BACKGROUND

The migration from classroom learning to real patient encounters during clinical clerkship is a transformative journey that carries with it many challenges which serve as rich sources of meaning. The actual patient interactions are pivotal opportunities that provide transcendental meanings which contribute to the well-rounded development of medical clerks, ultimately enhancing their ability to deliver better patient care.

Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study allowed exploration of intricate layers of meaning embedded within the encounters of three female medical clerks in a medical university hospital in Manila, Philippines. The gathered narratives were analyzed and meanings were derived from these statements. The identified meanings were then organized into themes and essential insights that represented the core essence of the phenomenon being studied.

The reflections extracted from narratives revealed the emergence of 10 significant major themes stemming from medical clerks’ patient encounters. These encounters were consistently described as a sacred responsibility, providing opportunities for profound connections, resilience, deepened faith and comprehensive personal and professional development within a caring and compassionate environment.

The transformative journey was marked by profound personal and spiritual growth among medical clerks. Beyond developing their clinical skills, they experienced a transcendence that spoke to human desire for meaning beyond the material world. This "spirituality of encounter" fostered deeper connections with patients and enriched their perspectives on clinical practice that can further enhance their holistic development as medical students.

This essay laid out the development of a nurse's identity from clinical practitioner to developing researcher, with a focus on the importance of patient-centered and nurse-centered care as the cornerstone pillars of nursing research. Through narrative and application of qualitative and participatory research approaches, the author showed the intersection of everyday experience, philosophical inquiry, and scholarly pursuit along the path toward becoming a nurse researcher. The article examined how emotional experiences within the perioperative environment have instigated research questions aimed at improving patient and nurse well-being. Through the incorporation of academic models and theoretical perspectives, the author presented an emerging investment in health equity, social determinants of health, and collective inquiry, framing this individual path within the greater nursing science mission.

INTRODUCTION: Paediatric patients admitted to the inpatient units from the emergency department (ED) are increasing, but the mean length of stay has fallen significantly. We aimed to determine the reasons behind paediatric one-day admissions in Singapore and to assess their necessity. METHODS: A retrospective study involving paediatric patients who were admitted from a general ED of an adult tertiary hospital to a paediatric tertiary hospital between 1 August 2018 and 30 April 2020. One-day admission was defined as an inpatient stay of less than 24 h from the time of admission to discharge. An unnecessary admission was defined as one with no diagnostic test ordered, intravenous medication administered, therapeutic procedure performed or specialty review made in the inpatient unit. Data were captured in a standardised form and analysed. RESULTS: There were 13,944 paediatric attendances - 1,160 (8.3%) paediatric patients were admitted. Among these, 481 (41.4%) were one-day admissions. Upper respiratory tract infection (62, 12.9%), gastroenteritis (60, 12.5%) and head injury (52, 10.8%) were the three most common conditions. The three most common reasons for ED admissions were inpatient treatment (203, 42.2%), inpatient monitoring (185, 38.5%) and inpatient diagnostic investigations (32, 12.3%). Ninety-six (20.0%) one-day admissions were unnecessary. CONCLUSION Paediatric one-day admissions present an opportunity to develop and implement interventions targeted at the healthcare system, the ED, the paediatric patient and their caregiver, in order to safely slow down and perhaps reverse the trend of increased hospital admissions.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; Child ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data* ; Patient Admission/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Male ; Child, Preschool ; Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data* ; Infant ; Adolescent ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Infant, Newborn ; Gastroenteritis/therapy* ; Respiratory Tract Infections

INTRODUCTION: A successful vaccination programme forms the cornerstone of controlling coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The unprecedented speed of COVID-19 vaccine development and lack of long-term data have raised fears regarding its safety and efficacy. Vaccine hesitancy can undermine the uptake, and hence success of the vaccination programme. Given the high complication rates of COVID-19 infections in kidney transplant recipients, it is particularly important to identify and address vaccine hesitancy in this population. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among kidney transplant recipients attending transplant clinic between 5 April and 5 May 2021. The survey assessed attitudes towards COVID-19, willingness/hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination, vaccination concerns and prompts to vaccination. This was scored on a Likert scale with scores ranging from 'strongly disagree' - 1 point to 'strongly agree' - 5 points. RESULTS: One hundred and one completed responses were captured. Of these, 86% respondents reported to agree or strongly agree to vaccination. This was despite significant concerns of allograft rejection (mean score 4.12, standard deviation [SD] 0.97) and decreased immunosuppressant efficacy (mean score 4.14, SD 0.96) with vaccination. Multivariable model showed a positive association with transplant vintage of ≥ 5 years (median 2.41), lower educational levels of secondary school or less (median 5.82) and healthcare provider advocacy (median 1.88) in predicting vaccine acceptance. CONCLUSIONS Vaccine acceptance rate was high among kidney transplant recipients. Vaccine hesitancy remains a concern in those with a transplant vintage of less than 5 years and those with tertiary educational level. Healthcare provider advocacy is important in improving vaccine acceptance rates.
Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Transplant Recipients/psychology* ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data* ; Vaccination Hesitancy/psychology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vaccination/psychology* ; Aged ; SARS-CoV-2

