Healthcare最新文献

{"title":"Oral Health in Palliative Care: An Exploratory Study of Public Dental Practitioners' Perceptions in Sydney, Australia.","authors":"Ajesh George, Ariana Kong, Agnivo Sengupta, Amy R Villarosa, Tiffany Patterson Norrie, Meera Agar, Janeane Harlum, Deborah Parker, Jennifer Wiltshire, Ravi Srinivas","doi":"10.3390/healthcare13182380","DOIUrl":"10.3390/healthcare13182380","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction:</b> Oral health problems are prevalent among people receiving palliative care, affecting their quality of life. However, little is known about dental practitioners' perspectives in this setting. Thus, this study aimed to explore the perceptions of public dental practitioners regarding the provision of dental care for people who receive palliative care. <b>Methods:</b> An exploratory focus group with 21 public dental practitioners, with a mean of 8.24 years of experience, was conducted in a public oral health service in Sydney, Australia. The focus group was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. <b>Results:</b> Three themes were identified: (1) enhancing quality of life in palliative care through improved oral health; (2) navigating the systemic and practical challenges of palliative dental care; (3) competent, collaborative, and optimised: a palliative oral care model. Participants highlighted the importance of oral health to quality of life while receiving palliative care. Nevertheless, there were several systematic and practical challenges to delivering appropriate dental care, which included competing priorities among clients, disconnects and gaps in care coordination with palliative care providers, limited training, and adapting treatment planning during appointments. Participants highlighted the need for a new model of care in the future that improved dental practitioners' competence through comprehensive palliative dental training, included protocols to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, and optimised dental treatment planning and appointment scheduling. <b>Conclusions:</b> Public dental practitioners in this study demonstrated positive attitudes, but systemic barriers and limited training restrict their care provision. A palliative oral health care model for this setting should include palliative dental training, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and optimise dental treatment planning.</p>","PeriodicalId":12977,"journal":{"name":"Healthcare","volume":"13 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12469769/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing the Menstrual Myths Attitude Scale.","authors":"Gülüzar Sade, Metin Yıldız","doi":"10.3390/healthcare13182381","DOIUrl":"10.3390/healthcare13182381","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Menstrual myths include practices that negatively impact women's health. Knowing attitudes toward menstrual myths is essential for protecting and improving women's health. However, there are limited measurement tools available to determine attitudes toward menstrual myths. <b>Methods:</b> This study is a methodological scale development study conducted between October 2021 and January 2023 to determine individuals' attitudes towards menstrual myths. For this purpose, the scale items prepared by making use of the literature were shaped with expert opinions, pre-application was made, and data were collected from a total of 337 women through a questionnaire and validity analyses, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and reliability analyses (Cronbach's alpha), were also performed. <b>Results:</b> The final version of the scale included 20 items under 5 subscales (menstrual information, menstrual stigmatization, menstrual privacy, menstrual hygiene, menstruation education). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.79 for the whole scale. EFA revealed five factors explaining 52.074% of the total variance. CFA confirmed a good model fit: χ² = 2876.480; df = 496, <i>p</i> < 0.05; X²/sd = 1.655; RMSEA = 0.044, AGFI = 0.910, IFI = 0.928, TLI = 0.913, GFI = 0.932, and CFI = 0.927. Cronbach's alpha was 0.790 for the total scale. <b>Conclusions:</b> The Attitude Towards Menstrual Myths scale is a valid and reliable tool for determining women's attitudes toward menstrual myths. It is recommended that further testing be conducted for use by different groups, men and gender-neutral individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":12977,"journal":{"name":"Healthcare","volume":"13 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12469603/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fear of Death, Concept of a Good Death and Self-Compassion Among University Students in Portugal: A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Marisa Pereira, Amira Mohammed Ali, Feten Fekih-Romdhane, Murat Yıldırım, Carlos Laranjeira","doi":"10.3390/healthcare13182382","DOIUrl":"10.3390/healthcare13182382","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives:</b> Historically, humankind