Chatbots in Cancer Applications, Advantages and Disadvantages: All that Glitters Is Not Gold.

The emergence of digitalization and artificial intelligence has had a profound impact on society, especially in the field of medicine. Digital health is now a reality, with an increasing number of people using chatbots for prognostic or diagnostic purposes, therapeutic planning, and monitoring, as well as for nutritional and mental health support. Initially designed for various purposes, chatbots have demonstrated significant advantages in the medical field, as indicated by multiple sources.

Systematic literature review and meta-analysis on preventing and controlling norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships, 1990 to 2020: calling for behaviour change strategies of travellers.

BackgroundOutbreaks of norovirus gastroenteritis aboard cruise ships may affect a large number of people, debilitate vulnerable travellers, disrupt vacations and cause economic losses to the cruise ship industry.AimWe aimed to identify risk factors for norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships and assess the effectiveness of prevention and control measures.MethodsWe conducted a systematic literature review searching PubMed and Scopus databases as well as grey literature for articles and reports describing norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships between 1990 and 2020.

Belief in COVID-19 related conspiracy theories around the globe: A systematic review.

Conspiracy theories have been widespread in public discourses about COVID-19. Belief in conspiracy theories has negative effects on COVID-19 protective and preventive behaviour. However, evidence on the prevalence of belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories, remains fragmented.

Breaking Bad News During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

The aim of the present review was to extend research by reviewing international research regarding the communication between oncologists and oncology patients and the communication of bad news to oncology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the PRISMA guidelines a review of the literature was performed by searching PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE bibliographic databases from inception to October 10, 2022. The search was limited to articles written in English.

Impact of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Inoculation and Grafting on Tolerance of Tomato to Combined Water and Nutrient Stress Assessed via Metabolomics Analysis.

In the current study, inoculation with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and grafting were tested as possible cultural practices that may enhance resilience of tomato to stress induced by combined water and nutrient shortage. The roots of tomato grown on perlite were either inoculated or not with PGPR, applying four different treatments. These were PGPR-T1, a mix of two sp.

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) associated with acute pancreatitis: case report.

The SARS-CoV-2 primarily attacks the respiratory system and the most common symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, and fever. However, its tropism for the digestive system has been demonstrated and its clinical digestive manifestations are increasingly recognized. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to pancreatic lesions included in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Alcohol consumption and risk of tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between alcohol consumption and risk of tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: Medline, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched for observational studies from 2005 to April 2018. Reference lists of included studies were screened.

Alcohol and the risk of pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the magnitude of the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults was undertaken.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: Comprehensive searches of Medline, Embase and Web of Science were carried out to identify comparative studies of the association between alcohol intake and CAP between 1985 and 2017.

Alcohol and the risk of sleep apnoea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between alcohol consumption and risk of sleep apnoea in adults.

Methods: We searched Medline, EMBASE and Web of Science databases from 1985 to 2015 for comparative epidemiological studies assessing the relation between alcohol consumption and sleep apnoea. Two authors independently screened and extracted data.

The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on the Risk of ARDS: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of ARDS in adults.

Methods: Medline, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched to identify observational studies evaluating the association between prior alcohol intake and the occurrence of ARDS among adults, published between 1985 and 2015 and with no language restriction. Reference lists were also screened.

Bullying and Sexual Discrimination in the Greek Health Care System.

Introduction: Modern medicine is based on teamwork and communication. Bullying and discrimination can have a serious effect on these, affecting the standard of medical training and patient care.

Aim: To determine the incidence of bullying and sex discrimination in the Greek health care system.

Effects of the economic crisis on health and healthcare in Greece in the literature from 2009 to 2013: a systematic review.

Background: Due to the current economic crisis in Greece, effects on health and healthcare have been reported. The aim of this study was to present a systematic overview of the consequences that the financial crisis has had for health and healthcare in Greece.

Methods: Systematic literature review was conducted in order to identify articles that were published from January 2009 to March 2013 and explicitly referred to the effects of economic crisis on health or healthcare, in Greece.

Developing a national framework of quality indicators for public hospitals.

Background: The current study describes the development of a preliminary set of quality indicators for public Greek National Health System (GNHS) hospitals, which were used in the "Health Monitoring Indicators System: Health Map" (Ygeionomikos Chartis) project, with the purpose that these quality indicators would assess the quality of all the aspects relevant to public hospital healthcare workforce and services provided.

