Patient cancer care education aims to inform and empower patients by providing clear, relevant information about cancer, including its mechanisms, treatment options, and management strategies. This study evaluated the effectiveness and accuracy of existing patient cancer care education materials in Malaysia, specifically assessing patients’ understanding of treatment, side effects, and their management. Method: A descriptive, correlational study was conducted involving 20 cancer patients at Gleneagles Penang Medical Center, using the Patient Cancer Education Needs Assessment questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 21.0 and Microsoft Excel 2013. Result: Patient age, education level, occupation, and socioeconomic status were not significant factors influencing understanding. Findings highlight the need to improve existing educational materials to enhance patient comprehension and ensure materials are comprehensive, culturally appropriate, and innovative. Conclusion: Patient cancer care education materials should be comprehensive, interactive, and patient is friendly. Current materials require revision and enhancement to keep pace with technological developments, ensuring they are accessible, understandable, and effective in supporting patients’ knowledge of cancer treatment, side effects, management strategies, and psychosocial aspects.

Nursing education has undergone a significant transformation as a result of artificial intelligence (AI). Chatbots, specifically ChatGPT, have emerged as vital AI technologies within the nursing domain as it is a computer program designed to simulate human conversation through text or voice interactions. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis to gain insights into the publication trends, citation impact, and thematic evolution in nursing education and practice concerning ChatGPT and chatbots. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSViewer, concentrating on citation networks for data analysis and visualisation. A review of LENS.org identified 344 relevant research publications regarding chatbots and ChatGPT within the nursing discipline, all of which were utilised in the study. The study examined various aspects, including types of publications, prominent authors, leading journals, participating nations, institutions, and the impact of ChatGPT on nursing practice. The primary objectives included categorising the papers, identifying the most influential authors, delineating the prominent areas and institutions in the field, and examining the impact of ChatGPT on nursing education and practice. The findings indicate that ChatGPT positively impacts nursing education by enhancing learning experiences, improving communication, and aiding clinical decision-making. The findings indicate that journal articles accounted for 76% of publications, with the U.S. leading in research output. The findings indicate that ChatGPT positively impacts nursing education by enhancing learning experiences, improving communication, and aiding clinical decision-making. Future research should focus on establishing frameworks for integrating ChatGPT into nursing education, addressing ethical implications, and assessing the long-term impacts on patient care.

This report describes an approach to recover SARS-CoV-2 RNA from rapid antigen test kit (RTK-antigen) cassettes for whole-genome sequencing (WGS). RNA samples were recovered from 33 RTK-antigen cassettes for WGS, with 18 samples achieving more than 80% genome coverage. This work provides a proof-of-concept that positive RTK-antigen cassettes can be safely transported, stored and subjected to WGS, enabling swift identification of circulating variants.

Background: Data on the carcinogenic potential of tirzepatide from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are limited. Furthermore, no meta-analysis has included all relevant RCTs to assess the cancer risk associated with tirzepatide. Methods: RCTs involving patients receiving tirzepatide in the intervention arm and either a placebo or any active comparator in the control arm were searched through electronic databases. The primary outcome was the overall risk of any cancer, and secondary outcomes were the risks of specific types of cancer in the tirzepatide versus the control groups. Results: Thirteen RCTs with 13,761 participants were analyzed. Over 26 to 72 weeks, the tirzepatide and pooled control groups had identical risks of any cancer (risk ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.53 to 1.16; P=0.22). The two groups had comparable cancer risks in patients with and without diabetes. In subgroup analyses, the risks were also similar in the tirzepatide versus placebo, insulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist groups. The overall cancer risk was also comparable for different doses of tirzepatide compared to the control groups; only a 10-mg tirzepatide dose had a lower risk of any cancer than placebo. Furthermore, compared to the control groups (pooled or separately), tirzepatide did not increase the risk of any specific cancer types. Despite greater increments in serum calcitonin with 10- and 15-mg tirzepatide doses than with placebo, the included RCTs reported no cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Conclusion Tirzepatide use in RCTs over 26 to 72 weeks did not increase overall or specific cancer risk.

Background and Objectives: Monosyllable words are the most common speech recognition stimuli since they test auditory perception and are used to assess speech recognition. However, there is a lack of resources available for the Urdu-speaking Pakistani population. This study aims to develop and psychometrically evaluate a digitally recorded Urdu monosyllabic word list for Word Recognition Score (WRS) testing. Subjects and Methods: A total of 135 monosyllabic words were selected from a previous study. These words were digitally recorded by a native female Urdu speaker in a studio. The recordings were psychometrically assessed by 30 native Urdu speakers with normal hearing. The 100 most familiar words were selected and organized into two lists, each further divided into four halves to ensure that the words were relatively homogeneous in terms of audibility. Results: The average psychometric slope between 20% and 80% for the full list was 4.78%/dB±0.22%/dB, while it was 4.81%/dB±0.35%/dB for the half list. No statistically significant difference in p-values was observed between the full and half lists. The mean psychometric slope for 50% intelligibility was 6.04%/dB for both the full list (SD=0.44) and the half lists (SD=0.40). Conclusions Digitally recorded Urdu monosyllabic word lists are valid for assessing speech recognition in native Urdu speakers with normal hearing.

