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The Puerto Rico Plain Pigeon Patagioenas inornata wetmorei suffered a severe population decline after hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. We used distance sampling to estimate abundance (density and population size) in April–June 1986−2024, accounting for changes in detection probability. We used the distance-sampling abundance estimates to populate a Bayesian state–space logistic model and update posterior estimates of population carrying capacity, maximum population growth rate, population recovery time, and predicted abundance in April–June 2025−2034, accounting for observation and process variances. In addition, we used predicted abundance to assess potential extinction risk (probability Pr[N2025−2034 = 0|data]), population self-sustainability above 5,000 individuals (Pr[N2025−2034 >5,000|data]), and population surpassing the 2.5th percentile of carrying capacity (Pr[N2025−2034 >30,000|data]). The population has not recovered from the hurricanes, with estimated density averaging 0.0015 individuals/ha (bootstrapped standard error [SE] = 0.0006) and population size averaging 1,097 individuals (SE = 455) at the 749,000-ha survey region in April–June 2018−2024. Posterior mean estimates were 41,580 individuals (Markov Chain Monte Carlo standard deviation [SD] = 8,052) for population carrying capacity, 0.183 (SD = 0.056) for maximum population growth rate, six years (SD = 2) for recovery time, and 7,173 individuals (SD = 12,309) for predicted abundance in April–June 2025−2034. The population may reach self-sustainability levels (range Pr[N2025−2034 >5,000|data] = 0.326−0.631) but currently is undergoing a prolonged bottleneck and may become extinct (range Pr[N2025−2034 = 0|data] = 0.199−0.332), particularly if reproduction continues to be mostly unsuccessful, anthropogenic disturbances remain unabated, and on top of that another devastating hurricane makes landfall during the next 10 years. The Puerto Rico Plain Pigeon subspecies is in urgent need of management aiming to increase and maintain abundance above 5,000 individuals but preferably surpassing the 2.5th percentile of population carrying capacity as in the late 1990s (range Pr[N2025−2034 >30,000|data] = 0.000−0.181).
This paper reports the methods and preliminary findings of Germina, an ongoing cohort study to identify biomarkers and trajectories of executive functions and language development in the first 3 years of life. 557 mother-infant dyads (mean age of mothers 33.7 years, 65.2% white, 48.7% male infants) have undergone baseline and are currently collecting data for other timepoints. A linear regression was used to predict baseline Bayley-III using scores derived from data-driven sparse partial least squares utilizing a multiple holdout framework of 15 domains. Significant associations were found between socioeconomic/demographic characteristics (B = 0.29), epigenetics (B = 0.11), EEG theta (B = 0.14) and beta activity (B = 0.11), and microbiome functional pathways (B = 0.08) domains, and infant development measured by the Bayley-III at T1, suggesting potential interventions to prevent impairments.
Communities of swimming microorganisms often thrive near liquid–air interfaces. We study how such ‘active carpets’ shape their aquatic environment by driving biogenic transport in the water column beneath them. The hydrodynamic stirring that active carpets generate leads to diffusive upward fluxes of nutrients from deeper water layers, and downward fluxes of oxygen and carbon. Combining analytical theory and simulations, we examine the biogenic transport by studying fundamental metrics, including the single and pair diffusivity, the first passage time for particle pair encounters and the rate of particle aggregation. Our findings reveal that the hydrodynamic fluctuations driven by active carpets have a region of influence that reaches orders of magnitude further in distance than the size of the organisms. These non-equilibrium fluctuations lead to a strongly enhanced diffusion of particles, which is anisotropic and space dependent. Fluctuations also facilitate encounters of particle pairs, which we quantify by analysing their velocity pair correlation functions as a function of distance between the particles. We found that the size of the particles plays a crucial role in their encounter rates, with larger particles situated near the active carpet being more favourable for aggregation. Overall, this research broadens our comprehension of aquatic systems out of equilibrium and how biologically driven fluctuations contribute to the transport of fundamental elements in biogeochemical cycles.
The concept of “Recovery” in the context of psychiatric rehabilitation has undergone significant evolution throughout history. This abstract delves into the question of the truth or falsity of this concept, examining diverse perspectives and arguments surrounding its application.
Objectives
The primary aim of this abstract is to critically analyze the concept of “Recovery” in psychiatric rehabilitation and ACT from both favorable and critical perspectives, considering its historical evolution, and highlighting key distinctions between the theories of Mike Slade and William Anthony.
