Volume 4, Issue 1

Introduction To explore the sexual experiences of patients with gynecologic malignancies and provide optimal evidence and references for interventions aimed at restoring sexual life for survivors. Content A systematic search was conducted in databases including PubMed, Embase, Medline, Wanfang Data, and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) Resource System. Studies on the sexual experiences of patients with gynecologic malignancies from January 1, 2000, to January 1, 2024 were included. A total of 27 qualitative studies were analyzed and synthesized into four categories. Results indicated that survivors experienced a decline in sexual quality due to negative psychological impacts, physical discomfort, changes in intimacy, insufficient social support, and lack of adequate sexual information. Summary and Outlook Healthcare institutions can improve processes and measures for sexual life recovery post-treatment by addressing sexual issues, providing accurate guidance, and encouraging patients, thereby enhancing their quality of life. On a societal level, education for survivors should be strengthened through various channels.

This overview provides a synopsis of the history and development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment methods, highlighting its foundational principles and key modalities. While certain concepts are exclusive to TCM, other applications of TCM intertwine with Western concepts, thus showing a holistic approach to medicine, diseases, and their treatment. Chinese Medicine (CM) originated during the Yin and Shang dynasties, with core concepts such as yin and yang and the five elements emerging in the Spring and Autumn Period. Key texts from the Qin and Han dynasties shaped various CM disciplines. Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Tuina, and cupping therapy have been central to CM’s development. Today, TCM is globally recognized, integrating modern technology and collaborating with academic institutions, ensuring its relevance in contemporary healthcare. Conducted through an online search using PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases, this study also includes a review of ancient and modern Chinese medical textbooks, focusing on essential CM treatment methods over a chronological timeline. Only original articles on humans published in English, Chinese, French, or German in peer-reviewed international journals were considered eligible. In this narrative review, no further restrictions on study design were applied. The results were evaluated, analyzed, classified, and summarized. This overview explores the history and evolution of TCM treatment methods. It traces its origins and development, shedding light on its historical foundations and evolution over time, thus providing context for contemporary practice.

Breast cancer remains a pressing global health challenge, yet the ethics of promoting widespread screening are far from settled. This paper examines breast cancer screening through the principles of biomedical ethics – respect for autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice – while situating these principles within broader sociocultural realities. Mammography (MAM) and ultrasound (US) have demonstrated effectiveness in early detection, but they also generate unintended harms. Overdiagnosis, unnecessary interventions, and the psychological weight of false-positive results complicate the assumed alignment between beneficence and nonmaleficence. International guidelines reveal divergent ethical priorities. Some regions advocate for earlier screening to maximize potential survival gains, while others delay initiation to minimize harm from overtreatment. China faces a distinctive case, where younger onset and higher breast density shift the balance toward ultrasound as a primary tool. These contextual differences highlight that screening policy is not merely about epidemiology, but also about ethical reasoning shaped by cultural norms and health system constraints. This paper argues that maximizing promotion – public health campaigns and “nudges” designed to boost participation – risks reducing women to passive targets of intervention. Such strategies may undermine informed consent, especially where health literacy is limited, and exacerbate disparities in access. Justice thus requires more than resource allocation; it requires enabling equitable “health capabilities.” We conclude that a uniform, “one-size-fits-all” screening model is ethically insufficient. Risk-stratified, individualized screening protocols are not only scientifically sound but also morally necessary, as they better respect autonomy, minimize systemic harm, and address inequities in public health practice.

The “suspension phenomenon” describes terminally ill patients caught in limbo within the end-of-life care system, uncertain where to seek appropriate treatment. While Western literature has problematized the binary of home vs. hospital deaths, such framing remains underexplored in Asian contexts. We aim to examine how and why patients and families in China make decisions about the place of end-of-life care and death, and to identify the barriers and facilitators that shape access to different care settings, using qualitative content analysis of death narratives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 225 bereaved family caregivers across multiple sites in China, using a Voluntary Cooperative Network Research approach that mobilized multidisciplinary volunteer researchers. Six decision-making approaches were identified: respecting patient preference, pursuing survival, resisting medical authority, prioritizing symptom relief, fulfilling filial duty, and consulting informal medical networks. Seven barriers contributed to suspension: mistrust in local services, financial hardship, facility rejection, inadequate palliative provision, non-disclosure to patients, dilemmas around medical technologies, and COVID-19 disruptions. Five care-seeking patterns emerged: aggressive rescue, intensive caregiving, returning home to die, treatment abandonment, and pursuit of a “good death.” Findings challenge normative assumptions about place of death, revealing how sociocultural, economic and technological factors shape end-of-life trajectories in contemporary China.

