Background: Dementia is a group of chronic diseases characterised by cognitive impairment that progressively disrupts daily functioning and requires increasing levels of healthcare, social support, and long-term care. Support for people with dementia can be provided by formal support systems although most of the care process relies upon informal care givers. Despite the availability of formal support systems and healthcare workers, the utilization of dementia care services remains suboptimal. Factors such as non-compliance, lack of awareness, and poor care coordination contribute to this issue. Understanding these barriers is crucial for improving service utilization and alleviating the economic burden on families and national health systems. Methods: This systematic review analysed the literature, published from 2013 to 2023, on barriers in Alzheimer and other dementia healthcare system, conducted on people living with a dementia, their caregivers, or healthcare workers in dementia care settings in Europe, following PRISMA guidelines. Searches in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Health Technology Assessment Database, and Web of Science used terms related to Alzheimer’s, dementia, and access barriers. Rayyan AI supported full-text review, with quality assessed via the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: Over 1298 articles, 29 studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies highlighted several barriers to dementia care, categorised into information, organizational, cultural, stigma-related, financial, and logistical challenges. Informational and educational barriers included a lack of awareness and knowledge among caregivers. Organizational barriers involved poor care coordination and unclear access procedures. Cultural and stigma-related barriers were linked to societal attitudes towards dementia. Financial barriers were associated with the high costs of care, and logistical barriers included limited availability and accessibility of support services. Conclusions: To enhance the quality of life for individuals living with dementia, it is crucial to address these identified barriers through tailored interventions and management programs. Improving care coordination, communication, and training for healthcare professionals, alongside reducing systemic delays, are essential steps toward more effective dementia care. Easing the burden of care with tailored interventions and management programmes is mandatory to improve the quality of life of persons living with dementia and their families.

Vaccine hesitancy has become a major global concern, leading to a significant decrease in the vaccination rate, with the World Health Organization recognizing it as one of the top ten threats to public health. Moreover, the health cost generated is evaluated to be 27 billion dollars per year in the US alone. To investigate the association between demographic variables and knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to vaccination, a survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 1163 individuals. Three models were used to perform a multiple linear regression analysis. In Model I, knowledge about vaccinations was found to be associated with smoking habits, education, and marital status. In Model II, attitudes towards vaccinations were significantly associated with sex, smoking habits, education, marital status, and knowledge. In Model III, behaviours related to vaccination were associated with sex, smoking habits, having children, knowledge, and attitudes. One potential solution to improve behaviours related to vaccinations in the general population is to implement specific public health programs, which can be a cost-effective intervention. This study provides valuable insights into the determinants of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to vaccinations in the general population.

Introduction: The prevalence and costs of dementias are rising due to demographic changes. Dementia care depends largely on informal caregivers and fragmented healthcare systems that often fail to meet the needs of people with dementia.Objectives: This systematic review aims to identify unmet needs and barriers in European dementia care, providing a framework to improve health strategies.Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, articles from 2013 to 2023 were screened from Embase, PsycINFO, HTA Database, and Web of Science. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used for evaluation.Results: From 3,738 articles, 47 met the inclusion criteria. Through a narrative synthesis, the review identified unmet needs and barriers among People Living with Dementia, caregivers, and healthcare workers. Psychosocial and emotional support are essential for managing stress and ensuring quality of life. Caregivers demand education about dementia care, progression, and self-care, while healthcare workers need training, and interdisciplinary teams. Cultural sensitivity is critical for addressing stigma and facilitating inclusive care for ethnic minorities. Healthcare access remains fragmented, thereby decreasing continuity of care for families. High costs, bureaucratic complexity, and geographical inequalities, particularly in rural areas can be barrier to care for People Living with Dementia and their families. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted social support services, increasing distress and uncertainty. About limitation, publication bias and geographical bias from focus on Europe were possible, potentially overlooking insights from other regions.Conclusion: There is need for public policies to enhance education, community support, and dementia awareness, with a focus on culturally sensitive care.

