Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Divya Sridhar
George Washington University, United States
Keynote: Identifying the awareness of diabetic retinopathy among the adult population in Chennai, India
Time : 10:00-10:30
Biography:
Divya Sridhar has completed her MS in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University and an MPH from George Washington University. She is a Manager with the Project Management Professional Certification (PMP) at Deloitte and Touche, and has over six years of experience in the Federal Healthcare Industry.
Abstract:
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading global cause of visual impairment and blindness. Longer diabetes duration and poorer glycemic control are strongly associated with diabetic retinopathy. According to the International Diabetes Federation, there are about 41 million people with diabetes and this number is expected to rise to about 70 million by 2025. For every five years increase in duration of diabetes, the risk for diabetic retinopathy increases by approximately 1.89-fold. The purpose of this study was to identify the awareness of diabetic retinopathy among the adult population who visit the Pranav outreach clinics in Chennai (India). The Pranav clinics have partnered with Unite for Sight, a United States-based global health non-profit organization, to reduce the prevalence of preventable blindness in India. The aim of the study was to identify awareness based on gender, education level, and clinical factors, such as diabetes and eye history, via survey administration. Based on the survey results, approximately 92% of participants did not know what diabetic retinopathy was, and out of this percentage, 64% had diabetes. More than half of those who had diabetes were women. When asked how better people can understand diabetic retinopathy, 81% of participants believed visual mediums such as pamphlets with pictures on diabetes and diabetic retinopathy, and screening demos would be most effective. These results are important because targeted interventions must be implemented in rural areas within India to educate people about diabetic retinopathy and provide screening opportunities across different demographics.
Keynote Forum
Elfried Salanon
University of Limoges, France
Keynote: Precancerous cervical lesions among HIV-positive women in Benin in 2017: Prevalence and determinants
Time : 11:30-12:00
Biography:
Elfried Salanon is currently intern at the Institute of Epidemiology of Limoges (IENT) to complete his Master degree in Epidemiology of chronic disease from University of Limoges, France. He is an Associate Researcher at the Institute of Epidemiology, Benin. Member of the global Non communicable disease alliance; his team published many paper in reputed journals in Chronic disease (cervix cancer, Epilepsy). He is now working on the first population based study on sleep and non-communicable disease in Africa. He is developing algorithms to predict some chronic disease using sleep and physical activity level.
Abstract:
Background: Precancerous lesions of the cervix are common in HIV-positive and are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) in 97% of cases. Despite the high rate of HIV in Benin, the proportion of cervical pre-cancer is still unknown. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of precancerous cervical lesions and their determinants in HIV-positive women (HPW) in Benin, West Africa, 2017.
Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted from September to November, 2017. The study population was made of consenting HPW. Women with suspected precancerous lesions at Visual inspection with acetic acid and Lugol, were given a cervical biopsy followed by a pathological examination. Data were analyzed using R software. The significance threshold used was 5%. Log-binomial regression was used to identify the determinants.
Results: Two hundred (200) women’s were included in the study. The median age was 35 years with an interquartile range (IQ) of [30.05-41.00]. All of these women were carriers of HIV 1. The median recent CD4 count was 335.65 IQ [170.50-384.66]. The prevalence of precancerous cervical lesions based on pathological examination in our study was 27%, 95%CI [24.10; 29.90]. Low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN I) lesions accounted for 81.66% of cases. The determinants of the precancerous lesions found were severe immunosuppression (CD4 ≤ 200) with p=0.002 and absence of Cotrimoxazole treatment (p=0.026).
Conclusion: These results highlight the importance of severe immunosuppression in the development of precancerous cervical lesions in HPW. Early detection and better follow-up of HPW are needed.
Keynote Forum
Enida Xhaferi
University of Medicine, Albania
Keynote: Cardiac and pulmonary diseases in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis
Time : 10:30-11:00
Biography:
Enida Xhaferi is a Faculty of Medical Technical Sciences from University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania.
Abstract:
Background: Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease affecting axial and peripheral joints, whose prevalence correlates well with HLA B27 positivity. The prevalence of AS globally is thought to range between 0.1% and 1.4%. Inflammation of sacroiliac joints is an early clinical manifestation of this disease, and low back pain is the most common clinical symptom. Back pain is present for more than three months. Patient’s symptoms get better with exercise and deteriorate in the morning or with inactivity. Cardiac manifestations are observed in around 2-10% of patients with AS. Studies have shown that chronic inflammatory states might also cause cardiovascular disorders; important pathologies which significantly affect morbidity and mortality. Aortic root disease and valve disease, conduction disorders are the typical cardiac lesions observed in patients with AS. Pulmonary complications are also commonly reported in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Both the tracheobronchial three and lung parenchyma could be affected in these patients.
