Preschool-aged children's television viewing in child care settings.

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Christakis, Dimitri A; Garrison, Michelle M

2009-12-01

The goal was to quantify television viewing in day care settings and to investigate the characteristics of programs that predict viewing. A telephone survey of licensed child care programs in Michigan, Washington, Florida, and Massachusetts was performed. The frequency and quantity of television viewing for infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children were assessed. With the exception of infants, children in home-based child care programs were exposed to significantly more television on an average day than were children in center-based programs (infants: 0.2 vs 0 hours; toddlers: 1.6 vs 0.1 hours; preschool-aged children: 2.4 vs 0.4 hours). In a regression analysis of daily television time for preschool-aged children in child care, center-based programs were found to have an average of 1.84 fewer hours of television each day, controlling for the other covariates. Significant effect modification was found, in that the impact of home-based versus center-based child care programs differed somewhat depending on educational levels for staff members; having a 2- or 4-year college degree was associated with 1.41 fewer hours of television per day in home-based programs, but no impact of staff education on television use was observed in center-based programs. For many children, previous estimates of screen time significantly underestimated actual amounts. Pediatricians should council parents to minimize screen time in child care settings.

Clinical productivity of primary care nurse practitioners in ambulatory settings.

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Xue, Ying; Tuttle, Jane

Nurse practitioners are increasingly being integrated into primary care delivery to help meet the growing demand for primary care. It is therefore important to understand nurse practitioners' productivity in primary care practice. We examined nurse practitioners' clinical productivity in regard to number of patients seen per week, whether they had a patient panel, and patient panel size. We further investigated practice characteristics associated with their clinical productivity. We conducted cross-sectional analysis of the 2012 National Sample Survey of Nurse Practitioners. The sample included full-time primary care nurse practitioners in ambulatory settings. Multivariable survey regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship between practice characteristics and nurse practitioners' clinical productivity. Primary care nurse practitioners in ambulatory settings saw an average of 80 patients per week (95% confidence interval [CI]: 79-82), and 64% of them had their own patient panel. The average patient panel size was 567 (95% CI: 522-612). Nurse practitioners who had their own patient panel spent a similar percent of time on patient care and documentation as those who did not. However, those with a patient panel were more likely to provide a range of clinical services to most patients. Nurse practitioners' clinical productivity was associated with several modifiable practice characteristics such as practice autonomy and billing and payment policies. The estimated number of patients seen in a typical week by nurse practitioners is comparable to that by primary care physicians reported in the literature. However, they had a significantly smaller patient panel. Nurse practitioners' clinical productivity can be further improved. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethical problems in pediatrics: what does the setting of care and education show us?

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Guedert Jucélia

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pediatrics ethics education should enhance medical students' skills to deal with ethical problems that may arise in the different settings of care. This study aimed to analyze the ethical problems experienced by physicians who have medical education and pediatric care responsibilities, and if those problems are associated to their workplace, medical specialty and area of clinical practice. Methods A self-applied semi-structured questionnaire was answered by 88 physicians with teaching and pediatric care responsibilities. Content analysis was performed to analyze the qualitative data. Poisson regression was used to explore the association of the categories of ethical problems reported with workplace and professional specialty and activity. Results 210 ethical problems were reported, grouped into five areas: physician-patient relationship, end-of-life care, health professional conducts, socioeconomic issues and health policies, and pediatric teaching. Doctors who worked in hospitals as well as general and subspecialist pediatricians reported fewer ethical problems related to socioeconomic issues and health policies than those who worked in Basic Health Units and who were family doctors. Conclusions Some ethical problems are specific to certain settings: those related to end-of-life care are more frequent in the hospital settings and those associated with socioeconomic issues and public health policies are more frequent in Basic Health Units. Other problems are present in all the setting of pediatric care and learning and include ethical problems related to physician-patient relationship, health professional conducts and the pediatric education process. These findings should be taken into consideration when planning the teaching of ethics in pediatrics. Trial registration This research article didn't reports the results of a controlled health care intervention. The study project was approved by the Institutional Ethical Review

Setting priorities in primary health care - on whose conditions? A questionnaire study

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Arvidsson Eva

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Sweden three key criteria are used for priority setting: severity of the health condition; patient benefit; and cost-effectiveness. They are derived from the ethical principles established by the Swedish parliament 1997 but have been used only to a limited extent in primary care. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse: 1 GPs', nurses', and patients' prioritising in routine primary care 2 The association between the three key priority setting criteria and the overall priority assigned by the GPs and nurses to individual patients. Methods Paired questionnaires were distributed to all patients and the GPs or nurses they had contact with during a 2-week period at four health centres in Sweden. The staff registered the health conditions or health problem, and the planned intervention. Then they estimated the severity of the health condition, the expected patient benefit, and the cost-effectiveness of the planned intervention. Both the staff and the patients reported their overall prioritisation of the patient. In total, 1851 paired questionnaires were collected. Results Compared to the medical staff, the patients assigned relatively higher priority to acute/minor conditions than to preventive check-ups for chronic conditions. Severity of the health condition was the priority setting criterion that had the strongest association with the overall priority for the staff as a whole, but for the GPs it was cost-effectiveness. Conclusions The challenge for primary care providers is to balance the patients' demands with medical needs and cost-effectiveness. Transparent priority setting in primary care might contribute to a greater consensus between GPs and nurses on how to use the key priority setting criteria.

Setting priorities in primary health care--on whose conditions? A questionnaire study.

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Arvidsson, Eva; André, Malin; Borgquist, Lars; Andersson, David; Carlsson, Per

2012-11-26

In Sweden three key criteria are used for priority setting: severity of the health condition; patient benefit; and cost-effectiveness. They are derived from the ethical principles established by the Swedish parliament 1997 but have been used only to a limited extent in primary care. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse: 1) GPs', nurses', and patients' prioritising in routine primary care 2) The association between the three key priority setting criteria and the overall priority assigned by the GPs and nurses to individual patients. Paired questionnaires were distributed to all patients and the GPs or nurses they had contact with during a 2-week period at four health centres in Sweden. The staff registered the health conditions or health problem, and the planned intervention. Then they estimated the severity of the health condition, the expected patient benefit, and the cost-effectiveness of the planned intervention. Both the staff and the patients reported their overall prioritisation of the patient. In total, 1851 paired questionnaires were collected. Compared to the medical staff, the patients assigned relatively higher priority to acute/minor conditions than to preventive check-ups for chronic conditions. Severity of the health condition was the priority setting criterion that had the strongest association with the overall priority for the staff as a whole, but for the GPs it was cost-effectiveness. The challenge for primary care providers is to balance the patients' demands with medical needs and cost-effectiveness. Transparent priority setting in primary care might contribute to a greater consensus between GPs and nurses on how to use the key priority setting criteria.

Obesity Prevention Practices and Policies in Child Care Settings Enrolled and Not Enrolled in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

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Liu, Sherry T; Graffagino, Cheryl L; Leser, Kendall A; Trombetta, Autumn L; Pirie, Phyllis L

2016-09-01

Objectives The United States Department of Agriculture's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides meals and snacks to low-income children in child care. This study compared nutrition and physical activity practices and policies as well as the overall nutrition and physical activity environments in a sample of CACFP and non-CACFP child care settings. Methods A random stratified sample of 350 child care settings in a large Midwestern city and its suburbs, was mailed a survey on obesity prevention practices and policies concerning menu offerings, feeding practices, nutrition and physical activity education, activity levels, training, and screen time. Completed surveys were obtained from 229 of 309 eligible child care settings (74.1 % response rate). Chi square tests were used to compare practices and policies in CACFP and non-CACFP sites. Poisson and negative binomial regression were used to examine associations between CACFP and total number of practices and policies. Results Sixty-nine percent of child care settings reported CACFP participation. A significantly higher proportion of CACFP sites reported offering whole grain foods daily and that providers always eat the same foods that are offered to the children. CACFP sites had 1.1 times as many supportive nutrition practices as non-CACFP sites. CACFP participation was not associated with written policies or physical activity practices. Conclusions for Practice There is room for improvement across nutrition and physical activity practices and policies. In addition to food reimbursement, CACFP participation may help promote child care environments that support healthy nutrition; however, additional training and education outreach activities may be needed.

CD-Based Microfluidics for Primary Care in Extreme Point-of-Care Settings

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Suzanne Smith

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We review the utility of centrifugal microfluidic technologies applied to point-of-care diagnosis in extremely under-resourced environments. The various challenges faced in these settings are showcased, using areas in India and Africa as examples. Measures for the ability of integrated devices to effectively address point-of-care challenges are highlighted, and centrifugal, often termed CD-based microfluidic technologies, technologies are presented as a promising platform to address these challenges. We describe the advantages of centrifugal liquid handling, as well as the ability of a standard CD player to perform a number of common laboratory tests, fulfilling the role of an integrated lab-on-a-CD. Innovative centrifugal approaches for point-of-care in extremely resource-poor settings are highlighted, including sensing and detection strategies, smart power sources and biomimetic inspiration for environmental control. The evolution of centrifugal microfluidics, along with examples of commercial and advanced prototype centrifugal microfluidic systems, is presented, illustrating the success of deployment at the point-of-care. A close fit of emerging centrifugal systems to address a critical panel of tests for under-resourced clinic settings, formulated by medical experts, is demonstrated. This emphasizes the potential of centrifugal microfluidic technologies to be applied effectively to extremely challenging point-of-care scenarios and in playing a role in improving primary care in resource-limited settings across the developing world.

Identification and Management of Eating Disorders in Integrated Primary Care: Recommendations for Psychologists in Integrated Care Settings.

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Buchholz, Laura J; King, Paul R; Wray, Laura O

2017-06-01

Eating disorders are associated with deleterious health consequences, increased risk of mortality, and psychosocial impairment. Although individuals with eating disorders are likely to seek treatment in general medical settings such as primary care (PC), these conditions are often under-detected by PC providers. However, psychologists in integrated PC settings are likely to see patients with eating disorders because of the mental health comorbidities associated with these conditions. Further, due to their training in identifying risk factors associated with eating disorders (i.e., comorbid mental health and medical disorders) and opportunities for collaboration with PC providers, psychologists are well-positioned to improve the detection and management of eating disorders in PC. This paper provides a brief overview of eating disorders and practical guidance for psychologists working in integrated PC settings to facilitate the identification and management of these conditions.

Norovirus epidemiology in community and health care settings and association with patient age, denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Franck, Kristina T; Fonager, Jannik; Ersbøll, Annette K

2014-01-01

Norovirus (NoV) is a major cause of gastroenteritis. NoV genotype II.4 (GII.4) is the predominant genotype in health care settings but the reason for this finding is unknown. Stool samples containing isolates with a known NoV genotype from 2,109 patients in Denmark (patients consulting a general...

Sleep Disturbances in Patients With Advanced Cancer in Different Palliative Care Settings.

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Mercadante, Sebastiano; Aielli, Federica; Adile, Claudio; Ferrera, Patrizia; Valle, Alessandro; Cartoni, Claudio; Pizzuto, Massimo; Caruselli, Amanda; Parsi, Renato; Cortegiani, Andrea; Masedu, Francesco; Valenti, Marco; Ficorella, Corrado; Porzio, Giampiero

2015-12-01

Information regarding sleep disturbances in the population with advanced cancer is meager. To assess the prevalence of sleep disturbances and possible correlations with associated factors in a large number of patients with advanced cancer admitted to different palliative care settings. This was an observational study performed in different settings of palliative care. A consecutive sample of patients with advanced cancer was prospectively assessed for a period of six months. Epidemiological and clinical data, treatments received in the last month, Karnofsky status, Edmonton Symptom Assessment System scores, and concomitant medical treatment were recorded. Patients were administered the Athens Insomnia Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A total of 820 patients were surveyed. Mean age was 69.7 years (SD 12.7), and 429 patients were males. Consistent sleep disturbances (moderate to maximum) were found in 60.8% of patients. Aged patients were less likely to have sleep disturbances, whereas a poor Karnofsky level was significantly associated with sleep problems. Breast, gastrointestinal, head and neck, lung, and prostate cancers were associated with sleep problems. Patients who had a secondary school or undergraduate education had less sleep disturbances. Hormone therapy and use of opioids and corticosteroids were positively associated with sleep disturbances, and there was a positive correlation of HADS-Anxiety and HADS-Depression scores with sleep disturbances. More than 60% of palliative care patients have relevant sleep disturbances. Several factors associated with sleep disorders have been identified and should prompt physicians to make a careful examination and subsequent treatment of these disturbances. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Organizational climate in primary care settings: implications for nurse practitioner practice.

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Poghosyan, Lusine; Nannini, Angela; Clarke, Sean

2013-03-01

The purpose of this review is to investigate literature related to organizational climate, define organizational climate, and identify its domains for nurse practitioner (NP) practice in primary care settings. A search was conducted using MEDLINE, PubMed, HealthSTAR/Ovid, ISI Web of Science, and several other health policy and nursingy databases. In primary care settings, organizational climate for NPs is a set of organizational attributes, which are perceived by NPs about their practice setting, emerge from the way the organization interacts with NPs, and affect NP behaviors and outcomes. Autonomy, NP-physician relations, and professional visibility were identified as organizational climate domains. NPs should be encouraged to assess organizational climate in their workplace and choose organizations that promote autonomy, collegiality between NPs and physicians, and encourage professional visibility. Organizational and NP awareness of qualities that foster NP practice will be a first step for developing strategies to creating an optimal organizational climate for NPs to deliver high-quality care. More research is needed to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework for organizational climate and develop new instruments to accurately measure organizational climate and link it to NP and patient outcomes. ©2012 The Author(s) Journal compilation ©2012 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Peruvian primary care setting.

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Herrera-Añazco, Percy; Taype-Rondan, Alvaro; Lazo-Porras, María; Alberto Quintanilla, E; Ortiz-Soriano, Victor Manuel; Hernandez, Adrian V

2017-07-19

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem. There are few studies in Latin America, especially in primary care settings. Our objective was to determine the prevalence, stages, and associated factors of CKD in primary care setting. We did a retrospective secondary analysis of a database from the Diabetes and Hypertension Primary Care Center of the Peruvian Social Security System (EsSalud) in Lima, Peru. We defined CKD as the presence of eGFR 30 mg/day in 24 h, according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO). Factors associated with CKD were evaluated with Poisson Regression models; these factors included age, gender, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), hypertension (HTN), body mass index (BMI), and uric acid. Associations were described as crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). We evaluated 1211 patients (women [59%], mean age 65.8 years [SD: 12.7]). Prevalence of CKD was 18%. Using the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), the prevalence was 9.3% (95% CI 5.3 - 13.3) in patients without HTN or DM2; 20.2% (95% CI 17.6 - 22.8) in patients with HTN, and 23.9% (95% CI 19.4 - 28.4) in patients with DM2. The most common stages were 1 and 2 with 41.5% and 48%, respectively. Factors associated with CKD in the adjusted analysis were: age in years (PR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.04), DM2 (PR = 3.37, 95% CI 1.09 - 10.39), HTN plus DM2 (PR = 3.90, 95% CI 1.54 - 9.88), and uric acid from 5 to DM2, older age and hyperuricemia have higher prevalence of CKD.

Parental Perceptions of Child Care Quality in Centre-Based and Home-Based Settings: Associations with External Quality Ratings

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Lehrer, Joanne S.; Lemay, Lise; Bigras, Nathalie

2015-01-01

The current study examined how parental perceptions of child care quality were related to external quality ratings and considered how parental perceptions of quality varied according to child care context (home-based or centre-based settings). Parents of 179 4-year-old children who attended child care centres (n = 141) and home-based settings…

Exploring Summer Medical Care Within the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Setting: A Perspective From the Athletic Trainer.

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Mazerolle, Stephanie M; Eason, Christianne M; Goodman, Ashley

2016-02-01

Over the last few decades, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) has made changes related to the increase in sanctioned team activities during summer athletics. These changes may affect how athletic training services are provided. To investigate the methods by which athletic training departments of NCAA institutions manage expectations regarding athletic training services during the summer. Mixed-methods qualitative and quantitative study. The NCAA Division I. Twenty-two athletic trainers (13 men, 9 women) participated. All were employed full time within the NCAA Division I setting. Participants were 35 ± 8 years of age (range, 26-52 years), with 12 ± 7 years (range, 3-29 years) of athletic training experience. All participants completed a series of questions online that consisted of closed- (demographic and Likert-scale 5-point) and open-ended items that addressed the research questions. Descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, and phenomenologic analyses were completed with the data. Peer review and multiple-analyst triangulation established credibility. Summer athletic training services included 3 primary mechanisms: individual medical care, shared medical care, or a combination of the 2. Participants reported working 40 ± 10 hours during the summer. Likert-item analysis showed that participants were moderately satisfied with their summer medical care structure (3.3 ± 1.0) and with the flexibility of summer schedules (3.0 ± 1.2). Yet the qualitative analysis revealed that perceptions of summer medical care were more positive for shared-care participants than for individual- or combination-care participants. The perceived effect on the athletic trainer included increased workload and expectations and a negative influence on work-life balance, particularly in terms of decreased schedule flexibility and opportunities for rejuvenation. For many, the summer season mimicked the hours, workload, and expectations of the nontraditional season

Self-Reported Discrimination in Health-Care Settings Based on Recognizability as Transgender: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Transgender U.S. Citizens.

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Rodriguez, Amanda; Agardh, Anette; Asamoah, Benedict Oppong

2018-05-01

Discrimination has long been tied to health inequality. Rejected by families and communities because of their gender identity and gender-role behavior, transgender individuals are often socially marginalized. This study aimed to assess discrimination in health-care settings among persons self-identifying as transgender in the U.S. in relation to their recognizability as transgender, operationalized as how often they experienced that others recognized them as transgender. Data were obtained from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (n = 6106 participants, assigned sex at birth = 3608 males, 2480 females, respectively). Binary logistic regressions were performed to examine associations between transgender recognizability and discrimination in health-care settings. Being recognized as transgender to any extent had a significant effect on perceived discrimination in health care. Always recognized as transgender showed significant associations with discrimination in a health-care setting (OR 1.48) and the following individualized health-care settings: social service settings (rape crisis and domestic violence centers, OR 5.22) and mental health settings (mental health clinic and drug treatment program, OR 1.87). Sex work and other street economy, which are known experiential factors affected by discrimination, were also significantly associated with discrimination in health-care settings. Discrimination in health-care settings is pervasive for transgender who are recognized as transgender. Public health efforts to improve access to equitable health care for transgender individuals may benefit from consideration of demographic, experiential, and medical risk factors to more fully understand the source of the seemingly excess risk of discrimination among persons recognized by others as being transgender.

Characteristics of primary care practices associated with high quality of care.

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Beaulieu, Marie-Dominique; Haggerty, Jeannie; Tousignant, Pierre; Barnsley, Janet; Hogg, William; Geneau, Robert; Hudon, Éveline; Duplain, Réjean; Denis, Jean-Louis; Bonin, Lucie; Del Grande, Claudio; Dragieva, Natalyia

2013-09-03

No primary practice care model has been shown to be superior in achieving high-quality primary care. We aimed to identify the organizational characteristics of primary care practices that provide high-quality primary care. We performed a cross-sectional observational study involving a stratified random sample of 37 primary care practices from 3 regions of Quebec. We recruited 1457 patients who had 1 of 2 chronic care conditions or 1 of 6 episodic care conditions. The main outcome was the overall technical quality score. We measured organizational characteristics by use of a validated questionnaire and the Team Climate Inventory. Statistical analyses were based on multilevel regression modelling. The following characteristics were strongly associated with overall technical quality of care score: physician remuneration method (27.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 19.0-35.0), extent of sharing of administrative resources (7.6; 95% CI 0.8-14.4), presence of allied health professionals (15.3; 95% CI 5.4-25.2) and/or specialist physicians (19.6; 95% CI 8.3-30.9), the presence of mechanisms for maintaining or evaluating competence (7.7; 95% CI 3.0-12.4) and average organizational access to the practice (4.9; 95% CI 2.6-7.2). The number of physicians (1.2; 95% CI 0.6-1.8) and the average Team Climate Inventory score (1.3; 95% CI 0.1-2.5) were modestly associated with high-quality care. We identified a common set of organizational characteristics associated with high-quality primary care. Many of these characteristics are amenable to change through practice-level organizational changes.

Delirium in palliative care: Detection, documentation and management in three settings.

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Hey, Jennifer; Hosker, Christian; Ward, Jason; Kite, Suzanne; Speechley, Helen

2015-12-01

Delirium is characterized by disturbances of consciousness and changes in cognition that develop rapidly and fluctuate. It is common in palliative care, affecting up to 88% of patients with advanced cancer, yet often remains insufficiently diagnosed and managed. This study sought to compare rates of screening, documentation, and management of delirium across three palliative care settings - two hospices and one hospital team - and to determine whether definitive documentation of delirium as a diagnosis is associated with improved management of the disorder. A retrospective review of patient case notes was performed in three U.K. palliative care settings for the presence of: cognitive screening tools on first assessment; the term "delirium" as a stated documented diagnosis; documented terms, descriptions, and synonyms suggestive of delirium; and management plans aimed at addressing delirium. We reviewed 319 notes. The prevalence of delirium as a documented diagnosis ranged from 0 to 8.4%, rising to 35.7-39.2% when both documented delirium and descriptions suggestive of delirium were taken into account. An abbreviated mental test score (AMTS) was determined for 19.6 (H1) and 26.8% (H2) of hospice admissions and for 0% of hospital assessments. Symptoms suggestive of delirium were managed in 56.3% of cases in hospital, compared with 66.7 (H1) and 72.2% (H2) in hospices. Use of the term "delirium" was infrequent in both hospital and hospice palliative care settings, as was the use of routine screening. Many identified cases did not receive targeted management. The definitive use of the term as a diagnosis was associated with clearer management plans in hospital patients. The authors suggest that better screening and identification remains the first step in improving delirium management.

A Grounded Theory Study of HIV-Related Stigma in U.S.-Based Health Care Settings.

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Davtyan, Mariam; Olshansky, Ellen F; Brown, Brandon; Lakon, Cynthia

Despite progress made in the treatment and care of people living with HIV (PLWH), HIV-related stigma has remained persistent. Health care settings and workers have been identified as important sources of stigma. Studies have addressed the construct of stigma in U.S. health care settings, but mainly from the perspectives of PLWH. We used Grounded Theory to understand how health care workers conceptualized HIV-related stigma and to develop a model to project a purposive view of stigma in health care settings. Our model indicates that stigma may be rooted in historically derogatory representations of HIV and intensified by power inequalities. Stigma may be triggered by fear, inadequate clinical education and training, unintentional behaviors, and limited contact with PLWH. Study participants perceived stigma as injurious to patient and provider health outcomes. Additional research on provider perceptions of stigma and programs that encourage empowerment, communication, and training may be necessary for stigma reduction. Copyright © 2017 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Setting-related influences on physical inactivity of older adults in residential care settings: a review.

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Douma, Johanna G; Volkers, Karin M; Engels, Gwenda; Sonneveld, Marieke H; Goossens, Richard H M; Scherder, Erik J A

2017-04-28

Despite the detrimental effects of physical inactivity for older adults, especially aged residents of residential care settings may spend much time in inactive behavior. This may be partly due to their poorer physical condition; however, there may also be other, setting-related factors that influence the amount of inactivity. The aim of this review was to review setting-related factors (including the social and physical environment) that may contribute to the amount of older adults' physical inactivity in a wide range of residential care settings (e.g., nursing homes, assisted care facilities). Five databases were systematically searched for eligible studies, using the key words 'inactivity', 'care facilities', and 'older adults', including their synonyms and MeSH terms. Additional studies were selected from references used in articles included from the search. Based on specific eligibility criteria, a total of 12 studies were included. Quality of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Based on studies using different methodologies (e.g., interviews and observations), and of different quality (assessed quality range: 25-100%), we report several aspects related to the physical environment and caregivers. Factors of the physical environment that may be related to physical inactivity included, among others, the environment's compatibility with the abilities of a resident, the presence of equipment, the accessibility, security, comfort, and aesthetics of the environment/corridors, and possibly the presence of some specific areas. Caregiver-related factors included staffing levels, the available time, and the amount and type of care being provided. Inactivity levels in residential care settings may be reduced by improving several features of the physical environment and with the help of caregivers. Intervention studies could be performed in order to gain more insight into causal effects of improving setting-related factors on

Mental Health Service Use for Patients with Co-occurring Mental and Physical Chronic Health Care Needs in Primary Care Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Haynes-Maslow, Lindsey; Roberts, Megan C.; Dusetzina, Stacie B.

2016-01-01

Background Individuals with mental illness experience poor health and may die prematurely from chronic illness. Understanding whether the presence of co-occurring chronic physical health conditions complicates mental health treatment is important, particularly among patients seeking treatment in primary care settings. Objectives Examine (1) whether the presence of chronic physical conditions is associated with mental health service use for individuals with depression who visit a primary care physician, and (2) whether race modifies this relationship. Research Design Secondary analysis of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a survey of patient-visits collected annually from a random sample of 3,000 physicians in office-based settings. Subjects Office visits from 2007–2010 were pooled for adults ages 35–85 with a depression diagnosis at the time of visit (N=3,659 visits). Measures Mental health services were measured using a dichotomous variable indicating whether mental health services were provided during the office visit or a referral made for: (1) counseling, including psychotherapy and other mental health counseling and/or (2) prescribing of psychotropic medications. Results Most patient office visits (70%) where a depression diagnosis was recorded also had co-occurring chronic physical conditions recorded. The presence of at least one physical chronic condition was associated with a 6% decrease in the probability of receiving any mental health services (pneeded on medical care delivery among patients with co-occurring health conditions, particularly as the health care system moves towards an integrated care model. PMID:26147863

Organizational factors and depression management in community-based primary care settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kilbourne Amy M

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Evidence-based quality improvement models for depression have not been fully implemented in routine primary care settings. To date, few studies have examined the organizational factors associated with depression management in real-world primary care practice. To successfully implement quality improvement models for depression, there must be a better understanding of the relevant organizational structure and processes of the primary care setting. The objective of this study is to describe these organizational features of routine primary care practice, and the organization of depression care, using survey questions derived from an evidence-based framework. Methods We used this framework to implement a survey of 27 practices comprised of 49 unique offices within a large primary care practice network in western Pennsylvania. Survey questions addressed practice structure (e.g., human resources, leadership, information technology (IT infrastructure, and external incentives and process features (e.g., staff performance, degree of integrated depression care, and IT performance. Results The results of our survey demonstrated substantial variation across the practice network of organizational factors pertinent to implementation of evidence-based depression management. Notably, quality improvement capability and IT infrastructure were widespread, but specific application to depression care differed between practices, as did coordination and communication tasks surrounding depression treatment. Conclusions The primary care practices in the network that we surveyed are at differing stages in their organization and implementation of evidence-based depression management. Practical surveys such as this may serve to better direct implementation of these quality improvement strategies for depression by improving understanding of the organizational barriers and facilitators that exist within both practices and practice networks. In addition

Frequent contamination of nursing scrubs is associated with specific care activities.

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Thom, Kerri A; Escobar, Daniel; Boutin, Mallory A; Zhan, Min; Harris, Anthony D; Johnson, J Kristie

2018-05-01

The objective of this article is to assess health care worker (HCW) and patient care factors associated with bacterial contamination of scrubs. We performed a cohort study of critical care HCWs. Participants were given 4 sets of new scrubs; each set was sampled 8 times during the 8-month study period on random days in the last 4 hours of the shift. Total colony counts and presence of prespecified pathogenic bacteria were assessed. Generalized estimating equation was used to identify factors associated with contamination. There were 720 samples obtained from 90 HCWs; 30% of samples were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. Multivariate analysis showed that providing care for patients with wounds (odds ratio [OR], 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-2.62; P contamination. A second model showed the average log colony count of bacterial contamination of scrubs was higher when a bath was given (log colony count difference, 0.21; P = .05) but lower among HCWs assigned to care for at least 1 patient on contact precautions (log colony count difference, 0.28; P contaminated with bacteria. Providing care for patients with wounds or giving a bath were associated with scrub contamination by pathogenic bacteria. However, the amount of contamination was lower among HCWs who were assigned to care for patients on contact precautions. Copyright © 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of medical home team-based care functions and perceived improvements in patient-centered care at VHA primary care clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Helfrich, Christian D; Dolan, Emily D; Fihn, Stephan D; Rodriguez, Hector P; Meredith, Lisa S; Rosland, Ann-Marie; Lempa, Michele; Wakefield, Bonnie J; Joos, Sandra; Lawler, Lauren H; Harvey, Henry B; Stark, Richard; Schectman, Gordon; Nelson, Karin M

2014-12-01

Team-based care is central to the patient-centered medical home (PCMH), but most PCMH evaluations measure team structure exclusively. We assessed team-based care in terms of team structure, process and effectiveness, and the association with improvements in teams׳ abilities to deliver patient-centered care. We fielded a cross-sectional survey among 913 VA primary care clinics implementing a PCMH model in 2012. The dependent variable was clinic-level respondent-reported improvements in delivery of patient-centered care. Independent variables included three sets of measures: (1) team structure, (2) team process, and (3) team effectiveness. We adjusted for clinic workload and patient comorbidity. 4819 surveys were returned (25% estimated response rate). The highest ratings were for team structure (median of 89% of respondents being assigned to a teamlet, i.e., a PCP working with the same clinical associate, nurse care manager and clerk) and lowest for team process (median of 10% of respondents reporting the lowest level of stress/chaos). In multivariable regression, perceived improvements in patient-centered care were most strongly associated with participatory decision making (β=32, Pteam processes). A stressful/chaotic clinic environment was associated with higher barriers to patient centered care (β=0.16-0.34, P=Team process and effectiveness measures, often omitted from PCMH evaluations, had stronger associations with perceived improvements in patient-centered care than team structure measures. Team process and effectiveness measures may facilitate synthesis of evaluation findings and help identify positive outlier clinics. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Importance of Leadership Style towards Quality of Care Measures in Healthcare Settings: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sfantou, Danae F; Laliotis, Aggelos; Patelarou, Athina E; Sifaki-Pistolla, Dimitra; Matalliotakis, Michail; Patelarou, Evridiki

2017-10-14

Effective leadership of healthcare professionals is critical for strengthening quality and integration of care. This study aimed to assess whether there exist an association between different leadership styles and healthcare quality measures. The search was performed in the Medline (National Library of Medicine, PubMed interface) and EMBASE databases for the time period 2004-2015. The research question that guided this review was posed as: "Is there any relationship between leadership style in healthcare settings and quality of care?" Eighteen articles were found relevant to our research question. Leadership styles were found to be strongly correlated with quality care and associated measures. Leadership was considered a core element for a well-coordinated and integrated provision of care, both from the patients and healthcare professionals.

Resource Loss Moderates the Association Between Child Abuse and Current PTSD Symptoms Among Women in Primary-Care Settings.

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Costa, Eleonora C V; Guimarães, Sara; Ferreira, Domingos; Pereira, M Graça

2016-09-01

This study examined if abuse during childhood, rape in adulthood, and loss of resources predict a woman's probability of reporting symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and whether resource loss moderates the association between reporting childhood abuse and PTSD symptoms. The sample included 767 women and was collected in publicly funded primary-care settings. Women who reported having been abused during childhood also reported more resource loss, more acute PTSD symptoms, and having suffered more adult rape than those who reported no childhood abuse. Hierarchical logistic regression yielded a two-variable additive model in which child abuse and adult rape predict the probability of reporting or not any PTSD symptoms, explaining 59.7% of the variance. Women abused as children were 1 to 2 times more likely to report PTSD symptoms, with sexual abuse during childhood contributing most strongly to this result. Similarly, women reporting adult rape were almost twice as likely to report symptoms of PTSD as those not reporting it. Resource loss was unexpectedly not among the predictors but a moderation analysis showed that such loss moderated the association between child abuse and current PTSD symptoms, with resource loss increasing the number and severity of PTSD symptoms in women who also reported childhood abuse. The findings highlight the importance of early assessment and intervention in providing mental health care to abused, neglected, and impoverished women to help them prevent and reverse resource loss and revictimization.

An Expanded Theoretical Framework of Care Coordination Across Transitions in Care Settings.

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Radwin, Laurel E; Castonguay, Denise; Keenan, Carolyn B; Hermann, Cherice

2016-01-01

For many patients, high-quality, patient-centered, and cost-effective health care requires coordination among multiple clinicians and settings. Ensuring optimal care coordination requires a clear understanding of how clinician activities and continuity during transitions affect patient-centeredness and quality outcomes. This article describes an expanded theoretical framework to better understand care coordination. The framework provides clear articulation of concepts. Examples are provided of ways to measure the concepts.

Alcohol use and alcohol use disorder among male outpatients in a primary care setting in rural Puducherry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akkilagunta Sujiv

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Alcohol use contributes to considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Screening for alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD at the primary care level can help in reducing this burden. While several community studies have been conducted to estimate the AUD, there apparently are no studies on opportunistic screening in a primary care setting in India. Aims: The aim was to estimate the prevalence of alcohol use and AUD in a primary care setting. Settings and Design: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adult male outpatients in a primary care setting in Puducherry, South India. Subjects and Methods: Male outpatients aged 18 and above were interviewed for alcohol use. Current alcohol users were screened for AUD using World Health Organization - AUD identification test (AUDIT questionnaire, respectively. Statistical Analysis Used: Proportions were used to describe the study population and the main study findings. The Chi-square test was used to find out the association between sociodemographic factors and alcohol use. Results: Of 256 subjects studied, 39.8% were found to be current alcohol users and 10.9% had AUD (AUDIT score ≥8. The sociodemographic factors did not show any association with an alcohol use in the current setting. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, four current alcohol users are to be screened to identify one patient with AUD. Screening at the primary health care level can help in identifying the risk group and thus help in reducing the morbidity and mortality due to alcohol use in the population.

Goal setting: an integral component of effective diabetes care.

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Miller, Carla K; Bauman, Jennifer

2014-08-01

Goal setting is a widely used behavior change tool in diabetes education and training. Prior research found specific relatively difficult but attainable goals set within a specific timeframe improved performance in sports and at the workplace. However, the impact of goal setting in diabetes self-care has not received extensive attention. This review examined the mechanisms underlying behavioral change according to goal setting theory and evaluated the impact of goal setting in diabetes intervention studies. Eight studies were identified, which incorporated goal setting as the primary strategy to promote behavioral change in individual, group-based, and primary care settings among patients with type 2 diabetes. Improvements in diabetes-related self-efficacy, dietary intake, physical activity, and A1c were observed in some but not all studies. More systematic research is needed to determine the conditions and behaviors for which goal setting is most effective. Initial recommendations for using goal setting in diabetes patient encounters are offered.

Using attachment theory in medical settings: implications for primary care physicians.

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Hooper, Lisa M; Tomek, Sara; Newman, Caroline R

2012-02-01

Mental health researchers, clinicians and clinical psychologists have long considered a good provider-patient relationship to be an important factor for positive treatment outcomes in a range of therapeutic settings. However, primary care physicians have been slow to consider how attachment theory may be used in the context of patient care in medical settings. In the current article, John Bowlby's attachment theory and proposed attachment styles are proffered as a framework to better understand patient behaviors, patient communication styles with physicians and the physician-patient relationship in medical settings. The authors recommend how primary care physicians and other health care providers can translate attachment theory to enhance practice behaviors and health-related communications in medical settings.

Enhancing the Reach of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Targeting Posttraumatic Stress in Acute Care Medical Settings.

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Darnell, Doyanne; O'Connor, Stephen; Wagner, Amy; Russo, Joan; Wang, Jin; Ingraham, Leah; Sandgren, Kirsten; Zatzick, Douglas

2017-03-01

Injured patients presenting to acute care medical settings have high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbidities, such as depression and substance use disorders. Integrating behavioral interventions that target symptoms of PTSD and comorbidities into the acute care setting can overcome common barriers to obtaining mental health care. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of embedding elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the delivery of routine postinjury care management. The investigation also explored the potential effectiveness of completion of CBT element homework that targeted PTSD symptom reduction. This study was a secondary analysis of data from a U.S. clinical trial of the effectiveness of a stepped collaborative care intervention versus usual care for injured inpatients. The investigation examined patients' willingness at baseline (prerandomization) to engage in CBT and pre- and postrandomization mental health service utilization among 115 patients enrolled in the clinical trial. Among intervention patients (N=56), the investigation examined acceptability of the intervention and used multiple linear regression to examine the association between homework completion as reported by the care manager and six-month PTSD symptom reduction as assessed by the PTSD Checklist-Civilian DSM-IV Version. Patients in the intervention condition reported obtaining significantly more psychotherapy or counseling than patients in the control group during the six-month follow-up, as well as a high degree of intervention acceptability. Completion of CBT element homework assignments was associated with improvement in PTSD symptoms. Integrating behavioral interventions into routine acute care service delivery may improve the reach of evidence-based mental health care targeting PTSD.

Emergency residential care settings: A model for service assessment and design.

Science.gov (United States)

Graça, João; Calheiros, Maria Manuela; Patrício, Joana Nunes; Magalhães, Eunice Vieira

2018-02-01

There have been calls for uncovering the "black box" of residential care services, with a particular need for research focusing on emergency care settings for children and youth in danger. In fact, the strikingly scant empirical attention that these settings have received so far contrasts with the role that they often play as gateway into the child welfare system. To answer these calls, this work presents and tests a framework for assessing a service model in residential emergency care. It comprises seven studies which address a set of different focal areas (e.g., service logic model; care experiences), informants (e.g., case records; staff; children/youth), and service components (e.g., case assessment/evaluation; intervention; placement/referral). Drawing on this process-consultation approach, the work proposes a set of key challenges for emergency residential care in terms of service improvement and development, and calls for further research targeting more care units and different types of residential care services. These findings offer a contribution to inform evidence-based practice and policy in service models of residential care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emergency general surgery in a low-middle income health care setting: Determinants of outcomes.

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Shah, Adil A; Latif, Asad; Zogg, Cheryl K; Zafar, Syed Nabeel; Riviello, Robert; Halim, Muhammad Sohail; Rehman, Zia; Haider, Adil H; Zafar, Hasnain

2016-02-01

Emergency general surgery (EGS) has emerged as an important component of frontline operative care. Efforts in high-income settings have described its burden but have yet to consider low- and middle-income health care settings in which emergent conditions represent a high proportion of operative need. The objective of this study was to describe the disease spectrum of EGS conditions and associated factors among patients presenting in a low-middle income context. March 2009-April 2014 discharge data from a university teaching hospital in South Asia were obtained for patients (≥16 years) with primary International Classification of Diseases, 9(th) revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes consistent with an EGS condition as defined by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Outcomes included in-hospital mortality and occurrence of ≥1 major complication(s). Multivariable analyses were performed, adjusting for differences in demographic and case-mix factors. A total of 13,893 discharge records corresponded to EGS conditions. Average age was 47.2 years (±16.8, standard deviation), with a male preponderance (59.9%). The majority presented with admitting diagnoses of biliary disease (20.2%), followed by soft-tissue disorders (15.7%), hernias (14.9%), and colorectal disease (14.3%). Rates of death and complications were 2.7% and 6.6%, respectively; increasing age was an independent predictor of both. Patients in need of resuscitation (n = 225) had the greatest rates of mortality (72.9%) and complications (94.2%). This study takes an important step toward quantifying outcomes and complications of EGS, providing one of the first assessments of EGS conditions using American Association for the Surgery of Trauma definitions in a low-middle income health care setting. Further efforts in varied settings are needed to promote representative benchmarking worldwide. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long Term Care Minimum Data Set (MDS)

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Long-Term Care Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a standardized, primary screening and assessment tool of health status that forms the foundation of the comprehensive...

Association of Dental Care with Adherence to HEDIS Measures

Science.gov (United States)

Mosen, David; Pihlstrom, Dan; Snyder, John; Smith, Ning; Shuster, Elizabeth; Rust, Kristal

2016-01-01

Context: The dental setting represents an unrealized opportunity to increase adherence to preventive services and improve health outcomes. Objective: To compare adherence to a subset of Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures among a population that received dental care with a population that did not receive dental care. Design: Using a retrospective cohort design, we identified 5216 adults who received regular dental care and 5216 persons who did not. The groups were matched on propensity scores, were followed for 3 years, and retained medical and dental benefits. Receipt of dental care was defined as 1 or more dental visits in each 12-month period. Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures were assessed in a subpopulation that qualified for 1 of 5 HEDIS denominator groups (dental = 4184 patients; nondental = 3871 patients). They included 3 preventive measures (cervical, colorectal, and breast cancer screening), 4 chronic disease management services (hemoglobin A1c and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol testing, and nephropathy and retinopathy screening among the diabetes mellitus [DM] population), and 4 health outcome measures (poor glycemic control, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol control, blood pressure control in the DM population, and blood pressure control in the hypertensive population). Results: Dental care was associated with higher adherence to all three cancer screening measures, one of four disease management services (higher retinopathy screening), and three of four health outcomes (better glycemic control in the DM population and better blood pressure control in the DM and hypertensive populations). Conclusions: Dental care was associated with improved adherence to 7 of 11 HEDIS measures. PMID:26580145

An Analytical Framework for Delirium Research in Palliative Care Settings: Integrated Epidemiologic, Clinician-Researcher, and Knowledge User Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Ansari, Mohammed; Hosie, Annmarie; Kanji, Salmaan; Momoli, Franco; Bush, Shirley H.; Watanabe, Sharon; Currow, David C.; Gagnon, Bruno; Agar, Meera; Bruera, Eduardo; Meagher, David J.; de Rooij, Sophia E.J.A.; Adamis, Dimitrios; Caraceni, Augusto; Marchington, Katie; Stewart, David J.

2014-01-01

Context Delirium often presents difficult management challenges in the context of goals of care in palliative care settings. Objectives The aim was to formulate an analytical framework for further research on delirium in palliative care settings, prioritize the associated research questions, discuss the inherent methodological challenges associated with relevant studies, and outline the next steps in a program of delirium research. Methods We combined multidisciplinary input from delirium researchers and knowledge users at an international delirium study planning meeting, relevant literature searches, focused input of epidemiologic expertise, and a meeting participant and coauthor survey to formulate a conceptual research framework and prioritize research questions. Results Our proposed framework incorporates three main groups of research questions: the first was predominantly epidemiologic, such as delirium occurrence rates, risk factor evaluation, screening, and diagnosis; the second covers pragmatic management questions; and the third relates to the development of predictive models for delirium outcomes. Based on aggregated survey responses to each research question or domain, the combined modal ratings of “very” or “extremely” important confirmed their priority. Conclusion Using an analytical framework to represent the full clinical care pathway of delirium in palliative care settings, we identified multiple knowledge gaps in relation to the occurrence rates, assessment, management, and outcome prediction of delirium in this population. The knowledge synthesis generated from adequately powered, multicenter studies to answer the framework’s research questions will inform decision making and policy development regarding delirium detection and management and thus help to achieve better outcomes for patients in palliative care settings. PMID:24726762

Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment of HIV-Associated Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Resource-Limited Settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew Ulrickson

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Lymphoma was a common complication of HIV infection in the pre-antiretroviral era, and the incidence of HIV-associated lymphoma has dropped dramatically since the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART in resource-rich regions. Conversely, lymphoma is an increasingly common complication of HIV infection in resource-limited settings where the prevalence of HIV infection is high. Relatively little is known, however, about the true incidence and optimal treatment regimens for HIV-associated lymphoma in resource-poor regions. We review the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV-associated non-Hodgkin lymphoma in developing nations and highlight areas for further research that may benefit care in both settings. Examples include risk modification and dose modification of chemotherapy based on HIV risk factors, improving our understanding of the current burden of disease through national cancer registries, and developing cost-effective hematopathological diagnostic strategies to optimize care delivery and maximize use of available chemotherapy.

Evaluating quality of patient care communication in integrated care settings: a mixed methods apporach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gulmans, J.; Gulmans, J.; Vollenbroek-Hutten, Miriam Marie Rosé; van Gemert-Pijnen, Julia E.W.C.; van Harten, Willem H.

2007-01-01

Background. Owing to the involvement of multiple professionals from various institutions, integrated care settings are prone to suboptimal patient care communication. To assure continuity, communication gaps should be identified for targeted improvement initiatives. However, available assessment

Decentralized health care priority-setting in Tanzania

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maluka, Stephen; Kamuzora, Peter; Sebastiån, Miguel San

2010-01-01

Priority-setting has become one of the biggest challenges faced by health decision-makers worldwide. Fairness is a key goal of priority-setting and Accountability for Reasonableness has emerged as a guiding framework for fair priority-setting. This paper describes the processes of setting health...... care priorities in Mbarali district, Tanzania, and evaluates the descriptions against Accountability for Reasonableness. Key informant interviews were conducted with district health managers, local government officials and other stakeholders using a semi-structured interview guide. Relevant documents...... no formal mechanisms in place to ensure that this information reached the public. There were neither formal mechanisms for challenging decisions nor an adequate enforcement mechanism to ensure that decisions were made in a fair and equitable manner. Therefore, priority-setting in Mbarali district did...

Management of levofloxacin induced anaphylaxis and acute delirium in a palliative care setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arunangshu Ghoshal

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Levofloxacin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic for managing chest and urinary tract infections in a palliative care setting. Incidence of Levofloxacin-associated anaphylaxis is rare and delirium secondary to Levofloxacin is a seldom occurrence with only few published case reports. It is an extremely rare occurrence to see this phenomenon in combination. Early identification and prompt intervention reduces both mortality and morbidity. A 17-year-old male with synovial sarcoma of right thigh with chest wall and lung metastasis and with no prior psychiatric morbidity presented to palliative medicine outpatient department with community-acquired pneumonia. He was initiated on intravenous (IV Ceftriaxone and IV Levofloxacin. Post IV Levofloxacin patient developed anaphylaxis and acute delirium necessitating IV Hydrocortisone, IV Chlorpheneramine, Oxygen and IV Haloperidol. Early detection and prompt intervention helped in complete recovery. Patient was discharged to hospice for respite after 2 days of hospitalization and then discharged home. Acute palliative care approach facilitated management of two life-threatening medical complications in a palliative care setting improving both quality and length of life.

Initial Experience with "Honoring Choices Wisconsin": Implementation of an Advance Care Planning Pilot in a Tertiary Care Setting.

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Peltier, Wendy L; Gani, Faiz; Blissitt, Jennifer; Walczak, Katherine; Opper, Kristi; Derse, Arthur R; Johnston, Fabian M

2017-09-01

Although previous research on advance care planning (ACP) has associated ACP with improved quality of care at the end of life, the appropriate use of ACP remains limited. To evaluate the impact of a pilot program using the "Honoring Choices Wisconsin" (HCW) model for ACP in a tertiary care setting, and to understand barriers to system-wide implementation. Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Patients who received medical or surgical oncology care at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Patient demographics, disease characteristics, patient satisfaction, and clinical outcomes. Data from 69 patients who died following the implementation of the HCW program were reviewed; 24 patients were enrolled in the HCW program while 45 were not. Patients enrolled in HCW were proportionally less likely to be admitted to the ICU (12.5% vs. 17.8%) and were more likely to be "do not resuscitate" (87.5% vs. 80.0%), as well as have a completed ACP (83.3% vs. 79.1%). Furthermore, admission to a hospice was also higher among patients who were enrolled in the HCW program (79.2% vs. 25.6%), with patients enrolled in HCW more likely to die in hospice (70.8% vs. 53.3%). The HCW program was favorably viewed by patients, patient caregivers, and healthcare providers. Implementation of a facilitator-based ACP care model was associated with fewer ICU admissions, and a higher use of hospice care. System-level changes are required to overcome barriers to ACP that limit patients from receiving end-of-life care in accordance with their preferences.

The Influence of Setting on Care Coordination for Childhood Asthma

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, R. Patrick; Stoll, Shelley C.; Bryant-Stephens, Tyra; Janevic, Mary R.; Lara, Marielena; Ohadike, Yvonne U.; Persky, Victoria; Ramos-Valencia, Gilberto; Uyeda, Kimberly; Malveaux, Floyd J.

2015-01-01

Asthma affects 7.1 million children in the United States, disproportionately burdening African American and Latino children. Barriers to asthma control include insufficient patient education and fragmented care. Care coordination represents a compelling approach to improve quality of care and address disparities in asthma. The sites of The Merck Childhood Asthma Network Care Coordination Programs implemented different models of care coordination to suit specific settings—school district, clinic or health care system, and community—and organizational structures. A variety of qualitative data sources were analyzed to determine the role setting played in the manifestation of care coordination at each site. There were inherent strengths and challenges of implementing care coordination in each of the settings, and each site used unique strategies to deliver their programs. The relationship between the lead implementing unit and entities that provided (1) access to the priority population and (2) clinical services to program participants played a critical role in the structure of the programs. The level of support and infrastructure provided by these entities to the lead implementing unit influenced how participants were identified and how asthma care coordinators were integrated into the clinical care team. PMID:26232778

Mental models of audit and feedback in primary care settings.

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Hysong, Sylvia J; Smitham, Kristen; SoRelle, Richard; Amspoker, Amber; Hughes, Ashley M; Haidet, Paul

2018-05-30

Audit and feedback has been shown to be instrumental in improving quality of care, particularly in outpatient settings. The mental model individuals and organizations hold regarding audit and feedback can moderate its effectiveness, yet this has received limited study in the quality improvement literature. In this study we sought to uncover patterns in mental models of current feedback practices within high- and low-performing healthcare facilities. We purposively sampled 16 geographically dispersed VA hospitals based on high and low performance on a set of chronic and preventive care measures. We interviewed up to 4 personnel from each location (n = 48) to determine the facility's receptivity to audit and feedback practices. Interview transcripts were analyzed via content and framework analysis to identify emergent themes. We found high variability in the mental models of audit and feedback, which we organized into positive and negative themes. We were unable to associate mental models of audit and feedback with clinical performance due to high variance in facility performance over time. Positive mental models exhibit perceived utility of audit and feedback practices in improving performance; whereas, negative mental models did not. Results speak to the variability of mental models of feedback, highlighting how facilities perceive current audit and feedback practices. Findings are consistent with prior research  in that variability in feedback mental models is associated with lower performance.; Future research should seek to empirically link mental models revealed in this paper to high and low levels of clinical performance.