Furthermore, it addresses the significance of measuring and evaluating the fidelity of healthcare practices to this mode
Methods
To conduct this analysis, an exhaustive review of current scientific literature was undertaken. Emphasis was placed on the importance of measuring and evaluating the fidelity of healthcare practices to this model.
Results
Slade and Anthony’s theories emphasize different aspects of recovery, while implementation models translate these theories into clinical practice and services. Additionally, the discussion highlights the significance of measuring and evaluating the fidelity of healthcare practices to this model.
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) programs have increasingly recognized the importance of the “recovery” concept in promoting the empowerment and self-determination of individuals with severe mental illnesses. This discussion examines how ACT programs have adopted recovery-oriented principles, the ways in which they implement these principles, and the potential benefits and challenges associated with their integration.
Conclusions
The distinctions between Mike Slade and William Anthony’s theories and the implementation models underscore the importance of a precise and differentiated understanding within the field of psychiatric rehabilitation.
The integration of the “recovery” concept within Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) represents a significant shift towards person-centered care in psychiatric rehabilitation. Further research and evaluation are essential to assess the effectiveness and long-term impact of this integration.
References
1. Anthony, W. A. (1993). Recovery from mental illness: The guiding vision of the mental health service system in the 1990s. Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal, 16(4), 11-23.
2. Slade, M. (2009). Personal recovery and mental illness: A guide for mental health professionals. Cambridge University Press
3. Kortrijk, H. E., Mulder, C. L., Drukker, M., Wiersma, D., & Duivenvoorden, H. J. (2020). The effects of assertive community treatment on service use in a homeless population in the Netherlands: A randomized controlled trial. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 47(3), 378-387
To identify and quantify general practitioner (GP) preferences related to service attributes of clinical consultations, including telehealth consultations, in Australia.
Background:
GPs have been increasingly using telehealth to deliver patient care since the onset of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. GP preferences for telehealth service models will play an important role in the uptake and sustainability of telehealth services post-pandemic.
Methods:
An online survey was used to ask GPs general telehealth questions and have them complete a discrete choice experiment (DCE). The DCE elicited GP preferences for various service attributes of telehealth (telephone and videoconference) consultations. The DCE investigated five service attributes, including consultation mode, consultation purpose, consultation length, quality of care and rapport, and patient co-payment. Participants were presented with eight choice sets, each containing three options to choose from. Descriptive statistics was used, and mixed logit models were used to estimate and analyse the DCE data.
Findings:
A total of 60 GPs fully completed the survey. Previous telehealth experiences impacted direct preferences towards telehealth consultations across clinical presentations, although in-person modes were generally favoured (in approximately 70% of all scenarios). The DCE results lacked statistical significance which demonstrated undiscernible differences between GP preferences for some service attributes. However, it was found that GPs prefer to provide a consultation with good quality care and rapport (P < 002). GPs would also prefer to provide care to their patients rather than decline a consultation due to consultation mode, length or purpose (P < 0.0001). Based on the findings, GPs value the ability to provide high-quality care and develop rapport during a clinical consultation. This highlights the importance of recognising value-based care for future policy reforms, to ensure continued adoption and sustainability of GP telehealth services in Australia.
Ferrihydrite prepared in different manners was kept under relative humidities ranging from 75 to 100% and at temperatures of 45° and 55°C for 180 days. Ferrihydrite transformed to hematite and goethite at relative humidities close to 100%, but at lower relative humidities the transformation was less pronounced and hematite was highly favored over goethite. Increasing temperature also favored hematite over goethite, and Al substitution completely prevented goethite formation. These results suggest that hematite can form in relatively dry, warm soils or sediments, although more slowly than in moister environments.
The Texas Functional Living Scale (TFLS) is a measure of adaptive functioning commonly utilized across the geriatric population. Current research suggests that those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias perform poorly on the TFLS, compared to those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal cognition (Cullum et al., 2001). Additional research is needed to examine the influence anxiety and depressive symptoms have on activities of daily living (ADLS) in individuals being evaluated for memory disorders. This study will examine the effects of anxiety and depression on adaptive functioning across all patients, and within samples of those with dementia and MCI. It is hypothesized that higher reported anxiety and depressive symptoms will predict lower scores of ADLS.
