The striking prevalence of HIV, TB and malaria, as well as outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases, such as influenza A (H7N9), Ebola and MERS, poses great challenges for patient care in resource-limited settings (RLS). However, advanced diagnostic technologies cannot be implemented in RLS largely due to economic constraints. Simple and inexpensive point-of-care (POC) diagnostics, which rely less on environmental context and operator training, have thus been extensively studied to achieve early diagnosis and treatment monitoring in non-laboratory settings. Despite great input from material science, biomedical engineering and nanotechnology for developing POC diagnostics, significant technical challenges are yet to be overcome. Summarized here are the technical challenges associated with POC diagnostics from a RLS perspective and the latest advances in addressing these challenges are reviewed.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1586/14737159.2016.1142877 | DOI Listing |
BMC Palliat Care
January 2025
School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
Background: Discussing Advance Care Planning (ACP) with people living with dementia (PwD) is challenging due to topic sensitivity, fluctuating mental capacity and symptom of forgetfulness. Given communication difficulties, the preferences and expectations expressed in any ACP may reflect family and healthcare professional perspectives rather than the PwD. Starting discussions early in the disease trajectory may avoid this, but many PwD may not be ready at this point for such discussions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Med Educ
January 2025
Department of International Public Health, Emergency Obstetric and Quality of Care Unit, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembrooke Place, L3, 5QA, Liverpool, UK.
Background: The blended learning (BL) approach to training health care professionals is increasingly adopted in many countries because of high costs and disruption to service delivery in the light of severe human resource shortage in low resource settings. The Covid-19 pandemic increased the urgency to identify alternatives to traditional face-to-face (f2f) education approach. A four-day f2f antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) continuous professional development course (CPD) was repackaged into a 3-part BL course; (1) self-directed learning (16 h) (2) facilitated virtual sessions (2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Transl Med
January 2025
Dental School, The University of Western Australia, 17 Monash Avenue, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.
Background: Treatment of deep carious lesions poses significant challenges in dentistry, as complete lesion removal risks compromising pulp vitality, while selective removal often reduces the longevity of restorations. Herein, we propose a minimally invasive approach using High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for microscale removal of carious dentine. Concurrently, HIFU's antimicrobial effects against associated cariogenic biofilms and the corresponding thermal and biological impacts on surrounding tissues were investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Public Health
January 2025
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Venda, University Rd, Thohoyandou, South Africa.
Background: The reasons for men not to seek healthcare seem similar across the world. They avoid going for regular medical check-ups, and preventive care and often disregard symptoms or delay seeking medical attention when sick, in pain, or even when their lives are in danger.
Methods: This study sought to explore the views of men on factors contributing to poor health-seeking behavior among men in Mopani, Vhembe, and Capricorn district municipalities in Limpopo Province.
BMC Health Serv Res
January 2025
Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Background: This study aimed to determine the mediating role of social intelligence in the effect of nurses' work-related strain on trait anger and anger expressions. The challenging working conditions for nurses often result in increased strain and anger. Social intelligence could help to manage anger.
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