Pressure ulcer prevention in care home settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Michael

2017-03-31

Pressure ulcer prevention in the care home setting can be challenging and is often compromised by a lack of access to education and resources. There are measures that have been shown to consistently improve outcomes in pressure ulcer prevention including assessment of the patient and their individual risks, delivery of a consistent plan of care that meets patients' needs, and regular evaluation to identify shortfalls. In addition, there should be a robust approach to investigating events that lead to a person developing a pressure ulcer and that information should be used to improve future practice. Pressure ulcer prevention in care homes is achievable and nurses should all be aware of the necessary measures detailed in this article.

Predicting recovery from whiplash injury in the primary care setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrari, Robert

2014-08-01

The effect of expectation of recovery on the recovery rate of whiplash patients in the primary care setting is not known. Whiplash patients were assessed in a primary care setting within 1 week of their collision for their expectations of recovery and were re-examined 3 months later for recovery. Initial expectations of recovery predicted recovery. According to adjusted odds ratios, subjects who expected 'to get better slowly' had a recovery rate that was nearly 1.9 times that of subjects with poor recovery expectations. Subjects who expected 'to get better soon' had a recovery rate that was 2.6 times greater than either of those with poor recovery expectations. In the primary care setting, asking patients with whiplash about their expectations of recovery is a useful predictor of their outcome.

Borderline personality disorder in the primary care setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubovsky, Amelia N; Kiefer, Meghan M

2014-09-01

Borderline personality disorder is estimated to be present in approximately 6% of outpatient primary care settings. However, the time and energy spent on this population can greatly exceed what primary care doctors are able to spend. This article gives an overview of borderline personality disorder, including the clinical characteristics, epidemiology, and comorbidities, as well as pharmacologic and most important behavioral management. It is our hope that, with improved understanding of the disorder and skills for managing this population, caring for patients with the disorder can be more satisfying and less taxing for both primary care doctors and their patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Critical care in resource-poor settings: lessons learned and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Riviello, Elisabeth D; Letchford, Stephen; Achieng, Loice; Newton, Mark W

2011-04-01

Critical care faces the same challenges as other aspects of healthcare in the developing world. However, critical care faces an additional challenge in that it has often been deemed too costly or complicated for resource-poor settings. This lack of prioritization is not justified. Hospital care for the sickest patients affects overall mortality, and public health interventions depend on community confidence in healthcare to ensure participation and adherence. Some of the most effective critical care interventions, including rapid fluid resuscitation, early antibiotics, and patient monitoring, are relatively inexpensive. Although cost-effectiveness studies on critical care in resource-poor settings have not been done, evidence from the surgical literature suggests that even resource-intensive interventions can be cost effective in comparison to immunizations and human immunodeficiency virus care. In the developing world, where many critically ill patients are younger and have fewer comorbidities, critical care presents a remarkable opportunity to provide significant incremental benefit, arguably much more so than in the developed world. Key areas of consideration in developing critical care in resource-poor settings include: Personnel and training, equipment and support services, ethics, and research. Strategies for training and retaining skilled labor include tying education to service commitment and developing protocols for even complex processes. Equipment and support services need to focus on technologies that are affordable and sustainable. Ethical decision making must be based on data when possible and on transparent articulated policies always. Research should be performed in resource-poor settings and focus on needs assessment, prognostication, and cost effectiveness. The development of critical care in resource-poor settings will rely on the stepwise introduction of service improvements, leveraging human resources through training, a focus on sustainable

Setting-related influences on physical inactivity of older adults in residential care settings : a review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Douma, Johanna G.; Volkers, Karin M.; Engels, Gwenda; Sonneveld, Marieke H.; Goossens, Richard H. M.; Scherder, Erik J. A.

2017-01-01

Background: Despite the detrimental effects of physical inactivity for older adults, especially aged residents of residential care settings may spend much time in inactive behavior. This may be partly due to their poorer physical condition; however, there may also be other, setting-related factors

Burnout among physicians in palliative care: Impact of clinical settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Dréano-Hartz, Soazic; Rhondali, Wadih; Ledoux, Mathilde; Ruer, Murielle; Berthiller, Julien; Schott, Anne-Marie; Monsarrat, Léa; Filbet, Marilène

2016-08-01

Burnout syndrome is a work-related professional distress. Palliative care physicians often have to deal with complex end-of-life situations and are at risk of presenting with burnout syndrome, which has been little studied in this population. Our study aims to identify the impact of clinical settings (in a palliative care unit (PCU) or on a palliative care mobile team (PCMT)) on palliative care physicians. We undertook a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire that included the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and we gathered sociodemographic and professional data. The questionnaire was sent to all 590 physicians working in palliative care in France between July of 2012 and February of 2013. The response rate was 61, 8% after three reminders. Some 27 (9%) participants showed high emotional exhaustion, 12 (4%) suffered from a high degree of depersonalization, and 71 (18%) had feelings of low personal accomplishment. Physicians working on a PCMT tended (p = 0.051) to be more likely to suffer from emotional exhaustion than their colleagues. Physicians working on a PCMT worked on smaller teams (fewer physicians, p < 0.001; fewer nonphysicians, p < 0.001). They spent less time doing research (p = 0.019), had fewer resources (p = 0.004), and their expertise seemed to be underrecognized by their colleagues (p = 0.023). The prevalence of burnout in palliative care physicians was low and in fact lower than that reported in other populations (e.g., oncologists). Working on a palliative care mobile team can be a more risky situation, associated with a lack of medical and paramedical staff.

The value of registered nurses in ambulatory care settings: a survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Mastal, Margaret; Levine, June

2012-01-01

Ambulatory care settings employ 25% of the three million registered nurses in the United States. The American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) is committed to improving the quality of health care in ambulatory settings, enhancing patient outcomes, and realizing greater health care efficiencies. A survey of ambulatory care registered nurses indicates they are well positioned to lead and facilitate health care reform activities with organizational colleagues. They are well schooled in critical thinking, triage, advocating for patients, educating patients and families, collaborating with medical staff and other professionals, and care coordination. The evolving medical home concept and other health care delivery models reinforces the critical need for registered nurses to provide chronic disease management, care coordination, health risk appraisal, care transitions, health promotion, and disease prevention services. Recommendations are offered for organizational leaders, registered nurses, and AAACN to utilize nursing knowledge and skills in the pursuit of leading change and advancing health.

Distraction: an assessment of smartphone usage in health care work settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gill PS

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Preetinder S Gill,1 Ashwini Kamath,2 Tejkaran S Gill31College of Technology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA; 2School of Information, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; 3College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USAAbstract: Smartphone use in health care work settings presents both opportunities and challenges. The benefits could be severely undermined if abuse and overuse are not kept in check. This practice-focused research paper examines the current panorama of health software applications. Findings from existing research are consolidated to elucidate the level and effects of distraction in health care work settings due to smartphone use. A conceptual framework for crafting guidelines to regulate the use of smartphones in health care work settings is then presented. Finally, specific guidelines are delineated to assist in creating policies for the use of smartphones in a health care workplace.Keywords: smartphone, health care, distraction, workplace, mobile apps, health informatics

Computer-facilitated rapid HIV testing in emergency care settings: provider and patient usability and acceptability.

Science.gov (United States)

Spielberg, Freya; Kurth, Ann E; Severynen, Anneleen; Hsieh, Yu-Hsiang; Moring-Parris, Daniel; Mackenzie, Sara; Rothman, Richard

2011-06-01

Providers in emergency care settings (ECSs) often face barriers to expanded HIV testing. We undertook formative research to understand the potential utility of a computer tool, "CARE," to facilitate rapid HIV testing in ECSs. Computer tool usability and acceptability were assessed among 35 adult patients, and provider focus groups were held, in two ECSs in Washington State and Maryland. The computer tool was usable by patients of varying computer literacy. Patients appreciated the tool's privacy and lack of judgment and their ability to reflect on HIV risks and create risk reduction plans. Staff voiced concerns regarding ECS-based HIV testing generally, including resources for follow-up of newly diagnosed people. Computer-delivered HIV testing support was acceptable and usable among low-literacy populations in two ECSs. Such tools may help circumvent some practical barriers associated with routine HIV testing in busy settings though linkages to care will still be needed.

The Role of eHealth in Optimizing Preventive Care in the Primary Care Setting.

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Carey, Mariko; Noble, Natasha; Mansfield, Elise; Waller, Amy; Henskens, Frans; Sanson-Fisher, Rob

2015-05-22

Modifiable health risk behaviors such as smoking, overweight and obesity, risky alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition contribute to a substantial proportion of the world's morbidity and mortality burden. General practitioners (GPs) play a key role in identifying and managing modifiable health risk behaviors. However, these are often underdetected and undermanaged in the primary care setting. We describe the potential of eHealth to help patients and GPs to overcome some of the barriers to managing health risk behaviors. In particular, we discuss (1) the role of eHealth in facilitating routine collection of patient-reported data on lifestyle risk factors, and (2) the role of eHealth in improving clinical management of identified risk factors through provision of tailored feedback, point-of-care reminders, tailored educational materials, and referral to online self-management programs. Strategies to harness the capacity of the eHealth medium, including the use of dynamic features and tailoring to help end users engage with, understand, and apply information need to be considered and maximized. Finally, the potential challenges in implementing eHealth solutions in the primary care setting are discussed. In conclusion, there is significant potential for innovative eHealth solutions to make a contribution to improving preventive care in the primary care setting. However, attention to issues such as data security and designing eHealth interfaces that maximize engagement from end users will be important to moving this field forward.

Describing Nurse Leaders' and Direct Care Nurses' Perceptions of a Healthy Work Environment in Acute Care Settings, Part 2.

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Huddleston, Penny; Gray, Jennifer

2016-09-01

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool was developed as a simple screening tool to assess the characteristics of a healthy work environment (HWE) in critical care environments. The purposes of these 2 qualitative research studies are to explore the nurse leaders' and direct care nurses' perceptions of the meaning of a HWE, to describe the nurse leaders' and direct care nurses' perceptions of a HWE, and to define the characteristics of a HWE in acute care settings. Exploratory descriptive designs using focus groups and guided questions with tape-recorded interviews were used to define the characteristics of an HWE. The 6 original themes from AACN HWE standards and 2 new themes emerged as a result of the nurse leaders and direct care nurses defining the characteristics of a HWE, which included appropriate staffing, authentic leadership, effective decision making, meaningful recognition, skilled communication, true collaboration genuine teamwork, and physical and psychological safety. The qualitative statements from these 2 studies will be used in future studies to describe and develop HWE scales for nurse leaders and direct care nurses and to assess the psychometric properties of these new tools.

Psychiatric morbidity among adult patients in a semi-urban primary care setting in Malaysia

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Omar Khairani

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Screening for psychiatric disorders in primary care can improve the detection rate and helps in preventing grave consequences of unrecognised and untreated psychiatric morbidity. This is relevant to the Malaysian setting where mental health care is now also being provided at primary care level. The aim of this paper is to report the prevalence of psychiatric illness in a semi-urban primary care setting in Malaysia using the screening tool Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ. Methods This is a cross-sectional study carried out in a semi-urban primary healthcare centre located south of Kuala Lumpur. Systematic random sampling was carried out and a total of 267 subjects completed the PHQ during the study period. Results The proportion of respondents who had at least one PHQ positive diagnosis was 24.7% and some respondents had more than one diagnosis. Diagnoses included depressive illness (n = 38, 14.4%, somatoform disorder (n = 32, 12.2%, panic and anxiety disorders (n = 17, 6.5%, binge eating disorder (n = 9, 3.4% and alcohol abuse (n = 6, 2.3%. Younger age (18 to 29 years and having a history of stressors in the previous four weeks were found to be significantly associated (p = 0.036 and p = 0.044 respectively with PHQ positive scores. Conclusion These findings are broadly similar to the findings of studies done in other countries and are a useful guide to the probable prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in primary care in other similar settings in Malaysia.

Fall Prevention in a Primary Care Setting.

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Siegrist, Monika; Freiberger, Ellen; Geilhof, Barbara; Salb, Johannes; Hentschke, Christian; Landendoerfer, Peter; Linde, Klause; Halle, Martin; Blank, Wolfgang A

2016-05-27

Falls and fall-related injuries are common in community-dwelling elderly people. Effective multifactorial fall prevention programs in the primary care setting may be a promising approach to reduce the incidence rate of falls. In a cluster randomized trial in 33 general practices 378 people living independently and at high risk of falling (65 to 94 years old; 285 women) were allocated to either a 16 week exercise-based fall prevention program including muscle strengthening and challenging balance training exercises, combined with a 12 week home-based exercise program (222 participants), or to usual care (156 participants). The main outcome was number of falls over a period of 12 months. Secondary outcomes were the number of fall-related injuries, physical function (Timed-Up-and-Go-Test, TUG, Chair-Stand-Test, CST, modified Romberg Test), and fear of falling. In the intervention group (n=222 patients in 17 general practices) 291 falls occurred, compared to 367 falls in the usual care group (n=156 patients in 16 general practices). We observed a lower incidence rate for falls in the intervention group (incidence rate ratio/IRR: 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI): [0.35; 0.84], p=0.007) and for fall-related injuries (IRR: 0.66; [0.42; 0.94], p=0.033). Additionally, patients in the intervention group showed significant improvements in secondary endpoints (TUG: -2.39 s, [-3.91; -0.87], p=0.014; mRomberg: 1.70 s, [0.35; 3.04], p=0.037; fear of falling: -2.28 points, [-3.87; -0.69], p=0.022) compared to usual care. A complex falls prevention program in a primary care setting was effective in reducing falls and fall-related injuries in community dwelling older adults at risk.

Valuing narrative in the care of older people: a framework of narrative practice for older adult residential care settings.

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Buckley, Catherine; McCormack, Brendan; Ryan, Assumpta

2014-09-01

To report on the development of a framework of narrative practice, in residential care settings for older people. Residential care settings for older people provide care for people who are no longer able to live in their own home. To date, the impact and structure of nursing practice on care provision in these settings has proved difficult to conceptualise within a specific nursing theory framework. A hermeneutic approach incorporating narrative methods was used. Forty-six narrative interviews with older people in residential care were secondary-analysed for key themes through a three-stage process: by the first author, four focus groups of 12 clinical nurse managers and two independent experts. Themes were also derived from a focus group of eight residents who explored person-centredness and narrative. Finally, the combined findings were used to derive a single set of themes. The secondary data analysis process led to the development of a framework of narrative practice for the care of older people in residential settings. The framework is influenced by narrative enquiry, person-centred practice and practice development. It has four pillars, prerequisites, care processes, care environment and narrative aspects of care. To operationalise the framework of narrative practice, three narrative elements, narrative knowing, narrative being and narrative doing, need to be considered. Working with the foundational pillars and the narrative elements would enable staff to 'work in a storied way' and provide person-centred outcomes and a narrative informed philosophy of care for older adults in residential care. This framework provides nurses with a template that confirms the identity of the older person taking account of their biography. The framework outlines an approach that provides staff with a template on how to provide person-centred care in a narrative way. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Teamwork in the NICU setting and its association with healthcare-associated infections in very low birth weight infants

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Profit, Jochen; Sharek, Paul J.; Kan, Peiyi; Rigdon, Joseph; Desai, Manisha; Nisbet, Courtney C.; Tawfik, Daniel S.; Thomas, Eric J.; Lee, Henry C.; Sexton, J. Bryan

2018-01-01

Background and Objective Teamwork may affect clinical care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting. The objective of this study was to assess teamwork climate across NICUs and to test scale level and item level associations with healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Methods Cross-sectional study of the association between HAI rates, defined as any bacterial or fungal infection during the birth hospitalization, among 6663 VLBW infants cared for in 44 NICUs between 2010 and 2012. NICU HAI rates were correlated with teamwork climate ratings obtained in 2011 from 2073 of 3294 eligible (response rate 63%) NICU health professionals. The relation between HAI rates and NICU teamwork climate was assessed using logistic regression models including NICU as a random effect. Results Across NICUs, 36 to 100% (mean 66%) of respondents reported good teamwork. HAI rates were significantly and independently associated with teamwork climate (OR [95% CI] 0.82 [0.73-0.92], p = 0.005), such that the odds of an infant contracting a HAI decreased by 18% with each 10% rise in NICU respondents reporting good teamwork. Conclusion Improving teamwork may be an important element in infection control efforts. PMID:28395366

Patient-as-observer approach: an alternative method for hand hygiene auditing in an ambulatory care setting.

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Le-Abuyen, Sheila; Ng, Jessica; Kim, Susie; De La Franier, Anne; Khan, Bibi; Mosley, Jane; Gardam, Michael

2014-04-01

A survey pilot asked patients to observe the hand hygiene compliance of their health care providers. Patients returned 75.1% of the survey cards distributed, and the overall hand hygiene compliance was 96.8%. Survey results and patient commentary were used to motivate hand hygiene compliance. The patient-as-observer approach appeared to be a viable alternative for hand hygiene auditing in an ambulatory care setting because it educated, engaged, and empowered patients to play a more active role in their own health care. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Electronic health records and patient safety: co-occurrence of early EHR implementation with patient safety practices in primary care settings.

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Tanner, C; Gans, D; White, J; Nath, R; Pohl, J

2015-01-01

The role of electronic health records (EHR) in enhancing patient safety, while substantiated in many studies, is still debated. This paper examines early EHR adopters in primary care to understand the extent to which EHR implementation is associated with the workflows, policies and practices that promote patient safety, as compared to practices with paper records. Early adoption is defined as those who were using EHR prior to implementation of the Meaningful Use program. We utilized the Physician Practice Patient Safety Assessment (PPPSA) to compare primary care practices with fully implemented EHR to those utilizing paper records. The PPPSA measures the extent of adoption of patient safety practices in the domains: medication management, handoffs and transition, personnel qualifications and competencies, practice management and culture, and patient communication. Data from 209 primary care practices responding between 2006-2010 were included in the analysis: 117 practices used paper medical records and 92 used an EHR. Results showed that, within all domains, EHR settings showed significantly higher rates of having workflows, policies and practices that promote patient safety than paper record settings. While these results were expected in the area of medication management, EHR use was also associated with adoption of patient safety practices in areas in which the researchers had no a priori expectations of association. Sociotechnical models of EHR use point to complex interactions between technology and other aspects of the environment related to human resources, workflow, policy, culture, among others. This study identifies that among primary care practices in the national PPPSA database, having an EHR was strongly empirically associated with the workflow, policy, communication and cultural practices recommended for safe patient care in ambulatory settings.

Health literacy in the urgent care setting: What factors impact consumer comprehension of health information?

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Alberti, Traci L; Morris, Nancy J

2017-05-01

An increasing number of Americans are using urgent care (UC) clinics due to: improved health insurance coverage, the need to decrease cost, primary care offices with limited appointment availability, and a desire for convenient care. Patients are treated by providers they may not know for episodic illness or injuries while in pain or not feeling well. Treatment instructions and follow-up directions are provided quickly. To examine health literacy in the adult UC population and identify patient characteristics associated with health literacy risk. As part of a larger cross-sectional study, UC patients seen between October 2013 and January 2014 completed a demographic questionnaire and the Newest Vital Sign. Descriptive, nonparametric analyses, and a multinomial logistic regression were done to assess health literacy, associated and predictive factors. A total of 57.5% of 285 participants had adequate health literacy. The likelihood of limited health literacy was associated with increased age (p literacy is common in a suburban UC setting, increasing the risk that consumers may not understand vital health information. Clear provider communication and confirmation of comprehension of discharge instructions for self-management is essential to optimize outcomes for UC patients. ©2017 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Identification of human trafficking victims in health care settings.

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Baldwin, Susie B; Eisenman, David P; Sayles, Jennifer N; Ryan, Gery; Chuang, Kenneth S

2011-07-14

An estimated 18,000 individuals are trafficked into the United States each year from all over the world, and are forced into hard labor or commercial sex work. Despite their invisibility, some victims are known to have received medical care while under traffickers' control. Our project aimed to characterize trafficking victims' encounters in US health care settings. The study consisted of semi-structured interviews with six Key Informants who work closely with trafficking victims (Phase I) and 12 female trafficking survivors (Phase II). All survivors were recruited through the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, an NGO in Los Angeles, and all were trafficked into Los Angeles. Interviews were conducted in English and six other languages, with the assistance of professional interpreters. Using a framework analysis approach that focused on victims' encounters in health care settings, we assessed interview transcript content and coded for themes. We used an exploratory pile-sorting technique to aggregate similar ideas and identify overarching domains. The survivors came from 10 countries. Eight had experienced domestic servitude, three had survived sex trafficking, and one had experienced both. Half the survivors reported that they had visited a physician while in their traffickers' control, and another worked in a health care facility. All Key Informants described other victims who had received medical care. For domestic servants, medical visits were triggered by injury and respiratory or systemic illness, while sex trafficking victims were seen by health professionals for sexually transmitted infections and abortion. Trafficking victims were prevented from disclosing their status to health care providers by fear, shame, language barriers, and limited interaction with medical personnel, among other obstacles. This exploration of survivors' experiences in health care settings supports anecdotal reports that US health care providers may unwittingly encounter

Child-care attendance and common morbidity: evidence of association in the literature and questions of design

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Barros Aluísio J. D.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Papers on child-care attendance as a risk factor for acute respiratory infections and diarrhea were reviewed. There was great variety among the studies with regard to the design, definition of exposure and definition of outcomes. All the traditional epidemiological study designs have been used. The studies varied in terms of how child-care attendance in general was defined, and for different settings. These definitions differed especially in relation to the minimum time of attendance required. The outcomes were also defined and measured in several different ways. The analyses performed were not always appropriate, leading to sets of results of uneven quality, and composed of different measures of association relating different exposures and outcomes, that made summarizing difficult. Despite that, the results reported were remarkably consistent. Only two of the papers reviewed failed to show some association between child-care attendance and increased acute respiratory infections, or diarrhea. On the other hand, the magnitude of the associations reported varied widely, especially for lower respiratory infections. Taken together, the studies so far published provide evidence that children attending child-care centers, especially those under three years of age, are at a higher risk of upper respiratory infections, lower respiratory infections, and diarrhea. The studies were not consistent, however, in relation to attendance at child-care homes. Children in such settings were sometimes similar to those in child-care centers, sometimes similar to those cared for at home, and sometimes presented an intermediate risk.

Priority setting in health care: trends and models from Scandinavian experiences.

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Hofmann, Bjørn

2013-08-01

The Scandinavian welfare states have public health care systems which have universal coverage and traditionally low influence of private insurance and private provision. Due to raises in costs, elaborate public control of health care, and a significant technological development in health care, priority setting came on the public agenda comparatively early in the Scandinavian countries. The development of health care priority setting has been partly homogeneous and appears to follow certain phases. This can be of broader interest as it may shed light on alternative models and strategies in health care priority setting. Some general trends have been identified: from principles to procedures, from closed to open processes, and from experts to participation. Five general approaches have been recognized: The moral principles and values based approach, the moral principles and economic assessment approach, the procedural approach, the expert based practice defining approach, and the participatory practice defining approach. There are pros and cons with all of these approaches. For the time being the fifth approach appears attractive, but its lack of true participation and the lack of clear success criteria may pose significant challenges in the future.

A set of care quality indicators for stroke management.

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Navarro Soler, I M; Ignacio García, E; Masjuan Vallejo, J; Gállego Culleré, J; Mira Solves, J J

2017-06-22

This study proposes a set of quality indicators for care outcomes in patients with acute cerebral infarction. These indicators are understandable and relevant from a clinical viewpoint, as well as being acceptable and feasible in terms of time required, ease of data capture, and interpretability. The method consisted of reaching consensus among doctors after having reviewed the literature on quality indicators in stroke. We then designed and conducted a field study to assess the understandability and feasibility of the set of indicators. Consensus yielded 8 structural indicators, 5 process indicators, and 12 result indicators. Additionally, standards of reference were established for each indicator. This set of indicators can be used to monitor the quality care for stroke patients, identify strengths, and potentially to identify areas needing improvement. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Advance Care Planning: Understanding Clinical Routines and Experiences of Interprofessional Team Members in Diverse Health Care Settings.

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Arnett, Kelly; Sudore, Rebecca L; Nowels, David; Feng, Cindy X; Levy, Cari R; Lum, Hillary D

2017-12-01

Interprofessional health care team members consider advance care planning (ACP) to be important, yet gaps remain in systematic clinical routines to support ACP. A clearer understanding of the interprofessional team members' perspectives on ACP clinical routines in diverse settings is needed. One hundred eighteen health care team members from community-based clinics, long-term care facilities, academic clinics, federally qualified health centers, and hospitals participated in a 35-question, cross-sectional online survey to assess clinical routines, workflow processes, and policies relating to ACP. Respondents were 53% physicians, 18% advanced practice nurses, 11% nurses, and 18% other interprofessional team members including administrators, chaplains, social workers, and others. Regarding clinical routines, respondents reported that several interprofessional team members play a role in facilitating ACP (ie, physician, social worker, nurse, others). Most (62%) settings did not have, or did not know of, policies related to ACP documentation. Only 14% of settings had a patient education program. Two-thirds of the respondents said that addressing ACP is a high priority and 85% felt that nonphysicians could have ACP conversations with appropriate training. The clinical resources needed to improve clinical routines included training for providers and staff, dedicated staff to facilitate ACP, and availability of patient/family educational materials. Although interprofessional health care team members consider ACP a priority and several team members may be involved, clinical settings lack systematic clinical routines to support ACP. Patient educational materials, interprofessional team training, and policies to support ACP clinical workflows that do not rely solely on physicians could improve ACP across diverse clinical settings.

Nurse practitioner organizational climate in primary care settings: implications for professional practice.

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Poghosyan, Lusine; Nannini, Angela; Stone, Patricia W; Smaldone, Arlene

2013-01-01

The expansion of the nurse practitioner (NP) workforce in primary care is key to meeting the increased demand for care. Organizational climates in primary care settings affect NP professional practice and the quality of care. This study investigated organizational climate and its domains affecting NP professional practice in primary care settings. A qualitative descriptive design, with purposive sampling, was used to recruit 16 NPs practicing in primary care settings in Massachusetts. An interview guide was developed and pretested with two NPs and in 1 group interview with 7 NPs. Data collection took place in spring of 2011. Individual interviews lasted from 30-70 minutes, were audio recorded, and transcribed. Data were analyzed using Atlas.ti 6.0 software by 3 researchers. Content analysis was applied. Three previously identified themes, NP-physician relations, independent practice and autonomy, and professional visibility, as well as two new themes, organizational support and resources and NP-administration relations emerged from the analyses. NPs reported collegial relations with physicians, challenges in establishing independent practice, suboptimal relationships with administration, and lack of support. NP contributions to patient care were invisible. Favorable organizational climates should be promoted to support the expanding of NP workforce in primary care and to optimize recruitment and retention efforts. © 2013.

Patterns of opioid initiation at first visits for pain in United States primary care settings.

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Mundkur, Mallika L; Rough, Kathryn; Huybrechts, Krista F; Levin, Raisa; Gagne, Joshua J; Desai, Rishi J; Patorno, Elisabetta; Choudhry, Niteesh K; Bateman, Brian T

2018-05-01

The primary objective of this study was to characterize variation in patterns of opioid prescribing within primary care settings at first visits for pain, and to describe variation by condition, geography, and patient characteristics. 2014 healthcare utilization data from Optum's Clinformatics™ DataMart were used to evaluate individuals 18 years or older with an initial presentation to primary care for 1 of 10 common pain conditions. The main outcomes assessed were (1) the proportion of first visits for pain associated with an opioid prescription fill and (2) the proportion of opioid prescriptions with >7 days' supply. We identified 205 560 individuals who met inclusion criteria; 9.1% of all visits were associated with an opioid fill, ranging from 4.1% (headache) to 28.2% (dental pain). Approximately half (46%) of all opioid prescriptions supplied more than 7 days, and 10% of prescriptions supplied ≥30 days. We observed a 4-fold variation in rates of opioid initiation by state, with highest rates of prescribing in Alabama (16.6%) and lowest rates in New York (3.7%). In 2014, nearly half of all patients filling opioid prescriptions received more than 7 days' of opioids in an initial prescription. Policies limiting initial supplies have the potential to substantially impact opioid prescribing in the primary care setting. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Reconciling conceptualizations of relationships and person-centred care for older people with cognitive impairment in acute care settings.

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Rushton, Carole; Edvardsson, David

2018-04-01

Relationships are central to enacting person-centred care of the older person with cognitive impairment. A fuller understanding of relationships and the role they play facilitating wellness and preserving personhood is critical if we are to unleash the productive potential of nursing research and person-centred care. In this article, we target the acute care setting because much of the work about relationships and older people with cognitive impairment has tended to focus on relationships in long-term care. The acute care setting is characterized by archetypal constraints which differentiate it from long-term care, in terms of acuity and haste, task-orientated work patterns and influence from "the rule of medicine," all of which can privilege particular types of relating. In this article, we drew on existing conceptualizations of relationships from theory and practice by tapping in to the intellectual resources provided by nurse researchers, the philosophy of Martin Buber and ANT scholars. This involved recounting two examples of dyadic and networked relationships which were re-interpreted using two complementary theoretical approaches to provide deeper and more comprehensive conceptualizations of these relationships. By re-presenting key tenets from the work of key scholars on the topic relationships, we hope to hasten socialization of these ideas into nursing into the acute care setting. First, by enabling nurses to reflect on how they might work toward cultivating relationships that are more salutogenic and consistent with the preservation of personhood. Second, by stimulating two distinct but related lines of research enquiry which focus on dyadic and networked relationships with the older person with cognitive impairment in the acute care setting. We also hope to reconcile the schism that has emerged in the literature between preferred approaches to care of the older person with cognitive impairment, that is person-centred care versus relationship-centred care

Job Resources, Physician Work Engagement, and Patient Care Experience in an Academic Medical Setting.

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Scheepers, Renée A; Lases, Lenny S S; Arah, Onyebuchi A; Heineman, Maas Jan; Lombarts, Kiki M J M H

2017-10-01

Physician work engagement is associated with better work performance and fewer medical errors; however, whether work-engaged physicians perform better from the patient perspective is unknown. Although availability of job resources (autonomy, colleague support, participation in decision making, opportunities for learning) bolster work engagement, this relationship is understudied among physicians. This study investigated associations of physician work engagement with patient care experience and job resources in an academic setting. The authors collected patient care experience evaluations, using nine validated items from the Dutch Consumer Quality index in two academic hospitals (April 2014 to April 2015). Physicians reported job resources and work engagement using, respectively, the validated Questionnaire on Experience and Evaluation of Work and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The authors conducted multivariate adjusted mixed linear model and linear regression analyses. Of the 9,802 eligible patients and 238 eligible physicians, respectively, 4,573 (47%) and 185 (78%) participated. Physician work engagement was not associated with patient care experience (B = 0.01; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.02 to 0.03; P = .669). However, learning opportunities (B = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.52; P = .019) and autonomy (B = 0.31; 95% CI = 0.10 to 0.51; P = .004) were positively associated with work engagement. Higher physician work engagement did not translate into better patient care experience. Patient experience may benefit from physicians who deliver stable quality under varying levels of work engagement. From the physicians' perspective, autonomy and learning opportunities could safeguard their work engagement.

Physical Activity Practices, Policies and Environments in Washington State Child Care Settings: Results of a Statewide Survey.

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Tandon, Pooja S; Walters, Kelly M; Igoe, Bridget M; Payne, Elizabeth C; Johnson, Donna B

2017-03-01

Objectives Child care is an important setting for the promotion of physical activity (PA) in early childhood. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between specific PA environments and recommended practices in child care settings as well as the degree to which child care settings met recommended standards for total PA time. Methods In 2013, all programs licensed to care for children ages 2-5 in WA state were surveyed about their PA related practices. Logistic regression was used to determine odds of meeting best-practice standards for outdoor time and PA. Results The response rate was 45.8 % from centers (692/1511) and 32.1 % from homes (1281/3991). Few programs reported meeting best-practice standards for the amount of time children spend being physically active (centers: 12.1 %, homes: 20.1 %) and outdoor time (centers: 21.8 %, homes: 21.7 %). Programs where children go outside regardless of weather and those reporting more adult-led PA had higher odds of meeting best-practice standards for both PA and outdoor time. Meeting best-practice standards for outdoor time was the strongest predictor of meeting best-practice standards for total PA time [centers: OR 15.9 (9.3-27.2), homes: OR 5.2 (3.8-7.1)]. Conclusions for Practice There is considerable room for improvement in licensed child care settings in WA to meet best-practice standards for young children's outdoor and PA time. Initiatives that create policies and environments encouraging outdoor play and adult-led PA in child care have the potential to increase physical activity in substantial numbers of young children.

A Study of the Association Between Multidisciplinary Home Care and Home Death Among Thai Palliative Care Patients.

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Nagaviroj, Kittiphon; Anothaisintawee, Thunyarat

2017-06-01

Many terminally ill patients would prefer to stay and die in their own homes, but unfortunately, some may not be able to do so. Although there are many factors associated with successful home deaths, receiving palliative home visits from the multidisciplinary care teams is one of the key factors that enable patients to die at home. Our study was aimed to find whether there was any association between our palliative home care program and home death. A retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Family Medicine at Ramathibodi Hospital between January 2012 and May 2014. All of the patients who were referred to multidisciplinary palliative care teams were included. The data set comprised of patient's profile, disease status, functional status, patient's symptoms, preferred place of death, frequency of home visits, types of team interventions, and patient's actual place of death. Multiple logistic regression was applied in order to determine the association between the variables and the probability of dying at home. A total of 142 patients were included into the study. At the end of the study, 50 (35.2%) patients died at home and 92 (64.8%) patients died in the hospital. The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated a strong association between multidisciplinary home care and home death (odds ratio 6.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.48-17.38). Palliative home care was a significant factor enabling patients who want to die at home. We encourage health policy makers to promote the development of community-based palliative care programs in Thailand.

Practices Regarding Rape-related Pregnancy in U.S. Abortion Care Settings.

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Perry, Rachel; Murphy, Molly; Rankin, Kristin M; Cowett, Allison; Harwood, Bryna

2016-01-01

We aimed to explore current practices regarding screening for rape and response to disclosure of rape-related pregnancy in the abortion care setting. We performed a cross-sectional, nonprobability survey of U.S. abortion providers. Individuals were recruited in person and via emailed invitations to professional organization member lists. Questions in this web-based survey pertained to providers' practice setting, how they identify rape-related pregnancy, the availability of support services, and their experiences with law enforcement. Providers were asked their perceptions of barriers to care for women who report rape-related pregnancy. Surveys were completed by 279 providers (21% response rate). Most respondents were female (93.1%), and the majority were physicians in a clinical role (69.4%). One-half (49.8%) reported their practice screens for pregnancy resulting from rape, although fewer (34.8%) reported that screening is the method through which most patients with this history are identified. Most (80.6%) refer women with rape-related pregnancy to support services such as rape crisis centers. Relatively few (19.7%) have a specific protocol for care of women who report rape-related pregnancy. Clinics that screen were 79% more likely to have a protocol for care than centers that do not screen. Although the majority (67.4%) reported barriers to identification of women with rape-related pregnancy, fewer (33.3%) reported barriers to connecting them to support services. Practices for identifying and providing care to women with rape-related pregnancy in the abortion care setting are variable. Further research should address barriers to care provision, as well as identifying protocols for care. Copyright © 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nursing Care as Perceived by Nurses Working in Disability Community Settings in Greece.

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Fotiadou, Elpida; Malliarou, Maria; Zetta, Stella; Gouva, Mary; Kotrotsiou, Evaggelia

2015-06-25

The concept of nursing care in learning disability community settings has not been investigated in Greece. The aim of this paper is to investigate how nurses working in learning disability community settings perceive the meaning of nursing care. The sample consisted of 100 nurses and nursing assistants working in a social care hospice. Participants were asked to answer questions about socio- demographic characteristics of the sample and fill in a questionnaire of care (GR-NDI-24), the "Job-Communication-Satisfaction-Importance" (JCSI) questionnaire and the altruism scale of Ahmed and Jackson. The data analysis was realized with statistical methods of descriptive and inductive statistics. The analysis was made with the use of SPSS (version 19). The majority of the sample was women (78%). The majority of participants were married (66 %), DE graduates (66%) without postgraduate studies (96.7%). The mean age of respondents was 36.98±6.70 years. On the scales of caring and altruism, the mean values were 40.89±15.87 and 28.12±4.16 respectively. Very or fully satisfied with his work was 72% of the sample. The scope of work emerges as the most important factor influencing job satisfaction. The wages and working conditions (73% and 40% respectively) are the parameters of work which gathers the most dissatisfaction, while the salary is emerging as the most important parameter, the improvement of which would provide the highest satisfaction. Marginally statistically significant difference was observed in the range between TE graduates (d=40) and those of the DE grade (d=37), p=0.053. No statistically significant differences were observed in relation to other working and demographic characteristics (p>0.05). Greater care importance was associated with greater job satisfaction (pmateriality of care and job satisfaction in future research will allow to further highlight all the aspects affecting job satisfaction and performance of nurses. This will identify critical

Risks with older adults in acute care settings: UK occupational therapists' and physiotherapists' perceptions of risks associated with discharge and professional practice.

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Atwal, Anita; McIntyre, Anne; Wiggett, Claire

2012-06-01

Internationally, there is evidence that hospital discharge to home for older adults is a complex and challenging process that is dependent upon multidisciplinary team working. At the centre of the discharge process is the management of risk, which involves occupational therapists and other healthcare professionals managing perceived dangers and determining why some dangers are seen as presenting risks while others are not. This study did not aim to explore interprofessional differences but to ascertain a greater understanding of professionals' perceptions of risk in acute care settings. This qualitative study utilised 12 semi-structured interviews with seven occupational therapists and five physiotherapists in the United Kingdom (UK). During the interview, therapists were asked to read and answer questions on a validated vignette. The interview data were subjected to thematic content analysis and the vignettes to template analysis. Our research is one of the first studies to explore therapists' perceptions of risk with older adults in acute care settings. Our study has highlighted that perception of risk does have an impact on discharge decision-making and location. Therapists used negative terminology to refer to patients who wanted to take risks, which could be a reflection of the therapists' anxiety. Mental capacity, and patients' functioning and safety were key factors in risk decision-making with older adults. Our research has highlighted the potential value of multidisciplinary working to manage risk situations and the need for reflection and discussion regarding how persons who do not have capacity wishes are managed within acute care settings. There is a need to develop an interprofessional care pathway to guide clinicians through the risk decision-making process which needs to ensure that the client's opinions and wishes are taken into account throughout. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2011 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Implementing augmentative and alternative communication in critical care settings: Perspectives of healthcare professionals.

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Handberg, Charlotte; Voss, Anna Katarina

2018-01-01

To describe the perspectives of healthcare professionals caring for intubated patients on implementing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in critical care settings. Patients in critical care settings subjected to endotracheal intubation suffer from a temporary functional speech disorder and can also experience anxiety, stress and delirium, leading to longer and more complicated hospitalisation and rehabilitation. Little is known about the use of AAC in critical care settings. The design was informed by interpretive descriptive methodology along with the theoretical framework symbolic interactionism, which guided the study of healthcare professionals (n = 48) in five different intensive care units. Data were generated through participant observations and 10 focus group interviews. The findings represent an understanding of the healthcare professionals' perspectives on implementing AAC in critical care settings and revealed three themes. Caring Ontology was the foundation of the healthcare professionals' profession. Cultural Belief represented the actual premise in the interactions during the healthcare professionals' work, saving lives in a biomedical setting whilst appearing competent and efficient, leading to Triggered Conduct and giving low priority to psychosocial issues like communication. Lack of the ability to communicate puts patients at greater risk of receiving poorer treatment, which supports the pressuring need to implement and use AAC in critical care. It is documented that culture in biomedical paradigms can have consequences that are the opposite of the staffs' ideals. The findings may guide staff in implementing AAC strategies in their communication with patients and at the same time preserve their caring ontology and professional pride. Improving communication strategies may improve patient safety and make a difference in patient outcomes. Increased knowledge of and familiarity with AAC strategies may provide healthcare professionals

A managed clinical network for cardiac services: set-up, operation and impact on patient care.

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Stc Hamilton, Karen E; Sullivan, Frank M; Donnan, Peter T; Taylor, Rex; Ikenwilo, Divine; Scott, Anthony; Baker, Chris; Wyke, Sally

2005-01-01

To investigate the set up and operation of a Managed Clinical Network for cardiac services and assess its impact on patient care. This single case study used process evaluation with observational before and after comparison of indicators of quality of care and costs. The study was conducted in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and used a three-level framework. Process evaluation of the network set-up and operation through a documentary review of minutes; guidelines and protocols; transcripts of fourteen semi-structured interviews with health service personnel including senior managers, general practitioners, nurses, cardiologists and members of the public. Outcome evaluation of the impact of the network through interrupted time series analysis of clinical data of 202 patients aged less than 76 years admitted to hospital with a confirmed myocardial infarction one-year pre and one-year post, the establishment of the network. The main outcome measures were differences between indicators of quality of care targeted by network protocols. Economic evaluation of the transaction costs of the set-up and operation of the network and the resource costs of the clinical care of the 202 myocardial infarction patients from the time of hospital admission to 6 months post discharge through interrupted time series analysis. The outcome measure was different in National Health Service resource use. Despite early difficulties, the network was successful in bringing together clinicians, patients and managers to redesign services, exhibiting most features of good network management. The role of the energetic lead clinician was crucial, but the network took time to develop and 'bed down'. Its primary "modus operand" was the development of a myocardial infarction pathway and associated protocols. Of sixteen clinical care indicators, two improved significantly following the launch of the network and nine showed improvements, which were not statistically significant. There was no difference

Effectiveness of Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) in a Primary Care Setting.

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Davidson, Judith R; Dawson, Samantha; Krsmanovic, Adrijana

2017-05-02

Primary care is where many patients with insomnia first ask for professional help. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended treatment for chronic insomnia. Although CBT-I's efficacy is well established, its effectiveness in real-life primary care has seldom been investigated. We examined the effectiveness of CBT-I as routinely delivered in a Canadian primary care setting. The patients were 70 women and 11 men (mean age = 57.0 years, SD = 12.3); 83% had medical comorbidity. For the first 81 patients who took the six-session group program we compared initial and postprogram sleep diaries, sleep medication use, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and visits to the family physician. Sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and ISI scores improved significantly (p 7). Wait-list data from 42 patients showed minimal sleep and mood improvements with the passage of time. Number of visits to the family physician six months postprogram decreased, although not significantly (p = .108). The CBT-I program was associated with improvement on all sleep and mood measures. Effect sizes were similar to, or larger than, those found in randomized controlled trials, demonstrating the real-world effectiveness of CBT-I in an interdisciplinary primary care setting.

Using Intervention Mapping for child development and wellbeing programs in early childhood education and care settings.

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O'Connor, Amanda; Blewitt, Claire; Nolan, Andrea; Skouteris, Helen

2018-06-01

Supporting children's social and emotional learning benefits all elements of children's development and has been associated with positive mental health and wellbeing, development of values and life skills. However, literature relating to the creation of interventions designed for use within the early childhood education and care settings to support children's social and emotional skills and learning is lacking. Intervention Mapping (IM) is a systematic intervention development framework, utilising principles centred on participatory co-design methods, multiple theoretical approaches and existing literature to enable effective decision-making during the development process. Early childhood pedagogical programs are also shaped by these principles; however, educators tend to draw on implicit knowledge when working with families. IM offers this sector the opportunity to formally incorporate theoretical, evidence-based research into the development of early childhood education and care social and emotional interventions. Emerging literature indicates IM is useful for designing health and wellbeing interventions for children within early childhood education and care settings. Considering the similar underlying principles of IM, existing applications within early childhood education and care and development of interventions beyond health behaviour change, it is recommended IM be utilised to design early childhood education and care interventions focusing on supporting children's social and emotional development. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examination of Negative Peer Contagion in a Residential Care Setting

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Huefner, Jonathan C.; Ringle, Jay L.

2012-01-01

There has been ongoing concern about the negative impact of residential treatment on youth in care. Research examining the impact of negative peer influence in juvenile justice, education, and residential care settings is reviewed. A study was conducted to examine the impact of negative peer contagion on the level of problem behavior in a…

Quality of Care and Job Satisfaction in the European Home Care Setting: Research Protocol

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van der Roest, Henriëtte; van Hout, Hein; Declercq, Anja

2016-01-01

Introduction: Since the European population is ageing, a growing number of elderly will need home care. Consequently, high quality home care for the elderly remains an important challenge. Job satisfaction among care professionals is regarded as an important aspect of the quality of home care. Aim: This paper describes a research protocol to identify elements that have an impact on job satisfaction among care professionals and on quality of care for older people in the home care setting of six European countries. Methods: Data on elements at the macro-level (policy), meso-level (care organisations) and micro-level (clients) are of importance in determining job satisfaction and quality of care. Macro-level indicators will be identified in a previously published literature review. At meso- and micro-level, data will be collected by means of two questionnaires utilsed with both care organisations and care professionals, and by means of interRAI Home Care assessments of clients. The client assessments will be used to calculate quality of care indicators. Subsequently, data will be analysed by means of linear and stepwise multiple regression analyses, correlations and multilevel techniques. Conclusions and Discussion: These results can guide health care policy makers in their decision making process in order to increase the quality of home care in their organisation, in their country or in Europe. PMID:28435423

Quality of Care and Job Satisfaction in the European Home Care Setting: Research Protocol

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Liza Van Eenoo

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Since the European population is ageing, a growing number of elderly will need home care. Consequently, high quality home care for the elderly remains an important challenge. Job satisfaction among care professionals is regarded as an important aspect of the quality of home care. Aim: This paper describes a research protocol to identify elements that have an impact on job satisfaction among care professionals and on quality of care for older people in the home care setting of six European countries. Methods: Data on elements at the macro-level (policy, meso-level (care organisations and micro-level (clients are of importance in determining job satisfaction and quality of care. Macro-level indicators will be identified in a previously published literature review. At meso- and micro-level, data will be collected by means of two questionnaires utilsed with both care organisations and care professionals, and by means of interRAI Home Care assessments of clients. The client assessments will be used to calculate quality of care indicators. Subsequently, data will be analysed by means of linear and stepwise multiple regression analyses, correlations and multilevel techniques. Conclusions and Discussion: These results can guide health care policy makers in their decision making process in order to increase the quality of home care in their organisation, in their country or in Europe.

Rapid research and implementation priority setting for wound care uncertainties.

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Trish A Gray

Full Text Available People with complex wounds are more likely to be elderly, living with multimorbidity and wound related symptoms. A variety of products are available for managing complex wounds and a range of healthcare professionals are involved in wound care, yet there is a lack of good evidence to guide practice and services. These factors create uncertainty for those who deliver and those who manage wound care. Formal priority setting for research and implementation topics is needed to more accurately target the gaps in treatment and services. We solicited practitioner and manager uncertainties in wound care and held a priority setting workshop to facilitate a collaborative approach to prioritising wound care-related uncertainties.We recruited healthcare professionals who regularly cared for patients with complex wounds, were wound care specialists or managed wound care services. Participants submitted up to five wound care uncertainties in consultation with their colleagues, via an on-line survey and attended a priority setting workshop. Submitted uncertainties were collated, sorted and categorised according professional group. On the day of the workshop, participants were divided into four groups depending on their profession. Uncertainties submitted by their professional group were viewed, discussed and amended, prior to the first of three individual voting rounds. Participants cast up to ten votes for the uncertainties they judged as being high priority. Continuing in the professional groups, the top 10 uncertainties from each group were displayed, and the process was repeated. Groups were then brought together for a plenary session in which the final priorities were individually scored on a scale of 0-10 by participants. Priorities were ranked and results presented. Nominal group technique was used for generating the final uncertainties, voting and discussions.Thirty-three participants attended the workshop comprising; 10 specialist nurses, 10 district

Rapid research and implementation priority setting for wound care uncertainties

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Dumville, Jo C.; Christie, Janice; Cullum, Nicky A.

2017-01-01

Introduction People with complex wounds are more likely to be elderly, living with multimorbidity and wound related symptoms. A variety of products are available for managing complex wounds and a range of healthcare professionals are involved in wound care, yet there is a lack of good evidence to guide practice and services. These factors create uncertainty for those who deliver and those who manage wound care. Formal priority setting for research and implementation topics is needed to more accurately target the gaps in treatment and services. We solicited practitioner and manager uncertainties in wound care and held a priority setting workshop to facilitate a collaborative approach to prioritising wound care-related uncertainties. Methods We recruited healthcare professionals who regularly cared for patients with complex wounds, were wound care specialists or managed wound care services. Participants submitted up to five wound care uncertainties in consultation with their colleagues, via an on-line survey and attended a priority setting workshop. Submitted uncertainties were collated, sorted and categorised according professional group. On the day of the workshop, participants were divided into four groups depending on their profession. Uncertainties submitted by their professional group were viewed, discussed and amended, prior to the first of three individual voting rounds. Participants cast up to ten votes for the uncertainties they judged as being high priority. Continuing in the professional groups, the top 10 uncertainties from each group were displayed, and the process was repeated. Groups were then brought together for a plenary session in which the final priorities were individually scored on a scale of 0–10 by participants. Priorities were ranked and results presented. Nominal group technique was used for generating the final uncertainties, voting and discussions. Results Thirty-three participants attended the workshop comprising; 10 specialist nurses

What role can child-care settings play in obesity prevention? A review of the evidence and call for research efforts.

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Larson, Nicole; Ward, Dianne S; Neelon, Sara Benjamin; Story, Mary

2011-09-01

Given the widespread use of out-of-home child care and an all-time high prevalence of obesity among US preschool-aged children, it is imperative to consider the opportunities that child-care facilities may provide to reduce childhood obesity. This review examines the scientific literature on state regulations, practices and policies, and interventions for promoting healthy eating and physical activity, and for preventing obesity in preschool-aged children attending child care. Research published between January 2000 and July 2010 was identified by searching PubMed and MEDLINE databases, and by examining the bibliographies of relevant studies. Although the review focused on US child-care settings, interventions implemented in international settings were also included. In total, 42 studies were identified for inclusion in this review: four reviews of state regulations, 18 studies of child-care practices and policies that may influence eating or physical activity behaviors, two studies of parental perceptions and practices relevant to obesity prevention, and 18 evaluated interventions. Findings from this review reveal that most states lack strong regulations for child-care settings related to healthy eating and physical activity. Recent assessments of child-care settings suggest opportunities for improving the nutritional quality of food provided to children, the time children are engaged in physical activity, and caregivers' promotion of children's health behaviors and use of health education resources. A limited number of interventions have been designed to address these concerns, and only two interventions have successfully demonstrated an effect on child weight status. Recommendations are provided for future research addressing opportunities to prevent obesity in child-care settings. Copyright © 2011 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Essential data set's archetypes for nursing care of endometriosis patients].

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Spigolon, Dandara Novakowski; Moro, Claudia Maria Cabral

2012-12-01

This study aimed to develop an Essential Data Set for Nursing Care of Patients with Endometriosis (CDEEPE), represented by archetypes. An exploratory applied research with specialists' participation that was carried out at Heath Informatics Laboratory of PUCPR, between February and November of 2010. It was divided in two stages: CDEEPE construction and evaluation including Nursing Process phases and Basic Human Needs, and archetypes development based on this data set. CDEEPE was evaluated by doctors and nurses with 95.9% of consensus and containing 51 data items. The archetype "Perception of Organs and Senses" was created to represents this data set. This study allowed identifying important information for nursing practices contributing to computerization and application of nursing process during care. The CDEEPE was the basis for archetype creation, that will make possible structured, organized, efficient, interoperable, and semantics records.

Relationship between self-efficacy, self-care behaviour and glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Malaysian primary care setting.

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Tharek, Zahirah; Ramli, Anis Safura; Whitford, David Leonard; Ismail, Zaliha; Mohd Zulkifli, Maryam; Ahmad Sharoni, Siti Khuzaimah; Shafie, Asrul Akmal; Jayaraman, Thevaraajan

2018-03-09

Self-efficacy has been shown to be positively correlated with self-care behaviour and glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, such evidence is lacking in the Malaysian primary care setting. The objectives of this study were to i) determine the levels of self-efficacy, self-care behaviour and glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Malaysian primary care setting ii) determine the relationship between self-efficacy, self-care behaviour and glycaemic control iii) determine the factors associated with glycaemic control. This was a cross-sectional study involving patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from two public primary care clinics in Malaysia. Self-efficacy and self-care behaviour levels were measured using previously translated and validated DMSES and SDSCA questionnaires in Malay versions, respectively. Glycaemic control was measured using HbA 1c. RESULTS: A total of 340 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited. The total mean (±SD) of self-efficacy and self-care behaviour scores were 7.33 (±2.25) and 3.76 (±1.87), respectively. A positive relationship was found between self-efficacy and self-care behaviour (r 0.538, P self-efficacy score was shown to be correlated with lower HbA 1c (r - 0.41, P self-efficacy scores (b - 0.398; 95% CI: -0.024, - 0.014; P diabetes (b 0.177; 95% CI: 0.002, 0.007; P self-efficacy was correlated with improved self-care behaviour and better glycaemic control. Findings of this study suggest the importance of including routine use of self-efficacy measures in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary care.

Staff personhood in dementia care settings: "Do they care about me?"

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Cooke, Heather A

2018-06-01

This article aims to examine RCAs' own experiences of personhood in dementia care settings. Conceptually, person-centred care entails fostering the personhood of residents and the residential care aides (RCAs) who provide much of their hands-on care. To date, however, staff personhood has been overlooked in the empirical literature. The study was part of a larger focused ethnographic project exploring how the organisational care environment impedes or facilitates the provision of quality dementia care. Semi-structured interviews with 23 RCAs and more than 230 hours of participant observation were conducted in two nursing homes with specialised dementia units in British Columbia, Canada. Two overarching themes, "personhood undermined-management-staff relations" and "personhood undermined-workplace policies and practices" emerged, illustrating how, despite exposure to features believed beneficial to their working environment (e.g., favourable staffing ratios, relatively good remuneration), RCAs encountered repeated affronts to their personhood. The first theme encompasses the importance of being known (i.e., as persons and of their job demands) and valued (i.e., appreciated for their work in non-monetary terms). The second highlights the salience of work-life balance, full-staffing coverage and supportive human resource practices. RCAs' experiences reveal how the ongoing search for cost-efficiencies, cost-containment and cost-accountability overshadows their individuality, indicating a key disconnect between conceptual ideals and workplace realities. Organisations are encouraged to consider creating person-centred management and workplace practices that provide tangible evidence that RCAs, and their work, matter. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Shifting hospital care to primary care: An evaluation of cardiology care in a primary care setting in the Netherlands.

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Quanjel, Tessa C C; Struijs, Jeroen N; Spreeuwenberg, Marieke D; Baan, Caroline A; Ruwaard, Dirk

2018-05-09

In an attempt to deal with the pressures on the healthcare system and to guarantee sustainability, changes are needed. This study is focused on a cardiology Primary Care Plus intervention in which cardiologists provide consultations with patients in a primary care setting in order to prevent unnecessary referrals to the hospital. This study explores which patients with non-acute and low-complexity cardiology-related health complaints should be excluded from Primary Care Plus and referred directly to specialist care in the hospital. This is a retrospective observational study based on quantitative data. Data collected between January 1 and December 31, 2015 were extracted from the electronic medical record system. Logistic regression analyses were used to select patient groups that should be excluded from referral to Primary Care Plus. In total, 1525 patients were included in the analyses. Results showed that male patients, older patients, those with the referral indication 'Stable Angina Pectoris' or 'Dyspnoea' and patients whose reason for referral was 'To confirm disease' or 'Screening of unclear pathology' had a significantly higher probability of being referred to hospital care after Primary Care Plus. To achieve efficiency one should exclude patient groups with a significantly higher probability of being referred to hospital care after Primary Care Plus. NTR6629 (Data registered: 25-08-2017) (registered retrospectively).

Management of ramsay hunt syndrome in an acute palliative care setting

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Shrenik Ostwal

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The Ramsay Hunt syndrome is characterized by combination of herpes infection and lower motor neuron type of facial nerve palsy. The disease is caused by a reactivation of Varicella Zoster virus and can be unrepresentative since the herpetic lesions may not be always be present (zoster sine herpete and might mimic other severe neurological illnesses. Case Report: A 63-year-old man known case of carcinoma of gall bladder with liver metastases, post surgery and chemotherapy with no scope for further disease modifying treatment, was referred to palliative care unit for best supportive care. He was on regular analgesics and other supportive treatment. He presented to Palliative Medicine outpatient with 3 days history of ipsilateral facial pain of neuropathic character, otalgia, diffuse vesciculo-papular rash over ophthalmic and maxillary divisions of left trigeminal nerve distribution of face and ear, and was associated with secondary bacterial infection and unilateral facial edema. He was clinically diagnosed to have Herpes Zoster with superadded bacterial infection. He was treated with tablet Valacyclovir 500 mg four times a day, Acyclovir cream for local application, Acyclovir eye ointment for prophylactic treatment of Herpetic Keratitis, low dose of Prednisolone, oral Amoxicillin and Clindamycin for 7 days, and Pregabalin 150 mg per day. After 7 days of treatment, the rash and vesicles had completely resolved and good improvement of pain and other symptoms were noted. Conclusion: Management of acute infections and its associated complications in an acute palliative care setting improves both quality and length of life.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia: the importance of oral care in intubated adults.

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Stonecypher, Karen

2010-01-01

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) occurs within 24 hours of intubation and mechanical ventilation. Health care costs related to increased patient mortality, extended length of stay, and patient well-being make treatment of VAP a priority in all health care settings. The Institute for Healthcare Improvements has developed the Ventilator Bundle as a group of interventions linked to ventilator care with demonstrated outcome improvements; removal of subglottic secretions is one of these recommendations. Dental plaque and bacterial colonization of pathogens is directly related to microaspiration of bacteria into the lungs. A moist environment in the mouth maintains normal oropharyngeal bacteria, preventing overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria. Frequent oral care to include twice-a-day brushing of the teeth found a 69% reduction in respiratory tract infections.

Pediatric Critical Care in Resource-Limited Settings-Overview and Lessons Learned.

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Slusher, Tina M; Kiragu, Andrew W; Day, Louise T; Bjorklund, Ashley R; Shirk, Arianna; Johannsen, Colleen; Hagen, Scott A

2018-01-01

Pediatric critical care is an important component of reducing morbidity and mortality globally. Currently, pediatric critical care in low middle-income countries (LMICs) remains in its infancy in most hospitals. The majority of hospitals lack designated intensive care units, healthcare staff trained to care for critically ill children, adequate numbers of staff, and rapid access to necessary medications, supplies and equipment. In addition, most LMICs lack pediatric critical care training programs for healthcare providers or certification procedures to accredit healthcare providers working in their pediatric intensive care units (PICU) and high dependency areas. PICU can improve the quality of pediatric care in general and, if properly organized, can effectively treat the severe complications of high burden diseases, such as diarrhea, severe malaria, and respiratory distress using low-cost interventions. Setting up a PICU in a LMIC setting requires planning, specific resources, and most importantly investment in the nursing and permanent medical staff. A thoughtful approach to developing pediatric critical care services in LMICs starts with fundamental building blocks: training healthcare professionals in skills and knowledge, selecting resource appropriate effective equipment, and having supportive leadership to provide an enabling environment for appropriate care. If these fundamentals can be built on in a sustainable manner, an appropriate critical care service will be established with the potential to significantly decrease pediatric morbidity and mortality in the context of public health goals as we reach toward the sustainable development goals.

Prevention and Control of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Acute Care Settings.

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Lee, Andie S; Huttner, Benedikt; Harbarth, Stephan

2016-12-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a leading cause of health care-associated infections worldwide. Controversies with regard to the effectiveness of various MRSA control strategies have contributed to varying approaches to the control of this pathogen in different settings. However, new evidence from large-scale studies has emerged, particularly with regards to MRSA screening and decolonization strategies, which will inform future control practices. The implementation as well as outcomes of control measures in the real world is not only influenced by scientific evidence but also depends on economic, administrative, governmental, and political influences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stereotype Threat Among Black and White Women in Health Care Settings

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Abdou, Cleopatra M.; Fingerhut, Adam W.

2016-01-01

The first of its kind, the present experiment applied stereotype threat—the threat of being judged by or confirming negative group-based stereotypes—to the health sciences. Black and White women (N = 162) engaged in a virtual health care situation. In the experimental condition, one’s ethnic identity and negative stereotypes of Black women specifically were made salient. As predicted, Black women in the stereotype threat condition who were strongly identified as Black (in terms of having explored what their ethnic identity means to them and the role it plays in their lives) reported significantly greater anxiety while waiting to see the doctor in the virtual health care setting than all other women. It is hypothesized that stereotype threat experienced in health care settings is one overlooked social barrier contributing to disparities in health care utilization and broader health disparities among Black women. PMID:25045944

Implementing culture change in long-term dementia care settings.

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McGreevy, Jessica

2016-01-06

The approach to nursing in long-term care settings for people living with dementia continues to evolve from a traditional, task-oriented culture to one that is person-centred. Such change can be difficult to manage and may encounter considerable opposition; having an understanding of change management and leadership styles may help to make this transition easier. This article discusses the differences between task-oriented and person-centred care, theories of management, motivation and leadership styles, and focuses on those that are most appropriate for this type of change. An improved understanding of these theories will enable nurses to support others in the delivery of person-centred care.

Filipino Arts among Elders in Institutionalized Care Settings

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de Guzman, Allan B.; Satuito, James Cyril B.; Satumba, Miko Anne E.; Segui, Diego Rey A.; Serquina, Faith Evelyn C.; Serrano, Lawrence Jan P.; Sevilla, Madelyn D.

2011-01-01

The use of traditional art in recreational therapies is unexplored. This paper, thus, attempts to surface the unique power of traditional Filipino arts (TFA) as synergizing lens in capturing the individual and the collective experiences of a select group of Filipino elderly in an institutionalized care setting relative to their feelings of…

Associations between preoperative physical therapy and post-acute care utilization patterns and cost in total joint replacement.

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Snow, Richard; Granata, Jaymes; Ruhil, Anirudh V S; Vogel, Karen; McShane, Michael; Wasielewski, Ray

2014-10-01

Health-care costs following acute hospital care have been identified as a major contributor to regional variation in Medicare spending. This study investigated the associations of preoperative physical therapy and post-acute care resource use and its effect on the total cost of care during primary hip or knee arthroplasty. Historical claims data were analyzed using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Limited Data Set files for Diagnosis Related Group 470. Analysis included descriptive statistics of patient demographic characteristics, comorbidities, procedures, and post-acute care utilization patterns, which included skilled nursing facility, home health agency, or inpatient rehabilitation facility, during the ninety-day period after a surgical hospitalization. To evaluate the associations, we used bivariate and multivariate techniques focused on post-acute care use and total episode-of-care costs. The Limited Data Set provided 4733 index hip or knee replacement cases for analysis within the thirty-nine-county Medicare hospital referral cluster. Post-acute care utilization was a significant variable in the total cost of care for the ninety-day episode. Overall, 77.0% of patients used post-acute care services after surgery. Post-acute care utilization decreased if preoperative physical therapy was used, with only 54.2% of the preoperative physical therapy cohort using post-acute care services. However, 79.7% of the non-preoperative physical therapy cohort used post-acute care services. After adjusting for demographic characteristics and comorbidities, the use of preoperative physical therapy was associated with a significant 29% reduction in post-acute care use, including an $871 reduction of episode payment driven largely by a reduction in payments for skilled nursing facility ($1093), home health agency ($527), and inpatient rehabilitation ($172). The use of preoperative physical therapy was associated with a 29% decrease in the use of any post-acute care

Factors associated with constructive staff-family relationships in the care of older adults in the institutional setting.

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Haesler, Emily; Bauer, Michael; Nay, Rhonda

2006-12-01

Background  Modern healthcare philosophy espouses the virtues of holistic care and acknowledges that family involvement is appropriate and something to be encouraged due to the role it plays in physical and emotional healing. In the aged care sector, the involvement of families is a strong guarantee of a resident's well-being. The important role family plays in the support and care of the older adult in the residential aged care environment has been enshrined in the Australian Commonwealth Charter of Residents' Rights and Responsibilities and the Aged Care Standards of Practice. Despite wide acknowledgement of the importance of family involvement in the healthcare of the older adult, many barriers to the implementation of participatory family care have been identified in past research. For older adults in the healthcare environment to benefit from the involvement of their family members, healthcare professionals need an understanding of the issues surrounding family presence in the healthcare environment and the strategies to best support it. Objectives  The objectives of the systematic review were to present the best available evidence on the strategies, practices and organisational characteristics that promote constructive staff-family relationships in the care of older adults in the healthcare setting. Specifically this review sought to investigate how staff and family members perceive their relationships with each other; staff characteristics that promote constructive relationships with the family; and interventions that support staff-family relationships. Search strategy  A literature search was performed using the following databases for the years 1990-2005: Ageline, APAIS Health, Australian Family and Society Abstracts (FAMILY), CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Dare, Dissertation Abstracts, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Social Science Index. Personal communication from expert panel members was also used to identify studies for inclusion. A second search stage

Grounded Theory of Barriers and Facilitators to Mandated Implementation of Mental Health Care in the Primary Care Setting

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Justin K. Benzer

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. There is limited theory regarding the real-world implementation of mental health care in the primary care setting: a type of organizational coordination intervention. The purpose of this study was to develop a theory to conceptualize the potential causes of barriers and facilitators to how local sites responded to this mandated intervention to achieve coordinated mental health care. Methods. Data from 65 primary care and mental health staff interviews across 16 sites were analyzed to identify how coordination was perceived one year after an organizational mandate to provide integrated mental health care in the primary care setting. Results. Standardized referral procedures and communication practices between primary care and mental health were influenced by the organizational factors of resources, training, and work design, as well as provider-experienced organizational boundaries between primary care and mental health, time pressures, and staff participation. Organizational factors and provider experiences were in turn influenced by leadership. Conclusions. Our emergent theory describes how leadership, organizational factors, and provider experiences affect the implementation of a mandated mental health coordination intervention. This framework provides a nuanced understanding of the potential barriers and facilitators to implementing interventions designed to improve coordination between professional groups.

Task-Sharing Approaches to Improve Mental Health Care in Rural and Other Low-Resource Settings: A Systematic Review.

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Hoeft, Theresa J; Fortney, John C; Patel, Vikram; Unützer, Jürgen

2018-12-01

Rural areas persistently face a shortage of mental health specialists. Task shifting, or task sharing, is an approach in global mental health that may help address unmet mental health needs in rural and other low-resource areas. This review focuses on task-shifting approaches and highlights future directions for research in this area. Systematic review on task sharing of mental health care in rural areas of high-income countries included: (1) PubMed, (2) gray literature for innovations not yet published in peer-reviewed journals, and (3) outreach to experts for additional articles. We included English language articles published before August 31, 2013, on interventions sharing mental health care tasks across a team in rural settings. We excluded literature: (1) from low- and middle-income countries, (2) involving direct transfer of care to another provider, and (3) describing clinical guidelines and shared decision-making tools. The review identified approaches to task sharing focused mainly on community health workers and primary care providers. Technology was identified as a way to leverage mental health specialists to support care across settings both within primary care and out in the community. The review also highlighted how provider education, supervision, and partnerships with local communities can support task sharing. Challenges, such as confidentiality, are often not addressed in the literature. Approaches to task sharing may improve reach and effectiveness of mental health care in rural and other low-resource settings, though important questions remain. We recommend promising research directions to address these questions. © 2017 National Rural Health Association.

Child-care chaos and teachers' responsiveness: The indirect associations through teachers' emotion regulation and coping.

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Jeon, Lieny; Hur, Eunhye; Buettner, Cynthia K

2016-12-01

Teachers in early child-care settings are key contributors to children's development. However, the role of teachers' emotional abilities (i.e., emotion regulation and coping skills) and the role of teacher-perceived environmental chaos in relation to their responsiveness to children are understudied. The current study explored the direct and indirect associations between teachers' perceptions of child-care chaos and their self-reported contingent reactions towards children's negative emotions and challenging social interactions via teachers' emotional regulation and coping strategies. The sample consisted of 1129 preschool-aged classroom teachers in day care and public pre-K programs across the US. We first found that child-care chaos was directly associated with teachers' non-supportive reactions after controlling for multiple program and teacher characteristics. In addition, teachers in more chaotic child-care settings had less reappraisal and coping skills, which in turn, was associated with lower levels of positive responsiveness to children. Teachers reporting a higher degree of chaos used more suppression strategies, which in turn, was associated with teachers' non-supportive reactions and fewer expressive encouragement reactions to children's emotions. Results of this exploratory study suggest that it is important to prepare teachers to handle chaotic environments with clear guidelines and rules. In order to encourage teachers' supportive responses to children, intervention programs are needed to address teachers' coping and emotion regulation strategies in early childhood education. Copyright © 2016 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Noddings's caring ethics theory applied in a paediatric setting.

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Lundqvist, Anita; Nilstun, Tore

2009-04-01

Since the 1990s, numerous studies on the relationship between parents and their children have been reported on in the literature and implemented as a philosophy of care in most paediatric units. The purpose of this article is to understand the process of nurses' care for children in a paediatric setting by using Noddings's caring ethics theory. Noddings's theory is in part described from a theoretical perspective outlining the basic idea of the theory followed by a critique of her work. Important conceptions in her theory are natural caring (reception, relation, engrossment, motivational displacement, reciprocity) and ethical caring (physical self, ethical self, and ethical ideal). As a nurse one holds a duty of care to patients and, in exercising this duty, the nurse must be able to develop a relationship with the patient including giving the patient total authenticity in a 'feeling with' the patient. Noddings's theory is analysed and described in three examples from the paediatrics. In the first example, the nurse cared for the patient in natural caring while in the second situation, the nurse strived for the ethical caring of the patient. In the third example, the nurse rejected the impulse to care and deliberately turned her back to ethics and abandoned her ethical caring. According to the Noddings's theory, caring for the patient enables the nurse to obtain ethical insights from the specific type of nursing care which forms an important contribution to an overall increase of an ethical consciousness in the nurse.

The process of care in integrative health care settings - a qualitative study of US practices.

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Grant, Suzanne J; Bensoussan, Alan

2014-10-23

There is a lack of research on the organisational operations of integrative healthcare (IHC) practices. IHC is a therapeutic strategy integrating conventional and complementary medicine in a shared context to administer individualized treatment. To better understand the process of care in IHC - the way in which patients are triaged and treatment plans are constructed, interviews were conducted with integrative health care leaders and practitioners in the US. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a pragmatic group of fourteen leaders and practitioners from nine different IHC settings. All interviews were conducted face-to-face with the exception of one phone interview. Questions focussed on understanding the "process of care" in an integrative healthcare setting. Deductive categories were formed from the aims of the study, focusing on: organisational structure, processes of care (subcategories: patient intake, treatment and charting, use of guidelines or protocols), prevalent diseases or conditions treated, and the role of research in the organisation. The similarities and differences of the ITH entities emerged from this process. On an organisational level, conventional and CM services and therapies were co-located in all nine settings. For patients, this means there is more opportunity for 'seamless care'. Shared information systems enabled easy communication using internal messaging or email systems, and shared patient intake information. But beyond this infrastructure alignment for integrative health care was less supported. There were no use of protocols or guidelines within any centre, no patient monitoring mechanism beyond that which occurred within one-on-one appointments. Joint planning for a patient treatment was typically ad hoc through informal mechanisms. Additional duties typically come at a direct financial cost to fee-for-service practitioners. In contrast, service delivery and the process of care within hospital inpatient services followed

Health Care Aides' Struggle to Build and Maintain Relationships with Families in Complex Continuing Care Settings

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McGilton, Katherine S.; Guruge, Sepali; Librado, Ruby; Bloch, Lois; Boscart, Veronique

2008-01-01

Research on the relationships between health care aides (HCAs) and families of clients has been situated mainly in long-term care settings and includes scant findings about the perceptions of HCAs. Based on the findings of a larger qualitative study using a grounded theory approach, this paper addresses the topic of HCA-family relationships in…

Using portable negative pressure wound therapy devices in the home care setting

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Burke JR

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Joshua R Burke, Rachael Morley, Mustafa Khanbhai Academic Surgery Unit, Education and Research Centre, University Hospital of South Manchester, Manchester, UK Abstract: Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT is the continuous or intermittent application of subatmospheric pressure to the surface of a wound that improves the wound environment, accelerates healing, and reduces wound closure time. Since its first documented use, this technology has lent itself to a number of adaptations, most notably, the development of portable devices facilitating treatment in the home care setting. With advancing surgical standards, wound healing is an important rate-limiting factor in early patient discharge and often a major cost of inpatient treatment. The efficacy of NPWT in the home care setting has been investigated through rate of wound closure, time in care, and patient experience. Rate of wound closure is the most appropriate primary end point. Much can be gleaned from patient experience, but the future success of portable NPWT will be measured on time in care and therefore cost effectiveness. However, there is a lack of level 1a evidence demonstrating increased efficacy of portable over inpatient NPWT. The development of portable NPWT is an encouraging innovation in wound care technology, and extending the benefits to the home care setting is both possible and potentially more beneficial. Keywords: portable, negative pressure wound therapy, vacuum-assisted closure, topical negative pressure therapy

A Comparison of the Wellbeing of Orphans and Abandoned Children Ages 6–12 in Institutional and Community-Based Care Settings in 5 Less Wealthy Nations

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Whetten, Kathryn; Ostermann, Jan; Whetten, Rachel A.; Pence, Brian W.; O'Donnell, Karen; Messer, Lynne C.; Thielman, Nathan M.

2009-01-01

Background Leaders are struggling to care for the estimated 143,000,000 orphans and millions more abandoned children worldwide. Global policy makers are advocating that institution-living orphans and abandoned children (OAC) be moved as quickly as possible to a residential family setting and that institutional care be used as a last resort. This analysis tests the hypothesis that institutional care for OAC aged 6–12 is associated with worse health and wellbeing than community residential care using conservative two-tail tests. Methodology The Positive Outcomes for Orphans (POFO) study employed two-stage random sampling survey methodology in 6 sites across 5 countries to identify 1,357 institution-living and 1,480 community-living OAC ages 6–12, 658 of whom were double-orphans or abandoned by both biological parents. Survey analytic techniques were used to compare cognitive functioning, emotion, behavior, physical health, and growth. Linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate the proportion of variability in child outcomes attributable to the study site, care setting, and child levels and institutional versus community care settings. Conservative analyses limited the community living children to double-orphans or abandoned children. Principal Findings Health, emotional and cognitive functioning, and physical growth were no worse for institution-living than community-living OAC, and generally better than for community-living OAC cared for by persons other than a biological parent. Differences between study sites explained 2–23% of the total variability in child outcomes, while differences between care settings within sites explained 8–21%. Differences among children within care settings explained 64–87%. After adjusting for sites, age, and gender, institution vs. community-living explained only 0.3–7% of the variability in child outcomes. Conclusion This study does not support the hypothesis that institutional care is systematically associated with

Functional Measures for Fall Risk in the Acute Care Setting: A Review.

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Bassett, Alaina M; Siu, Ka-Chun; Honaker, Julie A

2017-04-01

This review explores the evidence pertaining to the use of functional ability measures for fall risk in the acute care setting. We included studies from six bibliographic databases that investigated fall risk functional ability measures in hospitalized older adults (≥55 years). We utilized the following search terms: acute care, subacute care, critical care, inpatient, fall, and fall prevention. Nineteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Timed "Up and Go" (TUG) was identified as a feasible fall risk functional ability measure for clinicians; it demonstrated clinical performance of fair sensitivity (56%-68%) and good specificity (74%-80%). Clinical performance of other measures (Berg Balance Scale and Functional Reach test) was not as favorable as the TUG. Functional ability measures are underutilized in the acute care setting, potentially due to limited knowledge and training on administration. Combining functional measures with subjective screening tools may optimize performance and accuracy of identifying fall risk identification.

Associations between structural capabilities of primary care practices and performance on selected quality measures.

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Friedberg, Mark W; Coltin, Kathryn L; Safran, Dana Gelb; Dresser, Marguerite; Zaslavsky, Alan M; Schneider, Eric C

2009-10-06

Recent proposals to reform primary care have encouraged physician practices to adopt such structural capabilities as performance feedback and electronic health records. Whether practices with these capabilities have higher performance on measures of primary care quality is unknown. To measure associations between structural capabilities of primary care practices and performance on commonly used quality measures. Cross-sectional analysis. Massachusetts. 412 primary care practices. During 2007, 1 physician from each participating primary care practice (median size, 4 physicians) was surveyed about structural capabilities of the practice (responses representing 308 practices were obtained). Data on practice structural capabilities were linked to multipayer performance data on 13 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) process measures in 4 clinical areas: screening, diabetes, depression, and overuse. Frequently used multifunctional electronic health records were associated with higher performance on 5 HEDIS measures (3 in screening and 2 in diabetes), with statistically significant differences in performance ranging from 3.1 to 7.6 percentage points. Frequent meetings to discuss quality were associated with higher performance on 3 measures of diabetes care (differences ranging from 2.3 to 3.1 percentage points). Physician awareness of patient experience ratings was associated with higher performance on screening for breast cancer and cervical cancer (1.9 and 2.2 percentage points, respectively). No other structural capabilities were associated with performance on more than 1 measure. No capabilities were associated with performance on depression care or overuse. Structural capabilities of primary care practices were assessed by physician survey. Among the investigated structural capabilities of primary care practices, electronic health records were associated with higher performance across multiple HEDIS measures. Overall, the modest magnitude and

Communication skills training in dementia care: a systematic review of effectiveness, training content, and didactic methods in different care settings.

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Eggenberger, Eva; Heimerl, Katharina; Bennett, Michael I

2013-03-01

Caring for and caring about people with dementia require specific communication skills. Healthcare professionals and family caregivers usually receive little training to enable them to meet the communicative needs of people with dementia. This review identifies existent interventions to enhance communication in dementia care in various care settings. We searched MEDLINE, AMED, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, Gerolit, and Web of Science for scientific articles reporting interventions in both English and German. An intervention was defined as communication skills training by means of face-to-face interaction with the aim of improving basic communicative skills. Both professional and family caregivers were included. The effectiveness of such training was analyzed. Different types of training were defined. Didactic methods, training content, and additional organizational features were qualitatively examined. This review included 12 trials totaling 831 persons with dementia, 519 professional caregivers, and 162 family caregivers. Most studies were carried out in the USA, the UK, and Germany. Eight studies took place in nursing homes; four studies were located in a home-care setting. No studies could be found in an acute-care setting. We provide a list of basic communicative principles for good communication in dementia care. Didactic methods included lectures, hands-on training, group discussions, and role-play. This review shows that communication skills training in dementia care significantly improves the quality of life and wellbeing of people with dementia and increases positive interactions in various care settings. Communication skills training shows significant impact on professional and family caregivers' communication skills, competencies, and knowledge. Additional organizational features improve the sustainability of communication interventions.

Caring about caring: developing a model to implement compassionate relationship centred care in an older people care setting.

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Dewar, Belinda; Nolan, Mike

2013-09-01

This study actively involved older people, staff and relatives in agreeing a definition of compassionate relationship-centred care and identifying strategies to promote such care in acute hospital settings for older people. It was a major component of a three year programme (the Leadership in Compassionate Care Programme, LCCP) seeking to integrate compassionate care across practice and educational environments. Compassionate caring and promoting dignity are key priorities for policy, practice and research worldwide, being central to the quality of care for patients and families, and job satisfaction for staff. Therapeutic relationships are essential to achieving excellence in care but little is known about how to develop and sustain such relationships in a culture that increasingly focuses on throughput and rapid turnover. The study used appreciative inquiry and a range of methods including participant observation, interviews, story telling and group discussions to actively engage older people, relatives and staff. A process of immersion crystallization was used to analyze data with staff as co-analysts. The study adds considerably to the conceptualization of compassionate, relationship-centred care and provides a model to aid staff deliver such care in practice, based on 'appreciative caring conversations' that enable all parties to gain two forms of 'person and relational knowledge' about 'who people are and what matters to them' and 'how people feel about their experience'. Such knowledge enables staff, patients and carers to 'work together to shape the way things are done'. The study generated a model called the 7 'C's that captures in detail the factors necessary to promote 'appreciative caring conversations'. The study demonstrates that engaging in 'appreciative caring conversations' promotes compassionate, relationship-centred care but that these conversations involve practitioners taking risks. Such 'relational practices' must therefore be valued and

Palliative Care in Critical Care Settings: A Systematic Review of Communication-Based Competencies Essential for Patient and Family Satisfaction.

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Schram, Andrew W; Hougham, Gavin W; Meltzer, David O; Ruhnke, Gregory W

2017-11-01

There is an emerging literature on the physician competencies most meaningful to patients and their families. However, there has been no systematic review on physician competency domains outside direct clinical care most important for patient- and family-centered outcomes in critical care settings at the end of life (EOL). Physician competencies are an essential component of palliative care (PC) provided at the EOL, but the literature on those competencies relevant for patient and family satisfaction is limited. A systematic review of this important topic can inform future research and assist in curricular development. Review of qualitative and quantitative empirical studies of the impact of physician competencies on patient- and family-reported outcomes conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for systematic reviews. The data sources used were PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Fifteen studies (5 qualitative and 10 quantitative) meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified. The competencies identified as critical for the delivery of high-quality PC in critical care settings are prognostication, conflict mediation, empathic communication, and family-centered aspects of care, the latter being the competency most frequently acknowledged in the literature identified. Prognostication, conflict mediation, empathic communication, and family-centered aspects of care are the most important identified competencies for patient- and family-centered PC in critical care settings. Incorporation of education on these competencies is likely to improve patient and family satisfaction with EOL care.

A managed clinical network for cardiac services: set-up, operation and impact on patient care

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Karen E. Hamilton

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To investigate the set up and operation of a Managed Clinical Network for cardiac services and assess its impact on patient care. Methods: This single case study used process evaluation with observational before and after comparison of indicators of quality of care and costs. The study was conducted in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and used a three-level framework. Process evaluation of the network set-up and operation through a documentary review of minutes; guidelines and protocols; transcripts of fourteen semi-structured interviews with health service personnel including senior managers, general practitioners, nurses, cardiologists and members of the public. Outcome evaluation of the impact of the network through interrupted time series analysis of clinical data of 202 patients aged less than 76 years admitted to hospital with a confirmed myocardial infarction one-year pre and one-year post, the establishment of the network. The main outcome measures were differences between indicators of quality of care targeted by network protocols. Economic evaluation of the transaction costs of the set-up and operation of the network and the resource costs of the clinical care of the 202 myocardial infarction patients from the time of hospital admission to 6 months post discharge through interrupted time series analysis. The outcome measure was different in National Health Service resource use. Results: Despite early difficulties, the network was successful in bringing together clinicians, patients and managers to redesign services, exhibiting most features of good network management. The role of the energetic lead clinician was crucial, but the network took time to develop and ‘bed down’. Its primary “modus operand” was the development of a myocardial infarction pathway and associated protocols. Of sixteen clinical care indicators, two improved significantly following the launch of the network and nine showed improvements, which were

Sharing clinical information across care settings: the birth of an integrated assessment system

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Henrard Jean-Claude

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Population ageing, the emergence of chronic illness, and the shift away from institutional care challenge conventional approaches to assessment systems which traditionally are problem and setting specific. Methods From 2002, the interRAI research collaborative undertook development of a suite of assessment tools to support assessment and care planning of persons with chronic illness, frailty, disability, or mental health problems across care settings. The suite constitutes an early example of a "third generation" assessment system. Results The rationale and development strategy for the suite is described, together with a description of potential applications. To date, ten instruments comprise the suite, each comprising "core" items shared among the majority of instruments and "optional" items that are specific to particular care settings or situations. Conclusion This comprehensive suite offers the opportunity for integrated multi-domain assessment, enabling electronic clinical records, data transfer, ease of interpretation and streamlined training.

Sharing clinical information across care settings: the birth of an integrated assessment system

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Gray, Leonard C; Berg, Katherine; Fries, Brant E; Henrard, Jean-Claude; Hirdes, John P; Steel, Knight; Morris, John N

2009-01-01

Background Population ageing, the emergence of chronic illness, and the shift away from institutional care challenge conventional approaches to assessment systems which traditionally are problem and setting specific. Methods From 2002, the interRAI research collaborative undertook development of a suite of assessment tools to support assessment and care planning of persons with chronic illness, frailty, disability, or mental health problems across care settings. The suite constitutes an early example of a "third generation" assessment system. Results The rationale and development strategy for the suite is described, together with a description of potential applications. To date, ten instruments comprise the suite, each comprising "core" items shared among the majority of instruments and "optional" items that are specific to particular care settings or situations. Conclusion This comprehensive suite offers the opportunity for integrated multi-domain assessment, enabling electronic clinical records, data transfer, ease of interpretation and streamlined training. PMID:19402891

Losing connections and receiving support to reconnect: experiences of frail older people within care programmes implemented in primary care settings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bindels, J.; Cox, K.; De La Haye, J.; Mevissen, G.; Heijing, S.; van Schayck, O.C.P.; Widdershoven, G.; Abma, T.A.

2015-01-01

Aims and objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether care provided in the care programmes matched the needs of older people. Background: Care programmes were implemented in primary-care settings in the Netherlands to identify frail older people and to prevent further

Social-Professional Networks in Long-Term Care Settings With People With Dementia: An Approach to Better Care? A Systematic Review.

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Mitchell, Janet I; Long, Janet C; Braithwaite, Jeffrey; Brodaty, Henry

2016-02-01

Dementia is a syndrome associated with stigma and social isolation. Forty-two percent of people with dementia in the United States and almost 40% in the United Kingdom live in assisted living and residential care facilities. Up to 90% of residents with dementia experience behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Currently psychotropic drugs are often used to manage BPSD, despite the drugs' limited efficacy and adverse effects. Even though psychosocial approaches are as effective as medical ones without side effects, their uptake has been slow. Social networks that investigate the structure of relationships among residents and staff may represent an important resource to increase the uptake of psychosocial approaches and facilitate improvements in care. To conduct a systematic review of social network studies set in long-term care (LTC), including residents with dementia, and identify network factors influencing the care available to residents. Peer-reviewed articles across CINAHL, EMBASE, IBSS, Medline, PsychInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from January 1994 to December 2014 inclusive, using PRISMA guidelines. Studies included those examining social networks of residents or staff in LTC. Nine articles from studies in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia met search criteria. Resident networks had few social connections. One study proposed that residents with high centrality be encouraged to welcome new residents and disseminate information. The high density in 2 staff network studies was associated with the cooperation needed to provide care to residents with dementia. Staff's boundary-spanning led to higher-status nurses becoming more involved in decision-making and problem-solving in one study. In another, the outcome was staff treating residents with more respect and actively caring for them. These studies suggest interventions using a network approach may improve care services in LTC. Copyright © 2016 AMDA – The

Improving the Quality of Nursing Documentation in Home Health Care Setting

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Obioma, Chidiadi

2017-01-01

Poor nursing documentation of patient care was identified in daily nurse visit notes in a health care setting. This problem affects effective communication of patient status with other clinicians, thereby jeopardizing clinical decision-making. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to determine the impact of a retraining program on the…

Behavioral medicine interventions for adult primary care settings: A review.

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Funderburk, Jennifer S; Shepardson, Robyn L; Wray, Jennifer; Acker, John; Beehler, Gregory P; Possemato, Kyle; Wray, Laura O; Maisto, Stephen A

2018-06-07

Health care organizations are embracing integrated primary care (IPC), in which mental health and behavioral health are addressed as part of routine care within primary care settings. Behavioral medicine concerns, which include health behavior change and coping with medical conditions, are common in primary care populations. Although there are evidence-based behavioral interventions that target a variety of behavioral medicine concerns, integrated behavioral health providers need interventions that are sufficiently brief (i.e., ≤6 appointments) to be compatible with IPC. We conducted a literature review of published studies examining behavioral interventions that target prevalent behavioral medicine concerns and can feasibly be employed by IPC providers in adult primary care settings. A total of 67 published articles representing 63 original studies met eligibility criteria. We extracted data on the behavioral interventions employed, results comparing the active intervention to a comparison group, general fit with IPC, and methodological quality. The vast majority of studies examined brief interventions targeting sleep difficulties and physical activity. The most commonly employed interventions were derived from cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing. Outcomes were generally statistically significantly in favor of the active intervention relative to comparison, with highly variable methodological quality ratings (range = 0-5; M = 2.0). Results are discussed in relation to the need for further evidence for brief behavioral interventions targeting other behavioral medicine concerns beyond sleep and physical activity, as well as for more specificity regarding the compatibility of such interventions with IPC practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Mood disorders in adolescents: diagnosis, treatment, and suicide assessment in the primary care setting.

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Neves, Marilia G; Leanza, Francesco

2014-09-01

The primary care setting is considered the entry point of adolescents with mental illness in the health care system. This article informs primary care providers about the diagnostic features and differential of mood disorders in adolescents, screening and assessment, as well as evidence-based psychosocial and psychopharmacologic therapies. The article also provides a framework for decision making regarding initiating treatment in the primary care setting and referral to mental health services. Furthermore, the article highlights the importance of the collaboration between primary care and mental health providers to facilitate engagement of adolescents with mood disorders and adherence to treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with job satisfaction by Chinese primary care providers.

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Shi, Leiyu; Song, Kuimeng; Rane, Sarika; Sun, Xiaojie; Li, Hui; Meng, Qingyue

2014-01-01

This study provides a snapshot of the current state of primary care workforce (PCW) serving China's grassroots communities and examines the factors associated with their job satisfaction. Data for the study were from the 2011 China Primary Care Workforce Survey, a nationally representative survey that provides the most current assessment of community-based PCW. Outcome measures included 12 items on job satisfaction. Covariates included intrinsic and extrinsic factors associated with job satisfaction. In addition, PCW type (i.e., physicians, nurses, public health, and village doctors) and practice setting (i.e., rural versus urban) were included to identify potential differences due to the type of PCW and practice settings. The overall satisfaction level is rather low with only 47.6% of the Chinese PCW reporting either satisfied or very satisfied with their job. PCW are least satisfied with their income level (only 8.6% are either satisfied or very satisfied), benefits (12.8%), and professional development (19.5%). They (particularly village doctors) are also dissatisfied with their workload (37.2%). Lower income and higher workload are the two major contributing factors toward job dissatisfaction. To improve the general satisfaction level, policymakers must provide better pay and benefits and more opportunities for career development, particularly for village doctors.

A New Model of Delirium Care in the Acute Geriatric Setting: Geriatric Monitoring Unit

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Chong Mei

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Delirium is a common and serious condition, which affects many of our older hospitalised patients. It is an indicator of severe underlying illness and requires early diagnosis and prompt treatment, associated with poor survival, functional outcomes with increased risk of institutionalisation following the delirium episode in the acute care setting. We describe a new model of delirium care in the acute care setting, titled Geriatric Monitoring Unit (GMU where the important concepts of delirium prevention and management are integrated. We hypothesize that patients with delirium admitted to the GMU would have better clinical outcomes with less need for physical and psychotropic restraints compared to usual care. Methods/Design GMU models after the Delirium Room with adoption of core interventions from Hospital Elder Life Program and use of evening bright light therapy to consolidate circadian rhythm and improve sleep in the elderly patients. The novelty of this approach lies in the amalgamation of these interventions in a multi-faceted approach in acute delirium management. GMU development thus consists of key considerations for room design and resource planning, program specific interventions and daily core interventions. Assessments undertaken include baseline demographics, comorbidity scoring, duration and severity of delirium, cognitive, functional measures at baseline, 6 months and 12 months later. Additionally we also analysed the pre and post-GMU implementation knowledge and attitude on delirium care among staff members in the geriatric wards (nurses, doctors and undertook satisfaction surveys for caregivers of patients treated in GMU. Discussion This study protocol describes the conceptualization and implementation of a specialized unit for delirium management. We hypothesize that such a model of care will not only result in better clinical outcomes for the elderly patient with delirium compared to usual geriatric care

Why a successful task substitution in glaucoma care could not be transferred from a hospital setting to a primary care setting: a qualitative study

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Holtzer-Goor Kim M

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Healthcare systems are challenged by a demand that exceeds available resources. One policy to meet this challenge is task substitution-transferring tasks to other professions and settings. Our study aimed to explore stakeholders’ perceived feasibility of transferring hospital-based monitoring of stable glaucoma patients to primary care optometrists. Methods A case study was undertaken in the Rotterdam Eye Hospital (REH using semi-structured interviews and document reviews. They were inductively analysed using three implementation related theoretical perspectives: sociological theories on professionalism, management theories, and applied political analysis. Results Currently it is not feasible to use primary care optometrists as substitutes for optometrists and ophthalmic technicians working in a hospital-based glaucoma follow-up unit (GFU. Respondents’ narratives revealed that: the glaucoma specialists’ sense of urgency for task substitution outside the hospital diminished after establishing a GFU that satisfied their professionalization needs; the return on investments were unclear; and reluctant key stakeholders with strong power positions blocked implementation. The window of opportunity that existed for task substitution in person and setting in 1999 closed with the institutionalization of the GFU. Conclusions Transferring the monitoring of stable glaucoma patients to primary care optometrists in Rotterdam did not seem feasible. The main reasons were the lack of agreement on professional boundaries and work domains, the institutionalization of the GFU in the REH, and the absence of an appropriate reimbursement system. Policy makers considering substituting tasks to other professionals should carefully think about the implementation process, especially in a two-step implementation process (substitution in person and in setting such as this case. Involving the substituting professionals early on to ensure all

Evaluating patient care communication in integrated care settings: application of a mixed method approach in cerebral palsy programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gulmans, J.; Gulmans, J.; Vollenbroek-Hutten, Miriam Marie Rosé; van Gemert-Pijnen, Julia E.W.C.; van Harten, Willem H.

2009-01-01

Objective. In this study, we evaluated patient care communication in the integrated care setting of children with cerebral palsy in three Dutch regions in order to identify relevant communication gaps experienced by both parents and involved professionals. - Design. A three-step mixed method

Benefits and problems of health-care robots in aged care settings: A comparison trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Broadbent, Elizabeth; Kerse, Ngaire; Peri, Kathryn; Robinson, Hayley; Jayawardena, Chandimal; Kuo, Tony; Datta, Chandan; Stafford, Rebecca; Butler, Haley; Jawalkar, Pratyusha; Amor, Maddy; Robins, Ben; MacDonald, Bruce

2016-03-01

This study investigated whether multiple health-care robots could have any benefits or cause any problems in an aged care facility. Fifty-three residents and 53 staff participated in a non-randomised controlled trial over 12 weeks. Six robots provided entertainment, communication and health-monitoring functions in staff rooms and activity lounges. These settings were compared to control settings without robots. There were no significant differences between groups in resident or staff outcomes, except a significant increase in job satisfaction in the control group only. The intervention group perceived the robots had more agency and experience than the control group did. Perceived agency of the robots decreased over time in both groups. Overall, we received very mixed responses with positive, neutral and negative comments. The robots had no major benefits or problems. Future research could give robots stronger operational roles, use more specific outcome measures, and perform cost-benefit analyses. © 2015 AJA Inc.

Adverse Events Associated with Hospitalization or Detected through the RAI-HC Assessment among Canadian Home Care Clients

Science.gov (United States)

Doran, Diane; Hirdes, John P.; Blais, Régis; Baker, G. Ross; Poss, Jeff W.; Li, Xiaoqiang; Dill, Donna; Gruneir, Andrea; Heckman, George; Lacroix, Hélène; Mitchell, Lori; O'Beirne, Maeve; Foebel, Andrea; White, Nancy; Qian, Gan; Nahm, Sang-Myong; Yim, Odilia; Droppo, Lisa; McIsaac, Corrine

2013-01-01

Background: The occurrence of adverse events (AEs) in care settings is a patient safety concern that has significant consequences across healthcare systems. Patient safety problems have been well documented in acute care settings; however, similar data for clients in home care (HC) settings in Canada are limited. The purpose of this Canadian study was to investigate AEs in HC, specifically those associated with hospitalization or detected through the Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (RAI-HC). Method: A retrospective cohort design was used. The cohort consisted of HC clients from the provinces of Nova Scotia, Ontario, British Columbia and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. Results: The overall incidence rate of AEs associated with hospitalization ranged from 6% to 9%. The incidence rate of AEs determined from the RAI-HC was 4%. Injurious falls, injuries from other than fall and medication-related events were the most frequent AEs associated with hospitalization, whereas new caregiver distress was the most frequent AE identified through the RAI-HC. Conclusion: The incidence of AEs from all sources of data ranged from 4% to 9%. More resources are needed to target strategies for addressing safety risks in HC in a broader context. Tools such as the RAI-HC and its Clinical Assessment Protocols, already available in Canada, could be very useful in the assessment and management of HC clients who are at safety risk. PMID:23968676

Assessment of patient safety culture in primary care setting, Al-Mukala, Yemen.

Science.gov (United States)

Webair, Hana H; Al-Assani, Salwa S; Al-Haddad, Reema H; Al-Shaeeb, Wafa H; Bin Selm, Manal A; Alyamani, Abdulla S

2015-10-13

Patient safety culture in primary care is the first step to achieve high quality health care. This study aims to provide a baseline assessment of patient safety culture in primary care settings in Al-Mukala, Yemen as a first published study from a least developed country. A survey was conducted in primary healthcare centres and units in Al-Mukala District, Yemen. A comprehensive sample from the available 16 centres was included. An Arabic version of the Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture was distributed to all health workers (110). Participants were physicians, nurses and administrative staff. The response rate from the participating centres was 71 %. (N = 78). The percent positive responses of the items is equal to the percentage of participants who answered positively. Composite scores were calculated by averaging the percent positive response on the items within a dimension. Positive safety culture was defined as 60 % or more positive responses on items or dimensions. Patient safety culture was perceived to be generally positive with the exception of the dimensions of 'Communication openness', 'Work pressure and pace' and 'Patient care tracking/follow-up', as the percent positive response of these dimensions were 58, 57, and 52 % respectively. Overall, positive rating on quality and patient safety were low (49 and 46 % respectively). Although patient safety culture in Al-Mukala primary care setting is generally positive, patient safety and quality rating were fairly low. Implementation of a safety and quality management system in Al-Mukala primary care setting are paramount. Further research is needed to confirm the applicability of the Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture (MOSPSC) for Al-Mukala primary care.

Spirometry use: detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the primary care setting

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Thomas A; Fromer, Len

2011-01-01

Objective: To describe a practical method for family practitioners to stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by the use of office spirometry. Methods: This is a review of the lessons learned from evaluations of the use of office spirometry in the primary care setting to identify best practices using the most recent published evaluations of office spirometry and the analysis of preliminary data from a recent spirometry mass screening project. A mass screening study by the American Association for Respiratory Care and the COPD Foundation was used to identify the most effective way for general practitioners to implement office spirometry in order to stage COPD. Results: A simple three-step method is described to identify people with a high pre-test probability in an attempt to detect moderate to severe COPD: COPD questionnaire, measurement of peak expiratory flow, and office spirometry. Clinical practice guidelines exist for office spirometry basics for safety, use of electronic peak flow devices, and portable spirometers. Conclusion: Spirometry can be undertaken in primary care offices with acceptable levels of technical expertise. Using office spirometry, primary care physicians can diagnose the presence and severity of COPD. Spirometry can guide therapies for COPD and predict outcomes when used in general practice. PMID:21472091

Association of Continuity of Primary Care and Statin Adherence.

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James R Warren

Full Text Available Deficiencies in medication adherence are a major barrier to effectiveness of chronic condition management. Continuity of primary care may promote adherence. We assessed the association of continuity of primary care with adherence to long-term medication as exemplified by statins.We linked data from a prospective study of 267,091 Australians aged 45 years and over to national data sets on prescription reimbursements, general practice claims, hospitalisations and deaths. For participants having a statin dispense within 90 days of study entry, we computed medication possession ratio (MPR and usual provider continuity index (UPI for the subsequent two years. We used multivariate Poisson regression to calculate the relative risk (RR and 95% confidence interval (CI for the association between tertiles of UPI and MPR adjusted for socio-demographic and health-related patient factors, including age, gender, remoteness of residence, smoking, alcohol intake, fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, prior heart disease and speaking a language other than English at home. We performed a comparison approach using propensity score matching on a subset of the sample.36,144 participants were eligible and included in the analysis among whom 58% had UPI greater than 75%. UPI was significantly associated with 5% increased MPR for statin adherence (95% CI 1.04-1.06 for highest versus lowest tertile. Dichotomised analysis using a cut-off of UPI at 75% showed a similar effect size. The association between UPI and statin adherence was independent of socio-demographic and health-related factors. Stratification analyses further showed a stronger association among those who were new to statins (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.15-1.54.Greater continuity of care has a positive association with medication adherence for statins which is independent of socio-demographic and health-related factors.

