The Life Quality and Sexual Function of Women Underwent Radical Hysterectomy.

BACKGROUND: Up to date, there no studies were conducted on the quality of life (QL) and sexual function (SF) of women from Kazakhstan treated for cervical cancer. The study was aimed at the assessment of the QL and SF of women of the Kazakh population who underwent radical hysterectomy compared with chemo-radiotherapy group. METHODS: The study was conducted prospectively on 157 women of the Kazakh population. 92 women underwent radical hysterectomy (RH) and 65 underwent chemo-radiotherapy (CRT). The information was collected before treatment (T1), 6 months (T2) and 12 months (T3) after treatment. RESULTS: The women's average age was 41.12 ± 5.4 in the RH group and 47.24 ± 6.1 in the CRT group (p = 0.2). We did not detect significant differences between both groups according to the QLQ C-30 questionnaire (T1). The differences between the RH and CRT groups (p≤0,05) were observed in terms of physical functioning, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain during the T2 period. High rates of emotional functioning (p = 0.03), global health and QL (p = 0.02), and symptoms of fatigue (p = 0.04) were detected in the RH group compared to the CRT group during T3. However, pain symptoms (p = 0.001), nausea and vomiting and loss of appetite (p = 0.03) were dominated the CRT group. According to the results of FSFI-6 in the RH group, indicators for the domains "desire" (p = 0.02), "excitement" (p = 0.03), and "orgasm" (p = 0.05) were high, unlike in the CRT group during the T3 period. Nevertheless, the number of complains on the 'pain during intercourse' in the CRT group was higher than in the RH group (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Women who underwent RH had better health scores, global health status, and SF compared with patients treated with CRT.

The Recent Progress and Applications of Digital Technologies in Healthcare: A Review.

BACKGROUND: The implementation of medical digital technologies can provide better accessibility and flexibility of healthcare for the public. It encompasses the availability of open information on the health, treatment, complications, and recent progress on biomedical research. At present, even in low-income countries, diagnostic and medical services are becoming more accessible and available. However, many issues related to digital health technologies remain unmet, including the reliability, safety, testing, and ethical aspects. PURPOSE: The aim of the review is to discuss and analyze the recent progress on the application of big data, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, block-chain platforms, smart devices in healthcare, and medical education. Basic Design. The publication search was carried out using Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Sciences, Medline, Wiley Online Library, and CrossRef databases. The review highlights the applications of artificial intelligence, "big data," telemedicine and block-chain technologies, and smart devices (internet of things) for solving the real problems in healthcare and medical education. Major Findings. We identified 252 papers related to the digital health area. However, the number of papers discussed in the review was limited to 152 due to the exclusion criteria. The literature search demonstrated that digital health technologies became highly sought due to recent pandemics, including COVID-19. The disastrous dissemination of COVID-19 through all continents triggered the need for fast and effective solutions to localize, manage, and treat the viral infection. In this regard, the use of telemedicine and other e-health technologies might help to lessen the pressure on healthcare systems. Summary. Digital platforms can help optimize diagnosis, consulting, and treatment of patients. However, due to the lack of official regulations and recommendations, the stakeholders, including private and governmental organizations, are facing the problem with adequate validation and approbation of novel digital health technologies. In this regard, proper scientific research is required before a digital product is deployed for the healthcare sector.