scholarly journals Digitizing a Face-to-Face Group Fatigue Management Program: Exploring the Views of People With Multiple Sclerosis and Health Care Professionals Via Consultation Groups and Interviews (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Thomas ◽  
Andy Pulman ◽  
Peter Thomas ◽  
Sarah Collard ◽  
Nan Jiang ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Fatigue is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and is the main reason why people with MS stop working early. The MS Society in the United Kingdom funded a randomized controlled trial of FACETS—a face-to-face group-based fatigue management program for people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS)—developed by members of the research team. Given the favorable trial results and to help with implementation, the MS Society supported the design and printing of the FACETS manual and materials and the national delivery of FACETS training courses (designed by the research team) for health care professionals (HCPs). By 2015 more than 1500 pwMS had received the FACETS program, but it is not available in all areas and a face-to-face format may not be suitable for, or appeal to, everyone. For these reasons, the MS Society funded a consultation to explore an alternative Web-based model of service delivery. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to gather views about a Web-based model of service delivery from HCPs who had delivered FACETS and from pwMS who had attended FACETS. METHODS Telephone consultations were undertaken with FACETS-trained HCPs who had experience of delivering FACETS (n=8). Three face-to-face consultation groups were held with pwMS who had attended the FACETS program: London (n=4), Liverpool (n=4), and Bristol (n=7). The interviews and consultation groups were digitally recorded and transcribed. A thematic analysis was undertaken to identify key themes. Toward the end of the study, a roundtable meeting was held to discuss outcomes from the consultation with representatives from the MS Society, HCPs, and pwMS. RESULTS Key challenges and opportunities of designing and delivering an integrated Web-based version of FACETS and maintaining user engagement were identified across 7 themes (delivery, online delivery, design, group, engagement, interactivity, and HCP relationships). Particularly of interest were themes related to replicating the group dynamics and the lack of high-quality solutions that would support the FACETS’ weekly homework tasks and symptom monitoring and management. CONCLUSIONS A minimum viable Web-based version of FACETS was suggested as the best starting point for a phased implementation, enabling a solution that could then be added to over time. It was also proposed that a separate study should look to create a free stand-alone digital toolkit focusing on the homework elements of FACETS. This study has commenced with a first version of the toolkit in development involving pwMS throughout the design and build stages to ensure a user-centered solution.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erh-Hsuan Wang ◽  
Leming Zhou ◽  
Szu-Han Kay Chen ◽  
Katya Hill ◽  
Bambang Parmanto

BACKGROUND The recent trend of increasing health care costs in the United States is likely not sustainable. To make health care more economically sustainable, attention must be directed toward improving the quality while simultaneously reducing the cost of health care. One of the recommended approaches to provide better care at a lower cost is to develop high-quality data collection and reporting systems, which support health care professionals in making optimal clinical decisions based on solid, extensive evidence. OBJECTIVE The objective of this project was to develop an integrated mobile health Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) platform consisting of an AAC mobile app and a Web-based clinician portal for supporting evidence-based clinical service delivery. METHODS A questionnaire and interviews were used to collect clinicians’ ideas regarding what constitutes their desired “clinically relevant” data. In response, a Web-based portal was designed by combining mobile and Web technologies with an AAC intervention to create an integrated platform for supporting data collection, integration, and reporting. Finally, a usability study was conducted with health care professionals. RESULTS A Web-based portal was created and integrated with a tablet-based AAC mobile app and data analysis procedures. In the usability study, all participants agreed that the integrated platform provided the ability to collect comprehensive clinical evidence, automatically analyze collected data in real time, and generate clinically relevant performance measures through an easily accessible Web-based portal. CONCLUSIONS The integrated platform offers a better approach for clinical data reporting and analytics. Additionally, the platform streamlines the workflow of AAC clinical service delivery.


Author(s):  
Ola Albaghdadi ◽  
Salam , Mohammad Hassan Morteza, Firas A Ahjel ◽  
Mohammad Hassan Morteza ◽  
Firas Aziz Rahi

Aims: Elderly in Iraq kept suffering multiple burdens, as they are a truly fragile and vulnerable segment. A major public health issue among elderly is adverse drug reactions. This study is aimed at contributing in overcoming this treatment gap by determining the prevalence of inappropriate medications used by a group of Iraqi elderly outpatients. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted in a sample of 85 Iraqi elderly aged ≥65 years of either gender. Participants had face-to-face interviews to answer a comprehensive questionnaire. Each drug taken by the patient was evaluated according to Beers criteria. Results: Females constituted 45.9% of the total. The average age was 69.9 years (± 4.6). Nearly 30% of the patients had 3 different diseases, and 17.8% had ≥4 different ones, with cardiovascular diseases were the most prevalent. Polypharmacy was notably identified in 47.1% of the total studied population. Twenty-eight out of 85 patients did not know the actual reason of taking at least one of their medications, and 42% were not taking their drugs as directed. Remarkably, 43.5% of patients were recognized as taking at least one medication to be avoided in elderly people according to the Beers criteria. The most common inappropriate drugs were glyburide, and proton-pump inhibitors. Conclusion: There was an obvious absence of any role of pharmacists in the health care system for our studied population. Health care professionals are encouraged to review the medications prescribed for geriatric patients using updated safety guidelines to prevent the risks associated with potentially inappropriate medications.


