Change Is Slow: Acquisition of Disability-Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment in Primary Care Offices over Time.

Introduction: The lack of disability-accessible medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) in primary care impedes the receipt of quality medical care by people with mobility impairments. Cross-sectional surveys and observational studies have found <40% of medical offices have disability-accessible examination tables or weight scales. Although government agencies and advocates recommend primary care acquisition of the accessible MDE, the rate of acquisition is unknown. Methods: Using panel data, the research examined if primary care offices audited for disability accessibility increased accessible examination table and scale presence between the first and second audit. Data for 2006-2009 (Time 1 [T1]) and 2013-2016 (Time 2 [T2]) came from 1293 primary care practices associated with Medicaid managed care organizations. Permutations of presence or absence of a height-adjustable examination table and accessible weight scale were analyzed to assess rate of change across time periods. Results: More practices had disability-accessible examination tables or weight scales at the second observation, although total presence was low (12.9%, 7.9%). Practices added equipment between time periods; however, ∼60% of practices with accessible MDE at T1 no longer had it available at T2. Discussion: The acquisition rate of accessible MDE was low, despite prior auditing. Studying change in accessible MDE presence in primary care offices requires attention to equipment acquisition and its retention. Health Equity Implications: Stronger federal enforcement of Medicaid and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access requirements, with regular standardized auditing of medical office accessibility, may be required to produce a more equitable health care experience for disabled people.

Top 100 most cited papers on diagnostic aids for oral cancer: A bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: Oral cancer (OC) is a multifactorial disease that affects the oral cavity. The mortality rate is approximately 50 % and a high percentage of patients are diagnosed in advanced stages. Early diagnosis has been well demonstrated to improve overall survival, mainly when detected at a localized stage. Non-invasive techniques can help identify malignant features in real time, thus improving the path to diagnosis. This study aimed to perform a bibliometric analysis of the top 100 articles cited on diagnostic aids for oral cancer. METHODS: Articles from 2000 to 2023 in Scopus were scanned using five OC topic titles crossed with 27 diagnostic aid keywords. Duplicate manuscripts were eliminated using Microsoft Excel software and publications were ranked according to their citation count. This study selected and analyzed the top 100 most cited English-language papers. RESULTS: 86,676 citations were accumulated by the top 100 articles most cited. 2011 was the year with the highest number of publications with OC papers. The article with the most citations obtained a total of 30,832. The United States was the country with the most publications, with a total of 45, and UCLA was the institution with the most publications (7) among the top 100 most cited papers. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified the top 100 most cited articles on diagnostic aids for oral cancer. These results can help dentists, specialists, healthcare providers, and researchers become familiar with the most influential publications in this field.

A Comprehensive Review of Identification Methods for Pathogenic Yeasts: Challenges and Approaches.

Given the increasing incidence of yeast infections and the presence of drug-resistant isolates, accurate identification of the pathogenic yeasts is essential for the management of yeast infections. In this review, we tried to introduce the routine and novel techniques applied for yeast identification. Laboratory identification methods of pathogenic yeast are classified into three categories; I. conventional methods, including microscopical and culture-base methods II. biochemical/physiological-processes methods III. molecular methods. While conventional and biochemical methods require more precautions and are not specific in some cases, molecular diagnostic methods are the optimum tools for diagnosing pathogenic yeasts in a short time with high accuracy and specificity, and having various methods that cover different purposes, and affordable costs for researchers. Nucleotide sequencing is a reference or gold standard for identifying pathogenic yeasts. Since it is an expensive method, it is not widely used in developing countries. However, novel identification techniques are constantly updated, and we recommend further studies in this field. The results of this study will guide researchers in finding more accurate diagnostic method(s) for their studies in a short period of time.

[Clinical value of instrumental gait analysis]. / Stellenwert der instrumentellen Ganganalyse in der klinischen Versorgung.

