OBJECTIVE: There are limited number of studies describing the reasons and interventions of non-adherence to cardiovascular medications in United Arab Emirates (UAE). We aimed to implement and evaluate the behavioral and educational tools that indicate the reasons of non-adherence in patients with cardiovascular diseases and improve patient's adherence to their cardiovascular medications. METHODS: In this prospective interventional study, we recruited patients (n = 300) with cardiovascular diseases from three family medicine clinics in Al Ain, UAE in 2010. We assessed patients' responses to a validated brief medication questionnaire (BMQ). RESULTS: At the end of the study, we observed a significant improvement in adherence. When we compared pre- and post-interventions, the mean (± standard deviation, SD) score for non-adherence to current regimen were 4.1 ± 0.2 vs. 3.0 ± 0.3 (p = 0.034); indication of negative believes or motivational barriers scores was 1.8 ± 0.4 vs. 0.9 ± 0.1 (p = 0.027); the indication of recall barrier scores was 1.6 ± 0.1 vs. 0.8 ± 0.1 (p = 0.014); and the indication of access barrier scores was 1.6 ± 0.2 vs. 0.7 ± 0.2 (p = 0.019). Mean blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, low density lipoprotein and postprandial blood glucose decreased significantly (p < 0.01) post-intervention. CONCLUSION: We reported that implemented multifaceted tools targeting patients, provider and healthcare system have improved the adherence to cardiovascular medications. Our interventions managed to improve patients' clinical outcome via improving adherence to prescribed cardiovascular medications.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The article reports results from the largest international dose survey in paediatric computed tomography (CT) in 32 countries and proposes international diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) in terms of computed tomography dose index (CTDI vol) and dose length product (DLP). It also assesses whether mean or median values of individual facilities should be used. A total of 6115 individual patient data were recorded among four age groups: <1 y, >1-5 y, >5-10 y and >10-15 y. CTDIw, CTDI vol and DLP from the CT console were recorded in dedicated forms together with patient data and technical parameters. Statistical analysis was performed, and international DRLs were established at rounded 75th percentile values of distribution of median values from all CT facilities. The study presents evidence in favour of using median rather than mean of patient dose indices as the representative of typical local dose in a facility, and for establishing DRLs as third quartile of median values. International DRLs were established for paediatric CT examinations for routine head, chest and abdomen in the four age groups. DRLs for CTDI vol are similar to the reference values from other published reports, with some differences for chest and abdomen CT. Higher variations were observed between DLP values, based on a survey of whole multi-phase exams. It may be noted that other studies in literature were based on single phase only. DRLs reported in this article can be used in countries without sufficient medical physics support to identify non-optimised practice. Recommendations to improve the accuracy and importance of future surveys are provided.

• MeSH
• dávka záření MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• internacionalita MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• monitorování radiace normy   statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• pediatrie normy   MeSH
• počítačová rentgenová tomografie normy   statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• průzkumy zdravotní péče MeSH
• radiační expozice normy   statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• referenční hodnoty MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH