Pub Date : 2022-04-01DOI: 10.1177/20101058221106282
Z. Lim, C. W. Liu, D. Chan
Background Hip fracture is a common reason for elderly admission to hospital and majority of patients will require a hip fixation surgery. Pain originating from a hip fracture is usually severe and the need to improve comfort is paramount, especially before the hip fixation surgery because severe pain results in unnecessary stress response such as catecholamines release, tachycardia and hypertension. This worsens outcomes, increases risk of complications such as myocardial ischaemia, strokes, pulmonary embolus or deep vein thrombosis. Multimodal systemic analgesia has been shown to be effective in reducing pain in hip fractures but the associated side effects and contraindications have accelerated the adoption of nerve blocks in the peri-operative management of hip fracture patients. 1 As a result, this has been increasingly recognised as a important component of the hip fracture pathway (as part of a multimodal approach for analgesia) and many hospitals have protocols to perform various interventional therapies (various nerve blocks) for newly admitted patients with hip fracture to alleviate pain immediately and potentially provide intra and post-operative analgesia. Objective The aim of this review is to elucidate the various interventional therapies currently available (including pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block which was first described in 2018), their evidence and the pros and cons. Methods We reviewed the latest evidence for femoral nerve block (FNB), 3-in-1 block, lumbar plexus block (LPB), fascia iliaca block (FIB), erector spinae plane block (ESPB) and pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block. Results and conclusion Each block has its pros and cons, as discussed in this review article. The procedurist should deliberate these considerations before deciding which block is most appropriate.
{"title":"Interventional therapies for management of hip fracture pain peri-operatively: A review article","authors":"Z. Lim, C. W. Liu, D. Chan","doi":"10.1177/20101058221106282","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058221106282","url":null,"abstract":"Background Hip fracture is a common reason for elderly admission to hospital and majority of patients will require a hip fixation surgery. Pain originating from a hip fracture is usually severe and the need to improve comfort is paramount, especially before the hip fixation surgery because severe pain results in unnecessary stress response such as catecholamines release, tachycardia and hypertension. This worsens outcomes, increases risk of complications such as myocardial ischaemia, strokes, pulmonary embolus or deep vein thrombosis. Multimodal systemic analgesia has been shown to be effective in reducing pain in hip fractures but the associated side effects and contraindications have accelerated the adoption of nerve blocks in the peri-operative management of hip fracture patients. 1 As a result, this has been increasingly recognised as a important component of the hip fracture pathway (as part of a multimodal approach for analgesia) and many hospitals have protocols to perform various interventional therapies (various nerve blocks) for newly admitted patients with hip fracture to alleviate pain immediately and potentially provide intra and post-operative analgesia. Objective The aim of this review is to elucidate the various interventional therapies currently available (including pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block which was first described in 2018), their evidence and the pros and cons. Methods We reviewed the latest evidence for femoral nerve block (FNB), 3-in-1 block, lumbar plexus block (LPB), fascia iliaca block (FIB), erector spinae plane block (ESPB) and pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block. Results and conclusion Each block has its pros and cons, as discussed in this review article. The procedurist should deliberate these considerations before deciding which block is most appropriate.","PeriodicalId":44685,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47926068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-01DOI: 10.1177/20101058221103371
Sophie Su Hui Khoo, A. Yii
Eosinophilic bronchiolitis (EB) is a rare disease that may mimic or coexist with asthma, but EB typically fails to improve with guideline-based asthma treatments. A 52-year-old man presented with wheezing and shortness of breath for 5 months. He was found to have elevated peripheral blood eosinophils and moderately severe airflow obstruction but did not improve with high-dose inhaled corticosteroids in combination with long-acting beta2-agonist and long-acting muscarinic antagonist. Computed tomography revealed diffuse and widespread “tree-in-bud” changes. Transbronchial lung biopsy demonstrated eosinophilic bronchiolitis. The patient improved with a prolonged course of systemic corticosteroids. EB is distinguished from eosinophilic asthma by the presence of florid bronchiolitis on radiologic imaging or histopathology. The mainstay of treatment is systemic corticosteroids, with a possible role for biologics.