BACKGROUND: Instrumental gait analysis is becoming an established addition to conventional diagnostic methods for the clinical assessment of complex movement disorders. It can provide objective and high resolution motion data and contains information that is not observable with conventional clinical methods, such as muscle activation during gait. UTILISATION: Instrumental gait analysis can add observer independent parameters to the treatment planning of individuals as well as provide insights into pathomechanisms with clinical research studies. Limiting factors for the use of gait analysis technology are currently the time and personnel expenditures for measurements and data processing, as well as the extensive amount of training time required for data interpretation. This article illustrates the clinical value of instrumental gait analysis and specifies its synergies with conventional diagnostic methods.

Accessible medical diagnostic equipment in primary care: Assessing its geographic distribution for disability equity.

BACKGROUND: Height adjustable examination tables, accessible weight scales, and lifts for transferring individuals on/off examination equipment enable delivery of equitable health care to persons with mobility impairment. Because most Medicaid-covered patients must utilize a managed care network, network providers with accessible medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) at proximate locations for travel time and distance are necessary. Network density and distribution of accessible MDE has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: This descriptive research examined geographic network adequacy by comparing the density of persons with mobility impairments and location of Medicaid managed care practices with accessible MDE in Los Angeles County. METHODS: Medicaid managed care practices with MDE were mapped by ZIP Codes shaded to indicate the number of persons with mobility impairment. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression examined ZIP Code population characteristics as potential predictors of accessible MDE presence. Data sources were: (1) 2013-2016 primary care facility audit of Medicaid managed care network providers in LA County, aggregated by ZIP Code, and (2) LA County ZIP Code characteristics from the 2016 American Community Survey. ArcGIS was used for mapping and MPlus for the regression analysis. RESULTS: No consistent association between the size of the mobility limited population, demographic characteristics, and presence of accessible MDE was observed or measured by regression. The observed low MDE density suggests network adequacy likely is not achieved in LA County. CONCLUSIONS: Actions by state and federal agencies are necessary to increase accessible MDE and network adequacy by enforcing existing non-discrimination law and Medicaid regulations.

Sex Differences in Blood Pressure and Potential Implications for Cardiovascular Risk Management.

BACKGROUND: Accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement is critical for optimal cardiovascular risk management. Age-related trajectories for cuff-measured BP accelerate faster in women compared with men, but whether cuff BP represents the intraarterial (invasive) aortic BP is unknown. This study aimed to determine the sex differences between cuff BP, invasive aortic BP, and the difference between the 2 measurements. METHODS: Upper-arm cuff BP and invasive aortic BP were measured during coronary angiography in 1615 subjects from the Invasive Blood Pressure Consortium Database. This analysis comprised 22 different cuff BP devices from 28 studies. RESULTS: Subjects were 64±11 years (range 40-89) and 32% women. For the same cuff systolic BP (SBP), invasive aortic SBP was 4.4 mm Hg higher in women compared with men. Cuff and invasive aortic SBP were higher in women compared with men, but the sex difference was more pronounced from invasive aortic SBP, was the lowest in younger ages, and the highest in older ages. Cuff diastolic blood pressure overestimated invasive diastolic blood pressure in both sexes. For cuff and invasive diastolic blood pressure separately, there were sex*age interactions in which diastolic blood pressure was higher in younger men and lower in older men, compared with women. Cuff pulse pressure underestimated invasive aortic pulse pressure in excess of 10 mm Hg for both sexes in older age. CONCLUSIONS: For the same cuff SBP, invasive aortic SBP was higher in women compared with men. How this translates to cardiovascular risk prediction needs to be determined, but women may be at higher BP-related risk than estimated by cuff measurements.

When Pulmonologists Are Novice to Navigational Bronchoscopy, What Predicts Diagnostic Yield?