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Proper documentation of patient safety events is important to be able to provide changes that can prevent events from occurring again. The Philippine General Hospital launched an online platform for reporting patient safety events in 2017. This paper aimed to describe the patient safety events, initial response to the event, and preventive actions done in the institution.

This is a retrospective descriptive study of patient safety event records from August 2017 to April 2022. General data of the patients, details surrounding the events, response to the event, and preventive measures done after the event were documented. Descriptive analysis was performed.

There was a total of 625 events reported with 525 total unique reports. There was an increased rate of patient safety event reports from 2021 to 2022. The average rate was 23.8 and 25.7 reports per month, respectively. Most reports were for in-patient cases and were type 3 preventable adverse events. The general initial response of healthcare personnel to the adverse events is to provide the appropriate clinical care. Preventive measures include re-orientation and event specific actions.

Documentation is crucial for patient safety events to provide solutions and prevent reoccurrence of these events that can cause harm to patients.

Protrusive facial deformities, characterized by the forward displacement of the teeth and/or jaws beyond the normal range, affect a considerable portion of the population. The manifestations and morphological mechanisms of protrusive facial deformities are complex and diverse, requiring orthodontists to possess a high level of theoretical knowledge and practical experience in the relevant orthodontic field. To further optimize the correction of protrusive facial deformities, this consensus proposes that the morphological mechanisms and diagnosis of protrusive facial deformities should be analyzed and judged from multiple dimensions and factors to accurately formulate treatment plans. It emphasizes the use of orthodontic strategies, including jaw growth modification, tooth extraction or non-extraction for anterior teeth retraction, and maxillofacial vertical control. These strategies aim to reduce anterior teeth and lip protrusion, increase chin prominence, harmonize nasolabial and chin-lip relationships, and improve the facial profile of patients with protrusive facial deformities. For severe skeletal protrusive facial deformities, orthodontic-orthognathic combined treatment may be suggested. This consensus summarizes the theoretical knowledge and clinical experience of numerous renowned oral experts nationwide, offering reference strategies for the correction of protrusive facial deformities.
Humans ; Orthodontics, Corrective/methods* ; Consensus ; Malocclusion/therapy* ; Patient Care Planning ; Cephalometry

