Health Professionals' Perceptions about Prostate Cancer-A Focus Group Study.

Prostate cancer (PCa) accounts for 20% of new cancer cases and 10.5% of cancer-associated mortality in Portugal. Associated risk factors include advanced age, family history, genetic alterations, and race/ethnicity. However, the role of lifestyle factors is often underestimated. To explore health professionals' perceptions of PCa risk factors, a qualitative study with three focus groups (FG), with a total of twenty-one general practitioners and urologists, was conducted via videoconference between February and April 2023. Seven themes emerged, including general perceptions of PCa; PCa risk factors; nutritional impact; the role of physical activity; alcohol consumption and smoking; sexual activity and sexually transmitted diseases roles in PCa; and screening, diagnosis, and treatment methods. Despite agreeing that healthy lifestyles could promote better PCa outcomes and quality of life, participants did not specify any lifestyle factors that could promote or prevent this disease, posing challenges to lifestyle changes, particularly among older adults. Non-invasive screening methods, such as biomarkers and alternative treatments, are crucial for future research. This study underscores the need for further investigation into the correlation of lifestyle factors with PCa and highlights the necessity of health professionals in encouraging their patients to adopt healthier lifestyles, while offering important insights into awareness, prevention, and alternative screening, diagnosis, and treatment methods, which could help reduce false positives and treatment side effects.

Usability of APIMedOlder: A Web Application to Manage Potentially Inappropriate Medication in Older Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Considering the increase in the proportion of the older population worldwide, the demand for health system resources also arises. These tools optimize clinical decision-making, thus avoiding iatrogenesis and thus contributing to a better quality of life for the older population. In response, we created an online web application, the APIMedOlder, that provides access to healthcare professionals to allow healthcare professionals to access potentially inappropriate medication identification criteria through a useful tool with a simplified profile, allowing its applicability in clinical practice. This study aims to assess the usability of the APIMedOlder online web application by healthcare professionals. METHODS: A questionnaire, based on the System Usability Scale, was distributed among 15 healthcare professionals (five pharmacists, four physicians, three pharmacy technicians, and three nurses), to fully explore the website. RESULTS: Overall, healthcare professionals' evaluation of the usability of the APIMedOlder online web application was rated as "Best imaginable" (mean score of 87.17 points), with individual scores ranging from 75 to 100 points. Internal consistency of α = 0.881 (CI 95%: 0.766 - 0.953) was achieved. Specific questionnaire items contributing to this high score included ease of use, learning efficiency, and integration of functions. CONCLUSION: The overall evaluation of the developed tool was positive, with this online application being recognized as being easy to use and having well-integrated functions.

Potentially inappropriate anticholinergic drug use among older adults in primary healthcare: prevalence and determinants.

BACKGROUND: Considering the vulnerability of older adults to adverse drug reactions, medications with strong anticholinergic properties are considered potentially inappropriate for this population. This study aims to characterize older adults' profile of anticholinergics use and to identify the factors associated with their potentially inappropriate use. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 1200 older adults in primary health care centers of Portugal between April 2021 and August 2022. Potentially inappropriate use was assessed according to the 2023 Beers criteria. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine associations between independent variables and potentially inappropriate use. RESULTS: A 8.9% (95% CI 0.074-0.107) of the older adults were exposed to one or more potentially inappropriate anticholinergics, and amitriptyline was the most used (2.0%). Multivariate analysis revealed that use was associated with a higher mean number of medications (OR 1.173, 95% CI 1.115-1.234), diagnoses of depression (OR 2.889, 95% CI 1.785-4.674) and psychiatric disorders (OR 1.654, 95% CI 1.003-2.729). CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the importance of vigilance in prescribing anticholinergic medications to older adults, particularly those with higher medication burdens and mental health diagnoses. By identifying factors associated with potentially inappropriate use, healthcare providers can better tailor medication regimens to mitigate risks and optimize the well-being of older adults.