{"title":"More Than Asthma: A Case Report of Eosinophilic Bronchiolitis","authors":"Sophie Su Hui Khoo, A. Yii","doi":"10.1177/20101058221103371","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058221103371","url":null,"abstract":"Eosinophilic bronchiolitis (EB) is a rare disease that may mimic or coexist with asthma, but EB typically fails to improve with guideline-based asthma treatments. A 52-year-old man presented with wheezing and shortness of breath for 5 months. He was found to have elevated peripheral blood eosinophils and moderately severe airflow obstruction but did not improve with high-dose inhaled corticosteroids in combination with long-acting beta2-agonist and long-acting muscarinic antagonist. Computed tomography revealed diffuse and widespread “tree-in-bud” changes. Transbronchial lung biopsy demonstrated eosinophilic bronchiolitis. The patient improved with a prolonged course of systemic corticosteroids. EB is distinguished from eosinophilic asthma by the presence of florid bronchiolitis on radiologic imaging or histopathology. The mainstay of treatment is systemic corticosteroids, with a possible role for biologics.","PeriodicalId":44685,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42119054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-22DOI: 10.1177/20101058221083393
Vanessa YJ Tan, Edward ZY Zhang, PS Leem, Deepak D'Souza, Huihua Li, SW Teng, Gopal Krishna S, B. Ong, B. Tan
Background CI in SSD strives to restore binaural hearing. With normal acoustic hearing on one ear, the benefits of rehabilitating the deaf ear with an implant are not well established. Objectives We investigate audiologic and quality-of-life measures, and long-term usage patterns of cochlear implantation (CI) in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) Methods Eight patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss of less than 5-year duration were recruited. Pure tone average (PTA), speech discrimination score (SDS), hearing-in-noise test (HINT), tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), quality-of-life speech spatial qualities (SSQ) scale tests were performed before, and one-year after CI. Long-term usage of CI four-years post-operatively was determined. Results The median PTA of the deaf ear was 96 dBHL (IQR = 90–120) before, and 30 dBHL (IQR = 27–33) after CI (p = 0.0156). SDS improved from median of 0% (IQR = 0–3) to 33% (IQR = 24–58) (p = 0.0360). Median signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), particularly of the S0Nbetter setting of HINT showed improvement from 6.4 dB (IQR = 5.7–7) to 0.9 dB (IQR = −2.25–6.2) (p = 0.1094). Despite median THI improving from 24 (IQR = 6–47) to 4 (IQR = 2–7) (p = 0.1563), two patients experienced worsening of tinnitus. SSQ scores in all subscales showed modest improvement not approaching significance. 5 of 8 (62%) patients stopped using their implant four years after surgery. Conclusion Despite improved audiologic and tinnitus outcome measures, our patients’ SDS remained in non-serviceable range, while quality-of-life measures showed only modest improvement. Majority of our patients stopped using their implant four years post-surgery. Our study suggests that objective measurable benefits of CI in SSD may not translate to actual patient perceived benefits.