Objectives Many Americans live with chronic medical conditions that are associated with mental and emotional problems. There is limited research into whether group engagement in arts can help improve their quality of life. The primary objective of our study was to assess if contemporary arts-based activities had an impact on the mental well-being of patients suffering from chronic digestive symptoms. Secondary objectives were to investigate if participating in this program had any effect on their gastrointestinal symptoms, sleep and quality of life. Methods We conducted a pilot study at an arts center affiliated to a large academic university. Patients seen by a physician for chronic digestive problems were invited to participate in an 8-week program combining gallery exhibits, hands-on art activities, journaling, music, and dance. Loneliness, anger, mindfulness, sleep quality and digestive symptoms were assessed before and at the end of the program. Results 17 participants (32–97 years, 94 % white, 82.4 % female) were enrolled, and 8 of them completed the program. Compared to baseline, participants who completed this program experienced less depression, loneliness, anger, better sleep quality and were more mindful. Positive thoughts and emotions initially decreased but then peaked in weeks 6 and 7. Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome improved. Conclusions Our findings support the use of community art-based programs to improve emotional and mental well-being for patients with chronic symptoms.

Objectives This study explores how rural older adults with chronic illnesses in China experience and adapt to persistent physical pain within the constraints of family structures, social relations, and limited medical resources. It aims to address the theoretical blind spots in current body sociology by situating the chronic pain experience in the context of rural embeddedness. Methods Drawing on in-depth fieldwork conducted in H Village, Gansu Province, the study employs an inductive qualitative approach. 13 elderly patients with chronic diseases were selected through purposive sampling and interviewed using semi-structured formats. Thematic analysis was used to trace embodied pain narratives and coping trajectories. Results Findings reveal two primary adaptation strategies: an “endurance–yielding” model characterized by moral self-silencing, treatment withdrawal, and identity depreciation; and a “management–compliance” model marked by everyday body management, role negotiation, and intergenerational reciprocity. These practices are shaped by three dimensions of embedded embodiment: ethical embeddedness (familial obligations and moral discipline), structural embeddedness (resource availability and caregiving patterns), and experiential embeddedness (long-term embodied knowledge and adaptation). Conclusions The study proposes the theoretical framework of “the embedded body” to interpret how chronic pain becomes not only a physiological phenomenon but also a site of social tension, ethical negotiation, and relational reconstruction. It suggests that meaningful health interventions in rural China must account for the moralized logic of care, structural constraints, and local knowledge systems that underlie illness behavior.

Objectives This study seeks to examine how cultural structures influence the nature of health practices among Tibetan Buddhist nuns. Specifically, it explores how their embodied experiences – especially those related to menstrual taboos, knowledge, management, and coping strategies – are shaped, negotiated, and at times reconstructed within their specific religious and cultural milieu. Moreover, it highlights how these women engage in health practices as active agents within this context. Methods This study employed the method of field research to conduct participatory observation and in-depth interviews with nuns in the Gannan region, in order to gain a deeper understanding of their perceptions of menstruation and their menstrual care practices. Results The case of Tibetan Buddhist nuns examined in this study vividly confirms the core proposition of “local biologies” from cultural dimension. Through exploring their unique cognition of menstruation and menstrual practices, we can clearly observe how individual bodily experiences interact and negotiate closely with strict religious regulations and locally rooted sociocultural knowledge, jointly constructing the group's specific and distinctive understandings and coping strategies related to menstruation. Conclusions People's understanding of the body, their perception of symptoms, their choices of treatment and the social significance of these are all deeply embedded in specific cultures. Through the analysis of Tibetan Buddhist nuns' menstrual perceptions and menstrual care practices, we can obtain a more objective and reasonable understanding of the relationship between health and culture. This culturally conscious research approach can better attend to the intrinsic motivation and fundamental capacity of people to maintain their own health.

