Anjali Singh

Noida: The forest department filed a preliminary offence report (POR) against two persons after a video surfaced, in which they were seen abusing a 10-foot-long Indian Python for entertainment.

Noida: Toxic smog, which triggered near zero visibility at many places and pile-ups on highways, hung over the city on Tuesday even though

BackgroundThe effects of tobacco use create a significant burden on the American healthcare system. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends a tobacco cessation framework consisting of asking all patients about any tobacco use, advising they quit, assessing their willingness to start a quit attempt, assisting in any attempts, and arranging follow-up. This is known as the “5A’s” and is considered a standard of care for tobacco cessation. Physician-provided cessation interventions have been shown to be effective in helping patients stop their tobacco use; however, studies have shown that physicians and other healthcare providers do not consistently offer tobacco cessation interventions. This study aimed to evaluate healthcare providers’ comfort with and self-reported use of tobacco cessation interventions.MethodsAn online survey was made available to all Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center physicians, physician assistants (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs), registered nurses (RNs), and respiratory therapists (RTs). The survey assessed respondents’ use of the USPSTF “5A’s” cessation framework, comfort in counseling patients, use of cessation interventions, and desire for further education. Descriptive statistics were generated, and chi-square tests were used to compare differences in responses across provider groups.ResultsA total of 430 healthcare professionals (mean age of 40.1 years, 76.1% female) responded to the survey, including 55 (12.1%) physicians, 76 (17.7%) resident/fellows, 44 (10.2%) PAs, 57 (13.5%) NPs, 146 (33.9%) RNs, and 54 (12.5%) RTs. The majority (n = 407, 95.5%) of respondents reported a belief that it is “extremely” or “very” important for their patients to stop smoking cigarettes. Although more than 160 (70%) providers reported feeling “very comfortable” or “somewhat comfortable” counseling patients who were “ready to quit” smoking, only half reported the same for patients who were “not ready to quit.” There was significant variation in the use of the recommended “5A’s,” with NPs and attending physicians reporting the most regular use. Self-reported use of the “Ask” and “Advise” components of the “5A’s” was higher than the “Assess”, “Assist”, and “Arrange” components, with low rates of use of pharmacologic cessation methods. Only 13 (3.2%) providers reported regularly billing for cessation counseling.ConclusionsWhile healthcare professionals recognize the importance of tobacco cessation for their patients, gaps persist in the consistent application of the “5A’s” model and provider comfort in counseling patients to quit, particularly those perceived as “not ready to quit.” This discomfort with counseling, along with hesitancy to offer cessation interventions, results in missed opportunities to help patients with tobacco use disorder. Differences in cessation practices across healthcare roles suggest opportunities for targeted improvement. Enhancing both provider training and health system interventions is essential for expanding patient access to effective cessation interventions.

'Many of these patients arrive at emergency departments in distress, struggling to breathe and requiring immediate medical intervention.'

UW Quantum Defect Laboratory studies defects in crystals and their applications in quantum technologies

Travelling through the streets, tube stations and highway structures of London, we often see a shroud of graffiti covering the landscape.

Noida: The city woke up to yet another morning of dense smog blanket on Wednesday, but the air quality improved as the day progressed as winds helped dissipate dense fog across the region.

Noida: A resident of Greater Noida condominium was booked for animal cruelty after a video, purportedly of him, dragging and assaulting a dog on the balcony of his house was shared on social media.

Noida: The region witnessed an improvement in air quality on Thursday, as wind speeds increased and AQI dropped to the ‘poor' category in both Noida and Ghaziabad.

Greater Noida remained in the 'poor' category. Experts predict 'very poor' air quality for the next six days.