Participants and Methods:
Patients at a memory disorder clinic (N = 756; 58.2% female) were screened for cognitive impairment using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). A brief neuropsychological evaluation (BNE) was then conducted in which the TFLS, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) were administered, among other measures.
Results:
A stepwise hierarchical regression was conducted on the entire sample to examine the effects of anxiety and depressive symptoms on TFLS performance, controlling for cognitive impairment using the MoCA. Lower MoCA scores explained a significant amount of variance in TFLS performance (R2 = 0.456, F(1, 754) = 632.78, p < .001). MoCA scores (b = 1.27, p < .001), the GAI (b = 0.14, p = .019), and the GDS (b = 0.10, p = 0.039) were significant predictors of poor TFLS performance across the entire sample. Although the MoCA, GDS, and GAI were each significant predictors of the TFLS, the increased variance explained by the GDS and GAI individually was incremental (AR2 = 0.003, F(1, 752) = 3.90, p = .049). Stepwise hierarchical regressions were also conducted on subsamples diagnosed with MCI (N = 171) and dementia (N = 394). For those with MCI, MoCA scores explained a significant amount of variance in TFLS performance (R2 = 0.044, F(1, 169) = 7.80, p = .006). Neither the GAI nor GDS explained significant additional variance. Only MoCA scores (b = .30, p =.006) predicted TFLS performance. For those with dementia, MoCA scores explained significant variance in TFLS scores (R2 = 0.338, F(1, 392) = 200.47, p < .001). The GAI explained additional significant variance when added (AR2 = 0.009, F(1, 391) = 5.26, p = .022). The GDS did not explain any additional variance. Both the MoCA (b = 1.29, p < .001) and the GAI (b = -0.15, p = .002) significantly predicted TFLS performance.
Conclusions:
While results suggest that anxiety and depressive symptoms alone do not explain a significant degree of variance within scores of adaptive functioning across the entire sample, elevated ratings of anxiety and depressive symptoms were significant predictors of lower scores of ADLS, suggesting some support for our hypothesis. Additionally, anxiety symptoms significantly explained increased variance in TFLS scores for those diagnosed with dementia, suggesting a potential relationship between anxiety levels and poor adaptive functioning for dementia patients.
Insufficient recruitment of groups underrepresented in medical research threatens the generalizability of research findings and compounds inequity in research and medicine. In the present study, we examined barriers and facilitators to recruitment of underrepresented research participants from the perspective of clinical research coordinators (CRCs).
Methods:
CRCs from one adult and one pediatric academic medical centers completed an online survey in April-May 2022. Survey topics included: participant language and translations, cultural competency training, incentives for research participation, study location, and participant research literacy. CRCs also reported their success in recruiting individuals from various backgrounds and completed an implicit bias measure.
Results:
Surveys were completed by 220 CRCs. CRCs indicated that recruitment is improved by having translated study materials, providing incentives to compensate participants, and reducing the number of in-person study visits. Most CRCs had completed some form of cultural competency training, but most also felt that the training either had no effect or made them feel less confident in approaching prospective participants from backgrounds different than their own. In general, CRCs reported having greater success in recruiting prospective participants from groups that are not underrepresented in research. Results of the implicit bias measure did not indicate that bias was associated with intentions to approach a prospective participant.
Conclusions:
CRCs identified several strategies to improve recruitment of underrepresented research participants, and CRC insights aligned with insights from research participants in previous work. Further research is needed to understand the impact of cultural competency training on recruitment of underrepresented research participants.
We present the case of a 19-year-old patient who experienced a nonexisting moving sensation, increasing size and painful sensation on tongue, jaw and skull bones. Likewise, the patient showed high anguish, psychomotor restlessness and low mood, in relation to somatic symptomatology; which severely interfered in his life, dropping his university studies and his social life. He also presented thoughts of being victim of a complot of his classmates.
Objectives
To present a case report and to review the literature of coenesthetic schizophrenia.
Methods
Literature review of scientific articles searching in EMBASE and Pubmed. We considered articles in English and Spanish.
Results
Treatment with oral aripiprazole and sertraline was started, with progressive clinical improvement, decreasing somatic sensations until they disappeared, as well as mood improvement and remission of anxiety and psychomotor restlessness.