Objectives This study evaluates the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary, workshop-based intervention designed to enhance residents’ competence in delivering bad news. Methods Between March 2022 and September 2024, 50 residents enrolled in the standardized training program at the Clinical Oncology Center, The University of Hong Kong–Shenzhen Hospital, participated in a structured educational intervention. A multidisciplinary faculty team – including clinical oncologists, oncology nurses, and a medical social worker – developed and implemented a curriculum comprising three core components: (1) evidence-based communication frameworks (e.g., the SPIKES protocol), (2) simulated patient encounters with real-time feedback, and (3) reflective group debriefings. Competence was measured using pre- and post-intervention self-assessments with a validated 20-item Breaking Bad News Competency Scale (BBN-CS), supplemented by semi-structured interviews exploring perceived learning outcomes. Results Post-intervention scores showed statistically significant improvement (80.56 ± 12.58 vs. baseline 74.13 ± 10.55, p<0.001), with 13 of 20 competency domains demonstrating significant gains (p<0.05). Qualitative analysis revealed three dominant themes: (1) improved emotional preparedness for difficult conversations (reported by 82 % of participants), (2) increased awareness of interdisciplinary collaboration (68 %), and (3) enhanced patient-centered communication strategies (76 %). Notably, attitudinal changes toward delivering bad news were more pronounced than perceived improvements in knowledge or skills. Conclusions This multidisciplinary workshop significantly improved residents’ competence and professional attitudes in breaking bad news. The integration of simulation-based training and reflective practice offers a promising pedagogical model for communication skills training in residency programs.

Objectives This study investigates doctor's information provision practices regarding hypertensive treatment in medical consultations, arguing that good doctoring practices and shared decision-making (SDM) involve not only aligning treatments with patient's preferences but also providing essential information support to create linkage between biomedical and lifeworld contexts. Methods Using Conversation Analysis, we examined 30 video-recorded consultations from a Tier-3 Chinese hospital (March–August 2022) with newly diagnosed hypertensive patients, supplemented by 3-month follow-up medication adherence rating using MMAS-8. Results Findings show that while sufficient informational provision enhances adherence, such support is limited – beyond ‘medication administration methods’ and ‘follow-up visits and contingency plans’, most types of information support appeared in under 50 % of consultations. Less than 50 % of patients exhibited high adherence, with two patients never starting medication and eight discontinuing it independently within three months from starting. The suboptimal levels of adherence signaling critical gaps in consensus between doctors and patients and patient's understanding of the prescribed treatment. Conclusions These results underscore the need for training of doctoring practices to address informational gaps of patients and enhancing patient-doctor collaboration in chronic disease management. In addition, this study refines SDM theory, offering implications for public health education and health policy-making to improve patient awareness and medication adherence.

Objectives There is a growing number of young and middle-aged cancer patients in China and worldly, who are in the life stage of actively participating in the job market. This article explores lung cancer patients’ lived experiences of engaging in work following a cancer diagnosis. Methods Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 working-age lung cancer patients in a major cancer hospital in Guangzhou, China. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results We discovered that Chinese cancer patients encounter three dilemmas during the return-to-work process: deciding whether to take time off or return to work shortly after treatment, grappling with the choice to conceal or disclose their cancer diagnosis to employers and colleagues, and desiring special care upon returning to work without standing out too prominently among their colleagues. Conclusions These workplace challenges for cancer patients are influenced by various social and institutional factors, including workplace discrimination, societal stigma surrounding cancer, and inadequate social security and welfare protection. Yet, the participants’ coping strategies were largely individual efforts, involving rescheduling work, controlling information, and lowering expectations for work. Their individual coping strategies could hardly solve the challenges and dilemmas they face in the return-to-work process. More support at the societal and institutional levels is needed to aid cancer patients return to work smoothly.

