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Breast cancer is an important medical disorder, which is not a single disease but a cluster more than 200 different serious medical complications.
Abstract
Purpose
Breast cancer is an important medical disorder, which is not a single disease but a cluster more than 200 different serious medical complications.
Design/methodology/approach
The new artificial bee colony (ABC) implementation has been applied to probabilistic neural network (PNN) for training and testing purpose to classify the breast cancer data set.
Findings
The new ABC algorithm along with PNN has been successfully applied to breast cancers data set for prediction purpose with minimum iteration consuming.
Originality/value
The new implementation of ABC along PNN can be easily applied to times series problems for accurate prediction or classification.
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Lucinda Brabbins, Nima Moghaddam and David Dawson
Background: Quality of life is a core concern for cancer patients, which can be negatively affected by illness-related death anxiety; yet understanding of how to appropriately…
Abstract
Background: Quality of life is a core concern for cancer patients, which can be negatively affected by illness-related death anxiety; yet understanding of how to appropriately target psycho-oncological interventions remains lacking. We aimed to explore experiential acceptance in cancer patients, and whether acceptance – as an alternative to avoidant coping – was related to and predictive of better quality of life and death anxiety outcomes.
Methods: We used a longitudinal, quantitative design with a follow-up after three months. Seventy-two participants completed a questionnaire-battery measuring illness appraisals, acceptance and non-acceptance coping-styles, quality of life, and death anxiety; 31 participants repeated the battery after three months.
Results: Acceptance was an independent explanatory and predictive variable for quality of life and death anxiety, in the direction of psychological health. Acceptance had greater explanatory power for outcomes than either cancer appraisals or avoidant response styles. Avoidant response styles were associated with greater death anxiety and poorer quality of life.
Conclusions: The findings support the role of an accepting response-style in favourable psychological outcomes, identifying a possible target for future psychological intervention. Response styles that might be encouraged in other therapies, such as active coping, planning, and positive reframing, were not associated with beneficial outcomes.
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Rose Chalo Nabirye and Adriane Kamulegeya
The purpose of this paper is to assess the levels of awareness and knowledge about oral cancer, its causes and or risk factors among Ugandan patients seeking oral healthcare.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the levels of awareness and knowledge about oral cancer, its causes and or risk factors among Ugandan patients seeking oral healthcare.
Design/methodology/approach
This was a cross-sectional study on adult patients who attended a free dental camp. An assistant-administered questionnaire either in English or Luganda was provided to every even-numbered registered adult who consented to participate in the study. Information on demographics and known risk factors for oral cancer were captured. The two knowledge questions on oral cancers were scored by adding up all the correctly identified causes, non-causes and risk factors then scored out of the total. Data analysis was done by calculating proportions, Student’s’ t-tests and χ2 tests with significant p-value set at 0.05.
Findings
The results showed a low level of awareness/knowledge about oral cancer in studied population. In total, 60 percent and less than 50 percent of respondents identified smoking and alcohol use as risk factors for oral cancer, respectively. Majority of respondents (88.8 percent) would seek help from medical personnel if diagnosed with oral cancer. Screening for cancer was low despite awareness and knowledge that it improves the chances of successful treatment.
Research limitations/implications
Emphasis on risk factors including alcohol use in public health messages, use of mass media, religious and community leaders to disseminate messages to the communities and further research were recommended.
Practical implications
We need to emphasize the role of alcohol in oral cancer causation just as we do for tobacco consumption.
Originality/value
No study has been conducted in Uganda on the level of awareness yet the incidence of the disease and use of high-risk products are rising.
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Keywords
Bita A. Kash, Paul Ogden, Elizabeth Popp, Melissa Shaffer and Jane Bolin
The purpose of this study is to identify best practices for innovative primary care models and to describe a potential future primary care (PC) model for Texas to address the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify best practices for innovative primary care models and to describe a potential future primary care (PC) model for Texas to address the burden of chronic disease in a population-based approach.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was conducted and identified 1,880 published records through PubMed using 26 search terms. After abstract and full-text review, 70 articles remained as potential models.
Findings
Although there is already a severe shortage of physicians in Texas, emerging practice patterns and choices among physicians are likely to erode access to primary care services in the state. Health-care leaders are encouraged to consider models such as complex adaptive systems for team-based care, pharmacist hypertension care management program and combined nurse-led care management with group visit structure.