{"title":"Audiologic and patient perceived benefit in cochlear implantation for single-sided deafness","authors":"Vanessa YJ Tan, Edward ZY Zhang, PS Leem, Deepak D'Souza, Huihua Li, SW Teng, Gopal Krishna S, B. Ong, B. Tan","doi":"10.1177/20101058221083393","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058221083393","url":null,"abstract":"Background CI in SSD strives to restore binaural hearing. With normal acoustic hearing on one ear, the benefits of rehabilitating the deaf ear with an implant are not well established. Objectives We investigate audiologic and quality-of-life measures, and long-term usage patterns of cochlear implantation (CI) in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) Methods Eight patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss of less than 5-year duration were recruited. Pure tone average (PTA), speech discrimination score (SDS), hearing-in-noise test (HINT), tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), quality-of-life speech spatial qualities (SSQ) scale tests were performed before, and one-year after CI. Long-term usage of CI four-years post-operatively was determined. Results The median PTA of the deaf ear was 96 dBHL (IQR = 90–120) before, and 30 dBHL (IQR = 27–33) after CI (p = 0.0156). SDS improved from median of 0% (IQR = 0–3) to 33% (IQR = 24–58) (p = 0.0360). Median signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), particularly of the S0Nbetter setting of HINT showed improvement from 6.4 dB (IQR = 5.7–7) to 0.9 dB (IQR = −2.25–6.2) (p = 0.1094). Despite median THI improving from 24 (IQR = 6–47) to 4 (IQR = 2–7) (p = 0.1563), two patients experienced worsening of tinnitus. SSQ scores in all subscales showed modest improvement not approaching significance. 5 of 8 (62%) patients stopped using their implant four years after surgery. Conclusion Despite improved audiologic and tinnitus outcome measures, our patients’ SDS remained in non-serviceable range, while quality-of-life measures showed only modest improvement. Majority of our patients stopped using their implant four years post-surgery. Our study suggests that objective measurable benefits of CI in SSD may not translate to actual patient perceived benefits.","PeriodicalId":44685,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45110788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-12DOI: 10.1177/20101058221085743
Siti NA Ismail, I. Abdul Halim Zaki, Z. Noordin, Nur Sabiha Md Hussin, L. Ming, H. Zulkifly
Background Age and multiple comorbidities have been reported to influence the case fatality rate of COVID-19 worldwide, so also in Malaysia; however, to date, no scientific study among the local population has been published to confirm this. This study aimed to determine the overall demographics and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 non-survivors in Malaysia, stratified by age (< 65 vs. ≥ 65 years old). The mortality was also compared between two half-year periods: March–August 2020 and September 2020–March 2021. Method Daily reports containing demographics and medical history of COVID-19 non-survivors from March 2020 to March 2021 were obtained from the Malaysian Ministry of Health website. All information was extracted retrospectively and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS. Results Of 1192 COVID-19 non-survivors, the overall mean (SD) age was 64.8 (15.7) years, with 64.7% male. Death was seen mostly among 50- to 64-year-olds (33.1%) and 65- to 74-year-olds (24.8%). The presence of underlying hypertension (61.8%) and diabetes mellitus (48.2%) were the most common comorbid diseases encountered in the COVID-19 non-survivors. Underlying hypertension, stroke, heart disease and dyslipidaemia were significantly higher among COVID-19 non-survivors who were ≥ 65 years old compared to those < 65 (p < 0.05). Mortality was a lot higher in September 2020–March 2021 compared to March 2020–August 2020 (91.3% vs. 8.3%). Conclusion Older age, male gender and the presence of multimorbidity (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stroke and heart disease) are risk factors that contribute to mortality due to COVID-19 in Malaysia, especially among those ≥ 65 years old.