has consistently regarded death as an uncomfortable topic. Although death and dying are unescapable, they are frequently overlooked in formal education, as discussing or acknowledging them is believed to provoke emotional or psychological discomfort. To the best of our knowledge, little is known about the influence of the fear of death on the lives of university students. To fill this gap, this study aimed to examine the relationship between the concept of a good death, fear of death and self-compassion among university students in Portugal. <b>Methods:</b> This cross-sectional study was conducted in Portugal between November 2024 and January 2025 with 310 university students using an e-survey. Personal questionnaire and the Portuguese versions of the Good Death Concept Scale, the Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale, and the Self-Compassion Scale were used. JAMOVI statistical software (version 2.7.6.) was used for descriptive analysis, independent sample <i>t</i>-tests, one-way ANOVA with post hoc analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis. To identify the factors associated with fear of death, a multiple linear regression analysis was conducted. This study adhered to the STROBE checklist for reporting. <b>Results:</b> A total of 310 students were included. The average age was 25 ± 8.52 years, and 75.2% were female. The total mean score for fear of death was 99.22 ± 21.97, indicating relatively low fear levels. However, health sciences students presented higher fear of death rates compared with non-health counterparts. Age and gender differences were also found, with female and younger students reporting significantly higher levels of fear of death (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The Pearson correlation matrix indicated that fear of death is positively correlated with the concept of a good death, while negatively correlated with self-compassion (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Key factors influencing fear of death include age, gender, closure and control domains, and the overidentification subscale (adjusted R-Squared valued [R2] = 0.352). <b>Conclusions:</b> The results suggest that students are often poorly prepared to deal with death-related issues (revealing fear) and with negative thoughts and feelings about mortality. In this vein, it is necessary to implement curricular educational interventions focusing on death education as well as actively involving students in compassionate community initiatives, increasing their awareness and self-confidence about EoL care.</p>","PeriodicalId":12977,"journal":{"name":"Healthcare","volume":"13 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12469645/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatio-Temporal Modelling and Forecasting of the Prolonged Measles Outbreak in Romania: Insights and Challenges.","authors":"Valerian-Ionuț Stoian, Aurora Stănescu, Mihaela Debita, Mariana Daniela Ignat, Raisa Eloise Barbu, Mădălina Nicoleta Matei, Alexia Anastasia Ștefania Baltă, Valentin Bulza, Liliana Baroiu, Cătălin Pleșea Condratovici","doi":"10.3390/healthcare13182364","DOIUrl":"10.3390/healthcare13182364","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives:</b> Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that continues to have a profound effect on morbidity in Romania. Identifying temporal and spatial trends in how the disease spreads among the country's counties and regions, both in the same disease generation as well as one generation apart (2-week case lag), aided by forecasting tools, could provide valuable insights into tailoring public health interventions. <b>Methods:</b> A big data analysis has been performed on notified measles cases from January 2020 to December 2024 using Python v3.13 grouping cases based on location (using the Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics) and time of the onset of the disease. <b>Results:</b> Feedback loops among both counties and macroregions have been identified (for example Centru-Brașov and București-Ilfov with a correlation factor of 0.77) while monthly forecasting for 2025 and 2026, explored using both the SARIMA and the Holt-Winters models (MAE 1616.74 and 1281.99, respectively), shows the measles might continue to be a burden, with the Holt-Winters models exhibiting slightly more reliable monthly forecast data nationwide, helping to define a solid basis for future predictions and decisions. <b>Conclusions:</b> The spatial feedback loops, both interregional or within the same region, coupled with the trend of lowering vaccination rates, contribute to the persistent emergence of new measles cases which might continue throughout 2025 and 2026 based on the forecasting, distinct from previous outbreaks which followed a specific cadence.</p>","PeriodicalId":12977,"journal":{"name":"Healthcare","volume":"13 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12470144/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding the Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and HIV Risk Behaviors in U.S. Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Youth Risk Behavior Survey Findings (2005-2021).","authors":"Shahin Davoudpour, Madeline Kerr, Gregory L Phillips Ii","doi":"10.3390/healthcare13182370","DOIUrl":"10.3390/healthcare13182370","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: Alcohol use is a significant public health concern for adolescents, not only for its direct health impacts but also for its association with other health risk behaviors. In particular, alcohol use has been linked to sexual behaviors that may increase the risk of HIV transmission. This systematic review aims to provide a deeper understanding of the relationships between various alcohol- and HIV-related risk behaviors among adolescents by synthesizing existing literature that exclusively uses Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data. <b>Methods</b>: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. Eligible studies were peer-reviewed, published in English, and analyzed associations between alcohol use (age at first drink, alcohol use, binge drinking) and HIV risk behaviors (number of sexual partners, condom use, HIV testing) using YRBS data from the 2005-2021 collection years. Two authors independently screened 1133 records for eligibility, with 17 studies included in the final review. <b>Results</b>: The included studies consistently found a significant positive association between the frequency of alcohol use and binge drinking and a greater number of sexual partners. However, the evidence for an association between alcohol use and condom non-use was mixed. Limited evidence suggests that age of first alcohol use is not correlated with condom non-use. A key finding was the wide variation in study methodology, including the use of lifetime versus recent and dichotomized versus ordinal measures. Additionally, few studies were guided by a theoretical framework. <b>Conclusions</b>: The findings support a consistent link between alcohol use and having a greater number of sexual partners but highlight mixed evidence regarding condom use and little evidence for an association with HIV testing. This review demonstrates a need for more nuanced, theory-driven analyses that better utilize the multidimensional data available in the YRBS to capture the complex nature of risk behaviors.</p>","PeriodicalId":12977,"journal":{"name":"Healthcare","volume":"13 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12470159/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inflammatory Profile and Risk of Post-Intervention Infection in Relation to Myocardial Necrosis Markers.","authors":"Alexandra Manuela Buzle, Larisa Renata Pantea-Roșan, Mădălina Ioana Moisi, Priscilla Matache, Marc Cristian Ghitea, Evelin Claudia Ghitea, Maria Flavia Gîtea, Timea Claudia Ghitea, Mircea Ioachim Popescu","doi":"10.3390/healthcare13182371","DOIUrl":"10.3390/healthcare13182371","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Post-procedural infection worsens outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). High-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) reflects myocardial injury, but its utility for infection risk prediction after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is uncertain. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether high-sensitivity troponin (hs-cTn) levels are associated with the risk of infection and systemic inflammation. <b>Methods:</b> We performed an exploratory pilot study of consecutive ACS patients undergoing PCI (<i>n</i> = 181) at a tertiary interventional cardiology unit in Romania. Herein, hs-cTn was measured at 24- and 48-h post-PCI. The primary outcome was in-hospital infection (clinical and/or microbiological documentation), with the acknowledgment that nearly half were clinically diagnosed without microbiological confirmation. We assessed discrimination for hs-cTn48h using ROC analysis and explored associations with systemic markers (CRP, ESR, and leukocytes) and NT-proBNP using Spearman correlations. <b>Results:</b> Infections occurred in 9/181 patients (5.0%; 95% CI, 2.6-9.2). Notably, hs-cTn48h showed AUC = 0.49 (approx. 95% CI, 0.30-0.68) for infection discrimination. Correlations between hs-cTn48h and inflammatory markers were weak and non-significant (CRP ρ = 0.126, <i>p</i> = 0.091; ESR ρ = 0.119, <i>p</i> = 0.111; fibrinogen ρ = 0.134, <i>p</i> = 0.073), whereas hs-cTn48h correlated modestly with NT-proBNP (ρ = 0.232, <i>p</i> = 0.002). <b>Conclusions:</b> In this cohort, hs-cTn48h did not predict in-hospital infection after PCI in ACS. These negative findings highlight that troponin should be interpreted primarily as a marker of myocardial necrosis, not infectious risk. Larger multicenter studies with microbiological adjudication and broader biomarker panels are warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":12977,"journal":{"name":"Healthcare","volume":"13 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12469657/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multidisciplinary