Health Literacy questionnaire development for 9 and 10 years old: a discussion of assessment tools!

Abstract Background With Health literacy (HL) investments - to promote health and self-care during people’s life cycles (childhood, especially) - health professionals approach is multi-dimensional: within the family, school settings and community. The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility and usability of a questionnaire to characterize HL levels among 9 and 10 years old. It is expected that this will help health care personal to better focus health promotion initiatives in the school setting. Methods The CrAdLiSa project in conjunction with the HLCA German Consortium, implemented a field test for the newly developed HL assessment tool for children in the Portuguese context. This is a deductive-inductive, exploratory-descriptive study including 16 children, with 9 and 10 years old, from 2 different elementary schools in Santarém District (rural and urban areas). Semi-structured interviews aim at exploring the cognitive appraisal of concepts and indicators at the base of the questionnaire developed to assess HL levels. Data was subjected to content analysis, with a priori and a posteriori categorization. Results Preliminary results point to the cognitive comprehension by children of the feasibility of an instrument to assess their HL levels. It depicts discriminatory capabilities (to allow characterization of low, medium or high levels of HL). Children living in urban areas, having better financial resources are less likely to develop obesity, or low weight. Better self-perception of school performance, good relationship with family members, parents with higher education or higher levels of HL appear to have better quality of life. Conclusions Results suggest the need to invest in children’s and families’ HL, while taking into consideration personal, environmental and socioeconomic determinants. School settings should be considered as a natural arena to improve children’s (and, as a result, families’ and communities’) HL levels.

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Clinicians’ Perceptions of the Implementation of the Structured Assessment of Protective Factors for Violence Risk (SAPROF) on an Inpatient Forensic Unit

International Journal of Risk and Recovery ◽

10.15173/ijrr.v2i2.3966 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Tom Domjancic ◽

Treena Wilkie ◽

Shaheen Darani ◽

Brittney Williams ◽

Bandhana Maheru ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Protective Factors ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Point Of View ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Violence Risk ◽

Exploratory Research ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Consensus Scoring ◽

Additional Value

The Structured Assessment of PROtective Factors for Violence Risk (SAPROF) is an assessment tool that examines protective factors when assessing for violence risk. There is limited research on clinicians’ perceptions of the use and implementation of risk assessment tools, and this study aimed to examine the experiences of clinicians using the SAPROF in a low secure forensic rehabilitation inpatient unit in Canada. An exploratory research design was used, and five clinicians participated in semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed using a thematic approach and three central themes were identified: understanding of the patient from a strengths-based point of view, providing clinicians with a focus on how to help the patient, and bringing in opportunities to collaborate as a team. The findings highlight the additional value of the SAPROF as tool in helping forensic teams to adopt strengths based approaches to risk assessment, enhancing treatment planning and inter-professional collaboration. Keywords: strengths, risk assessment, SAPROF, consensus scoring, recovery

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Proprioceptive impairment in unilateral neglect after stroke: A systematic review

SAGE Open Medicine ◽

10.1177/2050312120951073 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 205031212095107

Author(s):

Georgia Fisher ◽

Camila Quel de Oliveira ◽

Arianne Verhagen ◽

Simon Gandevia ◽

David Kennedy

Keyword(s):

Search Strategy ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

A Priori ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Proprioceptive Information ◽

Quality Assessment Tool ◽

Unilateral Neglect ◽

Large Heterogeneity ◽

Full Text Screening

Introduction: Unilateral neglect is a debilitating condition that can occur after stroke and can affect a variety of domains and modalities, including proprioception. Proprioception is a sensorimotor process essential to motor function and is thus important to consider in unilateral neglect. To date, there has not been a comprehensive review of studies examining the various aspects of proprioceptive impairment in unilateral neglect after stroke. This review aimed to determine if people with unilateral neglect have more severe proprioceptive impairments than those without unilateral neglect after stroke. Methods: The MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to September 2019 using an a priori search strategy. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full texts, and extracted data from the included full texts. A third reviewer resolved disagreements at each step. Risk of bias was assessed using the AXIS Quality Assessment tool. Results: A total of 191 abstracts were identified, with 56 eligible for full-text screening. A total of 18 studies were included in the review and provided evidence that people with unilateral neglect have more severe proprioceptive impairment than people without unilateral neglect. This impairment is present in multiple subtypes of unilateral neglect and aspects of proprioception. Most studies had a moderate risk of bias. Conclusion: People with unilateral neglect after stroke are more likely to have impaired processing of multiple types of proprioceptive information than those without unilateral neglect. However, the available evidence is limited by the large heterogeneity of assessment tools used to identify unilateral neglect and proprioception. Unilateral neglect and proprioception were rarely assessed comprehensively. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42018086070.