{"title":"Clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality in patients with COVID-19: A retrospective nationwide study in Malaysia","authors":"Siti NA Ismail, I. Abdul Halim Zaki, Z. Noordin, Nur Sabiha Md Hussin, L. Ming, H. Zulkifly","doi":"10.1177/20101058221085743","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058221085743","url":null,"abstract":"Background Age and multiple comorbidities have been reported to influence the case fatality rate of COVID-19 worldwide, so also in Malaysia; however, to date, no scientific study among the local population has been published to confirm this. This study aimed to determine the overall demographics and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 non-survivors in Malaysia, stratified by age (< 65 vs. ≥ 65 years old). The mortality was also compared between two half-year periods: March–August 2020 and September 2020–March 2021. Method Daily reports containing demographics and medical history of COVID-19 non-survivors from March 2020 to March 2021 were obtained from the Malaysian Ministry of Health website. All information was extracted retrospectively and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS. Results Of 1192 COVID-19 non-survivors, the overall mean (SD) age was 64.8 (15.7) years, with 64.7% male. Death was seen mostly among 50- to 64-year-olds (33.1%) and 65- to 74-year-olds (24.8%). The presence of underlying hypertension (61.8%) and diabetes mellitus (48.2%) were the most common comorbid diseases encountered in the COVID-19 non-survivors. Underlying hypertension, stroke, heart disease and dyslipidaemia were significantly higher among COVID-19 non-survivors who were ≥ 65 years old compared to those < 65 (p < 0.05). Mortality was a lot higher in September 2020–March 2021 compared to March 2020–August 2020 (91.3% vs. 8.3%). Conclusion Older age, male gender and the presence of multimorbidity (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stroke and heart disease) are risk factors that contribute to mortality due to COVID-19 in Malaysia, especially among those ≥ 65 years old.","PeriodicalId":44685,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45105148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-02-25DOI: 10.1177/20101058221077792
Khim Siong Ng, Bandy Qiuling Goh, W. Tang, Angela Wing Yan Lee, Samantha Lee, K. H. Koh, Mitesh Shah
Background Primary care staff do not provide consistent education on musculoskeletal pain management to patients in accordance with the recommendations of clinical practice guidelines. We have developed a concise online learning program to bridge this gap. Objectives To investigate (1) the effectiveness of 1-hour musculoskeletal pain neurophysiology education program conducted by a physiotherapist on primary care staff; (2) the correlation between demographic factors of staff and the interdisciplinary learning performances. Methods We piloted a multicenter single-blind prospective study on sixty-four staff from the pharmacy department in eight public primary care clinics. Participants in the intervention group attended the 1-hour online program compared to a control group. The Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) to assess learning and the 10-point Likert scale program evaluation form to assess learning reaction of participants after the program were used. Results The participants reacted positively to the online learning program. The intervention group significantly improved in their musculoskeletal pain knowledge by a greater mean NPQ score difference 2.39 (p < 0.001) compared with the control group. There were poor correlations between the demographic factors and their learning. Conclusion The pilot study shows that primary care staff may still utilize a biomedical approach in managing musculoskeletal pain. The improvement in knowledge demonstrates that short online programs could be a valuable part of interdisciplinary education in primary care because it is easily accessible by healthcare professionals and can benefit other healthcare staff regardless of their background.
{"title":"Can a Brief Online Interdisciplinary Program Enhance the Understanding of Musculoskeletal Pain amongst Primary Care Staff? A Prospective Study","authors":"Khim Siong Ng, Bandy Qiuling Goh, W. Tang, Angela Wing Yan Lee, Samantha Lee, K. H. Koh, Mitesh Shah","doi":"10.1177/20101058221077792","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058221077792","url":null,"abstract":"Background Primary care staff do not provide consistent education on musculoskeletal pain management to patients in accordance with the recommendations of clinical practice guidelines. We have developed a concise online learning program to bridge this gap. Objectives To investigate (1) the effectiveness of 1-hour musculoskeletal pain neurophysiology education program conducted by a physiotherapist on primary care staff; (2) the correlation between demographic factors of staff and the interdisciplinary learning performances. Methods We piloted a multicenter single-blind prospective study on sixty-four staff from the pharmacy department in eight public primary care clinics. Participants in the intervention group attended the 1-hour online program compared to a control group. The Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) to assess learning and the 10-point Likert scale program evaluation form to assess learning reaction of participants after the program were used. Results The participants reacted positively to the online learning program. The intervention group significantly improved in their musculoskeletal pain knowledge by a greater mean NPQ score difference 2.39 (p < 0.001) compared with the control group. There were poor correlations between the demographic factors and their learning. Conclusion The pilot study shows that primary care staff may still utilize a biomedical approach in managing musculoskeletal pain. The improvement in knowledge demonstrates that short online programs could be a valuable part of interdisciplinary education in primary care because it is easily accessible by healthcare professionals and can benefit other healthcare staff regardless of their background.","PeriodicalId":44685,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43297749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-02-23DOI: 10.1177/20101058221074120
