prescriptive analytics

The two-step preconcentration technique consisting of large-volume sample stacking (LVSS) and micelle to solvent stacking (MSS) in cyclodextrin-modified electrokinetic chromatography (CDEKC) was developed for the analysis of five cationic alkaloids in complex Chinese herbal prescriptions. Relevant parameters affecting separation and stacking performance were optimized separately. Under the optimal LVSS-MSS-CDEKC conditions, less analysis time and organic solvent were required, and the enhancement factors of analytes ranged from 12 to 15 compared with the normal CDEKC separation mode...

BACKGROUND: Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are likely to complicate maternal health. However, literature on patients with IMIDs undergoing pregnancy is scarce and often overlooks the presence of comorbidities. We aimed to evaluate the impact of IMIDs on adverse pregnancy outcomes after assessing and addressing any discrepancies in the distribution of covariates associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes between patients with and without IMIDs. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from an integrated U...

11-Nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THCCOOH) is the most frequently detected illicit drug metabolite in the military drug testing program. An increasing number of specimens containing unresolved Δ8-THCCOOH prompted the addition of this analyte to the Department of Defense (DoD) drug testing panel. A method was developed and validated for the quantitative confirmation of the carboxylated metabolites of Δ8- and Δ9-THC in urine samples utilizing automated pipette tip dispersive solid phase extraction and analysis by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)...

AIM: The US Food and Drug Administration approved the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) to prevent pneumococcal disease. In the context of routine PCV20 vaccination, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness and public health and economic impact of a PCV20 catch-up program and estimated the number of antibiotic prescriptions and antibiotic-resistant infections averted. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population-based, multi-cohort, decision-analytic Markov model was developed using parameters consistent with previous PCV20 cost-effectiveness analyses...

In the era of information technology advancement, big data analysis has emerged as a crucial tool for government governance. Despite this, corruption remains a challenge at the grass-roots level, primarily attributed to information asymmetry. To enhance the efficacy of corruption prevention and control in grass-roots government, this study introduces the concept of data platform management and integrates it with the "5W" (Who, What, When, Where, Why) analysis framework. The research is motivated by the observation that existing studies on corruption prevention primarily concentrate on the formulation of laws and regulations, neglecting the potential improvement in actual effectiveness through the utilization of data platforms and analytical frameworks...

BACKGROUND: Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are 3 of the most common chronic conditions, but related medication adherence rates are far below 80%. Consequences of poor adherence include high health care utilization/costs and increased mortality. There is accumulating evidence in support of the benefits of affording pharmacists the opportunity to practice at the full scope of their licensure by engaging in patients' clinical care. OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of a large national pharmacy chain's pharmacist-led interventions to improve medication adherence among older adults with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or T2D...

Sleep and well-being have been intricately linked, and sleep hygiene is paramount for developing mental well-being and resilience. Although widespread, sleep disorders require elaborate polysomnography laboratory and patient-stay with sleep in unfamiliar environments. Current technologies have allowed various devices to diagnose sleep disorders at home. However, these devices are in various validation stages, with many already receiving approvals from competent authorities. This has captured vast patient-related physiologic data for advanced analytics using artificial intelligence through machine and deep learning applications...

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity is common in the United States, especially in Rhode Island, where it affects up to 33% of residents. Food insecurity is associated with adverse health outcomes and disproportionally affects people from minoritized backgrounds. Produce prescription programs, in which healthcare providers write "prescriptions" for free or reduced cost vegetables, have been used to address food insecurity and diet-related chronic disease. Although there is growing evidence for the effectiveness of produce prescription programs in improving food security and diet quality, there have been few efforts to use implementation science methods to improve the adoption of these programs...

INTRODUCTION: Empagliflozin plays a beneficial role in individuals with type 2 diabetes at high risk of cardiovascular complications. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of individuals with type 2 diabetes who required empagliflozin based on clinical guidelines between the years 2022 and 2023. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study conducted on a target population of patients with type 2 diabetes. Patient data, including demographic characteristics, smoking status, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, renal insufficiency, retinopathy, and proteinuria, were collected...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Self-medication is a worldwide phenomenon that brings advantages and disadvantages to public health and health systems. This study investigated the extent and causes of self-medication among medical university students and its implications for public health in Iran in 2020. METHODS: The present study was designed as a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study that examined the knowledge, attitude, and practice of self-medication. The population of the study was the students of health sciences programs who all entered the study...