Predicting factors of diagnostic yield in electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) have been explored in a number of previous studies based on data from experienced operators. However, little is known about predicting factors when the procedure is carried out by operators in the beginning of their learning curve. We here aim to identify the role of operators' experience as well as lesion- and procedure characteristics on diagnostic yield of ENB procedures in the hands of novice ENB operators. Four operators from three centers without prior ENB experience were enrolled. The outcome of consecutive ENB procedures was assessed and classified as either diagnostic or non-diagnostic and predicting factors of diagnostic yield were assessed. A total of 215 procedures were assessed. A total of 122 (57%) of the ENB procedures resulted in diagnostic biopsies. Diagnostic ENB procedures were associated with a minor yet significant difference in tumor size compared to non-diagnostic/inconclusive ENB procedures (28 mm vs. 24 mm; p = 0.03). Diagnostic ENB procedures were associated with visible lesions at either fluoroscopy (p = 0.003) or radial endobronchial ultrasound (rEBUS), (p = 0.001). In the logistic regression model, lesion visibility on fluoroscopy, but none of operator experience, the presence of a bronchus sign, lesion size, or location nor visibility on rEBUS significantly impacted the diagnostic yield. In novice ENB operators, lesion visibility on fluoroscopy was the only factor found to increase the chance of obtaining a diagnostic sample.

[FUNCTIONAL DIAGNOSTICS FOR THE NEEDS OF MEDICAL AND SOCIAL EXAMINATION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION].

The problems of licensing and licensing control of medical activities in the Russian Federation are related to the fundamental responsibility of healthcare - to comply with federal standards of safety, quality and accessibility. The introduction of special diagnostic equipment into the activities of the institutions of medical and social expertise of the Russian Federation and the obligation to use it for expert needs from 2022 has become the time to answer the questions: what are the safety and quality requirements when carrying out work using special diagnostic equipment; whether the organizational and managerial schemes of the activities of institutions of medical and social expertise should change; whether this is a new level of development of medical and social expertise or an expansion of the competencies of functional diagnostics; Are we standing at the origins of a new type of medical activity, and is there much new in this? Answers to these questions should not be expected from the future, putting at risk, in a period of uncertainty and searching for solutions, the life and health of patients, but it is advisable to look in the history of domestic medicine and science, their best practices, adapting them to the strict compliance with the legal field of our country today today.

Implications of Physical Access Barriers for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in Women with Mobility Disability.

Objective: More than 30 years since enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, people with disability continue to face physical access barriers, notably inaccessible medical diagnostic equipment, in clinical settings. Access barriers affect breast cancer screening and treatment for women with disability. Methods: We used standard diagnosis codes and natural language processing to screen electronic health records (EHRs) in a digital data repository from a large healthcare delivery system for patients with pre-existing mobility disability diagnosed with breast cancer between 2005-2017. We reviewed EHRs of 20 patients, using conventional content analysis to examine breast cancer diagnosis and treatment experiences. Results: Clinicians noted challenges positioning patients for routine procedures including manual breast exam, screening mammography, and breast biopsies. Given challenges accommodating disability for adjuvant therapies, mastectomy was favored over breast-conserving options despite early stages of diagnosis. Notations contained little information about proactive problem-solving for arranging accommodations. Conclusions: Notations described physical access barriers for breast cancer detection and treatment, with limited planning for mitigating barriers. Despite 2017 promulgation of federal Standards for Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment, implementing these standards requires further rulemaking.

Assessing, Pricing and Funding Point-of-Care Diagnostic Tests for Community-Acquired Acute Respiratory Tract Infections-Overview of Policies Applied in 17 European Countries.

Point-of-care diagnostic tests for community-acquired acute respiratory tract infections (CA-ARTI) can support doctors by improving antibiotic prescribing. However, little is known about health technology assessment (HTA), pricing and funding policies for CA-ARTI diagnostics. Thus, this study investigated these policies for this group of devices applied in the outpatient setting in Europe. Experts from competent authority responded to a questionnaire in Q4/2020. Information is available for 17 countries. Studied countries do not base their pricing and funding decision for CA-ARTI diagnostics on an HTA. While a few countries impose price regulation for some publicly funded medical devices, the prices of CA-ARTI diagnostics are not directly regulated in any of the surveyed countries. Indirect price regulation through public procurement is applied in some countries. Reimbursement lists of medical devices eligible for public funding exist in several European countries, and in some countries these lists include CA-ARTI diagnostics. In a few countries, the public payer funds the health professional for performing the service of conducting the test. Given low levels of regulation and few incentives, the study findings suggest room for strengthening pricing and funding policies of CA-ARTI diagnostics to contribute to increased acceptance and use of these point-of-care tests.

Availability of technology for managing cancer patients in the Southeast European (SEE) region.

Background: The Southeast European (SEE) region of 10 countries and about 43 million people differs from Western Europe in that most SEE countries lack active cancer registries and have fewer diagnostic imaging devices and radiotherapy (RT) units. The main objective of this research is to initiate a common platform for gathering SEE regional cancer data from the ground up to help these countries develop common cancer management strategies. Methods: To obtain detailed on-the-ground information, we developed separate questionnaires for two SEE groups: a) ONCO - oncologists regarding cancer treatment modalities and the availability of diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy equipment; and b) REG - national radiation protection and safety regulatory bodies regarding diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy equipment in SEE facilities. Results: Based on responses from 13/17 ONCO participants (at least one from each country) and from 9/10 REG participants (all countries but Albania), cancer incidence rates are higher in those SEE countries that have greater access to diagnostic imaging equipment while cancer mortality-to-incidence (MIR) ratios are higher in countries that lack radiotherapy equipment. Conclusion: By combining unique SEE region information with data available from major global databases, we demonstrated that the availability of diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy equipment in the SEE countries is related to their economic development. While immediate diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy capacity building is necessary, it is also essential to develop both national and SEE-regional cancer registries in order to understand the heterogeneity of each country's needs and to establish regional collaborative strategies for combating cancer.

Changes in the birth prevalence of orofacial clefts in Japan: Has the birth prevalence of orofacial clefts been affected by improved accuracy of prenatal diagnosis?

We have been conducting a survey on the birth prevalence of orofacial clefts, including cleft lip with or without cleft palate and cleft palate, in the Tokai area in central Japan every year for 37 years. Along with the yearly trends in the birth prevalence of orofacial clefts in that area for the past 37 years, we discuss whether the artificial abortion rate of fetuses with orofacial clefts has increased through the improved performance of ultrasonic imaging equipment. We also compare the yearly trends in the birth prevalence of congenital anomalies, including orofacial clefts, in Japan with those in other countries or areas where artificial abortion due to birth defects is legally permitted, and discuss the impact of improved accuracy of ultrasound imaging on the rate of artificial termination of pregnancy. The fact that the birth prevalence of orofacial clefts has basically remained unchanged for more than 30 years, even with recent more detailed prenatal diagnosis based on the improvement of ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, has allowed us tentatively to conclude that prenatal diagnosis is not currently threatening the right to life of the fetuses with orofacial clefts.

Analysis of test results of radiological protection in workplace of radiological diagnosis and treatment institutions in south Xinjiang from 2018 to 2021 / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To analyze the radiological protection situation in the workplace of medical X-ray diagnostic equipment in primary medical institutions in south Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and then put forward necessary measures and suggestions.Methods:In accordance with the national medical radiation protection monitoring program and the requirements of relevant standards for radiological health, medical X-ray diagnostic equipment in radialogical diagnosis and treatment institutions was tested selectively for workplace radiological protection, with the result statistically analyzed.Results:From 2018 to 2021, radiological protection test was conducted for 84 workplaces in 15 radiological diagnosis and treatment institutions in 4 districts of south Xinjiang, with a pass rate of 98.8%, which was consistent with the mainland including the eastern and central regions in the country.Conclusions:Based on the current situation in radiological diagnosis and treatment institutions on medical radiation protection in south Xinjiang, it is recommended to strengthen the supervision and management of radiological diagnosis and treatment equipment, improve the testing and technical capabilities of the local medical radiation monitoring technical teams and raise the level of radiological health work in the south Xinjiang.

Companion Diagnostics: State of the Art and New Regulations.

Companion diagnostics (CDx) hail promise of improving the drug development process and precision medicine. However, there are various challenges involved in the clinical development and regulation of CDx, which are considered high-risk in vitro diagnostic medical devices given the role they play in therapeutic decision-making and the complications they may introduce with respect to their sensitivity and specificity. The European Union (E.U.) is currently in the process of bringing into effect in vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVDR). The new Regulation is introducing a wide range of stringent requirements for scientific validity, analytical and clinical performance, as well as on post-market surveillance activities throughout the lifetime of in vitro diagnostics (IVD). Compliance with General Safety and Performance Requirements (GSPRs) adopts a risk-based approach, which is also the case for the new classification system. This changing regulatory framework has an impact on all stakeholders involved in the IVD Industry, including Authorized Representatives, Distributors, Importers, Notified Bodies, and Reference Laboratories and is expected to have a significant effect on the development of new CDx.