Christine H Chua, Ferlin CL Seow, Florence MA Tang, Li Mei. Lim
Background The use of telepractice as an alternate method of delivering healthcare to people increased significantly after COVID-19 became a global pandemic. Objectives This study aimed to identify factors contributing to the accelerated adoption of telepractice during COVID-19 in Singapore. It also sought to examine whether there are differences in the perspectives of staff in nursing facilities and caregivers in personal homes towards telepractice. Methods A cross-sectional mixed method design was used. A survey with 20 items was adapted from the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire and translated into Mandarin. Anonymous responses were obtained from 70 patients and caregivers who had received speech therapy services via telepractice from a restructured hospital before and/or during Singapore’s Circuit Breaker period. Analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results Sociodemographic variables of age, gender, education level and language preference did not impact user satisfaction and the likelihood of using telepractice again. Service-related factors were more influential. Participants chose to use telepractice as it saved travelling time (24.0%), was easy to use (19.3%), improved healthcare access (17.5%) and reduced waiting time (17.5%). Although all respondents expressed satisfaction in telepractice, 35.5% from personal homes and 37.5% from nursing facilities were not keen to use it again. Amongst caregivers, 26.7% from personal homes and 37.5% from nursing facilities preferred not to continue telepractice use. Technical and logistical disruptions and the lack of ‘personal touch’ were contributing factors. Conclusion Improving technological infrastructure, providing training for users and developing guidelines would help sustain telepractice as a form of service delivery beyond COVID-19.
{"title":"Factors affecting telepractice use in COVID-19","authors":"Christine H Chua, Ferlin CL Seow, Florence MA Tang, Li Mei. Lim","doi":"10.1177/20101058221074120","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058221074120","url":null,"abstract":"Background The use of telepractice as an alternate method of delivering healthcare to people increased significantly after COVID-19 became a global pandemic. Objectives This study aimed to identify factors contributing to the accelerated adoption of telepractice during COVID-19 in Singapore. It also sought to examine whether there are differences in the perspectives of staff in nursing facilities and caregivers in personal homes towards telepractice. Methods A cross-sectional mixed method design was used. A survey with 20 items was adapted from the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire and translated into Mandarin. Anonymous responses were obtained from 70 patients and caregivers who had received speech therapy services via telepractice from a restructured hospital before and/or during Singapore’s Circuit Breaker period. Analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results Sociodemographic variables of age, gender, education level and language preference did not impact user satisfaction and the likelihood of using telepractice again. Service-related factors were more influential. Participants chose to use telepractice as it saved travelling time (24.0%), was easy to use (19.3%), improved healthcare access (17.5%) and reduced waiting time (17.5%). Although all respondents expressed satisfaction in telepractice, 35.5% from personal homes and 37.5% from nursing facilities were not keen to use it again. Amongst caregivers, 26.7% from personal homes and 37.5% from nursing facilities preferred not to continue telepractice use. Technical and logistical disruptions and the lack of ‘personal touch’ were contributing factors. Conclusion Improving technological infrastructure, providing training for users and developing guidelines would help sustain telepractice as a form of service delivery beyond COVID-19.","PeriodicalId":44685,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48783393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-02-22DOI: 10.1177/20101058211068602
Junpei E Siak, F. Yong, Jintana Tang, C. Choo
Background This hospital-based art-making support group for female adult cancer patients was set up in 2009. Participants meet weekly for art and craft activities, which are facilitated by a psychiatrist. The group is open-ended and participation is voluntary. There are currently around 150 participants in total. Objectives This qualitative study explores patient experiences in a hospital-based art-making support group. Methods 15 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted. The participants were all female, predominantly Chinese Singaporean, and had been diagnosed with either breast cancer or a gynaecological cancer. A constructivist phenomenological research paradigm was adopted. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify, analyse and report patterns in the data. Results Three overarching themes and corresponding subthemes were identified: Benefits and challenges of journeying through cancer as a group (supporting one another, maturing relationships, interpersonal conflict, death and illness in the group), increased personal well-being (increased emotional well-being, personal growth and reduced social isolation) and going beyond group-based art-making (value of non-art-making activities, artistic development beyond the group). Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that art-making support groups may enhance the emotional, psychological and social well-being of patients with cancer. The group experience has provided participants with emotional, informational and experiential support, though participants cited the need to accept interpersonal conflict and grief over fellow participants’ illness and death. Potential areas for future study include the impact of interpersonal dynamics on cancer support groups, the impact of cultural factors on participants’ interactions and the skills required of group facilitators to manage conflict, grief and anxiety amongst participants.
