The application of bioethics as legal basis in judicial sentences concerning right to health in Brazil

The right to health is linked to life and human dignity. Among the instruments to make it effective, the phenomenon of health litigation has become prominent. In Brazil, courts are increasingly faced with the task of rendering verdicts concerning matters related to health. Nowadays, judges have to deal with issues about health policies, technology incorporations, drug supplies, human autonomy, genetics, and biotechnologies, among others. Lawsuit sentences are now to be built upon the resolution of ethical, legal and philosophical questions. Bioethics presents itself as an instrument and method to help solve legal cases involving the right to health. This paper intends to show that bioethics can be applied in verdicts of lawsuits regarding to right to health in Brazil. It highlights that bioethics can be considered a source of law due to its normative dimension, as well as a hermeneutic method. This essay also aims to show the role for bioethics to help interpret the law and solve hard cases within health law and the right to health. Lastly, it aims to justify the presence of bioethics as legal reasoning to be used by judges in the foundation of their verdicts in lawsuits involving the right to health.

El derecho a la salud está vinculado a la dignidad humana. Entre los instrumentos para hacerlo efectivo se ha destacado el fenómeno de la judicialización de la salud. En Brasil, los tribunales cada vez más deben decidir sobre asuntos relacionados con el derecho a la salud. Jueces deben tratar temas sobre políticas de salud, biotecnologías, medicamentos, autonomía humana, genética, entre otros. Las sentencias judiciales ahora deben resolver cuestiones éticas, legales y filosóficas. La bioética se presenta como un instrumento y un método para ayudar a resolver los casos legales del derecho a la salud. Este estudio pretende mostrar que la bioética puede ser aplicada en sentencias judiciales sobre casos de derecho a la salud en Brasil. Se destaca que la bioética puede ser considerada una fuente de derecho por su dimensión normativa, así como un método hermenéutico. Este ensayo también tiene como objetivo mostrar el papel de la bioética para ayudar a interpretar el derecho y resolver casos difíciles dentro del derecho a la salud. Por último, pretende justificar la presencia de la bioética como razonamiento jurídico a ser utilizado por los jueces en la fundamentación de sus veredictos en juicios que involucren el derecho a la salud.

O direito à saúde está vinculado à dignidade humana. Dentre os instrumentos para efetivá-la, o fenômeno da judicialização da saúde tem se destacado. No Brasil, os tribunais se deparam cada vez mais com a tarefa de julgar processos relacionadas ao direito à saúde. Atualmente, os juízes têm que lidar com questões sobre políticas de saúde, incorporação de tecnologias, fornecimento de medicamentos, autonomia, genética, biotecnologias, entre outros. As sentenças judiciais devem ser construídas com base também na resolução de questões éticas, legais e filosóficas. A bioética apresenta-se como instrumento e método para auxiliar na resolução de casos jurídicos envolvendo o direito à saúde. Este trabalho pretende mostrar que a bioética pode ser aplicada no julgamento de ações judiciais relativas ao direito à saúde no Brasil. Destaca que a bioética pode ser considerada fonte do direito por sua dimensão normativa, bem como método hermenêutico. Este ensaio também visa mostrar o papel da bioética para ajudar a interpretar a lei e resolver casos difíceis dentro do direito sanitário e do direito à saúde. Por fim, visa justificar a presença da bioética como fundamentação jurídica a ser utilizada pelos magistrados na fundamentação de suas sentenças em ações que envolvam o direito à saúde.

Percepción del cuidado centrado en la persona y autonomía en la atención clínica de usuarios que viven con multimorbilidad / Perception of Person-Centered Care and Autonomy in Clinical Care in Patients living with Multimorbidity / Percepção do cuidado centrado na pessoa e autonomia no cuidado clínico de usuários que convivem com multimorbidade

Introducción: promover autonomía significa transitar desde un modelo paternalista hacia uno que posi-cione en un rol activo a las personas durante el encuentro clínico, con participación en la toma de deci-siones relativas al cuidado de su salud. Este artículo describe la percepción de usuarios que viven con multimorbilidad respecto del ejercicio de su autonomía durante la atención clínica. Método: estudio de caso cualitativo en usuarios con multimorbilidad atendidos en un centro de salud familiar de Santiago (Chile).Se realizó análisis de contenido según Krippendorf. Resultados: la muestra quedó conformada por 19 participantes adultos con un promedio de 2.7 condiciones crónicas de salud. Del análisis de contenido de las entrevistas emergieron tres categorías: a) significado atribuido por los usuarios a la autonomía en la atención de salud, b) elementos que debe considerar una atención en salud que respete la autonomía del usuario y c) participación durante la atención clínica. Conclusiones: frente al aumento de las condicio-nes crónicas de salud es imperativo repensar la forma de brindar atención de salud, relevando el valor de la participación usuaria a través de la toma de decisiones compartida como expresión de respeto de su autonomía y una forma de fomentar el cuidado centrado en las personas