Requirements for Supporting Diagnostic Equipment of Respiration Process in Humans.

There is abundant worldwide research conducted on the subject of the methods of human respiration process examination. However, many of these studies describe methods and present the results while often lacking insight into the hardware and software aspects of the devices used during the research. This paper's goal is to present new equipment for assessing the parameters of human respiration, which can be easily adopted for daily diagnosis. This work deals with the issue of developing the correct method of obtaining measurement data. The requirements of the acquisition parameters are clearly pointed out and examples of the medical applications of the described device are shown. Statistical analysis of acquired signals proving its usability is also presented. In the examples of selected diseases of the Upper Respiratory Tract (URT), the advantages of the developed apparatus for supporting the diagnosis of URT patency have been proven.

The measurement threshold and limitations of an intra-oral scanner on polished human enamel.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the measurement threshold of an intra-oral scanner (IOS) on polished human enamel. METHODS: The optical performance of an IOS was compared to a gold-standard non contacting laser profilometer (NCLP), on a painted microscope slide, compared to increasing particle size of silicon-carbide papers (21.8-269.0 µm) and separately on polished human enamel with increasing step-heights. The enamel samples were randomised (n = 80) and scanned using the IOS and NCLP at increasing step-height depths (µm) (1.87-86.46 µm) and quantified according to ISO:5436-1. The measurement threshold of the IOS was determined using a custom designed automated lesion localisation algorithm, corroborated by Gaussian skewness (Ssk) and kurtosis (Sku) analysis, to assess the minimum step-height measured on each enamel sample. RESULTS: The NCLP showed statistically increased Sq surface roughness for all silicon carbide particle sizes compared to the microscope slide, whereas, the IOS Sq roughness discriminated silicon-carbide particles above 68.0 µm compared to the glass slide (p ≤ 0.02). On polished enamel, the automated minimum detectable step-height measurable on each sample was 44 µm. No statistically significantly different step-height enamel lesion measurements were observed between NCLP and IOS above this threshold (p > 0.05). SIGNIFICANCE: This study revealed the fundamental optical metrological parameters for the IOS, was step-heights above 44 µm and this reflects the data acquisition of the system. These results highlight the limitations of IOS used in this study, mandating further research to optimise the performance of other IOS systems, for measuring wear of materials or tooth wear on human unpolished natural enamel surfaces.

Automated Apnea-Hypopnea Index from Oximetry and Spectral Analysis of Cardiopulmonary Coupling.

Rationale: The increased prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) coincides with a severe shortage of sleep physicians. There is a need for widescale home-sleep-testing devices with accurate automated scoring to accelerate access to treatment.Objectives: To examine the accuracy of an automated apnea-index (AHI) derived from spectral analysis of cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) extracted from electrocardiograms, combined with oximetry signals, in relation to polysomnograms (PSGs).Methods: Electrocardiograms and pulse-oximeter tracings on PSGs from APPLES (Apnea Positive Pressure Long-term Efficacy Study) were analyzed. Distinct CPC spectral bands were combined with the oxygen desaturation index to create a derived AHI (DAHI). Correlation statistics between the DAHI and the conventionally scored AHI, in which hypopneas required ≥50% airflow reduction alone or a lesser airflow reduction associated with ≥3% desaturation or arousal, using PSGs from APPLES were calculated.Results: A total of 833 adult subjects were included. The DAHI has excellent and strong correlation with the conventionally scored AHI on PSGs, with Pearson coefficients of 0.972 and receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrating strong agreement in all OSA categories: 98.5% in mild OSA (95% confidence interval [CI], 97.6-99.3%), 96.4% in moderate OSA (95% CI, 95.3-97.5%), and 98.5% in severe OSA (95% CI, 97.8-99.2%).Conclusions: An accurate automated AHI can be derived from oximetry and CPC.