OBJECTIVE: To explore the implementation effect of hour-1 bundle for sepsis patients based on crisis resource management (CRM) system. METHODS: A historical control study was conducted. The hour-1 bundle for sepsis based on CRM was used to train 24 nurses in the emergency department from October 2022 to March 2023. Clinical data of sepsis patients admitted to the emergency department of the First People's Hospital of Zunyi from April 2022 to September 2023 were collected. The patients were divided into three groups based on different stages of CRM system construction: control group (before construction, from April to September in 2022), improvement group (during construction, from October 2022 to March 2023) and observation group (after construction, from April to September in 2023). The baseline data, implementation rate of hour-1 bundle [including blood culture, antibiotic usage, blood lactic acid (Lac) detection, fluid resuscitation, hypertensors usage], identification and diagnosis time, and prognosis parameters [including correction rate of hypoxemia, intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy rate, and 28-day survival rate]. Sepsis cognition survey and non-technical skill (NTS) evaluation of nurses in emergency department were conducted before and after training. RESULTS: Finally 43 cases were enrolled in the control group, improvement group and observation group, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in baseline data including the gender, age, primary site, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, mechanical ventilation ratio among the three groups with comparability. With the gradual improvement of the CRM system, the implementation rate of 1-hour bundle was gradually increased, and the implementation rate in the control group, improvement group and observation group were 65.12% (28/43), 74.42% (32/43) and 88.37% (38/43), respectively, with statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). It was mainly reflected in the completion rate of blood culture, antibiotic usage rate, Lac detection rate and hypertensors usage rate within 1 hour, which were significantly higher in the observation group than those in the control group [completion rate of blood culture: 90.70% (39/43) vs. 62.79% (27/43), antibiotic usage rate: 88.37% (38/43) vs. 60.47% (26/43), Lac detection rate: 93.02% (40/43) vs. 72.09% (31/43), hypertensors usage rate: 88.37% (38/43) vs. 60.47% (26/43), all P < 0.05]. The fluid resuscitation rates within 1 hour in the three groups were all over 90%, with no statistically significant difference among the three groups. The recognition and diagnosis time in the observation group was significantly shorter than that in the control group and the improvement group (hours: 0.41±0.15 vs. 0.61±0.21, 0.51±0.18, both P < 0.05), the correction rate of hypoxemia and 28-day survival rate were significantly higher than those in the control group [correction rate of hypoxemia: 95.35% (41/43) vs. 74.42% (32/43), 28-day survival rate: 83.72% (36/43) vs. 60.47% (26/43), both P < 0.05], and ICU occupancy rate was significantly lower than that in the control group [72.09% (31/43) vs. 93.02% (40/43), P < 0.05]. After training in the CRM system, the score of the sepsis awareness survey questionnaire for emergency department nurses was significantly increased as compared with before training (60.42±5.29 vs. 44.17±9.21, P < 0.01), and NTS also showed significant improvement. CONCLUSION CRM plays a significant role in promoting the implementation of sepsis hour-1 bundle, which can improve the implementation rate of hour-1 bundle and NTS of medical staff, effectively improve patients' hypoxemia, reduce patients' ICU occupancy rate and 28-day risk of death.
Humans ; Sepsis/therapy* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Patient Care Bundles ; Intensive Care Units ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of critical care warning platform (CWP) on clinical outcomes of patients transferred from internal medical ward to intensive care unit (ICU) based on real-world data. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The patients transferred from internal medical ward to ICU of Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, between January 2022 and October 2024, were enrolled. They were divided into critical care warning group and conventional treatment group based on whether they were connected to the CWP. The patients in the critical care warning group were connected to the CWP, which collected real-time vital signs and treatment data. The platform automatically calculated severity scores, generated individualized risk assessments, and triggered warning alerts, allowing clinicians to adjust treatment plans accordingly. The patients in the conventional treatment group were not connected to the CWP and relied on conventional clinical judgment and nursing measures for treatment management. Baseline characteristics [gender, age, body mass index (BMI), admission type, severity score of illness, underlying diseases, and disease type at ICU admission], primary clinical outcome (in-hospital mortality), and secondary clinical outcomes [ICU mortality, length of ICU stay, total length of hospital stay, and mechanical ventilation and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) status] were collected. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of CWP on in-hospital death, and subgroup analyses were performed based on different patient characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 1 281 patients were enrolled, with 768 in the critical care warning group and 513 in the conventional treatment group. Compared with the conventional treatment group, the proportion of patients in the critical care warning group with underlying diseases of diabetes and malignancy and transferred to ICU due to sepsis was lowered, however, there were no statistically significant differences in other baseline characteristics between the two groups. Regarding the primary clinical outcome, the in-hospital mortality in the critical care warning group was significantly lower than that in the conventional treatment group [17.6% (135/768) vs. 25.7% (132/513), P < 0.01]. For secondary clinical outcomes, compared with the conventional treatment group, the patients in the critical care warning group had significantly fewer days of mechanical ventilation within 28 days [days: 2 (1, 6) vs. 2 (1, 8), P < 0.05], significantly shorter length of ICU stay [days: 3 (2, 8) vs. 4 (2, 10), P < 0.01], and significantly lower ICU mortality [15.1% (116/768) vs. 21.4% (110/513), P < 0.01]. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for age and underlying diseases, the use of CWP was significantly associated with a reduction of in-hospital mortality among patients transferred from internal medical ward to ICU [odds ratio (OR) = 0.670, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.502-0.894, P = 0.006]. Further subgroup analysis revealed that, among patients transferred to ICU due to sepsis, the use of CWP significantly reduced in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.514, 95%CI was 0.367-0.722, P < 0.001). In patients aged ≥ 70 years old (OR = 0.587, 95%CI was 0.415-0.831, P = 0.003) and those with underlying diseases of malignancy (OR = 0.124, 95%CI was 0.046-0.330, P < 0.001), CWP also showed significant protective effects on in-hospital prognosis. CONCLUSION The use of CWP is significantly associated with a reduction in in-hospital mortality among patients transferred from internal medical ward to ICU, demonstrating its potential in assessing the deterioration of hospitalized patients.
Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Retrospective Studies ; Hospital Mortality ; Prognosis ; Critical Care ; Male ; Female ; Patient Transfer ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Cohort Studies