Aim: Promoting autonomy means changing from a paternalistic model to one in which individuals play an active role in their healthcare, which their participation in medical decision-making will reflect. This issue needs to be sufficiently explored in Chile, so this article aims to describe the perception of users liv-ing with multimorbidity regarding their ability to exercise autonomy in clinical care. Method: Qualitative case study conducted in a sample of patients with multimorbility from a family health center in Santiago de Chile. Content analysis was performed according to the Krippendorf method. Results: The sample com-prised 19 adult participants with an average of 2.7 chronic health conditions. Three categories emerged from the content analysis of the interviews: (a) Meaning attributed by users to autonomy in health care, (b) Elements that health care respecting user autonomy should consider, and (c) Participation during clinical care. Conclusions: Considering the sustained increase in chronic health conditions, it is impera-tive to rethink how health care is provided, highlighting the value of user participation through shared decision-making as an expression of respect for individuals' autonomy and the promotion of patient-cen-tered care

Objetivo: promover a autonomia significa passar de um modelo paternalista para um que posicione as pessoas num papel ativo durante o encontro clínico, com participação na tomada de decisões relaciona-das com os seus cuidados de saúde. Este manuscrito descreve a percepção de usuários que convivem com multimorbidade quanto ao exercício de sua autonomia durante o atendimento clínico. Método: estudo de caso qualitativo em usuários com multimorbidade atendidos em um Centro de Saúde da Família de Santiago, no Chile. A análise de conteúdo foi realizada segundo Krippendorf. Resultados: a amostra foi composta por 19 participantes adultos com média de 2.7 condições crônicas de saúde. Da análise de conteúdo das entrevistas emergem três categorias: a) Significado atribuído pelos usuários à autonomia no cuidado em saúde, b) Elementos que um cuidado de saúde que respeite a autonomia do usuário deve considerar, e c) Participação durante o atendimento clínico. Conclusões: face ao aumento das condições crónicas de saúde, é imperativo repensar a forma de prestar cuidados de saúde, destacando o valor da participação dos pacientes através da tomada de decisão partilhada como expressão de respeito pela sua autonomia e forma de promover o cuidado centrado nas pessoas

A arte de elaborar uma pergunta de pesquisa / The art of crafting a research question

A criatividade na elaboração da pergunta impacta todo o processo da pesquisa, buscando suprir as lacuna do conhecimento, gerar percepções, instigar reflexões e procurar resolver problemas até então insolúveis. Objetivo: refletir acerca dos princípios fundamentais envolvidos na formulação de perguntas de pesquisa. Método: Estudo de crítico e reflexivo sobre tendências, lacunas e perspectivas emergentes contribuindo para uma compreensão mais aprofundada da complexidade envolvida na elaboração de perguntas de pesquisa. Resultados: emergiram duas categorias "Dimensões" e "Parâmetros" essenciais na elaboração da pergunta de pesquisa". Discussão: Acadêmicos e orientadores enfrentam dificuldades ao identificar elementos essenciais em uma pergunta de pesquisa estratégica e objetiva, denunciando a incerteza que provoca para a compreensão e investigação dos fenômenos. Deve ser sustentada por um paradigma de intelegibilidade, relação lógica e coerência epistemológica, subsidiando o autor na explcitação de sua voz. Conclusão: A habilidade de elaborar uma pergunta de pesquisa destaca a maestria do pesquisador, transcendendo a fronteira meramente linguistica.(AU)

Creativity in question formulation has an impact on the entire research process, seeking to fill knowledge gaps, generate insights, instigate reflections and try to solve previously unsolvable problems. Objective: To reflect on the fundamental principles involved in formulating research questions. Method: A critical and reflective study on emerging trends, gaps and perspectives, contributing to a deeper understanding of the complexity involved in formulating research questions. Results: Two categories emerged: "Dimensions" and "Parameters", which are essential when formulating a research question". Discussion: Academics and advisors face difficulties in identifying essential elements in a strategic and objective research question, denouncing the uncertainty it causes for understanding and investigating phenomena. It must be supported by a paradigm of intelegibility, logical relationship and epistemological coherence, supporting the author in explaining his or her voice. Conclusion: The ability to elaborate a research question highlights the mastery of the researcher, transcending the merely linguistic frontier.(AU)