DISCLAIMER: In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. PURPOSE: To assess the impact of a clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) embedded within a rheumatology clinic at a large academic medical center on the prescription capture rate at the health-system specialty pharmacy...

BACKGROUND: Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are at greater risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related symptoms, being diagnosed with ADHD, and being prescribed ADHD medications. We aimed to examine how inequalities manifest across the 'patient journey', from perceptions of impacts of ADHD symptoms on daily life, to the propensity to seek and receive a diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: We investigated four 'stages': (1) symptoms, (2) caregiver perception of impact, (3) diagnosis and (4) medication, in two data sets: UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS, analytic n ~ 9,000), with relevant (parent-reported) information on all four stages (until 14 years); and a population-wide 'administrative cohort', which includes symptoms (child health checks) and prescriptions (dispensing records), born in Scotland, 2010-2012 (analytic n ~ 100,000), until ~6 years...

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has become widespread in many areas of science and medicine, including laboratory medicine. Although it seems obvious that the analytical and post-analytical phases could be the most important fields of application in laboratory medicine, a kaleidoscope of new opportunities has emerged to extend the benefits of AI to many manual labor-intensive activities belonging to the pre-analytical phase, which are inherently characterized by enhanced vulnerability and higher risk of errors...

Angiotensin peptides (ANGs) play a central role in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, rendering them interesting biomarkers associated with hypertension. Precise quantification of circulating ANGs holds the potential to assess the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), a key protease targeted by widely prescribed drugs, namely ACE inhibitors. This ability could pave the way for personalised medicine, offering insights into the prescription of inhibitors targeting either the proteases or the receptors within the system...

Statistical modeling of epidemiological curves to capture the course of epidemic processes and to implement a signaling system for detecting significant changes in the process is a challenging task, especially when the process is affected by political measures. As previous monitoring approaches are subject to various problems, we develop a practical and flexible tool that is well suited for monitoring epidemic processes under political measures. This tool enables monitoring across different epochs using a single statistical model that constantly adapts to the underlying process, and therefore allows both retrospective and on-line monitoring of epidemic processes...

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) requires accurate prediction of renal replacement therapy (RRT) initiation risk. This study developed deep learning algorithms (DLAs) to predict RRT risk in CKD patients by incorporating medical history and prescriptions in addition to biochemical investigations. METHODS: A multi-centre retrospective cohort study was conducted in three major hospitals in Hong Kong. CKD patients with an eGFR < 30ml/min/1.73m2 were included...

The combined prescriptions of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and other drugs are limited due to potential drug-drug interactions, so therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) becomes particularly important. In this study, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was established for determination of the nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in plasma of patients with COVID-19, providing technical and theoretical support for the TDM. Plasma samples were processed by protein precipitation using acetonitrile, and analytes were separated on an Agilent Poroshell 120 SB-C18 (2...

BACKGROUND: At hospital level, clinical nutritionists play a fundamental role in health recovery, contributing to shorter hospital stays and addressing hospital malnutrition. However, in Latin America no studies have been conducted on the activities of the nutritionist and the factors influencing their performance. AIMS: to describe the activities of the clinical nutritionist in public and private hospital settings in Latin America and to determine the factors associated with disciplinary practice...

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: The extent to which depression affects the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and leads to adverse clinical outcomes remains inadequately understood. We examined the association of depressive symptoms (DS) and antidepressant medication use on clinical outcomes in 4,839 adults with nondialysis CKD. STUDY DESIGN: Observational cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Adults with mild to moderate CKD who participated in the multicenter Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study (CRIC)...

Introduction Dysphagia is commonly seen in patients with head and neck cancers after undergoing chemoradiotherapy and is often under-reported and also not given clinical importance. The quality of life of the patients can be significantly improved if the required dose constraints to the dysphagia aspiration-related structures (DARS) are achieved. The present study was conducted in order to determine the feasibility of achieving the dose constraints to DARS between the standard intensity-modulated radiotherapy (st-IMRT) arm and the dysphagia-optimized IMRT (do-IMRT) arm...