Association of Continuity of Primary Care and Statin Adherence.

Science.gov (United States)

Warren, James R; Falster, Michael O; Tran, Bich; Jorm, Louisa

2015-01-01

Deficiencies in medication adherence are a major barrier to effectiveness of chronic condition management. Continuity of primary care may promote adherence. We assessed the association of continuity of primary care with adherence to long-term medication as exemplified by statins. We linked data from a prospective study of 267,091 Australians aged 45 years and over to national data sets on prescription reimbursements, general practice claims, hospitalisations and deaths. For participants having a statin dispense within 90 days of study entry, we computed medication possession ratio (MPR) and usual provider continuity index (UPI) for the subsequent two years. We used multivariate Poisson regression to calculate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between tertiles of UPI and MPR adjusted for socio-demographic and health-related patient factors, including age, gender, remoteness of residence, smoking, alcohol intake, fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, prior heart disease and speaking a language other than English at home. We performed a comparison approach using propensity score matching on a subset of the sample. 36,144 participants were eligible and included in the analysis among whom 58% had UPI greater than 75%. UPI was significantly associated with 5% increased MPR for statin adherence (95% CI 1.04-1.06) for highest versus lowest tertile. Dichotomised analysis using a cut-off of UPI at 75% showed a similar effect size. The association between UPI and statin adherence was independent of socio-demographic and health-related factors. Stratification analyses further showed a stronger association among those who were new to statins (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.15-1.54). Greater continuity of care has a positive association with medication adherence for statins which is independent of socio-demographic and health-related factors.

Biopsychosocial Correlates of Binge Eating Disorder in Caucasian and African American Women with Obesity in Primary Care Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Udo, Tomoko; White, Marney A; Lydecker, Janet L; Barnes, Rachel D; Genao, Inginia; Garcia, Rina; Masheb, Robin M; Grilo, Carlos M

2016-05-01

This study examined racial differences in eating-disorder psychopathology, eating/weight-related histories, and biopsychosocial correlates in women (n = 53 Caucasian and n = 56 African American) with comorbid binge eating disorder (BED) and obesity seeking treatment in primary care settings. Caucasians reported significantly earlier onset of binge eating, dieting, and overweight, and greater number of times dieting than African American. The rate of metabolic syndrome did not differ by race. Caucasians had significantly elevated triglycerides whereas African Americans showed poorer glycaemic control (higher glycated haemoglobin A1c [HbA1c]), and significantly higher diastolic blood pressure. There were no significant racial differences in features of eating disorders, depressive symptoms, or mental and physical health functioning. The clinical presentation of eating-disorder psychopathology and associated psychosocial functioning differed little by race among obese women with BED seeking treatment in primary care settings. Clinicians should assess for and institute appropriate interventions for comorbid BED and obesity in both African American and Caucasian patients. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Mapping the scope of occupational therapy practice in palliative care: A European Association for Palliative Care cross-sectional survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Eva, Gail; Morgan, Deidre

2018-05-01

Occupational therapists play an integral role in the care of people with life-limiting illnesses. However, little is known about the scope of occupational therapy service provision in palliative care across Europe and factors influencing service delivery. This study aimed to map the scope of occupational therapy palliative care interventions across Europe and to explore occupational therapists' perceptions of opportunities and challenges when delivering and developing palliative care services. A 49-item online cross-sectional survey comprised of fixed and free text responses was securely hosted via the European Association for Palliative Care website. Survey design, content and recruitment processes were reviewed and formally approved by the European Association for Palliative Care Board of Directors. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse data. Setting/respondents: Respondents were European occupational therapists whose caseload included palliative care recipients (full-time or part-time). In total, 237 valid responses were analysed. Findings demonstrated a consistency in occupational therapy practice in palliative care between European countries. Clinician time was prioritised towards indirect patient care, with limited involvement in service development, leadership and research. A need for undergraduate and postgraduate education was identified. Organisational expectations and understanding of the scope of the occupational therapy role constrain the delivery of services to support patients and carers. Further development of occupational therapy in palliative care, particularly capacity building in leadership and research activities, is warranted. There is a need for continuing education and awareness raising of the role of occupational therapy in palliative care.

Use of culture care theory with Anglo- and African American elders in a long-term care setting.

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McFarland, M R

1997-01-01

The purpose of this study was to discover the care expressions, practices, and patterns of elderly Anglo- and African American elders. The domain of inquiry was the cultural care of elderly residents within the environmental context of a long-term care institution. The ethnonursing qualitative research method was used to conduct the study which was conceptualized within Leininger's theory of culture care diversity and universality. Four major themes were discovered: (a) Residents expressed and lived generic care to maintain their preadmission lifeways; (b) The nursing staff provided aspects of professional care to support satisfying lifeways for residents; (c) Institutional care patterns and expressions were viewed as a continuing life experience but with major differences between the apartment section and nursing home units; and (d) An institutional culture of the retirement home was discovered which reflected unique lifeways and shared care and health expressions and practices. These themes substantiated the culture care theory and revealed new modes of care for the elderly in an institutional setting.

Organizational factors associated with readiness for change in residential aged care settings.

Science.gov (United States)

von Treuer, Kathryn; Karantzas, Gery; McCabe, Marita; Mellor, David; Konis, Anastasia; Davison, Tanya E; O'Connor, Daniel

2018-02-01

Organizational change is inevitable in any workplace. Previous research has shown that leadership and a number of organizational climate and contextual variables can affect the adoption of change initiatives. The effect of these workplace variables is particularly important in stressful work sectors such as aged care where employees work with challenging older clients who frequently exhibit dementia and depression. This study sought to examine the effect of organizational climate and leadership variables on organizational readiness for change across 21 residential aged care facilities. Staff from each facility (N = 255) completed a self-report measure assessing organizational factors including organizational climate, leadership and readiness for change. A hierarchical regression model revealed that the organizational climate variables of work pressure, innovation, and transformational leadership were predictive of employee perceptions of organizational readiness for change. These findings suggest that within aged care facilities an organization's capacity to change their organizational climate and leadership practices may enhance an organization's readiness for change.

Palliative Care Specialist Consultation Is Associated With Supportive Care Quality in Advanced Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Walling, Anne M; Tisnado, Diana; Ettner, Susan L; Asch, Steven M; Dy, Sydney M; Pantoja, Philip; Lee, Martin; Ahluwalia, Sangeeta C; Schreibeis-Baum, Hannah; Malin, Jennifer L; Lorenz, Karl A

2016-10-01

Although recent randomized controlled trials support early palliative care for patients with advanced cancer, the specific processes of care associated with these findings and whether these improvements can be replicated in the broader health care system are uncertain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of palliative care consultation and its association with specific processes of supportive care in a national cohort of Veterans using the Cancer Quality ASSIST (Assessing Symptoms Side Effects and Indicators of Supportive Treatment) measures. We abstracted data from 719 patients' medical records diagnosed with advanced lung, colorectal, or pancreatic cancer in 2008 over a period of three years or until death who received care in the Veterans Affairs Health System to evaluate the association of palliative care specialty consultation with the quality of supportive care overall and by domain using a multivariate regression model. All but 54 of 719 patients died within three years and 293 received at least one palliative care consult. Patients evaluated by a palliative care specialist at diagnosis scored seven percentage points higher overall (P specialist consultation is associated with better quality of supportive care in three advanced cancers, predominantly driven by improvements in information and care planning. This study supports the effectiveness of early palliative care consultation in three common advanced cancers within the Veterans Affairs Health System and provides a greater understanding of what care processes palliative care teams influence. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Prevalence of Depressive Disorder of Outpatients Visiting Two Primary Care Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, Sun-Jin; Yim, Hyeon Woo; Jeong, Hyunsuk; Song, Hoo Rim; Ju, Sang Yhun; Kim, Jong Lyul; Jun, Tae-Youn

2015-09-01

Although the prevalence of depressive disorders in South Korea's general population is known, no reports on the prevalence of depression among patients who visit primary care facilities have been published. This preliminary study was conducted to identify the prevalence of depressive disorder in patients that visit two primary care facilities. Among 231 consecutive eligible patients who visited two primary care settings, 184 patients consented to a diagnostic interview for depression by psychiatrists following the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria. There were no significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, or level of education between the groups that consented and declined the diagnostic examination. The prevalence of depressive disorder and the proportion of newly diagnosed patients among depressive disorder patients were calculated. The prevalence of depressive disorder of patients in the two primary care facilities was 14.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.1 to 19.2), with major depressive disorder 5.4% (95% CI, 2.1 to 8.7), dysthymia 1.1% (95% CI, 0.0 to 2.6), and depressive disorder, not otherwise specified 7.6% (95% CI, 3.7 to 11.5). Among the 26 patients with depressive disorder, 19 patients were newly diagnosed. As compared to the general population, a higher prevalence of depressive disorders was observed among patients at two primary care facilities. Further study is needed with larger samples to inform the development of a primary care setting-based depression screening, management, and referral system to increase the efficiency of limited health care resources.

Prevalence of Depressive Disorder of Outpatients Visiting Two Primary Care Settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sun-Jin Jo

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Although the prevalence of depressive disorders in South Korea’s general population is known, no reports on the prevalence of depression among patients who visit primary care facilities have been published. This preliminary study was conducted to identify the prevalence of depressive disorder in patients that visit two primary care facilities. Methods: Among 231 consecutive eligible patients who visited two primary care settings, 184 patients consented to a diagnostic interview for depression by psychiatrists following the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria. There were no significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, or level of education between the groups that consented and declined the diagnostic examination. The prevalence of depressive disorder and the proportion of newly diagnosed patients among depressive disorder patients were calculated. Results: The prevalence of depressive disorder of patients in the two primary care facilities was 14.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.1 to 19.2, with major depressive disorder 5.4% (95% CI, 2.1 to 8.7, dysthymia 1.1% (95% CI, 0.0 to 2.6, and depressive disorder, not otherwise specified 7.6% (95% CI, 3.7 to 11.5. Among the 26 patients with depressive disorder, 19 patients were newly diagnosed. Conclusions: As compared to the general population, a higher prevalence of depressive disorders was observed among patients at two primary care facilities. Further study is needed with larger samples to inform the development of a primary care setting-based depression screening, management, and referral system to increase the efficiency of limited health care resources.

Social Work Student and Practitioner Roles in Integrated Care Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraher, Erin P; Richman, Erica Lynn; Zerden, Lisa de Saxe; Lombardi, Brianna

2018-06-01

Social workers are increasingly being deployed in integrated medical and behavioral healthcare settings but information about the roles they fill in these settings is not well understood. This study sought to identify the functions that social workers perform in integrated settings and identify where they acquired the necessary skills to perform them. Master of social work students (n=21) and their field supervisors (n=21) who were part of a Health Resources and Services Administration-funded program to train and expand the behavioral health workforce in integrated settings were asked how often they engaged in 28 functions, where they learned to perform those functions, and the degree to which their roles overlapped with others on the healthcare team. The most frequent functions included employing cultural competency, documenting in the electronic health record, addressing patient social determinants of health, and participating in team-based care. Respondents were least likely to engage in case conferences; use Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment; use stepped care to determine necessary level of treatment; conduct functional assessments of daily living skills; use behavioral activation; and use problem-solving therapy. A total of 80% of respondents reported that their roles occasionally, often, very often, or always overlapped with others on the healthcare team. Students reported learning the majority of skills (76%) in their Master of Social Work programs. Supervisors attributed the majority (65%) of their skill development to on-the-job training. Study findings suggest the need to redesign education, regulatory, and payment to better support the deployment of social workers in integrated care settings. This article is part of a supplement entitled The Behavioral Health Workforce: Planning, Practice, and Preparation, which is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services

Relationship between self-efficacy, self-care behaviour and glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Malaysian primary care setting.

OpenAIRE

Tharek, Zahirah; Ramli, Anis Safura; Whitford, David L; Ismail, Zaliha; Mohd Zulkifli, Maryam; Ahmad Sharoni, Siti Khuzaimah; Shafie, Asrul A; Jayaraman, Thevaraajan

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy has been shown to be positively correlated with self-care behaviour and glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, such evidence is lacking in the Malaysian primary care setting. The objectives of this study were to i) determine the levels of self-efficacy, self-care behaviour and glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Malaysian primary care setting ii) determine the relationship between self-efficacy, self...

Experiences of nurses working in a rural primary health-care setting in Mopani district, Limpopo Province

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MP Mohale

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Professional nurses working in rural, primary health-care settings are experiencing burnout due to serious shortages of personnel. This is exacerbated by the brain drain of nurses leaving the country. Rural settings are resource constrained in terms of personnel and equipment. This results in dissatisfaction among nurses due to the unbearable working conditions which result in stress and frustration. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive study was conducted to explore and describe the experiences of nurses working in a rural primary health-care setting in the greater Letaba sub district in Limpopo Province. Purposive sampling was used to identify the participants. Data was collected in the form of in-depth interviews. The study revealed that nurses working in primary health-care settings were experiencing emotional and physical strain as a result of the shortage of human resources. It was recommended that policies that meet the health-care needs of rural communities be developed, and that strategies to retain professional nurses in primary health-care settings be formulated.

Palliative care for cancer patients in a primary health care setting:Bereaved relatives' experience, a qualitative group interview study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neergaard, Mette Asbjørn; Olesen, Frede; Jensen, Anders Bonde

2008-01-01

care setting to explore barriers and facilitators for delivery of good palliative home care. Methods: Three focus group interviews with fourteen bereaved relatives in Aarhus County, Denmark. Results: Three main categories of experience were identified: 1) The health professionals' management, where...

"One Problem Became Another": Disclosure of Rape-Related Pregnancy in the Abortion Care Setting.

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Perry, Rachel; Murphy, Molly; Haider, Sadia; Harwood, Bryna

2015-01-01

We sought to explore the experiences of women who disclosed that their pregnancies resulted from rape in the abortion care setting, as well as the experiences of professionals involved in care of women with rape-related pregnancy. In-depth interviews were conducted with 9 patients who had terminated rape-related pregnancies and 12 professionals working in abortion care or rape crisis advocacy (5 abortion providers, 4 rape crisis center advocates, 2 social workers, and 1 clinic administrator). Transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed for themes related to the experiences of disclosing rape and the consequences of disclosure in the abortion care setting. Patients and professionals involved in care of women with rape-related pregnancy described opportunities arising from disclosure, including interpersonal (explaining abortion decision making in the context of assault, belief, and caring by providers), as well as structural opportunities (funding assistance, legal options, and mental health options). Whereas most patients did not choose to pursue all three structural opportunities, both patients and professionals emphasized the importance of offering them. The most important consequence of disclosure for patients was being believed and feeling that providers cared about them. Rape-related pregnancy disclosure in the abortion care setting can lead to opportunities for interpersonal support and open options for funding, legal recourse, and mental health care. Those working in abortion care should create environments conducive to disclosure and opportunities for rape survivors to access these additional options if they desire. Copyright © 2015 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experiences and shared meaning of teamwork and interprofessional collaboration among health care professionals in primary health care settings: a systematic review.

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Sangaleti, Carine; Schveitzer, Mariana Cabral; Peduzzi, Marina; Zoboli, Elma Lourdes Campos Pavone; Soares, Cassia Baldini

2017-11-01

During the last decade, teamwork has been addressed under the rationale of interprofessional practice or collaboration, highlighted by the attributes of this practice such as: interdependence of professional actions, focus on user needs, negotiation between professionals, shared decision making, mutual respect and trust among professionals, and acknowledgment of the role and work of the different professional groups. Teamwork and interprofessional collaboration have been pointed out as astrategy for effective organization of health care services as the complexity of healthcare requires integration of knowledge and practices from differente professional groups. This integration has a qualitative dimension that can be identified through the experiences of health professionals and to the meaning they give to teamwork. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the best available evidence on the experiences of health professionals regarding teamwork and interprofessional collaboration in primary health care settings. The populations included were all officially regulated health professionals that work in primary health settings: dentistry, medicine, midwifery, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical education, physiotherapy, psychology, social work and speech therapy. In addition to these professionals, community health workers, nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses and other allied health workers were also included. The phenomena of interest were experiences of health professionals regarding teamwork and interprofessional collaboration in primary health care settings. The context was primary health care settings that included health care centers, health maintenance organizations, integrative medicine practices, integrative health care, family practices, primary care organizations and family medical clinics. National health surgery as a setting was excluded. The qualitative component of the review considered studies that

Associations of family-centered care with health care outcomes for children with special health care needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Dennis Z; Bird, T Mac; Tilford, J Mick

2011-08-01

The objective of this study is to examine the association of family-centered care (FCC) with specific health care service outcomes for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). The study is a secondary analysis of the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs. Receipt of FCC was determined by five questions regarding how well health care providers addressed family concerns in the prior 12 months. We measured family burden by reports of delayed health care, unmet need, financial costs, and time devoted to care; health status, by stability of health care needs; and emergency department and outpatient service use. All statistical analyses used propensity score-based matching models to address selection bias. FCC was reported by 65.6% of respondents (N = 38,915). FCC was associated with less delayed health care (AOR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.48, 0.66), fewer unmet service needs (AOR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.60), reduced odds of ≥1 h/week coordinating care (AOR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.93) and reductions in out of pocket costs (AOR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.80, 0.96). FCC was associated with more stable health care needs (AOR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.21), reduced odds of emergency room visits (AOR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.82, 0.99) and increased odds of doctor visits (AOR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.37). Our study demonstrates associations of positive health and family outcomes with FCC. Realizing the health care delivery benefits of FCC may require additional encounters to build key elements of trust and partnership.

Use, misuse and non-use of health care assistants: understanding the work of health care assistants in a hospital setting.

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Spilsbury, Karen; Meyer, Julienne

2004-11-01

This study is concerned with understanding the work of non-registered nurses (health care assistants) in a UK hospital setting. There are increasing numbers of health care assistants employed by the National Health Service in the UK to support registered nurses providing nursing care. However, little is known about the make-up of the health care assistant workforce and the changing nature of their role. This study addresses some of these gaps in the research-based literature. A single case study design using mixed methods (survey, interviews, participant observations, focus groups and documents) was used to generate an in-depth account of health care assistants' work in one organization. The study is built upon what health care assistants say they do, compared with what they actually do in practice. It explores how and whether the work of health care assistants is adequately supervised, tensions between the work of health care assistants and registered nurses and the subsequent effects on teamwork and patient care. There are policy expectations associated with the work of health care assistants. However, this study reveals significant deviations from these goals. The workplace arena and the negotiations between health care assistants and registered nurses that take place within it, actively shape the health care assistants' work. Findings suggest dynamic patterns of use, misuse and non-use of the health care assistants as a resource to patient care. The changing roles of registered nurses have direct implications for the roles of health care assistants: as registered nurses take on extra duties and responsibilities they are conceding some of their role to health care assistants. This has implications for nurse managers. The competence of health care assistants to carry out nursing work needs to be reassessed and there also needs to be ongoing monitoring and supervision of their work to maximize, and further develop, their contribution to patient care and to ensure

Assessing Patient Activation among High-Need, High-Cost Patients in Urban Safety Net Care Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Napoles, Tessa M; Burke, Nancy J; Shim, Janet K; Davis, Elizabeth; Moskowitz, David; Yen, Irene H

2017-12-01

We sought to examine the literature using the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) or the Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI) with high-need, high-cost (HNHC) patients receiving care in urban safety net settings. Urban safety net care management programs serve low-income, racially/ethnically diverse patients living with multiple chronic conditions. Although many care management programs track patient progress with the PAM or the PEI, it is not clear whether the PAM or the PEI is an effective and appropriate tool for HNHC patients receiving care in urban safety net settings in the United States. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PsycINFO for articles published between 2004 and 2015 that used the PAM and between 1998 and 2015 that used the PEI. The search was limited to English-language articles conducted in the United States and published in peer-reviewed journals. To assess the utility of the PAM and the PEI in urban safety net care settings, we defined a HNHC patient sample as racially/ethnically diverse, low socioeconomic status (SES), and multimorbid. One hundred fourteen articles used the PAM. All articles using the PEI were conducted outside the U.S. and therefore were excluded. Nine PAM studies (8%) included participants similar to those receiving care in urban safety net settings, three of which were longitudinal. Two of the three longitudinal studies reported positive changes following interventions. Our results indicate that research on patient activation is not commonly conducted on racially and ethnically diverse, low SES, and multimorbid patients; therefore, there are few opportunities to assess the appropriateness of the PAM in such populations. Investigators expressed concerns with the potential unreliability and inappropriate nature of the PAM on multimorbid, older, and low-literacy patients. Thus, the PAM may not be able to accurately assess patient progress among HNHC patients receiving care in urban safety net settings. Assessing

Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association: integrating palliative care in public hospitals in Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Zipporah

2016-01-01

In Kenya, cancers as a disease group rank third as a cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases. It is estimated that the annual incidence of cancer is about 37,000 new cases with an annual mortality of 28,000 cases (Kenya National Cancer Control Strategy 2010). The incidence of non-communicable diseases accounts for more than 50% of total hospital admissions and over 55% of hospital deaths (Kenya National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases 2015-2020). The prevalence of HIV is 6.8 (KIAS 2014). Most of these patients will benefit from palliative care services, hence the need to integrate palliative care services in the public healthcare system. The process of integrating palliative care in public hospitals involved advocacy both at the national level and at the institutional level, training of healthcare professionals, and setting up services within the hospitals that we worked with. Technical support was provided to each individual institution as needed. Eleven provincial hospitals across the country have now integrated palliative care services (Palliative Care Units) and are now centres of excellence. Over 220 healthcare providers have been trained, and approximately, over 30,000 patients have benefited from these services. Oral morphine is now available in the hospital palliative care units. As a success of the pilot project, Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA) is now working with the Ministry of Health Kenya to integrate palliative care services in 30 other county hospitals across the country, thus ensuring more availability and access to more patients. Other developing countries can learn from Kenya's successful experience.

Estimated hospital costs associated with preventable health care-associated infections if health care antiseptic products were unavailable

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Schmier JK

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Jordana K Schmier,1 Carolyn K Hulme-Lowe,1 Svetlana Semenova,2 Juergen A Klenk,3 Paul C DeLeo,4 Richard Sedlak,5 Pete A Carlson6 1Health Sciences, Exponent, Inc., Alexandria, VA, 2EcoSciences, Exponent, Inc., Maynard, MA, 3Health Sciences, Exponent, Inc., Alexandria, VA, 4Environmental Safety, 5Technical and International Affairs, American Cleaning Institute, Washington, DC, 6Regulatory Affairs, Ecolab, Saint Paul, MN, USA Objectives: Health care-associated infections (HAIs pose a significant health care and cost burden. This study estimates annual HAI hospital costs in the US avoided through use of health care antiseptics (health care personnel hand washes and rubs; surgical hand scrubs and rubs; patient preoperative and preinjection skin preparations. Methods: A spreadsheet model was developed with base case inputs derived from the published literature, supplemented with assumptions when data were insufficient. Five HAIs of interest were identified: catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, gastrointestinal infections caused by Clostridium difficile, hospital- or ventilator-associated pneumonia, and surgical site infections. A national estimate of the annual potential lost benefits from elimination of these products is calculated based on the number of HAIs, the proportion of HAIs that are preventable, the proportion of preventable HAIs associated with health care antiseptics, and HAI hospital costs. The model is designed to be user friendly and to allow assumptions about prevention across all infections to vary or stay the same. Sensitivity analyses provide low- and high-end estimates of costs avoided. Results: Low- and high-end estimates of national, annual HAIs in hospitals avoided through use of health care antiseptics are 12,100 and 223,000, respectively, with associated hospital costs avoided of US$142 million and US$4.25 billion, respectively. Conclusion: The model presents a novel

Cervical cancer screening in primary health care setting in Sudan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibrahim, Ahmed; Aro, Arja R.; Rasch, Vibeke

2012-01-01

/119 (73.9%) were positive for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. VIA had higher sensitivity than Pap smear (74.2% versus 72.9%; P = 0.05) respectively. Out of 88 confirmed positive cases, 22 (25.0%) cases were invasive cervical cancer in stage 1, of which 19 versus three were detected by VIA and Pap......OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of visual inspection with the use of acetic acid (VIA) as a screening method for cervical cancer, an alternative to the Pap smear used in primary health care setting in Sudan, and to compare sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values...... of this study showed that VIA has higher sensitivity and lower specificity compared to Pap smear, but a combination of both tests has greater sensitivity and specificity than each test independently. It indicates that VIA is useful for screening of cervical cancer in the primary health care setting in Sudan...

Factors associated with delayed entry into HIV medical care after HIV diagnosis in a resource-limited setting: Data from a cohort study in India

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Gerardo Alvarez-Uria

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Studies from sub-Saharan Africa have shown that a substantial proportion of patients diagnosed with HIV enter into HIV medical care late. However, data from low or middle-income countries outside Africa are scarce. In this study, we investigated risk factors associated with delayed entry into care stratified by gender in a large cohort study in India. 7701 patients were diagnosed with HIV and 5410 entered into care within three months of HIV diagnosis. Nearly 80% entered into care within a year, but most patients who did not enter into care within a year remained lost to follow up or died. Patient with risk factors related to having a low socio-economic status (poverty, being homeless, belonging to a disadvantaged community and illiteracy were more likely to enter into care late. In addition, male gender and being asymptomatic at the moment of HIV infection were factors associated with delayed entry into care. Substantial gender differences were found. Younger age was found to be associated with delayed entry in men, but not in women. Widows and unmarried men were more likely to enter into care within three months. Women belonging to disadvantaged communities or living far from a town were more likely to enter into care late. The results of this study highlight the need to improve the linkage between HIV diagnosis and HIV treatment in India. HIV programmes should monitor patients diagnosed with HIV until they engage in HIV medical care, especially those at increased risk of attrition.

Development of a set of process and structure indicators for palliative care: the Europall project

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Woitha Kathrin

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background By measuring the quality of the organisation of palliative care with process and structure quality indicators (QIs, patients, caregivers and policy makers are able to monitor to what extent recommendations are met, like those of the council of the WHO on palliative care and guidelines. This will support the implementation of public programmes, and will enable comparisons between organisations or countries. Methods As no European set of indicators for the organisation of palliative care existed, such a set of QIs was developed. An update of a previous systematic review was made and extended with more databases and grey literature. In two project meetings with practitioners and experts in palliative care the development process of a QI set was finalised and the QIs were categorized in a framework, covering the recommendations of the Council of Europe. Results The searches resulted in 151 structure and process indicators, which were discussed in steering group meetings. Of those QIs, 110 were eligible for the final framework. Conclusions We developed the first set of QIs for the organisation of palliative care. This article is the first step in a multi step project to identify, validate and pilot QIs.

Nursing home manager's knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about advance care planning for people with dementia in long-term care settings: a cross-sectional survey.

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Beck, Esther-Ruth; McIlfatrick, Sonja; Hasson, Felicity; Leavey, Gerry

2017-09-01

To examine nursing home managers' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and current practice regarding advance care planning for people with dementia in long-term care settings informed by the theory of planned behaviour. Internationally, advance care planning is advocated for people with dementia. However, evidence suggests that discussions with people with dementia are rare, particularly in long-term care settings. Whilst nursing home managers can be considered central to implementation in this setting, there is a dearth of research that has examined their perspective. This study reports on their role with regard to advance care planning and the perceived factors which influence this. A cross-sectional postal survey was carried out as part of a larger scale sequential explanatory mixed-methods study between January-March 2015. Nursing home managers in a region in the UK (n = 178). A response rate of 66% (n = 116) was achieved. Nursing home managers demonstrated a lack of knowledge of advance care planning, with negative attitudes underpinned by concerns regarding the capacity and lack of perceived benefits to the person with dementia. Currently, they do not view advance care planning as part of their role, with lack of ownership impacting upon current practice behaviours. Whilst nursing home managers recognise the potential benefits of advance care planning, barriers and challenges create a reluctance to facilitate. Targeted training to address the knowledge deficit is required, with the wider components of advance care planning promoted. There is a need for greater role clarification to ensure nurses in long-term care settings identify with the process in the future. A gap between rhetoric and reality of implementation is evident; therefore, long-term care settings must critically examine system, organisational and individual factors for failure to implement advance care planning for people with dementia. Increased cognisance of the context in which advance care

Mental Health Care for LGBT Older Adults in Long-Term Care Settings: Competency, Training, and Barriers for Mental Health Providers.

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Smith, Ronald W; Altman, Jennifer K; Meeks, Suzanne; Hinrichs, Kate Lm

2018-06-07

To assess mental health providers' experience with LGBT older adults in long-term care (LTC) settings and perceived barriers to quality care. Providers (N = 57) completed an online survey on demographics and practice characteristics. They were also asked about: number of LGBT residents they've worked with, relevance of LGBT issues to their practice, preparedness, willingness to learn, hours of formal/informal training, and barriers to providing care to LGBT patients. Respondents were 63% psychologists, 16% social workers, 14% psychiatrists, and 5% nurses, most of whom practiced in LTC consulting roles. Most providers felt working with LGBT issues was relevant to their practice and felt well-prepared and willing to learn, though they were unaware of evidence based practices (EBTs), especially for LTC settings. They had little coursework on LGBT issues, and identified lack of training, stigma, and residents concealing their identity as the greatest barriers to quality care. Mental health providers in LTC facilities would benefit from more training in LGBT-specific mental health problems and evidence-based treatments, and efforts to destigmatize LGBT identities in these settings might improve access to mental health care. LGBT-specific training and EBTs are needed. Facilities need to address stigma with residents and providers.

The association between continuity of care in the community and health outcomes: a population-based study

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Dreiher Jacob

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The study goal was to assess indices of continuity of care in the primary care setting and their association with health outcomes and healthcare services utilization, given the reported importance of continuity regarding quality of care and healthcare utilization. Methods The study included a random sample of enrollees from Clalit Health Services 19 years-of-age or older who visited their primary care clinic at least three times in 2009. Indices of continuity of care were computed, including the Usual Provider Index (UPC, Modified Modified Continuity Index (MMCI, Continuity of Care Index (COC, and Sequential Continuity (SECON. Quality measures of preventive medicine and healthcare services utilization and their costs were assessed as outcomes. Results 1,713 randomly sampled patients were included in the study (mean age: 48.9 ± 19.2, 42% males. Continuity of care indices were: UPC: 0.75; MMCI: 0.81; COC: 0.67; SECON: 0.70. After controlling for patient characteristics in a multivariate analysis, a statistically significant association was found between higher values of UPC, COC, and SECON and a decrease in the number and cost of ED visits. Higher MMCI values were associated with a greater number and higher costs of medical consultation visits. Continuity of care indices were associated with BMI measurements, and inversely associated with blood pressure measurements. No association was found with other quality indicators, e.g., screening tests for cancer. Conclusions Several continuity of care indices were associated with decreased number and costs of ED visits. There were both positive and negative associations of continuity of care indices with different aspects of healthcare utilization. The relatively small effects of continuity might be due to the consistently high levels of continuity in Clalit Health Services.

Translating evidence into practice: Hong Kong Reference Framework for Preventive Care for Children in Primary Care Settings.

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Siu, Natalie P Y; Too, L C; Tsang, Caroline S H; Young, Betty W Y

2015-06-01

There is increasing evidence that supports the close relationship between childhood and adult health. Fostering healthy growth and development of children deserves attention and effort. The Reference Framework for Preventive Care for Children in Primary Care Settings has been published by the Task Force on Conceptual Model and Preventive Protocols under the direction of the Working Group on Primary Care. It aims to promote health and prevent disease in children and is based on the latest research, and contributions of the Clinical Advisory Group that comprises primary care physicians, paediatricians, allied health professionals, and patient groups. This article highlights the comprehensive, continuing, and patient-centred preventive care for children and discusses how primary care physicians can incorporate the evidence-based recommendations into clinical practice. It is anticipated that the adoption of this framework will contribute to improved health and wellbeing of children.

Use of a brief standardized screening instrument in a primary care setting to enhance detection of social-emotional problems among youth in foster care.

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Jee, Sandra H; Halterman, Jill S; Szilagyi, Moira; Conn, Anne-Marie; Alpert-Gillis, Linda; Szilagyi, Peter G

2011-01-01

To determine whether systematic use of a validated social-emotional screening instrument in a primary care setting is feasible and improves detection of social-emotional problems among youth in foster care. Before-and-after study design, following a practice intervention to screen all youth in foster care for psychosocial problems using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a validated instrument with 5 subdomains. After implementation of systematic screening, youth aged 11 to 17 years and their foster parents completed the SDQ at routine health maintenance visits. We assessed feasibility of screening by measuring the completion rates of SDQ by youth and foster parents. We compared the detection of psychosocial problems during a 2-year period before systematic screening to the detection after implementation of systematic screening with the SDQ. We used chart reviews to assess detection at baseline and after implementing systematic screening. Altogether, 92% of 212 youth with routine visits that occurred after initiation of screening had a completed SDQ in the medical record, demonstrating high feasibility of systematic screening. Detection of a potential mental health problem was higher in the screening period than baseline period for the entire population (54% vs 27%, P youth had 2 or more significant social-emotional problem domains on the SDQ. Systematic screening for potential social-emotional problems among youth in foster care was feasible within a primary care setting and doubled the detection rate of potential psychosocial problems. Copyright © 2011 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Delivering HIV care in challenging operating environments: the MSF experience towards differentiated models of care for settings with multiple basic health care needs.

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Ssonko, Charles; Gonzalez, Lucia; Mesic, Anita; da Fonseca, Marcio Silveira; Achar, Jay; Safar, Nadia; Martin, Beatriz; Wong, Sidney; Casas, Esther C

2017-07-21

Countries in the West and Central African regions struggle to offer quality HIV care at scale, despite HIV prevalence being relatively low. In these challenging operating environments, basic health care needs are multiple, systems are highly fragile and conflict disrupts health care. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been working to integrate HIV care in basic health services in such settings since 2000. We review the implementation of differentiated HIV care and treatment approaches in MSF-supported programmes in South Sudan (RoSS), Central African Republic (CAR) and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A descriptive analysis from CAR, DRC and RoSS programmes reviewing methodology and strategies of HIV care integration between 2010 and 2015 was performed. We describe HIV care models integrated within the provision of general health care and highlight best practices and challenges. Services included provision of general health care, with out-patient care (range between countries 43,343 and 287,163 consultations/year in 2015) and in-patient care (range 1076-16,595 in 2015). By the end of 2015 antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiations reached 12-255 patients/year. A total of 1101 and 1053 patients were on ART in CAR and DRC, respectively. In RoSS 186 patients were on ART when conflict recommenced late in 2013. While ART initiation and monitoring were mostly clinically driven in the early phase of the programmes, DRC implemented CD4 monitoring and progressively HIV viral load (VL) monitoring during study period. Attacks to health care facilities in CAR and RoSS disrupted service provision temporarily. Programmatic challenges include: competing health priorities influencing HIV care and need to integrate within general health services. Differentiated care approaches that support continuity of care in these programmes include simplification of medical protocols, multi-month ART prescriptions, and community strategies such as ART delivery groups, contingency plans and

Age-Based Differences in Care Setting Transitions over the Last Year of Life

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Donna M. Wilson

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Context. Little is known about the number and types of moves made in the last year of life to obtain healthcare and end-of-life support, with older adults more vulnerable to care setting transition issues. Research Objective. Compare care setting transitions across older (65+ years and younger individuals. Design. Secondary analyses of provincial hospital and ambulatory database data. Every individual who lived in the province for one year prior to death from April 1, 2005 through March 31, 2007 was retained (N=19,397. Results. Transitions averaged 3.5, with 3.9 and 3.4 for younger and older persons, respectively. Older persons also had fewer ER and ambulatory visits, fewer procedures performed in the last year of life, but longer inpatient stays (42.7 days versus 36.2 for younger persons. Conclusion. Younger and older persons differ somewhat in the number and type of end-of-life care setting transitions, a matter for continuing research and healthcare policy.

Health care priority setting in Norway a multicriteria decision analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Defechereux, T.; Paolucci, F.; Mirelman, A.; Youngkong, S.; Botten, G.; Hagen, T.P.; Niessen, L.W.

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: Priority setting in population health is increasingly based on explicitly formulated values. The Patients Rights Act of the Norwegian tax-based health service guaranties all citizens health care in case of a severe illness, a proven health benefit, and proportionality between need and

Level of health care and services in a tertiary health setting in Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Level of health care and services in a tertiary health setting in Nigeria. ... Background: There is a growing awareness and demand for quality health care across the world; hence the ... Doctors and nurses formed 64.3% of the study population.

International practice settings, interventions and outcomes of nurse practitioners in geriatric care: A scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Chavez, Krista S; Dwyer, Andrew A; Ramelet, Anne-Sylvie

2018-02-01

To identify and summarize the common clinical settings, interventions, and outcomes of nurse practitioner care specific to older people. Scoping review of the international published and grey literature. A structured literature search was conducted of CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Collaboration and Joanna Briggs Institute databases. Following the Arksey and O'Malley framework, randomized controlled and quasi-experimental studies of Masters-prepared nurse practitioners providing care for patients over 65 years were included. Studies were reviewed independently by two investigators. Data were extracted, collated by setting, summarized in tables and synthesized for analysis. In total, 56 primary research studies from four countries and 23 systematic reviews were identified. Primary studies were conducted in primary care (n=13), home care (n=14), long-term care (n=10), acute/hospital care (n=9), and transitional care (n=10). Nurse practitioner interventions included substitutive as well as a supplementation NP role elements to meet specific unmet patient care needs. Studies examined six main outcome measures: service utilization (n=41), cost (n=24), length of stay (n=14), health indices (n=44), satisfaction (n=14) and quality of life (n=7). Cumulatively, nurse practitioners demonstrated enhanced results in 83/144 (58%) of outcomes compared to physician-only or usual care. The most commonly measured financial-related outcome was service utilization (n=41) and benefits were frequently reported in home care (8/9, 89%) and long-term care (7/10, 70%) settings. Among patient and care-related outcomes health indices were most frequently measured (n=44). Primary care most frequently reported improved health indices (11/13, 85%). Transitional care reported improved outcomes across all measures, except for service utilization. This review demonstrates improved or non-inferiority results of nurse practitioner care in older people across settings. More well

A program for sustained improvement in preventing ventilator associated pneumonia in an intensive care setting

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Caserta Raquel A

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP is a common infection in the intensive care unit (ICU and associated with a high mortality. Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted in a medical-surgical ICU. Multiple interventions to optimize VAP prevention were performed from October 2008 to December 2010. All of these processes, including the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI ventilator bundle plus oral decontamination with chlorhexidine and continuous aspiration of subglottic secretions (CASS, were adopted for patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. Results We evaluated a total of 21,984 patient-days, and a total of 6,052 ventilator-days (ventilator utilization rate of 0.27. We found VAP rates of 1.3 and 2.0 per 1,000 ventilator days respectively in 2009 and 2010, achieving zero incidence of VAP several times during 12 months, whenever VAP bundle compliance was over 90%. Conclusion These results suggest that it is possible to reduce VAP rates to near zero and sustain these rates, but it requires a complex process involving multiple performance measures and interventions that must be permanently monitored.

A program for sustained improvement in preventing ventilator associated pneumonia in an intensive care setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Caserta, Raquel A; Marra, Alexandre R; Durão, Marcelino S; Silva, Cláudia Vallone; Pavao dos Santos, Oscar Fernando; Neves, Henrique Sutton de Sousa; Edmond, Michael B; Timenetsky, Karina Tavares

2012-09-29

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common infection in the intensive care unit (ICU) and associated with a high mortality. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in a medical-surgical ICU. Multiple interventions to optimize VAP prevention were performed from October 2008 to December 2010. All of these processes, including the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (IHI) ventilator bundle plus oral decontamination with chlorhexidine and continuous aspiration of subglottic secretions (CASS), were adopted for patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. We evaluated a total of 21,984 patient-days, and a total of 6,052 ventilator-days (ventilator utilization rate of 0.27). We found VAP rates of 1.3 and 2.0 per 1,000 ventilator days respectively in 2009 and 2010, achieving zero incidence of VAP several times during 12 months, whenever VAP bundle compliance was over 90%. These results suggest that it is possible to reduce VAP rates to near zero and sustain these rates, but it requires a complex process involving multiple performance measures and interventions that must be permanently monitored.

A program for sustained improvement in preventing ventilator associated pneumonia in an intensive care setting

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common infection in the intensive care unit (ICU) and associated with a high mortality. Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted in a medical-surgical ICU. Multiple interventions to optimize VAP prevention were performed from October 2008 to December 2010. All of these processes, including the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) ventilator bundle plus oral decontamination with chlorhexidine and continuous aspiration of subglottic secretions (CASS), were adopted for patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. Results We evaluated a total of 21,984 patient-days, and a total of 6,052 ventilator-days (ventilator utilization rate of 0.27). We found VAP rates of 1.3 and 2.0 per 1,000 ventilator days respectively in 2009 and 2010, achieving zero incidence of VAP several times during 12 months, whenever VAP bundle compliance was over 90%. Conclusion These results suggest that it is possible to reduce VAP rates to near zero and sustain these rates, but it requires a complex process involving multiple performance measures and interventions that must be permanently monitored. PMID:23020101

Systematic Review of Palliative Care in the Rural Setting.

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Bakitas, Marie A; Elk, Ronit; Astin, Meka; Ceronsky, Lyn; Clifford, Kathleen N; Dionne-Odom, J Nicholas; Emanuel, Linda L; Fink, Regina M; Kvale, Elizabeth; Levkoff, Sue; Ritchie, Christine; Smith, Thomas

2015-10-01

Many of the world's population live in rural areas. However, access and dissemination of the advances taking place in the field of palliative care to patients living in rural areas have been limited. We searched 2 large databases of the medical literature and found 248 relevant articles; we also identified another 59 articles through networking and a hand search of reference lists. Of those 307 articles, 39 met the inclusion criteria and were grouped into the following subcategories: intervention (n = 4), needs assessment (n = 2), program planning (n = 3), program evaluation (n = 4), education (n = 7), financial (n = 8), and comprehensive/systematic literature reviews (n = 11). We synthesized the current state of rural palliative care research and practice to identify important gaps for future research. Studies were conducted in the United States, Australia, Canada, Africa, Sweden, and India. Two randomized control trials were identified, both of which used telehealth approaches and had positive survival outcomes. One study demonstrated positive patient quality of life and depression outcomes. Research to guide rural palliative care practice is sparse. Approaches to telehealth, community- academic partnerships, and training rural health care professionals show promise, but more research is needed to determine best practices for providing palliative care to patients living in rural settings.

Duty to speak up in the health care setting a professionalism and ethics analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Topazian, Rachel J; Hook, C Christopher; Mueller, Paul S

2013-11-01

Staff and students working in health care settings are sometimes reluctant to speak up when they perceive patients to be at risk for harm. In this article, we describe four incidents that occurred at our institution (Mayo Clinic). In two of them, health care professionals failed to speak up, which resulted in harm; in the other two, they did speak up, which prevented harm and improved patient care. We analyzed each scenario using the Physician's Charter on Medical Professionalism and prima facie ethics principles to determine whether principles were violated or upheld. We conclude that anyone who works in a health care setting has a duty to speak up when a patient faces harm. We also provide guidance for health care institutions on promoting a culture in which speaking up is encouraged and integrated into routine practice.

Medicinal Cannabis: History, Pharmacology, And Implications for the Acute Care Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Bridgeman, Mary Barna; Abazia, Daniel T

2017-03-01

The authors review the historical use of medicinal cannabis and discuss the agent's pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, select evidence on medicinal uses, and the implications of evolving regulations on the acute care hospital setting.

Care mapping in clinical neuroscience settings: Cognitive impairment and dependency.

Science.gov (United States)

Leigh, Andrew James; O'Hanlon, Katie; Sheldrick, Russell; Surr, Claire; Hare, Dougal Julian

2015-01-01

Person-centred care can improve the well-being of patients and is therefore a key driver in healthcare developments in the UK. The current study aims to investigate the complex relationship between cognitive impairment, dependency and well-being in people with a wide range of acquired brain and spinal injuries. Sixty-five participants, with varied acquired brain and spinal injuries, were selected by convenience sampling from six inpatient clinical neuroscience settings. Participants were observed using Dementia Care Mapping - Neurorehabilitation (DCM-NR) and categorised based on severity of cognitive impairment. A significant difference in the behaviours participants engaged in, their well-being and dependency was found between the severe cognitive impairment group and the mild, moderate or no cognitive impairment groups. Dependency and cognitive impairment accounted for 23.9% of the variance in well-ill-being scores and 17.2% of the variance in potential for positive engagement. The current study highlights the impact of severe cognitive impairment and dependency on the behaviours patients engaged in and their well-being. It also affirms the utility of DCM-NR in providing insights into patient experience. Consideration is given to developing DCM-NR as a process that may improve person-centred care in neuroscience settings.

Medicinal Cannabis: History, Pharmacology, And Implications for the Acute Care Setting

OpenAIRE

Bridgeman, Mary Barna; Abazia, Daniel T.

2017-01-01

The authors review the historical use of medicinal cannabis and discuss the agent?s pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, select evidence on medicinal uses, and the implications of evolving regulations on the acute care hospital setting.

Nurse-led implementation of a ventilator-associated pneumonia care bundle in a children's critical care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Charlotte

2016-05-09

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the leading cause of death with hospital-acquired infections, and preventing it is one of the Saving Lives initiatives ( Department of Health 2007 ). This article discusses the implementation of a purpose-designed VAP care bundle in a children's intensive care unit and examines the unique role of nurses in the management of the change process. A nurse-led VAP education, implementation and surveillance programme was set up. Nurse education was paramount, as nursing staff acceptance and involvement was a key feature. A multi-method training strategy was implemented, providing staff with multiple training opportunities and introducing VAP project education as a routine part of staff induction. Bundle compliance was monitored regularly and graphs of the results produced quarterly; feedback proved to be useful in keeping staff informed and engaged in VAP reduction. Comparison of VAP incidence before and after introduction of the care bundle showed a reduction after its implementation. With a co-ordinated, multidisciplinary approach, VAP care bundles can result in significant and sustained reductions in VAP rates in the paediatric intensive care unit. Effective co-ordination and leadership is crucial to successful implementation of the VAP bundle, and nurses are well placed to undertake this role.

Staff perceptions of end-of-life care in the acute care setting: a New Zealand perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheward, Karen; Clark, Jean; Marshall, Bridget; Allan, Simon

2011-05-01

Understanding current end of life (EOL) care delivery in acute care is an important prerequisite to positively influencing practice, and published New Zealand (NZ) and international data are limited. Therefore, staff perceptions of EOL care in the hospital setting were investigated via survey. This article presents key findings. A total of 610 staff members in a 194-bed regional hospital were surveyed regarding their perceptions of EOL care, which yielded a response rate of 29% with 179 surveys returned. Respondents were from medical, nursing, and allied health staff working in medical, surgical, elder health, and a regional cancer treatment service. Responses to Likert scale statements regarding the Care of the dying, Communication, Teamwork, Documentation, Attitudes to death and dying in the workplace, and Barriers to the care of patients, their whānau (a NZ Māori word that refers to extended family or family group), and families frequently contrasted with additional and explanatory comments. The thematic analysis of written text identified five themes: The reality of care, The team dynamic, The direction of care, Knowledge and education, and Environmental and organizational factors. The quality and timeliness of EOL care was significantly influenced by the elements informing the themes and the pervasive nature and importance of communication. Meeting the needs of dying patients in acute care was complex but a significant priority for staff.

Knowledge of Critical Care Provider on Prevention of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia

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Passang Chiki Sherpa

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP continues to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality in ventilated patient. Prevention of VAP in critically ill patient is significant concern for health care team in intensive care units (ICUs. Knowledge on prevention of VAP would have a significant impact on patient outcome. Aims and Objectives: To assess knowledge on prevention of VAP in critical care providers and to find the association between knowledge on prevention of VAP and educational qualification and years of experience in ICUs. Settings and Design: The study was conducted in 5 different ICUs of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, and using descriptive study design. Material and Methods: The study involved a purposive sample of 138 critical care providers. Critical care providers who were willing to participate in the study were included. Tools on demographic proforma and self-administered structured knowledge questionnaire on prevention of VAP were developed and content validity was established. The reliability of the tools was established.The data was categorized and analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. The SPSS 16.0 version was used for the analysis of the study. Result: Majority 89.1% of the participant were 20-29 years, 63% unmarried 51.4% had completed diploma course and majority 81.2% were from nursing discipline. The study revealed that only 55.80% of subjects were having adequate knowledge on prevention of VAP based on median score. There was no significant association between knowledge score and educational qualification (÷²=0, p=0.833, years of experience in ICU (÷²= 2.221, p=0.329.

Enhanced Decision Support Systems in Intensive Care Unit Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets

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Hanen Jemal

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In areas of medical diagnosis and decision-making, several uncertainty and ambiguity shrouded situations are most often imposed. In this regard, one may well assume that intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFS should stand as a potent technique useful for demystifying associated with the real healthcare decision-making situations. To this end, we are developing a prototype model helpful for detecting the patients risk degree in Intensive Care Unit (ICU. Based on the intuitionistic fuzzy sets, dubbed Medical Intuitionistic Fuzzy Expert Decision Support System (MIFEDSS, the shown work has its origins in the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS standard. It is worth noting that the proposed prototype effectiveness validation is associated through a real case study test at the Polyclinic ESSALEMA cited in Sfax, Tunisia. This paper does actually provide some practical initial results concerning the system as carried out in real life situations. Indeed, the proposed system turns out to prove that the MIFEDSS does actually display an imposing capability for an established handily ICU related uncertainty issues. The performance of the prototypes is compared with the MEWS standard which exposed that the IFS application appears to perform highly better in deferring accuracy than the expert MEWS score with higher degrees of sensitivity and specificity being recorded.

Caring for the injured child in settings of limited resource.

