UNASSIGNED: An integrated care program for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Thailand has shown its effectiveness in delaying the decline in kidney function, as evidenced by the Effectiveness of Integrated Care on Delaying Progression of Stages 3 to 4 CKD in Rural Communities of Thailand (ESCORT-1) randomized control trial and the ESCORT-2 prospective cohort study. Designed for sustainability within the primary healthcare system, the program optimizes the use of the existing workforce by fostering collaboration among local multidisciplinary care teams (MDCTs) and community care networks (CCNs).
UNASSIGNED: A Markov model with a lifetime horizon was used to conduct a cost-utility analysis from a societal perspective. Individual participant level data from ESCORT studies, national registries, and relevant literature were used to estimate model parameters. A budget impact analysis from the payer\'s perspective was also assessed over a 5-year period.
UNASSIGNED: The integrated care program yielded a dominant result with 1.84 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained with \"less\" lifetime cost, resulting in a negative incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Probabilistic analysis showed that the intervention being cost-effective almost 100% of the time at the local willingness-to-pay threshold. The intervention maximized cost-effectiveness when delivered as early as possible, both in terms of age and stage. The budget impact analysis estimated that the introduction of the intervention could save about 7% of the Thai government\'s total health expenditure or 205 billion Thai-Baht ($5.9 billion) over 5 years with cost savings beginning from the third year onwards.
UNASSIGNED: The integrated care program for CKD offers potential benefits and cost savings for patients, caregivers, and payers. Future efforts should focus on the screening and implementation processes across various regions and healthcare settings.

UNASSIGNED: Recommendations state that multidisciplinary team expertise should be utilised for more accurate survival predictions. How the multidisciplinary team discusses prognoses during meetings and how they reference time, is yet to be explored.
UNASSIGNED: To explore how temporality is conveyed in relation to patients\' prognoses during hospice multidisciplinary team meetings.
UNASSIGNED: Video-recordings of 24 hospice multidisciplinary team meetings were transcribed and analysed using Conversation Analysis.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 65 staff participating in multidisciplinary team meetings in a UK hospice from May to December 2021.
UNASSIGNED: Team members conveyed temporality in three different ways. (i) Staff stated that a patient was dying as part of the patient\'s current health status. These formulations did not include a time reference per se but described the patient\'s current situation (as dying) instead. (ii) Staff used specific time period references where another specific reference had been provided previously that somehow constrained the timeframe. In these cases, the prognosis would conflict with other proposed care plans. (iii) Staff members used unspecific time period references where the reference appeared vague and there was greater uncertainty about when the patient was expected to die.
UNASSIGNED: Unspecific time period references are sufficient for achieving meaningful prognostic talk in multidisciplinary teams. In-depth discussion and accurate prediction of patient prognoses are not deemed a priority nor a necessity of these meetings. Providing precise predictions may be too difficult due to uncertainty and accountability. The lack of staff pursuing more specific time references implies shared knowledge between staff and a context-specific use of prognostic estimates.

In mental health care settings, inpatients are increasingly engaged in their care process, allowing them to participate in multidisciplinary team meetings. Research into how mental health patients (MHPs) experience participating in such meetings is, however, limited. This study aimed to explore inpatients\' experiences when participating in multidisciplinary team meetings in a Belgian inpatient mental health unit. This study used a phenomenological design with data collection including semistructured interviews. Twelve individuals participated in the study. Participants were MHPs admitted to a mental health unit that works according to the model of recovery-oriented mental health practice. Findings were analysed utilising thematic analysis. Results showed that the MHPs\' experiences were mainly positive but intense. Themes included: \'Feeling honoured to be invited\', \'Sense of obligation\', \'Feeling nervous\', \'Transparency in team members\' insights\', \'Feeling supported by the (primary) nurse\' and \'Duality about the presence of relatives\'. By taking these findings into account, (mental) healthcare workers gain insight into the patient\'s lived experiences, allowing them to provide more person-centred care when inpatients participate in multidisciplinary team meetings. Moreover, these findings can support mental health units in implementing or optimising patient participation in multidisciplinary team meetings. Finally, other (mental health) patients can also benefit from these findings as it can help them to put feelings and thoughts into perspective when participating in a multidisciplinary team meeting during a hospital admittance.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic healthcare professionals in the multiprofessional intensive care unit (ICU) team are important for early mobilization, dysphagia therapy, and psychosocial care of critically ill patients.
OBJECTIVE: Despite the high relevance of therapeutic healthcare professions for care in ICUs, there are no recommendations on the specific staffing of therapists in ICUs.
RESULTS: Considering the main areas of activity of the individual professional groups and based on productivity time, a requirements analysis for staffing ICUs of different care levels with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and psychologists was performed. For every 10 beds in the highest care level (LoC3), 1.28 full-time equivalent (FTE) physiotherapists, 0.91 FTE occupational therapists and speech therapists, and 0.80 FTE psychologists should be employed.
CONCLUSIONS: In order to implement multiprofessional patient treatment and support for relatives in the ICU, it is essential to employ a proportionate number of therapeutic healthcare professionals.
UNASSIGNED: HINTERGRUND: Therapeutische Gesundheitsfachberufe im multiprofessionellen Team der Intensivstation sind für die Frühmobilisation, die Dysphagietherapie und für die psychosoziale Versorgung von kritisch kranken Patienten wichtig.
UNASSIGNED: Trotz der hohen Relevanz der therapeutischen Gesundheitsfachberufe für die Versorgung auf der Intensivstation existieren keine Empfehlungen zur konkreten Personalausstattung der Therapeuten auf den Intensivstationen.
UNASSIGNED: Anhand der Tätigkeitsschwerpunkte der einzelnen Berufsgruppen sowie basierend auf der Produktivitätszeit erfolgt eine Bedarfsermittlung für die Ausstattung von Intensivstationen unterschiedlicher Versorgungsstufen mit Physiotherapeuten, Ergotherapeuten, Logopäden und Psychologen. Pro 10 Betten sollten in der höchsten Versorgungsstufe („level of care“ [LoC] 3) 1,28 Vollzeitkräfte (VK) aus der Physiotherapie, je 0,91 VK aus der Ergotherapie und Logopädie sowie 0,80 VK aus der Psychologie beschäftigt werden.
UNASSIGNED: Für die Umsetzung einer multiprofessionellen Patientenbehandlung und Angehörigenunterstützung auf der Intensivstation sind anteilig verbindlich Professionen der Gesundheitsfachberufe zu beschäftigen.

