Experiences and perceptions of referrals to a community-based physical activity program for cancer survivors: a qualitative exploration

Background Physical activity rates in cancer survivors continue to be low despite the known benefits and availability of evidence-based programs. LIVESTRONG at the Y is a national community-based physical activity program offered cost-free to cancer survivors, though is underutilized. We explored perceptions and experiences of staff and participating survivors to better understand program awareness, referrals and participation. Methods LIVESTRONG at the Y program staff [directors (n = 16), instructors (n = 4)] and survivors (n = 8) from 8 United States YMCAs took part in 30-min semi-structured phone interviews between March–May 2019. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and evaluated using a thematic analysis approach. Results Program staff themes included: 1) Program awareness should be further developed for both the general public and medical providers; 2) Strong relationships with medical providers increased program referrals; 3) Electronic referral systems between providers and LIVESTRONG would help to streamline the referral process; and 4) Bi-directional communication between program staff and medical providers is key to providing patient progress updates. Survivor themes included: 1) Survivors trust their medical team and the information they provide about physical activity; 2) Providers need to incorporate an action plan and referrals for survivors to be active once treatments are completed; and 3) Personal experiences of those who participated in LIVESTRONG resonate with survivors and increase participation. Conclusions LIVESTRONG staff reported the need for an integrated electronic referral system and bi-directional communication with providers about participant progress. Survivors want physical activity education, electronic referrals and follow-up from their healthcare team, coupled with peer support from other survivors. Cancer care provider knowledge and electronic referrals during and after treatment may expedite and increase participation in this community-based program.

Electronic referrals to the tobacco Quitline: implementation strategies in a large health system to optimize delivery of tobacco cessation to patients

Electronic referrals provide an efficient solution for clinicians to connect patients to free tobacco cessation services, such as the tobacco Quitline. However, strategic planning is necessary for the successful adoption of this method across the health care system. The purpose of this study was to develop an implementation strategy for electronic referrals to the tobacco Quitline in a large health system. A clinical decision support tool created a closed-loop e-referral pathway between the electronic health record system and the Quitline. Multilevel strategies were developed to implement the e-referral process across the entire health system, including leadership buy-in, Epic tip sheets, newsletters, training for practice champions and staff, physician educator, patient-focused advertisements, and video clips distribution by the Maryland Department of Health Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control. The implementation of a system-wide e-referral pathway for tobacco cessation involved continuous clinician education and training, systematic quality control, and engaging “champion” clinicians. Postimplementation data analysis revealed that 1,790 e-referrals were received by the Quitline in 2018–2019, of which 18% accepted follow-up services, 18% declined, and 64% were not reached after multiple attempts. Among 322 patients who accepted Quitline services, 55% requested nicotine replacement therapy. Overall, 282 clinicians referred patients, including 107 primary care physicians and 175 specialists; 62 clinicians e-referred 72% patients, thereby emerging as “tobacco champions.” The e-referral process is an efficient method for tobacco users to receive a cessation referral from clinicians. Sustainability can be achieved through leadership buy-in, physician ease of use, patient motivation, information technology supports, and reminders.

eHealth as a united information space for doctors and patients

Background. The national primary healthcare system (PHS) includes 1939 institutions, 27.7 million patients, 24,607 doctors, 1122 pharmacies and 9395 pharmacists. The eHealth informational space was created to coordinate the work of the PHS. Objective. To describe the features and functioning of the eHealth informational space. Materials and methods. Analysis of the current situation regarding the work of eHealth. Results and discussion. An important function of eHealth is the transition to electronic prescriptions and electronic referrals to specialists under the medical guarantee program. Adopted in 2020 budget of this program amounted to 72 billion UAH, which was allocated to primary care, secondary, tertiary, emergency and palliative care, medical care for children, medical care for pregnancy and childbirth, medical rehabilitation. In total, UAH 1758 billion was spent on the diagnosis and treatment of oncological diseases, of which 80.7 % – on diagnosis and chemotherapy, and 29.3 % – on the diagnosis and radiation treatment. The eHealth system provides the cooperation between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the National Health Service of Ukraine and medical institutions with medical information systems. Benefits of the united informational system include the elimination of paperwork, creating a united medical card of each patient, online registration for a doctor’s consultation, eliminating the possibility of drug receipt falsification, increasing the availability of telemedicine consultations, improving communication between healthcare professionals, planning and monitoring of strategic procurement. If the patient uses a smartphone, this informational space allows him to transmit his data (for example, the results of blood pressure measurements) through a mobile application to the telemedicine platform with their subsequent analysis and correction of prescriptions. Additional opportunities of the informational space include monitoring of drugs’ side effects, educational programs for doctors, and the possibility of creating professional communities. Conclusions. 1. The eHealth system enables Ukrainian doctors and patients to use electronic prescriptions and electronic referrals to the specialists. 2. Benefits of this informational system include the elimination of paperwork, the creation of a united medical card of each patient, online registration for a doctor’s consultation, improved communication between health professionals, improved planning of strategic procurement, etc. 3. The eHealth system includes a number of useful services for both doctor and patient.