Objective: Revise the most frequent cardiac and pulmonary manifestations observed in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis and present the measures that should be taken to improve patients’ health status.
Methods: A literature review was conducted. Information regarding the most frequent cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases observed in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis was selected and the data analysis is included below.
Results: Aortic root disease and valve disease where described by Bulkley and Roberts in 1973, who performed autopsy studies on eight patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis and cardiovascular disorders. This study and others that followed, showed that - aortic root dilation, thickening and stiffening; aortic cusp thickening, retraction with presence of rolling edges; anterior mitral leaflet thickening; subaortic lump and aortic and mitral regurgitation are the most common observed pathomorphological lesions in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis. Patients had also conduction disturbances. Mitral regurgitation is present in AS patients but not as often as - aortic regurgitation. Continuation of the fibrosis of the subaortic tissues, and its progress to the mitral valve leaflet, constitutes the proposed pathologic mechanism.
Conclusion: Cardiac and pulmonary manifestations are commonly observed in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis. Knowledge regarding these pathologies is increased through the years, as a result of advancements, in the field of radiologic imaging. It is very important to detect early and manage adequately all specific types of cardiac and pulmonary manifestations in AS patients, and offer thorough cardiac and pulmonary examinations to all of them.
Keynote Forum
Hoang Viet Bach
National Cancer Hospital, Vietnam
Keynote: Nutritional status and diet of preoperative and seven days postoperative patients with colorectal cancer at national cancer hospital, 2018-2019
Biography:
Hoang Viet Bach is currently at Clinical Nutrition Center in National Caner Hospital, Vietnam.
Abstract:
A cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of 100 patients engaging colorectal cancer at National Cancer Hospital in two consecutive years 2018-2019 in an attempt to assess the nutritional status of preoperative and postoperative colorectal cancer patients and their dietary intake during the period of seven days after the operation. The results showed that, prior to the surgery, the percentages of hospitalized patients who were inclined to contract malnutrition were 55% and 36% based on SGA tool and Albumin index, respectively. The proportions of patients suffering weigh loss within six months and one month were 80% and 79% accordingly, in which 11% patients shed more than 10% body weight. Additionally, the research also demonstrated those seven days after operation: The proportion of malnutrition patients moderately climbed by 8%, meanwhile a modest decrease of 3% was seen in the overweight rate among those patients. Besides, 92% patients experienced weight loss with the estimated average of 1.86 ±1.09kg. In the postoperative period, meticulously, the patients were given parenteral nutrition for the duration of 6.3 days on average. The time to embark on oral nutrition was 3.3± 2.4 days. The ratio of patients satisfying the suggested energy volume was disappointedly low. The majority of diets provided for surgical patients were deficient in terms of mineral and vitamins.
- Keynote Forum
Session Introduction
Said Hussain Shah
Govt Postgraduate Jahanzeb College Swat, Pakistan
Title: The part of pummaria indica and ajuga bracteosa in the therapy of scabies
Biography:
Said Hussain Shah Department of Chemistry from Govt Postgraduate Jahanzeb College Swat, Pakistan.
Abstract:
The objective of the research paper is to identify the treatment of scabies in homeopathic. The research project is experimental and descriptive. The population in the research is the patients of scabies. The researcher selected twenty patients of scabies in Tehsil Kabal of district Swat as a sample. The sample was kept under controlled observation. Primary and secondary data was collected about the scabies and its treatment. Different medicines were prescribed to a group of the sample consisting of 10 patients. The second group consisting of 10 patients of the sample was prescribed the mixture of Pummaria Indica and Ajuga Bracteosa. Both the groups were interviewed and observed by the researcher. The research finds out that the mixture of Pummaria Indica and Ajuga Bracteosa. is more effective treatment of scabies than the treatment prescribed by the previous research works.