Professionals' Perceptions of Home-Visit Oral Care for Older Adults in Integrated Community Care: A Focus Group Interview Study.","authors":"Se-Rim Jo, Bo-Ram Shin, Jong-Hwa Jang","doi":"10.3390/healthcare13182365","DOIUrl":"10.3390/healthcare13182365","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: With the acceleration of population ageing the need for integrated support in healthcare and caregiving is increasing, and the societal demand for improved service quality is also increasing. This study aims to explore how multidisciplinary professionals perceive the implementation of home-visit oral care (HVOC) within the Integrated Community Care in Older Adults model, in order to inform the design of future integrated oral health programs. <b>Methods:</b> The study participants comprised 16 individuals: eight dental hygienists with experience in HVOC and eight multidisciplinary healthcare providers. Focus group interviews were conducted with these participants, and the data were analysed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method to derive key themes and categories. <b>Results:</b> The analysis revealed four main thematic categories: (1) cognitive aspects (understanding of geriatric diseases and families); (2) technical aspects (effective communication and competence in oral care); (3) value-based aspects (empathy, patient-centredness, professional pride); (4) multidisciplinary organisational efforts (establishing interprofessional collaboration systems and integrated platforms). <b>Conclusions:</b> HVOC services provided by dental hygienists were found to promote oral health among older adults. To ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of such services, a customised integrated care model based on multidisciplinary collaboration should be established.</p>","PeriodicalId":12977,"journal":{"name":"Healthcare","volume":"13 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12469795/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From Research to Practice: Implementing an Evidence-Based Intervention for Nurse Well-Being in a Healthcare System.","authors":"Amanda K Bailey, Hong Tao, Amanda T Sawyer","doi":"10.3390/healthcare13182369","DOIUrl":"10.3390/healthcare13182369","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> In response to the high prevalence of burnout in nursing, a hospital research team developed, studied, and implemented RISE (Resilience, Insight, Self-Compassion, Empowerment), a novel psychoeducational group program designed to reduce distress and promote well-being among professional caregivers, specifically nurses and nurse leaders. Pilot studies and randomized controlled trials showed positive results, and thus, the program was operationalized. <b>Methods:</b> This quality improvement/quality assurance (QI/QA) project involved scaling the program and gathering data to evaluate implementation and impact on well-being indicators. The intervention involves structured weekly (8-9 weeks) 90-min group sessions integrating mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Eight licensed mental health providers were trained and delivered the program. Implementation outcomes included adoption/stakeholder engagement, fidelity, provider satisfaction, participant engagement, and sustainability. Participant outcomes were measured through validated scales and participant feedback forms. The implementation process was examined at the participant, provider, and organizational levels to identify barriers and enabling factors. <b>Results:</b> The program was implemented in seven acute care hospitals. From January 2023 to December 2024, 160 participants completed the program. Effective implementation strategies included intensive training and supervision of qualified providers, multi-departmental collaborations, and rigorous fidelity monitoring. Quality improvement processes addressed challenges such as early attrition and administrative burden. Evaluation data from pre- and post-intervention surveys demonstrated statistically significant improvements in psychological outcomes, with high satisfaction reported by both participants and providers. <b>Conclusion:</b> The findings support the effective implementation of the program as part of a broader organizational strategy to address nurse burnout and workforce mental health. Lessons, implications, and future directions for healthcare leaders are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":12977,"journal":{"name":"Healthcare","volume":"13 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12469743/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceptions of Stress, Well-Being, and Intervention Preferences Among Parents Affected by Major Stressors.","authors":"Nada M Goodrum, Julie K Nguyen, Diamonde McCollum, E Rebekah Siceloff, Brianna Tennie, Sara delMas, Ronald J Prinz","doi":"10.3390/healthcare13182366","DOIUrl":"10.3390/healthcare13182366","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: Children's social-emotional