Coenesthetic schizophrenia was first described in 1957 by Gerd Huber. It is characterized by bodily sensations often combined with affective disturbances. Other symptoms that occur frequently are affective, vegetative, motor and sensory alterations. Typical schizophrenic symptoms are limited to brief psychotic episodes.
Conclusions
We consider knowledge of this entity important, given the differential clinical characteristics regarding to other presentations of schizophrenia, as well as the need to do a differential diagnosis with other disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder or hypochondriasis.
More than 90 percent of patients who attempt suicide have a psychiatric disorder. The diagnosis of schizophrenia is associated with a decrease in life expectancy of about 10 years, with suicide being the most important related factor. Literature suggests that the risk of suicide death in this population has been found to be 10 to 20 times higher than that in the general population
Objectives
To present a case report of a patient with a first psychotic episode and suicide attempt focusing on clinical features and risk factors.
Methods
Presentation of a clinical case supported by a non-systematic review of literature containing the key-words “suicide”, “Suicidal ideation”, “psychosis” and “schizophrenia”.
Results
This is a case report of a male 28-year-old patient, with no known psychiatric history, admitted to our inpatient service after a suicide attempt by precipitation. In a first evaluation, the patient presented psychotic symptoms consisting of paranoid delusions, auditory hallucinations, tendency to social isolation and the appearance of self-harming ideation in the days prior to the episode. After initiation of antipsychotic medication, a significant improvement in positive symptoms was observed. The patient has since had no delusions or hallucinations and is living independently at home.
Contemporary research studies indicate that the lifetime rate of completed suicide in individuals with schizophrenia is between 4% and 13%. Several specific risk factors have been described in the schizophrenia population, such as early stage of the illness, lack of adherence to treatment, recurrent relapses, comorbid depression and the paranoid subtype. The antipsychotic treatments with the most scientific evidence are clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine and quetiapine. Within psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy appears to be the most effective.
Conclusions
- It is important to know the risk factors that are associated with an increased risk of suicide in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.
- An early intervention and specific treatment can improve prognosis of this population.
We present the case of a 22-year-old patient who has been followed up in a daytime hospital for personality disorders since June 2022. Of note is the presence of multiple personalities (in total of more than 20 have been identified), each of which has distinct physical and psychological characteristics.
Objectives
The objective is to present a clinical case of dissociative identity disorder and to review the existence of scientific evidence supporting this diagnosis.
Methods
Literature review of scientific papers over the last years and classic textbooks on the issue. We included references in English and Spanish languages.
Results
Numerous studies support that dissociative disorders are the result of psychological traumas that generally begin in childhood. This is a difficult category to diagnose, since they present symptoms that also appear in other disorders such as those of the schizophrenic spectrum.
One or more dissociative parts of the subject’s personality avoid the traumatic memories while others become fixed to these traumatic experiences and manifest symptoms. In the case of our patient, there are dissociative episodes with subsequent amnesia and auditory, visual and olfactory hallucinations, as well as impulsive behaviors in the form of self-injury and a flattened affect, with significant emotional distancing.
Conclusions
- The prevalence of dissociative identity disorder is higher than traditionally thought.
- Some theories develop how trauma essentially produces a degree of dissociation of the psychobiological systems that constitute the subject’s personality.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: MGMT methylation status is used to predict the response to TMZ. However, a subpopulation of patients lacking MGMT methylation still respond to TMZ. We applied omics approaches and functional studies to a cohort of GBM patients to identify novel markers that may more accurately predict TMZ response. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We applied a combination of omics approaches and functional studies to a cohort of GBM patients to search for novel markers that would predict the response to TMZ treatment more accurately than traditional markers. Using a set of 47 primary and secondary GBM tumor samples, we employed comparative transcriptomics, whole exome sequencing, data independent acquisition (DIA) proteomics, and phosphoproteomics to look for DNA mutations and changes in gene expression and/or protein expression that correlated to response or non-response to TMZ. Subsequently, we performed functional studies and analyzed patient treatment data to validate our results. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: This study is in early stage, but we anticipate that our combination of methods may allow us to identify and validate at least one novel biomarker for TMZ response in patient GBM. For example, comparative transcriptomics or phosphoproteomics may identify a previously unrecognized gene or protein over/under-expression in a subset of patients. In this case we will validate findings using western blotting, IHC staining, and through siRNA of target gene/protein on patient derived GBM cells to examine if removal of this marker leads to TMZ sensitivity. We will further confirm prediction of marker correlation through comparison with matched patient treatment data. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The identification of improved biomarkers to predict response to TMZ treatment is a discovery that could rapidly become standard of care for GBM patients. It would ensure that all responders receive TMZ and avoid exposing nonresponders unnecessarily to TMZ and its potential side effects.