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Conducting a psychosocial and lifestyle assessment as part of an integrated care approach for childhood obesity: experiences, needs and wishes of Dutch healthcare professionals

BMC Health Services Research ◽

10.1186/s12913-021-06635-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

L. W. Koetsier ◽

M. M. A. van Mil ◽

M. M. A. Eilander ◽

E. van den Eynde ◽

C. A. Baan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Childhood Obesity ◽

Integrated Care ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Care Approach ◽

The Right ◽

Visual Materials ◽

Solution Focused

Abstract Background The causes and consequences of childhood obesity are complex and multifaceted. Therefore, an integrated care approach is required to address weight-related issues and improve children’s health, societal participation and quality of life. Conducting a psychosocial and lifestyle assessment is an essential part of an integrated care approach. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences, needs and wishes of healthcare professionals with respect to carrying out a psychosocial and lifestyle assessment of childhood obesity. Methods Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with Dutch healthcare professionals, who are responsible for coordinating the support and care for children with obesity (coordinating professionals, ‘CPs’). The following topics were addressed in our interviews with these professionals: CPs’ experiences of both using childhood obesity assessment tools and their content, and CPs’ needs and wishes related to content, circumstances and required competences. The interviews comprised open-ended questions and were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data was analysed using template analyses and complemented with open coding in MAXQDA. Results Most CPs experienced both developing a trusting relationship with the children and their parents, as well as establishing the right tone when engaging in weight-related conversations as important. CPs indicated that visual materials were helpful in such conversations. All CPs used a supporting assessment tool to conduct the psychosocial and lifestyle assessment but they also indicated that a more optimal tool was desirable. They recognized the need for specific attributes that helped them to carry out these assessments, namely: sufficient knowledge about the complexity of obesity; having an affinity with obesity-related issues; their experience as a CP; using conversational techniques, such as solution-focused counselling and motivational interviewing; peer-to-peer coaching; and finally, maintaining an open-minded, non-stigmatizing stance and harmonizing their attitude with that of the child and their parents. Conclusions Alongside the need for a suitable tool for conducting a psychosocial and lifestyle assessment, CPs expressed the need for requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes. Further developing a supporting assessment tool is necessary in order to facilitate CPs and thereby improve the support and care for children with obesity and their families.

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The Evolution of the Sustainability Assessment ToolSBToolPT: From Buildings to the Built Environment

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2014/491791 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Guilherme Castanheira ◽

Luís Bragança

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Built Environment ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Sustainability Assessment ◽

Well Being ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

European Cities ◽

Current Trends ◽

Sustainability Assessment Tools

This paper analyses the current trends in sustainability assessment. After about 15 years from the launch of sustainability assessment tools, focused on buildings evaluation, the paradigm of sustainability assessment tools is changing from the building scale to the built environment scale. Currently European cities and cities around the world are concerned with sustainable development, as well as its evolution. Cities seek a way to adapt to contemporary changes, in order to meet the required needs and ensure population’s well-being. Considering this, the new generations of sustainability assessment tools are being developed to be used to guide and help cities and urban areas to become more sustainable. Following the trend of the most important sustainability assessment tools, the sustainability assessment toolSBToolPTis also developing its version for assessing the sustainability of the built environment, namely, the urban planning projects and the urban regeneration projects, to be developed in Portugal, theSBToolPT-UP. The application of the methodology to three case studies will demonstrate its feasibility; at the same time this will identify the best practices which will serve as reference for new projects, thereby assisting the development of the tool.

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Building organisational resilience for the construction industry

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment ◽

10.1108/ijdrbe-05-2016-0020 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 98-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Zulkfli Sapeciay ◽

Suzanne Wilkinson ◽

Seosamh B. Costello

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Natural Disasters ◽

Construction Industry ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Community Resilience ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type ◽