OBJECTIVE: As the participation of dental professionals in multidisciplinary care is often limited, instructions on oral health management provided by dental professionals to other professionals are important to achieve transdisciplinary oral health management; however, the effectiveness of such instructions remains unclear. In this longitudinal study, we aimed to determine the impact of oral health management provided by dental professionals and nurses instructed on oral health management by dental professionals on the oral health of inpatients eligible for a Nurition Support Team (NST).
METHODS: The study participants were 117 patients (66 men and 51 women, mean age: 71.9 ± 12.5 years) who received oral health management during the NST intervention period. The participants received oral health management from nurses (Ns group) or dental professionals (D group). The nurses who conducted the oral health management received instructions from dental professionals. Oral health was assessed at the beginning and end of the NST intervention using the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT).
RESULTS: The Ns and D groups showed significant improvements in the total OHAT scores at the end of the NST intervention. Both groups showed significant improvements in the OHAT subitems of lip, tongue, gums and tissues, saliva, oral cleanliness and dental pain, while only the D group showed a significant improvement in the denture subitem.
CONCLUSIONS: Effective oral health management provided by dental professionals or by nurses trained by them improved the oral health status of inpatients eligible for NST at an acute-care hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the perceptions and experiences of care received from healthcare teams among cancer survivors with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs).
METHODS: Cancer survivors completed an online survey (N=441) of which 12 participated in an interview. Team complexity was operationalized based on team size, clinician specialties, and health system affiliation. Kilpatrick\'s Patient-Perceptions of Team Effectiveness (PTE) questionnaire measured team effectiveness. Constant comparative method was used to identify care coordination challenges and facilitators from interviews.
RESULTS: Mean age at cancer diagnosis was 45 years (SD=14), 68% were 5 years from diagnosis, the most common cancer was breast (27%), and two-thirds had two or more pre-diagnosis comorbidities. Sixty percent rated both cancer and other condition(s) as taking priority. Team complexity varied from low (32%), moderate (49%), and high (20%). Eighty percent rated PTE overall as high, with variation by subscales: coordination (85%) and patient-family focus (47%). Higher team complexity was associated with lower PTE overall (p=0.049). Challenges were identified: sequential referrals with no integration across team members; no shared mental model among team; and cancer survivor having to \"referee\" conflicting care decisions.
CONCLUSIONS: This mixed method study found an inverse relationship between team complexity and PTE-overall, where high-complexity teams had lower team effectiveness. Participants reported issues with the problem-solving abilities of their teams and felt like their contributions were not valued by their care team.
CONCLUSIONS: Improving team effectiveness offers one way to leverage the expertise of multiple specialties to deliver integrated, patient-centered care for the growing population of cancer survivors with MCC.

Metabolic-associated fatty-liver disease (MAFLD), previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is the most widespread and emerging chronic liver disease worldwide, with increasing prevalence rates also in the Asia-Pacific region. The disease has a high socio-economic burden as it negatively impacts the finances and quality of life of individuals affected and has a major burden on healthcare systems. The most important pathological event in MAFLD aetiopathogenesis is oxidative stress, which leads to functional and structural abnormalities in the liver as well as being involved in the development of other concomitant cardiometabolic diseases. MAFLD is a rather complex multisystemic clinical condition involving liver damage and a wide spectrum of extrahepatic manifestations such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. This complexity requires the cooperation of multiple experts to identify MAFLD at an early stage, treat associated comorbidities, and promptly refer the patient to the hepatologist when needed. This review summarizes the current knowledge about MAFLD and reports the opinion of a group of experts on the increasing prevalence and burden of the disease in the southeast Asia region, the current journey of patients with MAFLD in developing countries, the role of oxidative stress and antioxidant treatment, and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for early diagnosis and disease management. This article is part of the Current clinical use of silymarin in the treatment of toxic liver diseases: a case series Special Issue: https://www.drugsincontext.com/special_issues/current-clinical-use-of-silymarin-in-the-treatment-of-toxic-liver-diseases-a-case-series.