Experiences and perceptions of referrals to a community-based physical activity program from cancer survivors: A qualitative exploration

Background Physical activity rates in cancer survivors continue to be low despite the known benefits and availability of evidence-based programs. LIVESTRONG at the Y is a national community-based physical activity program offered cost-free to cancer survivors, though is underutilized. We explored perceptions and experiences of staff and participating survivors to better understand program awareness, referrals and participation. Methods LIVESTRONG at the Y program staff [directors (n = 16), instructors (n = 4)] and survivors (n = 8) from 8 United States YMCAs took part in 30-minute semi-structured phone interviews. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and evaluated using a thematic analysis approach. Results and Discussion Program staff themes included: 1) Program awareness should be further developed for both the general public and medical providers; 2) Strong relationships with medical providers increased program referrals; 3) Electronic referral systems between providers and LIVESTRONG would help to streamline the referral process; and 4) Bi-directional communication between program staff and medical providers is key to providing patient progress updates. Survivor themes included: 1) Survivors trust their medical team and the information they provide about physical activity; 2) Providers need to incorporate an action plan and referrals for survivors to be active once treatments are completed; and 3) Personal experiences of those who participated in LIVESTRONG resonate with survivors and increase participation. Conclusions LIVESTRONG staff reported the need for an integrated electronic referral system and bi-directional communication with providers about participant progress. Survivors want physical activity education, electronic referrals and follow-up from their healthcare team, coupled with peer support from other survivors. Cancer care provider knowledge and electronic referrals during and after treatment may expedite and increase participation in this community-based program.

Quitting the quitline: a qualitative study of patient experience of electronic referrals to quitlines

Background: The use of electronic referrals (eReferrals) to state quitlines (QLs) for tobacco-using patients is a promising approach for addressing smoking cessation on a large scale. However, QL contact, enrollment, and completion rates are low. The purpose of this study was to examine the eReferral to QL process from the patient’s perspective in order to inform strategies for improving QL engagement. Methods : We conducted interviews with 55 patients who agreed to an eReferral at a primary care visit to 1 of 8 safety-net community health centers in Cuyahoga County, Ohio (September 2017-August 2018). Interviews were designed to explore the experiences of three subgroups of patients who subsequently: 1) declined participation in the QL; 2) were unreachable by the QL; or 3) were enrolled in or had completed the QL program. Analysis was guided by a phenomenological approach designed to identify emergent themes. Results: Reasons for QL program non-completion included changing life circumstances and events making cessation unviable; misunderstandings about the QL; discomfort with telephonic counseling; perceived lack of time for counseling; cell phone barriers; and having already quit smoking. We found that some individuals who were no longer engaged with the QL still desired continued support from the QL. Conclusions: Participants intentionally and unintentionally disengage from the QL for a wide variety of reasons, several of which are mediated by low socioeconomic status. Integrating QL care with community-based resources that address these mediators could be a promising strategy.

Quitting the quitline: a qualitative study of patient experience of electronic referrals to quitlines

Background: The use of electronic referrals (eReferrals) to state quitlines (QLs) for tobacco-using patients is a promising approach for addressing smoking cessation on a large scale. However, QL contact, enrollment, and completion rates are low. The purpose of this study was to examine the eReferral to QL process from the patient’s perspective in order to inform strategies for improving QL engagement. Methods: We conducted interviews with 55 patients who agreed to an eReferral at a primary care visit to 1 of 8 safety-net community health centers in Cuyahoga County, Ohio (September 2017-August 2018). Interviews were designed to explore the experiences of three subgroups of patients who subsequently: 1) declined participation in the QL; 2) were unreachable by the QL; or 3) were enrolled in or had completed the QL program. Analysis was guided by a phenomenological approach designed to identify emergent themes. Results: Reasons for QL program non-completion included changing life circumstances and events making cessation unviable; misunderstandings about the QL; discomfort with telephonic counseling; perceived lack of time for counseling; cell phone barriers; and having already quit smoking. We found that some individuals who were no longer engaged with the QL still desired continued support from the QL.Conclusions: Participants intentionally and unintentionally disengage from the QL for a wide variety of reasons, several of which are mediated by low socioeconomic status. Integrating QL care with community-based resources that address these mediators could be a promising strategy.

Quitting the quitline: a qualitative study of patient experience of electronic referrals to quitlines

Background: The use of electronic referrals (eReferrals) to state quitlines (QLs) for tobacco-using patients is a promising approach for addressing smoking cessation on a large scale. However, QL contact, enrollment, and completion rates are low. The purpose of this study was to examine the eReferral to QL process from the patient’s perspective in order to inform strategies for improving QL engagement. Methods : We conducted interviews with 55 patients who agreed to an eReferral at a primary care visit to 1 of 8 safety-net community health centers in Cuyahoga County, Ohio (September 2017-August 2018). Interviews were designed to explore the experiences of three subgroups of patients who subsequently: 1) declined participation in the QL; 2) were unreachable by the QL; or 3) were enrolled in or had completed the QL program. Analysis was guided by a phenomenological approach designed to identify emergent themes. Results: Reasons for QL program non-completion included changing life circumstances and events making cessation unviable; misunderstandings about the QL; discomfort with telephonic counseling; perceived lack of time for counseling; cell phone barriers; and having already quit smoking. We found that some individuals who were no longer engaged with the QL still desired continued support from the QL. Conclusions: Participants intentionally and unintentionally disengage from the QL for a wide variety of reasons, several of which are mediated by low socioeconomic status. Integrating QL care with community-based resources that address these mediators could be a promising strategy.