La creatividad en la formulación de preguntas repercute en todo el proceso de investigación, al tratar de colmar lagunas de conocimiento, generar ideas, suscitar reflexiones y tratar de resolver problemas antes insolubles. Objetivo: Reflexionar sobre los principios fundamentales implicados en la formulación de preguntas de investigación. Método: Estudio crítico y reflexivo de las tendencias, lagunas y perspectivas emergentes, contribuyendo a una comprensión más profunda de la complejidad que entraña la formulación de preguntas de investigación. Resultados: Surgieron dos categorías: "Dimensiones" y "Parámetros" que son esenciales a la hora de diseñar una pregunta de investigación". Discusión: Académicos y orientadores enfrentan dificultades para identificar los elementos esenciales en una pregunta de investigación estratégica y objetiva, denunciando la incertidumbre que provoca para la comprensión e investigación de los fenómenos. Debe apoyarse en un paradigma de intelegibilidad, relación lógica y coherencia epistemológica, ayudando al autor a explicitar su voz. Conclusión: La capacidad de elaborar una pregunta de investigación destaca el dominio del investigador, trascendiendo la frontera meramente lingüística. (AU)

ChatGPT's learning and reasoning capacity in anesthesiology

Introduction: Over the past few months, ChatGPT has raised a lot of interest given its ability to perform complex tasks through natural language and conversation. However, its use in clinical decision-making is limited and its application in the field of anesthesiology is unknown. Objective: To assess ChatGPT's basic and clinical reasoning and its learning ability in a performance test on general and specific anesthesia topics. Methods: A three-phase assessment was conducted. Basic knowledge of anesthesia was assessed in the first phase, followed by a review of difficult airway management and, finally, measurement of decision-making ability in ten clinical cases. The second and the third phases were conducted before and after feeding ChatGPT with the 2022 guidelines of the American Society of Anesthesiologists on difficult airway management. Results: On average, ChatGPT succeded 65% of the time in the first phase and 48% of the time in the second phase. Agreement in clinical cases was 20%, with 90% relevance and 10% error rate. After learning, ChatGPT improved in the second phase, and was correct 59% of the time, with agreement in clinical cases also increasing to 40%. Conclusions: ChatGPT showed acceptable accuracy in the basic knowledge test, high relevance in the management of specific difficult airway clinical cases, and the ability to improve after learning.

Introducción: En los últimos meses, ChatGPT ha suscitado un gran interés debido a su capacidad para realizar tareas complejas a través del lenguaje natural y la conversación. Sin embargo, su uso en la toma de decisiones clínicas es limitado y su aplicación en el campo de anestesiología es desconocido. Objetivo: Evaluar el razonamiento básico, clínico y la capacidad de aprendizaje de ChatGPT en una prueba de rendimiento sobre temas generales y específicos de anestesiología. Métodos: Se llevó a cabo una evaluación dividida en tres fases. Se valoraron conocimientos básicos de anestesiología en la primera fase, seguida de una revisión del manejo de vía aérea difícil y, finalmente, se midió la toma de decisiones en diez casos clínicos. La segunda y tercera fases se realizaron antes y después de alimentar a ChatGPT con las guías de la Sociedad Americana de Anestesiólogos del manejo de la vía aérea difícil del 2022. Resultados: ChatGPT obtuvo una tasa de acierto promedio del 65 % en la primera fase y del 48 % en la segunda fase. En los casos clínicos, obtuvo una concordancia del 20 %, una relevancia del 90 % y una tasa de error del 10 %. Posterior al aprendizaje, ChatGPT mejoró su tasa de acierto al 59 % en la segunda fase y aumentó la concordancia al 40 % en los casos clínicos. Conclusiones: ChatGPT demostró una precisión aceptable en la prueba de conocimientos básicos, una alta relevancia en el manejo de los casos clínicos específicos de vía aérea difícil y la capacidad de mejoría secundaria a un aprendizaje.

The value of mathematical modelling approaches in epidemiology for public health decisión making

It is discussed the relevance of quantitative approaches, specifically mathematical modelling in epidemiology, in the public health decision-making process. This topic is discussed here based on the experience of various experts in mathematical epidemiology and public health. First, the definition of mathematical modelling is presented, especially in the context of epidemiology. Second, the different uses and socio-political implications, including empirical examples of recent experiences that have taken place at the international level are addressed. Finally, some general considerations regarding the challenges encountered in the use and application of mathematical modelling in epidemiology in the decision-making process at the local and national levels.

Se trata sobre la importancia de los abordajes cuantitativos, específicamente la formulación de modelos matemáticos en epidemiología, dentro del proceso de toma de decisiones en salud pública. Esta importante temática se analiza basándose en la experiencia de algunos expertos en epidemiología matemática y salud pública. En primer lugar, se presenta la definición de modelación matemática, particularmente dentro del contexto de la epidemiología. En segundo lugar, se abordan los diferentes usos y las implicaciones socio-políticas, incluyendo ejemplos de experiencias recientes que han ocurrido a nivel internacional. Finalmente, se hace referencia a ciertas consideraciones generales respecto a los retos que representa el uso y la aplicación de modelos matemáticos en epidemiología para el proceso de toma de decisiones a nivel local y nacional.