Unmasking vaccine hesitancy and refusal: a deep dive into Anti-vaxxer perspectives on COVID-19 in Spain.

BACKGROUND: At the time of the emergence of COVID-19, denialist and anti-vaccine groups have also emerged and are shaking public confidence in vaccination. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted using online focus groups. Participants had not received any doses of vaccination against the disease. A total of five focus group sessions were conducted with 28 participants. They were recruited by snowball sampling and by convenience sampling. RESULTS: The two major topics mentioned by the participants were adverse effects and information. The adverse effects described were severe and included sudden death. In the case of information, participants reported: (1) consultation of websites on which scientists posted anti-vaccination content; and (2) distrust. CONCLUSIONS: At a time when anti-vaccine groups pose a major challenge to public health in general, and to COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in particular, this study is a first step towards gaining deeper insight into the factors that lead to COVID-19 vaccine refusal.

Comparing AGS Beers 2019, STOPP version 2, and EU(7)-PIM list in Portuguese older adults in primary health care.

PURPOSE: This study aims to identify PIM prevalence in older adults according to the 2019 Beers criteria, Screening Tool of Older Person's Prescriptions version 2 (STOPP v2) criteria, and the Portuguese EU(7)-PIM list and also to analyze the concordance between these criteria. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted among 1200 Portuguese older adults (≥ 65 years old), users of primary health care. Demographic, clinical, and pharmacological data were collected concerning the period between April 2021 and August 2022. A comparative analysis was performed between the three PIM identification criteria, and the concordance was determined according to the Lin concordance correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The mean age was 76.3 (SD 7.7) years old and 57.6% of the older adults were females. Our findings indicate varying prevalence rates among these criteria with 63.8% (95% CI 61.0-66.6%), 66.8% (95% CI 64.1-69.5%), and 50.1% (95% CI 47.2-53.0%) of the older adults take at least one PIM according to the EU(7)-PIM list, Beers 2019, and STOPP v2 criteria, respectively. The highest prevalence observed was for proton pump inhibitors according to EU(7)-PIM list (30.1%, 95% CI 27.6-32.9) and Beers criteria (30.1%, 95% CI 27.6-32.9) and alprazolam according to STOPP v2 criteria (10.1%, 95% CI 8.4-11.9%). A poor concordance between criteria was observed (< 0.834). The highest concordance coefficient was found between the EU(7)-PIM list and the Beers criteria (0.833), and the lowest between the EU(7)-PIM list and STOPP criteria (0.735). CONCLUSION: This study reveals varying prevalence rates of PIM in older adults, as assessed by different criteria, and highlights the need for targeted interventions and improved prescribing practices. In the future, studies should focus on the occurrence of negative outcomes in older adults associated with PIM consumption.

Barriers and facilitators of health professionals in adopting digital health-related tools for medication appropriateness: A systematic review.

Objective: Digital health is described as the use and development of all types of digital technologies to improve health outcomes. It could be used to prevent medication errors, a priority for health systems worldwide. However, the adoption of such tools remains slow. This study aims to identify factors (attitudes, knowledge and beliefs) acting as barriers and/or facilitators reported by healthcare professionals (HCPs) for the adoption of digital health-related tools for medication appropriateness. Methods: A systematic review was performed by searching the literature in the MEDLINE PubMed, and EMBASE scientific databases for original articles regarding qualitative and quantitative data. Results: Fifteen articles were included and a total of 125 barriers and 108 facilitators were identified, consolidated and categorized into technical (n = 48), organizational (n = 12), economical (n = 4), user-related (n = 34), and patient-related (n = 8) components. The most often reported barriers and facilitators were technical component-related ones concerning the need for additional training (n = 6), the time consumed (n = 6), and the easy way of using or learning how to use the tools (n = 9), respectively. Regarding setting analysis, agreement with clinical decision recommendations and impact on the doctor-patient relationship were more valued in primary care, while the user interface and system design were in the hospital. Conclusions: The barriers and facilitators identified in this study provide relevant information to developers and it can be used as a starting point for the designing of successful digital health-related tools, specifically related to medication appropriateness. Future research includes economic evaluation-focused studies and in-depth case studies of specific barriers and facilitators.