difficulties and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors co-occur but are rarely addressed concurrently in parent-based interventions. These problems are exacerbated by family stressors (e.g., parental trauma, mental health, substance misuse, illness, financial strain, racism), which further compound existing health and healthcare inequities for families experiencing marginalization who are more likely to face major stressors. Yet, most parent-based interventions do not sufficiently address parents' own stress and self-regulation. To inform prevention efforts to address these gaps, this mixed methods formative needs assessment explored strengths, challenges, and intervention preferences of parents dealing with major stressors, informing parent-based prevention to improve child social-emotional and physical health. <b>Method</b>: A sociodemographically diverse sample of parents/caregivers (N = 46) who had a child aged 3-9 years and ≥ two major stressors completed surveys assessing child well-being, parenting, parental stress, self-regulation, and intervention preferences. A subsample (n = 24) completed qualitative interviews further exploring these areas. <b>Results</b>: Parents expressed high interest in programming on emotion regulation, mindfulness, dealing with trauma, and reducing stress while strengthening children's social-emotional and physical health. <b>Conclusions</b>: Results underscore the need to address caregivers' own emotion-related skills to promote children's well-being. Findings inform implementation and evaluation of a preventive program to improve child health, promote positive parenting, and address parental stress through self-regulation and coping. By aligning with community needs and preferences, parenting interventions that simultaneously address parental well-being and stress may be a promising avenue for improving equitable access to and quality of healthcare for families experiencing marginalization and stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":12977,"journal":{"name":"Healthcare","volume":"13 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12469705/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors Affecting Return to Work of Patients with Chronic Coronary Syndrome: A Prospective Study.","authors":"Corina Oancea, Despina Mihaela Gherman, Rodica Simona Capraru, Sorina Maria Aurelian, Mirela Maria Nedelescu, Florina Georgeta Popescu","doi":"10.3390/healthcare13182368","DOIUrl":"10.3390/healthcare13182368","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: Return to work is an important goal of cardiac rehabilitation, yet individuals recovering from cardiovascular disease often face significant challenges in achieving it. As a result, a significant proportion of individuals with coronary artery disease experience work disability, negatively impacting both their economic well-being and quality of life while imposing a substantial financial burden on society. This less-studied issue is often treated as a secondary outcome in research, resulting in return to work findings that are frequently underreported. As such, this study aimed to identify the factors associated with adequate levels of functional capacity enabling the engagement in professional work and to develop a model for predicting the potential return to work of patients with coronary artery disease. <b>Methods:</b> During 2024, we enrolled 250 consecutive patients with chronic coronary syndrome less than 65 years of age who were referred to the National Institute for Medical Assessment and Work Capacity Rehabilitation (INEMRCM) for medical evaluation to establish eligibility-to-work disability benefits. Patients underwent a revascularization procedure either using PTCA or CABG, with a few having had no revascularization until the moment of assessment. Detailed demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical data were collected via interviews. Logistic regression was used to develop a multivariable model for predicting return to work. <b>Results:</b> Six months after discharge from the INEMRCM, around 20% of participants had returned to work. A better functional status was determinant for individuals' re-employment (<i>p</i> = 0.026) along with an absence of cardiovascular comorbidities (<i>p</i> = 0.045) and holding a higher-skilled occupation (<i>p</i> = 0.037). The multivariate analysis identified professional specialization and the absence of cardiovascular comorbidities as the strongest predictors of return to work. <b>Conclusions:</b> Cardiac patients with coexisting cardiovascular conditions engaged in less-specialized types of work tend to experience poorer return to work outcomes. As such, individuals in this category should be carefully assessed and prioritized in the development of targeted rehabilitation programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":12977,"journal":{"name":"Healthcare","volume":"13 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12470209/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}