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Background: Respiratory therapists (RTs) play a vital role in healthcare, specializing in the treatment and management of heart and lung conditions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the importance of RTs, little attention has been paid to RTs in the Chinese health system. This study aimed to understand and describe the work experiences and career development expectations of RTs in China. Methods: This study utilized a qualitative research design and conducted semi-structured, in-depth, audio-recorded interviews with 16 RTs aged 28-40 years, purposively selected from six regions in mainland China from May to June 2024. Qualitative thematic content analysis was conducted to identify and group the themes that emerged from the discourse. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Four key themes were identified: (1) "Complex Career Motivation" delves into the career trajectories and role adaptations of RTs; (2) "Positive Career Feedback" explores feelings of job satisfaction and career accomplishments; (3) "Uncertain Career Predicament" sheds light on the negative impact of multidimensional career challenges; (4) "Demand-Driven Future Outlook" reflects RTs' urgent expectations for professional advancement. Conclusion: The barriers and facilitators in the professional journey of Chinese RTs maintain a fragile balance, and the future development of the profession may determine whether they can persist in their careers. Healthcare managers and leaders should pay attention to the real needs of RTs, enhance their professional confidence, and adopt effective coping strategies to avoid the loss of human resources and promote the development of the professional team.
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AIMS/INTRODUCTION: To develop and validate a simple prediction model for hypoglycemia risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively analyzed the data of 1,303 subjects in a third-class hospital in Tianjin and followed up their hypoglycemia events at 3 and 6 months. The hypoglycemia risk prediction models for 3 and 6 months were developed and the model performance was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 340 (28.4%) patients experienced hypoglycemia within 3 months and 462 (37.2%) within 6 months during the follow-up period. Age, central obesity, intensive insulin therapy, frequency of hypoglycemia in the past year, and hypoglycemia prevention education entered both model3month and model6month. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of model3month and model6month were 0.711 and 0.723, respectively. The Youden index was 0.315 and 0.361, while the sensitivities were 0.615 and 0.714, and the specificities were 0.717 and 0.631. The calibration curves showed that the models were similar to reality. The decision curves implied that the clinical net benefit of the model was clear. CONCLUSIONS: The study developed 3 and 6 month hypoglycemia risk prediction models for patients with type 2 diabetes. The discrimination and calibration of the two prediction models were good, and might help to improve clinical decision-making and guide patients to more reasonable self-care and hypoglycemia prevention at home.