Developing a breast cancer screening decision aid in Spanish for average-risk women: a mixed methods study / Estudios originales Publicado el 14 de marzo de 2024 | http://doi.org/10.5867/medwave.2024.02.2726 Developing a breast cancer screening decision aid in Spanish for average-risk women: a mixed methods study Desarrollo de una herramienta en español para ayudar en la toma de decisiones del cribado de cáncer de mama para mujeres de riesgo promedio: un estudio de métodos mixtos

Introduction We aimed to develop a decision aid to support shared-decision making between physicians and women with average breast cancer risk when deciding whether to participate in breast cancer screening. Methods We included women at average risk of breast cancer and physicians involved in supporting the decision of breast cancer screening from an Academic Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We followed the International Patient Decision Aid Standards to develop our decision aid. Guided by a steering group and a multidisciplinary consultancy group including a patient advocate, we reviewed the evidence about breast cancer screening and previous decision aids, explored the patients' information needs on this topic from the patients' and physicians' perspective using semi-structured interviews, and we alpha-tested the prototype to determine its usability, comprehensibility and applicability. Results We developed the first prototype of a web-based decision aid to use during the clinical encounter with women aged 40 to 69 with average breast cancer risk. After a meeting with our consultancy group, we developed a second prototype that underwent alpha-testing. Physicians and patients agreed that the tool was clear, useful and applicable during a clinical encounter. We refined our final prototype according to their feedback. Conclusion We developed the first decision aid in our region and language on this topic, developed with end-users' input and informed by the best available evidence. We expect this decision aid to help women and physicians make shared decisions during the clinical encounter when talking about breast cancer screening.

Establishment of a Predictive Model for Chronic Cough after Pulmonary Resection / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#Chronic cough after pulmonary resection is one of the most common complications, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients after surgery. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the risk factors of chronic cough after pulmonary resection and construct a prediction model.@*METHODS@#The clinical data and postoperative cough of 499 patients who underwent pneumonectomy or pulmonary resection in The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from January 2021 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were randomly divided into training set (n=348) and validation set (n=151) according to the principle of 7:3 randomization. According to whether the patients in the training set had chronic cough after surgery, they were divided into cough group and non-cough group. The Mandarin Chinese version of Leicester cough questionnare (LCQ-MC) was used to assess the severity of cough and its impact on patients' quality of life before and after surgery. The visual analog scale (VAS) and the self-designed numerical rating scale (NRS) were used to evaluate the postoperative chronic cough. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the independent risk factors and construct a model. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the discrimination of the model, and calibration curve was used to evaluate the consistency of the model. The clinical application value of the model was evaluated by decision curve analysis (DCA).@*RESULTS@#Multivariate Logistic analysis screened out that preoperative forced expiratory volume in the first second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC), surgical procedure, upper mediastinal lymph node dissection, subcarinal lymph node dissection, and postoperative closed thoracic drainage time were independent risk factors for postoperative chronic cough. Based on the results of multivariate analysis, a Nomogram prediction model was constructed. The area under the ROC curve was 0.954 (95%CI: 0.930-0.978), and the cut-off value corresponding to the maximum Youden index was 0.171, with a sensitivity of 94.7% and a specificity of 86.6%. With a Bootstrap sample of 1000 times, the predicted risk of chronic cough after pulmonary resection by the calibration curve was highly consistent with the actual risk. DCA showed that when the preprobability of the prediction model probability was between 0.1 and 0.9, patients showed a positive net benefit.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Chronic cough after pulmonary resection seriously affects the quality of life of patients. The visual presentation form of the Nomogram is helpful to accurately predict chronic cough after pulmonary resection and provide support for clinical decision-making.

Clinical Prediction Model for Diabetic Kidney Disease Based on Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo construct and validate a clinical prediction model for diabetic kidney disease （DKD） based on optical coherence tomography angiography （OCTA）. MethodsThis study enrolled 567 diabetes patients. The random forest algorithm as well as logistic regression analysis were applied to construct the prediction model. The model discrimination and clinical usefulness were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve （ROC） and decision curve analysis （DCA）， respectively. ResultsThe clinical prediction model for DKD based on OCTA was constructed with area under the curve （AUC） of 0.878 and Brier score of 0.11. ConclusionsThrough multidimensional verification， the clinical prediction nomogram model based on OCTA allowed for early warning and advanced intervention of DKD.