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Stephenson, Jacob

2016-02-01

Children represent the most vulnerable members of our global society, a truth that is magnified when they are physically wounded. In much of the developed world, society has responded by offering protection in the form of law, injury prevention guidelines, and effective trauma systems to provide care for the injured child. Much of our world, though, remains afflicted by poverty and a lack of protective measures. As the globe becomes smaller by way of ease of travel and technology, surgeons are increasingly able to meet these children where they live and in doing so offer their hands and voices to care and protect these young ones. This article is intended as an overview of current issues in pediatric trauma care in the developing world as well as to offer some tips for the volunteer surgeon who may be involved in the care of the injured child in a setting of limited resource availability. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Priority Setting, Cost-Effectiveness, and the Affordable Care Act.

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Persad, Govind

2015-01-01

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) may be the most important health law statute in American history, yet much of the most prominent legal scholarship examining it has focused on the merits of the court challenges it has faced rather than delving into the details of its priority-setting provisions. In addition to providing an overview of the ACA's provisions concerning priority setting and their developing interpretations, this Article attempts to defend three substantive propositions. First, I argue that the ACA is neither uniformly hostile nor uniformly friendly to efforts to set priorities in ways that promote cost and quality. Second, I argue that the ACA does not take a single, unified approach to priority setting; rather, its guidance varies depending on the aspect of the healthcare system at issue (Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Medicare, essential health benefits) and the factors being excluded from priority setting (age, disability, life expectancy). Third, I argue that cost-effectiveness can be achieved within the ACA's constraints, but that doing so will require adopting new approaches to cost-effectiveness and priority setting. By limiting the use of standard cost-effectiveness analysis, the ACA makes the need for workable rivals to cost-effectiveness analysis a pressing practical concern rather than a mere theoretical worry.

Validation of the Essentials of Magnetism II in Chinese critical care settings.

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Bai, Jinbing; Hsu, Lily; Zhang, Qing

2015-05-01

To translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Essentials of Magnetism II tool (EOM II) for Chinese nurses in critical care settings. The EOM II is a reliable and valid scale for measuring the healthy work environment (HWE) for nurses in Western countries, however, it has not been validated among Chinese nurses. The translation of the EOM II followed internationally recognized guidelines. The Chinese version of the Essentials of Magnetism II tool (C-EOM II) was reviewed by an expert panel for culturally semantic equivalence and content validity. Then, 706 nurses from 28 intensive care units (ICUs) affiliated with 14 tertiary hospitals participated in this study. The reliability of the C-EOM II was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient; the content validity of this scale was assessed using the content validity index (CVI); and the construct validity was assessed using the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The C-EOM II showed excellent content validity with a CVI of 0·92. All the subscales of the C-EOM II were significantly correlated with overall nurse job satisfaction and nurse-assessed quality of care. The CFA showed that the C-EOM II was composed of 45 items with nine factors, accounting for 46·51% of the total variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for these factors ranged from 0·56 to 0·89. The C-EOM II is a promising scale to assess the HWE for Chinese ICU nurses. Nursing administrators and health care policy-makers can use the C-EOM II to evaluate clinical work environment so that a healthier work environment can be created and sustained for staff nurses. © 2013 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Comparison of job satisfaction among eight health care professions in private (non-government) settings.

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Chen, Ai-Hong; Jaafar, Saidah Nafisah; Noor, Abdul Rahim Md

2012-04-01

A comparison of the job satisfaction of health care professionals has not been well studied in Malaysia. This study aimed to compare the job satisfaction level among 8 groups of health care professionals in private settings, using the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS). A total of 81 health care professionals, including nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, medical laboratory technologists, dieticians, medical imaging practitioners, environmental health officers, and optometrists in private (non-government) settings in the Klang Valley, were interviewed using the Job Satisfaction Survey scale invented by Dr Paul E Spector. Their job satisfaction scores were calculated and determined. In the demographic data, the majority of the subjects were 20-30 years old (81.5%), were female (72.8%), had a basic degree (98.8%), were single (64.2%), and had 1-5 years of working experience (83.9%). A Kruskal-Wallis analysis showed significant differences (P 0.05) in pay, fringe benefits, and contingent rewards in JSS score among the 8 health care professions. The Friedman Test showed a significant difference of overall JSS scores (χ(2) = 526.418, P job satisfaction levels are different among health care professionals in private settings, especially regarding promotion, supervision, operating conditions, co-workers, the nature of the work, and communication.

Dose uncertainties associated with a set density override of unknown hip prosthetic composition.

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Rijken, James D; Colyer, Christopher J

2017-09-01

The dosimetric uncertainties associated with radiotherapy through hip prostheses while overriding the implant to a set density within the TPS has not yet been reported. In this study, the uncertainty in dose within a PTV resulting from this planning choice was investigated. A set of metallic hip prosthetics (stainless steel, titanium, and two different Co-Cr-Mo alloys) were CT scanned in a water bath. Within the TPS, the prosthetic pieces were overridden to densities between 3 and 10 g/cm 3 and irradiated on a linear accelerator. Measured dose maps were compared to the TPS to determine which density was most appropriate to override each metal. This was shown to be in disagreement with the reported literature values of density which was attributed to the TPS dose calculation algorithm and total mass attenuation coefficient differences in water and metal. The dose difference was then calculated for a set density override of 6 g/cm 3 in the TPS and used to estimate the dose uncertainty beyond the prosthesis. For beams passing through an implant, the dosimetric uncertainty in regions of the PTV may be as high as 10% if the implant composition remains unknown and a set density override is used. These results highlight limitations of such assumptions and the need for careful consideration by radiation oncologist, therapist, and physics staff. © 2017 Adelaide Radiotherapy Centre. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Expanding the Application of Group Interventions: Emergence of Groups in Health Care Settings

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Drum, David; Becker, Martin Swanbrow; Hess, Elaine

2011-01-01

Changes in the health care arena and within the specialty of group work are contributing to the increased utilization of groups in health care settings. Psychoeducational, theme, and interpersonal therapy groups are highlighted for their contributions to treating challenging health conditions. An understanding of the evolution of these group…

The Surgical Nosology In Primary-care Settings (SNIPS): a simple bridging classification for the interface between primary and specialist care

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Gruen, Russell L; Knox, Stephanie; Britt, Helena; Bailie, Ross S

2004-01-01

Background The interface between primary care and specialist medical services is an important domain for health services research and policy. Of particular concern is optimising specialist services and the organisation of the specialist workforce to meet the needs and demands for specialist care, particularly those generated by referral from primary care. However, differences in the disease classification and reporting of the work of primary and specialist surgical sectors hamper such research. This paper describes the development of a bridging classification for use in the study of potential surgical problems in primary care settings, and for classifying referrals to surgical specialties. Methods A three stage process was undertaken, which involved: (1) defining the categories of surgical disorders from a specialist perspective that were relevant to the specialist-primary care interface; (2) classifying the 'terms' in the International Classification of Primary Care Version 2-Plus (ICPC-2 Plus) to the surgical categories; and (3) using referral data from 303,000 patient encounters in the BEACH study of general practice activity in Australia to define a core set of surgical conditions. Inclusion of terms was based on the probability of specialist referral of patients with such problems, and specialists' perception that they constitute part of normal surgical practice. Results A four-level hierarchy was developed, containing 8, 27 and 79 categories in the first, second and third levels, respectively. These categories classified 2050 ICPC-2 Plus terms that constituted the fourth level, and which covered the spectrum of problems that were managed in primary care and referred to surgical specialists. Conclusion Our method of classifying terms from a primary care classification system to categories delineated by specialists should be applicable to research addressing the interface between primary and specialist care. By describing the process and putting the bridging

Diagnosis and outcome of birth asphyxia in resource constrained health care set up

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Zaman, S.; Shah, S.A.; Mehmood, S.; Shahzad, S.; Munir, M.; Mushtaq, A.

2017-01-01

Objective: To determine morbidity and mortality of neonates with low APGAR score in a resource constrained health care set up. Study Design: Prospective descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in combined military hospital Attock, from Jan 2013 to Jan 2015. Material and Methods: All term neonates with 37 completed weeks of gestation and APGAR score less than 7 were included in the study. APGAR score was calculated by an attending pediatrician, gynecologist or trained female nurse at 0 and 5 minutes. In Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [NICU] the babies were daily examined by pediatrician. Outcome was documented in term of morbidity i.e. fits and mortality i.e. death of babies. Results: Total number of neonates included in the study were 85 of which 55 (65%) were males and 30 (35%) were females. Of the total neonates 65 (76%) were discharged in satisfactory conditions and 20 (24%) expired during stay in the hospital. The mean APGAR score of newborns was 4.98 +- 0.98 at 5 minutes. During stay in hospital 46 (54%) were diagnosed to have hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy 2 (HIE2), those diagnosed with HIE3 were 5 (6%) and the rest 14 (16%) with HIE1. Conclusion: Low APGAR score is an important cause of admission to NICU. Low APGAR score was found associated with increased risk of fits in neonates and one of the most important cause of mortality in our set up. (author)

Eight years of decreased methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus health care-associated infections associated with a Veterans Affairs prevention initiative.

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Evans, Martin E; Kralovic, Stephen M; Simbartl, Loretta A; Jain, Rajiv; Roselle, Gary A

2017-01-01

Declines in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) health care associated infections (HAIs) were previously reported in Veterans Affairs acute care (2012), spinal cord injury (SCIU) (2011), and long-term-care facilities (LTCFs) (2012). Here we report continuing declines in infection rates in these settings through September 2015. Monthly data entered into a national database from 127 acute care facilities, 22 SCIUs, and 133 LTCFs were evaluated for trends using negative binomial regression. There were 23,153,240 intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU, and 1,794,234 SCIU patient-days from October 2007-September 2015, and 22,262,605 LTCF resident-days from July 2009-September 2015. Admission nasal swabbing remained >92% in all 3 venues. Admission prevalence changed from 13.2%-13.5% in acute care, from 35.1%-32.0% in SCIUs, and from 23.1%-25.0% in LTCFs during the analysis periods. Monthly HAI rates fell 87.0% in ICUs, 80.1% in non-ICUs, 80.9% in SCIUs, and 49.4% in LTCFs (all P values Prevention Initiative. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Time utilization and perceived psychosocial work environment among staff in Swedish primary care settings.

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Anskär, Eva; Lindberg, Malou; Falk, Magnus; Andersson, Agneta

2018-03-07

Over the past decades, reorganizations and structural changes in Swedish primary care have affected time utilization among health care professionals. Consequently, increases in administrative tasks have substantially reduced the time available for face-to-face consultations. This study examined how work-time was utilized and the association between work time utilization and the perceived psychosocial work environment in Swedish primary care settings. This descriptive, multicentre, cross-sectional study was performed in 2014-2015. Data collection began with questionnaire. In the first section, respondents were asked to estimate how their workload was distributed between patients (direct and indirect patient work) and other work tasks. The questionnaire also comprised the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, which assessed the psychosocial work environment. Next a time study was conducted where the participants reported their work-time based on three main categories: direct patient-related work, indirect patient-related work, and other work tasks. Each main category had a number of subcategories. The participants recorded the time spent (minutes) on each work task per hour, every day, for two separate weeks. Eleven primary care centres located in southeast Sweden participated. All professionals were asked to participate (n = 441), including registered nurses, primary care physicians, care administrators, nurse assistants, and allied professionals. Response rates were 75% and 79% for the questionnaires and the time study, respectively. All health professionals allocated between 30.9% - 37.2% of their work-time to each main category: direct patient work, indirect patient work, and other work. All professionals estimated a higher proportion of time spent in direct patient work than they reported in the time study. Physicians scored highest on the psychosocial scales of quantitative demands, stress, and role conflicts. Among allied professionals, the proportion of

Improving eye care in the primary health care setting

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M de Wet

2000-09-01

Full Text Available One of the challenges facing primary health care in South Africa is the delivery of quality eye care to all South Africans. In this regard the role of the primary health care worker, as the first point of contact, is crucial. This paper reports on the problems primary health care workers experience in providing quality eye care in Region B of the Free State. Problems identified by those involved in the study include the cumbersome referral system, the unavailability of appropriate medicine at clinics, the insufficient knowledge of primary health care workers regarding eye conditions and the lack of communication between the various eye care service providers. Suggestions to address the problems identified included more in-service training of primary health care workers regarding eye conditions, liaison with NGO’s providing eye care, decentralisation of services and the establishment of an eye care committee in the region.

Physician's self-perceived abilities at primary care settings in Indonesia.

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Istiono, Wahyudi; Claramita, Mora; Ekawati, Fitriana Murriya; Gayatri, Aghnaa; Sutomo, Adi Heru; Kusnanto, Hari; Graber, Mark Alan

2015-01-01

Southeast Asian countries with better-skilled primary care physicians have been shown to have better health outcomes. However, in Indonesia, there has been a large number of inappropriate referrals, leading to suboptimal health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the reasons underlying the unnecessary referrals as related to Indonesian physicians' standard of abilities. This was a multiple-case study that explored physicians' self-evaluation of their abilities. Self-evaluation questionnaires were constructed from the Indonesian Standards of Physicians Competences of 2006-2012 (ISPC), which is a list of 155 diseases. This study was undertaken in three cities, three towns, and one "border-less developed" area during 2011-2014. The study involved 184 physicians in those seven districts. Data were collected using one-on-one, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and clinical observations. This study found that primary care physicians in Indonesia felt that they were competent to handle less than one-third of "typical" primary care cases. The reasons were limited understanding of person-centered care principles and limited patient care services to diagnosis and treatment of common biomedical problems. Additionally, physical facilities in primary care settings are lacking. Strengthening primary health care in Indonesia requires upscaling doctors' abilities in managing health problems through more structured graduate education in family medicine, which emphasizes the bio-psycho-socio-cultural background of persons; secondly, standardizing primary care facilities to support physicians' performance is critical. Finally, a strong national health policy that recognizes the essential role of primary care physicians in health outcomes is an urgent need.

Retail clinic utilization associated with lower total cost of care.

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Sussman, Andrew; Dunham, Lisette; Snower, Kristen; Hu, Min; Matlin, Olga S; Shrank, William H; Choudhry, Niteesh K; Brennan, Troyen

2013-04-01

To better understand the impact of retail clinic use on a patient's annual total cost of care. A propensity score matched-pair, cohort design was used to analyze healthcare spending patterns among CVS Caremark employees in the year following a visit to a MinuteClinic, the retail clinics inside CVS pharmacies. De-identified medical and pharmacy claims for CVS Caremark employees and their dependents who received care at a retail clinic between June 1, 2009, and May 31, 2010, were matched to those of subjects who received care elsewhere. High-dimensional propensity score and greedy matching techniques were used to create a 1-to-1 matched cohort that was analyzed using generalized linear regression models. Individuals using a retail clinic had a lower total cost of care (-$262; 95% confidence interval, -$510 to -$31; P = .025) in the year following their clinic visit than individuals who received care in other settings. This savings was primarily due to lower medical expenses at physicians' offices ($77 savings, P = .008) and hospital inpatient care ($121 savings, P = .049). The 6022 retail clinic users also had 142 (12%) fewer emergency department visits (P = .01), though this was not related to significant cost savings. This study found that retail clinic use was associated with lower overall total cost of care compared with that at alternative sites. Savings may extend beyond the retail clinic visit itself to other types of medical utilization.

Management of Nursing Workplace Incivility in the Health Care Settings: A Systematic Review.

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Armstrong, Nancy

2018-05-01

Workplace incivility is a well-documented issue in nursing in the health care setting. It has the potential to cause emotional and physical distress in victims and potentially affects the quality of care provided. The purpose of this study was to critique and summarize the most recent, available evidence related to interventions in assisting nursing staff working in health care settings in managing incivility. This systematic review of literature yielded 10 studies meeting the criteria. The studies were mostly identified as lower quality research. Despite the lower quality of research, the collection of evidence suggests the use of a combination of educational training about workplace incivility, training about effective responses to uncivil workplace behaviors, and active learning activities to practice newly learned communication skills, in assisting nurses in improving their ability to manage incivility in the workplace.

Clinical staff perceptions of palliative care-related quality of care, service access, education and training needs and delivery confidence in an acute hospital setting.

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Frey, Rosemary; Gott, Merryn; Raphael, Deborah; O'Callaghan, Anne; Robinson, Jackie; Boyd, Michal; Laking, George; Manson, Leigh; Snow, Barry

2014-12-01

Central to appropriate palliative care management in hospital settings is ensuring an adequately trained workforce. In order to achieve optimum palliative care delivery, it is first necessary to create a baseline understanding of the level of palliative care education and support needs among all clinical staff (not just palliative care specialists) within the acute hospital setting. The objectives of the study were to explore clinical staff: perceptions concerning the quality of palliative care delivery and support service accessibility, previous experience and education in palliative care delivery, perceptions of their own need for formal palliative care education, confidence in palliative care delivery and the impact of formal palliative care training on perceived confidence. A purposive sample of clinical staff members (598) in a 710-bed hospital were surveyed regarding their experiences of palliative care delivery and their education needs. On average, the clinical staff rated the quality of care provided to people who die in the hospital as 'good' (x̄=4.17, SD=0.91). Respondents also reported that 19.3% of their time was spent caring for end-of-life patients. However, only 19% of the 598 respondents reported having received formal palliative care training. In contrast, 73.7% answered that they would like formal training. Perceived confidence in palliative care delivery was significantly greater for those clinical staff with formal palliative care training. Formal training in palliative care increases clinical staff perceptions of confidence, which evidence suggests impacts on the quality of palliative care provided to patients. The results of the study should be used to shape the design and delivery of palliative care education programmes within the acute hospital setting to successfully meet the needs of all clinical staff. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

A comparison of human elements and nonhuman elements in private health care settings: customers' perceptions and expectations.

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Mohd Suki, Norazah; Chwee Lian, Jennifer Chiam; Suki, Norbayah Mohd

2009-01-01

In today's highly competitive health care environment, many private health care settings are now looking into customer service indicators to learn customers' perceptions and determine whether they are meeting customers' expectations in order to ensure that their customers are satisfied with the services. This research paper aims to investigate whether the human elements were more important than the nonhuman elements in private health care settings. We used the internationally renowned SERVQUAL five-dimension model plus three additional dimensions-courtesy, communication, and understanding of customers of the human element-when evaluating health care services. A total of 191 respondents from three private health care settings in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia were investigated. Descriptive statistics were calculated by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program, version 15. Interestingly, the results suggested that customers nowadays have very high expectations especially when it comes to the treatment they are receiving. Overall, the research indicated that the human elements were more important than the nonhuman element in private health care settings. Hospital management should look further to improve on areas that have been highlighted. Implications for management practice and directions for future research are discussed.

What has geography got to do with it? Using GWR to explore place-specific associations with prenatal care utilization

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Shoff, Carla; Yang, Tse-Chuan; Matthews, Stephen A.

2012-01-01

We use a geographically weighted regression (GWR) approach to examine how the relationships between a set of predictors and prenatal care vary across the continental US. At its most fundamental, GWR is an exploratory technique that can facilitate the identification of areas with low prenatal care utilization and help better understand which predictors are associated with prenatal care at specific locations. Our work complements existing prenatal care research in providing an ecological, place-sensitive analysis. We found that the percent of the population who was uninsured was positively associated with the percent of women receiving late or no prenatal care in the global model. The GWR map not only confirmed, but also demonstrated the spatial varying association. Additionally, we found that the number of Ob-Gyn doctors per 100,000 females of childbearing age in a county was associated with the percentage of women receiving late or no prenatal care, and that a higher value of female disadvantage is associated with higher percentages of late or no prenatal care. GWR offers a more nuanced examination of prenatal care and provides empirical evidence in support of locally tailored health policy formation and program implementation, which may improve program effectiveness. PMID:23408146

Managing Low Back Pain in the Primary Care Setting: The Know-Do Gap

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N Ann Scott

2010-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To ascertain knowledge gaps in the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic low back pain (LBP in the primary care setting to prepare a scoping survey for identifying knowledge gaps in LBP management among Alberta’s primary care practitioners, and to identify potential barriers to implementing a multidisciplinary LBP guideline.

Implementation of a Diabetes Management Flow Sheet in a Long-Term Care Setting.

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Williams, Evelyn; Curtis, Ashley

2015-08-01

Physicians lack clear guidance about adaptation of clinical practice guidelines for elderly institutionalized patients with diabetes. In a large long-term care facility, a diabetes management flow sheet was trialed to determine which clinical parameters were found useful by clinicians in the management of diabetes in that setting. Clinical practice guidelines for diabetes management were reviewed with attending physicians. Diabetes management flow sheets were distributed for all patients coded as having diabetes on their most recent minimum data sets. After a period of 14 months, flow sheet completion rates were ascertained and physicians were surveyed regarding the utility of the flow sheet. Initial flow sheet data were completed in full or in part for only 57% of the 121 study subjects; 39% of the subjects died within 14 months. Quarterly follow-up data were completed for 58% of the flow sheets. The diabetes management flow sheet was not found to be useful by attending physicians as a chronic-disease management tool. Copyright © 2015 Canadian Diabetes Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patient characteristics associated with hospitalisations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions in Victoria, Australia

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Ansari Zahid

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSCs are those for which hospitalisation is thought to be avoidable with the application of preventive care and early disease management, usually delivered in a primary care setting. ACSCs are used extensively as indicators of accessibility and effectiveness of primary health care. We examined the association between patient characteristics and hospitalisation for ACSCs in the adult and paediatric population in Victoria, Australia, 2003/04. Methods Hospital admissions data were merged with two area-level socioeconomic indexes: Index of Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSED and Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA. Univariate and multiple logistic regressions were performed for both adult (age 18+ years and paediatric (age Results Predictors were much more strongly associated with ACSCs admissions compared to non-ACSCs admissions in the adult group than for the paediatric group with the exception of rurality. Significant adjusted ORs in the adult group were 1.06, 1.15, 1.13, 1.06 and 1.11 for sex, rurality, age, IRSED and ARIA variables, and 1.34, 1.04 and 1.09 in the paediatric group for rurality, IRSED and ARIA, respectively. Conclusions Disadvantaged paediatric and adult population experience more need of hospital care for ACSCs. Access barriers to primary care are plausible causes for the observed disparities. Understanding the characteristics of individuals experiencing access barriers to primary care will be useful for developing targeted interventions meeting the unique ambulatory needs of the population.

THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF A MODEL TO PREDICT SUSTAINABILITY OF CHANGE IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS.

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Molfenter, Todd; Ford, James H; Bhattacharya, Abhik

2011-01-01

Innovations adopted through organizational change initiatives are often not sustained leading to diminished quality, productivity, and consumer satisfaction. Research explaining variance in the use of adopted innovations in health care settings is sparse, suggesting the need for a theoretical model to guide research and practice. In this article, we describe the development of a hybrid conjoint decision theoretic model designed to predict the sustainability of organizational change in health care settings. An initial test of the model's predictive validity using expert scored hypothetic profiles resulted in an r-squared value of .77. The test of this model offers a theoretical base for future research on the sustainability of change in health care settings.

Association between health literacy and patient experience of primary care attributes: A cross-sectional study in Japan.

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Takuya Aoki

Full Text Available Primary care is regarded as a setting that potentially mitigate patient health literacy (HL related inequalities. However, there is a lack of evidence about influence of patient HL on the patients' perception of quality of primary care. We aimed to examine the association between HL and patient experience of primary care attributes. We conducted a cross-sectional survey, and sent questionnaires to adult residents who were randomly selected from a basic resident register in Yugawara Town, Kanagawa, Japan. We assessed HL using a 14-item Health Literacy Scale (HLS-14 and patient experience of primary care attributes using a Japanese version of Primary Care Assessment Tool (JPCAT, which comprises six domains: first contact, longitudinality, coordination, comprehensiveness (services available, comprehensiveness (services provided, and community orientation. We used a multivariable linear regression analyses to adjust individual covariates. Data were analyzed for 381 residents who had a usual source of care. After adjustment for patients' sociodemographic and health characteristics, patient HL was positively associated with the JPCAT total score (B = 4.49, 95% confidence interval: 0.27 to 8.65 for HLS-14 total score highest quartile, compared with the lowest quartile. Among primary care attributes, HL had significant associations with longitudinality and comprehensiveness (service provided. We found that HL was positively associated with patient experience of primary care attributes in Japanese people. Our findings indicated that greater efforts might be needed to improve patient-centered and tailored primary care to those with low HL.

Determinants of a hopeful attitude among family caregivers in a palliative care setting.

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Kim, Seon-Young; Kim, Jae-Min; Kim, Sung-Wan; Kang, Hee-Ju; Shin, Il-Seon; Shim, Hyun-Jeong; Cho, Sang-Hee; Chung, Ik-Joo; Yoon, Jin-Sang

2014-01-01

This study investigated the determinants of a hopeful attitude among family caregivers involved with palliative care. We investigated a broad range of factors for the patient-family dyad in a palliative care setting using a cross-sectional design. The patients' sociodemographic, clinical and psychological factors were evaluated, as well as caregiver-related sociodemographic and psychological factors, including depressive symptoms, burden, coping style and religiosity. Caregivers were divided into two groups based on a hopeful or nonhopeful attitude and assessed using the abbreviated version of the seven-item Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS-7). Of 304 analyzed dyads, 210 (69.1%) caregivers showed a hopeful attitude, with a BHS-7 score of 0. The adjusted logistic regression analyses showed that caregivers' hopeful attitude was determined by only their psychological status: less depressive symptoms [odds ratio (OR), 0.86; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.83-0.90], active coping strategy (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07-1.18) and lower burden (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.99). In a subpopulation analysis (n=200), higher religiosity was a significantly associated factor. Healthcare providers need to pay attention to the psychological vulnerability of caregivers to encourage a hopeful attitude. Additional studies of longitudinal design for hopeful attitude throughout the trajectory of palliative care are necessary. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Association Between Psychosocial Work Environment and Satisfaction With Old Age Care Among Care Recipients.

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Lundgren, Dan; Ernsth Bravell, Marie; Börjesson, Ulrika; Kåreholt, Ingemar

2018-06-01

This study examines the association between nursing assistants' perceptions of their psychosocial work environment and satisfaction among older people receiving care in nursing homes and home care. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted among people receiving care ( N = 1,535) and nursing assistants ( N = 1,132) in 45 nursing homes and 21 home care units within municipal old-age care. Better psychosocial work environment was related to higher satisfaction in old-age care among the recipients. Significant and stronger associations were more common in nursing homes than in home care. Perception of mastery and positive challenges at work were associated with higher recipient satisfaction both in home care and in nursing homes: social climate, perception of group work, perception of mastery, and positive challenges at work only in nursing homes. Findings suggest that recipient satisfaction may be increased by improving the psychosocial work environment for nursing assistants, both in nursing homes and in home care.

Longitudinal associations between depression and problematic substance use in the Youth Partners in Care study.

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McKowen, James W; Tompson, Martha C; Brown, Timothy A; Asarnow, Joan R

2013-01-01

Large-scale treatment studies suggest that effective depression treatment and reduced depression are associated with improved substance use outcomes. Yet information is limited regarding the longitudinal association between depressive symptoms and problematic substance use and its predictors, particularly in real-world practice settings. Using latent growth modeling, we examined the (a) longitudinal association between depressive symptoms and problematic substance use, (b) impact of depressive symptoms on problematic substance use, (c) impact of problematic substance use on depressive symptoms, and (d) role of co-occurring symptoms on depression and problematic substance use. Participants were part of the Youth Partners in Care study, an effectiveness trial evaluating a quality improvement intervention for youth depression through primary care. This ethnically diverse sample included youths aged 13 to 21 years screening positive for depression from 5 health care organizations. Participants were followed 4 times over an 18-month period and assessed for both depressive symptoms and problematic substance use. Both depressive symptoms and problematic substance use declined over time. Higher baseline depressive symptoms predicted a slower decline in problematic substance use, but baseline problematic substance use did not predict changes in depressive symptoms. These prospective associations remained robust controlling for co-occurring symptoms. Results support prior large-scale depression studies indicating depression burden negatively impacts substance use outcome and extends these findings to real-world practice settings. Findings underscore the importance of addressing depression severity in youth with concurrent substance use problems, even in the context of comorbid symptoms of anxiety, delinquency, and aggression.

Factors associated with health care discrimination experiences among a national sample of female-to-male transgender individuals.

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Shires, Deirdre A; Jaffee, Kim

2015-05-01

Transgender individuals experience harassment, violence, and discrimination in a number of settings. Although health care discrimination against transgender people has been documented, this issue is understudied. Using a national cross-sectional survey data set (N = 1,711), the authors sought to determine how gender identity and presentation predict health care discrimination experiences among female-to-male (FTM) transgender people after demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are controlled. Analyses were conducted using chi-square tests and a two-step logistic regression. The majority of participants were white (73.9 percent) and between 25 and 44 years old (65.2 percent). Overall, 41.8 percent of FTM participants reported verbal harassment, physical assault, or denial of equal treatment in a doctor's office or hospital. When other factors were controlled, being Native American or multiracial, identifying as queer or asexual/other, having a graduate degree, living full-time as nonbirth gender, using hormones or surgery for medical transition, and having identification documents that list one's preferred gender were associated with increased reporting of health care discrimination experiences; being 45 years or older and reporting an annual income of $60,000 or more were associated with decreased risk. The study's findings can be useful to social workers, who play a role in educating health care providers and advocating for policies that improve health care experiences for FTM and other transgender patients.

Global women's health is more than maternal health: a review of gynecology care needs in low-resource settings.

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Robinson, Nuriya; Stoffel, Cynthia; Haider, Sadia

2015-03-01

Women's health care efforts in low-resource settings are often focused primarily on prenatal and obstetric care. However, women all over the world experience significant morbidity and mortality related to cervical cancer, sexually transmitted infections, and urogynecologic conditions as well as gynecologic care provision including insufficient and ineffective family planning services. Health care providers with an interest in clinical care in low-resource settings should be aware of the scope of the burden of gynecologic issues and strategies in place to combat the problems. This review article discusses the important concerns both in the developing world as well as highlights similar disparities that exist in the United States by women's age, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Ultimately, this review article aims to inform and update health care providers on critical gynecologic issues in low-resource settings.

Person-Centered Care in the Home Setting for Parkinson’s Disease: Operation House Call Quality of Care Pilot Study

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Nawaz Hack

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. (1 To evaluate the feasibility of implementing and evaluating a home visit program for persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD in a rural setting. (2 To have movement disorders fellows coordinate and manage health care delivery. Background. The University of Florida, Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration established Operation House Call to serve patients with PD who could not otherwise afford to travel to an expert center or to pay for medical care. PD is known to lead to significant disability, frequent hospitalization, early nursing home placement, and morbidity. Methods. This was designed as a quality improvement project. Movement disorders fellows travelled to the home(s of underserved PD patients and coordinated their clinical care. The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease was confirmed using standardized criteria, and the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale was performed and best treatment practices were delivered. Results. All seven patients have been followed up longitudinally every 3 to 6 months in the home setting, and they remain functional and independent. None of the patients have been hospitalized for PD related complications. Each patient has a new updatable electronic medical record. All Operation House Call cases are presented during video rounds for the interdisciplinary PD team to make recommendations for care (neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychology, psychiatry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and social work. One Operation House Call patient has successfully received deep brain stimulation (DBS. Conclusion. This program is a pilot program that has demonstrated that it is possible to provide person-centered care in the home setting for PD patients. This program could provide a proof of concept for the construction of a larger visiting physician or nurse program.

An Innovative Model of Integrated Behavioral Health: School Psychologists in Pediatric Primary Care Settings

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Adams, Carolyn D.; Hinojosa, Sara; Armstrong, Kathleen; Takagishi, Jennifer; Dabrow, Sharon

2016-01-01

This article discusses an innovative example of integrated care in which doctoral level school psychology interns and residents worked alongside pediatric residents and pediatricians in the primary care settings to jointly provide services to patients. School psychologists specializing in pediatric health are uniquely trained to recognize and…

Multimorbidity and quality of preventive care in Swiss university primary care cohorts.

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Sven Streit

Full Text Available Caring for patients with multimorbidity is common for generalists, although such patients are often excluded from clinical trials, and thus such trials lack of generalizability. Data on the association between multimorbidity and preventive care are limited. We aimed to assess whether comorbidity number, severity and type were associated with preventive care among patients receiving care in Swiss University primary care settings.We examined a retrospective cohort composed of a random sample of 1,002 patients aged 50-80 years attending four Swiss university primary care settings. Multimorbidity was defined according to the literature and the Charlson index. We assessed the quality of preventive care and cardiovascular preventive care with RAND's Quality Assessment Tool indicators. Aggregate scores of quality of provided care were calculated by taking into account the number of eligible patients for each indicator.Participants (mean age 63.5 years, 44% women had a mean of 2.6 (SD 1.9 comorbidities and 67.5% had 2 or more comorbidities. The mean Charlson index was 1.8 (SD 1.9. Overall, participants received 69% of recommended preventive care and 84% of cardiovascular preventive care. Quality of care was not associated with higher numbers of comorbidities, both for preventive care and for cardiovascular preventive care. Results were similar in analyses using the Charlson index and after adjusting for age, gender, occupation, center and number of visits. Some patients may receive less preventive care including those with dementia (47% and those with schizophrenia (35%.In Swiss university primary care settings, two thirds of patients had 2 or more comorbidities. The receipt of preventive and cardiovascular preventive care was not affected by comorbidity count or severity, although patients with certain comorbidities may receive lower levels of preventive care.

Factors associated with father involvement in infant care.

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Falceto, Olga G; Fernandes, Carmen L; Baratojo, Claudia; Giugliani, Elsa R J

2008-12-01

To identify factors associated with the lack of active father involvement in infant care at four months of age. Cross-sectional study involving families of 153 infants at four months of age, interviewed in their homes by two family therapists. In addition to father involvement in infant care, sociodemographic, parental mental health (using the Self Report Questionnaire-20 scale and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria assessment) and quality of couple relationship characteristics (using the Assessment of Relational Functioning from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV) were analyzed. Poisson regression was employed to assess the association between lack of father involvement in child care and the variables selected. Prevalence ratio was used to estimate the magnitude of associations. Fathers of 13% of infants had no contact with their children. Among families whose parents lived together (78% of all), 33% of the fathers reported not actively participating in their children's care. Problematic couple relationship and mother as a housewife were associated with lack of father involvement in infant care. High prevalence of families whose father is not actively involved with infant care, especially when couple relationship is problematic and the mother does not have a paid job.

Setting priorities in health care organizations: criteria, processes, and parameters of success.

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Gibson, Jennifer L; Martin, Douglas K; Singer, Peter A

2004-09-08

Hospitals and regional health authorities must set priorities in the face of resource constraints. Decision-makers seek practical ways to set priorities fairly in strategic planning, but find limited guidance from the literature. Very little has been reported from the perspective of Board members and senior managers about what criteria, processes and parameters of success they would use to set priorities fairly. We facilitated workshops for board members and senior leadership at three health care organizations to assist them in developing a strategy for fair priority setting. Workshop participants identified 8 priority setting criteria, 10 key priority setting process elements, and 6 parameters of success that they would use to set priorities in their organizations. Decision-makers in other organizations can draw lessons from these findings to enhance the fairness of their priority setting decision-making. Lessons learned in three workshops fill an important gap in the literature about what criteria, processes, and parameters of success Board members and senior managers would use to set priorities fairly.

Incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases in gastroenterology primary care setting.

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Tursi, Antonio; Elisei, Walter; Picchio, Marcello

2013-12-01

The incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) has markedly increased over the last years, but no epidemiological study has been performed in gastroenterology primary care setting. We describe the epidemiology of IBD in a gastroenterology primary care unit using its records as the primary data source. Case finding used predefined read codes to systematically search computer diagnostic and prescribing records from January 2009 to December 2012. A specialist diagnosis of Ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU) or segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD), based on clinical, histological or radiological findings, was a prerequisite for the inclusion in the study. Secondary, infective and apparent acute self-limiting colitis were excluded. We identified 176 patients with IBD in a population of 94,000 with a prevalence 187.2/100,000 (95% CI: 160.6-217.0). Between 2009 and 2012 there were 61 new cases. In particular, there were 23 new cases of UC, 19 new cases of CD, 15 new cases of SCAD, and 4 new cases of IBDU. The incidence of IBD was 16.2/100,000 (95% CI 12.5-20.7) per year. The incidence per year was 6/100,000 (95% CI 3.8 to 8.9) for UC, 5/100,000 (95% CI 3.0-7.7) for CD, 4/100,000 (95% CI 2.3-6.5) for SCAD, and 1/100,000 (95% CI 0.3-2.6) for IBDU. We assessed for the first time which is the prevalence and incidence of IBD in a gastroenterology primary care unit. This confirms that specialist primary care unit is a key factor in providing early diagnosis of chronic diseases. Copyright © 2013 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk adjustment methods for Home Care Quality Indicators (HCQIs based on the minimum data set for home care

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Hirdes John P

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There has been increasing interest in enhancing accountability in health care. As such, several methods have been developed to compare the quality of home care services. These comparisons can be problematic if client populations vary across providers and no adjustment is made to account for these differences. The current paper explores the effects of risk adjustment for a set of home care quality indicators (HCQIs based on the Minimum Data Set for Home Care (MDS-HC. Methods A total of 22 home care providers in Ontario and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA in Manitoba, Canada, gathered data on their clients using the MDS-HC. These assessment data were used to generate HCQIs for each agency and for the two regions. Three types of risk adjustment methods were contrasted: a client covariates only; b client covariates plus an "Agency Intake Profile" (AIP to adjust for ascertainment and selection bias by the agency; and c client covariates plus the intake Case Mix Index (CMI. Results The mean age and gender distribution in the two populations was very similar. Across the 19 risk-adjusted HCQIs, Ontario CCACs had a significantly higher AIP adjustment value for eight HCQIs, indicating a greater propensity to trigger on these quality issues on admission. On average, Ontario had unadjusted rates that were 0.3% higher than the WRHA. Following risk adjustment with the AIP covariate, Ontario rates were, on average, 1.5% lower than the WRHA. In the WRHA, individual agencies were likely to experience a decline in their standing, whereby they were more likely to be ranked among the worst performers following risk adjustment. The opposite was true for sites in Ontario. Conclusions Risk adjustment is essential when comparing quality of care across providers when home care agencies provide services to populations with different characteristics. While such adjustment had a relatively small effect for the two regions, it did

Risk adjustment methods for Home Care Quality Indicators (HCQIs) based on the minimum data set for home care

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Dalby, Dawn M; Hirdes, John P; Fries, Brant E

2005-01-01

Background There has been increasing interest in enhancing accountability in health care. As such, several methods have been developed to compare the quality of home care services. These comparisons can be problematic if client populations vary across providers and no adjustment is made to account for these differences. The current paper explores the effects of risk adjustment for a set of home care quality indicators (HCQIs) based on the Minimum Data Set for Home Care (MDS-HC). Methods A total of 22 home care providers in Ontario and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) in Manitoba, Canada, gathered data on their clients using the MDS-HC. These assessment data were used to generate HCQIs for each agency and for the two regions. Three types of risk adjustment methods were contrasted: a) client covariates only; b) client covariates plus an "Agency Intake Profile" (AIP) to adjust for ascertainment and selection bias by the agency; and c) client covariates plus the intake Case Mix Index (CMI). Results The mean age and gender distribution in the two populations was very similar. Across the 19 risk-adjusted HCQIs, Ontario CCACs had a significantly higher AIP adjustment value for eight HCQIs, indicating a greater propensity to trigger on these quality issues on admission. On average, Ontario had unadjusted rates that were 0.3% higher than the WRHA. Following risk adjustment with the AIP covariate, Ontario rates were, on average, 1.5% lower than the WRHA. In the WRHA, individual agencies were likely to experience a decline in their standing, whereby they were more likely to be ranked among the worst performers following risk adjustment. The opposite was true for sites in Ontario. Conclusions Risk adjustment is essential when comparing quality of care across providers when home care agencies provide services to populations with different characteristics. While such adjustment had a relatively small effect for the two regions, it did substantially affect the

Role strain among male RNs in the critical care setting: Perceptions of an unfriendly workplace.

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Carte, Nicholas S; Williams, Collette

2017-12-01

Traditionally, nursing has been a female-dominated profession. Men employed as registered nurses have been in the minority and little is known about the experiences of this demographic. The purpose of this descriptive, quantitative study was to understand the relationship between the variables of demographics and causes of role strain among male nurses in critical care settings. The Sherrod Role Strain Scale assesses role strain within the context of role conflict, role overload, role ambiguity and role incongruity. Data analysis of the results included descriptive and inferential statistics. Inferential statistics involved the use of repeated measures ANOVA testing for significant difference in the causes of role strain between male nurses employed in critical care settings and a post hoc comparison of specific demographic data using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs). Data from 37 male nurses in critical care settings from the northeast of the United States were used to calculate descriptive statistics standard deviation, mean of the data analysis and results of the repeated ANOVA and the post hoc secondary MANOVA analysis. The descriptive data showed that all participants worked full-time. There was an even split from those participants who worked day shift (46%) vs. night shift (43%), most the participants indicated they had 15 years or more experience as an registered nurse (54%). Significant findings of this study include two causes of role strain in male nurses employed in critical care settings which are: role ambiguity and role overload based on ethnicity. Consistent with previous research findings, the results of this study suggest that male registered nurses employed in critical care settings do experience role strain. The two main causes of role strain in male nurses are role ambiguity and role overload. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Long-Term Care Workforce Issues: Practice Principles for Quality Dementia Care.

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Gilster, Susan D; Boltz, Marie; Dalessandro, Jennifer L

2018-01-18

This article is one in a series of articles in this supplement addressing best practice for quality dementia care. The Alzheimer's Association, in revising their Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for 2017 has identified staff across the long-term care spectrum as a distinct and important determinant of quality dementia care. The purpose of this article is to highlight areas for developing and supporting a dementia-capable workforce. The Alzheimer's Association Principles For Advocacy To Assure Quality Dementia Care Across Settings provide a framework to examine interventions to support the dementia care workforce in long-term care settings. Evidence-based approaches that represent these principles are discussed: (a) staffing, (b) staff training, (c) compensation, (d) supportive work environments, (e) career growth and retention, and (f) engagement with family. Although not all settings currently require attention to the principles described, this article proposes these principles as best practice recommendations. Recommendations and future research considerations to further improve the lives of those who live and work in nursing homes, assisted living, hospice, and home care, are proposed. Additional areas to improve the quality of a dementia care workforce person-centered care information, communication and interdepartmental teamwork, and ongoing evaluation are discussed. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Costs of care for dementia patients in community setting: an analysis for mild and moderate disease stage.

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Schwarzkopf, Larissa; Menn, Petra; Kunz, Simone; Holle, Rolf; Lauterberg, Jörg; Marx, Peter; Mehlig, Hilmar; Wunder, Sonja; Leidl, Reiner; Donath, Carolin; Graessel, Elmar

2011-01-01

Rising life expectancy is associated with higher prevalence rates of dementia disorders. When disease progresses the patients' call on formal health care services and on social support grows which imposes increasing costs of care. The aim of this study was to investigate the costs for patients with mild and moderate dementia in community setting in Germany. We assessed total costs of care and individual cost components for 383 community-living dementia patients alongside a cluster-randomized trial from societal and health insurance perspective. Utilization of formal health care services was based on insurance claims data and time dedicated to informal care was assessed within caregiver interviews. We estimated costs using a two-part regression model adjusting for age, gender and cluster-effects. Costs of care equal €47,747 (Euros) from societal perspective which is almost the 4.7-fold of health insurance expenditures. Valued informal care covers 80.2% of societal costs and increases disproportionally when disease progresses. In moderate dementia the corresponding amount exceeds the one in mild dementia by 69.9%, whereas costs for formal health care services differ by 14.3%. Due to valued informal care, costs of care for community-living patients with moderate dementia are significantly higher than for patients with mild dementia. Informal care is a non-cash item saving expenditures for professional care. To relieve social security system and family caregivers as well as to allow dementia patients to stay at home as long as possible, concepts fostering community-based dementia care and support to family caregivers need to be further developed. Copyright © 2011 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Value of care - National

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U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Value of care displays – national data. This data set includes national-level data for the value of care displays associated with an episode of care for heart...

The association between culture, climate and quality of care in primary health care teams.

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Hann, Mark; Bower, Peter; Campbell, Stephen; Marshall, Martin; Reeves, David

2007-09-01

Culture and climate represent shared beliefs and values that may influence quality of care in health care teams, and which could be manipulated for quality improvement. However, there is a lack of agreement on the theoretical and empirical relationships between climate and culture, and their relative power as predictors of quality of care. This study sought to examine the association between self-report measures of climate and culture in primary care teams and comprehensive measures of quality of care. The data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 492 professionals in 42 general practices in England. Self-report measures of culture (the Competing Values Framework) and climate (the Team Climate Inventory) were used, together with validated measures of quality of care from medical records and self-report. The majority of practices could be characterized as 'clan' culture type. Practices with a dominant clan culture scored higher on climate for participation and teamwork. There were no associations between culture and quality of care, and only limited evidence of associations between climate and quality. The current analysis would not support the hypothesis that culture and climate are important predictors of quality of care in primary care. Although larger studies are required to provide a definitive test, the results may suggest the need for a more complex model of the associations between culture, climate and outcomes, and further research may be required into the interaction between culture and climate with other determinants of behaviour such as internal and external incentives.

Functional bowel disorders in primary care: factors associated with health-related quality of life and doctor consultation.

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Lee, Victoria; Guthrie, Else; Robinson, Andrew; Kennedy, Anne; Tomenson, Barbara; Rogers, Anne; Thompson, David

2008-02-01

The role of psychological factors in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remains unclear, particularly in a primary care setting, where relatively little research on this common and costly condition has been carried out. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative contribution of physical and psychological factors to health-related quality of life and health-care utilization in patients with functional bowel disease (IBS-like symptoms) in primary care. We also wished to establish the relevance of formal diagnostic criteria to IBS in the primary care setting. This study used a cross-sectional design. Four hundred twenty patients with functional bowel disorders in primary care completed a series of measures, including bowel symptom status and severity, severity of psychological distress, personality, and quality of life. The number of visits to a general practitioner (GP) in the previous 12 months was recorded. The following variables were independently and highly significantly associated with health-related quality of life in patients with functional bowel disorders in primary care: total psychological symptom score, diarrhea severity, abdominal pain for >12 weeks, and abdominal distension. A similar pattern emerged between patients who met meet Rome II criteria for IBS and patients who did not meet Rome II criteria for IBS. Relatively few variables (either physical or psychological) had a major impact on the number of GP consultations, with the exception of frequency of bowel movements. This study confirms that psychological factors are significantly associated with health-related quality of life in patients with IBS in primary care. Physical symptom severity is also important. Relatively few symptom measures, either physical or psychological, have a major impact on doctor consultation rates in primary care.

Treatment of acute burn blisters in unscheduled care settings.

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Payne, Sarah; Cole, Elaine

2012-09-01

Many patients with minor burns present at emergency departments and urgent care centres, where their management is often undertaken by experienced nurses rather than experts in treating burns. This article describes a small study of the clinical decision making that underpins nurses' management of minor burns in these non-specialist settings. The results suggest that, due to a lack of relevant research, nurses base their decisions on previous experience or expert colleagues' opinions and advice rather than on the evidence.

Ergonomic practices within patient care units are associated with musculoskeletal pain and limitations

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Dennerlein, Jack T.; Hopcia, Karen; Sembajwe, Grace; Kenwood, Christopher; Stoddard, Anne M.; Tveito, T. Helene; Hashimoto, Dean M.; Sorensen, Glorian

2013-01-01

Background With the high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) for patient care unit workers, prevention efforts through ergonomic practices within units may be related to symptoms associated with typical work-related MSDs. Methods We completed a cross-sectional survey of patient care workers (n=1572) in two large academic hospitals in order to evaluate relationships between self-reported musculoskeletal pain, work interference due to this pain, and limitations during activities of daily living (functional limitations) and with ergonomic practices and other organizational policy and practices metrics within the unit. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses tested the significance of these associations. Results Prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms in the past 3-months was 74% with 53% reporting pain in the low back. 32.8% reported that this pain interfered with their work duties and 17.7% reported functional limitations in the prior week. Decreased ergonomic practices were significantly associated with reporting pain in four body areas (low back, neck/shoulder, arms, and lower extremity) in the previous 3-months, interference with work caused by this pain, symptom severity and limitations in completing activities of daily living in the past week. Except for low back pain and work interference, these associations remained significant when psychosocial covariates such as psychological demands were included in multiple logistic regressions, Conclusions Ergonomic practices appear to be associated with many of the musculoskeletal symptoms denoting their importance for prevention efforts in acute health care settings. PMID:22113975

Supervising Family Therapy Trainees in Primary Care Medical Settings: Context Matters

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Edwards, Todd M.; Patterson, Jo Ellen

2006-01-01

The purpose of this article is to identify and describe four essential skills for effective supervision of family therapy trainees in primary care medical settings. The supervision skills described include: (1) Understand medical culture; (2) Locate the trainee in the treatment system; (3) Investigate the biological/health issues; and (4) Be…

Frontal assessment battery (FAB) performance following traumatic brain injury hospitalized in an acute care setting.

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Rojas, Natalia; Laguë-Beauvais, Maude; Belisle, Arielle; Lamoureux, Julie; AlSideiri, Ghusn; Marcoux, Judith; Maleki, Mohammed; Alturki, Abdulrahman Y; Anchouche, Sonia; Alquraini, Hanan; Feyz, Mitra; Guise, Elaine de

2018-01-19

The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) has been shown to be useful in several clinical settings. The aim of the present study was to examine the performance of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) on the FAB and to predict their acute outcome. The FAB was administered to 89 patients with mild (27 = uncomplicated and 39 = complicated) and moderate (n = 23) TBI during hospitalization in an acute care setting. The length of stay in days (LOS), Glasgow Outcome Scale-Revised score (GOSE) and Disability Rating Scale (DRS) score were collected. Results showed no significant differences between the three groups on the FAB score, but age and education were significantly associated with the FAB score. Parietal lesions were associated with lower total FAB score, and with the Similarities, Motor series and Conflicting instructions subscales, while frontal lesions were associated with lower performance on the Motor series and Conflicting instructions subscales. Total FAB score was significantly correlated with all outcome measures, and together the FAB total score and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score explained 30.8% of the variance in the DRS score. The FAB may be useful clinically to acutely assess frontal and parietal lobe functions at bedside in patients with TBI and, in combination with the GCS score to measure TBI severity, can enable clinicians to predict early outcome.

