This manual describes some of the strategic, managerial, financial, technical and scientific aspects to be considered in establishing a national EQA programme for clinical laboratories and other testing services at all health care levels
The key updates include: content update in various sections based on new evidence; design changes for enhanced usability; a streamlined and simplified clinical assessment that includes an algorithm for follow-up; inclusion of two new modules
- Essential Care and Practice that includes general guid...elines and Iminterventions and implementation module to support the proposed interventions by necessary infrastructure and resources; and, revised modules for Psychoses, Child and Adolescent Mental and Behavioural Disorders and Disorders due to Substance Use
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Psoriasis, which can involve the skin, nails and joints, is a chronic, painful, disfiguring and disabling noncommunicable disease (NCD) for which there is no cure. It negatively impacts on quality of life. Some of those who suffer from the disease develop chronic, inflammatory arthritis (psoriatic a...rthritis) that leads to joint deformations and disability. People with psoriasis are also reported to be at increased risk of developing other serious clinical conditions such as cardiovascular and other NCDs
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Prepared as an outcome of ICMR Subcommittee on Larynx & Hypopharynx Cancers | This consensus document on management of larynx and hypopharynx cancers summarizes the modalities of treatment including the site-specific anti-cancer therapies, supportive and palliative care and molecular markers and re...search questions. It also interweaves clinical, biochemical and epidemiological studies.
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The Kenya Essential Medicines List 2019 is an indispensable guide to the medicines recommended for the management of common conditions in Kenya. It is primarily directed at health care providers and medicines supply managers in the public and non-public health sectors. It should be used together wit...h the current versions of updated national clinical guidelines for those conditions for which such guidelines exist
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The guidelines reiterate that the general principles of ethics for biomedical research involving human participants shall also be applicable. In addition, the guidelines specify unique provisions for stem cells, because of their inherent property for unlimited proliferation, differentiation to cells... of the germ layers, oncogenic potential, unrecognised toxicities and possible involvement in pre-implantation stages of human development. The guideline therefore focuses on: 1. Monitoring mechanism and regulatory pathway for basic, clinical research and product development based on categories of research and level of manipulation. 2. Procurement of gametes, embryos and somatic cells for derivation and propagation of any stem cell lines, their banking and distribution. 3. Other important areas like international collaboration, exchange of cell/lines and education for stakeholders and advertisement.
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This Rapid Advice Guideline updates the Interim Guidance on the “Assessment of infants with microcephaly in the context of Zika virus” published in February 2016 (WHO/ZIKV/MOC/16.3). The recommendations provides guidance on the screening, clinical assessment, neuroimaging, laboratory investigati...on and follow-up of children born to women living in areas of Zika virus transmission. The Guideline summarises the evidence base and rationale in support of the recommendations and expands the scope to address complications beyond microcephaly and what is now referred to as the congenital Zika virus syndrome
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Poverty, HIV and other disease burdens, coupled with common mental disorders including alcohol and other substance use disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, clinical and postnatal depression, distress, and anxiety, impact how caregivers meet the needs of children. When mental health is not consi...dered or addressed, there can be a significant impact on an individual, their family and the community.
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This NCEPOD report highlights the quality of mental health and physical health care for patients aged 18 years or older with a significant mental disorder who are admitted to a general hospital. The report takes a critical look at areas where the care of patients might have been improved. Remediable... factors have also been identified in the clinical and the organisational care of these patients.
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Reduced healthy life expectancy due to the high burden of both mental ill health and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is a major public health concern in the European Region. The links between mental disorders and major NCDs are well established.
In clinical practice, however, mental disorders in pa...tients with NCDs as well as NCDs in patients with mental disorders are often overlooked. Premature mortality and disability could be reduced if there were a greater focus on comorbidity.
This report addresses the needs of adults of working age with mental health problems – those with common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety and those with more severe conditions such as schizophrenia and bi-polar affective disorder. It also addresses the needs of those with NCDs, specifically cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes mellitus.
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The evidence base for differentiated care for stable patients has grown in recent years. There has been less attention, however, to developing differentiated models of care for patients with advanced or unstable HIV disease. Current clinical guidelines and policies regarding optimal packages of care... for high-risk patients give few or no recommendations about how, by whom, or where they should be delivered for optimal impact.
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Policy Brief, Updated in March 2017
Key messages
• The criminalisation of male-to-male sex heightens HIV and other sexually transmissible infection (STI) risks and vulnerabilities, and hinders access to HIV and STI services including HCT.
• Men who have sex with men (MSM) and tran...sgender persons (TG) are not a homogeneous group. As such, a variety of HCT service models are needed to reach the various segments of these populations.