The influencing Factors of Doctor-patient Shared Decision Making: A Qualitative Study / 中国医学伦理学

To explore the barriers and facilitators of shared decision making, 23 clinicians were selected for semi-structured interviews by purpose sampling and convenience sampling with phenomenological methods in qualitative research, and 7-step of Colaizzi was used to analyze the interview data. Three themes and twelve subthemes were extracted, included: individual factors of doctors (role cognition, perceived outcomes, communication skills, clinical expertise, cognitive bias) , individual factors of patients (general information, lack of disease knowledge, willingness to participate in decision making) and environmental factors (clinical situation, social environment, resources and social influence) . There were many barriers and facilitators in the implementation of doctor-patient shared decision making. It is necessary to scientifically analyze and actively deal with the influence of each factor, and find reasonable countermeasures to promote the clinical implementation of shared decision making.

Study on the Cognitive Attitude of Doctors and Patients towards the Rank of Rights and Interests and Its Related Factors / 中国医学伦理学

In order to further understand the cognitive attitude of different groups towards the rank of rights and interests in medical decision-making and its influencing factors, and provide theoretical reference for the practice of medical decision-making, this study conducted convenience sampling through the questionnaire star enterprise edition. The collected data were descriptive statistical analysis with SPSS 21.0 software and joint hypothesis testing. The results showed that there were differences in the cognition of religious beliefs on the same individual’s rights and interests rank among the sample population (P<0.05). There were differences in the cognition of professional title, working years and institution level on the attitude of rights and interests rank in the group of medical institutions (P<0.05). In the ranking of the importance of individual rights usually involved in medical activities, the rights to life, health and equality were the most important. Most people can rationally view the rights and interests of doctors, patients and stakeholders. In medical decision-making, we should adhere to the principle of right rank, give priority to safeguarding the right to life and give consideration to fairness and justice. In the face of conflicts of interest, we should do a good job in value evaluation, safeguard the reasonable interests of patients and give consideration to the demands of family members.

Dilemma and Reflection on Children Exercising the Right of Medical Decision-making / 中国医学伦理学

Whether children can exercise their medical decision-making power has always been a controversial topic in law and ethics, and it is also the focus of attention of people from all walks of life. In this regard, combined with the problems existing in the exercise of children’s medical decision-making power, such as conflict with the right to life and health, insufficient guarantee of the right to informed consent system, and the legal guardian’s exercise of children’s medical decision-making power may not be in the best interests of children. This paper discussed the dilemma and feasibility of children’s exercise of medical decision-making power from three aspects: children’s right to life and health, the evaluation of informed consent and medical decision-making ability, and the thinking of children’s informed consent and medical decision-making ability, and pointed out that children who are able to make self-determination should be fully endowed with legal medical decision-making power, so as to ensure their best interests in medical clinic.

Decision tree model of depressive symptoms among first grade students from multi ethnic middle schools in Yunnan Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand the occurrence and predictive factors of depressive symptoms among multi ethnic middle school students in Yunnan Province, so as to provide a referential framework for schools to carry out targeted mental health education.@*Methods@#From October to December 2022, 8 500 first grade students from 23 middle schools were selected from 11 minority areas in Yunnan Province by cluster random sampling method. Demographic information and data relating to the students lifestyles were collected by questionnaire, and the Children s Depression Inventory (CDI) was used to evaluate depressive symptoms. Chi square test was performed to compare differences in the detection rate of depressive symptoms among first grade middle school students for univariate analysis. A decision tree model of depressive symptoms in middle school students was established by using the Chi squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID).@*Results@#The detection rate of depressive symptoms among first grade students from multi ethnic middle schools in Yunnan Province was 28.26%. The decision tree model of depressive symptoms was academic stress ( χ 2=469.08) at the first level, breakfast behaviors (low/moderate academic stress: χ 2=155.49; severe academic stress: χ 2=105.24) at the second level, and the number of close friends (low/moderate academic stress and consuming breakfast 0- 2 days weekly: χ 2=23.15; low/moderate academic stress and consuming breakfast 3-4 days weekly: χ 2=14.99; severe academic stress and consuming breakfast 0-2 days weekly: χ 2=29.26; severe academic stress and consuming breakfast 3-4 days weekly: χ 2=20.15), ethnicity ( χ 2=78.22) and drinking ( χ 2=50.36) at the third level ( P <0.01).@*Conclusions@#The study identifies academic stress, breakfast behaviors, number of close friends, drinking and ethnicity as predictive factors of depressive symptoms among multi ethnic middle school students in Yunnan Province. Schools should develop targeted strategies for preventing and managing depressive symptoms in middle school students, so as to reduce their occurrence.

