BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

One of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical education is an increased awareness and use of social media (SocMed) to facilitate learning. However, literature on the use of SocMed in medical education has focused primarily on educator-led teaching activities. Our study aimed to describe SocMed initiatives that were student-led, particularly for information dissemination and peer collaborative learning, and to elicit perceptions of medical students towards such activities.

An online survey on SocMed usage in medical education was sent to all first- and second-year medical students at the University of the Philippines Manila College of Medicine from October to December 2021. The questionnaire collected data on demographics, SocMed habits and preferences, and perceived advantages and disadvantages of SocMed. Descriptive statistics were calculated while the free-text responses were grouped into prominent themes and summarized.

We received a total of 258 responses (71%) out of 361 eligible participants. Overall, 74% found SocMed platforms to be very and extremely helpful; 88% recommended its continued use. The most popular SocMed platforms for different tasks were as follows: Discord for independent study groups and for conducting peer tutoring sessions; Facebook Messenger for reading reminders; Telegram for reading announcements related to academics and administrative requirements, and for accessing material provided by classmates and professors.

The high uptake of SocMed among medical students may be attributed to its accessibility and costefficiency. The use of a particular SocMed platform was dependent on the students’ needs and the platform's features. Students tended to use multiple SocMed platforms that complemented one another. SocMed also had disadvantages, such as the potential to distract from academic work and to become a source of fatigue. Educators must engage with students to understand how SocMed platforms can be integrated into medical education, whether in the physical or virtual learning environment.

BACKGROUND

Acne vulgaris is one of the common skin diseases prompting dermatologic consult. Although prevalent worldwide, knowledge of the public about acne is still lacking. Due to this, content related to acne vulgaris has been a topic of choice on social media platforms.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 patients diagnosed with acne vulgaris aged 18-50 years-old consulting via teledermatology and face-to-face consultation at the Rizal Medical Center. Patients completed a self-administered questionnaire and global acne severity was assessed.

A total of 120 newly d iagnosed patients with acne vulgaris were included in the study, with a mean age of 23.25 years, with a female predominance, household average monthly income less than PhP 10,957 and with mild to moderate acne severity. Majority of the participants used social media to look for treatment options and to gain more knowledge about the disease. The most used platforms were Youtube, Facebook and Tiktok. Short videos were viewed more often and content from dermatologists were preferred. Most commonly tried products are over-the-counted non-pharmaceutical topical products. There was a significant association between the use of social media with age and educational attainment. Furthermore, a significant association between self-medication practices and average household monthly income was seen. No association was seen between acne severity, social media use and self-medication practices.

In summary, the use of social media to access acne-related content was prevalent among young female patients, of lower socioeconomic status diagnosed with mild-moderate acne severity at a tertiary hospital in the Philippines.

BACKGROUND: Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are widely used in Japan, following cigarettes, but their health effects remain unclear. HTPs are often considered a less harmful alternative to cigarettes and are commonly used by adults with asthma, even though smoking is one of the most obvious and treatable factors in asthma. We aimed to elucidate the association between HTP use and asthma symptoms in adults with asthma. METHODS: A total of 3,787 individuals with asthma were extracted from the data in the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey 2023, an ongoing longitudinal internet-based cohort study conducted by a nationwide internet research company in Japan. They were categorized into three groups (never, past, and current smokers) based on cigarette use. The association between HTP use and worsening of asthma symptoms within the previous 2 months in each group was analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Both exposure and outcomes were assessed by self-reporting. RESULTS: Among the participants, 2,470 (65.2%) were never smokers, 845 (22.3%) were past smokers, and 472 (12.5%) were current smokers. Overall, the proportion of HTP users was 429 (11.3%), and worsened asthma symptoms were observed in 400 (10.6%) individuals. The total proportion of HTP users and worsened asthma symptoms was 70 (2.8%) and 259 (10.5%) among never smokers, 180 (21.3%) and 72 (8.5%) among past smokers, and 179 (37.9%) and 69 (14.6%) among current smokers. After adjusting for confounders, the odds ratio (OR) was 3.25 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.86-5.68, p < 0.001), 1.47 (95% CI 0.93-2.34, p = 0.1), and 2.23 (95% CI 1.46-3.43, p < 0.001) for never, past, and current cigarette smokers with HTP use, respectively, where never smokers without HTP use were set as the standard. CONCLUSION The use of HTPs, not only cigarette smoking, was associated with worsening of asthma symptoms in adults with asthma. Therefore, people need to understand the harmful effects of HTPs on asthma symptoms.
Humans ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Asthma/etiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Tobacco Products/adverse effects* ; Internet ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult ; Hot Temperature ; Longitudinal Studies