2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232098783
Author(s):  
Stacey Power ◽  
Keelin O’Donoghue ◽  
Sarah Meaney

Ireland has had a reliance on voluntary groups to provide peer-to-peer bereavement support. The aim of this study was to explore volunteers’, within these voluntary groups, experiences of supporting parents following a fatal fetal anomaly diagnosis. Purposive sampling was used to recruit volunteers ( n = 17) and face-to-face interviews undertaken. NVivo12 was utilized to assist in the thematic analysis of the data. Five themes; “motivation for altruistic acts,” “being challenged,” “value of education and training,” “supporting volunteers to support others,” and “it is not a sprint, it is a marathon” were identified. Volunteers felt comfortable in their peer-support role but found the lack of knowledge regarding newly implemented termination of pregnancy (TOP) services challenging. The importance of education/training was identified, emphasizing the need for collaboration with health care professionals and other voluntary organizations for support. The findings illustrate the need for collaborative working between health care professionals and volunteers to assist them in supporting bereaved parents.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1294.1-1294
Author(s):  
C. Helin Hollstrand ◽  
K. Nilke Nordlund

Background:With the launch of The Swedish Young Rheumatics Report in April of 2018, we also presented new way of thinking and a tool called the Dreamscale, our complement to the traditional VAS scale used to assess pain. In October of 2018, we organized a workshop together with communication consults where we invited some of our members in different ages and health care professionals working with children, youths and young adults with rheumatic diseases, to try and reach a joint definition of what the Dreamscale is and could be, as we saw its huge potential. This is where the idea of the Dreamcatcher was born.Objectives:The objective is to create an innovative digital tool for young people with rheumatic disease. It takes its starting point in what is healthy and what is possible, rather than focusing on sickness and limitations. Using behavioral science, nudging and social functions, the Dreamcatcher has the potential to lower the barriers to living an active lifestyle, while also serving as a tool for dialogue with health care professionals, resulting in more efficient meetings, better resource planning and the gathering of valuable data to the national quality registers. It is also a digital tool with a big potential for development thanks to its open source code and its focus on enabling activity and participation, there is an obvious potential to develop its functions to also serve other actors and patient groups.Methods:We teamed up with communication bureau Gullers Grupp, pharmaceutical company Pfizer, and two health care clinics in Stockholm, one for children and youths with rheumatic disease and one for adults, and received funding for one year of development from Vinnova, the Swedish innovation authority, in April of 2019. We started the project by conducting a study to try and narrow down what focuses the Dreamcatcher should have. The pilot study contains both workshops with patients, both children, youths and young adults, and with teams of health care professionals, as well as more in-depth interviews with both patients and health care professionals. Based on the study, we will develop a prototype of what the Dreamcatcher could look like, and it will most likely be an application used for smartphones.Results:The study narrows down the Dreamcatcher into three things: the Dreamscale, Dream data, and the Dream collective.The Dreamscaleis as previously explained a complement to the traditional pain-scale and a tool for patients to set goals towards their dreams, and for patients and health care professionals to co-plan care and medical treatment based on what’s most important to the patient.Dream datais where patients can self-track their disease, data which is also available for the health care to view and therefore to be better prepared before meeting with the patient. It is also a goal to have the Dream data transferred to the national quality registers.The Dream collectiveis a social function where patients using the app can connect and get inspired by each other. It is a place to share your dreams and build a community to show that rheumatic disease isn’t something that should ever stop you from going after your dreams!Conclusion:The prototype of the Dreamcatcher will be presented in May of 2020 and we think this it has great potential to help shift focus withing health care, to not just focusing on sickness and limitations but rather on dreams, joy of life and possibilities!References:[1]https://ungareumatiker.se/nytt-digitalt-patientverktyg-unga-reumatiker-tar-fram-dromfangaren/[2]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD6PwSKeb8IDisclosure of Interests:None declared


Author(s):  
Cagla Yigitbas

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge of students receiving different levels of health-care education (doctors, nurses, paramedics) on chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear weapons (CBRNW). Methods: This study was designed as a qualitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional research. The study reached 87.68% of the population. A survey form was created by the researcher in line with the literature. Ethical permission and verbal consents were obtained. The data were collected by face-to-face interviews. Results: It was observed that there was no difference between the enrolled departments, that the participants had very low levels of knowledge on the subject despite considering it a likely threat for Turkey, and that they thought the public and the health-care professionals in this field had insufficient knowledge. Sex, age, and field education were the variables that created a difference. Conclusion: Training regarding CBRNW should be further questioned and individuals should receive ongoing training to increase and update their knowledge and skills.