Magnitude and Determinants of Long-term Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors Among Portuguese Older Adults in Primary Health Care.

PURPOSE: Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) have been associated with several adverse effects of particular concern in older populations. Their use for a period longer than 8 weeks is not recommended for older adults. Strategies to discontinue PPIs have been offered; however, their use remains high. This study aims to characterize PPI use in Portuguese older people and to identify the factors associated with potentially inappropriate use. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1200 randomly selected older adults (≥65 years of age), users of primary health care facilities in the Regional Health Administration (Administração Regional de Saúde of Centro [ARSC]) of Portugal between April 2021 and August 2022. Data concerning their characteristics and PPI use were provided by the Shared Services of the Health Ministry (Serviços Partilhados do Ministério da Saúde) and collected retrospectively. Associations between independent variables and PPI use were investigated by logistic regression analysis. FINDINGS: Of the older adults, 37.92% were receiving PPIs and 78.68% of them were taking them for a longer period than recommended; 49.79% were taking PPIs without having any digestive system-related disease. Multivariate analysis showed that the prolonged use of PPIs was not associated with any specific pattern, although inappropriate PPI use is high among Portuguese older adults. IMPLICATIONS: Long-term PPI use in older adults is widespread and does not fit any particular patient profile; therefore, cross-cutting educational interventions should be designed independently of the patient's pathologic condition or treatment.

Long-COVID-19 clinical and health outcomes: an umbrella review.

Background: A growing interest in long-term sequelae of COVID-19 has prompted several systematic literature reviews (SLRs) to evaluate long-COVID-19 effects. However, many of these reviews lack in-depth information on the timing, duration, and severity of these conditions. Objectives: Our aim was to synthesize both qualitative and quantitative evidence on prevalence and outcomes of long-term effect of COVID-19 through an umbrella review. Design: Umbrella review of relevant SLRs on long-COVID-19 in terms of prolonged symptoms and clinical conditions, and comprehensively synthesized the latest existing evidence. Data Sources and Methods: We systematically identified and appraised prior systematic reviews/meta-analyses using MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane database of systematic review from 2020 to 2021 following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidance. We summarized and categorized all relevant clinical symptoms and outcomes in adults with COVID-19 using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities System Organ Class (MedDRA SOC). Results: We identified 967 systematic reviews/meta-analyses; 36 were retained for final data extraction. The most prevalent SOC were social circumstances (40%), blood and lymphatic system disorders (39%), and metabolism and nutrition disorder (38%). The most frequently reported SOC outcomes within each MedDRA category were poor quality of life (59%), wheezing and dyspnea (19-49%), fatigue (30-64%), chest pain (16%), decreased or loss of appetite (14-17%), abdominal discomfort or digestive disorder (12-18%), arthralgia with or without myalgia (16-24%), paresthesia (27%) and hair loss (14-25%), and hearing loss or tinnitus (15%). Conclusion: This study confirmed a high prevalence of several long COVID-19 outcomes according to the MedDRA categories and indicated that the majority of evidence was rated as moderate to low. Registration: The review was registered at PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/) (CRD42022303557).