Using data from several well-preserved pyres, which are rarely found well preserved in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, we examine cremation customs and their associated pyrotechnologies at the site of Cerro de Trincheras in northern Sonora, Mexico, from AD 1300 to 1450/1500. We explore variations in pyre construction and use, thermal alterations of the deceased, the deceased individuals’ biological profiles, the performance of mortuary rituals, and the sensorial experiences of both the mourners and the wider Cerro de Trincheras community. The residents of the site were masters of the pyrotechnologies associated with cremations, making efficient pyres for the deceased and maximizing their resources. The group also created transformative funeral rituals that may have facilitated and mediated a wide range of emotional responses toward their deceased.
The unsteady response of nozzles with steady heat transfer forced by acoustic and/or entropy waves is modelled. The approach is based on the quasi-one-dimensional linearised Euler equations. The equations are cast in terms of three variables, namely the dimensionless mass, stagnation temperature and entropy fluctuations, which are invariants of the system at zero frequency and with no heat transfer. The resulting first-order system of differential equations is then solved using the Magnus expansion method, where the perturbation parameters are the normalised frequency and the volumetric heat transfer. In this work, a measure of the flow non-isentropicity (in this case the steady heat transfer) is used for the first time as an expansion parameter. The solution method was applied to a converging–diverging nozzle with constant heat transfer for both subcritical and supercritical flow cases, showing good agreement with numerical predictions. It was observed that the acoustic and entropy transfer functions of the nozzle strongly depend on the frequency and heat transfer.
Depressive symptoms, such as depressed mood, are common in older adults and associated with an increased risk for morbidity and mortality. Given the evidence that sleep disturbance and alterations in interferon (IFN)-γ biology are associated with depression risk, this study examines the separate and joint contributions of poor sleep maintenance and IFN-γ to depressed mood in older adults.
Methods
Community-dwelling, non-depressed older adults (n = 36, 72.1 ± 6.8 years) underwent a night of polysomnography to assess sleep maintenance [i.e. wake time after sleep onset (WASO)]. The morning after polysomnography, plasma levels of IFN-γ were evaluated along with self-reported depressed mood throughout the day. Multivariate linear regression tested associations of WASO and IFN-γ with the severity of depressed mood. In addition, moderation and mediation models examined the role of IFN-γ for the relationship between WASO and depressed mood.
Results
A greater amount of WASO (p < 0.05) and higher levels of IFN-γ (p < 0.01) were both associated with the severity of depressed mood. Moreover, IFN-γ moderated the relationship between WASO and depressed mood (p < 0.01), such that WASO was more strongly related to the depressed mood among those with higher IFN-γ, than among those with lower IFN-γ. However, IFN-γ did not mediate the relationship between WASO and depressed mood.
Conclusion
In this study of older adults, poor sleep maintenance and higher levels of IFN-γ were both related to depressed mood. Moreover, IFN-γ moderated the relationship between poor sleep maintenance and depressed mood. Together, these findings suggest that older adults with higher IFN-γ are at heightened risk for depressive symptoms following sleep disturbance.
Studying phenotypic and genetic characteristics of age at onset (AAO) and polarity at onset (PAO) in bipolar disorder can provide new insights into disease pathology and facilitate the development of screening tools.
Aims
To examine the genetic architecture of AAO and PAO and their association with bipolar disorder disease characteristics.
Method
Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and polygenic score (PGS) analyses of AAO (n = 12 977) and PAO (n = 6773) were conducted in patients with bipolar disorder from 34 cohorts and a replication sample (n = 2237). The association of onset with disease characteristics was investigated in two of these cohorts.