Background Upon a calculative gauging, certain women understand that they may not be able to accomplish procreation due to reproductive aging and may be faced with the possibility of infertility. Under such a juncture, they wisely sustain the existing fertility through a varied reproductive performativity enabled by oocyte cryopreservation, rather than tolerate a future societal disenfranchisement. Yet, their variedly performed reproductivities are looked at as different levels of corporeal deviances by the society. Objectives This study urges the society to look at the varied reproductive performativities of vulnerable individuals not as deviances but as efforts undertaken towards achieving the societally expected reproductive generativity. Methods The research approach undertaken for this study is a theoretical application, emulation and interpretation to the analysis of four non-fictional egg freezing accounts as authored by Sarah Elizabeth Richards in her Motherhood Rescheduled: The New Frontier of Egg Freezing and the Women Who Tried It (2013), with the Concept of Posthumanist Performativity by Karan Barad and the Idea of Drag by Judith Butler. Results The varied reproductive performativities executed by the women through oocyte cryopreservation, get performatively placated with subjectivity through an infused dualistic consciousness approach of partial deviance and partial imitation. Conclusions Through this study, the society is urged to look at varied reproductive performativities not as subversions but as efforts put forward by the individuals towards achieving the societally expected procreation, through partial subversions and partial imitations.

Objectives To identify the risk factors for frailty in older adults with multimorbidity and to develop and validate a nomogram-based risk prediction model. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited participants using convenience sampling from March 2022 to October 2023. Participants were randomly assigned to a training set (n=266) and a validation set (n=114) in a 7:3 ratio. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used for predictor selection, followed by binary logistic regression to identify factors associated with frailty. A nomogram-based prediction model was developed, and its performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results Among the 380 participants, 209 (55.0 %) were identified as frailty. The nomogram model included six predictors: age, marital status, residence type, number of children, exercise frequency, and ADL (Activities of Daily Living). The model demonstrated good consistency and accuracy. The nomogram exhibited good discrimination, with AUC values of 0.777 (95 % CI: 0.722–0.831) in the training set and 0.756 (95 % CI: 0.667–0.845) in the validation set. Calibration curves demonstrated good agreement between predicted and observed outcomes, and DCA showed high clinical utility. Conclusions The frailty nomogram model developed in this study for older adults with multimorbidity demonstrates strong predictive performance and serves as a valuable tool for early clinical screening of high-risk groups, facilitating timely interventions in both clinical and community settings.

Objectives This study aims to investigate the status of irrational health behaviors and health beliefs among older adults with chronic disease in rural China. The health condition of older adults living in rural areas in China is facing severe challenges. Although the health-enhancing behaviors are widely adopted by older adults in China, irrational health behaviors persist among rural older adults with chronic diseases. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 older adults with chronic disease living in rural areas. Interview data were analyzed by applying thematic analysis. Results Rural older adults are irrational both in their access to health care and medication, and in their way of coping with illness. The reason lies in the erroneous view of health practice under the influence of local rural social culture and the individual life course, which has a direct impact on their health behaviors. Conclusions To improve the health and wellbeing of older adults in rural areas, it is recommended to not only improve the quality of primary healthcare services and strengthen the provision of medical resources, but also foster a transformation in the attitudes of older adults towards grassroots healthcare. Emphasis should be placed on understanding the impact of family and local culture on healthcare behaviors of older adults to unpick the subjective logic underpinning their irrational health behaviors. This requires dispelling misconceptions and correcting their health beliefs to tackle the low primary healthcare utilization at its root.