Sociodemographic determinants of digital health literacy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Differences in digital health literacy levels are associated with a lack of access to digital tools, usage patterns, and the ability to effectively use digital technologies. Although some studies have investigated the impact of sociodemographic factors on digital health literacy, a comprehensive evaluation of these factors has not been conducted. Therefore, this study sought to examine the sociodemographic determinants of digital health literacy by conducting a systematic review of the existing literature. METHODS: A search of four databases was conducted. Data extraction included information on study characteristics, sociodemographic factors, and the digital health literacy scales used. Meta-analyses for age and sex were conducted using RStudio software with the metaphor package. RESULTS: A total of 3922 articles were retrieved, of which 36 were included in this systematic review. Age had a negative effect on digital health literacy (B = -0.05, 95%CI [-0.06; -0.04]), particularly among older adults, whereas sex appeared to have no statistically significant influence among the included studies (B = - 0.17, 95%CI [-0.64; 0.30]). Educational level, higher income, and social support also appeared to have a positive influence on digital health literacy. DISCUSSION: This review highlighted the importance of addressing the digital health literacy needs of underprivileged populations, including immigrants and individuals with low socioeconomic status. It also emphasizes the need for more research to better understand the influence of sociodemographic, economic, and cultural differences on digital health literacy. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this review suggests digital health literacy is dependent on sociodemographic, economic, and cultural factors, which may require tailored interventions that consider these nuances.

Active Pharmacovigilance Study: A Follow-Up Model of Oral Anti-Cancer Drugs under Additional Monitoring.

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are responsible for almost 5% of hospital admissions, making it necessary to implement different pharmacovigilance strategies. The additional monitoring (AM) concept has been highlighted and intended to increase the number of suspected ADRs reported, namely in medicines with limited safety data. A prospective, descriptive study of active pharmacovigilance (AP) was conducted between 2019 and 2021 in the Local Health Unit of Matosinhos (LHUM) (Porto, Portugal). A model of AP for medicines under AM, namely oral antineoplastic agents, was designed. Follow-up consultations were performed, and adverse events (AEs) data were collected. The overall response to the treatment was evaluated through the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria. A total of 52 patients were included in the study, and 14 antineoplastic drugs under AM were analyzed. Of the total number of patients included, only 29 developed at least one type of toxicity. Hematological disorders were the most reported suspected ADR. However, only four patients interrupted their treatment due to toxicity. After 12 months of treatment, most patients had disease progression, which was the main reason for therapy discontinuation. This AP model played an important role in the early detection of AEs and, consequently, contributed to better management of them. Increasing the number of suspected ADR reports is crucial for drugs with limited safety data.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice Regarding Antibiotic Prescription by Medical Interns: A Qualitative Study in Spain.

Antibiotic resistance is an issue of growing importance in the public health sphere. Medical interns are of great relevance when it comes to the source of this problem. This study therefore sought to ascertain which factors influence the management of antibiotic therapy by this population, in order to pinpoint the possible causes of misprescribing habits. We conducted a qualitative study based on focus group techniques, with groups consisting of medical interns from the Santiago de Compostela Clinical University Teaching Hospital. Our study identified factors which the participants considered to be determinants of antibiotic use and their relationship with the appearance of resistance. The single most repeated factor was the influence of the attending physician's judgement; other factors included a high healthcare burden or prescribing inertia. This stage is an opportunity to correct misprescribing habits, by implementing educational interventions aimed at modifying the identified factors.

Potentially Inappropriate Medication at Admission and at Discharge: A Geriatric Study in an Internal Medicine Service in Portugal.

Aging is associated with an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases and polypharmacy, and with the prescription of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). This study aimed to analyze the variation in PIMs from hospital admission to discharge. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on inpatients of an internal medicine service. According to the Beers criteria, 80.7% of the patients had been prescribed at least one PIM at admission and 87.2% at discharge; metoclopramide was the most-prescribed PIM from admission to discharge, and acetylsalicylic acid was the most-deprescribed one. According to the STOPP criteria, 49.4% of patients had been prescribed at least one PIM at admission and 62.2% at discharge; quetiapine was the most-prescribed PIM from admission to discharge, and captopril was the most-deprescribed one. According to the EU(7)-PIM list, 51.3% of patients had been prescribed at least one PIM at admission and 70.3% at discharge, and bisacodyl was the most-prescribed PIM from admission to discharge and propranolol the most-deprescribed one. It was found that the number of PIMs at discharge was higher than at admission, suggesting the need to develop a guide with adapted criteria to be applied in an internal medicine service.