- Session Introduction
Location: Milan, Italy
Session Introduction
Mongbet Zounkifirou
Yaounde University II, Cameroon
Title: International health aid and improving the health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa
Biography:
Mongbet Zounkifirou is a PhD student in Development Economics especially on the Determinants of International Health Assistance in Low Income Countries. He is also interested in Finance, econometrics, International Trade, Health Economics. He holds a Master of degree in Mathematical Economics, Statistics and Econometrics Option: Mathematics Applied to Social Sciences.
Abstract:
The objective of this study is to analyses the contribution of the health aid in the improving on health outcomes in Sub-saharan Africa. Two models are used in this research. First, a dynamic panel data (DPD) estimator is used to investigate the effects of health aid on health outcomes. Second, using difference models for longitudinal data with fixed effects for countries and years, we estimate the relationship between health aid and changes in maternal mortality, HIV prevalence, Tuberculosis prevalence, life expectancy and under-5 mortality, controlling for gross government health expenditure per capita, the population’s recipients countries, the governance. It appears that, health aid has a small but statistically significant positive impact on health outcomes in Sub-saharan Africa countries. We also find that the relation between health aid and health improvements has been strengthening over time, with the closest relation between 2000 and 2017. Foreign aid to the health sector is related to increasing life expectancy and declining under-5 mortality. Health aid is found to be more effective in improving health outcomes in countries with better governance.
Nicola Power
Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
Title: Discursive practices of caring touch in health practice
Biography:
Nicola Power is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Inter professional Health Practice at Auckland University of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand. She has been lecturing for over 25 years in the field of health and is in the final stages of PhD completion. She completed a Masters of Health Science in the subject of Human Touch and is a leading researcher on this area in New Zealand. Other research interests are in the area of active ageing and student engagement.
Abstract:
Of all the senses present in the human body it is perhaps the sense of touch that receives least attention. Despite much of the literature suggesting many benefits of caring touch, the complex, multiple constructions of touch can cause anxiety or confusion for people when the subject of touch or touching is raised. Moreover, its role is immeasurably more complex during the working life of health professionals. Understanding dominant constructions of touch, and deconstructing their meanings and practices as articulated by various health practitioners, enabled the identification of the contexts and occasions when certain touching practices are legitimate or condoned and/or are inhibited or prevented. This post-structural discourse analysis aimed to build understanding and appreciation of the hidden discourses that drive health practitioners’ use or non-use of touch. Deconstructing the practice of touch provided opportunities to consider taken for granted, ways of thinking that may constrain thought and action. Semi-structured interviews conducted with health professionals revealed multiple discourses existing in the working life of health practitioners that interplay in the decision making of using caring touch. Analysis highlighted concerns surrounding misinterpretation and similarly, personal conflicts and confusions with regard to using touch in practice. Revealing the discursive practices surrounding touch has provided new information to facilitate greater understanding of the role of touch in current health care and the circumstances that allow or disallow its practice. It is hoped on-going findings from the study will open space for opportunities to challenge the status quo currently operating in health practice.
Venkat Lellapalli
Mississippi State University, USA
Title: Machine book learning examination of readmission of patients diagnosed with ischemic and pulmonary heart diseases
Biography:
Venkat Lellapalli is pursuing his PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Mississippi State University, USA. He has twenty years of work experience in Healthcare Insurance companies working on Healthcare and wellness projects using Cloud and Machine Learning technologies to improve quality of care for the members.
Abstract:
Hospital readmissions are indicators of the quality of service offered by hospitals and give an insight into the performance measures on the cost at the hospital. A readmission event occurs when a patient that has been discharged from a hospital after diagnosis and procedure is again readmitted to the hospital within a certain period. The Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) is part of a family of databases and software tools developed for the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). For this research, the data for the year 2016 from the National Readmission Database (NRD) will be studied and machine learning models built to model the relationship between readmission and various factors related to the patient. The models built in this research study will be used to ease the prediction of hospital readmission which is very important in healthcare management. Ischemic and pulmonary heart diseases are among the critical diseases in health care services. The monitoring of these diseases, therefore, should be handled with ultimate care and with trained professionals. Various studies have shown that readmission of these diseases has a higher rate compared to non-pulmonary disease, thus the need for critical research and study in these areas. The observations for Ischemic heart diseases and diseases of pulmonary circulation (diagnosis codes I20 to I28) will be used for this study. Analysis and goodness of model indexes such as the confusion matrix, AUC index, MSE, and R squared scores and findings from the study will also be evaluated and reported taking into account the model parameters.