Methods: A literature review was conducted in the MEDLINE database to identify articles referring to international and national hospital quality assessment projects, together with an online search for relevant projects. Studies were included if they were published in English, from 1980 to 2010.

Quality Indicators for Primary Health Care: A Systematic Literature Review.

Data have indicated that countries with a strong system of Primary Health Care (PHC) are more likely to have efficient health systems and better health outcomes than countries that focus strongly on hospital services. The aim of the article was to systematically review implemented quality projects used for evaluation of quality in PHC services. A systematic literature review was conducted via MEDLINE to identify papers referring to international or national PHC quality assessment projects, published in English from 1990 to 2010.

Reinventing primary health care in the Greece of austerity: the role of health-care workers.

Background: The Greek primary health-care system (PHC) seems to be suffering the most from the economic crisis because of understaffing and misdistribution of the health workforce and the shortage of medical supplies and diagnostic equipment. Aims The objective of the paper is to present for the first time in public national health-care workforce census data for the first two years of the economic recession and the adopted bailout mechanism (2010 and 2011) (a) to evaluate the adequacy of the governmental effort in terms of organization and management of the health-care workforce in PHC; and (b) to identify constraints and opportunities for the development of an integrated PHC ensuring access to health-care services for all.

Methods: Data were drawn from the national project 'Health Monitoring Indicators System: Health Map' coordinated scientifically by the National School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology.

Early evaluation of an organised mammography screening program in Greece 2004-2009.

Objective: The aim of the current study was to present early performance indicators of a breast cancer screening program in Greece.

Methods: Between March 2004 and July 2009, 9621 women aged between 40 and 69 years were recruited into programme on a voluntary basis. The participating women were residents of two adjacent administrative regions of Greece.

Factors associated with the use of preventive services by women in Greece.

Background: The purpose of the current work was to describe the rate of use of breast and cervical cancer preventive services by women in Greece and to determine related factors among several socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics as well as medical history.

Methods: Between March 2004 and July 2009, 9682 women aged between 40 and 69 years were recruited into a screening programme for breast cancer. Baseline socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics were recorded together with familiar medical history.

Factors associated with the use of pap smear testing in Greece.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the rate of Papanicolaou (Pap) smear test use among women participating in a breast cancer screening program in Greece and to determine related factors.

Methods: Between March 2004 and July 2009, 9682 women aged between 40 and 69 years were recruited into the program. Baseline sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics were recorded, together with familial medical history and the last time they had undergone a Pap test.

Pharmacoeconomic considerations in the treatment of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide and causes great economic burden. The aim of this paper is to present the available clinical and pharmacoeconomic evidence associated with different therapies for breast cancer. As significant progress was made in recent years and there are many alternative treatments, which are indicated according to the stage and the type of the disease, the age and health status of patient, and vary from surgery to hormonal treatment and chemotherapy.

Economic evaluation of docetaxel-gemcitabine versus vinorelbine-cisplatin combination as front-line treatment of patients with advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer in Greece: a cost-minimization analysis.

Background: An economic evaluation was undertaken, alongside a randomized phase III study, to assess docetaxel-gemcitabine (DG) relative to vinorelbine-cisplatin (VC) combination as front-line treatment of patients with advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.

Methods: No differences were found in efficacy, thus a cost-minimization analysis was carried out. Treatment cost accounts for the administration of first- and second-line chemotherapy, for concomitant medications, for laboratory and biochemical examinations, and for hospitalizations due to adverse events.

The role of dairy products and non alcoholic beverages in bone fractures among schoolage children.

In order to assess consumption of the calcium rich dairy products, intake of non alcoholic beverages and physical activity as risk factors for bone fractures among schoolage children, a case control study was undertaken in Athens, Greece. During 1995 one hundred children 7 to 14 years old (74 boys and 26 girls) with single uncomplicated fractures of the upper and lower extremities and no evidence of coexisting metabolic condition affecting bone fragility were compared with 100 age- and gender-matched controls. The analysis was undertaken by modeling the data through conditional logistic regression.

Hazards of baby walkers in a European context.

Objectives: To identify conditions related to baby walker injuries in a Greek population.

Design: Analysis of all baby walker related injuries recorded during a 12 month period by the childhood injury surveillance system established in one of the two teaching hospitals for children serving the population of Athens.

Setting: Emergency clinics of A Kyriakou Children's Hospital in Athens, Greece.