Clinical and Pharmacotherapeutic Profile of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Admitted to a Hospital Emergency Department.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is closely associated with other pathologies, which may require complex therapeutic approaches. We aim to characterize the clinical and pharmacological profile of T2DM patients admitted to an emergency department. Patients aged ≥65 years and who were already using at least one antidiabetic drug were included in this analysis. Blood glycemia, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and hemoglobin were analyzed for each patient, as well as personal pathological history, diagnosis(s) at admission, and antidiabetic drugs used before. Outcome variables were analyzed using Pearson's Chi-Square, Fisher's exact test, and linear regression test. In total, 420 patients were randomly selected (48.6% male and 51.4% female). Patients with family support showed a lower incidence of high glycemia at admission (p = 0.016). Higher blood creatinine levels were associated with higher blood glycemia (p = 0.005), and hyperuricemia (HU) (p = 0.001), as well as HU, was associated with a higher incidence of acute cardiovascular diseases (ACD) (p = 0.007). Hemoglobin levels are lower with age (p = 0.0001), creatinine (p = 0.009), and female gender (p = 0.03). The lower the AST/ALT ratio, the higher the glycemia at admission (p < 0.0001). Obese patients with (p = 0.021) or without (p = 0.027) concomitant dyslipidemia had a higher incidence of ACD. Insulin (p = 0.003) and glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP1 RA) (p = 0.023) were associated with a higher incidence of decompensated heart failure, while sulfonylureas (p = 0.009), metformin-associated with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i) (p = 0.029) or to a sulfonylurea (p = 0.003) with a lower incidence. Metformin, in monotherapy or associated with DPP4i, was associated with a lower incidence of acute kidney injury (p = 0.017) or acute chronic kidney injury (p = 0.014). SGLT2i monotherapy (p = 0.0003), associated with metformin (p = 0.026) or with DPP4i (p = 0.007), as well as insulin and sulfonylurea association (p = 0.026), were associated with hydroelectrolytic disorders, unlike GLP1 RA (p = 0.017), DPP4i associated with insulin (p = 0.034) or with a GLP1 RA (p = 0.003). Insulin was mainly used by autonomous and institutionalized patients (p = 0.0008), while metformin (p = 0.003) and GLP1 RA (p < 0.0001) were used by autonomous patients. Sulfonylureas were mostly used by male patients (p = 0.027), while SGLT2 (p = 0.0004) and GLP1 RA (p < 0.0001) were mostly used by patients within the age group 65-85 years. Sulfonylureas (p = 0.008), insulin associated with metformin (p = 0.040) or with a sulfonylurea (p = 0.048), as well as DPP4i and sulfonylurea association (p = 0.031), were associated with higher blood glycemia. T2DM patients are characterized by great heterogeneity from a clinical point of view presenting with several associated comorbidities, so the pharmacotherapeutic approach must consider all aspects that may affect disease progression.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Prescribing of Antiasthmatic Treatments in Portugal: A Nationwide Study.

PURPOSE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on everyday life, the environment, and health care services. A shift from in-person medical appointments to telemedicine was a main adjustment. Such changes can have repercussions on the control and management of chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma. The available data suggest that there was an overall decrease in asthma-related morbidities during the first year of the pandemic. Therefore, the goal of this study was to quantify the effects of the pandemic on the prescribing of antiasthmatic treatments in outpatient care (public and private health care). METHODS: This before-after study used a time series approach based on data from monthly prescriptions of antiasthmatic drugs (anti-inflammatory drugs and bronchodilators) dated between April 2018 and March 2021. An interrupted time series (ITS) design was used for assessing changes in antiasthmatic prescribing patterns in the short and long terms after COVID-19 was recognized as a pandemic. The results are complemented with seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (sARIMA) models. FINDINGS: The ITS analysis showed a non-significant increase in antiasthmatic prescribing in the short term. In the long term, after the pandemic was declared, a statistically significant decrease was observed in the prescribing of antiasthmatics (in anti-inflammatory drugs and, more pronounced, in bronchodilators). In the sARIMA model, the mean monthly volume of antiasthmatic prescriptions was 18.1% lower than predicted. The numbers of months outside of the 95% CIs were different between anti-inflammatory drugs (1 month) and bronchodilators (7 months). IMPLICATIONS: The prescribing of antiasthmatic drugs in the long term was significantly decreased with the COVID-19 pandemic, with a greater effect in the case of bronchodilators.

