This paper reports the findings from the first systematic review of the utilization of traditional medicine (TM) in primary health care (PHC) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). PHC is an important component of health care and essential for achieving universal health coverage (UHC). For countries where there is a gap in PHC, TM plays a vital role. It is widely used and has the potential to increase the coverage of PHC and UHC. Hence in situations where TM is recognized in a considerable magnitude, there are scarce evidence and minimal regulation on it and TM practitioners (TMPs). This study aims to identify the current situation in the utilization of TM in PHC or UHC in LMICs. A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative and quantitative studies have been conducted. A total of 56 articles met the criteria and were included in the review. In all, 14 analytic themes have been developed including the current use of TM in PHC, higher accessibility of TM, medical pluralism, national health system, national health policy and national health insurance to include TM, including TMPs in the referral system, utilizing TMPs as community health workers, the needs of scientific research on TM and the need for training both TMPs and conventional medical staffs for better collaboration. The study concluded that it is necessary to further focus on TM in the macro level on strengthening the referral system by including TM to establish a comprehensive service delivery network under UHC and in the micro level to focus on training the TMPs and conventional medicine health workers on both areas to attain more in-depth understanding of each other, which can lead to better collaboration and quality patient care.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czaa022 | DOI Listing |
Early Interv Psychiatry
February 2025
University. Grenoble Alpes, University Savoie Mont Blanc, Grenoble, France.
Introduction: A key factor influencing the duration of untreated psychosis is that young individuals typically do not seek help during their initial psychotic experiences. This online study aimed to explore the efficacy of preventive video interventions providing information on psychosis on the attitudes towards seeking mental health care among young adults from the general population.
Methods: Participants (N = 147) were randomised to one of the following online conditions: a short 3-min video of an empowered patient or of a psychiatrist describing different aspects of mental illness, a short control video or no video.
Stem Cell Res Ther
January 2025
Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Chronic pulmonary diseases pose a prominent health threat globally owing to their intricate pathogenesis and lack of effective reversal therapies. Nowadays, lung transplantation stands out as a feasible treatment option for patients with end-stage lung disease. Unfortunately, the use of this this option is limited by donor organ shortage and severe immunological rejection reactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAddict Sci Clin Pract
January 2025
Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, Veterans Affairs (VA) Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S. Columbian Way, Mail Stop S-152, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA.
Background: Unhealthy alcohol use is an independent, modifiable risk factor for HIV, but limited research addresses alcohol use and HIV prevention synergistically. Groups that experience chronic stigma, discrimination, and/or other marginalization, such as sexual and gender minoritized groups, may have enhanced HIV risk related to unhealthy alcohol use. We described awareness of and experiences with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among a community sample of Veterans reporting unhealthy alcohol use (relative to those without), overall and across self-reported sexual orientation and gender identity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Med
January 2025
Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Background: Many studies have found more severe COVID-19 outcomes in migrants and ethnic minorities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while recent evidence also suggests higher risk of longer-term consequences. We studied the risk of a long COVID diagnosis among adult residents in Sweden, dependent on country of birth and accounting for known risk factors for long COVID.
Methods: We used linked Swedish administrative registers between March 1, 2020 and April 1, 2023, to estimate the risk of a long COVID diagnosis in the adult population that had a confirmed COVID-19 infection.
BMC Health Serv Res
January 2025
VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Background: Because cirrhosis is often unrecognized, we aimed to develop a stepwise screening algorithm for cirrhosis in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and assess this approach's feasibility and acceptability.
Methods: VHA hepatology clinicians ("champions") were invited to participate in a pilot program from June 2020 to October 2022. The VHA Corporate Data Warehouse was queried to identify Veterans with possible undiagnosed cirrhosis using Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) ≥ 3.
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