• Stigma and discrimination remain ongoing issues at a number of service points. Targeted training of service providers is therefore needed so that MSM and TG are not discouraged from seeking HCT and high-quality prevention, treatment and care services.
• Specific guidelines on HIV prevention, treatment and care services for MSM or TG help improve the delivery of services.
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In March 2017 MSF and St Josef Hospital in Schweinfurt (Germany) began a pilot project for low threshold psychosocial support for refugees and asylum seekers. The project has been independently continued by St Josef Hospital from August 2017. Refugees and asylum seekers are approached with an inform...ation and counseling service from psychosocial peer counselors with relevant backgrounds (regarding language, culture and refugee experience). The psychosocial peer counselors undergo training with a specifically tailored curriculum and are supervised in their work by qualified staff.
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The Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship provides a framework for antibiotic stewardship for outpatient clinicians and facilities that routinely provide antibiotic treatment. This report augments existing guidance for other clinical settings. In 2014 and 2015, respectively, CDC release...d the Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs and the Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes. Antibiotic stewardship is the effort to measure and improve how antibiotics are prescribed by clinicians and used by patients. Improving antibiotic prescribing involves implementing effective strategies to modify prescribing practices to align them with evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management.
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Antibiotic stewardship refers to coordinated efforts and activities that seek to measure and improve use of antibiotics. Implementation of ASPs has demonstrated positive public health and clinical impacts including reducing costs, lengths of hospital stays, and the burden of antibiotic resistance wh...ile maintaining or improving patient outcomes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs in 2014, which outlines essential components for ASPs in hospitals and provides practical guidance for implementing a robust ASPin an acute care facility. Variations to the Core Elements have been developed to deal with the particular challenges in small, rural or critical access hospitals in the United States and in outpatient facilities and nursing homes.
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Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most important threats to the health worldwide. Antimicrobial resistance or drug resistance is the reduction of the pharmaceutical effects of a drug against a disease or reduction of its effectiveness in improving the clinical signs of a disease. Antimicrobial ...resistance occurs naturally but misuse of antibiotics in human and animals significantly accelerates the process of developing antimicrobial resistance. In fact, antimicrobial resistance refers to the resistance of a microorganism to one or more antimicrobial drugs which had been previously sensitive to these drugs. Antimicrobial resistance can occur in a wide variety of pathogens including bacteria, parasites, viruses, fungi, and cancer cells and may threaten the life of every person, in every age, and in every country
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As the global community aims to fulfill its commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the achievement of universal health coverage, dozens of countries have committed to the expansion of community health workers (CHWs) as the front line of their healthcare systems [1, 2]. Robust resea...rch demonstrates CHWs improve access to care, reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality, improve clinical outcomes for chronic diseases, and prevent disease outbreaks [3].
To support the operationalization of quality CHW program design and implementation, USAID, UNICEF, the Community Health Impact Coalition, and Initiatives Inc. have updated and adapted the Community Health Worker Assessment and Improvement Matrix (CHW AIM) Program Functionality Matrix [12]. This tool can be used to identify design and implementation gaps in both small- and national-scale CHW programs, and close gaps in policy and practice.
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The purpose of this Guideline is to provide evidence-based recommendations that promote and sustain the undergraduate nursing student’s application of knowledge to practice in a variety of clinical learning environments. The Guideline explores the relationships among and between students and nursi...ng educators, nursing staff, preceptors, and diverse health-care team members, and it considers their influence on the quality of practice education, professional socialization, and nursing excellence.
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The EAPC White Paper addresses the issue of spiritual care education for all palliative care
professionals. It is to guide health care professionals involved in teaching or training of palliative care and spiritual care; stakeholders, leaders and decision makers responsible for training and educati...on; as well as national and local curricula development groups.
The EAPC white paper points out the importance of spiritual care as an integral part of palliative care and suggests incorporating it accordingly into educational activities and training models in palliative care. The revised spiritual care education competencies for all palliative care providers are accompanied by the best practice models and research evidence, at the same time being sensitive towards different develop-ment stages of the palliative care services across the European region.
Conclusions: Better education can help the healthcare practitioner to avoid being distracted by their own fears, prejudices, and restraints and attend to the patient and his/her family. This EAPC white paper encourages and facilitates high quality, multi-disciplinary, academically and financially accessible spiritual care education to all
palliative care staff.
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PFA for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has several parts that can be used separately or together. It comprises this guide, a small booklet on PFA, and four training modules on PFA. This guide has general information about psychological first aid. It can be used on its own for psycho-education ...and as a reference for the training modules that accompany it. The training modules include instructions, notes, and training resources for the facilitators.
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