Valutazione Del Benessere Psico-Fisico Nell'aderenza Terapeutica Nelle Donne Con Malattia Renale Policistica Autosomica Dominante: Uno Studio Osservazionale

Evaluation Of The Psychophysical Well-Being In The Compliance Of Women With Autosomal Dominant Policystic Kidney Disease: An Observational Study BACKGROUND: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is the most common inherited renal disease and affects less than 1 every 400-1,000 people. There are many effective treatments, including blood pressure management, physical activity, low sodium diet and hydration. Therapeutic education is part of a patient's care and treatment. This approach is an essential strategy in order to face the current healthcare scenario, in which the number of people affected by chronic diseases is progressively increasing. OBJECTIVES: This article aims to analyze the effect of therapeutic education in patients with ADPKD, the level of adherence to pharmacological therapy and their compliance to dietetic and lifestyle recommendations as part of a nursing-led education. METHODS: This is a prospective, longitudinal, observational pilot study. The following measurements were used: Kidney Disease Quality of life - Short Form, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Body Uneasiness Test. At the T0 visit, a nurse selected patients and carried out a personalized educational intervention with the aims of adhering to drug therapies, monitoring blood pressure and dietary behavior (physical activity and water intake). At the T1 visit, patients performed psychological tests. At the T2 visit, the following evaluations were performed: a psychological interview together with the delivery and evaluation of the tests performed, an interview with the nurse to evaluate the adherence to the prescriptions, and a control of parameters such as physical activity, diet, water intake, drug therapy, and blood pressure. RESULTS: Therapeutic education can have a positive impact on patients' health by improving adherence to the pharmacological therapy, diet and lifestyle. CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic education improve the patient's knowledge, treatments and correct behaviors as well as promotes an independent management of the disease. Through an educational intervention, the patient acquires the ability and the awareness to modify the wrong behaviors and to guarantee a balance between his needs and the pathology, thus improving the quality of life

Teaching during the pandemic: a comparison in psychological wellbeing among smart working professions

Background: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, since March 2020, the Italian population was forced into lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. The restrictive measures imposed forced many organizations and workers to work through online platforms and no longer in-person. Smart working, enjoyed by some workers for its flexibility, affected several professional categories. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in the psychological variables related to four groups of professional categories (practitioners, managers, executive employees, teachers), particularly the teachers group. Methods: A total sample of 628 individuals was recruited through a random probability sample across Italy. Due to the lockdown, an online questionnaire was developed; several validated scales were chosen, and some ad hoc constructed items related to the smart working experience were included. Results: The results showed statistically significant differences between the four groups of examined smart workers. Conclusions: All workers have had to readjust to this new way of working, but our results show that teachers were the most affected, both in the perception of their psychological well-being and in the management of the smart working mode

The experience of immersive virtual reality in patients with heart failure during cardiac rehabilitation: a qualitative study

BackgroundTo alleviate symptoms and reduce adverse outcomes associated with heart failure, international guidelines strongly recommend cardiac rehabilitation. However, patient adherence to rehabilitation programs remains suboptimal, leading to unfavorable effects on key cardiac outcomes. Immersive virtual reality (iVR) is a promising intervention to improve adherence to cardiac rehabilitation and enhance clinical outcomes. This study aims to explore patients’ experiences with iVR during cardiac rehabilitation.MethodsA qualitative descriptive study was embedded within a randomized controlled two-arm trial involving twenty-two patients who were referred to undergo eight cardiac rehabilitation sessions, held twice a week for 30 min each. The intervention group experienced iVR in natural settings, while the control group received standard care. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted in person after the intervention group’s eighth rehabilitation session. These interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis.ResultsData from twenty-two interviews reached saturation. Content analysis generated four main categories and nine subcategories: (1) cognitive and emotional benefits of iVR (acceptability and enrichment of the rehabilitation experience, positive emotions, cognitive engagement); (2) impact on rehabilitation (physical engagement, perceived effort); (3) customizable intervention (variety of scenarios, quality and beauty of the videos); (4) negative aspects of the iVR (discomfort with the equipment, negative feelings toward the iVR devices).ConclusionIVR is an innovative and customizable intervention that enhances the rehabilitation experience by providing cognitive, emotional, and physical benefits. It improves key aspects of rehabilitation, including time perception, motivation, enjoyment, effort perception, and anxiety management, highlighting its potential in cardiac rehabilitation. However, certain technological challenges, such as discomfort with the equipment, must be addressed to optimize the user experience