Research limitations/implications
As with any study, this research has its limitations; for example, models that might work in one state, or under a unique state-funded academic medical center, might not be “do-able” in another state within the nuances of a different funding mechanism.
Practical implications
Results of this research provide a model for implementing IPCM for the state of Texas first and will guide IPCM planning and implementation in other states.
Originality/value
This study is “land grant-centric” and focused on carrying out the mission of a major, top-tier research university with an emerging college of medicine at an academic medical center.
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Omran Alomran, Robin Qiu and Hui Yang
Breast cancer is a global public health dilemma and the most prevalent cancer in the world. Effective treatment plans improve patient survival rates and well-being. The five-year…
Abstract
Purpose
Breast cancer is a global public health dilemma and the most prevalent cancer in the world. Effective treatment plans improve patient survival rates and well-being. The five-year survival rate is often used to develop treatment selection and survival prediction models. However, unlike other types of cancer, breast cancer patients can have long survival rates. Therefore, the authors propose a novel two-level framework to provide clinical decision support for treatment selection contingent on survival prediction.
Design/methodology/approach
The first level classifies patients into different survival periods using machine learning algorithms. The second level has two models with different survival rates (five-year and ten-year). Thus, based on the classification results of the first level, the authors employed Bayesian networks (BNs) to infer the effect of treatment on survival in the second level.
Findings
The authors validated the proposed approach with electronic health record data from the TriNetX Research Network. For the first level, the authors obtained 85% accuracy in survival classification. For the second level, the authors found that the topology of BNs using Causal Minimum Message Length had the highest accuracy and area under the ROC curve for both models. Notably, treatment selection substantially impacted survival rates, implying the two-level approach better aided clinical decision support on treatment selection.
Originality/value
The authors have developed a reference tool for medical practitioners that supports treatment decisions and patient education to identify patient treatment preferences and to enhance patient healthcare.
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Chenglong Li, Hongxiu Li and Reima Suomi
An empirical study investigated the antecedents to perceived usefulness (PU) and its consequences in the context of smoking cessation online health communities (OHCs).
Abstract
Purpose
An empirical study investigated the antecedents to perceived usefulness (PU) and its consequences in the context of smoking cessation online health communities (OHCs).
Design/methodology/approach
To validate a research model for perceived informational support, perceived emotional support and perceived esteem support, the authors conducted a partial-least-squares analysis of empirical data from an online survey (N = 173) of users of two smoking cessation OHCs. The proposed model articulates these as antecedents to PU from a social support perspective, and knowledge sharing and continuance intention are expressed as consequences of PU.
Findings
The empirical study identified that the PU of smoking cessation OHCs is influenced by perceived emotional support and perceived esteem support, and perceived informational support indirectly affects PU via these factors. In turn, PU exerts a positive influence on both knowledge sharing and continuance intention. Also, knowledge sharing positively affects continuance intention.
Originality/value
The study contributes to scholarship on users' postadoption behavior in the context of smoking cessation OHCs by disentangling the antecedents to PU from a social support perspective and pinpointing some important consequences of PU. The research also has practical implications for managing smoking cessation OHCs.
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Syaribah Noor Brice, Paul Harper, Tom Crosby, Daniel Gartner, Edilson Arruda, Tracey England, Emma Aspland and Kieran Foley
The study aims to summarise the literature on cancer care pathways at the diagnostic and treatment phases. The objectives are to find factors influencing the delivery of cancer…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to summarise the literature on cancer care pathways at the diagnostic and treatment phases. The objectives are to find factors influencing the delivery of cancer care pathways; to highlight any interrelating factors; to find gaps in the literature concerning areas of research; to summarise the strategies and recommendations implemented in the studies.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a qualitative approach and developed a causal loop diagram to summarise the current literature on cancer care pathways, from screening and diagnosis to treatment. A total of 46 papers was finally included in the analysis, which highlights the recurring themes in the literature.
Findings
The study highlights the myriad areas of research applied to cancer care pathways. Factors influencing the delivery of cancer care pathways were classified into different albeit interrelated themes. These include access barriers to care, hospital emergency admissions, fast track diagnostics, delay in diagnosis, waiting time to treatment and strategies to increase system efficiency.
Originality/value
As far as the authors know, this is the first study to present a visual representation of the complex relationship between factors influencing the delivery of cancer care pathways.