Effect of a brief training program on the knowledge of Filipino primary care providers in a rural and a remote setting: A before and after study

Background and Objective@#Primary care providers are key players in providing quality care to patients and advancing Universal Health Care (UHC). However, effective and quality healthcare delivery may be affected by inadequate knowledge and failure to adhere to evidence-based guidelines among providers. The Philippine Primary Care Studies (PPCS) is a five-year program that pilot tested interventions aimed at strengthening the primary care system in the country. Evidence-based training modules for healthcare providers were administered in Sorsogon and Bataan from the years 2018 to 2021. Module topics were selected based on common health conditions encountered by providers in rural and remote settings. This program aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of training in increasing provider knowledge.@*Methods@#A series of training workshops were conducted among 184 remote- and 210 rural-based primary care providers [nurses, midwives, barangay or village health workers (BHWs)]. They covered four modules: essential intrapartum and newborn care (EINC), integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI), non-communicable diseases (NCD), and geriatrics. A decision support system (UpToDate) was provided as a supplementary resource for all participants. We administered pre-tests and post-tests consisting of multiple-choice questions on common health conditions. Data was analyzed using paired one-tailed t-test, with an alpha of 0.05.@*Results@#The knowledge of nurses, midwives, and BHWs improved after the training workshops were conducted. The largest increase from pre-test to post-test scores were observed among the midwives, with a mean difference (MD) of 32.9% (95% CI 23.9 to 41.9) on the EINC module, MD of 25.0% (95% CI 16.6 to 33.4) in the geriatrics module, and MD of 13.5% (95% CI 6.9 to 20.1) in the NCDs module. The nurses had the greatest improvement in the IMCI module (MD 10.8%, 95% CI 2.5 to 19.1). The knowledge of BHWs improved in all participated modules, with greatest improvement in the NCD module (MD 9.0%, 95% CI 5.77 to 12.14). @*Conclusions@#Primary care workshops, even if conducted as single-sessions and on a short-term basis, are effective in improving short-term knowledge of providers. However, this may not translate to long-term knowledge and application in practice. Furthermore, comparisons across provider categories cannot be made as participant composition for each training workshop varied. Ultimately, this study shows enhancing provider knowledge and competence in primary care will therefore require regular and diverse learning interventions and access to clinical decision support tools.

Drug Selection and Evaluation in Medical Institutions： A Scoping Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveBy analyzing the current situation of drug selection and evaluation in medical institutions in the world，we aim to understand the development of relevant selection methods and tools，provide reference basis for drug selection in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） medical institutions，and promote the optimization of drug catalogs in TCM medical institutions. MethodBased on the method of scoping review，the eight databases were systematically searched，the included documents were screened，extracted and analyzed，and the research results were graphically displayed. ResultA total of 23 articles were included in this study，including 13 in Chinese and 10 in English，involving 23 methods or tools related to drug selection. Of the 14 methods or tools from Chinese medical institutions，the earliest one was published in 2012，and five were published in 2022. The published methods or tools involved different levels of hospitals，different drug varieties，different evaluation angles，etc.，such as the drug selection methods of one county hospital and one township hospital， methods and tools for different types of drugs such as antibacterial drugs，ibuprofen preparations，proton pump inhibitors and hypoglycemic drugs used in pediatric intensive care units， Chinese patent medicine selection tools， tools for evaluation from the perspective of pharmacoeconomics， and universal tools for selecting domestic medical institutions. The nine drug selection tools of foreign medical institutions were from the European，American，Asian and African countries. It was first published in 1955. The contents included the formulation standards that medical institutions should follow for drug prescription sets，the management formulation and update of hospital prescription sets，and drug evaluation tools. ConclusionOn the whole，the drug selection methods and institutional methods of foreign medical institutions developed earlier than those in China. In recent years，Chinese medical institutions have paid high attention to drug selection and released various types of drug selection tools. However，the standardization should be further improved in the future.

Decision-making Support and Patients’ Care Progress in a Palliative Care Outpatient Clinic at a Community Hospital

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the decision-making support and patients’ care progress in a palliative care outpatient clinic at a community hospital. Methods: We conducted a retrospective examination of patients who visited our palliative care outpatient clinic and subsequently died between January 2020 and December 2021. The clinic, staffed by two palliative care physicians, operated twice weekly and accepted patients irrespective of their treatment status. Result: 93 patients were included in the analysis. At the onset of the outpatient clinic, 72 patients were asked about their preferred location for end-of-life care should their condition deteriorate. Of these, 25 patients preferred to receive end-of-life care in a palliative care unit (“PCU” group). Another 25 patients initially sought medical treatment at home through home-visits but later expressed a preference for care in a palliative care unit as their condition worsened (“home-visit→PCU” group). Additionally, 17 patients preferred home care from the end-of-life until death (“home-visit” group). Among the “PCU” patients, 96% received care in a palliative care unit, and 84% passed away in the same unit. In the “home-visit→PCU” group, 76% received care through home visit, and 80% passed away in a palliative care unit. In the “home-visit” group, 76% of patients received care at home, and 47% passed away in their own homes. Conclusion: These findings suggest that delivering end-of-life care in patients’ preferred locations is feasible with continuous decision-making support provided in the palliative care outpatient clinic.