No Racial Difference in Rehabilitation Therapy Across All Post-Acute Care Settings in the Year Following a Stroke.

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Skolarus, Lesli E; Feng, Chunyang; Burke, James F

2017-12-01

Black stroke survivors experience greater poststroke disability than whites. Differences in post-acute rehabilitation may contribute to this disparity. Therefore, we estimated racial differences in rehabilitation therapy utilization, intensity, and the number of post-acute care settings in the first year after a stroke. We used national Medicare data to study 186 168 elderly black and white patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of stroke in 2011. We tabulated the proportion of stroke survivors receiving physical, occupational, and speech and language therapy in each post-acute care setting (inpatient rehabilitation facility, skilled nursing facility, and home health agency), minutes of therapy, and number of transitions between settings. We then used generalized linear models to determine whether racial differences in minutes of physical therapy were influenced by demographics, comorbidities, thrombolysis, and markers of stroke severity. Black stroke patients were more likely to receive each type of therapy than white stroke patients. Compared with white stroke patients, black stroke patients received more minutes of physical therapy (897.8 versus 743.4; P rehabilitation therapy utilization or intensity after accounting for patient characteristics. It is unlikely that differences in rehabilitation utilization or intensity are important contributors to racial disparities in poststroke disability. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Real-world hospital costs for nonchemotherapy drugs and nondrug care associated with platinum-based doublets in the first-line setting for advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer in Chinese patients: a retrospective cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen JH

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Jianhua Chen,1 Shengqi Wu,2 Chenping Hu,3 Yicheng Yang,4 Narayan Rajan,5 Yun Chen,4 Canjuan Yang,6 Jianfeng Li,6 Wendong Chen7 1Department of Medical Oncology, 2Department of Research and Education, Hunan Province Tumor Hospital, 3Department of Respiratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 4Lilly Suzhou Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Shanghai Branch, Shanghai, People's Republic of China; 5Global Health Outcomes Research, Eli Lilly and Co, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 6Division of Health Outcome Research, Normin Health Changsha Representative Office, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China; 7Normin Health, Toronto, ON, Canada Objective: The objective of this study was to compare hospital costs per treatment cycle (HCTC for nonchemotherapy drugs and nondrug care associated with platinum-based doublets in the first-line setting for advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (AdvNS-NSCLC in Chinese patients. Methods: Patients receiving platinum-based doublets in the first-line setting for AdvNS-NSCLC from 2010 to 2012 in two Chinese tertiary hospitals were identified to create the retrospective study cohort. Propensity score methods were used to create matched treatment groups for head-to-head comparisons on HCTC between pemetrexed–platinum and other platinum-based doublets. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to rank studied platinum-based doublets for their associations with the log10 scale of HCTC for nonchemotherapy drugs and nondrug care. Results: Propensity score methods created matched treatment groups for pemetrexed–platinum versus docetaxel–platinum (61 pairs, paclitaxel–platinum (39 pairs, gemcitabine–platinum (93 pairs, and vinorelbine–platinum (73 pairs, respectively. Even though the log10 scale of HCTC for nonchemotherapy drugs and nondrug care associated with pemetrexed–platinum was ranked lowest in all patients (coefficient –0.174, P=0.015, which included patients experiencing

The association between spiritual well-being and burnout in intensive care unit nurses: A descriptive study.

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Kim, Hyun Sook; Yeom, Hye-Ah

2018-06-01

To describe the spiritual well-being and burnout of intensive care unit nurses and examine the relationship between these factors. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. The participants were 318 intensive care unit recruited from three university hospitals in South Korea. The survey questionnaire included demographic information, work-related characteristics and end-of-life care experience, along with the Spiritual Well-Being Scale and Burnout Questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA with Scheffé test and a multiple regression analysis. The burnout level among intensive care unit nurses was 3.15 out of 5. A higher level of burnout was significantly associated with younger age, lower education level, single marital status, having no religion, less work experience and previous end-of-life care experience. Higher levels of spiritual well-being were associated with lower levels of burnout, even after controlling for the general characteristics in the regression model. Intensive care unit nurses experience a high level of burnout in general. Increased spiritual well-being might reduce burnout among intensive care unit nurses. Younger and less experienced nurses should receive more attention as a vulnerable group with lower spirituality and greater burnout in intensive care unit settings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dire deadlines: coping with dysfunctional family dynamics in an end-of-life care setting.

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Holst, Lone; Lundgren, Maren; Olsen, Lutte; Ishøy, Torben

2009-01-01

Working in a hospice and being able to focus on individualized, specialized end-of-life care is a privilege for the hospice staff member. However, it also presents the hospice staff with unique challenges. This descriptive study is based upon two cases from an end-of-life care setting in Denmark, where dysfunctional family dynamics presented added challenges to the staff members in their efforts to provide optimal palliative care. The hospice triad--the patient, the staff member and the family member--forms the basis for communication and intervention in a hospice. Higher expectations and demands of younger, more well-informed patients and family members challenge hospice staff in terms of information and communication when planning for care. The inherent risk factors of working with patients in the terminal phase of life become a focal point in the prevention of the development of compassion fatigue among staff members. A series of coping strategies to more optimally manage dysfunctional families in a setting where time is of the essence are then presented in an effort to empower the hospice team, to prevent splitting among staff members, and to improve quality of care.

Caring for Refugee Youth in the School Setting.

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Johnson, Jennifer Leigh; Beard, Joyce; Evans, Dena

2017-03-01

Annually, over 80,000 refugees enter the United States as a result of political or religious persecution. Of these, approximately 35% to 40% are children and adolescents. Refugees are faced with challenges associated with living conditions, cultural and social norms, and socioeconomic status due to problems occurring in their homelands. These challenges include but are not limited to malnutrition, communicable disease, questionable immunization status, lack of formal education, sexual abuse, violence, torture, human trafficking, homelessness, poverty, and a lack of access to health care. Moreover, the psychological impact of relocation and the stress of acculturation may perpetuate many of these existing challenges, particularly for refugee youth, with limited or underdeveloped coping skills. School nurses are uniquely poised to support refugee youth in the transition process, improve overall health, and facilitate access to primary health services. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the unique refugee experience, examine the key health care needs of the population, and present school nurses with timely and relevant resources to assist in caring for refugee youth.

Providing Anesthesia Care in Resource-limited Settings: A 6-year Analysis of Anesthesia Services Provided at Médecins Sans Frontières Facilities.

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Ariyo, Promise; Trelles, Miguel; Helmand, Rahmatullah; Amir, Yama; Hassani, Ghulam Haidar; Mftavyanka, Julien; Nzeyimana, Zenon; Akemani, Clemence; Ntawukiruwabo, Innocent Bagura; Charles, Adelin; Yana, Yanang; Moussa, Kalla; Kamal, Mustafa; Suma, Mohamed Lamin; Ahmed, Mowlid; Abdullahi, Mohamed; Wong, Evan G; Kushner, Adam; Latif, Asad

2016-03-01

Anesthesia is integral to improving surgical care in low-resource settings. Anesthesia providers who work in these areas should be familiar with the particularities associated with providing care in these settings, including the types and outcomes of commonly performed anesthetic procedures. The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of anesthetic procedures performed at Médecins Sans Frontières facilities from July 2008 to June 2014. The authors collected data on patient demographics, procedural characteristics, and patient outcome. The factors associated with perioperative mortality were analyzed. Over the 6-yr period, 75,536 anesthetics were provided to adult patients. The most common anesthesia techniques were spinal anesthesia (45.56%) and general anesthesia without intubation (33.85%). Overall perioperative mortality was 0.25%. Emergent procedures (0.41%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 15.86; 95% CI, 2.14 to 115.58), specialized surgeries (2.74%; AOR, 3.82; 95% CI, 1.27 to 11.47), and surgical duration more than 6 h (9.76%; AOR, 4.02; 95% CI, 1.09 to 14.88) were associated with higher odds of mortality than elective surgeries, minor surgeries, and surgical duration less than 1 h, respectively. Compared with general anesthesia with intubation, spinal anesthesia, regional anesthesia, and general anesthesia without intubation were associated with lower perioperative mortality rates of 0.04% (AOR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.18), 0.06% (AOR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.92), and 0.14% (AOR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.18 to 0.45), respectively. A wide range of anesthetics can be carried out safely in resource-limited settings. Providers need to be aware of the potential risks and the outcomes associated with anesthesia administration in these settings.

Intra-facility linkage of HIV-positive mothers and HIV-exposed babies into HIV chronic care: rural and urban experience in a resource limited setting.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Mugasha

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Linkage of HIV-infected pregnant women to HIV care remains critical for improvement of maternal and child outcomes through prevention of maternal-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT and subsequent chronic HIV care. This study determined proportions and factors associated with intra-facility linkage to HIV care and Early Infant Diagnosis care (EID to inform strategic scale up of PMTCT programs. METHODS: A cross-sectional review of records was done at 2 urban and 3 rural public health care facilities supported by the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI. HIV-infected pregnant mothers, identified through routine antenatal care (ANC and HIV-exposed babies were evaluated for enrollment in HIV clinics by 6 weeks post-delivery. RESULTS: Overall, 1,025 HIV-infected pregnant mothers were identified during ANC between January and June, 2012; 267/1,025 (26% in rural and 743/1,025 (74% in urban facilities. Of these 375/1,025 (37% were linked to HIV clinics [67/267(25% rural and 308/758(41% urban]. Of 636 HIV-exposed babies, 193 (30% were linked to EID. Linkage of mother-baby pairs to HIV chronic care and EID was 16% (101/636; 8/179 (4.5%] in rural and 93/457(20.3% in urban health facilities. Within rural facilities, ANC registration <28 weeks-of-gestation was associated with mothers' linkage to HIV chronic care [AoR, 2.0 95% CI, 1.1-3.7, p = 0.019] and mothers' multi-parity was associated with baby's linkage to EID; AoR 4.4 (1.3-15.1, p = 0.023. Stigma, long distance to health facilities and vertical PMTCT services affected linkage in rural facilities, while peer mothers, infant feeding services, long patient queues and limited privacy hindered linkage to HIV care in urban settings. CONCLUSION: Post-natal linkage of HIV-infected mothers to chronic HIV care and HIV-exposed babies to EID programs was low. Barriers to linkage to HIV care vary in urban and rural settings. We recommend targeted interventions to rapidly improve linkage to

Understanding the implementation of 'sick day guidance' to prevent acute kidney injury across a primary care setting in England: a qualitative evaluation.

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Martindale, Anne-Marie; Elvey, Rebecca; Howard, Susan J; McCorkindale, Sheila; Sinha, Smeeta; Blakeman, Tom

2017-11-08

The study sought to examine the implementation of sick day guidance cards designed to prevent acute kidney injury (AKI), in primary care settings. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted and comparative analysis informed by normalisation process theory was undertaken to understand sense-making, implementation and appraisal of the cards and associated guidance. A single primary care health setting in the North of England. 29 participants took part in the qualitative evaluation: seven general practitioners, five practice nurses, five community pharmacists, four practice pharmacists, two administrators, one healthcare assistant and five patients. The sick day guidance intervention was rolled out (2015-2016) in general practices (n=48) and community pharmacies (n=60). The materials consisted of a 'medicine sick day guidance' card, provided to patients who were taking the listed drugs. The card provided advice about medicines management during episodes of acute illness. An information leaflet was provided to healthcare practitioners and administrators suggesting how to use and give the cards. Implementation of sick day guidance cards to prevent AKI entailed a new set of working practises across primary care. A tension existed between ensuring reach in administration of the cards to at risk populations while being confident to ensure patient understanding of their purpose and use. Communicating the concept of temporary cessation of medicines was a particular challenge and limited their administration to patient populations at higher risk of AKI, particularly those with less capacity to self-manage. Sick day guidance cards that focus solely on medicines management may be of limited patient benefit without adequate resourcing or if delivered as a standalone intervention. Development and evaluation of primary care interventions is urgently warranted to tackle the harm associated with AKI. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the

Social Work Involvement in Advance Care Planning: Findings from a Large Survey of Social Workers in Hospice and Palliative Care Settings.

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Stein, Gary L; Cagle, John G; Christ, Grace H

2017-03-01

Few data are available describing the involvement and activities of social workers in advance care planning (ACP). We sought to provide data about (1) social worker involvement and leadership in ACP conversations with patients and families; and (2) the extent of functions and activities when these discussions occur. We conducted a large web-based survey of social workers employed in hospice, palliative care, and related settings to explore their role, participation, and self-rated competency in facilitating ACP discussions. Respondents were recruited through the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Descriptive analyses were conducted on the full sample of respondents (N = 641) and a subsample of clinical social workers (N = 456). Responses were analyzed to explore differences in ACP involvement by practice setting. Most clinical social workers (96%) reported that social workers in their department are conducting ACP discussions with patients/families. Majorities also participate in, and lead, ACP discussions (69% and 60%, respectively). Most respondents report that social workers are responsible for educating patients/families about ACP options (80%) and are the team members responsible for documenting ACP (68%). Compared with other settings, oncology and inpatient palliative care social workers were less likely to be responsible for ensuring that patients/families are informed of ACP options and documenting ACP preferences. Social workers are prominently involved in facilitating, leading, and documenting ACP discussions. Policy-makers, administrators, and providers should incorporate the vital contributions of social work professionals in policies and programs supporting ACP.

Preventive Care Quality of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Associations of Organizational Characteristics With Performance.

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Albright, Benjamin B; Lewis, Valerie A; Ross, Joseph S; Colla, Carrie H

2016-03-01

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are a delivery and payment model aiming to coordinate care, control costs, and improve quality. Medicare ACOs are responsible for 8 measures of preventive care quality. To create composite measures of preventive care quality and examine associations of ACO characteristics with performance. This is a cross-sectional study of Medicare Shared Savings Program and Pioneer participants. We linked quality performance to descriptive data from the National Survey of ACOs. We created composite measures using exploratory factor analysis, and used regression to assess associations with organizational characteristics. Of 252 eligible ACOs, 246 reported on preventive care quality, 177 of which completed the survey (response rate=72%). In their first year, ACOs lagged behind PPO performance on the majority of comparable measures. We identified 2 underlying factors among 8 measures and created composites for each: disease prevention, driven by vaccines and cancer screenings, and wellness screening, driven by annual health screenings. Participation in the Advanced Payment Model, having fewer specialists, and having more Medicare ACO beneficiaries per primary care provider were associated with significantly better performance on both composites. Better performance on disease prevention was also associated with inclusion of a hospital, greater electronic health record capabilities, a larger primary care workforce, and fewer minority beneficiaries. ACO preventive care quality performance is related to provider composition and benefitted by upfront investment. Vaccine and cancer screening quality performance is more dependent on organizational structure and characteristics than performance on annual wellness screenings, likely due to greater complexity in eligibility determination and service administration.

Concurrent E-Cigarette Use During Tobacco Dependence Treatment in Primary Care Settings: Association With Smoking Cessation at Three and Six Months.

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Zawertailo, Laurie; Pavlov, Dmytro; Ivanova, Anna; Ng, Ginnie; Baliunas, Dolly; Selby, Peter

2017-02-01

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are being used as cessation aids by many smokers despite a lack of empirical evidence regarding their safety and efficacy. We analyzed the association of e-cigarette use and smoking abstinence in a population of smokers accessing standard smoking cessation treatment (nicotine replacement therapy [NRT] plus behavioral counseling) through primary care clinics in Ontario, Canada. Participants were recruited through 187 primary care clinics across Ontario, Canada and were eligible for up to 26 weeks of brief behavioral counseling and individualized dosing of NRT at no cost. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine the association between concurrent e-cigarette use and smoking abstinence at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Of the 6526 participants who completed a 3-month follow-up, 18.1% reported using an e-cigarette while in treatment. The majority of e-cigarette users (78.2%) reported using an e-cigarette for smoking cessation. At 3-month follow-up, e-cigarette use was negatively associated with abstinence after controlling for confounders (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.706, p E-cigarette use was also negatively associated with abstinence at 6-month follow-up (AOR = 0.502, p E-cigarette use was negatively associated with successful quitting in this large community sample of smokers accessing standard evidence-based smoking cessation treatment through primary care clinics, even after adjusting for covariates such as severity of tobacco dependence, gender, and age. The findings suggest that concurrent use of e-cigarettes with NRT may harm cessation attempts. This study confirms previous findings from observational studies regarding the negative association between e-cigarette use and smoking cessation, but in a large cohort of smokers enrolled in an evidence-based treatment program. The implications of these findings are that concurrent use of e-cigarettes during a quit attempt utilizing cost-free evidence-based treatment

Reducing Barriers to Care in the Office-Based Health Care Setting for Children With Autism.

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Bultas, Margaret W; McMillin, Stephen Edward; Zand, Debra H

2016-01-01

The purpose of this survey-design research study was to evaluate the usefulness of a researcher-developed tool designed to improve office-based health care services and to assess the barriers and resources affecting office-based health care services for children with autism spectrum disorder. Fifty-four health care providers (HCPs) and 59 parents participated in the study. HCPs reported child behaviors, communication, and fears as barriers to providing care, whereas parents reported child behavior, sensory issues, and feelings of a disconnect with the HCP as barriers. HCPs identified the parent as a key resource. Parent-identified resources included provider adaptations to the patient, including slowing down the delivery of care and environmental adaptations to the office. In addition, both HCPs and parents indicated that the researcher-developed tool would be useful in reducing barriers during the HCE. Reducing barriers and improving health care interactions during delivery of care for children with autism spectrum disorder has the potential to improve health outcomes. Copyright © 2016 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patient Communication in Health Care Settings: new Opportunities for Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

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Blackstone, Sarah W; Pressman, Harvey

2016-01-01

Delivering quality health care requires effective communication between health care providers and their patients. In this article, we call on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) practitioners to offer their knowledge and skills in support of a broader range of patients who confront communication challenges in health care settings. We also provide ideas and examples about ways to prepare people with complex communication needs for the inevitable medical encounters that they will face. We argue that AAC practitioners, educators, and researchers have a unique role to play, important expertise to share, and an extraordinary opportunity to advance the profession, while positively affecting patient outcomes across the health care continuum for a large number of people.

Setting priorities in health care organizations: criteria, processes, and parameters of success

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Douglas K

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hospitals and regional health authorities must set priorities in the face of resource constraints. Decision-makers seek practical ways to set priorities fairly in strategic planning, but find limited guidance from the literature. Very little has been reported from the perspective of Board members and senior managers about what criteria, processes and parameters of success they would use to set priorities fairly. Discussion We facilitated workshops for board members and senior leadership at three health care organizations to assist them in developing a strategy for fair priority setting. Workshop participants identified 8 priority setting criteria, 10 key priority setting process elements, and 6 parameters of success that they would use to set priorities in their organizations. Decision-makers in other organizations can draw lessons from these findings to enhance the fairness of their priority setting decision-making. Summary Lessons learned in three workshops fill an important gap in the literature about what criteria, processes, and parameters of success Board members and senior managers would use to set priorities fairly.

Using intranet-based order sets to standardize clinical care and prepare for computerized physician order entry.

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Heffner, John E; Brower, Kathleen; Ellis, Rosemary; Brown, Shirley

2004-07-01

The high cost of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and physician resistance to standardized care have delayed implementation. An intranet-based order set system can provide some of CPOE's benefits and offer opportunities to acculturate physicians toward standardized care. INTRANET CLINICIAN ORDER FORMS (COF): The COF system at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) allows caregivers to enter and print orders through the intranet at points of care and to access decision support resources. Work on COF began in March 2000 with transfer of 25 MUSC paper-based order set forms to an intranet site. Physician groups developed additional order sets, which number more than 200. Web traffic increased progressively during a 24-month period, peaking at more than 6,400 hits per month to COF. Decision support tools improved compliance with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services core indicators. Clinicians demonstrated a willingness to develop and use order sets and decision support tools posted on the COF site. COF provides a low-cost method for preparing caregivers and institutions to adopt CPOE and standardization of care. The educational resources, relevant links to external resources, and communication alerts will all link to CPOE, thereby providing a head start in CPOE implementation.

Patients' satisfaction ratings and their desire for care improvement across oncology settings from France, Italy, Poland and Sweden.

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Brédart, A; Robertson, C; Razavi, D; Batel-Copel, L; Larsson, G; Lichosik, D; Meyza, J; Schraub, S; von Essen, L; de Haes, J C J M

2003-01-01

There has been an increasing interest in patient satisfaction assessment across nations recently. This paper reports on a cross-cultural comparison of the comprehensive assessment of satisfaction with care (CASC) response scales. We investigated what proportion of patients wanted care improvement for the same level of satisfaction across samples from oncology settings in France, Italy, Poland and Sweden, and whether age, gender, education level and type of items affected the relationships found. The CASC addresses patient's satisfaction with the care received in oncology hospitals. Patients are invited to rate aspects of care and to mention for each of these aspects, whether they would want improvement.One hundred and forty, 395, 186 and 133 consecutive patients were approached in oncology settings from France, Italy, Poland and Sweden, respectively. Across country settings, an increasing percentage of patients wanted care improvement for decreasing levels of satisfaction. However, in France a higher percentage of patients wanted care improvement for high-satisfaction ratings whereas in Poland a lower percentage of patients wanted care improvement for low-satisfaction ratings. Age and education level had a similar effect across countries. Confronting levels of satisfaction with desire for care improvement appeared useful in comprehending the meaning of response choice labels for the CASC across oncology settings from different linguistic and cultural background. Linguistic or socio-cultural differences were suggested for explaining discrepancies between countries. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Interventions that promote retention of experienced registered nurses in health care settings: a systematic review.

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Lartey, Sarah; Cummings, Greta; Profetto-McGrath, Joanne

2014-11-01

The aim of this review was to report the effectiveness of strategies for retaining experienced Registered Nurses. Nursing researchers have noted that the projected nursing shortage, if not rectified, is expected to affect healthcare cost, job satisfaction and quality patient care. Retaining experienced nurses would help to mitigate the shortage, facilitate the transfer of knowledge and provision of quality care to patients. A systematic review of studies on interventions that promote the retention of experienced Registered Nurses in health care settings. Twelve studies were included in the final analysis. Most studies reported improved retention as a result of the intervention. Team work and individually targeted strategies including mentoring, leadership interest and in-depth orientation increased job satisfaction and produced higher retention results. Few published studies have examined interventions that promote the retention of experienced Registered Nurses in healthcare. Retention was highest when multiple interventions were used. Further research is needed to inform nurse leaders of ways to retain nurses and to maintain quality care in health care settings. Programmes targeting the retention of experienced nurses need to be considered when implementing measures to decrease the nursing shortage and its effects on quality care. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quality of life in older individuals with joint contractures in geriatric care settings.

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Heise, Marco; Müller, Martin; Fischer, Uli; Grill, Eva

2016-09-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between functioning and disability and quality of life (QoL) in older individuals with joint contractures in the geriatric care setting. More specifically, this study aimed to identify determinants of QoL out of a defined set of contracture-related categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Participants for this multicenter cross-sectional survey were recruited from acute geriatric rehabilitation hospitals, nursing homes, and community nursing facilities in Germany between February and October 2013. QoL was assessed using the validated German version of the EQ-5D index score and the EQ-5D visual analog scale (VAS). Manual and automatic variable selection methods were used to identify the most relevant variables out of 125 contracture-related ICF categories. A total of 241 eligible participants (34.9 % male, mean age 80.1 years) were included. The final models contained 14 ICF categories as predictors of the EQ-5D index score and 15 categories as predictors of the EQ-5D VAS. The statistically significant ICF categories from both models were 'muscle power functions (b730),' 'memory functions (b144),' 'taking care of plants (d6505),' 'recreation and leisure (d920),' 'religion and spirituality (d930),' 'drugs (e1101),' and 'products and technology for personal use in daily living (e115).' We identified the most relevant ICF categories for older individuals with joint contractures and their health-related quality of life. These items describe potential determinants of QoL which may provide the basis for future health interventions aiming to improve QoL for the patients with joint contractures.

Validation of the Care-Related Quality of Life Instrument in different study settings: findings from The Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Survey Minimum DataSet (TOPICS-MDS).

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Lutomski, J E; van Exel, N J A; Kempen, G I J M; Moll van Charante, E P; den Elzen, W P J; Jansen, A P D; Krabbe, P F M; Steunenberg, B; Steyerberg, E W; Olde Rikkert, M G M; Melis, R J F

2015-05-01

Validity is a contextual aspect of a scale which may differ across sample populations and study protocols. The objective of our study was to validate the Care-Related Quality of Life Instrument (CarerQol) across two different study design features, sampling framework (general population vs. different care settings) and survey mode (interview vs. written questionnaire). Data were extracted from The Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Minimum DataSet (TOPICS-MDS, www.topics-mds.eu ), a pooled public-access data set with information on >3,000 informal caregivers throughout the Netherlands. Meta-correlations and linear mixed models between the CarerQol's seven dimensions (CarerQol-7D) and caregiver's level of happiness (CarerQol-VAS) and self-rated burden (SRB) were performed. The CarerQol-7D dimensions were correlated to the CarerQol-VAS and SRB in the pooled data set and the subgroups. The strength of correlations between CarerQol-7D dimensions and SRB was weaker among caregivers who were interviewed versus those who completed a written questionnaire. The directionality of associations between the CarerQol-VAS, SRB and the CarerQol-7D dimensions in the multivariate model supported the construct validity of the CarerQol in the pooled population. Significant interaction terms were observed in several dimensions of the CarerQol-7D across sampling frame and survey mode, suggesting meaningful differences in reporting levels. Although good scientific practice emphasises the importance of re-evaluating instrument properties in individual research studies, our findings support the validity and applicability of the CarerQol instrument in a variety of settings. Due to minor differential reporting, pooling CarerQol data collected using mixed administration modes should be interpreted with caution; for TOPICS-MDS, meta-analytic techniques may be warranted.

Good news and bad news: depressive symptoms decline and undertreatment increases with age in home care and institutional settings.

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Szczerbińska, Katarzyna; Hirdes, John P; Zyczkowska, Jolanta

2012-12-01

Examination of prevalence of depressive symptoms among older persons in home care (HC) and complex continuing care (CCC) hospitals/units, factors associated with depressive symptoms in those settings, and rate of antidepressant use among older persons with depressive symptoms. Observational study using data from interRAI assessments used in normal clinical practice. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms in the frail elderly and treatment approaches were described. Fourteen HC agencies and 134 CCC hospitals/units in Ontario, Canada. Older persons (N = 191,9871) aged 65 years and older, including 114,497 persons from HC and 77,490 persons from CCC. Data were collected using Resident Assessment Instrument 2.0 (RAI 2.0) (1996-2004) in CCC and Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (RAI-HC) (2003-2004) in HC. Prevalence of depressive symptoms among older HC enrollees was lower (12.0%) than in CCC (23.6%). It decreased significantly with age in HC (to about 6% in those older than 95 years) but there were not substantial age differences in CCC. Common factors associated with depressive symptoms in both types of care were cognitive impairment, instability of health, daily pain, disability in activities of daily living; however, advanced age lost its protective effect in CCC. Less than half of the persons in HC and CCC with depressive symptoms were treated with antidepressants and their use decreased with age. Undertreatment of depressive symptoms among older persons remains a serious problem. Learning more about factors associated with depressive symptoms among the oldest old might improve detection and treatment of depression.

Outcomes Associated With Early Preventive Dental Care Among Medicaid-Enrolled Children in Alabama

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Morrisey, Michael A.; Sen, Bisakha

2017-01-01

Importance There is a recommendation for children to have a dental home by 6 months of age, but there is limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of early preventive dental care or whether primary care providers (PCPs) can deliver it. Objective To investigate the effectiveness of preventive dental care in reducing caries-related treatment visits among Medicaid enrollees. Design, Setting, and Participants High-dimensional propensity scores were used to address selection bias for a retrospective cohort study of children continuously enrolled in coverage from the Alabama Medicaid Agency from birth between 2008 and 2012, adjusting for demographics, access to care, and general health service use. Exposures Children receiving preventive dental care prior to age 2 years from PCPs or dentists vs no preventive dental care. Main Outcome and Measures Two-part models estimated caries-related treatment and expenditures. Results Among 19 658 eligible children, 25.8% (n = 3658) received early preventive dental care, of whom 44% were black, 37.6% were white, and 16.3% were Hispanic. Compared with matched children without early preventive dental care, children with dentist-delivered preventive dental care more frequently had a subsequent caries-related treatment (20.6% vs 11.3%, P dental expenditures ($168 vs $87 per year, P dental care was associated with an increase in the expected number of caries-related treatment visits by 0.14 per child per year (95% CI, 0.11-0.16) and caries-related treatment expenditures by $40.77 per child per year (95% CI, $30.48-$51.07). Primary care provider–delivered preventive dental care did not significantly affect caries-related treatment use or expenditures. Conclusions and Relevance Children with early preventive care visits from dentists were more likely to have subsequent dental care, including caries-related treatment, and greater expenditures than children without preventive dental care. There was no association with subsequent

Northern nursing practice in a primary health care setting.

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Vukic, Adele; Keddy, Barbara

2002-12-01

This paper explicates the nature of outpost nursing work, and/or the day-to-day realities of northern nursing practice in a primary health care setting in Canada. The study was carried out to systematically explore the work of nurses in an indigenous setting. Institutional ethnography, pioneered by Dorothy Smith was the methodology used to guide this research. The theoretical perspective of this methodology does not seek causes or links but intends to explicate visible practices. It is intended to explicate the social organization of specific discourses that inform work processes of nurses working in remote indigenous communities. The data originated from various sources including spending 2 weeks in a northern remote community shadowing experienced nurses, taking field notes and audio taping interviews with these nurses. One of the two researchers was a northern practice nurse for many years and has had taught in an outpost nursing programme. As part of the process, texts were obtained from the site as data to be incorporated in the analysis. The lived experiences have added to the analytical understanding of the work of nurses in remote areas. Data uncovered documentary practices inherent to the work setting which were then analysed along with the transcribed interviews and field notes derived from the on-site visit. Identifying disjuncture in the discourse of northern nursing and the lived experience of the nurses in this study was central to the research process. The results indicated that the social organization of northern community nursing work required a broad generalist knowledge base for decision making to work effectively within this primary health care setting. The nurse as 'other' and the invisibility of nurses' work of building a trusting relationship with the community is not reflected in the discourse of northern nursing. Trust cannot be quantified or measured yet it is fundamental to working effectively with the community. The nurses in this study

Motivation of Volunteers to Work in Palliative Care Setting: A Qualitative Study.

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Muckaden, M A; Pandya, Sachi Sanjay

2016-01-01

Volunteers are an integral part of the palliative care services in the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. These volunteers are an important resource for the department. Thus, it is necessary for the department to determine what motivates these volunteers to continue to work in the setting, acknowledge them and direct efforts toward retaining them and giving them opportunities to serve to the best of their desire and abilities. The current study aimed at understanding the motivation of volunteers to work in palliative care, to identify the challenges they face and also the effect of their work on their self and relationships. In-depth interviews were conducted using semistructured interview guide to study above mentioned aspects. Themes were identified and coding was used to analyze the data. The results suggested that the basic motivation for all the volunteers to work in a palliative care setting is an inherent urge, a feeling of need to give back to the society by serving the sick and the suffering. Other motivating factors identified were team spirit, comfort shared, warm and respectful treatment by the team, satisfying nature of work, experience of cancer in the family, and aligned values and beliefs. Some intrinsic rewards mentioned by volunteers were joy of giving, personal growth, enriching experiences, and meaningful nature of work. The study attempted to improve opportunities of working for these volunteers. Although limited in scope, it offers insight for future research in the area of volunteerism in palliative care setup.

Determinants in the development of advanced nursing practice: a case study of primary-care settings in Hong Kong.

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Twinn, Sheila; Thompson, David R; Lopez, Violeta; Lee, Diana T F; Shiu, Ann T Y

2005-01-01

Different factors have been shown to influence the development of models of advanced nursing practice (ANP) in primary-care settings. Although ANP is being developed in hospitals in Hong Kong, China, it remains undeveloped in primary care and little is known about the factors determining the development of such a model. The aims of the present study were to investigate the contribution of different models of nursing practice to the care provided in primary-care settings in Hong Kong, and to examine the determinants influencing the development of a model of ANP in such settings. A multiple case study design was selected using both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. Sampling methods reflected the population groups and stage of the case study. Sampling included a total population of 41 nurses from whom a secondary volunteer sample was drawn for face-to-face interviews. In each case study, a convenience sample of 70 patients were recruited, from whom 10 were selected purposively for a semi-structured telephone interview. An opportunistic sample of healthcare professionals was also selected. The within-case and cross-case analysis demonstrated four major determinants influencing the development of ANP: (1) current models of nursing practice; (2) the use of skills mix; (3) the perceived contribution of ANP to patient care; and (4) patients' expectations of care. The level of autonomy of individual nurses was considered particularly important. These determinants were used to develop a model of ANP for a primary-care setting. In conclusion, although the findings highlight the complexity determining the development and implementation of ANP in primary care, the proposed model suggests that definitions of advanced practice are appropriate to a range of practice models and cultural settings. However, the findings highlight the importance of assessing the effectiveness of such models in terms of cost and long-term patient outcomes.

Development of a core set of quality indicators for paediatric primary care practices in Europe, COSI-PPC-EU.

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Ewald, Dominik A; Huss, Gottfried; Auras, Silke; Caceres, Juan Ruiz-Canela; Hadjipanayis, Adamos; Geraedts, Max

2018-06-01

Paediatric ambulatory healthcare systems in Europe are, because of historical reasons, diverse and show strikingly different outcomes. All across Europe, the benchmarking of structures, processes and outcomes could reveal opportunities for improving Paediatric Primary Care (PPC). The aim of this study was to develop a set of Quality Indicators (QIs) to assess and monitor PPC in Europe. In a three-step process, we used the available external evidence and European expert consensus in a modified RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM) to develop an indicator set. (1) A broad literature and online research of published QI and guidelines yielded an inventory of 1516 QI. (2) A collaborative panel of paediatric senior experts from the European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP) and the European Confederation of Primary Care Paediatricians (ECPCP) from 15 European countries participated in a first consensus process to reduce the initial indicator inventory by eliminating not PPC-focused indicators and duplicates. (3) In a second consensus process, the panel rated the QI regarding validity and feasibility. The final QI set "COSI-PPC-EU" consists of 42 indicators in five categories of PPC: (A) health promotion/prevention/screening (13 QI), (B) acute care (9 QI), (C) chronic care (8 QI), (D) practice management (3 QI) and (E) patient safety (9 QI). COSI-PPC-EU represents a consented set of a limited number of valid quality indicators for the application in paediatric primary care in different healthcare systems throughout Europe. What is Known: • Paediatric ambulatory healthcare systems in Europe are diverse and show strikingly different outcomes. • There are known gaps in quality performance measures of paediatric primary care in Europe. Pre-existing sets of quality indicators are predominantly limited to national populations, specific diseases and hospital care. What is New: • A set of 42 quality indicators for primary paediatric care in Europe was developed in a multi

Nurses' oral hygiene care practices with hospitalised older adults in postacute settings.

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Coker, Esther; Ploeg, Jenny; Kaasalainen, Sharon; Carter, Nancy

2017-03-01

The purpose of this study was to explore how nurses provide bedtime oral hygiene care, how they decide on interventions provided, and what factors influence their ability to provide oral care. Current evidence links poor oral hygiene to systemic and infectious diseases such as pneumonia. Hospitalised patients, who now retain their teeth into older adulthood, often rely on nurses to provide oral hygiene care. Nurses have the potential to impact oral health outcomes and quality of life by controlling plaque. However, oral hygiene care practices of nurses in postacute hospital settings are relatively unknown. A qualitative, exploratory multiple-case study was conducted with 25 nurses working on five inpatient units at different hospitals. Nurses were accompanied on their evening rounds to observe oral care practices, the physical environment and workflow. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the case study data including transcripts of guided conversations, field notes and documents. Within-case analysis was followed by cross-case analysis. Findings indicate that (i) nurses often convey oral hygiene care to their patients as being optional; (ii) nurses are inclined to preserve patient autonomy in oral hygiene care; (iii) oral hygiene care is often spontaneous and variable, and may not be informed by evidence; and (iv) oral hygiene care is not embedded into bedtime care routines. Oral hygiene care is discretionary and often missed care. Nurses need knowledge of the health benefits of oral care, and skills related to assessment and approaches to oral care. Availability of effective products and supplies facilitates provision of oral care. The evidence for oral hygiene care practices, outcomes of nurse-administered oral care and nursing's role in influencing the oral health literacy of patients require further study. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The effects of massage therapy on pain management in the acute care setting.

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Adams, Rose; White, Barb; Beckett, Cynthia

2010-03-17

Pain management remains a critical issue for hospitals and is receiving the attention of hospital accreditation organizations. The acute care setting of the hospital provides an excellent opportunity for the integration of massage therapy for pain management into the team-centered approach of patient care. This preliminary study evaluated the effect of the use of massage therapy on inpatient pain levels in the acute care setting. The study was conducted at Flagstaff Medical Center in Flagstaff, Arizona-a nonprofit community hospital serving a large rural area of northern Arizona. A convenience sample was used to identify research participants. Pain levels before and after massage therapy were recorded using a 0 - 10 visual analog scale. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used for analysis of this descriptive study. Hospital inpatients (n = 53) from medical, surgical, and obstetrics units participated in the current research by each receiving one or more massage therapy sessions averaging 30 minutes each. The number of sessions received depended on the length of the hospital stay. Before massage, the mean pain level recorded by the patients was 5.18 [standard deviation (SD): 2.01]. After massage, the mean pain level was 2.33 (SD: 2.10). The observed reduction in pain was statistically significant: paired samples t(52) = 12.43, r = .67, d = 1.38, p massage therapy into the acute care setting creates overall positive results in the patient's ability to deal with the challenging physical and psychological aspects of their health condition. The study demonstrated not only significant reduction in pain levels, but also the interrelatedness of pain, relaxation, sleep, emotions, recovery, and finally, the healing process.

Care managers' views on death and caring for older cancer patients in Japan.

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Matsui, Miho; Kanai, Emi; Kitagawa, Akiko; Hattori, Keiko

2013-12-01

Care managers (CMs) have an important role in coordinating care for cancer patients who are in the end-of-life stage; however, little is known about their views of death and their experiences while caring for older cancer patients. This study was conducted to examine CMs' views of death and caring for older cancer patients in a home care setting in Japan. Convenience sampling was undertaken, and 35 offices from 43 approached services agreed to participate. The final valid sample included responses from 136 CMs (90.7%). Most CMs, including nurses, care workers, home helpers, and social workers in home care settings, experienced difficulty in managing the care of cancer patients in the end-of-life stage. Respondents reported a wide array of experiences with end-of-life care, care management, and seminar attendance, and their ages and Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD) scores were associated factors. Moreover, multiple regression analysis indicated that better attitudes toward caring for the dying were positively associated with seminar attendance. These results suggest that CMs need education about palliative and end-of-life care in order to promote good home care for cancer patients.

The impact of behavioral and mental health risk assessments on goal setting in primary care.

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Krist, Alex H; Glasgow, Russell E; Heurtin-Roberts, Suzanne; Sabo, Roy T; Roby, Dylan H; Gorin, Sherri N Sheinfeld; Balasubramanian, Bijal A; Estabrooks, Paul A; Ory, Marcia G; Glenn, Beth A; Phillips, Siobhan M; Kessler, Rodger; Johnson, Sallie Beth; Rohweder, Catherine L; Fernandez, Maria E

2016-06-01

Patient-centered health risk assessments (HRAs) that screen for unhealthy behaviors, prioritize concerns, and provide feedback may improve counseling, goal setting, and health. To evaluate the effectiveness of routinely administering a patient-centered HRA, My Own Health Report, for diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol, drug use, stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep, 18 primary care practices were randomized to ask patients to complete My Own Health Report (MOHR) before an office visit (intervention) or continue usual care (control). Intervention practice patients were more likely than control practice patients to be asked about each of eight risks (range of differences 5.3-15.8 %, p set goals for six risks (range of differences 3.8-16.6 %, p goal setting.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01825746.

Physician′s self-perceived abilities at primary care settings in Indonesia

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Wahyudi Istiono

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Southeast Asian countries with better-skilled primary care physicians have been shown to have better health outcomes. However, in Indonesia, there has been a large number of inappropriate referrals, leading to suboptimal health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the reasons underlying the unnecessary referrals as related to Indonesian physicians′ standard of abilities. Materials and Methods: This was a multiple-case study that explored physicians′ self-evaluation of their abilities. Self-evaluation questionnaires were constructed from the Indonesian Standards of Physicians Competences of 2006-2012 (ISPC, which is a list of 155 diseases. This study was undertaken in three cities, three towns, and one "border-less developed" area during 2011-2014. The study involved 184 physicians in those seven districts. Data were collected using one-on-one, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs, and clinical observations. Results: This study found that primary care physicians in Indonesia felt that they were competent to handle less than one-third of "typical" primary care cases. The reasons were limited understanding of person-centered care principles and limited  patient care services to diagnosis and treatment of common biomedical problems. Additionally, physical facilities in primary care settings are lacking. Discussions and Conclusions: Strengthening primary health care in Indonesia requires upscaling doctors′ abilities in managing health problems through more structured graduate education in family medicine, which emphasizes the bio-psycho-socio-cultural background of persons; secondly, standardizing primary care facilities to support physicians′ performance is critical. Finally, a strong national health policy that recognizes the essential role of primary care physicians in health outcomes is an urgent need.

Methods, metrics and research gaps around minimum data sets for nursing practice and fundamental care: A scoping literature review.

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Muntlin Athlin, Åsa

2018-06-01

To examine and map research on minimum data sets linked to nursing practice and the fundamentals of care. Another aim was to identify gaps in the evidence to suggest future research questions to highlight the need for standardisation of terminology around nursing practice and fundamental care. Addressing fundamental care has been highlighted internationally as a response to missed nursing care. Systematic performance measurements are needed to capture nursing practice outcomes. Overview of the literature framed by the scoping study methodology. PubMed and CINAHL were searched using the following inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed empirical quantitative and qualitative studies related to minimum data sets and nursing practice published in English. No time restrictions were set. Exclusion criteria were as follows: no available full text, reviews and methodological and discursive studies. Data were categorised into one of the fundamentals of care elements. The review included 20 studies published in 1999-2016. Settings were mainly nursing homes or hospitals. Of 14 elements of the fundamentals of care, 11 were identified as measures in the included studies, but their frequency varied. The most commonly identified elements concerned safety, prevention and medication (n = 11), comfort (n = 6) and eating and drinking (n = 5). Studies have used minimum data sets and included variables linked to nursing practices and fundamentals of care. However, the relations of these variables to nursing practice were not always clearly described and the main purpose of the studies was seldom to measure the outcomes of nursing interventions. More robust studies focusing on nursing practice and patient outcomes are warranted. Using minimum data sets can highlight the nurses' work and what impact it has on direct patient care. Appropriate models, systems and standardised terminology are needed to facilitate the documentation of nursing activities. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Screening for Postpartum Depression in Well-Baby Care Settings: : A Systematic Review

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van den Berg, Angarath; Boere-Boonekamp, Magdalena M.; IJzerman, Maarten Joost; Haasnoot-Smallegange, Riet M.E.; Reijneveld, Sijmen A.

2017-01-01

Introduction Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental health problem frequently experienced by mothers in the first year postpartum. Early detection and treatment can help to reduce its negative effect on the development of the newborn child. Well-baby care (WBC) is a promising screening setting for

Screening for Postpartum Depression in Well-Baby Care Settings : A Systematic Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Zee-van den Berg, Angarath I.; Boere-Boonekamp, Magda M.; IJzerman, Maarten J; Haasnoot-Smallegange, Riet M. E.; Reijneveld, Sijmen A.

Introduction Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental health problem frequently experienced by mothers in the first year postpartum. Early detection and treatment can help to reduce its negative effect on the development of the newborn child. Well-baby care (WBC) is a promising screening setting for

Outbreaks of infections associated with drug diversion by US health care personnel.

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Schaefer, Melissa K; Perz, Joseph F

2014-07-01

To summarize available information about outbreaks of infections stemming from drug diversion in US health care settings and describe recommended protocols and public health actions. We reviewed records at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention related to outbreaks of infections from drug diversion by health care personnel in US health care settings from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2013. Searches of the medical literature published during the same period were also conducted using PubMed. Information compiled included health care setting(s), infection type(s), specialty of the implicated health care professional, implicated medication(s), mechanism(s) of diversion, number of infected patients, number of patients with potential exposure to blood-borne pathogens, and resolution of the investigation. We identified 6 outbreaks over a 10-year period beginning in 2004; all occurred in hospital settings. Implicated health care professionals included 3 technicians and 3 nurses, one of whom was a nurse anesthetist. The mechanism by which infections were spread was tampering with injectable controlled substances. Two outbreaks involved tampering with opioids administered via patient-controlled analgesia pumps and resulted in gram-negative bacteremia in 34 patients. The remaining 4 outbreaks involved tampering with syringes or vials containing fentanyl; hepatitis C virus infection was transmitted to 84 patients. In each of these outbreaks, the implicated health care professional was infected with hepatitis C virus and served as the source; nearly 30,000 patients were potentially exposed to blood-borne pathogens and targeted for notification advising testing. These outbreaks revealed gaps in prevention, detection, and response to drug diversion in US health care facilities. Drug diversion is best prevented by health care facilities having strong narcotics security measures and active monitoring systems. Appropriate response includes assessment of harm to

Characteristics Associated With Utilization of VA and Non-VA Care Among Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

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Finley, Erin P; Mader, Michael; Bollinger, Mary J; Haro, Elizabeth K; Garcia, Hector A; Huynh, Alexis K; Pugh, Jacqueline A; Pugh, Mary Jo

2017-11-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects nearly one-fifth of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans (IAV). The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has invested in making evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD available at every VA facility nationwide; however, an unknown number of veterans opt to receive care in the community rather than with VA. We compared PTSD care utilization patterns among Texas IAV with PTSD, an ethnically, geographically, and economically diverse group. To identify IAV in Texas with service-connected disability for PTSD, we used a crosswalk of VA administrative data from the Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Roster and service-connected disability data from the Veterans Benefits Administration. We then surveyed a random sample of 1,128 veterans from the cohort, stratified by sex, rurality, and past use/nonuse of any VA care. Respondents were classified into current utilization groups (VA only, non-VA only, dual care, and no professional PTSD treatment) on the basis of reported PTSD care in the prior 12 months. Responses were weighted to account for sample stratification and for response rate within each strata. Utilization group characteristics were compared to the population mean using the one sample Z-test for proportions, or the t-test for means. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to identify survey variables significantly associated with current utilization group. 249 IAV completed the survey (28.4% response rate). Respondents reported receiving PTSD care: in the VA only (58.3%); in military or community-based settings (including private practitioners) (non-VA only, 8.7%); and in both VA and non-VA settings (dual care, 14.5%). The remainder (18.5%) reported no professional PTSD care in the prior year. Veterans ineligible for Department of Defense care, uncomfortable talking about their problems, and opposed to medication were more likely to receive non-VA care only, whereas those with lower household income

Evaluation of ceiling lifts in health care settings: patient outcome and perceptions.

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Alamgir, Hasanat; Li, Olivia Wei; Gorman, Erin; Fast, Catherine; Yu, Shicheng; Kidd, Catherine

2009-09-01

Ceiling lifts have been introduced into health care settings to reduce manual patient lifting and thus occupational injuries. Although growing evidence supports the effectiveness of ceiling lifts, a paucity of research links indicators, such as quality of patient care or patient perceptions, to the use of these transfer devices. This study explored the relationship between ceiling lift coverage rates and measures of patient care quality (e.g., incidence of facility-acquired pressure ulcers, falls, urinary infections, urinary incontinence, and assaults [patient to staff] in acute and long-term care facilities), as well as patient perceptions of satisfaction with care received while using ceiling lifts in a complex care facility. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to generate data. A significant inverse relationship was found between pressure ulcer rates and ceiling lift coverage; however, this effect was attenuated by year. No significant relationships existed between ceiling lift coverage and patient outcome indicators after adding the "year" variable to the model. Patients generally approved of the use of ceiling lifts and recognized many of the benefits. Ceiling lifts are not detrimental to the quality of care received by patients, and patients prefer being transferred by ceiling lifts. The relationship between ceiling lift coverage and pressure ulcer rates warrants further investigation. Copyright (c) 2009, SLACK Incorporated.

Patient Safety Culture Survey in Pediatric Complex Care Settings: A Factor Analysis.

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Hessels, Amanda J; Murray, Meghan; Cohen, Bevin; Larson, Elaine L

2017-04-19

Children with complex medical needs are increasing in number and demanding the services of pediatric long-term care facilities (pLTC), which require a focus on patient safety culture (PSC). However, no tool to measure PSC has been tested in this unique hybrid acute care-residential setting. The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture tool slightly modified for use in the pLTC setting. Factor analyses were performed on data collected from 239 staff at 3 pLTC in 2012. Items were screened by principal axis factoring, and the original structure was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify the best model fit for the pLTC data, and factor reliability was assessed by Cronbach alpha. The extracted, rotated factor solution suggested items in 4 (staffing, nonpunitive response to mistakes, communication openness, and organizational learning) of the original 12 dimensions may not be a good fit for this population. Nevertheless, in the pLTC setting, both the original and the modified factor solutions demonstrated similar reliabilities to the published consistencies of the survey when tested in adult nursing homes and the items factored nearly identically as theorized. This study demonstrates that the Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture with minimal modification may be an appropriate instrument to measure PSC in pLTC settings. Additional psychometric testing is recommended to further validate the use of this instrument in this setting, including examining the relationship to safety outcomes. Increased use will yield data for benchmarking purposes across these specialized settings to inform frontline workers and organizational leaders of areas of strength and opportunity for improvement.

Dancing for Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Trial of Irish Set Dancing Compared With Usual Care.

