Background: Primary healthcare in Egypt has undergone significant reforms since the 1990s, including the pioneering Family Health Program (FHP). However, limited evaluation exists regarding the FHP's impact on enhancing the delivery of primary healthcare services. The primary objective of this study was to analyze and understand the efficiency and effectiveness of the FHP in altering the delivery of primary healthcare in Egypt. We aimed to outline the fundamental characteristics of the primary healthcare system, compare them between the conventional and the newly reformed FHP centers, and gauge the awareness level of these variances among key decision-makers, focusing specifically on Cairo, Egypt. Methods: This cross-sectional study employed a mixed methods approach to evaluate and compare the quality of care between conventional clinics and FHP clinics in Cairo using the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) tool. The study population consisted of healthcare providers and municipal health authorities in Cairo. A purposive sampling method was used to select 19 FHP clinics and 12 conventional clinics, representing 75% of the total government primary care clinics in Cairo. Surveys were conducted among healthcare providers at these clinics, and interviews were conducted with 8 carefully selected municipal health authorities in supervisory roles. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the survey responses. The chi-square (y2) test was employed to examine variations in scores between FHP and conventional clinics, with significance attributed to differences at the P < 0.05 level. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the reliability of the scales used within each primary care dimension. Results: FHP clinics scored significantly higher on continuity of care (4.17 ± 0.37 vs. 3.68 ± 0.51, P = 0.05), family-centered approach (4.28 ± 0.59 vs. 2.97 ± 0.44, P = 0.01), and provider competency (4.29 ± 0.39 vs. 3.42 ± 0.99, P = 0.01) compared to conventional clinics. FHP clinics were more likely to offer domestic violence services (2.76 ± 1.49 vs. 1.80 ± 1.74, P = 0.02), tuberculosis treatment (2.73 ± 2.11 vs. 0.12 ± 0.34, P = 0.029), and prenatal care (4.75 ± 0.00 vs. 4.01 ± 1.56, P = 0.014). Conclusion: While FHP clinics demonstrate benefits in continuity, family-focus, and provider competency, quality improvements are still required in both conventional and FHP clinics to achieve comprehensive, continuous, integrated, and patient-centered primary healthcare aligned with community needs. Further evaluations are warranted given the continued expansion of the FHP program.
New evidence on nanotechnology has shown interest in the creation and assessment of nanoparticles for cancer treatment. Worldwide, a wide range of tumor-targeted approaches are being developed to reduce side effects and boost the efficacy of cancer therapy. One strategy that shows promise is the use of metallic nanoparticles to increase the radio sensitization of the cancer cells while reducing or maintaining the normal tissue complication probability during radiation therapy. In this study, atmospheric plasma was created using argon gas to create Au NPs using the plasma jet scheme, and their ability to induce apoptosis as an anticancer mechanism was tested. Aqueous gold tetrachloride salts (HAuCl4·3H2O) ere used to produce gold nanopartic
... Show MoreThe introduction of concrete damage plasticity material models has significantly improved the accuracy with which the concrete structural elements can be predicted in terms of their structural response. Research into this method's accuracy in analyzing complex concrete forms has been limited. A damage model combined with a plasticity model, based on continuum damage mechanics, is recommended for effectively predicting and simulating concrete behaviour. The damage parameters, such as compressive and tensile damages, can be defined to simulate concrete behavior in a damaged-plasticity model accurately. This research aims to propose an analytical model for assessing concrete compressive damage based on stiffness deterioration. The prop
... Show MoreNanofluids, liquid suspensions of nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed in deionized (DI) water, brine, or surfactant micelles, have become a promising solution for many industrial applications including enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and carbon geostorage. At ambient conditions, nanoparticles can effectively alter the wettability of the strongly oil-wet rocks to water-wet. However, the reservoir conditions present the greatest challenge for the success of this application at the field scale. In this work, the performance of anionic surfactant-silica nanoparticle formulation on wettability alteration of oil-wet carbonate surface at reservoir conditions was investigated. A high-pressure temperature vessel was used to apply nano-modification of oil-wet
... Show MoreDue to increasing cost of asphalt binder, significant economic savings can be realized by using the amount from reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in the production of new hot mix asphalt (HMA). Moreover, this is an environmentally friendly option as it reduces the demand for virgin materials. It has to be remarked that in Iraq RAP is not used in the production of HMA and this valuable material is mostly degraded for use in lower value applications. Four mixtures were designed, which contains three different percent RAP, it is (0%, 5%, 15%) with asphalt grade (40-50) and (25%) with asphalt grade (60-70), it has been changed the grade of asphalt when adding RAP (25%) to compensate for the aged binder in the RAP when adding to mixture. All type
... Show MoreThe ongoing research to improve the clinical outcome of titanium implants has resulted in the implementation of multiple approaches to deliver osteogenic growth factors accelerating and sustaining osseointegration. Here we show the presentation of human bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7) adsorbed to titanium discs coated with poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA). We have previously shown that PEA promotes fibronectin organization into nanonetworks exposing integrin- and growth-factor-binding domains, allowing a synergistic interaction at the integrin/growth factor receptor level. Here, titanium discs were coated with PEA and fibronectin and then decorated with ng/mL doses of BMP-7. Human mesenchymal stem cells were used to investigate cellular resp
... Show MoreTo accommodate utilities in buildings, different sizes of openings are provided in the web of reinforced concrete deep beams, which cause reductions in the beam strength and stiffness. This paper aims to investigate experimentally and numerically the effectiveness of using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips, as a strengthening technique, to externally strengthen reinforced concrete continuous deep beams (RCCDBs) with large openings. The experimental work included testing three RCCDBs under five-point bending. A reference specimen was prepared without openings to explore the reductions in strength and stiffness after providing large openings. Openings were created symmetrically at the center of spans of the other specimens
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