OBJECTIVE: To develop a digital intelligent multimodal shift handover system for the intensive care unit (ICU) and evaluate its application effect in ICU shift handovers. METHODS: A research and development team was established, consisting of 1 department director, 1 head nurse, 3 information technology engineers, 3 nurses, and 2 doctors. Team members were assigned responsibilities including overall coordination and planning, platform design and maintenance, pre-application training, collection and organization of clinical feedback, and research investigation respectively. A digital intelligent multimodal shift handover system was developed for ICU based on the Shannon-Weaver linear transmission model. This innovative system integrated automated data collection, intelligent dynamic monitoring, multidimensional condition analysis and visual reporting functions. A cloud platform was used to gather data from multi-parameter vital signs monitors, infusion pumps, ventilators and other devices. Artificial intelligence algorithms were employed to standardize and analyze the data, providing personalized recommendations for healthcare professionals. A self-controlled before-after method was adopted. Before the application of the ICU digital intelligent multimodal shift handover system (from December 2023 to March 2024), the traditional verbal bedside handover was used; from June 2024 to March 2025, the ICU digital intelligent multimodal shift handover system was applied for shift handovers. Questionnaires before the application of the shift handover system were collected in April 2024, and those after the application were collected in April 2025. The shift handover time, handover quality (scored by the nursing handover evaluation scale), satisfaction with doctor-nurse communication (scored by the ICU doctor-nurse scale) before and after the application of the handover system were compared, and nurses' satisfaction with the shift handover system (scored by the clinical nursing information system effectiveness evaluation scale) was investigated. RESULTS: After the application of the ICU digital intelligent multimodal shift handover system, the shift handover time was significantly shorter than that before the application [minutes: 20 (15, 25) vs. 30 (22, 40)], the handover quality was significantly higher than that before the application [score: 84.0 (78.0, 88.5) vs. 71.0 (55.0, 79.0)], and the satisfaction with doctor-nurse communication was also significantly higher than that before the application (score: 84.58±6.79 vs. 74.50±11.30). All differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). In addition, the nurses' system effectiveness evaluation scale score was 102.30±10.56, which indicated that nurses had a very high level of satisfaction with the ICU digital intelligent multimodal shift handover system. CONCLUSIONS The application of the ICU digital intelligent multimodal shift handover system can shorten the shift handover time, improve the handover quality, and enhance the satisfaction with doctor-nurse communication. Nurses have a high level of satisfaction with this system.
Intensive Care Units ; Humans ; Patient Handoff ; Artificial Intelligence ; Algorithms

INTRODUCTION: The rising rate of adolescent suicide, and the burden of self-harm and mental health disorders, pose significant threats to Singapore's future health outcomes and human potential. This study sought to examine the risk profile and healthcare utilisation patterns of Singaporean adolescents who presented to the emergency department (ED) for suicidal or self-harm behaviour. METHOD: A retrospective review of medical records for patients aged 10 to 19 years who visited Singapore's KK Women's and Children's Hospital ED for suicidal or self-harm attempts from January to December 2021 was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 221 patients were identified, with a predominance of female patients (85.5%) over males (14.5%). The mean age was 14.2 ± 1.4 years. Intentional drug overdose (52.0%) was the most commonly used method. Significantly more females presented for intentional paracetamol overdose (46.6% versus [vs] 28.1%, P=0.049), whereas jumping from a height was more common among males (18.8% vs 5.8%, P=0.022). The most frequently observed mental health challenges were stress-related and emotional coping difficulties (50.7%), followed by mood and anxiety symptoms (53.4%). A history of self-harm and suicidal behaviours were the most common psychosocial risk factors. Within the year prior to their ED presentation, 15.4% had accessed healthcare services for mild medical ailments, 19.5% for medically unexplained symptoms, and 17.2% for previous self-harm or suicide attempts. CONCLUSION Most cases involved psychosocial and emotional regulation difficulties, some of which displayed sex-specific patterns, rather than complex psychiatric disorders. The identified predictive factors can help inform Singapore's National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy, to guide targeted and transdiagnostic interventions in schools and community settings.
Humans ; Adolescent ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Female ; Male ; Suicide, Attempted/psychology* ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data* ; Self-Injurious Behavior/psychology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Child ; Young Adult ; Drug Overdose/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Acetaminophen/poisoning* ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data* ; Sex Factors