The European journal of general practice
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Diagnostics are increasingly shifting to patients' home environment, facilitated by new digital technologies. Digital diagnostics (diagnostic services enabled by digital technologies) can be a tool to better respond to the challenges faced by primary care systems while aligning with patients' and healthcare professionals' needs. However, it needs to be clarified how to determine the success of these interventions. ⋯ We conclude that although evidence is gathering, the often-expected value of digital diagnostics needs adequate scientific evidence. We propose striving for evidence-based 'responsible digital diagnostics' (sustainable, ethically acceptable, and socially desirable digital diagnostics). Finally, we provide a set of conditions necessary to achieve it. The analysis and actionable guidance provided can improve the chance of success of digital diagnostics interventions and overall, the positive impact of this rapidly developing field.
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Climate change is the greatest threat to global health in the twenty first century, yet combating it entails substantial health co-benefits. Physicians and other health professionals have not yet fully embraced their responsibilities in the climate crisis, especially about their communication with patients. While medical associations are calling on physicians to integrate climate change into health counselling, there is little empirical evidence about corresponding perceptions of patients. ⋯ These findings suggest that primary care patients can accept climate-sensitive health counselling, if it follows certain principles of communication, including patient-centredness. Our findings can be useful for developing communication guidelines, respective policies as well as well-designed intervention studies, which are needed to test the health and environmental effects of climate-sensitive health counselling.
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Data on advance care planning (ACP) among migrants in Europe is lacking. Research has shown that few older migrants in the United States perform ACP due to healthcare system distrust, collectivistic values and spirituality/religion. ⋯ Our sample of Turkish-origin older adults in Belgium requiring palliative care lacked ACP knowledge. Our findings suggest that their lack of engagement in discussing end-of-life medical care planning was linked to their family dynamics and religion. The findings have implications for healthcare providers to ethnic-minority groups.