2022
Autores
Antunes, B; Rodrigues, PP; Higginson, IJ; Ferreira, PL;
Publicação
ACTA MEDICA PORTUGUESA
Abstract
Introduction: Evidence shows most patients are not recognised by their attending healthcare professionals as having palliative needs. This feasibility study aimed to aid healthcare professionals identify hospital patients with palliative needs. Material and Methods: Mixed-methods, cross-sectional, observational study. The patient inclusion criteria comprised: age over 18 years old, being mentally capable to give consent judged as such by participating healthcare professionals, and if unable, having a legal substitute to consent, having a diagnosis of an incurable, potentially life-threatening illness. Field notes were taken for reflexive purposes. Outcome measures included: Integrated Palliative Care Outcome scale, surprise question, phase of illness, referral request status, The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status and social needs assessment. An interim data collection period meeting assessed implementation outcomes in each context. A web-based survey was sent to all participating healthcare professionals at the end of data collection period to explore overall experiences of participation and implementation outcomes. Results: Forty-two departments in four hospitals were contacted. The study was presented in nine departments. The field notes were vital to understand the recruitment process and difficulties experienced: time constraints, fear of additional work, department dynamics and organisation, relationships between departments and need of training in palliative care and research. One department agreed to participate. There were six participating healthcare professionals and only 45 patients included. Three participating healthcare professionals responded to the web-based survey. Discussion: The response rate was very low. Legislating palliative care is not enough, and an integrated palliative care plan needs to be implemented at country and institution level. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to provide generalist palliative care training to clinicians.
2022
Autores
Ferreira-Santos, D; Pereira Rodrigues, P;
Publicação
Journal of Medical Internet Research
Abstract
2022
Autores
Maksimenko, J; Rodrigues, PP; Nakazawa Miklasevica, M; Pinto, D; Miklasevics, E; Trofimovics, G; Gardovskis, J; Cardoso, F; Cardoso, MJ;
Publicação
JMIR FORMATIVE RESEARCH
Abstract
Background: Approximately 62% of patients with breast cancer with a pathogenic variant (BRCA1 or BRCA2) undergo primary breast-conserving therapy. Objective: The study aims to develop a personalized risk management decision support tool for carriers of a pathogenic variant (BRCA1 or BRCA2) who underwent breast-conserving therapy for unilateral early-stage breast cancer. Methods: We developed a Bayesian network model of a hypothetical cohort of carriers of BRCA1 or BRCA2 diagnosed with stage I/II unilateral breast cancer and treated with breast-conserving treatment who underwent subsequent second primary cancer risk-reducing strategies. Using event dependencies structured according to expert knowledge and conditional probabilities obtained from published evidence, we predicted the 40-year overall survival rate of different risk-reducing strategies for 144 cohorts of women defined by the type of pathogenic variants (BRCA1 or BRCA2), age at primary breast cancer diagnosis, breast cancer subtype, stage of primary breast cancer, and presence or absence of adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: Absence of adjuvant chemotherapy was the most powerful factor that was linked to a dramatic decline in survival. There was a negligible decline in the mortality in patients with triple-negative breast cancer, who received no chemotherapy and underwent any secondary risk-reducing strategy, compared with surveillance. The potential survival benefit from any risk-reducing strategy was more modest in patients with triple-negative breast cancer who received chemotherapy compared with patients with luminal breast cancer. However, most patients with triple-negative breast cancer in stage I benefited from bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy and risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy or just risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy. Most patients with luminal stage I/II unilateral breast cancer benefited from bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy and risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy. The impact of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy in patients with luminal breast cancer in stage I/II increased with age. Most older patients with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variants in exons 12-24/25 with luminal breast cancer may gain a similar survival benefit from other risk-reducing strategies or surveillance. Conclusions: Our study showed that it is mandatory to consider the complex interplay between the types of BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variants, age at primary breast cancer diagnosis, breast cancer subtype and stage, and received systemic treatment. As no prospective study results are available at the moment, our simulation model, which will integrate a decision support system in the near future, could facilitate the conversation between the health care provider and patient and help to weigh all the options for risk-reducing strategies leading to a more balanced decision.