{"title":"Patient experiences in an art-making cancer support group: A qualitative study","authors":"Junpei E Siak, F. Yong, Jintana Tang, C. Choo","doi":"10.1177/20101058211068602","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058211068602","url":null,"abstract":"Background This hospital-based art-making support group for female adult cancer patients was set up in 2009. Participants meet weekly for art and craft activities, which are facilitated by a psychiatrist. The group is open-ended and participation is voluntary. There are currently around 150 participants in total. Objectives This qualitative study explores patient experiences in a hospital-based art-making support group. Methods 15 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted. The participants were all female, predominantly Chinese Singaporean, and had been diagnosed with either breast cancer or a gynaecological cancer. A constructivist phenomenological research paradigm was adopted. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify, analyse and report patterns in the data. Results Three overarching themes and corresponding subthemes were identified: Benefits and challenges of journeying through cancer as a group (supporting one another, maturing relationships, interpersonal conflict, death and illness in the group), increased personal well-being (increased emotional well-being, personal growth and reduced social isolation) and going beyond group-based art-making (value of non-art-making activities, artistic development beyond the group). Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that art-making support groups may enhance the emotional, psychological and social well-being of patients with cancer. The group experience has provided participants with emotional, informational and experiential support, though participants cited the need to accept interpersonal conflict and grief over fellow participants’ illness and death. Potential areas for future study include the impact of interpersonal dynamics on cancer support groups, the impact of cultural factors on participants’ interactions and the skills required of group facilitators to manage conflict, grief and anxiety amongst participants.","PeriodicalId":44685,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47296166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-02-22DOI: 10.1177/20101058221077797
Felicia Rustandy, Foo Y Yann, S. Compton
Background The clinical education of medical students relies on having direct patient experiences, which can be challenging when the patient population speaks multiple languages. In Singapore, students regularly encounter patients with whom they do not speak the same language. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the role of student–patient language discordance (SPLD) on students’ clinical education experience. Methods In this sequential mixed-methods study, medical students who have completed at least 1 year of clinical education at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore were asked to complete an online survey to obtain their self-reported language proficiency in local languages, experiences interacting with patients who do not speak English, and perceptions of the impact on clinical learning. A follow-up interview with selected participants was conducted. Results Overall, 35.9% of eligible students responded to the survey. Demographic analysis of respondents adequately represented the school’s overall student population. Non-Mandarin-speaking respondents reported that learning medicine in a multilingual environment negatively impacts clinical learning due to significantly more frequent challenges to clerking patients and feeling hindered from learning from doctors due to language barriers. However, no difference was observed in the performance on clinical exams of the three groups. Qualitative interviews uncovered possible reasons for the confounding results and two interrelated themes that highlight clinical learning experiences and challenges in a multilingual environment. Conclusion Students perceive SPLD as a hindrance toward their clinical education experience. Follow-up interviews uncovered the quandary of using translators and how language discordance impacts student’s professional identity formation.