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Miracle Ayomikun Adesina, Ruth Ifeoluwa Oladele, Isaac Iyinoluwa Olufadewa, Ogheneruona Favour Onothoja, Damilola Remilekun Oladipo, Opeyemi Paul Iyiola, Marvelene Bassey Ekott, Pamela Chinenye Nwachukwu, Ararso Baru and Seyi John Akinloye
The purpose of this study describes how individuals; healthcare providers and the government can reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study describes how individuals; healthcare providers and the government can reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
This commentary paper combines extensive literature searches and experience from public health physicians.
Findings
Noncommunicable diseases are chronic diseases. They result from a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioral factors. NCDs are divided into four classes: cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.
Practical implications
Noncommunicable diseases are responsible for about a quarter of total deaths in Nigeria. These deaths are unnecessary as most NCDs can be prevented if the risk factors are dealt with. Dealing with these risk factors involves everyone (Individuals, government, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary researchers, policymakers, government, etc.).
Originality/value
Major risk factors for NCDs are tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. The solution to NCDs, therefore, lies in dealing with these factors, which, fortunately, are modifiable since they have to do with lifestyle practices. There is evidence to support the claim that a reduction of the risks of NCDs can be achieved by engaging in healthy lifestyle practices.
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Naymul Karim and Jitbanjong Tangpong
For the prevention and cure of disease, patient use various types of chemical and drug agents. Along with their curative effect, almost all drugs have some destructive effects and…
Abstract
Purpose
For the prevention and cure of disease, patient use various types of chemical and drug agents. Along with their curative effect, almost all drugs have some destructive effects and side-effects. Due to the minimal and/or none of unwanted side-effect, recently, the use of herbal remedy as the drug of choice becomes the preference choice. The mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana, contains various types of polyphenols. It has been used as a traditional medicine from the ancient times till present days. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the biological properties of mangosteen in relation to health promotion effects.
Design/methodology/approach
Several research papers from well-known database (such as PubMed, Google scholar, Scopus and Sciencedirect) were reviewed without considering publication-times to understand the biological properties of mangosteen.
Findings
Mangosteen and its xanthone exerted diverse biological activities such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, anti-bacteria, anti-fungal, anti-malaria, anticancer and anti-diabetes.
Originality/value
Based on these studies, mangosteen is beneficial dietary supplement of overall human health.
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Keywords
León Poblete, Erik Eriksson, Andreas Hellström and Russ Glennon
This article aims to examine how users' involvement in value co-creation influences the development and orchestration of well-being ecosystems to help tackle complex societal…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to examine how users' involvement in value co-creation influences the development and orchestration of well-being ecosystems to help tackle complex societal challenges. This research contributes to the public management literature and answers recent calls to investigate novel public service governances by discussing users' involvement and value co-creation for novel well-being solutions.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors empirically explore this phenomenon through a case study of a complex ecosystem addressing increased well-being, focussing on the formative evaluation stage of a longitudinal evaluation of Sweden's first support centre for people affected by cancer. Following an abductive reasoning and action research approach, the authors critically discuss the potential of user involvement for the development of well-being ecosystems and outline preconditions for the success of such approaches.
Findings
The empirical results indicate that resource reconfiguration of multi-actor collaborations provides a platform for value co-creation, innovative health services and availability of resources. Common themes include the need for multi-actor collaborations to reconfigure heterogeneous resources; actors' adaptive change capabilities; the role of governance mechanisms to align the diverse well-being ecosystem components, and the engagement of essential actors.
Research limitations/implications
Although using a longitudinal case study approach has revealed stimulating insights, additional data collection, multiple cases and quantitative studies are prompted. Also, the authors focus on one country but the characteristics of users' involvement for value co-creation in innovative well-being ecosystems might vary between countries.
Practical implications
The findings of this study demonstrate the value of cancer-affected individuals, with “lived experiences”, acting as sources for social innovation, and drivers of well-being ecosystem development. The findings also suggest that participating actors in the ecosystem should utilise wider knowledge and experience to tackle complex societal challenges associated with well-being.
Social implications
Policymakers should encourage the formation of well-being ecosystems with diverse actors and resources that can help patients navigate health challenges. The findings especially show the potential of starting from the user's needs and life situation when the ambition is to integrate and innovate in fragmented systems.
Originality/value
The proposed model proposes that having a user-led focus on innovating new solutions can play an important role in the development of well-being ecosystems.
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