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to address the configuration and efficiency issues in the use of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) equipment through the practical implementation of a rationalization platform based on the Internet of Things (IoT). METHODS: By employing IoT and data integration technologies, the deep integration of DSA equipment operational data with clinical data was achieved to construct a knowledge base for rational use of DSA equipment. Simultaneously, a knowledge base was developed using software engineering techniques to visually display data analysis results. RESULTS: Through thorough data analysis, an imbalance in DSA usage between the southern and northern hospital campuses was identified. Addressing this issue, optimizations were implemented based on the data analysis results, which ultimately yielded significant effects. These adjustments not only effectively alleviated the pressure on DSA equipment usage in the southern campus, but also increased equipment utilization in the northern district (the average daily working hours have increased from 4.64 h to 7.19 h), shortened patient appointment wait time (the appointment duration in the southern campus decreased by 21.86% year-on-year, while the appointment duration in the northern campus decreased by 20.51% year-on-year). CONCLUSION Through the practical implementation of a DSA rationalization platform based on IoT, this study not only successfully explored methods for rational DSA usage but also provided valuable reference for the rational management of medical equipment.
Internet of Things ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction/instrumentation* ; Humans ; Software

Medical equipment, as an important indicator of smart hospital evaluation, plays a vital role in hospital operations. To ensure the safe and efficient operation of medical equipment, a reasonable performance evaluation system is indispensable. This study introduces a platform based on Internet of Things (IoT) technology that connects medical devices and collects data, achieving standardized and structured data processing, and supporting online operational supervision. Through the Delphi method, a performance evaluation system for large medical equipment is constructed, including 4 primary indicators and 22 secondary indicators. DICOM data acquisition devices are used to achieve functions such as efficiency analysis, benefit analysis, usage evaluation, and decision-making support for medical equipment. The study is still in its early stages, and in the future, it is expected to integrate more types of equipment, achieve rational resource allocation, and significantly impact decision-making for the development of public hospitals.
Internet of Things ; Delphi Technique

Medical equipment management plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality and efficiency of healthcare services. However, traditional management approaches are increasingly inadequate to meet the growing demands of modern healthcare. As intelligent operation and maintenance (O&M) models based on big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies develop, it is imperative to explore their application in medical equipment management. This paper reviews the technical overview of intelligent O&M and discusses the algorithms and challenges of intelligent O&M models based on different technologies. It also proposes issues that need improvement in intelligent O&M models, aiming to provide valuable references for the future development of medical equipment management.
Artificial Intelligence ; Algorithms ; Internet of Things ; Equipment and Supplies ; Big Data

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop a regional collaborative hierarchical diagnosis and treatment model based on the "Internet+" approach, to address issues such as the uneven distribution of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment resources, information silos, and low patient accessibility in regional medical institutions. METHODS: This model establishes standardized business and information protocols, creating a real-time TMS treatment resource database, develops a regional TMS treatment management platform, and integrates with the Xiamen Health Medical Cloud Platform for collaborative operation. RESULTS: This model enables the internal communication of TMS treatment information within hospitals and sharing across medical institutions, optimizing the rational allocation of TMS treatment resources. CONCLUSION The model effectively optimizes the allocation of TMS treatment resources, significantly enhances the accessibility and quality of medical services, provides valuable insights for hierarchical diagnosis and treatment of other therapeutic models, and contributes to the development of a more organized and efficient hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Humans ; Internet

BACKGROUND

Social media platforms have become ubiquitous online tools, fundamentally altering how individuals connect, share information, and interact with the healthcare system. Given the inherently visual nature of skin conditions, the quest for dermatologic information has surged in parallel with the exponential growth of social media over the past decade.