Statins represent the first-line therapy for cholesterol management. However, for patients prone to statin side effects, unable to tolerate higher doses, or requiring additional low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction, ezetimibe alone or in combination with statins is recommended. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combining lowor moderate-intensity statins with ezetimibe compared to high-intensity statin monotherapy, yielding reliable evidence to guide clinical decision-making and personalize treatment strategies. PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were systematically searched from inception until May 2023. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing a high-intensity statin with a low/ moderate-intensity statin with ezetimibe were included. The outcomes of interest comprised changes in concentrations of lipids—LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TGs)—and apolipoprotein (Apo) A1, Apo B, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), along with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). All data were analyzed using Review Manager version 5.4. p-values less than 0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance. Overall, 20 RCTs, with 5,412 participants, were included. A low/moderate-intensity statin combined with ezetimibe yielded a significantly greater reduction in LDL-C levels than high-intensity statin monotherapy (mean difference [MD], −6.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], −10.95, −2.24; p=0.003; I 2 =84%). No significant differences were observed between combination and high-intensity statin monotherapy regarding TC, TG, or HDL-C levels. However, hs-CRP levels were significantly higher with combination therapy (MD, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.01, 0.64; p=0.04; I 2 =0%). Combination therapy involving a low/moderate-intensity statin with ezetimibe was significantly associated with lower LDL-C levels than high-intensity statin monotherapy. No significant differences were observed for TC, TGs, HDL-C, alanine transaminase, or MACE. However, creatine phosphokinase levels significantly increased with monotherapy.

Objectives: This study aimed to achieve expert consensus on menopause management in the Asia-Pacific region, taking into account patient diversity, the latest evidence, and current treatment options. Methods: A focused literature search was performed to identify clinical practice statements on menopause management. Menopause experts were nominated by members of the Asia-Pacific Menopause Federation (APMF) society. A modified Delphi methodology, involving iterative rounds of anonymous surveys, was employed until consensus was reached for each statement. Consensus was defined as ≥ 70% of experts voting ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ for a given clinical practice statement. Results: A total of 39 participants from 14 different APMF member societies were involved. Eighty-five clinical practice statements reached a consensus. Based on the clinical practice statements, an algorithm was created as a tool to guide clinicians on menopause management. APMF experts agreed that, in addition to vasomotor symptoms, Asian women experiencing somatic or psychological symptoms may also benefit from treatment with menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). MHT should also be considered for the prevention of osteoporosis in asymptomatic peri- and postmenopausal women. Conclusions This APMF consensus statement supersedes the previous one published in 2008. It provides guidance to gynecologists, endocrinologists, family physicians, and other healthcare professionals in delivering optimal care to menopausal women in the ethnically and culturally diverse Asia-Pacific region.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument for assessing patients’ behavior toward the risk of hypoglycemia through self-assessment. Insufficient education and supervision of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) outpatients by healthcare providers is a significant concern, affecting their behavior during the treatment process. Additionally, inappropriate behavior typically increases the risk of hypoglycemia. To mitigate this risk, several studies have recommended evaluating patients’ behavior, necessitating the development of a new instrument. Methods: The study procedures were conducted in 3 stages: instrument development (face and content validity, stage I), construct validity and reliability test (stage II), and criterion validity (stage III). Stage I involved 5 healthcare practitioners, including internal medicine doctors, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists in hospitals and community health centers. Stage II included 20 respondents using a 1-shot test method. Stage III involved 237 type 2 DM outpatients at Central General Hospital (RSUP) in Jakarta, employing a cross-sectional design and consecutive sampling. Results: The results indicated that the developed instrument was valid and reliable, comprising 9 domains (29 questions). These domains included behavior toward blood glucose monitoring, diet, physical activity, medication, assistance from healthcare providers, hypoglycemia management, self-care, family support, and insulin use. Furthermore, poor behavior was found to increase the risk of hypoglycemia by 2.36 times. Conclusions Based on these results, the developed instrument could be effectively used to evaluate behavior toward hypoglycemia among type 2 DM outpatients, confirming its validity and reliability.

Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA), particularly knee OA, affects 24% of adults and is a significant cause of disability. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used but have many adverse effects. Antioxidant and anti-iflammatory properties of Curcuma longa might decrease pain thus improving joint function. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on Curcuma longa efficacy for knee OA. We reported mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for continuous outcomes and evaluated Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) total score over 4 to 6 weeks for treatment effects. Results: Ten RCTs with 786 patients were included. Curcuma longa significantly improved VAS for pain than placebo (MD:18.25, 95% CI: 7.79 to 28.72, p=0.0006). It was not inferior to NSAIDs in WOMAC total score improvement (MD: –11.99, 95% CI: –39.21 to 15.23, p=0.39). Both dosages (<1,000 and ≥1,000 mg/day) of Curcuma longa demonstrated similar improvement in VAS for pain compared to placebo (MD: 27.02, 95% CI: 1.45 to 52.60, p=0.04; MD: 21.48, 95% CI: 1.78 to 41.18, p=0.03). Conclusion Curcuma longa benefits knee OA pain and function, being more effective than placebo and comparable to NSAIDs.Despite positive results, limitation and heterogeneity of the studies necessitates further research to explore optimal dosages and administration methods of Curcuma longa as therapeutic option for knee OA.