Gastrointestinal disorders potentially associated with Semaglutide: an analysis from the Eudravigilance Database.

BACKGROUND: Semaglutide is a Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist used in the second-line treatment of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes and can be used in monotherapy or associated with other oral antidiabetics or even insulin, increasing the effectiveness of the treatment. This work aims to analyze the profile of adverse drug reactions reported for semaglutide in Eudravigilance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data on Individual Cases Safety Reports were obtained from the database of the centralized European spontaneous reporting system Eudravigilance by accessing www.adrreports.eu. (1 December 2021). RESULTS: It is possible to observe a high prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders (N = 3502, 53.2%). The most severe reported cases were primarily gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic, and nutritional disorders, eye disorders, renal and urinary disorders and cardiac disorders, with an evident higher prevalence of adverse gastrointestinal events both in oral and injectable dosage form (N = 133, 50.0% vs N = 588, 47.2%, respectively). Through a comparative analysis, semaglutide had a greater number of reported gastrointestinal adverse events compared to sitagliptin and empaglifozin (p < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: Semaglutide has a good safety profile, however the definition of subgroups within the type 2 diabetes population who are particularly prone to develop serious adverse event when treated with GLP-1 RAs is crucial.

Insights on COVID-19 Vaccination in Portugal: A Qualitative Study among Health Professionals and Teachers.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination against COVID-19 has had a major impact over the course of the pandemic, leading to a reduced number of hospitalizations and deaths. However, the mass vaccination process has been accompanied by skepticism and hesitancy since its beginning. As health professionals and teachers are important public health actors who can strongly intervene to reduce vaccination hesitancy among their patients and students, respectively, this study aimed to assess their main perceptions towards COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: Two focus group sessions, one with health professionals and the other with teachers, were conducted according to the COREQ checklist. Qualitative data were analyzed through theoretical thematic analysis. RESULTS: In general, none of the groups showed vaccine hesitancy, although both groups had concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. The main concerns of health professionals were mostly related to the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, while teachers were more worried about the lack of access to reliable information about the COVID-19 vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: It is plausible to conclude that it is imperative to provide clear and accurate information for the population in order to avoid vaccination hesitancy.

Early Real-World Data to Assess Benefits and Risks of COVID-19 Vaccines: A Systematic Review of Methods.

Since the authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020, multiple studies using real-world data (RWD) have been published to assess their effectiveness/safety profile. This systematic review aimed to characterize the methods and outcomes of studies using RWD for assessment of COVID-19 vaccines, four months after vaccine approval. MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched to identify published studies until 6 May 2021. Two independent researchers selected relevant publications and extracted data from included studies. The risk of bias was assessed using New-Castle Ottawa tools. After screening 1086 studies, 15 were included. Out of the 15 studies, 12 (80%) followed a cohort design, 8 (53%) were based on USA data, 7 (47%) assessed health care professionals, and 14 articles (93%) assessed the BNT162b2 vaccine. Data sources included institutional databases, electronic health records, and patient-generated data. The primary endpoint mainly described was SARS-CoV-2-infection. Hospitalization and mortality were assessed in 2 studies. For the comparability domain, six studies (40%) had a high risk of bias. A few months after the beginning of COVID-19 vaccination, Real-world Evidence (RWE) provided timely safety surveillance and comparative effectiveness with findings that showed similar findings to Randomized control trial (RCT). Most of the initiatives assessed BNT162b2 and were conducted in the USA and used healthcare workers' data.

