that leads to significant productivity loss and is listed in the top 15 global burdens of disease. One important contributor to the high disease burden is duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) which can be shortened with promotion of professional help-seeking behavior. This study explored caregivers' perspective on factors influencing professional help-seeking behavior during first episode psychosis (FEP) in schizophrenia in Malaysia.

Age, sex and primary care setting differences in patients' perception of community healthcare seeking behaviour towards health services.

Introduction: Understanding the potential determinants of community healthcare seeking behaviour helps in improving healthcare utilisation and health outcomes within different populations. This in turn will aid the development of healthcare policies and planning for prevention, early diagnosis and management of health conditions.

Objective: To evaluate patients' perception of community healthcare seeking behaviour towards both acute and preventive physical and psychosocial health concerns by sex, age and type of primary care setting (as a proxy for affordability of healthcare).

Influences on the decision to use contraception among Sarawakian women with diabetes: a qualitative exploration.

Family planning is extremely important for women with diabetes due to the various health risks and other social impacts of pregnancy in this population. Unfortunately, contraceptive use among women with diabetes remains low. This study explored the reasons influencing the decision to use contraception among East Malaysian (Sarawakian) women with diabetes.

Decision making process and factors contributing to research participation among general practitioners: A grounded theory study.

Introduction: The participation of general practitioners (GPs) in primary care research is variable and often poor. We aimed to develop a substantive and empirical theoretical framework to explain GPs' decision-making process to participate in research.

Methods: We used the grounded theory approach to construct a substantive theory to explain the decision-making process of GPs to participate in research activities.

Effectiveness of the EMPOWER-PAR Intervention in Improving Clinical Outcomes of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Primary Care: A Pragmatic Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial.

Background: The chronic care model was proven effective in improving clinical outcomes of diabetes in developed countries. However, evidence in developing countries is scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of EMPOWER-PAR intervention (based on the chronic care model) in improving clinical outcomes for type 2 diabetes mellitus using readily available resources in the Malaysian public primary care setting.

Correction: To Check or Not to Check? A Qualitative Study on How the Public Decides on Health Checks for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

To Check or Not to Check? A Qualitative Study on How the Public Decides on Health Checks for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

Background: More than half of the general population does not attend screening for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) hence they are unaware of their risks. The objective of this study was to explore the views and experiences of the public in deciding to undergo health checks for CVD prevention.

Methods: This was a qualitative study utilising the constructivist grounded theory approach.

Selection of Treatment Strategies among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Malaysia: A Grounded Theory Approach.

Background: Diabetes Mellitus is a multifaceted chronic illness and its life-long treatment process requires patients to continuously engage with the healthcare system. The understanding of how patients manoeuvre through the healthcare system for treatment is crucial in assisting them to optimise their disease management. This study aims to explore issues determining patients' treatment strategies and the process of patients manoeuvring through the current healthcare system in selecting their choice of treatment for T2DM.