Construction and Interpretation of Clinical Comprehensive Evaluation Index System for Chinese Patent Medicine Based on EVIDEM Framework / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo establish the clinical comprehensive evaluation index system for Chinese patent medicine（CPM） based on Evidence and Value：Impact on DEcisionMaking（EVIDEM） framework， so as to promote the scientific， systematic and standardized implementation of clinical comprehensive evaluation of CPM. MethodThe clinical comprehensive evaluation index system was determined through literature review， semi-structured interview and Delphi method， and the weights of each index were clarified by analytic hierarchy process（AHP）. ResultThe recovery rates of both rounds of expert consultation were 100%， and the authority coefficient of experts was 0.90 and 0.905， respectively. Kendall's coordination coefficients（W） of the second- and third-level indicators in the first-round consultation were 0.320 and 0.283（P<0.001）， and in the second round were 0.411 and 0.351， respectively（P<0.001）. The finally constructed clinical comprehensive evaluation index system for CPM included 6 first-level indicators， 13 second-level indicators and 28 third-level indicators. Among the first-level indicators， the weights of effectiveness， safety， economy， innovation， suitability and accessibility were 37.34%， 32.68%， 11.85%， 5.87%， 5.79% and 6.47%， respectively. ConclusionThis study has constructed a universal clinical comprehensive evaluation index system for CPM， and the domain and criteria are introduced and interpreted in detail， which can provide reference and information for carrying out the clinical comprehensive evaluation of CPM， but it needs to be refined and improved in combination with the clinical practice of CPM for specialized diseases.

Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation of Yiqing Capsules in Treating Heat-toxin Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo systematically review the studies about Yiqing Capsules in the treatment of pharyngitis， tonsillitis， gingivitis， and oral ulcers with heat-toxin syndrome and clarify the advantages and therapeutic characteristics of Yiqing capsules， thus providing reference for the decision-making by relevant departments and clues for the clinical and basic research. MethodThe multi-criteria decision analysis （MCDA） model and CSC v2.0 were employed to comprehensively evaluate Yiqing capsules from multiple aspects. ResultThe serious adverse reactions in the spontaneous reporting system （SRS） monitoring data of Yiqing capsules included pruritus， rash， an ddiarrhea， all of which were relieved or cured， without aggravation or interhospital transfer for treatment. Literature data showed that the main clinical adverse reactions were abdominal pain， diarrhea， etc. Both acute toxicity and long-term toxicity tests showed good safety， and thus the safety of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade B. The results of Meta-analysis showed that Yiqing capsules used alone or in combination with other medicines outperformed Niuhuang Jiedu capsules or Western medicine in the treatment of pharyngitis， tonsillitis， gingivitis， and oral ulcers with heat toxin in terms of symptom alleviation， disappearance rate of main symptoms， and recurrence rate of aphtha. Pharmacological and pharmacodynamic studies showed that Yiqing capsules had antimicrobial， antiviral， and anti-inflammatory effects， with the effectiveness rated as grade B. The decision tree model was adopted to analyze the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. With the threshold of 1 fold per capita GDP and the disappearing rate of pain in gingivitis as the indicator， Yiqing capsules had an economic advantage in the treatment of gingivitis due to heat-toxin compared with Niuhuang Jiedu capsules， and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 0.39 yuan/%， which indicated acceptable cost， with the economy rated as grade B. Yiqing capsules can not only clear heat from Qi aspect but also purge blood fire， serving as the representative prescription of clearing and purging for heat-toxin syndrome. Considering the industrial service system and enterprise innovation， the comprehensive innovation of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade B. Generally， this product does not require personalized treatment plans and features convenient supply， storage， transportation， policy publicity， drug information standards， and easy operation for medical care and patients. The Chinese patent medicine information was complete and in line with national standards， and thus the suitability of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade A. With a low price and good availability and affordability， the accessibility of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade A. The Yiqing capsules prescription， Sanhuang Xiexin decoction， originated from ancient medical books， with rich real-world studies， and thus the traditional Chinese medicine characteristics of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade C. ConclusionThe clinical value of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade B from the "6+1" dimensions， suggesting that it could be conditionally converted into the relevant policy results of basic clinical drug management according to the procedure.