{"title":"Language Discordance Between Students and Patients: Impact on Clinical Learning","authors":"Felicia Rustandy, Foo Y Yann, S. Compton","doi":"10.1177/20101058221077797","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058221077797","url":null,"abstract":"Background The clinical education of medical students relies on having direct patient experiences, which can be challenging when the patient population speaks multiple languages. In Singapore, students regularly encounter patients with whom they do not speak the same language. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the role of student–patient language discordance (SPLD) on students’ clinical education experience. Methods In this sequential mixed-methods study, medical students who have completed at least 1 year of clinical education at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore were asked to complete an online survey to obtain their self-reported language proficiency in local languages, experiences interacting with patients who do not speak English, and perceptions of the impact on clinical learning. A follow-up interview with selected participants was conducted. Results Overall, 35.9% of eligible students responded to the survey. Demographic analysis of respondents adequately represented the school’s overall student population. Non-Mandarin-speaking respondents reported that learning medicine in a multilingual environment negatively impacts clinical learning due to significantly more frequent challenges to clerking patients and feeling hindered from learning from doctors due to language barriers. However, no difference was observed in the performance on clinical exams of the three groups. Qualitative interviews uncovered possible reasons for the confounding results and two interrelated themes that highlight clinical learning experiences and challenges in a multilingual environment. Conclusion Students perceive SPLD as a hindrance toward their clinical education experience. Follow-up interviews uncovered the quandary of using translators and how language discordance impacts student’s professional identity formation.","PeriodicalId":44685,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49616917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-02-10DOI: 10.1177/20101058211055306
Jyothirmayi Velaga, Sonia Shu Yi Lee, Nguyen Tuan Anh Tran, Bimal Mayur Kumar Vora, L. T. Cheng
Background Survival Radiology (SR) is a flagship annual full-day in-person radiology workshop targeted at final year medical students in Singapore to prepare them for internship. Previous in-person editions have consistently received positive reviews from 2014 to 2019. However, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid online pivot for its sixth edition in 2020. Objectives This study aims to (a) identify key success factors of a traditional in-person medical student radiology workshop, (b) describe the rapid online pivot in 2020 and (c) to identify key success factors for online educational initiatives. Methods Post-workshop survey responses of SR from 2014 to 2020 were evaluated. Likert-scale data were quantitatively analysed, while free-text responses were qualitatively analysed. Results A total of 1248 post-workshop surveys (2014–2020 workshops) and 266 free-text responses (2020 workshop) were received from 2640 participants over the years. Progressive changes that sustained or improved participant feedback for in-person SR workshops included adoption of a case-based approach, utility of ‘live’ audience response systems and incorporation of quizzes with a favourable overall feedback rating of 4.42–4.89 from 2014 to 2019. The webinar version of SR in 2020 became the best-rated edition since inception with a rating of 4.9. Qualitative analysis of feedback from SR 2020 showed that the participants preferred the webinar model, online modes of engagement and interactivity. Conclusion Our experience shows that it is not only possible to successfully pivot online for such workshops, but that blended educational formats utilising online engagements supplemented by in-person activities will be well-received by ‘Generation Z’ learners even after the COVID-19 pandemic.
{"title":"Survival Radiology: How a popular in-person interactive medical student radiology workshop pivoted online during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Jyothirmayi Velaga, Sonia Shu Yi Lee, Nguyen Tuan Anh Tran, Bimal Mayur Kumar Vora, L. T. Cheng","doi":"10.1177/20101058211055306","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058211055306","url":null,"abstract":"Background Survival Radiology (SR) is a flagship annual full-day in-person radiology workshop targeted at final year medical students in Singapore to prepare them for internship. Previous in-person editions have consistently received positive reviews from 2014 to 2019. However, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid online pivot for its sixth edition in 2020. Objectives This study aims to (a) identify key success factors of a traditional in-person medical student radiology workshop, (b) describe the rapid online pivot in 2020 and (c) to identify key success factors for online educational initiatives. Methods Post-workshop survey responses of SR from 2014 to 2020 were evaluated. Likert-scale data were quantitatively analysed, while free-text responses