Diagnostic image quality of hand-held and wall-mounted X-ray devices in bitewing radiography: a non-inferiority clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: The present clinical trial was intended to clarify whether subjective assessments of diagnostic X-ray image quality achieved via hand-held (HH) Nomad Pro 2 (KaVo Kerr, Brea, CA, USA) X-ray device is non-inferior that of the wall-mounted (WM) KaVo Focus (KaVo Dental, Bieberich, Germany). METHODS: A prospective, cross-over, and in vivo non-inferiority clinical trial was conducted to compare these two diagnostic modalities. Based on sampling calculations, 205 patients were selected for study, generating 410 paired bitewing radiographs in randomized sequence. The films were assessed independently, engaging three observers blinded to modality for random, side-by-side-comparisons. Diagnostic image quality was rated as follows: no preference, HH preference, or WM preference. Observer judgements were combined accordingly to reach a majority. RESULTS: Collective observer ratings indicated no preference for diagnostic image quality in 63.9% of cases, with WM preference at 16.6% and HH preference at 19.5%. The difference in HH and WM preferences (19.5%-16.6% = 2.9%) was within the expected 95% confidence interval. Majority agreement was reached in 82.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Subjectively assessed diagnostic image quality in bitewing radiographs acquired by HH and WM devices did not differ significantly. The hand-held device is thus non-inferior to the WM in this regard. Our data set of paired bitewing radiographs may subsequently aid in future research.

Analysis of Postural Control in Sitting by Pressure Mapping in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury and Friedreich's Ataxia: A Case Series Study.

The postural control assessments in patients with neurological diseases lack reliability and sensitivity to small changes in patient functionality. The appearance of pressure mapping has allowed quantitative evaluation of postural control in sitting. This study was carried out to determine the evaluations in pressure mapping and verifying whether they are different between the three sample groups (multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and Friedreich's ataxia), and to determine whether the variables extracted from the pressure mapping analysis are more sensitive than functional tests to evaluate the postural trunk control. A case series study was carried out in a sample of 10 adult patients with multiple sclerosis (n = 2), spinal cord injury (n = 4) and Friedreich's ataxia (n = 4). The tests applied were: pressure mapping, seated Lateral Reach Test, seated Functional Reach Test, Berg Balance Scale, Posture and Postural Ability Scale, Function in Sitting Test, and Trunk Control Test. The participants with Friedreich's ataxia showed a tendency to present a higher mean pressure on the seat of subject's wheelchair compared to other groups. In parallel, users with spinal cord injury showed a tendency to present the highest values of maximum pressure and area of contact. People with different neurological pathologies and similar results in functional tests have very different results in the pressure mapping. Although it is not possible to establish a strong statistical correlation, the relationships between the pressure mapping variables and the functional tests seem to be numerous, especially in the multiple sclerosis group.

New Mobile Device to Measure Verticality Perception: Results in Young Subjects with Headaches.

The subjective visual vertical (SVV) test has been frequently used to measure vestibular contribution to the perception of verticality. Recently, mobile devices have been used to efficiently perform this measurement. The aim of this study was to analyze the perception of verticality in subjects with migraines and headaches. A cross-sectional study was conducted that included 28 patients with migraine, 74 with tension-type headache (TTH), and 93 healthy subjects. The SVV test was used through a new virtual reality system. The mean absolute error (MAE) of degrees deviation was also measured to qualify subjects as positive when it was greater than 2.5°. No differences in the prevalence of misperception in verticality was found among healthy subjects (31.18%), migraineurs (21.43%), or those with TTH (33.78%) (p = 0.480). The MAE was not significantly different between the three groups (migraine = 1.36°, TTH = 1.61°, and healthy = 1.68°) (F = 1.097, p = 0.336, and η2 = 0.011). The perception of verticality could not be explained by any variable usually related to headaches. No significant differences exist in the vestibular contribution to the perception of verticality between patients with headaches and healthy subjects. New tests measuring visual and somatosensory contribution should be used to analyze the link between the perception of verticality and headaches.