Understanding Primary Care Physician Vaccination Behaviour: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Vaccine hesitancy decreases adult vaccination coverage and has been recognized by WHO as a major health threat. Primary care physicians (PCP) play a key role in vaccination by giving vaccine counselling to their patients. The aim of this systematic review is to identify the knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and barriers (KBAB) associated with own vaccination and patient recommendation in primary care physicians. METHODS: MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were used to search and identify relevant studies based on their title and abstract. In the next step, the full text of each previously selected article was read for eligibility. Articles were selected by two independent reviewers and data extraction was performed using tables. The following information was extracted: methodological characteristics, demographic factors, professional characteristics, and intrinsic or extrinsic factors influencing vaccination or recommendation. RESULTS: Our search yielded 41 eligible papers, data-sources, previous practices, belief in the effectiveness or safety of the vaccine, perceived risk, and trust in health authorities were all shown to be related to own vaccination and patient recommendation. CONCLUSION: Internet is the main source of information for PCP related to vaccine hesitancy. It is therefore essential to increase the presence and access to pro-vaccination content in this area. In addition, involving PCP in the establishment of vaccination recommendations could improve their credibility in the institutions. On the other hand, training in communication skills and establishing reminder systems could reflect higher vaccination coverage among their patients.

How Portuguese Health Entities Used Social Media to Face the Public Health Emergency during COVID-19 Disease.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media became an important and easily accessible source of information to keep the population informed. In this study, we explored how Portuguese health entities used social media during the public health emergency caused by COVID-19 disease. METHODS: A retrospective study on Portuguese public health entities' communication with the public using social media platforms was performed. Data were retrieved from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. All retrieved posts were analyzed, and the engagement of the public was calculated. A thematic analysis of all COVID-19-related posts was conducted. RESULTS: The analysis of each social media platform revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, health entities reinforced their presence on social media platforms. The most published posts were related to "epidemiological context" and "encouragement to take actions" to avoid the spread of COVID-19. High engagement frames were not associated with the most frequently published posts. CONCLUSIONS: Although health entities have reinforced their presence on social media platforms, they do not take full advantage of these platforms to improve health literacy.

Geographic Variation in Top-10 Prescribed Medicines and Potentially Inappropriate Medication in Portugal: An Ecological Study of 2.2 Million Older Adults.

Multiple medication intake by older adults is considered a serious public health concern since it is associated with increased risk of adverse drug reactions and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM). This study described the top-10 prescribed active substances considering geographical distribution and PIM prescription in older adults. A cross-sectional ecological study using data on the active substances prescribed to people aged 65 years or older during 2020 was conducted. Information on active substances and the respective defined daily doses (DDD) stratified by age group, sex and region were collected from a Portuguese health administrative database. The average number of prescribed packages and DDD per 1000 inhabitants per day of top-10 active substances were assessed. This study included a total of 2,228,090 older adults (58% females). The furosemide and atorvastatin were the active substances with higher prescription rates (mean DDD/1000 inhabitants/day) in all ARS in both males and females, in comparison with the other top-10 active substances. Our results showed geographic differences in prescription, illustrated by more prescriptions in ARS North and Centre and fewer prescriptions in ARS Algarve. In females, two out of the 10 most prescribed active substances were PIM (benzodiazepines and opioids). Geographic disparities in PIM prescription across Portuguese regions were also observed. This study shows that drugs for the cardiovascular system were the active substances most prescribed to older adults. The prescription of benzodiazepines and opioids, classified as PIM, among females, alerts officials to the need of health policies to decrease inappropriate medication. The observed geographic differences in the 10 most prescribed active substances and in PIM prescription emphasized the importance of investing in medication optimization across the Portuguese regions.