2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 1130-1140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia Finlayson ◽  
Katharine Preissner ◽  
Chi Cho ◽  
Matthew Plow

Background: Previous studies support the efficacy and effectiveness of face-to-face group-based fatigue management education for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Nevertheless, many people are unable to access these programs due to environmental barriers. Objectives: To test the efficacy and effectiveness of a group-based, teleconference-delivered fatigue management program for people with MS. Methods: A randomly allocated two-group time series design with a wait-list control group was used. In total 190 participants were allocated (94 intervention, 96 wait-list control). Primary outcomes (fatigue impact, fatigue severity, health-related quality of life (HRQOL)) were measured before, immediately after, at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post. Secondary outcome (self-efficacy) was measured at the same points. Effectiveness (intent-to-treat) and efficacy (per protocol) analyses were conducted. Results: The program was more effective and efficacious than control for reducing fatigue impact but not fatigue severity. Before and after comparisons with the pooled sample demonstrated efficacy and effectiveness for fatigue impact, fatigue severity, and 6 of 8 HRQOL dimensions. Changes were maintained for 6 months with small to moderate effect sizes. Conclusion: The results offer strong support for the viability of teleconference-delivered fatigue management education for enabling people with MS to manage this disabling symptom.


JMIR Diabetes ◽  
10.2196/15744 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e15744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoba Poduval ◽  
Louise Marston ◽  
Fiona Hamilton ◽  
Fiona Stevenson ◽  
Elizabeth Murray

Background Structured education for people with type 2 diabetes improves outcomes, but uptake is low globally. In the United Kingdom in 2016, only 8.3% of people who were referred to education programs attended the program. We have developed a Web-based structured education program named Healthy Living for People with type 2 Diabetes (HeLP-Diabetes): Starting Out (HDSO), as an alternative to face-to-face courses. A Web-based program gives people more options for accessing structured education and may help improve overall uptake. Objective The aim was to explore the feasibility and acceptability of delivering a Web-based structured education program (named HeLP-Diabetes: Starting Out) in routine primary health care and its potential impact on self-efficacy and diabetes-related distress. Methods HDSO was delivered as part of routine diabetes services in primary health care in the United Kingdom, having been commissioned by local Clinical Commissioning Groups. Quantitative data were collected on uptake, use of the program, demographic characteristics, self-reported self-efficacy, and diabetes-related distress. A subsample of people with type 2 diabetes and health care professionals were interviewed about acceptability of the program. Results It was feasible to deliver the program, but completion rates were low: of 791 people with type 2 diabetes registered, only 74 (9.0%) completed it. Completers improved their self-efficacy (change in median score 2.5, P=.001) and diabetes-related distress (change in median score 6.0, P=.001). Interview data suggested that the course was acceptable, and that uptake and completion may be related to nonprioritization of structured education. Conclusions The study provides evidence of the feasibility and acceptability of a Web-based structured education. However, uptake and completion rates were low, limiting potential population impact. Further research is needed to improve completion rates, and to determine the relative effectiveness of Web-based versus face-to-face education.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amita Tuteja ◽  
Elisha Riggs ◽  
Lena Sanci ◽  
Lester Mascarenhas ◽  
Di VanVliet ◽  
...  

Interpreters work with health care professionals to overcome language challenges during sexual and reproductive (SRH) health discussions with people from refugee backgrounds. Disclosures of traumatic refugee journeys and sexual assault combined with refugees’ unfamiliarity with Western health concepts and service provision can increase the interpreting challenges. Published literature provides general guidance on working with interpreters in primary care but few studies focus on interpretation in refugee SRH consults. To address this, we explored the challenges faced by providers of refugee services (PRS) during interpreter mediated SRH consultations with Burma born refugees post settlement in Australia. We used qualitative methodology and interviewed 29 PRS involved with migrants from Burma including general practitioners, nurses, interpreters, bilingual social workers, and administrative staff. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis following independent coding by the members of the research team. Key themes were formulated after a consensus discussion. The theme of “interpretation related issues” was identified with six sub-themes including 1) privacy and confidentiality 2) influence of interpreter’s identity 3) gender matching of the interpreter 4) family member vs. professional interpreters 5) telephone vs. face-to-face interpreting 6) setting up the consultation room. When faced with these interpretation related challenges in providing SRH services to people from refugee backgrounds, health care providers combine best practice advice, experience-based knowledge and “mundane creativity” to adapt to the needs of the specific patients. The complexity of interpreted SRH consultations in refugee settings needs to be appreciated in making good judgments when choosing the best way to optimize communication. This paper identifies the critical elements which could be incorporated when making such a judgement. Future research should include the experiences of refugee patients to provide a more comprehensive perspective.


10.2196/11147 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. e11147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesc X Marin-Gomez ◽  
Francesc Garcia Cuyas ◽  
Ramon Reig-Bolano ◽  
Jacobo Mendioroz ◽  
Pere Roura-Poch ◽  
...  

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