This study aimed to characterize Filipino adults who seek dermatology-related health information on social media and to investigate how this information influences their behavior regarding skin, hair, and nail problems.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2022 using nonprobability, purposive sampling. Data were collected via a validated 16-item online questionnaire distributed across various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Descriptive statistics were computed from Google Form Responses, saved as a Microsoft Excel sheet.

A total of 263 individuals participated in the online survey. The majority of Filipino adult social media users in this study were female (60.5%), single (92%), possessed high educational attainment (53.6% postgraduate degrees), and belonged to the middle-class income bracket (54%). Facebook was identified as the most commonly used social media platform (94.3%). A substantial proportion, approximately 87.5% (230/263), reported using social media to search for health information pertaining to the skin, hair, and/or nails. Crucially, most of these individuals (80.6%) verified the credibility of the information they received. The information gleaned from social media significantly influenced the majority of respondents (74.1%), with reported changes including starting (52.5%), changing (36.5%), and stopping (20.2%) treatment after seeking dermatology-related health information online. More than half of the respondents (51%) subsequently sought consultation with a board-certified dermatologist.

To the investigators’ knowledge, this is the inaugural local descriptive study exploring the characteristics of Filipino patients who leverage social media as a health information tool for dermatologic concerns. The study provides crucial baseline information on how this digital engagement impacts their perception of disease, influences decisions to seek further evaluation and management, and alters treatment compliance. These findings are poised to significantly benefit both patients and healthcare providers in the Philippines.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

This study examines how grieving Filipinos use Facebook to cope and find support. It investigates the combination of traditional mourning practices and the influence of social media. By exploring this intersection, the study fills an essential gap in the existing literature on digital mourning within Filipino culture. Understanding these digital bereavement practices can inform palliative care interventions, particularly in providing psychosocial support to grieving families.

The study used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, conducting in-depth interviews with ten bereaved Filipinos selected by specific criteria. Data were gathered through video calls and in-person interviews to explore their experiences, and the qualitative data was thematically analyzed for key insights.

The analysis revealed three key themes: (1) blending mourning traditions with Facebook for emotional support; (2) Facebook interactions that provide relief and validation in grief; and (3) digital mourning experiences that foster healing. Social media enhances grieving practices for Filipinos, allowing them to honor loved ones and strengthen community connections.

The study stresses the need for culturally sensitive digital spaces and grief support services that combine online and offline mourning practices. It calls on healthcare providers and grief counselors to incorporate digital mourning and highlights the need for further research on grief expressions on social media.

The intensive care unit (ICU) is a highly equipment-intensive area with a wide variety of medical devices, and the accuracy and timeliness of medical equipment data collection are highly demanded. The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) into ICU medical devices is of great significance for enhancing the quality of medical care and nursing, as well as for the advancement of digital and intelligent ICUs. This study focuses on the construction of the IOT for ICU medical devices and proposes innovative solutions, including the overall architecture design, devices connection, data collection, data standardization, platform construction and application implementation. The overall architecture was designed according to the perception layer, network layer, platform layer and application layer; three modes of device connection and data acquisition were proposed; data standardization based on Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise-Patient Care Device (IHE-PCD) was proposed. This study was practically verified in the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, a total of 122 devices in four ICU wards were connected to the IoT, storing 21.76 billion data items, with a data volume of 12.5 TB, which solved the problem of difficult systematic medical equipment data collection and data integration in ICUs. The remarkable results achieved proved the feasibility and reliability of this study. The research results of this paper provide a solution reference for the construction of hospital ICU IoT, offer more abundant data for medical big data analysis research, which can support the improvement of ICU medical services and promote the development of ICU to digitalization and intelligence.
Intensive Care Units ; Internet of Things ; Humans ; Internet ; Data Collection