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Shanahan, Joanne; Morris, Meg E; Bhriain, Orfhlaith Ni; Volpe, Daniele; Lynch, Tim; Clifford, Amanda M

2017-09-01

To examine the feasibility of a randomized controlled study design and to explore the benefits of a set dancing intervention compared with usual care. Randomized controlled design, with participants randomized to Irish set dance classes or a usual care group. Community based. Individuals with idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD) (N=90). The dance group attended a 1.5-hour dancing class each week for 10 weeks and undertook a home dance program for 20 minutes, 3 times per week. The usual care group continued with their usual care and daily activities. The primary outcome was feasibility, determined by recruitment rates, success of randomization and allocation procedures, attrition, adherence, safety, willingness of participants to be randomized, resource availability, and cost. Secondary outcomes were motor function (motor section of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale), quality of life (Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39), functional endurance (6-min walk test), and balance (mini-BESTest). Ninety participants were randomized (45 per group). There were no adverse effects or resource constraints. Although adherence to the dancing program was 93.5%, there was >40% attrition in each group. Postintervention, the dance group had greater nonsignificant gains in quality of life than the usual care group. There was a meaningful deterioration in endurance in the usual care group. There were no meaningful changes in other outcomes. The exit questionnaire showed participants enjoyed the classes and would like to continue participation. For people with mild to moderately severe PD, set dancing is feasible and enjoyable and may improve quality of life. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nutritional screening for improving professional practice for patient outcomes in hospital and primary care settings.

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Omidvari, Amir-Houshang; Vali, Yasaman; Murray, Susan M; Wonderling, David; Rashidian, Arash

2013-06-06

Given the prevalence of under-nutrition and reports of inadequate nutritional management of patients in hospitals and the community, nutritional screening may play a role in reducing the risks of malnutrition. Screening programmes can invoke costs to health systems and patients. It is therefore important to assess the effectiveness of nutritional screening programmes. To examine the effectiveness of nutritional screening in improving quality of care (professional practice) and patient outcomes compared with usual care. We searched the following databases: CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL up to June 2012 to find relevant studies. Randomised controlled studies, controlled clinical trials, controlled before-after studies and interrupted time series studies assessing the effectiveness of nutritional screening were eligible for inclusion in the review. We considered process outcomes (for example patient identification, referral to dietitian) and patient outcomes (for example mortality, change in body mass index (BMI)). Participants were adult patients aged 16 years or over. We included studies conducted in different settings, including hospitals, out-patient clinics, primary care or long term care settings. We independently assessed the risk of bias and extracted data from the included studies. Meta-analysis was considered but was not conducted due to the discrepancies between the studies. The studies were heterogeneous in their design, setting, intervention and outcomes. We analysed the data using a narrative synthesis approach. After conducting initial searches and screening the titles and abstracts of the identified literature, 77 full text papers were retrieved and read. Ultimately three studies were included. Two controlled before-after studies were conducted in hospital settings (one in the UK and one in the Netherlands) and one cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted in a primary care setting (in the USA).The study conducted in

White matter tracts associated with set-shifting in healthy aging.

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Perry, Michele E; McDonald, Carrie R; Hagler, Donald J; Gharapetian, Lusineh; Kuperman, Joshua M; Koyama, Alain K; Dale, Anders M; McEvoy, Linda K

2009-11-01

Attentional set-shifting ability, commonly assessed with the Trail Making Test (TMT), decreases with increasing age in adults. Since set-shifting performance relies on activity in widespread brain regions, deterioration of the white matter tracts that connect these regions may underlie the age-related decrease in performance. We used an automated fiber tracking method to investigate the relationship between white matter integrity in several cortical association tracts and TMT performance in a sample of 24 healthy adults, 21-80 years. Diffusion tensor images were used to compute average fractional anisotropy (FA) for five cortical association tracts, the corpus callosum (CC), and the corticospinal tract (CST), which served as a control. Results showed that advancing age was associated with declines in set-shifting performance and with decreased FA in the CC and in association tracts that connect frontal cortex to more posterior brain regions, including the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), uncinate fasciculus (UF), and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). Declines in average FA in these tracts, and in average FA of the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), were associated with increased time to completion on the set-shifting subtask of the TMT but not with the simple sequencing subtask. FA values in these tracts were strong mediators of the effect of age on set-shifting performance. Automated tractography methods can enhance our understanding of the fiber systems involved in performance of specific cognitive tasks and of the functional consequences of age-related changes in those systems.

Social welfare and the Affordable Care Act: is it ever optimal to set aside comparative cost?

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Mortimer, Duncan; Peacock, Stuart

2012-10-01

The creation of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) under the Affordable Care Act has set comparative effectiveness research (CER) at centre stage of US health care reform. Comparative cost analysis has remained marginalised and it now appears unlikely that the PCORI will require comparative cost data to be collected as an essential component of CER. In this paper, we review the literature to identify ethical and distributional objectives that might motivate calls to set priorities without regard to comparative cost. We then present argument and evidence to consider whether there is any plausible set of objectives and constraints against which priorities can be set without reference to comparative cost. We conclude that - to set aside comparative cost even after accounting for ethical and distributional constraints - would be truly to act as if money is no object. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

American Psychiatric Nurses Association-Transitions in Practice Certificate Program: Bridging the Knowledge Gap in Caring for Psychiatric Patients Within the General Nursing Workforce.

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Adams, Susie M; Black, Patricia

2016-01-01

The purpose of this article is to publicize an important new Web-based educational program. Recognizing the growing gap in psychiatric-mental health knowledge and the need to better prepare new graduates and nurses transitioning from other service lines into psychiatric inpatient nursing settings, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association developed a 15-hour, modularized curriculum to provide foundational psychiatric-mental health knowledge. This modularized curriculum, called American Psychiatric Nurses Association Transitions in Practice (ATP) focuses on the knowledge and skills to insure the success of nurses new to psychiatric-mental health nursing settings and to improve the overall care for persons with mental health and substance use disorders. The ATP program is also proving to be useful content for nurses in emergency departments, hospitals, and other health settings to improve their care of patients with psychiatric and mental health needs. A summary of the program modules and a toolkit with suggested measures for nurses, patients, and agency outcomes is described. Feedback from participants completing the ATP program within the first 6 months is overwhelmingly positive and holds promise for widespread application across a variety of health care settings.

Developing professional habits of hand hygiene in intensive care settings: An action-research intervention.

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Battistella, Giuseppe; Berto, Giuliana; Bazzo, Stefania

2017-02-01

To explore perceptions and unconscious psychological processes underlying handwashing behaviours of intensive care nurses, to implement organisational innovations for improving hand hygiene in clinical practice. An action-research intervention was performed in 2012 and 2013 in the intensive care unit of a public hospital in Italy, consisting of: structured interviews, semantic analysis, development and validation of a questionnaire, team discussion, project design and implementation. Five general workers, 16 staff nurses and 53 nurse students participated in the various stages. Social handwashing emerged as a structured and efficient habit, which follows automatically the pattern "cue/behaviour/gratification" when hands are perceived as "dirty". The perception of "dirt" starts unconsciously the process of social washing also in professional settings. Professional handwashing is perceived as goal-directed. The main concern identified is the fact that washing hands requires too much time to be performed in a setting of urgency. These findings addressed participants to develop a professional "habit-directed" hand hygiene procedure, to be implemented at beginning of workshifts. Handwashing is a ritualistic behaviour driven by deep and unconscious patterns, and social habits affect professional practice. Creating professional habits of hand hygiene could be a key solution to improve compliance in intensive care settings. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Nurses' experiences providing palliative care to individuals living in rural communities: aspects of the physical residential setting.

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Kaasalainen, S; Brazil, K; Williams, A; Wilson, D; Willison, K; Marshall, D; Taniguchi, A; Phillips, C

2014-01-01

Efforts are needed to improve palliative care in rural communities, given the unique characteristics and inherent challenges with respect to working within the physical aspects of residential settings. Nurses who work in rural communities play a key role in the delivery of palliative care services. Hence, the purpose of this study was to explore nurses' experiences of providing palliative care in rural communities, with a particular focus on the impact of the physical residential setting. This study was grounded in a qualitative approach utilizing an exploratory descriptive design. Individual telephone interviews were conducted with 21 community nurses. Data were analyzed by thematic content analysis. Nurses described the characteristics of working in a rural community and how it influences their perception of their role, highlighting the strong sense of community that exists but how system changes over the past decade have changed the way they provide care. They also described the key role that they play, which was often termed a 'jack of all trades', but focused on providing emotional, physical, and spiritual care while trying to manage many challenges related to transitioning and working with other healthcare providers. Finally, nurses described how the challenges of working within the physical constraints of a rural residential setting impeded their care provision to clients who are dying in the community, specifically related to the long distances that they travel while dealing with bad weather. These study findings contribute to our understanding of the experiences of nurses working in rural communities in terms of the provision of palliative care and the influence of the physical residential setting that surrounds them. These findings are important since nurses play a major role in caring for community-dwelling clients who are dying, but they are confronted with many obstacles. As such, these results may help inform future decisions about how to best improve

Developing the Botswana Primary Care Guideline: an integrated, symptom-based primary care guideline for the adult patient in a resource-limited setting

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Tsima BM

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Billy M Tsima,1 Vincent Setlhare,1 Oathokwa Nkomazana2 1Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, 2Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana Background: Botswana’s health care system is based on a primary care model. Various national guidelines exist for specific diseases. However, most of the guidelines address management at a tertiary level and often appear nonapplicable for the limited resources in primary care facilities. An integrated symptom-based guideline was developed so as to translate the Botswana national guidelines to those applicable in primary care. The Botswana Primary Care Guideline (BPCG integrates the care of communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS and noncommunicable diseases, by frontline primary health care workers.Methods: The Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, together with guideline developers from the Knowledge Translation Unit (University of Cape Town collaborated with the Ministry of Health to develop the guideline. Stakeholder groups were set up to review specific content of the guideline to ensure compliance with Botswana government policy and the essential drug list.Results: Participants included clinicians, academics, patient advocacy groups, and policymakers from different disciplines, both private and public. Drug-related issues were identified as necessary for implementing recommendations of the guideline. There was consensus by working groups for updating the essential drug list for primary care and expansion of prescribing rights of trained nurse prescribers in primary care within their scope of practice. An integrated guideline incorporating common symptoms of diseases seen in the Botswana primary care setting was developed.Conclusion: The development of the BPCG took a broad consultative approach with buy in from relevant stakeholders. It is anticipated that implementation of the BPCG will translate into better

Motivation of volunteers to work in palliative care setting: A qualitative study

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M A Muckaden

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Volunteers are an integral part of the palliative care services in the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. These volunteers are an important resource for the department. Thus, it is necessary for the department to determine what motivates these volunteers to continue to work in the setting, acknowledge them and direct efforts toward retaining them and giving them opportunities to serve to the best of their desire and abilities. Aims: The current study aimed at understanding the motivation of volunteers to work in palliative care, to identify the challenges they face and also the effect of their work on their self and relationships. Methodology: In-depth interviews were conducted using semistructured interview guide to study above mentioned aspects. Themes were identified and coding was used to analyze the data. Results: The results suggested that the basic motivation for all the volunteers to work in a palliative care setting is an inherent urge, a feeling of need to give back to the society by serving the sick and the suffering. Other motivating factors identified were team spirit, comfort shared, warm and respectful treatment by the team, satisfying nature of work, experience of cancer in the family, and aligned values and beliefs. Some intrinsic rewards mentioned by volunteers were joy of giving, personal growth, enriching experiences, and meaningful nature of work. Conclusion: The study attempted to improve opportunities of working for these volunteers. Although limited in scope, it offers insight for future research in the area of volunteerism in palliative care setup.

Quality assessment of child care services in primary health care settings of Central Karnataka (Davangere District

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Rashmi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Infectious disease and malnutrition are common in children. Primary health care came into being to decrease the morbidity. Quality assessment is neither clinical research nor technology assessment. It is primarily an administrative device used to monitor performance to determine whether it continues to remain within acceptable bounds. Aims and Objectives: To assess the quality of service in the delivery of child health care in a primary health care setting. To evaluate client satisfaction. To assess utilization of facilities by the community. Materials and Methods: Study Type: Cross-sectional community-based study. Quality assessment was done by taking 30-50%, of the service provider. Client satisfaction was determined with 1 Immunization and child examination-90 clients each. Utilization of services was assessed among 478 households. Statistical Analysis: Proportions, Likert′s scale to grade the services and Chi-square. Results: Immunization service: Identification of needed vaccine, preparation and care was average. Vaccination technique, documentation, EPI education, maintenance of cold chain and supplies were excellent. Client satisfaction was good. Growth monitoring: It was excellent except for mother′s education andoutreach educational session . Acute respiratory tract infection care: History, physical examination, ARI education were poor. Classification, treatment and referral were excellent. Client satisfaction was good. Diarrheal disease care: History taking was excellent. But examination, classification, treatment, ORT education were poor. Conclusion: Mothers education was not stressed by service providers. Service providers′ knowledge do not go with the quality of service rendered. Physical examination of the child was not good. Except for immunization other services were average.

Health Care Workers and Researchers Traveling to Developing-World Clinical Settings: Disease Transmission Risk and Mitigation

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

INVITED ARTICLE James M. Hughes and Mary E. Wilson, Section Editors Health Care Workers and Researchers Traveling to Developing-World Clinical...for risk mitigation. Few data on the epidemiology of infectious diseases occurring among traveling health care workers (HCWs) exist. Surveillance... Health Care Workers and Researchers Traveling to Developing-World Clinical Settings: Disease Transmission Risk and Mitigation 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b

Routines and rituals: a grounded theory of the pain management of drug users in acute care settings.

Science.gov (United States)

McCreaddie, May; Lyons, Imogen; Watt, Debbie; Ewing, Elspeth; Croft, Jeanette; Smith, Marion; Tocher, Jennifer

2010-10-01

This study reviewed the perceptions and strategies of drug users and nurses with regard to pain management in acute care settings. Drug users present unique challenges in acute care settings with pain management noted to be at best suboptimal, at worst non-existent. Little is known about why and specifically how therapeutic effectiveness is compromised. Qualitative: constructivist grounded theory. A constructivist grounded theory approach incorporating a constant comparative method of data collection and analysis was applied. The data corpus comprised interviews with drug users (n = 11) and five focus groups (n = 22) of nurses and recovering drug users. Moral relativism as the core category both represents the phenomenon and explains the basic social process. Nurses and drug users struggle with moral relativism when addressing the issue of pain management in the acute care setting. Drug users lay claim to expectations of compassionate care and moralise via narration. Paradoxically, nurses report that the caring ideal and mutuality of caring are diminished. Drug users' individual sensitivities, anxieties and felt stigma in conjunction with opioid-induced hyperalgesia complicate the processes. Nurses' and hospitals' organisational routines challenge drug user rituals and vice versa leading both protagonists to become disaffected. Consequently, key clinical issues such as preventing withdrawal and managing pain are left unaddressed and therapeutic effectiveness is compromised. This study provides a robust account of nurses' and drug users' struggle with pain management in the acute care setting. Quick technological fixes such as urine screens, checklists or the transient effects of (cognitive-based) education (or training) are not the answer. This study highlights the need for nurses to engage meaningfully with this perceptibly 'difficult' group of patients. The key aspects likely to contribute to problematic interactions with this patient cohort are outlined so that

Factors associated with polypharmacy in elderly home-care patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Komiya, Hitoshi; Umegaki, Hiroyuki; Asai, Atsushi; Kanda, Shigeru; Maeda, Keiko; Shimojima, Takuya; Nomura, Hideki; Kuzuya, Masafumi

2018-01-01

Polypharmacy, which is often observed in elderly patients, has been associated with several unfavorable outcomes, including an increased risk of potentially inappropriate medications, medication non-adherence, drug duplication, drug-drug interactions, higher healthcare costs and adverse drug reactions. A significant association between polypharmacy and adverse outcomes among older people living in the community has also been confirmed. A reduction in the number of medications should thus be pursued for many older individuals. Nevertheless, the factors associated with polypharmacy in elderly home-care patients have not been reported. Here, we investigated those factors in elderly home-care patients in Japan. We used the data of the participants in the Observational Study of Nagoya Elderly with Home Medical investigation. Polypharmacy was defined as the current use of six or more different medications. We carried out univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess the associations between polypharmacy and each of several factors. A total of 153 home-care patients were registered. The mean number of medications used per patient was 5.9, and 51.5% of the patients belonged to the polypharmacy group. The multivariate model showed that the patients' scores on the Charlson Comorbidity Index and the Mini-Nutrition Assessment Short Form were inversely associated with polypharmacy, and potentially inappropriate medication was most strongly associated with polypharmacy (odds ratio 4.992). The present findings showed that polypharmacy was quite common among the elderly home-care patients, and they suggest that home-care physicians should prescribe fewer medications in accord with the deterioration of home-care patients' general condition. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 33-41. © 2017 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Tuberculosis treatment outcome in a tertiary care setting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bukhary, Zakeya A.; Alrajhi, Abdulrahman A.

2007-01-01

The outcome of the chemotherapy for pulmonary, extraplumonary and disseminated tuberculosis is not well documented, especially in developing countries. This study assessed tuberculosis treatment outcome, cure-to-treatment ratio and mortality among all types of tuberculosis patients in a tertiary care setting in Saudi Arabia. All cases diagnosed and treated for active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection between 1991 and 2000 were included retrospectively. Data collected included type of tuberculosis involvement, treatment outcome, relapse and co-morbidities. Over a ten-year period, 535 case of tuberculosis were diagnosed and treated. Isolated pulmonary tuberculosis was identified in 141 cases (26.4%), extrapulmonary tuberculosis in 339 cases (63.3%). Co-morbidities were noted in 277 (52%) patients. Immunosuppression was found in 181 (34%) cases. The cure rate was 82%. The cure-to-treatment ratio was 86% in extrapulmonary tuberculosis and 65% in disseminated tuberculosis. Overall mortality was 18%. Disseminated tuberculosis had the highest mortality (34.9%), followed by pulmonary (21.8%), the extrapulmonary tuberculosis (13.6%). Forty-seven percent of all mortalities were directly related to tuberculosis. Relapse was documented in 14 out of 349 patients (4%) who had 24 months of follow-up. Despite tertiary care support, complicated tuberculosis carries a high mortality. Earlier diagnosis and complete appropriate chemotherapy are essential for improved outcome. (author)

Sex differences in biopsychosocial correlates of binge eating disorder: a study of treatment-seeking obese adults in primary care setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Udo, Tomoko; McKee, Sherry A; White, Marney A; Masheb, Robin M; Barnes, Rachel D; Grilo, Carlos M

2013-01-01

Although community-based studies suggest equivalent levels of physical and psychological impairment by binge eating disorder (BED) in men and women, men with BED are still underrepresented in clinical studies. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of sex differences in biopsychosocial correlates of treatment-seeking obese patients with BED in primary care. One hundred-ninety obese adults (26% men) were recruited in primary care settings for a treatment study for obesity and BED. Very few significant sex differences were found in the developmental history and in current levels of eating disorder features, as well as psychosocial factors. Women reported significantly earlier age at onset of overweight and dieting and greater frequency of dieting. Men reported more frequent strenuous exercise. Men were more likely than women to meet criteria for metabolic syndrome; men were more likely to show clinically elevated levels of triglycerides, blood pressure, and fasting glucose levels. Despite few sex differences in behavioral and psychosocial factors, metabolic problems associated with obesity were more common among treatment-seeking obese men with BED than women. The findings highlight the importance of including men in clinical studies of BED and active screening of BED in obese men at primary care settings. © 2013.

Manager support for work-family issues and its impact on employee-reported pain in the extended care setting.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donnell, Emily M; Berkman, Lisa F; Subramanian, S V

2012-09-01

Supervisor-level policies and the presence of a manager engaged in an employee's need to achieve work-family balance, or "supervisory support," may benefit employee health, including self-reported pain. We conducted a census of employees at four selected extended care facilities in the Boston metropolitan region (n = 368). Supervisory support was assessed through interviews with managers and pain was reported by employees. Our multilevel logistic models indicate that employees with managers who report the lowest levels of support for work-family balance experience twice as much overall pain as employees with managers who report high levels of support. Low supervisory support for work-family balance is associated with an increased prevalence of employee-reported pain in extended care facilities. We recommend that manager-level policies and practices receive additional attention as a potential risk factor for poor health in this setting.

Teaching Social Skills to Enhance Work Performance in a Child Care Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Gear, Sabra; Bobzien, Jonna; Judge, Sharon; Raver, Sharon A.

2011-01-01

Adults with intellectual disabilities face difficulty seeking employment in the community workforce. Using a single-subject design, this study examined the utility of role playing and self-management strategies to enhance work performance by promoting the social skills of a young woman with Down syndrome working in a community child care setting.…

Setting up a child eye care centre: the Mercy Eye Hospital, Abak ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim: To document and share our experience in setting up a Child Eye Care Centre within a rural mission eye hospital and document subsequent development of services. Method: The location of the project was Mercy Eye Hospital (MEH) Abak, Akwa Ibom State in the South South zone of Nigeria). Consent to commence ...

Determinants associated with deprivation in multimorbid patients in primary care-A cross-sectional study in Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Leiser, Silja; Déruaz-Luyet, Anouk; N'Goran, A Alexandra; Pasquier, Jérôme; Streit, Sven; Neuner-Jehle, Stefan; Zeller, Andreas; Haller, Dagmar M; Herzig, Lilli; Bodenmann, Patrick

2017-01-01

Deprivation usually encompasses material, social, and health components. It has been shown to be associated with greater risks of developing chronic health conditions and of worse outcome in multimorbidity. The DipCare questionnaire, an instrument developed and validated in Switzerland for use in primary care, identifies patients subject to potentially higher levels of deprivation. To identifying determinants of the material, social, and health profiles associated with deprivation in a sample of multimorbid, primary care patients, and thus set priorities in screening for deprivation in this population. Secondary analysis from a nationwide cross-sectional study in Switzerland. A random sample of 886 adult patients suffering from at least three chronic health conditions. The outcomes of interest were the patients' levels of deprivation as measured using the DipCare questionnaire. Classification And Regression Tree analysis identified the independent variables that separated the examined population into groups with increasing deprivation scores. Finally, a sensitivity analysis (multivariate regression) confirmed the robustness of our results. Being aged under 64 years old was associated with higher overall, material, and health deprivation; being aged over 77 years old was associated with higher social deprivation. Other variables associated with deprivation were the level of education, marital status, and the presence of depression or chronic pain. Specific profiles, such as being younger, were associated with higher levels of overall, material, and health deprivation in multimorbid patients. In contrast, patients over 77 years old reported higher levels of social deprivation. Furthermore, chronic pain and depression added to the score for health deprivation. It is important that GPs consider the possibility of deprivation in these multimorbid patients and are able to identify it, both in order to encourage treatment adherence and limit any forgoing of care for

Using otoacoustic emissions to screen young children for hearing loss in primary care settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Foust, Terry; Eiserman, William; Shisler, Lenore; Geroso, Amy

2013-07-01

Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) technology, used widely in newborn hearing screening programs and validated by professional organizations as a reliable and objective tool, is beginning to be recognized as superior to subjective methods when screening young children in a variety of settings. This study examines the efficacy of integrating OAE hearing screening into services routinely provided in health care settings. Three federally funded clinics serving low-income and uninsured people in a metropolitan area participated in the 10-month study. Subjects included 846 children (842 in the target population children did not pass the initial screening. Audiological evaluation was sought for children not passing a subsequent OAE screening. Of the 846 children screened, 814 (96%) ultimately passed the screening or audiological assessment and 29 (3%) exited the study. Three children (1 was 5) were identified with permanent hearing loss. The rate of identification of permanent hearing loss in this study is similar to findings from a study of OAE screening in early childhood educational settings. OAE screening holds the potential for being an effective method for helping to identify young children with permanent hearing loss in primary care settings.

Factors associated with work ability index (WAI) among intensive care units' (ICUs') nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Rostamabadi, Akbar; Zamanian, Zahra; Sedaghat, Zahra

2017-03-28

Work ability is a crucial occupational health issue in health care settings where a high physical and psychosocial work capacity is required and a high risk of disabling injuries and illnesses is predictable. This study aims to examine the association between the work ability index (WAI) and individual characterizations, workload, fatigue, and diseases among intensive care units' (ICUs') nurses. The study sample included 214 nurses selected by a random sampling method from a target population consisting of 321 registered nurses working in eight ICUs. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to test the association between WAI scores and each of the independent variables. Results of multivariate analysis revealed a strong and negative association between WAI scores and diseases (B=-5.82, 95% CI=-7.16, -4.48, Pindex (BMI) was significantly and inversely associated with WAI scores. A significant and negative association was also found between WAI scores and dimensions of MFI-20, such as general fatigue (B=-0.31, 95% CI=-0.53, -0.09, P=0.005) and physical fatigue (B=-0.44, 95% CI=-0.65, -0.23, Pwork environment characterized by a well-structured preventive attitude toward controlling diseases, and a well-designed organizational framework toward increasing the level of performance and motivation, reducing the level of fatigue, as well as reducing the workload, is necessary to promote work ability among ICUs' nurses.

Association of Group Prenatal Care With Gestational Weight Gain.

Science.gov (United States)

Kominiarek, Michelle A; Crockett, Amy; Covington-Kolb, Sarah; Simon, Melissa; Grobman, William A

2017-04-01

To compare gestational weight gain among women in group prenatal care with that of women in individual prenatal care. In this retrospective cohort study, women who participated in group prenatal care from 2009 to 2015 and whose body mass indexes (BMIs) and gestational weight gain were recorded were matched with the next two women who had the same payer type, were within 2-kg/m prepregnancy BMI and 2-week gestational age at delivery, and had received individual prenatal care. Bivariate comparisons of demographics and antenatal complications were performed for women in group and individual prenatal care, and weight gain was categorized as "below," "met," or "exceeded" goals according to the 2009 Institute of Medicine guidelines. Logistic regression analysis estimated the association between excessive weight gain and model of care, with adjustment for confounders, stratified by BMI. Women in group prenatal care (n=2,117) were younger and more commonly non-Hispanic black, nulliparous, and without gestational diabetes (P≤.005 for all). Women in group prenatal care more commonly exceeded the weight gain goals (55% compared with 48%, Pprenatal care, compared with individual prenatal care, is associated with excessive gestational weight gain.

Barriers in the implementation of a physical activity intervention in primary care settings: lessons learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Josyula, Lakshmi K; Lyle, Roseann M

2013-01-01

Barriers encountered in implementing a physical activity intervention in primary health care settings, and ways to address them, are described in this paper. A randomized comparison trial was designed to examine the impact of health care providers' written prescriptions for physical activity, with or without additional physical activity resources, to adult, nonpregnant patients on preventive care or chronic disease monitoring visits. Following abysmal recruitment outcomes, the research protocol was altered to make it more appealing to all the participants, i.e., health care providers, office personnel, and patients. Various barriers--financial, motivational, and executive--to the implementation of health promotion interventions in primary health care settings were experienced and identified. These barriers have been classified by the different participants in the research process, viz., healthcare providers, administrative personnel, researchers, and patients. Some of the barriers identified were lack of time and reimbursement for health promotion activities, and inadequate practice capacity, for health care providers; increased time and labor demands for administrative personnel; constrained access to participants, and limited funding, for researchers; and superseding commitments, and inaccurate comprehension of the research protocol, for patients. Solutions suggested to overcome these barriers include financial support, e.g., funding for researchers, remuneration for health care organization personnel, reimbursement for providers, payment for participants, and free or subsidized postage, and use of health facilities; motivational strategies such as inspirational leadership, and contests within health care organizations; and partnerships, with other expert technical and creative entities, to improve the quality, efficiency, and acceptability of health promotion interventions.

Association of Decision-making with Patients' Perceptions of Care and Knowledge during Longitudinal Pulmonary Nodule Surveillance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Donald R; Golden, Sara E; Ganzini, Linda; Wiener, Renda Soylemez; Eden, Karen B; Slatore, Christopher G

2017-11-01

Patient participation in medical decision-making is widely advocated, but outcomes are inconsistent. We examined the associations between medical decision-making roles, and patients' perceptions of their care and knowledge while undergoing pulmonary nodule surveillance. The study setting was an academically affiliated Veterans Affairs hospital network in which 121 participants had 319 decision-making encounters. The Control Preferences Scale was used to assess patients' decision-making roles. Associations between decision-making, including role concordance (i.e., agreement between patients' preferred and actual roles), shared decision-making (SDM), and perceptions of care and knowledge, were assessed using logistic regression and generalized estimating equations. Participants had a preferred role in 98% of encounters, and most desired an active role (shared or patient controlled). For some encounters (36%), patients did not report their actual decision-making role, because they did not know what their role was. Role concordance and SDM occurred in 56% and 26% of encounters, respectively. Role concordance was associated with greater satisfaction with medical care (adjusted odds ratio [Adj-OR], 5.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.68-17.26), higher quality of patient-reported care (Adj-OR, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.31-6.27), and more disagreement that care could be better (Adj-OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.12-4.16). Role concordance was not associated with improved pulmonary nodule knowledge with respect to lung cancer risk (Adj-OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.63-2.00) or nodule information received (Adj-OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.31-4.13). SDM was not associated with perceptions of care or knowledge. Among patients undergoing longitudinal nodule surveillance, a majority had a preference for having active roles in decision-making. Interestingly, during some encounters, patients did not know what their role was or that a decision was being made. Role concordance was associated with greater patient

Orthognathic surgery in the office setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrell, Brian B; Tucker, Myron R

2014-11-01

The delivery of care by oral and maxillofacial surgeons is becoming more challenging because of escalating health care costs and limited reimbursement from insurance providers. The changing health care landscape forces surgical practices to be flexible and adaptive to change in order to remain viable. The delivery of surgical services continues to evolve as care traditionally performed in a hospital environment is now routinely achieved in an outpatient setting. Outpatient facilities can aid in controlling the perioperative costs associated with orthognathic surgery. Safe and efficient orthognathic surgery completed in the office can aid in controlling the escalation of health care costs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performance measures for a dialysis setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Xiuzhu; Itoh, Kenji

2018-03-01

This study from Japan extracted performance measures for dialysis unit management and investigated their characteristics from professional views. Two surveys were conducted using self-administered questionnaires, in which dialysis managers/staff were asked to rate the usefulness of 44 performance indicators. A total of 255 managers and 2,097 staff responded. Eight performance measures were elicited from dialysis manager and staff responses: these were safety, operational efficiency, quality of working life, financial effectiveness, employee development, mortality, patient/employee satisfaction and patient-centred health care. These performance measures were almost compatible with those extracted in overall healthcare settings in a previous study. Internal reliability, content and construct validity of the performance measures for the dialysis setting were ensured to some extent. As a general trend, both dialysis managers and staff perceived performance measures as highly useful, especially for safety, mortality, operational efficiency and patient/employee satisfaction, but showed relatively low concerns for patient-centred health care and employee development. However, dialysis managers' usefulness perceptions were significantly higher than staff. Important guidelines for designing a holistic hospital/clinic management system were yielded. Performance measures must be balanced for outcomes and performance shaping factors (PSF); a common set of performance measures could be applied to all the healthcare settings, although performance indicators of each measure should be composed based on the application field and setting; in addition, sound causal relationships between PSF and outcome measures/indicators should be explored for further improvement. © 2017 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

Effect of the Japanese preventive-care version of the Minimum Data Set--Home Care on the health-related behaviors of community-dwelling, frail older adults and skills of preventive-care managers: a quasi-experimental study conducted in Japan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Igarashi, Ayumi; Ikegami, Naoki; Yamada, Yukari

2009-01-01

. The skills of the preventive-care managers were assessed by considering the number of and variations in the needs of the clients, as reflected in the care plans formulated by the managers. RESULTS: The clients' self-care levels were higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P ...AIM: To determine whether the Japanese preventive-care version of the Minimum Data Set-Home Care improves the health-related behaviors of older adults and the skills of preventive-care managers. METHODS: Municipal preventive-care managers were instructed on the use of the Japanese preventive...... Data Set--Home Care may improve the skills of preventive-care managers, and consequently, the health-related behaviors of frail older clients....

Antenatal care service utilization and associated factors in Metekel ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

socioeconomic and some obstetric factors have been stated by few studies in other areas, the factors associated with low utilization of Antenatal care in Metekel Zone are not well assed before. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the status of Antenatal care service utilization and associated factors among ...

Factors associated with pharmacists' perceptions of their working conditions and safety and effectiveness of patient care.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsao, Nicole W; Lynd, Larry D; Gastonguay, Louise; Li, Kathy; Nakagawa, Bob; Marra, Carlo A

2016-01-01

In recent years, the role of pharmacists has changed, as have various provincial legislations, which now allow pharmacists to provide additional health services to patients. With these changes comes growing concern about how well the current pharmacy working environment is adapting and whether it may also be creating work-related stress that may contribute to potentially unsafe practices of patient care. To characterize the current working conditions of pharmacists in British Columbia, an online survey was developed and distributed to all College of Pharmacists of BC (CPBC) registrants by email. The survey consisted of questions on pharmacists' demographics, practice setting and perceptions of workplace conditions. Responses were collected from October 1 to November 10, 2013. All data were summarized using descriptive statistics, and regression models were constructed to assess the association between various factors and pharmacists' self-reported working conditions. Twenty-three percent (1241/5300) of pharmacists registered with the CPBC responded, with 78% working in the community pharmacy setting (58% chain, 19% independent). Pharmacists mostly disagreed with the statements that they had enough time for breaks or lunches or to do their jobs, as well as enough staffing support. Pharmacists' perceptions of their workplace environment were negatively associated with workplace-imposed advanced service quotas (for medication reviews, immunizations and prescription adaptations); being employed at chain store pharmacies, compared to independent pharmacies or hospitals/long-term care settings; and higher prescription volume. Pharmacists working in chain community pharmacies who are required to meet monthly quotas for expanded services reported a substantial negative impact on their working conditions and perceived safety of patient care. Can Pharm J (Ott) 2016;149:xx-xx.

The African Palliative Care Association (APCA Atlas of Palliative Care Development in Africa: a comparative analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Y Rhee

2018-03-01

Funding: Arnhold Institute of Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the African Palliative Care Association, the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, and the Institute for Culture and Society at the University of Navarra.

Strengthening fairness, transparency and accountability in health care priority setting at district level in Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Maluka

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Health care systems are faced with the challenge of resource scarcity and have insufficient resources to respond to all health problems and target groups simultaneously. Hence, priority setting is an inevitable aspect of every health system. However, priority setting is complex and difficult because the process is frequently influenced by political, institutional and managerial factors that are not considered by conventional priority-setting tools. In a five-year EU-supported project, which started in 2006, ways of strengthening fairness and accountability in priority setting in district health management were studied. This review is based on a PhD thesis that aimed to analyse health care organisation and management systems, and explore the potential and challenges of implementing Accountability for Reasonableness (A4R approach to priority setting in Tanzania. A qualitative case study in Mbarali district formed the basis of exploring the sociopolitical and institutional contexts within which health care decision making takes place. The study also explores how the A4R intervention was shaped, enabled and constrained by the contexts. Key informant interviews were conducted. Relevant documents were also gathered and group priority-setting processes in the district were observed. The study revealed that, despite the obvious national rhetoric on decentralisation, actual practice in the district involved little community participation. The assumption that devolution to local government promotes transparency, accountability and community participation, is far from reality. The study also found that while the A4R approach was perceived to be helpful in strengthening transparency, accountability and stakeholder engagement, integrating the innovation into the district health system was challenging. This study underscores the idea that greater involvement and accountability among local actors may increase the legitimacy and fairness of priority-setting

Health-Related Quality of Life in Primary Care: Which Aspects Matter in Multimorbid Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Community Setting?

Science.gov (United States)

Kamradt, Martina; Krisam, Johannes; Kiel, Marion; Qreini, Markus; Besier, Werner; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Ose, Dominik

2017-01-01

Knowledge about predictors of health-related quality of life for multimorbid patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary care could help to improve quality and patient-centeredness of care in this specific group of patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of several patient characteristics on health-related quality of life of multimorbid patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a community setting. A cross-sectional study with 32 primary care practice teams in Mannheim, Germany, and randomly selected multimorbid patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (N = 495) was conducted. In order to analyze associations of various patient characteristics with health-related quality of life (EQ-5D index) a multilevel analysis was applied. After excluding patients with missing data, the cohort consisted of 404 eligible patients. The final multilevel model highlighted six out of 14 explanatory patient variables which were significantly associated with health-related quality of life: female gender (r = -0.0494; p = .0261), school education of nine years or less (r = -0.0609; p = .0006), (physical) mobility restrictions (r = -0.1074; p = .0003), presence of chronic pain (r = -0.0916; p = .0004), diabetes-related distress (r = -0.0133; p diabetes-related distress, chronic pain, restrictions in (physical) mobility, female gender, as well as lower education and, increased BMI have a noteworthy impact on health-related quality of life in multimorbid patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus seen in primary care practices in a community setting. The highlighted aspects should gain much more attention when treating multimorbid patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Association of comorbidities with home care service utilization of patients with heart failure while receiving telehealth.

Science.gov (United States)

Radhakrishnan, Kavita; Jacelon, Cynthia S; Bigelow, Carol; Roche, Joan P; Marquard, Jenna L; Bowles, Kathryn H

2013-01-01

Comorbidities adversely impact heart failure (HF) outcomes. Telehealth can assist healthcare providers, especially nurses, in guiding their patients to follow the HF regimen. However, factors, including comorbidity patterns, that act in combination with telehealth to reduce home care nursing utilization are still unclear. The purpose of this article was to examine the association of the comorbidity characteristics of HF patients with nursing utilization along with withdrawal from telehealth service during an episode of tele-home care. A descriptive, correlational study design using retrospective chart review was used. The sample comprised Medicare patients admitted to a New England home care agency who had HF as a diagnosis and had used telehealth from 2008 to 2010. The electronic documentation at the home care agency served as the data source, which included Outcome and Assessment Information Set data of patients with HF. Logistic and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze data. The sample consisted of 403 participants, of whom 70% were older than 75 years, 55% were female, and 94% were white. Comorbidities averaged 5.19 (SD, 1.92), ranging from 1 to 11, and nearly 40% of the participants had 5 or more comorbidities. The mean (SD) nursing contacts in the sample was 9.9 (4.7), ranging from 1 to 26, and 52 (12.7%) patients withdrew from telehealth service. For patients with HF on telehealth, comorbidity characteristics of anemia, anxiety, musculoskeletal, and depression were significantly associated with nursing utilization patterns, and renal failure, cancer, and depression comorbidities were significantly associated with withdrawal from telehealth service. Knowledge of the association of comorbidity characteristics with the home care service utilization patterns of patients with HF on telehealth can assist the home health nurse to develop a tailored care plan that attains optimal patient outcomes. Knowledge of such associations would also focus home

The Delivery of Health Promotion and Environmental Health Services; Public Health or Primary Care Settings?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lene Bjørn Jensen

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The WHO Regional Office for Europe developed a set of public health functions resulting in the ten Essential Public Health Operations (EPHO. Public health or primary care settings seem to be favorable to embrace all actions included into EPHOs. The presented paper aims to guide readers on how to assign individual health promotion and environmental health services to public health or primary care settings. Survey tools were developed based on EPHO 2, 3 and 4; there were six key informant surveys out of 18 contacted completed via e-mails by informants working in Denmark on health promotion and five face-to-face interviews were conducted in Australia (Melbourne and Victoria state with experts from environmental health, public health and a physician. Based on interviews, we developed a set of indicators to support the assignment process. Population or individual focus, a system approach or one-to-one approach, dealing with hazards or dealing with effects, being proactive or reactive were identified as main element of the decision tool. Assignment of public health services to one of two settings proved to be possible in some cases, whereas in many there is no clear distinction between the two settings. National context might be the one which guides delivery of public health services.

The Delivery of Health Promotion and Environmental Health Services; Public Health or Primary Care Settings?

Science.gov (United States)

Bjørn Jensen, Lene; Lukic, Irena; Gulis, Gabriel

2018-05-07

The WHO Regional Office for Europe developed a set of public health functions resulting in the ten Essential Public Health Operations (EPHO). Public health or primary care settings seem to be favorable to embrace all actions included into EPHOs. The presented paper aims to guide readers on how to assign individual health promotion and environmental health services to public health or primary care settings. Survey tools were developed based on EPHO 2, 3 and 4; there were six key informant surveys out of 18 contacted completed via e-mails by informants working in Denmark on health promotion and five face-to-face interviews were conducted in Australia (Melbourne and Victoria state) with experts from environmental health, public health and a physician. Based on interviews, we developed a set of indicators to support the assignment process. Population or individual focus, a system approach or one-to-one approach, dealing with hazards or dealing with effects, being proactive or reactive were identified as main element of the decision tool. Assignment of public health services to one of two settings proved to be possible in some cases, whereas in many there is no clear distinction between the two settings. National context might be the one which guides delivery of public health services.

Doctor-patient communication without family is most frequently practiced in patients with malignant tumors in home medical care settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Takuma; Imanaga, Teruhiko; Matsuzaki, Makoto

2014-01-01

Promotion of home medical care is absolutely necessary in Japan where is a rapidly aging society. In home medical care settings, triadic communications among the doctor, patient and the family are common. And "communications just between the doctor and the patient without the family" (doctor-patient communication without family, "DPC without family") is considered important for the patient to frankly communicate with the doctor without consideration for the family. However, the circumstances associated with DPC without family are unclear. Therefore, to identify the factors of the occurrence of DPC without family, we conducted a cross-sectional mail-in survey targeting 271 families of Japanese patients who had previously received home medical care. Among 227 respondents (83.8%), we eventually analyzed data from 143, excluding families of patients with severe hearing or cognitive impairment and severe verbal communication dysfunction. DPC without family occurred in 26.6% (n = 38) of the families analyzed. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed using a model including Primary disease, Daily activity, Duration of home medical care, Interval between doctor visits, Duration of doctor's stay, Existence of another room, and Spouse as primary caregiver. As a result, DPC without family was significantly associated with malignant tumor as primary disease (OR, 3.165; 95% CI, 1.180-8.486; P = 0.022). In conclusion, the visiting doctors should bear in mind that the background factor of the occurrence of DPC without family is patient's malignant tumors.

Relationship between job burnout, psychosocial factors and health care-associated infections in critical care units.

Science.gov (United States)

Galletta, Maura; Portoghese, Igor; D'Aloja, Ernesto; Mereu, Alessandra; Contu, Paolo; Coppola, Rosa Cristina; Finco, Gabriele; Campagna, Marcello

2016-06-01

Burnout is a serious problem for critical care unit workers because they are exposed to chronic psychosocial stressors, including high responsibility, advanced technology and high patient acuity. Recent evidence showed that staff burnout was directly associated with hospital infections, thus affecting quality and safety of care provided. The research aim was to investigate how burnout was associated with some psychosocial factors and with health care-associated infections in hospitalised patients. A total of 130 healthcare professionals from critical care units completed a self-reported questionnaire. The infection data were collected prospectively over a six-month period. The results showed that emotional exhaustion was related to cynicism due to high work demands. Cynicism affected team communication, which in turn was positively related to team efficacy, thus acting as a mediator. Finally, team efficacy was negatively related to infections. The study showed that emotional exhaustion and cynicism were related to psychosocial aspects, which in turn had a significant impact on healthcare-associated infections. Our findings suggest how burnout can indirectly affect healthcare-related infections as a result of the quality of teamwork. Thus, reducing burnout can be a good strategy to decrease infections, thus increasing workers' well-being while improving patient care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality indicators for acute myocardial infarction: A position paper of the Acute Cardiovascular Care Association.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiele, Francois; Gale, Chris P; Bonnefoy, Eric; Capuano, Frederic; Claeys, Marc J; Danchin, Nicolas; Fox, Keith Aa; Huber, Kurt; Iakobishvili, Zaza; Lettino, Maddalena; Quinn, Tom; Rubini Gimenez, Maria; Bøtker, Hans E; Swahn, Eva; Timmis, Adam; Tubaro, Marco; Vrints, Christiaan; Walker, David; Zahger, Doron; Zeymer, Uwe; Bueno, Hector

2017-02-01

Evaluation of quality of care is an integral part of modern healthcare, and has become an indispensable tool for health authorities, the public, the press and patients. However, measuring quality of care is difficult, because it is a multifactorial and multidimensional concept that cannot be estimated solely on the basis of patients' clinical outcomes. Thus, measuring the process of care through quality indicators (QIs) has become a widely used practice in this context. Other professional societies have published QIs for the evaluation of quality of care in the context of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but no such indicators exist in Europe. In this context, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACCA) has reflected on the measurement of quality of care in the context of AMI (ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)) and created a set of QIs, with a view to developing programmes to improve quality of care for the management of AMI across Europe. We present here the list of QIs defined by the ACCA, with explanations of the methodology used, scientific justification and reasons for the choice for each measure.

Differences between patients' and clinicians' research priorities from the Anaesthesia and Peri-operative Care Priority Setting Partnership.

Science.gov (United States)

Boney, O; Nathanson, M H; Grocott, M P W; Metcalf, L

2017-09-01

The James Lind Alliance Anaesthesia and Peri-operative Care Priority Setting Partnership was a recent collaborative venture bringing approximately 2000 patients, carers and clinicians together to agree priorities for future research into anaesthesia and critical care. This secondary analysis compares the research priorities of 303 service users, 1068 clinicians and 325 clinicians with experience as service users. All three groups prioritised research to improve patient safety. Service users prioritised research about improving patient experience, whereas clinicians prioritised research about clinical effectiveness. Clinicians who had experience as service users consistently prioritised research more like clinicians than like service users. Individual research questions about patient experience were more popular with patients and carers than with clinicians in all but one case. We conclude that patients, carers and clinicians prioritise research questions differently. All groups prioritise research into patient safety, but service users also favour research into patient experience, whereas clinicians favour research into clinical effectiveness. © 2017 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

[Factors associated with primary care professionals' readiness to respond to intimate partner violence in Spain].

Science.gov (United States)

Murillo, Pilar; Sebastián, Miguel San; Vives-Cases, Carmen; Goicolea, Isabel

2017-05-22

To analyse the Spanish primary care professionals' readiness to respond to intimate partner violence (IPV) in primary care and identify possible determinants that could facilitate a better response. A cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic sampling by convenience was performed among healthcare professionals working in 15 primary care centres in Spain. The Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Survey (PREMIS), the version validated and translated into Spanish, was the instrument used to collect information about knowledge, opinions and practices regarding intimate partner violence. Descriptive analysis and, simple and multiple linear regression analysis were performed. A total of 265 completed questionnaires were received, with a response rate of 80.3%. An exposure-response effect was observed, where at higher hours of training a higher score was obtained on the questionnaire sections (p <0.05). Age, type of profession, years of experience in primary care, hours of IPV training and reading the protocol showed positive association with knowledge (perceived preparation, perceived knowledge, actual knowledge), opinions (staff preparation, legal requirements, self-efficacy, workplace issues, constraints, understanding of the victim) and practice of healthcare professionals. Reading the regional/national protocol for action and receiving training in IPV were the most important interventions associated to a better primary care professionals' readiness to respond to IPV in Spanish primary care settings. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Innovative partnerships: the clinical nurse leader role in diverse clinical settings.

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Lammon, Carol Ann Barnett; Stanton, Marietta P; Blakney, John L

2010-01-01

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing in collaboration with leaders in the health care arena has developed a new role in nursing, the clinical nurse leader (CNL). The CNL is a master's-prepared advanced nurse generalist, accountable for providing high-quality, cost-effective care for a cohort of patients in a specific microsystem. Although initial implementation of the CNL has been predominantly in urban acute care settings, the skill set of the CNL role is equally applicable to diverse clinical settings, such as smaller rural hospitals, home-based home care providers, long-term care facilities, schools, Veteran's Administration facilities, and public health settings. This article reports the strategies used and the progress made at The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing in the development of innovative partnerships to develop the role of the CNL in diverse clinical settings. With academia and practice working in partnership, the goal of transforming health care and improving patient outcomes can be achieved. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Experiences of Registered Nurses Transitioning from Patient Care Settings to Academia

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Gwin, Teresa

2012-01-01

Registered nurses (RNs) who make the move from a patient-care service setting to an academic teaching environment often go through a transition phase in their first semesters of teaching that is difficult and traumatic. RNs that go on to higher academic degrees often do so in order to teach in schools of nursing. However, graduate work in nursing…

Fostering a strategic alliance between patients' associations and health care professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosconi, Paola; Colombo, Cinzia

2010-01-01

The Laboratory for Medical Research and Consumer Involvement was established in 2005 at Mario Negri Institute, a nonprofit institute for pharmacological research, as a consequence of the increasing interest in boosting citizens' and patients' involvement in the health care debate. It has developed several projects with patients' associations, researchers, and clinicians. Its objectives are to foster a strategic alliance among health care professionals, patients, and their organizations, developing activities with different levels of involvement. Among the laboratory' s activities, the PartecipaSalute project has organized training courses for consumers, published a Web site disseminating evidence-based information and critical appraisal tools, and collected research priorities set by patients. Two consensus conferences have been organized, one dealing with brain injury patients' assistance and the other with hormone therapy and menopause. The quality of health information covered by different sources (press articles, Web sites, and brochures) has also been assessed. Seventy consumers attended the training courses from 2006 to 2008, and between January 2008 and June 2009 the PartecipaSalute Web site registered a mean of 30 500 single visits monthly. At the consensus conference Informing women on hormone replacement therapy, 7 members of the 14-member panel defining the final recommendations were lay people. Other data from the laboratory's main activities are given in this article. The criteria for selecting patients and their organizations, the methods of involvement, and evaluation of the impact of the activities are still open questions. We are now developing ways of evaluating our activities, and trying to boost citizens' and patients' participation in decisional settings, concerning health care assistance and research studies.