Application of the plasmatrix in alveolar ridge preservation / 口腔疾病防治

@#After tooth extraction, significant absorption occurs in the soft and hard tissues of the alveolar ridge. The goal of alveolar ridge preservation is to maintain the volume and shape of the alveolar ridge's soft and hard tissues as much as possible so as to provide suitable conditions for implant placement. Currently, there are challenges in classifying the socket for alveolar ridge preservation, such as the difficulty in directly guiding the selection of graft materials and clinical procedures and the insufficient space for particle xenograft maintenance, resulting in poor bone regeneration. Plasmatrix is an autologous blood derivative that effectively enhances tissue regeneration. This article introduced the characteristics of soft and hard tissue defects after tooth extraction and the primary applications of plasmatrix for alveolar ridge preservation (liquid plasmatrix, solid plasmatrix membrane/plug, and plasmatrix bone blocks) as well as the proposed methods for the reclassification of sockets for alveolar ridge preservation based on soft and hard tissue defects at the extraction site to facilitate the creation of clinical recommendations. The proposed classifications are as follows: Class I, extraction socket without bone defect, with or without soft tissue defect; Class Ⅱ, extraction socket with bone defect, both sides with bone wall defect less than 50%, with or without soft tissue defect; Class Ⅲ, extraction socket with bone tissue defect, at least one side with bone wall defect greater than 50%, with or without soft tissue defect. For the Class I socket, a solid plasmatrix membrane or plug is inserted, followed by injection of liquid plasmatrix, using a double-layer solid plasmatrix membrane for socket closure; for the ClassⅡ socket, plasmatrix bone blocks are inserted, followed by injection of liquid plasmatrix and secondary solidification, using absorbable collagen membrane and double-layer solid plasmatrix membrane for socket closure; for the ClassⅢ socket, tenting screws are used to maintain height, followed by implantation of plasmatrix bone blocks, injection of liquid plasmatrix and secondary solidification, using absorbable collagen membrane and double-layer solid plasmatrix membrane for socket closure. The aim of this article is to provide comprehensive knowledge of plasmatrix for oral clinicians to serve as a reference to simplify the clinical decision-making process and procedures for alveolar ridge preservation.

Exploration of Decision-Making Methods Based on Syndrome Differentiation by “Data-Knowledge” Dual-Driven Models： A Case Study of Gastric Precancerous State / 中医杂志

Data analysis models may assist the transmission of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） experience and clinical diagnosis and treatment， and the possibility of constructing a “data-knowledge” dual-drive model was explored by taking gastric precancerous state as an example. Data-driven is to make clinical decisions around data analysis， and its syndrome-differentiation decision-making research relies on hidden structural models and partially observable Markov decision-making processes to identify the etiology of diseases， syndrome elements， evolution of pathogenesis， and syndrome differentiation protocols； knowledge-driven is to make use of data and information to promote decision-making and action processes， and its syndrome-differentiation decision-making research relies on convolutional neural networks to improve the accuracy of local disease identification and syndrome differentiation. The “data-knowledge” dual-driven model can make up for the shortcomings of single-drive numerical simulation accuracy， and achieve a balance between local disease identification and macroscopic syndrome differentiation. On the basis of previous research， we explored the construction method of diagnostic assisted decision-making platform for gastric precancerous state， and believed that the diagnostic and decision-making ability of doctors can be extended through the assistance of machines and algorithms. Meanwhile， the related research methods were integrated and the core features of gastric precancerous state based on TCM syndrome differentiation and endoscopic pathology diagnosis and prediction were obtained， and the elements of endoscopic pathology recognition based on TCM syndrome differentiation were explored， so as to provide ideas for the in-depth research and innovative application of cutting-edge data analysis technology in the field of intelligent TCM syndrome differentiation.

Risk of false conformity decisions due to measurement uncertainty of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient: A multiparametric evaluation

Abstract Medicines must be subject to physical, chemical, and biological analysis to guarantee their quality, safety, and effectiveness. Despite the efforts to ensure the reliability of analytical results, some uncertainty will always be associated with the measured value, which can lead to false decisions regarding conformity/non-conformity assessment. This work aims to calculate the specific risk of false decisions regarding conformity/non-conformity of acetaminophen oral solution dosage form. The acetaminophen samples from five different manufacturers (A, B, C, D, and E) were subject to an active pharmaceutical ingredient assay, density test, and dose per drop test according to the official compendia. Based on measured values and their respective uncertainties, the risk values were calculated using the Monte Carlo method implemented in an MS Excel spreadsheet. The results for two acetaminophen oral solution samples (C and D) provided an increased total risk value of false acceptance (33.1% and 9.6% for C and D, respectively). On the other hand, the results for the other three acetaminophen samples (A, B, and E) provided a negligible risk of false acceptance (0.004%, 0.025%, and 0.045% for A, B, and E, respectively). This indicates that measurement uncertainty is very relevant when a conformity assessment is carried out, and information on the risks of false decisions is essential to ensure proper decisions.