Background: Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative forms of dementia affect 8 million Europeans. Assistive technologies are suggested to reduce the burden of care and improve the quality of life of person living with dementia. Nonetheless, the acceptance and attitudes toward technological interventions pose challenges not only for people living with dementia and caregivers but also for healthcare workers. This review specifically aims to investigate how these key groups perceive and accept technology in European dementia care settings.Methods: This systematic review was conducted to identify studies, published between 2013 and 2023, that examined the acceptance and attitude of assistive technologies in Alzheimer’s and other dementia European settings, following the PRISMA guidelines. Rayyan AI was used for data extraction, and bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.Results: Among the 1,202 identified articles, 13 met the inclusion criteria, revealing a prevailing positivity toward technological interventions in dementia care. Nonetheless, several barriers to adoption, including technological unfamiliarity, and specific dementia-related symptoms that complicate usage were identified. They also unveiled varying attitudes, influenced by factors such as familiarity with technologies, perceived usefulness, and the broader context of the COVID-19 pandemic which accelerated telemedicine and digital solution acceptance during restricted mobility and social distancing.Conclusion: Understanding attitudes toward technology in dementia care is crucial as it influences the adoption and utilization of tech-based interventions, impacting symptom management and quality of life. Addressing these attitudes through tailored interventions and education can enhance well-being and quality of life for people living with dementia, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.

Introduction: Since the COVID-19 pandemic onset, preventive measures (e.g., social distancing, hand hygiene, mask usage) and vaccines have been pivotal in mitigating transmission and reducing public health burdens. Although adherence to these measures, influenced by factors such as ventilation and exposure duration, has been extensively validated, their long-term sustainability faces socio-economic challenges. Objectives: To investigate the association between risk perception and adherence to preventive behaviors and conduct a meta-analysis comparing these behaviors in vaccinated versus unvaccinated subgroups. Methods: A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines identified studies (2021–2024) analyzing risk perception and preventive behaviors. Potential biases were assessed using the MMAT tool. A meta-analysis calculated pooled effect sizes across subgroups. Results: Of 1,594 screened studies, 10 met inclusion criteria (six for meta-analysis, n = 9,115). Populations included adults, students, and healthcare professionals across 24 countries. Most vaccinated individuals maintained preventive behaviors despite stable or declining risk perception, though social distancing and hand hygiene adherence decreased over time. Booster-vaccinated individuals exhibited higher compliance than partially vaccinated or unvaccinated counterparts. Unvaccinated individuals intending to vaccinate reported higher risk perception than those refusing vaccination. Meta-analysis revealed no significant difference in risk perception between vaccinated (70.3, 95% CI 60.8–79.8) and unvaccinated subgroups (70.8, 95% CI 61.9–79.6; I ² = 17.5%), suggesting limited influence on behavior maintenance. Conclusion: While vaccination and preventive measures curbed COVID-19 transmission, risk perception alone does not robustly predict sustained adherence, potentially due to risk compensation. Future research should prioritize determinants of long-term behavioral retention in public health strategies.

Studies have shown that the pandemic has led to an increase in sick leave periods among healthcare workers (HCWs); however, this might have changed over time considering increase in vaccination coverage and change in COVID-19 variant predominance. Therefore, we conducted an observational study to evaluate whether the type of symptoms and the duration of sick leave period for healthcare workers working in a large university hospital in the South of Italy changed between January 2021 and January 2022; 398 cases of COVID-19 were identified for a total of 382 subjects involved. A total of 191 subjects answered the questionnaire about symptoms; of these, 79 had COVID-19 during the period from March 2020 until February 2022. The results showed a decrease of about 1.2 days in sick leave period for each quarter without finding significant differences in the perception of symptoms. It is possible to hypothesize a contribution from the Omicron variant to the decrease in sick leave period in the last quarter, from vaccination coverage, from optimization of COVID-19 management, and from change in the regulations for the assessment of positivity.