Conectar
Enhancing maternal and infant health is a cornerstone of global health advancement. This can be achieved by building sustainable health monitoring systems that can accurately and reliably generate high-quality data and produce evidence-based recommendations for policymakers. By identifying gaps and strengths in current systems, this review aims to highlight current practices in monitoring maternal and infant health outcomes, including low birth weight.
The review will adopt the Arksey and O’Malley framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute’s Scoping Review Methods Manual. Three databases, including PubMed, Embase and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), as well as relevant grey literature sources, will be searched for articles describing active global population-based maternal and infant health monitoring systems published in English from the year of database inception till 30 September 2025. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts, followed by independent full-text screenings against predefined eligibility criteria, with data extracted using a data extraction form. After data extraction, a narrative synthesis will be performed. The findings will adhere to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines.
This review is based on publicly available data; no ethical approval is required. The findings of this scoping review will be published in journals and presented at relevant conferences.
The Circle of Security-Parenting (COS-P) group intervention has demonstrated efficacy in reducing maternal perinatal mental health difficulty (PMHD) symptoms in some contexts. The Circle of Security Intervention (COSI) study, a multisite, individually randomised, single-blind, parallel-arm controlled trial, was conducted in England to assess the clinical effectiveness of COS-P in reducing perinatal psychopathology, parenting and infant development, as well as its acceptability among the National Health Service (NHS) participants and staff. The main aim of this work is to estimate the cost-utility of COS-P plus treatment as usual (TAU) relative to TAU among mothers and birthing parents receiving NHS perinatal mental health services (PMHS) in England.
A within-trial economic evaluation was performed comparing COS-P plus TAU with TAU alone, using data from the COSI trial, which employed a 2:1 randomisation ratio. Analyses were conducted from both NHS and personal social services (PSS) and societal perspectives. A 12-month time horizon was used, consistent with the final trial follow-up.
Secondary care NHS perinatal health services across multiple centres in England.
A total of 371 mothers and birthing parents with PMHD were randomised and had complete economic outcome data; 248 received COS-P plus TAU and 123 received TAU alone. Participants were eligible if they were receiving NHS PMHS; exclusion criteria were defined in the trial protocol.
Participants in the intervention arm received the COS-P group programme in addition to TAU. The control group received TAU alone.
The primary economic outcome was quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) over 12 months, derived from the 5-level EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire - responses. Costs were estimated from NHS and PSS as well as societal perspectives, including healthcare utilisation and productivity losses due to work absence.
Compared with TAU, COS-P was associated with higher costs from both NHS and PSS (£180.58; 95% CI –£1075 to £1436) and societal (£72.94; 95% CI –£1473 to £1619) perspectives. COS-P was marginally less effective in terms of QALYs (–0.01; 95% CI –0.06 to 0.05). Probabilistic sensitivity analyses indicated substantial uncertainty around cost and effectiveness estimates.
On average, COS-P was associated with higher costs and did not demonstrate improvements in health-related quality of life compared with TAU alone. Given the uncertainty surrounding the estimates, further research is warranted to explore potential longer term economic and clinical impacts of COS-P in perinatal mental health settings.
SRCTN18308962.
by Anas Ismail, Moatasem Salah, Mads Gilbert, Yousef H. Abu Alreesh, Craig Jones
BackgroundGaza has faced numerous military attacks that resulted in mass casualty incidents (MCIs). The ongoing genocide in Gaza has destroyed much of the health system, including killing and injuring of hundreds of health care workers (HCWs). Current thinking on the health system reconstruction lacks empirical data and local HCWs’ perspectives. The study analyses locally driven innovations and lessons learned by HCWs who responded to MCIs between 2018 and 2021 to guide current and future planning of the reconstruction of the health system in Gaza.
MethodsThis was a qualitative study using online and face-to-face interviews with HCWs who responded to the Great March of Return and the 2021 Israeli military attacks. Transcripts and extensive notes from the interviews were recorded and analyzed on NVivo using thematic content analysis. We used the health system building blocks as themes for deductive analysis with a seventh place-based theme (Gaza-specific) to account for the context of Gaza and the MCIs.
ResultsProblems faced by HCWs mostly related to the nature and complexity of traumatic injuries, shortages in HCWs, particularly specialist doctors, poor coordination among actors, duplication of services, and shortages of supplies and equipment. Locally driven innovations and solutions included establishing new services centers, opening and expanding training programs, starting new coordination bodies, and task shifting of staff and facilities. Lessons learned included strengthening training and employment opportunities for staff, enhancing emergency preparedness and capacities, maintaining coordination bodies, enhancing community engagement and strengthening the governance of the Ministry of Health.