were qualitatively analysed. Results A total of 1248 post-workshop surveys (2014–2020 workshops) and 266 free-text responses (2020 workshop) were received from 2640 participants over the years. Progressive changes that sustained or improved participant feedback for in-person SR workshops included adoption of a case-based approach, utility of ‘live’ audience response systems and incorporation of quizzes with a favourable overall feedback rating of 4.42–4.89 from 2014 to 2019. The webinar version of SR in 2020 became the best-rated edition since inception with a rating of 4.9. Qualitative analysis of feedback from SR 2020 showed that the participants preferred the webinar model, online modes of engagement and interactivity. Conclusion Our experience shows that it is not only possible to successfully pivot online for such workshops, but that blended educational formats utilising online engagements supplemented by in-person activities will be well-received by ‘Generation Z’ learners even after the COVID-19 pandemic.","PeriodicalId":44685,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41940177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-17DOI: 10.1177/20101058211068589
Gabriel Wai Mun Ou, Marcus Jun Hui Ng, C. Ng, Hwee Kuan Ong, Balachandran Jayachandran, V. Palanichamy
Background The roles of physiotherapy in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) have significantly developed from the traditional management of respiratory conditions to early rehabilitation and mobilisation of patients on mechanical ventilation. Surveys of United Kingdom, Australia and regional ICU physiotherapy practice have been published but there are no local data sets. This study aims to report the physiotherapy practices across the adult ICUs of Singapore. Methods Twenty-nine item questionnaire was mailed to 90 physiotherapists working in 15 adult ICUs across restructured and private hospitals in Singapore. Data sets were summarised from the returned questionnaires. This includes identifying common physiotherapy techniques and exercise prescription protocols for both mechanically and non-mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU. Results A total of 63 (70%) questionnaires were returned. The most used physiotherapy interventions were airway secretion clearance, techniques to improve lung ventilation and mobilisation out of bed. Positioning was most used respiratory technique (60/61, 98%). Sitting on the edge of bed is the most preferred physical activity for ICU patients (43/44, 98%). Exercise was routinely prescribed (50/61, 83%) although only a minority (8/50, 16%) have established exercise prescription protocols. For mechanically ventilated patients, active/active assisted exercises were most used (40/44, 91%). 12% of ICU use either Chelsea Critical Care Physical Assessment Tool or the Functional Status Score for the Intensive Care Unit as routine outcome measures. Conclusion Airway clearance was stated as the most used physiotherapy technique. Exercise is routinely prescribed in ICU. Validated outcome measures are only used by few.
{"title":"Physiotherapy Practice Pattern in the Adult Intensive Care Units of Singapore – A Multi-Centre Survey","authors":"Gabriel Wai Mun Ou, Marcus Jun Hui Ng, C. Ng, Hwee Kuan Ong, Balachandran Jayachandran, V. Palanichamy","doi":"10.1177/20101058211068589","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058211068589","url":null,"abstract":"Background The roles of physiotherapy in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) have significantly developed from the traditional management of respiratory conditions to early rehabilitation and mobilisation of patients on mechanical ventilation. Surveys of United Kingdom, Australia and regional ICU physiotherapy practice have been published but there are no local data sets. This study aims to report the physiotherapy practices across the adult ICUs of Singapore. Methods Twenty-nine item questionnaire was mailed to 90 physiotherapists working in 15 adult ICUs across restructured and private hospitals in Singapore. Data sets were summarised from the returned questionnaires. This includes identifying common physiotherapy techniques and exercise prescription protocols for both mechanically and non-mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU. Results A total of 63 (70%) questionnaires were returned. The most used physiotherapy interventions were airway secretion clearance, techniques to improve lung ventilation and mobilisation out of bed. Positioning was most used respiratory technique (60/61, 98%). Sitting on the edge of bed is the most preferred physical activity for ICU patients (43/44, 98%). Exercise was routinely prescribed (50/61, 83%) although only a minority (8/50, 16%) have established exercise prescription protocols. For mechanically ventilated patients, active/active assisted exercises were most used (40/44, 91%). 12% of ICU use either Chelsea Critical Care Physical Assessment Tool or the Functional Status Score for the Intensive Care Unit as routine outcome measures. Conclusion Airway clearance was stated as the most used physiotherapy technique. Exercise is routinely prescribed in ICU. Validated outcome measures are only used by few.","PeriodicalId":44685,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43785292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}