Background and objectives: This paper addresses psychological resilience, a multidisciplinary theoretical construct with important practical implications for health sciences. Although many definitions have been proposed in several contexts, an essential understanding of the concept is still lacking up to now. This negatively affects comparisons among research results and makes objective measurement difficult. The aim of this review is to identify shared elements in defining the construct of resilience across the literature examined in order to move toward a conceptual unification of the term. Materials and methods: A literature review was performed using the electronic databases ‘PubMed’ and ‘PsycINFO’. Scientific studies written in English between 2002 and May 2019 were included according to the following key terms: ‘Psychological’, ‘resilience’, and ‘definition’. Results: The review identifies five macro-categories that summarize what has been reported in the recent literature concerning the resilience phenomenon. They serve as a preliminary and necessary step toward a conceptual clarification of the construct. Conclusions: We propose a definition of psychological resilience as the ability to maintain the persistence of one’s orientation towards existential purposes. It constitutes a transversal attitude that can be understood as the ability to overcome the difficulties experienced in the different areas of one’s life with perseverance, as well as good awareness of oneself and one’s own internal coherence by activating a personal growth project. The conceptual clarification proposed will contribute to improving the accuracy of research on this topic by suggesting future paths of investigation aimed at deeply exploring the issues surrounding the promotion of resilience resources.

Background In all branches of medicine, it is the surgeon's responsibility to provide the patient with accurate information before surgery. This is especially important in cosmetic surgery because the surgeon must focus on the aesthetic results desired by the patient. Methods An experimental protocol was developed based on an original questionnaire given to 72 patients. The nature of the responses, the patients' motivation and expectations, the degree of patient awareness regarding the planned operation, and the patients' perceptions of the purpose of the required consent for cosmetic surgery were all analyzed using Fisher's exact test. Results Candidates for abdominal wall surgery had significantly more preoperative psychological problems than their counterparts did (P=0.035). A significantly different percentage of patients under 40 years of age compared to those over 40 years of age searched for additional sources of information prior to the operation (P=0.046). Only 30% of patients with a lower educational background stated that the preoperative information had been adequate, whereas 92% of subjects with secondary schooling or a postsecondary degree felt that the information was sufficient (P=0.001). A statistically significant difference was also present between patients according to their educational background regarding expected improvements in their quality of life postoperatively (P=0.008). Conclusions This study suggests that patients require more attention in presurgical consultations and that clear communication should be prioritized to ensure that the surgeon understands the patient's expectations.

Sham surgery (placebo surgery) is an intervention that omits the step thought to be therapeutically necessary. In surgical clinical trials, sham surgery serves an analogous purpose to placebo drugs, neutralizing biases such as the placebo effect. A critical review was performed to study the statistical relevance of the clinical trials about sham surgery in the light of potential confounding factors. For the critical review 52 articles were included. The possible confounding factors have been studied using a structured interpretative research form designed by the authors. This form includes the following ten confounding factors: I), lack of homogeneity among inclusion/exclusion criteria. II), false double blind. III), lack of post-surgery double blind. IV), power of the study. V), sample characteristics. VI), lost patients to Follow-up. VII), gender distribution. VIII), age equilibrium. IX), lack of psychological patient evaluation. X), lack of psychiatric patient evaluation. In most of the studies, at least one confounding factor was present. The analysis of the confounding factors showed that they could influence the reliability of the surgical placebo effects. The validity of sham surgery should be reconsidered.

Background/Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the healthcare industry, improving diagnoses, treatments, and clinical processes. However, its integration poses significant cybersecurity risks, including data breaches, algorithmic opacity, and vulnerabilities in AI-controlled medical devices. This narrative review analyzes these threats and evaluates blockchain technology as a potential mitigation strategy within a Clinical Risk Management framework. Methods: The literature search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, considering peer-reviewed publications from 2000 to January 2025. 1,204 articles were identified. Inclusion criteria included studies on cybersecurity risks in healthcare, blockchain applications in the clinical setting, and regulatory references (eg, General Data Protection Regulation). Conference abstracts, non-English articles, and non-peer-reviewed contributions were excluded. To ensure methodological rigor, the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles criteria were applied. Results: The thematic analysis highlighted recurring critical issues: difficulties with informed consent, unauthorized access to sensitive data, and systemic vulnerabilities in hospital digital infrastructures. Blockchain presents a promising solution thanks to its decentralization, immutability, and transparency. Integration with smart contracts enables dynamic consent management, secure data sharing, and real-time monitoring of medical devices. Permissioned networks improve traceability and regulatory compliance, while Layer 2 solutions and optimized consent protocols address scalability challenges. Conclusion: Despite its potential, blockchain adoption faces obstacles: high costs, regulatory rigidity, and poor acceptance among healthcare professionals. The review highlights the need for pilot projects, interdisciplinary collaboration, and regulatory updates for effective integration. Combining AI and blockchain in Clinical Risk Management can transform clinical risk management from reactive to proactive, improving patient safety, data governance, and accountability.