Objectives This study aims to explore the historical trajectory of Salvarsan (606), the first synthetic chemical drug, in the Chinese market, focusing on its role in reshaping Western medicine dissemination, societal impacts, and evolving medical paradigms in early 20th-century China. It further seeks to analyze how its introduction reflects broader challenges in managing novel therapeutics. Methods Through a historical analysis of archival records, medical publications, and sociocultural responses, this paper examines the popularization and commercialization of Salvarsan in China from 1910 onward. Results In 1910, it was first marketed in China, signifying a notable change in the transmission of Western medicine in the region during the early 20th century. Unlike previous Western medications introduced in China, the novel therapy's initial beneficiaries predominantly belonged to the affluent social class, and the local medical community supplanted the missionaries as the primary catalyst in advocating the latest medicine. After the 1920s, the scientific effectiveness of Neo-Salvarsan gained greater recognition and played a role in establishing Western medicine's credibility. It was acknowledged as a scientific model in the field of pharmacological research. However, it also engendered fresh societal challenges, including dispelling the myth surrounding Salvarsan and its rational regulation. Conclusions The case of Salvarsan underscores the complex interplay between scientific advancement and medical governance. The study argues that lessons from Salvarsan's promotion and regulation remain relevant for addressing contemporary challenges in pharmaceutical innovation and public trust.

Objectives The aim is to illustrate the role of anthropology during the resurgence of monkeypox or “mpox”, which was declared a public health emergency, and requires comprehensive public health responses. Case presentation In this perspective article, I outline the relevance of medical anthropology in shaping effective public health responses to infectious disease outbreaks, while focusing on mpox. I discuss how a unique anthropological lens can illuminate the sociocultural, economic, and political conditions that exacerbate disease vulnerability and shape health outcomes. By moving beyond narrow biomedical models, I show the need and advocate for culturally sensitive, ethically grounded, and structurally informed interventions. Conclusions In this context, I argue for the continued importance of anthropology in navigating the complex interplay between biological and social worlds, which particularly impact health in times of crisis. Yet, this contribution comes at a time when anthropology itself faces institutional downsizing worldwide—posing a troubling contradiction between the field’s relevance and its marginalization.

Background The Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) is a key tool for assessing medical students’ attitudes toward learning communication skills, which significantly influence their clinical communication behaviors. Methods We reviewed literature on the development, cross-cultural adaptation, and application of the CSAS across different countries. Results The CSAS demonstrates good reliability and validity as the most widely used instrument in this field. Its two-factor structure has been adapted into multidimensional models in various contexts. However, its application is influenced by linguistic, pedagogical, and participant-related factors. Conclusions Despite its widespread use, careful attention to cross-cultural validation and methodological limitations is essential. Future longitudinal and qualitative studies will help optimize its application in medical education.

Objectives This case study examines the application of Narrative Medicine principles by a China medical team member in Ghana to navigate a challenging intercultural physician-patient communication scenario. Methods Following an initial encounter where a patient’s attribution of her survival solely to God created a relational disconnect, the team deliberately applied the three core principles of Narrative Medicine: attention, representation, and affiliation. The intervention involved deep listening, affirming the patient’s Christian faith, and the innovative integration of Adinkra symbols (Gye Nyame and Sankofa) as a form of cultural and narrative bridging. Conclusions This approach successfully transformed a potential conflict into a therapeutic alliance, fostering trust and enhancing patient adherence. The case provides a practical, narrative-based framework for China medical team working abroad, demonstrating how moving beyond mere linguistic translation to symbolic, culturally-grounded communication can effectively address the triad of challenges in foreign aid settings: cultural differences, language barriers, and resource limitations. Beyond the technical success, this case underscores that effective cross-cultural care hinges on the clinician’s willingness to inhabit the patient’s narrative and symbolic universe. Healing occurred only when the clinician abandoned the “information-transfer” stance and instead became a respectful co-author of the patient’s story.

Narrative medicine as both a cognitive paradigm and a clinical method requires ways to be differentiated from existing paradigms. From the perspective of philosophical rhetorics, this article clarifies a series of semantic distinction in four conceptual pairs: narrative medicine and narrative therapy, narrative medicine and evidence-based medicine, narrative medicine and narrative nursing, modern medical narration and traditional Chinese medical narration. It aims to resolve cognitive ambiguities and biases within these categories and reveal their underlying meanings not through finding common ground but through seeking differences that could become transformative possibilities – to achieve clinical thinking interaction through cognitive embeddedness.