Consumer perspectives of allied health involvement in a public hospital setting: cross-sectional survey and electronic health record review.

Objective Consumer-centred care is fundamental to high-quality health care, with allied health professionals playing a pivotal role in hospital settings. Allied health typically operates within standard weekday working-hours. Consumer preferences for receiving allied health services are largely unexplored but could inform whether weekend and/or out-of-hours services are required. This study aims to understand consumer preferences for hospital-based inpatient and outpatient allied health services. Methods Using a cross-sectional survey and convenience sampling approach, consumers of a public health service in Melbourne, Australia were surveyed about preferences for allied health service delivery. Electronic health record reviews compared the accuracy of self-reported service delivery times. Descriptive statistics, concordance and predictive values were calculated. Responses to free-text survey items were analysed using content analysis. Results Of 120 participants (79% response rate), most (69%) received allied health services, however, almost half of inpatient responders (44%) were unsure of the specific allied health professional involved. Audit results found moderate-high concordance overall (range, 77-96%) between self-reported and audit-identified allied health services by profession. Most inpatient responders had no strong day of week preference, equally selecting weekdays and weekend days, with most preferring services between 8 am and 4 pm. Outpatient responders (81%) preferred a weekday appointment between 8 am and 12 pm or before 8 am (29%) to complete scheduled activities early in the day. Conclusion While provision of allied health services during standard working-hours was preferred by most consumers, some inpatient and outpatient consumers are receptive to receiving weekend and out-of-hours services, respectively. Decisions about offering these services should consider operational capacity and research evidence.

Proteomic Alterations in Salivary Exosomes Derived from Human Papillomavirus-Driven Oropharyngeal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence supports the notion that human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA integration onto the human genome can influence and alter the molecular cargo in the exosomes derived from head and neck cancer cells. However, the molecular cargo of salivary exosomes derived from HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-driven OPC) remains unelucidated. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Salivary exosomes morphology and molecular characterizations were examined using the nanoparticle tracking (NTA), western blot analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and mass spectrometry analysis. RESULTS: We report that HPV16 DNA was detected (80%) in isolated salivary exosomes of HPV-driven OPC patients. Importantly, we demonstrate elevated protein levels of six main glycolytic enzymes [i.e., aldolase (ALDOA), glyceraldehye-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), lactate dehydrogenase A/B (LDHA and LDHB), phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) and pyruvate kinase M1/2 (PKM)] in isolated salivary exosomes of HPV-driven OPC patients, suggesting a novel mechanism underlying the potential role of salivary exosomes in mediating the reciprocal interplay between glucose metabolism and HPV-driven OPC. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate the potential diagnostic value of HPV16 DNA and glycolytic enzymes in salivary exosomes in discriminating healthy controls from HPV-driven OPC patients, thereby opening new avenues in the future for clinical translation studies.