Introduction The urology multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT) is the key weekly meeting that allows the opportunity to review results and discuss management plans for all urological cancers within a department. As populations age and cancer detection and management improve, the demand for the MDT will increase. We conducted a collaborative transregional study within the UK to evaluate the current workload on the urology MDT. Methods The study was divided into two parts: a multicenter retrospective audit and a snapshot survey. Three UK hospitals in Birmingham, Liverpool, and Cardiff were recruited into the multicenter study. Each hospital provided full MDT lists for all weekly meetings between August 2017 and 2022. Retrospective data gathered included the number of patients discussed per week, the average age of patients per week, the time allocated to their weekly MDT, and the total number of consultants in the department. The second part of the study involved the distribution of an online questionnaire to urologists across the UK to obtain a snapshot picture with the above parameters. Results Snapshot data from 34 different UK hospitals showed MDT length ranged from 1-6 hours, patients discussed ranged from 10-90 per week, and the maximum average discussion time was 3.8 minutes per case. Furthermore, 76% (N = 28/37) of respondents said unnecessary cases were discussed. Varied suggestions were provided on how the MDT could be improved. Multicenter five-year data showed a rise in mean total numbers of patients discussed per week in all centers: a 34.8% increase in Birmingham (from 34.5 patients to 46.5 patients), a 23.5% increase in Liverpool (27.2 patients to 33.6 patients), and a 38.8% increase in Cardiff (22.7 patients to 31.5 patients). Hours per meeting were Birmingham (2), Liverpool (3), and Cardiff (4), which meant the average minutes per patient discussion were Birmingham (2.6), Liverpool (5.4), and Cardiff (7.6). Conclusion There is a rapidly rising trend across UK regions for the number of patients being discussed in the urology MDT meeting. The MDT structure and function across the country are highly variable. There is consensus that the MDT discusses cases that are unnecessary, and this has been recognized for many years. Widespread implementation of the latest MDT management guidelines is urgently required to ensure MDT meetings are able to function effectively and efficiently into the future.

To evaluate efficacy and toxicity of carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) in locally advanced head and neck mucosal melanoma (HNMM) patients treated at our Institute.
Between June 2013 and June 2020, 40 HNMM patients were treated with CIRT. Prescription dose was 65.6-68.8 Gy relative biological effectiveness [RBE] in 16 fractions. Twelve (30%) patients received only biopsy, 28 (70%) surgical resection before CIRT. Immunotherapy was administered before and/or after CIRT in 45% of patients, mainly for distant progression (89%).
Median follow-up was 18 months. 2-year Local Relapse Free Survival (LRFS), Overall Survival (OS), Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Distant Metastasis Free Survival (DMFS) were 84.5%, 58.6%, 33.2% and 37.3%, respectively. At univariate analysis, LRFS was significantly better for non-recurrent status, < 2 surgeries before CIRT and treatment started < 9 months from the initial diagnosis, with no significant differences for operated versus unresected patients. After relapse, immunotherapy provided longer median OS (17 months vs 3.6, p-value<0.001). Late toxicity ≥ G3 (graded with CTCAE 5.0 scale) was reported in 10% of patients.
CIRT in advanced HNMM patients is safe and locally effective. Prospective trials are warranted to assess the role of targeted/immune- systemic therapy to improve OS.

OBJECTIVE: Short-term mechanical circulatory support (STMCS) may be used as an intentional escalation strategy to treat refractory cardiogenic shock (rCS). However, with growing technical possibilities, making the right choice at the right time can be challenging. We established a shock team in January 2013 comprising a cardiac anaesthetist-intensivist, an interventional cardiologist, and a cardiac surgeon. Since then, a diagnosis of rCS has triggered a multidisciplinary team meeting based on a common algorithm. This study aimed to compare the decision-making process for STMCS for rCS before (2007-2013) and after (2013-2019) the creation of the shock team.
RESULTS: This before-and-after cohort study was conducted over a 156-month period. Post-cardiotomy rCS were excluded. The primary outcome was a 1-year survival rate. In total, 250 consecutive adult patients were included in the analysis (84 in the control group and 166 in the shock team group). At baseline, the CardShock score was not different between the two groups (5[3-5] vs. 5[4-6], P = 0.323). The 1-year survival rate was significantly higher in the shock team group compared with the control group (59% vs. 45%, P = 0.043). After a Cox regression analysis, the shock team intervention was independently associated with a significantly improved 1-year survival rate (HR: 0.592, 95% CI: 0.398-0.880, P = 0.010).
CONCLUSIONS: A multidisciplinary shock team-based decision for STMCS device implantation in rCS is associated with better 1-year survival rates.