Results
Earlier AAO was associated with a higher probability of psychotic symptoms, suicidality, lower educational attainment, not living together and fewer episodes. Depressive onset correlated with suicidality and manic onset correlated with delusions and manic episodes. Systematic differences in AAO between cohorts and continents of origin were observed. This was also reflected in single-nucleotide variant-based heritability estimates, with higher heritabilities for stricter onset definitions. Increased PGS for autism spectrum disorder (β = −0.34 years, s.e. = 0.08), major depression (β = −0.34 years, s.e. = 0.08), schizophrenia (β = −0.39 years, s.e. = 0.08), and educational attainment (β = −0.31 years, s.e. = 0.08) were associated with an earlier AAO. The AAO GWAS identified one significant locus, but this finding did not replicate. Neither GWAS nor PGS analyses yielded significant associations with PAO.
Conclusions
AAO and PAO are associated with indicators of bipolar disorder severity. Individuals with an earlier onset show an increased polygenic liability for a broad spectrum of psychiatric traits. Systematic differences in AAO across cohorts, continents and phenotype definitions introduce significant heterogeneity, affecting analyses.
Intergenerational equity is a multifaceted construct, yet at its core sits peace, since without peace there can be little equity at the intragenerational level, let alone to transmit to future generations. In conflict and immediate post-conflict situations, the focus is typically on present-day and short-term concerns, such as ceasing the active hostilities and assisting victims. This is understandable, given the need to construct a durable peace in the present before building on that peace for the future. However, peace agreements can be used to advance intergenerational equity as well as intragenerational equity if they are constructed through mechanisms that understand the importance for working toward equity in the future as a way to build consensus for implementing equitable laws and principles in the current day.
Healthcare personnel with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection were interviewed to describe activities and practices in and outside the workplace. Among 2,625 healthcare personnel, workplace-related factors that may increase infection risk were more common among nursing-home personnel than hospital personnel, whereas selected factors outside the workplace were more common among hospital personnel.
Gestational anaemia (GA) is common in developing countries. This study assessed the relationship of late GA and negative perinatal outcomes in participants recruited in a reference maternity unit of the Caribbean region of Colombia.
Design:
Prospective analytical birth cohort study. Maternal Hb and serum ferritin (SF) levels were measured. GA was defined as Hb levels <6·82 mmol/l (<11 g/dl), SF depletion as SF levels <12 µg/l. Birth outcomes such as low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PB) and small for gestational age (SGA) were examined.
Setting:
Mothers in the first stage of labour, living in urban or rural areas of Bolívar, were enrolled in an obstetrical centre located in Cartagena, Colombia. Blood and stool samples were taken prior delivery. Maternal blood count, SF levels and infant anthropometric data were recorded for analysis.
Participants:
1218 pregnant women aged 18–42 years and their newborns.
Results:
Prevalence of GA and SF depletion was 41·6 % and 41·1 %, respectively. GA was positively associated with poverty-related sociodemographic conditions. Prenatal care attendance lowered the risk of PB, LBW and SGA. Birth weight was inversely associated with Hb levels, observing a −36·8 g decrease in newborn weight per 0·62 mmol/l (or 1 g/dl) of maternal Hb. SF depletion, but not anaemia, was associated with PB. SGA outcome showed a significant association with anaemia, but not a significant relationship with SF depletion.
Conclusions:
Birth weight and other-related perinatal outcomes are negatively associated with Hb and SF depletion. Prenatal care attendance reduced the risk of negative birth outcomes.
Due to the burden of tobacco-related illnesses among hospital inpatients, an evidence-based smoking cessation brief intervention tool was developed for clinicians working in hospitals in Queensland, Australia. The tool, called the Smoking Cessation Clinical Pathway (SCCP), is used by clinicians to support inpatient smoking cessation and manage nicotine withdrawal in hospital.
Aims
To investigate the impact of completed SCCP on nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) prescribing and use, and to explore clinician involvement in smoking cessation interventions.
Methods
A retrospective review was conducted to examine data regarding SCCP responses and NRT offering, prescribing and use. The statistical significance of the results was assessed using chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests.
Results
Patients with a completed SCCP were more likely to be offered NRT (P < 0.0001). NRT prescribing on admission and discharge was higher in patients with a completed SCCP (P = 0.001 and P = 0.027). Intention to quit had no effect on whether NRT was offered (P = 0.276) and NRT acceptance was higher for patients that intended to quit smoking (P < 0.0001).
Conclusions
The SCCP prompted clinicians to offer NRT to patients, leading to increased NRT prescribing and use. These findings demonstrate the utility of the SCCP to assist clinicians to promote smoking cessation among hospital inpatients.