A novel approach to deprescribing in long-term care settings: The SMART campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Abrahamson, Kathleen; Nazir, Arif; Pressler, Karis

2017-11-01

There have been numerous calls within the medical community urging providers to consider the complex problem of inappropriate polypharmacy and inappropriate medication use among nursing home residents. It is clear that innovative, longitudinal policy-supported interventions are needed to better understand prescribing practices in long-term care settings and to curtail the negative, cascading outcomes associated with inappropriate polypharmacy among elderly patients. The Indiana Safer Medication Administration Regimens and Treatment (SMART) campaign is funded by the Indiana State Department of Health for a pilot period of 2 years (2016-18) with the objectives of: 1. Reducing the average number of medications per resident, 2. Reducing use of antipsychotic, anxiolytic, and hypnotic medications, and 3. Reducing overall medication costs within participating facilities. In this report we comment upon what is new about the Indiana approach, and what we believe is worthy of consideration by other states. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developing Staffing Models to Support Population Health Management And Quality Oucomes in Ambulatory Care Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Haas, Sheila A; Vlasses, Frances; Havey, Julia

2016-01-01

There are multiple demands and challenges inherent in establishing staffing models in ambulatory heath care settings today. If health care administrators establish a supportive physical and interpersonal health care environment, and develop high-performing interprofessional teams and staffing models and electronic documentation systems that track performance, patients will have more opportunities to receive safe, high-quality evidence-based care that encourages patient participation in decision making, as well as provision of their care. The health care organization must be aligned and responsive to the community within which it resides, fully invested in population health management, and continuously scanning the environment for competitive, regulatory, and external environmental risks. All of these challenges require highly competent providers willing to change attitudes and culture such as movement toward collaborative practice among the interprofessional team including the patient.

Management of hemichorea hemiballismus syndrome in an acute palliative care setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anuja Damani

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Hemichorea hemiballismus (HCHB is a rare and debilitating presentation of hyperglycemia and subcortical stroke. Early identification, proper assessment and management of HCHB can lead to complete symptom relief. We describe a case of HCHB presenting to a palliative care setting. A 63-year-old diabetic and hypertensive lady, with history of ovarian cancer presented to Palliative Medicine outpatient clinic with two days history of right HCHB. Blood investigations and brain imaging showed high blood sugar levels and lacunar subcortical stroke. Blood sugar levels were controlled with human insulin and Aspirin. Clopidogrel and Atorvastatin were prescribed for the management of lacunar stroke. HCHB reduced markedly post-treatment, leading to significant reduction in morbidity and improvement in quality of life. The symptoms completely resolved within one week of starting the treatment and the patient was kept on regular home and outpatient follow up for further monitoring. Acute palliative care (APC approach deals with the management of comorbidities and their complications along with supportive care. Prompt assessment and management of such complications lead to better patient outcomes.

Association between self-reported and objectively measured physical fitness level in a middle-aged population in primary care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirstine H. Obling

2015-01-01

Conclusion: A single-item question is a cost-effective way of measuring physical fitness level, but the method has low association and fair agreement when compared to the Aastrand test. Men tend to overestimate physical fitness more than women, which should be accounted for if using the question in primary care settings.

Nursing Minimum Data Sets for documenting nutritional care for adults in primary healthcare: a scoping review.

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Håkonsen, Sasja Jul; Pedersen, Preben Ulrich; Bjerrum, Merete; Bygholm, Ann; Peters, Micah D J

2018-01-01

To identify all published nutritional screening instruments that have been validated in the adult population in primary healthcare settings and to report on their psychometric validity. Within health care, there is an urgent need for the systematic collection of nursing care data in order to make visible what nurses do and to facilitate comparison, quality assurance, management, research and funding of nursing care. To be effective, nursing records should accurately and comprehensively document all required information to support safe and high quality care of patients. However, this process of documentation has been criticized from many perspectives as being highly inadequate. A Nursing Minimum Data Set within the nutritional area in primary health care could therefore be beneficial in order to support nurses in their daily documentation and observation of patients. The review considered studies that included adults aged over 18 years of any gender, culture, diagnosis and ethnicity, as well as nutritional experts, patients and their relatives. The concepts of interest were: the nature and content of any nutritional screening tools validated (regardless of the type of validation) in the adult population in primary healthcare; and the views and opinions of eligible participants regarding the appropriateness of nutritional assessment were the concept of interest. Studies included must have been conducted in primary healthcare settings, both within home care and nursing home facilities. This scoping review used a two-step approach as a preliminary step to the subsequent development of a Nursing Minimum Data Set within the nutritional area in primary healthcare: i) a systematic literature search of existing nutritional screening tools validated in primary health care; and ii) a systematic literature search on nutritional experts opinions on the assessment of nutritional nursing care of adults in primary healthcare as well as the views of patients and their relatives

Challenges faced by nurses in managing pain in a critical care setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanian, Pathmawathi; Allcock, Nick; James, Veronica; Lathlean, Judith

2012-05-01

To explore nurses' challenges in managing pain among ill patients in critical care. Pain can lead to many adverse medical consequences and providing pain relief is central to caring for ill patients. Effective pain management is vital since studies show patients admitted to critical care units still suffer from significant levels of acute pain. The effective delivery of care in clinical areas remains a challenge for nurses involved with care which is dynamic and constantly changing in critically ill. Qualitative prospective exploratory design. This study employed semi structured interviews with nurses, using critical incident technique. Twenty-one nurses were selected from critical care settings from a large acute teaching health care trust in the UK. A critical incident interview guide was constructed from the literature and used to elicit responses. Framework analysis showed that nurses perceived four main challenges in managing pain namely lack of clinical guidelines, lack of structured pain assessment tool, limited autonomy in decision making and the patient's condition itself. Nurses' decision making and pain management can influence the quality of care given to critically ill patients. It is important to overcome the clinical problems that are faced when dealing with pain experience. There is a need for nursing education on pain management. Providing up to date and practical strategies may help to reduce nurses' challenges in managing pain among critically ill patients. Broader autonomy and effective decision making can be seen as beneficial for the nurses besides having a clearer and structured pain management guidelines. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Gestalt therapy approaches with aggressive children in a day care setting

OpenAIRE

Maxey, Win

1987-01-01

This research study was designed to evaluate whether or not Gestalt therapy approaches could be used effectively when intervening with aggressive acts in a day care setting. Five focus children were observed at timed intervals as to whether or not they were aggressive, how the caretaker intervened, and how the children responded to the caretaker intervention. After a baseline of aggressive acts was established, caretakers were trained to use Gestalt therapy interventio...

The economic cost of stroke-associated pneumonia in a UK setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, A N; Howe, J; Majid, A; Redgrave, J; Pownall, S; Abdelhafiz, A H

2018-04-01

Introduction Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is common, however, data on the economic impact of SAP are scarce. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the impact of SAP on acute stroke care costs in a UK setting. Methods Prospective cohort study of 213 consecutive patients with stroke (196 ischemic, 17 hemorrhagic) was admitted to a UK hospital over 1 year. Socio demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded along with all treatments and rehabilitation activity. Patients were classified as having SAP if they fulfilled criteria for "probable" or "definite" respiratory tract infection according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention definition, within the first seven days following stroke. Resource use was calculated using a "bottom up" approach of cumulative unit costs. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to establish independent predictors of direct costs. Results Probable or definite SAP occurred in 13.2% (28/213) of patients. Patients with SAP experienced greater inpatient stays (31 days vs. 9 days, p ≤ 0.001) and higher in-hospital mortality (29.2% vs. 10.2%, p = 0.007). Mean (SD) acute care costs per patient was £7035 (6767), but costs were significantly greater for patients with SAP than without [£14,371 (9484) versus £6,103 (5,735); p ≤ 0.001]. SAP was an independent predictor of costs along with increasing stroke severity (NIHSS) and age. Occurrence of SAP resulted in an adjusted incremental additional cost of £5817 (95% CI 4945-6689; p = 0.001) per patient. Conclusions SAP increased acute care costs for stroke by approximately 80%. This provides further impetus for research aimed at reducing SAP, and will inform cost-effectiveness analyses of potential therapeutic strategies.

Manager support for work/family issues and its impact on employee-reported pain in the extended care setting

Science.gov (United States)

O’Donnell, Emily M.; Berkman, Lisa F.; Subramanian, Sv

2012-01-01

Objective Supervisor-level policies and the presence of a manager engaged in an employee’s need to achieve work/family balance, or “supervisory support,” may benefit employee health, including self-reported pain. Methods We conducted a census of employees at four selected extended-care facilities in the Boston metropolitan region (n= 368). Supervisory support was assessed through interviews with managers and pain was employee-reported. Results Our multilevel logistic models indicate that employees with managers who report the lowest levels of support for work/family balance experience twice as much overall pain as employees with managers who report high levels of support. Conclusions Low supervisory support for work/family balance is associated with an increased prevalence of employee-reported pain in extended-care facilities. We recommend that manager-level policies and practices receive additional attention as a potential risk factor for poor health in this setting. PMID:22892547

Involving healthcare professionals and family carers in setting research priorities for end-of-life care.

Science.gov (United States)

Diffin, Janet; Spence, Michael; Spencer, Rebecca; Mellor, Peter; Grande, Gunn

2017-02-02

It is important to ensure regional variances are considered when setting future end-of-life research priorities, given the differing demographics and service provision. This project sought to identify end-of-life research priorities within Greater Manchester (United Kingdom). Following an initial scoping exercise, six topics within the 10 national priorities outlined by The Palliative and end-of-life care Priority Setting Partnership were selected for exploration. A workshop involving 32 healthcare professionals and a consultation process with 26 family carers was conducted. Healthcare professionals and carers selected and discussed the topics important to them. The topics selected most frequently by both healthcare professionals and carers were 'Access to 24 hour care', 'Planning end-of-life care in advance' and 'Staff and carer education'. Healthcare professionals also developed research questions for their topics of choice which were refined to incorporate carers' views. These questions are an important starting point for future end-of-life research within Greater Manchester.

Advance care planning in a community setting.

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Connolly, Josaleen; Milligan, Stuart; Stevens, Elaine; Jackson, Susan; Rooney, Kevin

2015-02-10

To evaluate the effects of implementing an advance care planning process within pilot sites in North Ayrshire in 2010, focusing on people with palliative care needs. Data were collected from participants in advance care planning training using a questionnaire. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and an audit of documentation was undertaken. Thirty nine questionnaires were returned, a response rate of 16%. Twenty four out of 25 (96%) participants rated the training as having improved their understanding of the advance care planning process. The general consensus in interviews was that advance care planning is a worthwhile process. Participants reported patients achieving their preferred place of end of life care and greater consultation regarding hospitalisation. Within the pilot sites, advance care planning training enhanced the ability of professionals to implement the advance care planning process and record the wishes of patients and residents.

Clinical and economic outcomes of nurse-led services in the ambulatory care setting: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Raymond J; Marx, Wolfgang; Bradford, Natalie; Gordon, Louisa; Bonner, Ann; Douglas, Clint; Schmalkuche, Diana; Yates, Patsy

2018-02-21

With the increasing burden of chronic and age-related diseases, and the rapidly increasing number of patients receiving ambulatory or outpatient-based care, nurse-led services have been suggested as one solution to manage increasing demand on the health system as they aim to reduce waiting times, resources, and costs while maintaining patient safety and enhancing satisfaction. The aims of this review were to assess the clinical effectiveness, economic outcomes and key implementation characteristics of nurse-led services in the ambulatory care setting. A systematic review was conducted using the standard Cochrane Collaboration methodology and was prepared in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) on The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE EBSCO, CINAHL EBSCO, and PsycINFO Ovid (from inception to April 2016). Data were extracted and appraisal undertaken. We included randomised controlled trials; quasi-randomised controlled trials; controlled and non-controlled before-and-after studies that compared the effects of nurse-led services in the ambulatory or community care setting with an alternative model of care or standard care. Twenty-five studies of 180,308 participants were included in this review. Of the 16 studies that measured and reported on health-related quality of life outcomes, the majority of studies (n = 13) reported equivocal outcomes; with three studies demonstrating superior outcomes and one demonstrating inferior outcomes in comparison with physician-led and standard care. Nurse-led care demonstrated either equivalent or better outcomes for a number of outcomes including symptom burden, self-management and behavioural outcomes, disease-specific indicators, satisfaction and perception of quality of life, and health service use. Benefits of nurse-led services remain inconclusive in terms of economic outcomes. Nurse

The impact of brief team communication, leadership and team behavior training on ad hoc team performance in trauma care settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Nicole K; Williams, Reed G; Schwind, Cathy J; Sutyak, John A; McDowell, Christopher; Griffen, David; Wall, Jarrod; Sanfey, Hilary; Chestnut, Audra; Meier, Andreas H; Wohltmann, Christopher; Clark, Ted R; Wetter, Nathan

2014-02-01

Communication breakdowns and care coordination problems often cause preventable adverse patient care events, which can be especially acute in the trauma setting, in which ad hoc teams have little time for advanced planning. Existing teamwork curricula do not address the particular issues associated with ad hoc emergency teams providing trauma care. Ad hoc trauma teams completed a preinstruction simulated trauma encounter and were provided with instruction on appropriate team behaviors and team communication. Teams completed a postinstruction simulated trauma encounter immediately afterward and 3 weeks later, then completed a questionnaire. Blinded raters rated videotapes of the simulations. Participants expressed high levels of satisfaction and intent to change practice after the intervention. Participants changed teamwork and communication behavior on the posttest, and changes were sustained after a 3-week interval, though there was some loss of retention. Brief training exercises can change teamwork and communication behaviors on ad hoc trauma teams. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Peer pressure and public reporting within healthcare setting: improving accountability and health care quality in hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Specchia, Maria Lucia; Veneziano, Maria Assunta; Cadeddu, Chiara; Ferriero, Anna Maria; Capizzi, Silvio; Ricciardi, Walter

2012-01-01

In the last few years, the need of public reporting of health outcomes has acquired a great importance. The public release of performance results could be a tool for improving health care quality and many attempts have been made in order to introduce public reporting programs within the health care context at different levels. It would be necessary to promote the introduction of a standardized set of outcome and performance measures in order to improve quality of health care services and to make health care providers aware of the importance of transparency and accountability.

Linking Cultural Competence to Functional Life Outcomes in Mental Health Care Settings.

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Michalopoulou, Georgia; Falzarano, Pamela; Butkus, Michael; Zeman, Lori; Vershave, Judy; Arfken, Cynthia

2014-01-01

Minorities in the United States have well-documented health disparities. Cultural barriers and biases by health care providers may contribute to lower quality of services which may contribute to these disparities. However, evidence linking cultural competency and health outcomes is lacking. This study, part of an ongoing quality improvement effort, tested the mediation hypothesis that patients' perception of provider cultural competency indirectly influences patients' health outcomes through process of care. Data were from patient satisfaction surveys collected in seven mental health clinics (n=94 minority patients). Consistent with our hypothesis, patients' perception of clinicians' cultural competency was indirectly associated with patients' self-reported improvements in social interactions, improvements in performance at work or school, and improvements in managing life problems through the patients' experience of respect, trust, and communication with the clinician. These findings indicate that process of care characteristics during the clinical encounter influence patients' perceptions of clinicians' cultural competency and affect functional outcomes. © 2013 National Medical Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Barriers and facilitators to providing undergraduate physiotherapy clinical education in the primary care setting: a three-round Delphi study.

Science.gov (United States)

McMahon, S; Cusack, T; O'Donoghue, G

2014-03-01

With the global shift in health care from secondary to primary care, employment opportunities for newly qualified physiotherapists are likely to be in the primary care setting. However, to date, undergraduate physiotherapy clinical education has been centred around secondary care, focusing on acute services in large teaching hospitals. For contemporary physiotherapists to become effective first-contact primary care providers, they need to be exposed to the primary care environment during their undergraduate education. To explore the concept and identify perceived barriers and facilitators to providing physiotherapy undergraduate clinical placements in the primary healthcare setting A three-round Delphi survey was used. Participants were asked to answer open-ended questions with regard to: (i) student preparation for and (ii) provision of primary care placements (Round 1). Content analysis was employed to identify key themes. These themes generated statements for Round 2. In Round 2, participants were asked to rate their level of agreement/disagreement with the generated statements. In Round 3, a final rating process was conducted. Level of consensus was established as ≥70% agreement, with an interquartile range of ≤1. One hundred and ninety-eight primary care physiotherapy staff. Barriers identified included shortage of resources (e.g. staff) and a lack of tradition; in other words, students are not traditionally educated in the primary care setting. Response rates were 60% (120/198), 70% (84/120) and 76% (64/84) for Rounds 1, 2 and 3, respectively. All seven key facilitators identified reached consensus. They included additional support for staff taking students and motivated students. This study revealed that there is support for the provision of physiotherapy clinical education in the primary care setting. Through careful consideration with clear planning and collaboration with all stakeholders, it may be possible to convert the main barriers identified into

Ancillary care in public health intervention research in low-resource settings: researchers' practices and decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Holly A; Merritt, Maria W; Mullany, Luke C

2011-09-01

Little is known about researchers' practices regarding the provision of ancillary care (AC) in public health intervention studies they have conducted and the factors that influence their decisions about whether to provide ancillary care in low-resource settings. We conducted 52 in-person in-depth interviews with public health researchers. Data analysis was iterative and led to the identification of themes and patterns among themes. We found that researchers who conduct their research in the community setting are more likely to identify and plan for the AC needs of potential research subjects before a study begins, whereas those affiliated with a permanent facility are more likely to deliver AC to research subjects on an ad hoc basis. Our findings suggest that on the whole, at least for public health intervention research in low-resource settings, researchers conducting research in the community setting confront more complex ethical and operational challenges in their decision-making about AC than do researchers conducting facility-based studies.

The association between nurse staffing and omissions in nursing care: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Peter; Recio-Saucedo, Alejandra; Dall'Ora, Chiara; Briggs, Jim; Maruotti, Antonello; Meredith, Paul; Smith, Gary B; Ball, Jane

2018-03-08

To identify nursing care most frequently missed in acute adult inpatient wards and to determine evidence for the association of missed care with nurse staffing. Research has established associations between nurse staffing levels and adverse patient outcomes including in-hospital mortality. However, the causal nature of this relationship is uncertain and omissions of nursing care (referred as missed care, care left undone or rationed care) have been proposed as a factor which may provide a more direct indicator of nurse staffing adequacy. Systematic review. We searched the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase and Medline for quantitative studies of associations between staffing and missed care. We searched key journals, personal libraries and reference lists of articles. Two reviewers independently selected studies. Quality appraisal was based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence quality appraisal checklist for studies reporting correlations and associations. Data were abstracted on study design, missed care prevalence and measures of association. Synthesis was narrative. Eighteen studies gave subjective reports of missed care. Seventy-five per cent or more nurses reported omitting some care. Fourteen studies found low nurse staffing levels were significantly associated with higher reports of missed care. There was little evidence that adding support workers to the team reduced missed care. Low Registered Nurse staffing is associated with reports of missed nursing care in hospitals. Missed care is a promising indicator of nurse staffing adequacy. The extent to which the relationships observed represent actual failures, is yet to be investigated. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Health Care Utilization and Costs Associated with Pediatric Chronic Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Tumin, Dmitry; Drees, David; Miller, Rebecca; Wrona, Sharon; Hayes, Don; Tobias, Joseph D; Bhalla, Tarun

2018-03-30

The population prevalence of pediatric chronic pain is not well characterized, in part due to lack of nationally representative data. Previous research suggests that pediatric chronic pain prolongs inpatient stay and increases costs, but the population-level association between pediatric chronic pain and health care utilization is unclear. We use the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health to describe the prevalence of pediatric chronic pain, and compare health care utilization among children ages 0-17 years according to the presence of chronic pain. Using a sample of 43,712 children, we estimate the population prevalence of chronic pain to be 6%. On multivariable analysis, chronic pain was not associated with increased odds of primary care or mental health care use, but was associated with greater odds of using other specialty care (OR=2.01, 95% CI: 1.62, 2.47; pcomplementary and alternative medicine (OR=2.32, 95% CI: 1.79, 3.03; pchronic pain were more likely to use specialty care but not mental health care. The higher likelihood of emergency care use in this group raises the question of whether better management of pediatric chronic pain could reduce emergency department use. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

COSTS OF THE HEALTH CARE IN RUSSIA ASSOCIATED WITH SMOKING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Kontsevaya

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To analyze costs of health care in Russia associated with smoking in 2009. Material and methods. Cardiovascular diseases, cancers and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD were included in the analysis. Calculation was performed on the basis of the relative risks of diseases associated with smoking, and obtained from foreign surveys, official statistics on morbidity and health system resources expenditure, and costs of health-seeking in line with state program of guaranteed free medical care.  Results. In 2009 total costs of the health care system associated with smoking exceeded RUR 35.8 bln. It corresponded to 0.1% of gross domestic product in Russia in 2009. The costs structure was the following: hospitalization – RUR 26.2 bln, emergency calls – RUR 1.4 bln, and outpatient health-seeking – RUR 8.2 bln. Costs of outpatient pharmacotherapy were not included into analysis because of lack of baseline data needed for calculations. Cardiovascular diseases caused 62% of the health care costs associated with smoking, cancers – 20.2%, and COPD – 17.8%. Conclusion. The smoking in Russia is associated with significant health care costs. It makes needed resources investment in preventive programs to reduce smoking prevalence.

Prevalence and factors associated with late antenatal care visit ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Flora

Background: Adequate utilization of antenatal health care services is associated ... access to antenatal care services including provision of ANC services that are free of charge (Gross ... Information about demographic characteristics, antenatal.

Bottom-up priority setting revised. A second evaluation of an institutional intervention in a Swedish health care organisation.

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Waldau, Susanne

2015-09-01

Transparent priority setting in health care based on specific ethical principles is requested by the Swedish Parliament since 1997. Implementation has been limited. In this case, transparent priority setting was performed for a second time round and engaged an entire health care organisation. Objectives were to refine a bottom-up priority setting process, reach a political decision on service limits to make reallocation towards higher prioritised services possible, and raise systems knowledge. An action research approach was chosen. The national model for priority setting was used with addition of dimensions costs, volumes, gender distribution and feasibility. The intervention included a three step process and specific procedures for each step which were created, revised and evaluated regarding factual and functional aspects. Evaluations methods included analyses of documents, recordings and surveys. Vertical and horizontal priority setting occurred and resources were reallocated. Participants' attitudes remained positive, however less so than in the first priority setting round. Identifying low-priority services was perceived difficult, causing resentment and strategic behaviour. The horizontal stage served to raise quality of the knowledge base, level out differences in ranking of services and raise systems knowledge. Existing health care management systems do not meet institutional requirements for transparent priority setting. Introducing transparent priority setting constitutes a complex institutional reform, which needs to be driven by management/administration. Strong managerial commitment is required. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differences in Treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis by Ambulatory Care Setting.

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Pearson, William S; Gift, Thomas L; Leichliter, Jami S; Jenkins, Wiley D

2015-12-01

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the US and timely, correct treatment can reduce CT transmission and sequelae. Emergency departments (ED) are an important location for diagnosing STIs. This study compared recommended treatment of CT in EDs to treatment in physician offices. Five years of data (2006-2010) were analyzed from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (NHAMCS), including the Outpatient survey (NHAMCS-OPD) and Emergency Department survey (NHAMCS-ED). All visits with a CT diagnosis and those with a diagnosis of unspecified venereal disease were selected for analysis. Differences in receipt of recommended treatments were compared between visits to physician offices and emergency departments using Chi square tests and logistic regression models. During the 5 year period, approximately 3.2 million ambulatory care visits had diagnosed CT or an unspecified venereal disease. A greater proportion of visits to EDs received the recommended treatment for CT compared to visits to physician offices (66.1 vs. 44.9 %, p < .01). When controlling for patients' age, sex and race/ethnicity, those presenting to the ED with CT were more likely to receive the recommended antibiotic treatment than patients presenting to a physician's office (OR 2.16; 95 % CI 1.04-4.48). This effect was attenuated when further controlling for patients' expected source of payment. These analyses demonstrate differences in the treatment of CT by ambulatory care setting as well as opportunities for increasing use of recommended treatments for diagnosed cases of this important STI.

Developing a mental health care plan in a low resource setting: the theory of change approach.

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Hailemariam, Maji; Fekadu, Abebaw; Selamu, Medhin; Alem, Atalay; Medhin, Girmay; Giorgis, Tedla Wolde; DeSilva, Mary; Breuer, Erica

2015-09-28

Scaling up mental healthcare through integration into primary care remains the main strategy to address the extensive unmet mental health need in low-income countries. For integrated care to achieve its goal, a clear understanding of the organisational processes that can promote and hinder the integration and delivery of mental health care is essential. Theory of Change (ToC), a method employed in the planning, implementation and evaluation of complex community initiatives, is an innovative approach that has the potential to assist in the development of a comprehensive mental health care plan (MHCP), which can inform the delivery of integrated care. We used the ToC approach to develop a MHCP in a rural district in Ethiopia. The work was part of a cross-country study, the Programme for Improving Mental Health Care (PRIME) which focuses on developing evidence on the integration of mental health in to primary care. An iterative ToC development process was undertaken involving multiple workshops with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds that included representatives from the community, faith and traditional healers, community associations, non-governmental organisations, Zonal, Regional and Federal level government offices, higher education institutions, social work and mental health specialists (psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses). The objective of this study is to report the process of implementing the ToC approach in developing mental health care plan. A total of 46 persons participated in four ToC workshops. Four critical path dimensions were identified: community, health facility, administrative and higher level care organisation. The ToC participants were actively engaged in the process and the ToC encouraged strong commitment among participants. Key opportunities and barriers to implementation and how to overcome these were suggested. During the workshops, a map incorporating the key agreed outcomes and outcome indicators was developed and finalized later

Association of family-centered care with improved anticipatory guidance delivery and reduced unmet needs in child health care.

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Kuo, Dennis Z; Frick, Kevin D; Minkovitz, Cynthia S

2011-11-01

Little is known about the association of family-centered care (FCC) with the quality of pediatric primary care. The objectives were to assess (1) associations between family-centered care (FCC), receipt of anticipatory guidance, and unmet need for health care; and (2) whether these associations vary for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). The study, a secondary data analysis of the 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, used a nationally representative sample of family members of children 0-17 years. We measured receipt of FCC in the last 12 months with a composite score average>3.5 on a 4 point Likert scale from 4 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems questions. Outcome measures were six anticipatory guidance and six unmet health care service needs items. FCC was reported by 69.6% of family members. One-fifth (22.1%) were CSHCN. Thirty percent of parents reported≥4 of 6 anticipatory guidance topics discussed and 32.5% reported≥1 unmet need. FCC was positively associated with anticipatory guidance for all children (OR=1.45; 95% CI 1.19, 1.76), but no relation was found for CSHCN in stratified analyses (OR=1.01; 95% CI .75, 1.37). FCC was associated with reduced unmet needs (OR=.38; 95% CI .31, .46), with consistent findings for both non-CSHCN and CSHCN subgroups. Family-centered care is associated with greater receipt of anticipatory guidance and reduced unmet needs. The association between FCC and anticipatory guidance did not persist for CSHCN, suggesting the need for enhanced understanding of appropriate anticipatory guidance for this population.

Preventing Obesity among Preschool Children: How Can Child-Care Settings Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity? Research Synthesis

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Larson, Nicole; Ward, Dianne; Neelon, Sara Benjamin; Story, Mary

2011-01-01

Child-care settings provide numerous opportunities to promote healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among preschool children. The majority of U.S. children are placed in some form of non-parental care during their preschool years. While approximately 15 percent of preschool children are primarily cared for by their relatives, most…

User and provider perspectives on emergency obstetric care in a tanzanian rural setting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Bjarke Lund; Nielsen, Birgitte Bruun; Rasch, Vibeke

2011-01-01

The aim of this field study was to analyze the main dynamics and conflicts in attending and providing good quality delivery care in a local Tanzanian rural setting. The women and their relatives did not see the problems of pregnancy and birth in isolation but in relation to multiple other problems...

Is Personality Associated with Health Care Use by Older Adults?

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Bruce; Veazie, Peter J; Chapman, Benjamin P; Manning, Willard G; Duberstein, Paul R

2013-01-01

Context The patterns of health care utilization in the United States pose well-established challenges for public policy. Although economic and sociological research has resulted in considerable knowledge about what influences the use of health services, the psychological literature in this area is underdeveloped. Importantly, it is not known whether personality traits are associated with older adults’ use of acute and long-term care services. Methods Data were collected from 1,074 community-dwelling seniors participating in a Medicare demonstration. First they completed a self-report questionnaire measuring the “Big Five” personality traits: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. During the next two years, the participants maintained daily journals of their use of health care services. We used regression models based on the Andersen behavioral model of health care utilization to test for associations. Findings Our hypothesis that higher Neuroticism would be associated with greater health care use was confirmed for three services—probability of any emergency department (ED) use, likelihood of any custodial nursing home use, and more skilled nursing facility (SNF) days for SNF users—but was disconfirmed for hospital days for those hospitalized. Higher Openness to Experience was associated with a greater likelihood of custodial home care use, and higher Agreeableness and lower Conscientiousness with a higher probability of custodial nursing home use. For users, lower Openness was associated with more ED visits and SNF days, and lower Conscientiousness with more ED visits. For many traits with significant associations, the predicted use was 16 to 30 percent greater for people high (low) versus low (high) in specific traits. Conclusions Personality traits are associated with Medicare beneficiaries’ use of many expensive health care services, findings that have implications for health services research and

Evidence-based decision making in health care settings: from theory to practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohn, Melanie Kazman; Berta, Whitney; Langley, Ann; Davis, David

2011-01-01

The relatively recent attention that evidence-based decision making has received in health care management has been at least in part due to the profound influence of evidence-based medicine. The result has been several comparisons in the literature between the use of evidence in health care management decisions and the use of evidence in medical decision making. Direct comparison, however, may be problematic, given the differences between medicine and management as they relate to (1) the nature of evidence that is brought to bear on decision making; (2) the maturity of empirical research in each field (in particular, studies that have substantiated whether or not and how evidence-based decision making is enacted); and (3) the context within which evidence-based decisions are made. By simultaneously reviewing evidence-based medicine and management, this chapter aims to inform future theorizing and empirical research on evidence-based decision making in health care settings.

Progressively engaging: constructing nurse, patient, and family relationships in acute care settings.

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Segaric, Cheryl Ann; Hall, Wendy A

2015-02-01

In this grounded theory study, informed by symbolic interactionism, we explain how nurses, patients, and family members construct relationships in acute care settings, including managing effects of work environments. We recruited participants from 10 acute care units across four community hospitals in a Western Canadian city. From 33 hr of participant observation and 40 interviews with 13 nurses, 17 patients, and 10 family members, we constructed the basic social-psychological process of progressively engaging. Nurses, patients, and family members approached constructing relationships through levels of engagement, ranging from perspectives about "just doing the job" to "doing the job with heart." Progressively engaging involved three stages: focusing on tasks, getting acquainted, and building rapport. Workplace conditions and personal factors contributed or detracted from participants' movement through the stages of the process; with higher levels of engagement, participants experienced greater satisfaction and cooperation. Progressively engaging provides direction for how all participants in care can invest in relationships. © The Author(s) 2014.

Disposable gendine antimicrobial gloves for preventing transmission of pathogens in health care settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Reitzel, Ruth; Rosenblatt, Joel; Jiang, Ying; Hachem, Ray; Raad, Issam

2014-01-01

Transmission of organisms by contact of gloves with surfaces following contact with a pathogen source has been recognized as an important vector for pathogenesis of health care-associated infections. In these cases, the gloves protect the wearer from contact with the pathogenic organisms; however, this personal protection can facilitate the wearer unwittingly becoming a carrier of the pathogens from one location to another. A novel gendine (combination of chlorhexidine and gentian violet) antiseptic coating for the external surface of the glove was developed as a potential intervention to prevent this mode of transmission. We characterized the ability of the coating to rapidly kill bacterial and fungal pathogens within 1 minute of contact with the glove surface. The International Organization of Standardization 22196 concentrated inoculum contact testing methodology was followed. The gendine-coated gloves were able to fully eradicate multidrug-resistant organisms included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterocci, multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase producing. In addition, Candida albicans, Candida glabarata, and 2 pathogenic Escherichia coli strains commonly associated with invasive gastroenteritis were also fully eradicated within 1 minute of contact. The gendine coating did not adversely impact the finish or integrity of the disposable gloves. The highly efficacious gendine-coated antimicrobial gloves potentially provide an additional means of protection against horizontal transmission of common pathogens in a hospital setting. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of motivational interviewing for health behaviour change in primary care settings: a systematic review.

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Morton, Katie; Beauchamp, Mark; Prothero, Anna; Joyce, Lauren; Saunders, Laura; Spencer-Bowdage, Sarah; Dancy, Bernadette; Pedlar, Charles

2015-01-01

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a patient-centred approach to behaviour change that was originally developed in the addiction field but has increasingly been applied to public health settings with a focus on health promotion. The purpose of this review was to examine the evidence base for MI interventions in primary care settings with non-clinical populations to achieve behaviour change for physical activity, dietary behaviours and/or alcohol intake. We also sought to explore the specific behaviour change techniques included in MI interventions within primary care. Electronic databases were searched for relevant articles and 33 papers met inclusion criteria and were included. Approximately 50% of the included studies (n = 18) demonstrated positive effects in relation to health behaviour change. The efficacy of MI approaches is unclear given the inconsistency of MI descriptions and intervention components. Furthermore, research designs that do not isolate the effects of MI make it difficult to determine the effectiveness of such approaches. We offer a number of recommendations for researchers and practitioners seeking to include MI within behaviour change interventions to help improve the quality of the research and the effectiveness of MI-based interventions within primary care settings.

The influence of heart disease on characteristics, quality of life, use of health resources, and costs of COPD in primary care settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hernandez-Barrera Valentín

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To evaluate the influence of heart disease on clinical characteristics, quality of life, use of health resources, and costs of patients with COPD followed at primary care settings under common clinical practice conditions. Methods Epidemiologic, observational, and descriptive study (EPIDEPOC study. Patients ≥ 40 years of age with stable COPD attending primary care settings were included. Demographic, clinical characteristics, quality of life (SF-12, seriousness of the disease, and treatment data were collected. Results were compared between patients with or without associated heart disease. Results A total of 9,390 patients with COPD were examined of whom 1,770 (18.8% had heart disease and 78% were males. When comparing both patient groups, significant differences were found in the socio-demographic characteristics, health profile, comorbidities, and severity of the airway obstruction, which was greater in patients with heart disease. Differences were also found in both components of quality of life, physical and mental, with lower scores among those patients with heart disease. Higher frequency of primary care and pneumologist visits, emergency-room visits and number of hospital admissions were observed among patients with heart diseases. The annual total cost per patient was significantly higher in patients with heart disease; 2,937 ± 2,957 vs. 1,749 ± 2,120, p Conclusion Patients with COPD plus heart disease had greater disease severity and worse quality of life, used more healthcare resources and were associated with greater costs compared to COPD patients without known hearth disease.

The Virtual Care Climate Questionnaire: Development and Validation of a Questionnaire Measuring Perceived Support for Autonomy in a Virtual Care Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Smit, Eline Suzanne; Dima, Alexandra Lelia; Immerzeel, Stephanie Annette Maria; van den Putte, Bas; Williams, Geoffrey Colin

2017-05-08

Web-based health behavior change interventions may be more effective if they offer autonomy-supportive communication facilitating the internalization of motivation for health behavior change. Yet, at this moment no validated tools exist to assess user-perceived autonomy-support of such interventions. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the virtual climate care questionnaire (VCCQ), a measure of perceived autonomy-support in a virtual care setting. Items were developed based on existing questionnaires and expert consultation and were pretested among experts and target populations. The virtual climate care questionnaire was administered in relation to Web-based interventions aimed at reducing consumption of alcohol (Study 1; N=230) or cannabis (Study 2; N=228). Item properties, structural validity, and reliability were examined with item-response and classical test theory methods, and convergent and divergent validity via correlations with relevant concepts. In Study 1, 20 of 23 items formed a one-dimensional scale (alpha=.97; omega=.97; H=.66; mean 4.9 [SD 1.0]; range 1-7) that met the assumptions of monotonicity and invariant item ordering. In Study 2, 16 items fitted these criteria (alpha=.92; H=.45; omega=.93; mean 4.2 [SD 1.1]; range 1-7). Only 15 items remained in the questionnaire in both studies, thus we proceeded to the analyses of the questionnaire's reliability and construct validity with a 15-item version of the virtual climate care questionnaire. Convergent validity of the resulting 15-item virtual climate care questionnaire was confirmed by positive associations with autonomous motivation (Study 1: r=.66, Pperceived competence for reducing alcohol intake (Study 1: r=.52, Pperceived competence for learning (Study 2: r=.05, P=.48). The virtual climate care questionnaire accurately assessed participants' perceived autonomy-support offered by two Web-based health behavior change interventions. Overall, the scale showed the expected properties

An Examination of the Workflow Processes of the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Program in Health Care Settings.

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Kaiser, David J; Karuntzos, Georgia

2016-01-01

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is a public health program used to identify, reduce, and prevent problematic use, abuse, and dependence on alcohol and illicit drugs that has been adapted for implementation in emergency departments and ambulatory clinics nationwide. This study used a combination of observational, timing, and descriptive analyses from a multisite evaluation to understand the workflow processes implemented in 21 treatment settings. Direct observations of 59 SBIRT practitioners and semi-structured interviews with 170 stakeholders, program administrators, practitioners, and program evaluators provided information about workflow in different medical care settings. The SBIRT workflow processes are presented at three levels: service delivery, information storage, and information sharing. Analyses suggest limited variation in the overall workflow processes across settings, although performance sites tailored the program to fit with existing clinical processes, health information technology, and patient characteristics. Strategies for successful integration include co-locating SBIRT providers in the medical care setting and integrating SBIRT data into electronic health records. Provisions within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 call for the integration of behavioral health and medical care services. SBIRT is being adapted in different types of medical care settings, and the workflow processes are being adapted to ensure efficient delivery, illustrating the successful integration of behavioral health and medical care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

‘Care left undone’ during nursing shifts: associations with workload and perceived quality of care

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Jane E; Murrells, Trevor; Rafferty, Anne Marie; Morrow, Elizabeth; Griffiths, Peter

2014-01-01

Background There is strong evidence to show that lower nurse staffing levels in hospitals are associated with worse patient outcomes. One hypothesised mechanism is the omission of necessary nursing care caused by time pressure—‘missed care’. Aim To examine the nature and prevalence of care left undone by nurses in English National Health Service hospitals and to assess whether the number of missed care episodes is associated with nurse staffing levels and nurse ratings of the quality of nursing care and patient safety environment. Methods Cross-sectional survey of 2917 registered nurses working in 401 general medical/surgical wards in 46 general acute National Health Service hospitals in England. Results Most nurses (86%) reported that one or more care activity had been left undone due to lack of time on their last shift. Most frequently left undone were: comforting or talking with patients (66%), educating patients (52%) and developing/updating nursing care plans (47%). The number of patients per registered nurse was significantly associated with the incidence of ‘missed care’ (p<0.001). A mean of 7.8 activities per shift were left undone on wards that are rated as ‘failing’ on patient safety, compared with 2.4 where patient safety was rated as ‘excellent’ (p <0. 001). Conclusions Nurses working in English hospitals report that care is frequently left undone. Care not being delivered may be the reason low nurse staffing levels adversely affects quality and safety. Hospitals could use a nurse-rated assessment of ‘missed care’ as an early warning measure to identify wards with inadequate nurse staffing. PMID:23898215

Interactional aspects of care during hospitalization: perspectives of family caregivers of psychiatrically ill in a tertiary care setting in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinakaran, P; Mehrotra, Seema; Bharath, Srikala

2014-12-01

There are very few studies on user-perspectives about mental health care services that explore perspectives of family caregivers in India. An exploratory study was undertaken to understand the perceived importance of various aspects of interactions with mental health service providers during hospitalization, from the perspectives of family caregivers. In addition, it also aimed at documenting their actual experience of interactional aspects of care during the hospitalization of their relatives. The study was conducted on fifty family caregivers of patients with varied psychiatric diagnoses hospitalized in a tertiary psychiatric care setting in South India. Measures of Interactional aspects of care were developed to assess perceived importance of six different interactional domains of care and the actual experience of care in these domains. Provision of informational inputs and addressing of concerns raised emerged as the domains of care given highest importance. The item pertaining to 'sharing with the caregiver about different alternatives for treatment' received negative ratings in terms of actual experience by maximum number of participants (18%). Significant differences on perceived importance of four domains of interactional aspects of care (dignity, confidentiality and fairness, addressing concerns raised, informational inputs and prompt attention and consistent care) emerged between caregiver subgroups based on educational level of the caregiver, socio-economic status, hospitalization history and broad diagnostic categories. In addition, the care givers of patients with psychoses assigned significantly more positive ratings on actual experience for all the domains of interactional aspects of care. The findings have implications for further research and practice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The association of leadership styles and empowerment with nurses' organizational commitment in an acute health care setting: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Asiri, Samirah A; Rohrer, Wesley W; Al-Surimi, Khaled; Da'ar, Omar O; Ahmed, Anwar

2016-01-01

The current challenges facing healthcare systems, in relation to the shortage of health professionals, necessitates mangers and leaders to learn from different leadership styles and staff empowerment strategies, so as to create a work environment that encourages nursing staff commitment to patients and their organization. This study intends to measure the effects of nurses' overall perception of the leadership style of their managers, and psychological empowerment on their organizational commitment in acute care units, in National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. This was a cross-sectional survey, where the data was obtained from nurses at King Abdulaziz Medical City. Hard copy questionnaires were distributed to 350 randomly selected nurses. Three hundred and thirty two (332) were completed, representing a response rate of 95 %. Three validated survey instruments were used to obtain the data: (1) The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), formulated by Bass and Avolio (1997), (2) The Psychological Empowerment Scale developed by Spreitzer (1995) and (3) The Three-Component Model of Employee Commitment developed by Meyer and Allen (1997). A theoretical model that conceptually links leadership, empowerment, and organizational commitment was used. The SPSS program version 19 was employed to perform descriptive and inferential statistics including correlation and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Overall most nurses perceived their immediate nursing managers as not displaying the ideal level of transformational leadership (TFL) behaviors. Nurses' commitment appeared to be negatively correlated with TFL style and perceived psychological empowerment. However, commitment was positively correlated with the Transactional Leadership (TAL) style. Analysis, also, showed that commitment is significantly associated with the nurse's nationality by region: North American (P = 0.001) and Arab (p = 0.027). The other important predictors of

Association between child-care and acute diarrhea: a study in Portuguese children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barros Henrique

2003-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To quantify the influence of the type of child-care on the occurrence of acute diarrhea with special emphasis on the effect of children grouping during care. METHODS: From October 1998 to January 1999 292 children, aged 24 to 36 months, recruited using a previously assembled cohort of newborns, were evaluated. Information on the type of care and occurrence of diarrhea in the previous year was obtained from parents by telephone interview. The X² and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare proportions and quantitative variables, respectively. The risk of diarrhea was estimated through the calculation of incident odds ratios (OR and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI, crude and adjusted by unconditional logistic regression. RESULTS: Using as reference category children cared individually at home, the adjusted ORs for diarrhea occurrence were 3.18, 95% CI [1.49, 6.77] for children cared in group at home, 2.28, 95% CI [0.92, 5.67] for children cared in group in day-care homes and 2.54, 95% CI [1.21, 5.33] for children cared in day-care centers. Children that changed from any other type of child-care setting to child-care centers in the year preceding the study showed a risk even higher (OR 7.65, 95% CI [3.25, 18.02]. CONCLUSIONS: Group care increases the risk of acute diarrhea whatsoever the specific setting.

Factors associated with professional satisfaction in primary care: Results from EUprimecare project.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez-Piedra, Carlos Alberto; Jaruseviciene, Lina; Prado-Galbarro, Francisco Javier; Liseckiene, Ida; Sánchez-Alonso, Fernando; García-Pérez, Sonia; Sarria Santamera, Antonio

2017-12-01

Given the importance of primary care to healthcare systems and population health, it seems crucial to identify factors that contribute to the quality of primary care. Professional satisfaction has been linked with quality of primary care. Physician dissatisfaction is considered a risk factor for burnout and leaving medicine. This study explored factors associated with professional satisfaction in seven European countries. A survey was conducted among primary care physicians. Estonia, Finland, Germany and Hungary used a web-based survey, Italy and Lithuania a telephone survey, and Spain face to face interviews. Sociodemographic information (age, sex), professional experience and qualifications (years since graduation, years of experience in general practice), organizational variables related to primary care systems and satisfaction were included in the final version of the questionnaire. A logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the factors associated with satisfaction among physicians. A total of 1331 primary care physicians working in primary care services responded to the survey. More than half of the participants were satisfied with their work in primary care services (68.6%). We found significant associations between satisfaction and years of experience (OR = 1.01), integrated network of primary care centres (OR = 2.8), patients having direct access to specialists (OR = 1.3) and professionals having access to data on patient satisfaction (OR = 1.3). Public practice, rather than private practice, was associated with lower primary care professional satisfaction (OR = 0.8). Elements related to the structure of primary care are associated with professional satisfaction. At the individual level, years of experience seems to be associated with higher professional satisfaction.

[Ventilator bundle guided by context of JCI settings can effectively reduce the morbidity of ventilator-associated pneumonia].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lili; Liu, Lili; Chen, Jing; Yang, Caili; Nie, Jianjian; Zhang, Minwei

2017-07-01

To observe the impact of improving the compliance of ventilator bundle on morbidity of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV) guided by context of Joint Commission International (JCI) settings, and to study the oral care efficacy of suction tube sponge brush. A prospective study was conducted. The patients who needed MV admitted to Department of Critical Care Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from January 2013 to December 2016 were enrolled. In the context of JCI settings, necessary measurements were taken to enhance the compliance of ventilator bundle each year. In 2013, the preventive measures were set up and the education was strengthened. In 2014, the compliance of hand hygiene and bedside elevation was strengthened. In 2015, a control study was conducted to evaluate the effect between the traditional cotton dipped in chlorhexidine and the suction tube sponge brush rinsed with chlorhexidine on oral health impact parameters. The suction tube sponge brush rinsed with chlorhexidine oral care was introduced to improve compliance. In 2016, electronic bundle checklist for daily self-audits was conducted. The annually morbidity of VAP through the software of hospital and ICU was collected and calculated. The annual incidence of VAP was indicated by the VAP cases per 1 000 MV days. Based on the VAP incidence rate in 2013 as 1, the VAP incidence-rate ratio (IRR) of each year was calculated. During the study period, a total of 2 733 patients admitted to the ICU, including 1 403 patients undergoing MV. Ninety-four of the 1 403 patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), aspiration pneumonia, back elevation ban, incomplete information, and withdrew from the study were excluded. 1 399 patients undergoing MV were enrolled in the final analysis, with total MV days of 11 012 days, and 94 patients occurred VAP. The annual incidence of VAP was progressively declined

'Who's actually gonna read this?' An evaluation of staff experiences of the value of information contained in written care plans in supporting care in three different dementia care settings.

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Drummond, C; Simpson, A

2017-08-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: A written plan is designed to improve communication and co-ordinate care between mental health inpatient wards and community settings. Reports of care plan quality issues and staff and service user dissatisfaction with healthcare bureaucracy have focused on working age mental health or general hospital settings. Little is known about mental health staff perspectives on the value of written care plans in supporting dementia care. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Competing demands on staff time and resources to meet administrative standards for care plans caused a tension with their own professional priorities for supporting care. Mental health staff face difficulties using electronic records alongside other systems of information sharing. Further exploration is needed of the gap between frontline staff values and those of the local organization and managers when supporting good dementia care. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Frontline staff should be involved in designing new information systems including care plans. Care plan documentation needs to be refocused to ensure it is effective in enabling staff to communicate amongst themselves and with others to support people with dementia. Practice-based mentors could be deployed to strengthen good practice in effective information sharing. Background Reports of increased healthcare bureaucracy and concerns over care plan quality have emerged from research and surveys into staff and service user experiences. Little is known of mental health staff perspectives on the value of written care plans in supporting dementia care. Aim To investigate the experiences and views of staff in relation to care planning in dementia services in one National Health Service (NHS) provider Trust in England. Method Grounded Theory methodology was used. A purposive sample of 11 multidisciplinary staff were interviewed across three sites in one NHS Trust. Interviews were transcribed, coded

Implementing a multifaceted intervention to decrease central line-associated bloodstream infections in SEHA (Abu Dhabi Health Services Company) intensive care units: the Abu Dhabi experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Latif, Asad; Kelly, Bernadette; Edrees, Hanan; Kent, Paula S; Weaver, Sallie J; Jovanovic, Branislava; Attallah, Hadeel; de Grouchy, Kristin K; Al-Obaidli, Ali; Goeschel, Christine A; Berenholtz, Sean M

2015-07-01

OBJECTIVE To determine whether implementation of a multifaceted intervention would significantly reduce the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections. DESIGN Prospective cohort collaborative. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Intensive care units of the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company hospitals in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. INTERVENTIONS A bundled intervention consisting of 3 components was implemented as part of the program. It consisted of a multifaceted approach that targeted clinician use of evidence-based infection prevention recommendations, tools that supported the identification of local barriers to these practices, and implementation ideas to help ensure patients received the practices. Comprehensive unit-based safety teams were created to improve safety culture and teamwork. Finally, the measurement and feedback of monthly infection rate data to safety teams, senior leaders, and staff in participating intensive care units was encouraged. The main outcome measure was the quarterly rate of central line-associated bloodstream infections. RESULTS Eighteen intensive care units from 7 hospitals in Abu Dhabi implemented the program and achieved an overall 38% reduction in their central line-associated bloodstream infection rate, adjusted at the hospital and unit level. The number of units with a quarterly central line-associated bloodstream infection rate of less than 1 infection per 1,000 catheter-days increased by almost 40% between the baseline and postintervention periods. CONCLUSION A significant reduction in the global morbidity and mortality associated with central line-associated bloodstream infections is possible across intensive care units in disparate settings using a multifaceted intervention.

Associations Among Health Care Workplace Safety, Resident Satisfaction, and Quality of Care in Long-Term Care Facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Boakye-Dankwa, Ernest; Teeple, Erin; Gore, Rebecca; Punnett, Laura

2017-11-01

We performed an integrated cross-sectional analysis of relationships between long-term care work environments, employee and resident satisfaction, and quality of patient care. Facility-level data came from a network of 203 skilled nursing facilities in 13 states in the eastern United States owned or managed by one company. K-means cluster analysis was applied to investigate clustered associations between safe resident handling program (SRHP) performance, resident care outcomes, employee satisfaction, rates of workers' compensation claims, and resident satisfaction. Facilities in the better-performing cluster were found to have better patient care outcomes and resident satisfaction; lower rates of workers compensation claims; better SRHP performance; higher employee retention; and greater worker job satisfaction and engagement. The observed clustered relationships support the utility of integrated performance assessment in long-term care facilities.