2020
Autores
Almeida, R; Jácome, C; Martinho, D; Vieira Marques, P; Jacinto, T; Ferreira, A; Almeida, A; Martins, C; Pereira, M; Pereira, A; Valente, J; Almeida, R; Vieira, A; Amaral, R; Sá Sousa, A; Gonçalves, I; Rodrigues, P; Alves Correia, M; Freitas, A; Marreiros, G; Fonseca, SC; Pereira, AC; Fonseca, JA;
Publicação
Proceedings of the 12th IADIS International Conference e-Health 2020, EH 2020 - Part of the 14th Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems, MCCSIS 2020
Abstract
Current tools for self-management of chronic obstructive respiratory diseases (CORD) are difficult to use, not individualized and requiring laborious analysis by health professionals, discouraging their use in healthcare. There is an opportunity for cost-effective and easy-to-disseminate advanced technological solutions directed to patients and attractive to different stakeholders. The strategy of AIRDOC is to develop and integrate self-monitoring and self-managing tools, making use of the smartphone's presence in everyday life. AIRDOC intends to innovate on: i) technologies for remote monitoring of respiratory function and computerized lung auscultation; ii) coaching solutions, integrating psychoeducation, gamification and disease management support systems; and iii) management of personal health data, focusing on security, privacy and interoperability. It is expected that AIRDOC results will contribute for the innovation in CORD healthcare, with increased patient involvement and empowerment while providing quality prospective information for better clinical decisions, allowing more efficient and sustainable healthcare delivery.
2025
Autores
Pasandideh, S; Martins, J; Pereira, P; Gandini, A; De la Cal, MZ; Kalvet, T; Koor, T; Sopelana, A; de Aguileta, AL;
Publicação
ADVANCES IN CULTURAL TOURISM RESEARCH, ICCT 2023
Abstract
This chapter describes the IMPACTOUR co-creation method, which is developed to enhance the impact of cultural tourism in various destinations. The method utilizes effective strategies and actions to monitor and increase the impact of cultural tourism. The primary objective of the IMPACTOUR technique is to support decision-makers in improving the sustainability and competitiveness of cultural tourists in their destinations. The method involves collecting and analyzing data from diverse sources, including tourism stakeholders and specifically local communities to create a comprehensive decision-making system. The resulting recommendations aim to promote the positive impacts of cultural tourism while minimizing negative effects and fostering long-term development. Ultimately, the IMPACTOUR method seeks to assist destinations and attractions in becoming more competitive and attractive to cultural visitors, while ensuring their long-term sustainability.
2025
Autores
Ferreira, S; Rodrigues, MA; Mateus, C; Rodrigues, PP; Rocha, NB;
Publicação
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
Abstract
Background: In modern, high-speed work settings, the significance of mental health disorders is increasingly acknowledged as a pressing health issue, with potential adverse consequences for organizations, including reduced productivity and increased absenteeism. Over the past few years, various mental health management solutions, such as biofeedback applications, have surfaced as promising avenues to improve employees' mental well-being. However, most studies on these interventions have been conducted in controlled laboratory settings. Objective: This review aimedtosystematicallyidentify and analyzestudies that implementedbiofeedback-based interventions in real-world occupational settings, focusing on their effectiveness in improving psychological well-being and mental health. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. We searched PubMed and EBSCO databases for studies published between 2012 and 2024. Inclusion criteria were original peer-reviewed studies that focused on employees and used biofeedback interventions to improve mental health or prevent mental illness. Exclusion criteria included nonemployee samples, lack of a description of the intervention, and low methodological quality (assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database [PEDro] checklist). Data were extracted on study characteristics, intervention type, physiological and self-reported outcomes, and follow-up measures. Risk of bias was assessed, and VOSviewer was used to visualize the distribution of research topics. Results: A total of 9 studies met the inclusion criteria. The interventions used a range of delivery methods, including traditional biofeedback, mobile apps, mindfulness techniques, virtual reality, and cerebral blood flow monitoring. Most studies focused on breathing techniques to regulate physiological responses (eg, heart rate variability and respiratory sinus arrhythmia) and showed reductions in stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Mobile and app-directed interventions appeared particularly promising for improving resilience and facilitating recovery after stress. Of the 9 studies, 8 (89%) reported positive outcomes, with 1 (11%) study showing initial increases in stress due to logistical limitations in biofeedback access. Sample sizes were generally small, and long-term follow-up data were limited. Conclusions:Biofeedback interventions in workplace settings show promising short-term results in reducing stress and improving mental health, particularly when incorporating breathing techniques and user-friendly delivery methods such as mobile apps. However, the field remains underexplored in occupational contexts. Future research should address adherence challenges, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and long-term outcomesto support broader implementation of biofeedback as a sustainable workplace mental health strategy.
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