ConclusionReconstruction of Gaza’s health system needs to be grounded in its political context and in the experiences of HCWs who have worked in and managed the system. Locally driven solutions and lessons learned can ensure that reconstruction serves as a vehicle for self-determination and sovereignty, rather than entrenching dependency.
by Riham M. Hamadouk, Esra D. Albashair, Einass M. Alshareif, Ali Awadallah Saeed, Bashir A. Yousef
BackgroundToday, community pharmacists’ responsibilities have expanded beyond the traditional role to include the management of minor ailments. Acute uncomplicated cystitis is one of the most prevalent medical conditions seen in primary healthcare and can be managed by community pharmacists (CPs).
ObjectivesTo evaluate community pharmacists’ history-taking practice when responding to patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis.
MethodsA cross-sectional simulated patient study was conducted from November 2022 to January 2023 in Khartoum locality targeting only pharmacists. Six trained female students played the simulation in which they pretended to have the clinical symptoms of acute uncomplicated cystitis and requested treatment for their condition. The Interactions during the simulation were documented immediately in a data collection form after each visit. Descriptive statistics were used to report the study outcomes.
ResultsA total of 238 community pharmacies were visited. The majority of the pharmacists were female. The mean of the number of questions that were asked by the pharmacists was 1 (SD = 1.6) questions. Among the studied pharmacists, 45.4% asked at least one question during patient assessment. The most asked question was if the patient has a fever, representing 61 (25.6%) CPs, followed by if there is vaginal discharge, representing 38 (16%) CPs. In response to scenario 47 (19.7%) CPs decided to refer the patient to a physician, and 45 (18.9%) of the CPs advised the patient to increase water intake.
ConclusionsThe study has revealed a poor history-taking practice towards acute uncomplicated cystitis during patient assessment. Further studies exploring pharmacists’ involvement in patient assessment are required. Strategies to improve community pharmacists’ practice, like continuing pharmacy education and providing a national guideline regarding patient assessment should be considered seriously.
To investigate the professional quality of life and caring behaviours among clinical nurses in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also examined the influence of the nurses’ socio-demographic and professional characteristics on the professional quality of life. Moreover, the study examined the influence of professional quality of life on caring behaviour among the nurses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Caring is the core of the nursing profession and considered the heart of the humanistic clinical nursing practice. However, the work nature of the clinical nurses, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to challenge their professional quality of life and caring behaviours. The factors influencing the professional quality of life and caring behaviours of clinical nurses have not been extensively explored.
Cross-sectional, descriptive study.
A purposive sample of 375 clinical nurses in three academic medical centres in Saudi Arabia were surveyed using the professional quality of life version 5 and the short-form 24-item Caring Behavior Inventory from May–August 2020. A standard multiple regression analysis was performed to investigate the predictors of the professional quality of life and caring behaviour. This study adhered to the recommendations of the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines.
The majority of the respondents reported average level of compassion satisfaction (57.9%), burnout (54.4%) and secondary traumatic stress (66.9%) in the professional quality of life domains. The result also showed highest degree of caring in terms of ‘assurance of human presence’ while lowest in the ‘knowledge and skills’ in four subscales of caring behaviour. The following variables significantly predicted compassion satisfaction: education, area of assignment and position. Age, education and religion were identified as significant predictors of burnout while religion, nationality and position were significant predictors of secondary traumatic stress. Positive and negative domains of professional quality of life influenced the caring behaviours among clinical nurses.
Based on the results of the study, clinical nurses exhibited moderate level of professional quality of life and correlates to their caring behaviours. Moreover, clinical nurses’ demographic characteristics predicted their professional quality of life and caring behaviours.
The importance of ensuring good professional quality of life and caring behaviour among clinical nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic is underscored. Nursing leaders can utilise this baseline evidence and apply programmes for clinical nurses to tackle professional quality of life issues and enhance caring behaviours.
The global population is ageing with percentages of older adult individuals aged 65 years and older projected to increase from 17% in 2020 to 22% in 2040. Therefore, comprehensive approaches that integrate health and social care are increasingly vital to address the needs of the older population and promote healthy ageing. The WHO defines healthy ageing as maintaining functional ability and well-being in later life, emphasising holistic health beyond disease absence. Older adults’ health outcomes are influenced by social determinants of health (SDH) encompassing factors across various domains including healthcare access, education access, social and community context, neighbourhood and built environments and economic stability. Research on healthy ageing is mainly focused on healthcare achievements, but designing comprehensive measures requires attention to the full spectrum of SDH. This protocol describes the scoping review that aims to collate and critically appraise published articles on SDH measures in older adults to promote healthy ageing.
The scoping review will follow Arksey-O’Malley five-stage scoping review method and the Joanna Briggs Institute’s Scoping Review Methods Manual. Studies available in English-language published from 1 January 2015, the year the WHO’s first World Report on Ageing and Health was published, and up to 1 February 2025, will be identified from databases including PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews. Two reviewers will screen titles and abstracts, followed by independent full-text screenings for inclusion. After data extraction, a narrative synthesis will be performed. Experts in the field will be consulted to ensure the results’ feasibility and relevance.
Ethical approval is not required for this review since it relies on available data. The results of the review will be disseminated through publication in journals and presentations at local, regional and global healthy ageing conferences or any related conferences.
FreshRSS 