Post Disaster

Purpose This paper aims to explore New Zealand construction practitioners’ approaches to organisational resilience practice in built environment discipline, based on survey and interview results. The objective was to explore the resilience practice within the construction sector with the intention of developing a resilient assessment tool specifically for construction organisations. Design/methodology/approach A literature review was conducted to gather information on assessment tools for measuring organisational resilience, their characteristics and indicators. Subsequently, a set of questions was formulated to collate opinions from construction practitioners in New Zealand, using a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews. Findings This paper concludes by showing that the construction industry lacks resilience practice, especially from an organisational perspective. The findings suggest that the industry would benefit from a resilience assessment tool to help improve resilience. The adoption of such a tool could potentially enhance organisational capacity to recover quickly from crises and disasters. Practical implications Improving the resilience of construction organisations to natural disasters not only minimises the negative consequences to their organisations post-disaster and enhances their organisational performance during business as usual but also helps to improve community resilience. Originality/value Improving the resilience of construction organisations also helps to improve community resilience and overall post-disaster recovery. However, at present, little research has been conducted on how construction organisations deal with the risk of natural disasters.

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Understanding what impacts on disclosing anal incontinence for women when comparing bowel-screening tools: a phenomenological study

BMC Women s Health ◽

10.1186/s12905-019-0840-0 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Julie Tucker ◽

Elizabeth Mary Ann Murphy ◽

Mary Steen ◽

Vicki L. Clifton

Keyword(s):

Anal Incontinence ◽

Phenomenological Study ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

First Trimester ◽

Subsequent Pregnancy ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Screening Tools ◽

Women Of Childbearing Age ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Childbearing Age

Abstract Background There is limited research defining the true prevalence of anal incontinence (AI) in women of childbearing age. Understanding the limitations of the current assessment tools in the identification of AI is paramount for identifying the prevalence of AI and improving the care and management for women of childbearing age. The aim of this research was to explore and develop an understanding of women’s experiences in disclosing AI when completing a new bowel-screening questionnaire when compared to two established AI tools. Methods A phenomenological qualitative research study was undertaken in a maternity setting in a large tertiary hospital. Parous women in the first trimester of a subsequent pregnancy were recruited to complete a specifically designed screening tool (BSQ), St Marks Faecal incontinence score (Vaizey) and Cleveland (Wexner) score. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were utilised to identify experiences in disclosing AI. Results Women (n = 16, 22–42 years) with a history of anal incontinence either following the first birth (n = 12) or the second (n = 4) provided differing responses between the three assessment tools. All women answered the BSQ while the Vaizey and Wexner scores were more difficult to complete due to clinical language and participants level of comprehension. Women identified three major themes that were barriers for disclosing incontinence, which included social expectations, trusted space and confusion. Conclusion There are barriers for disclosing AI in the pregnant and post-natal population, which can be improved with the use of an easy assessment tool. The BSQ may facilitate discussion on AI between the patient and health professional leading to earlier identification and improvement in short and long-term health outcomes.

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Assessing collaborative performance on construction projects through knowledge exchange

Engineering Construction & Architectural Management ◽

10.1108/ecam-08-2016-0179 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 24 (6) ◽

pp. 968-987 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gergana Staykova ◽

Jason Underwood

Keyword(s):

Construction Projects ◽

Qualitative Methodology ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Single Case ◽

Knowledge Exchange ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Continuous Assessment ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type ◽

Collaborative Performance

Purpose How knowledge exchange (KE) can be used for the continuous assessment and improvement of collaborative performance of project-based organisations in construction is explored. Collaboration on construction projects must be facilitated by people alongside practice of continuous performance assessment and improvement. Currently available assessment tools fail to explicitly define appropriate behaviours and actions due to a poor understanding of what it means for people to collaborate. In contrast, it is established that KE is the focus of collaborative efforts on construction projects; therefore, as most knowledge resides with people, it represents their role in collaboration. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Through a phenomenological/interpretivist and qualitative methodology, how KE can be used for the continuous assessment and improvement of collaborative performance in project-based organisations in construction is explored. A single case study of a UK rail strategic alliance was adopted and six semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed through a thematic analysis. Findings An assessment tool is proposed based on a set of 20 characteristics of KE, divided into seven categories and linked to indicators of collaboration. The tool can be applied to highly collaborative projects where BIM and Lean are implemented, and project participants are collocated. By measuring their performance against the set criteria, project teams can assess which of their behaviours and actions are inappropriate, and focus their efforts on correcting them. Originality/value Defining the abstract indicators traditionally used to assess collaboration in terms of characteristics pertinent to day-to-day communication amongst participants on collaborative projects to facilitate the continuous assessment and improvement of collaborative performance.

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Validation of a multiple criteria tool for healthcare facilities quality evaluation

Facilities ◽

10.1108/f-06-2020-0070 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Andrea Brambilla ◽

Göran Lindahl ◽

Marta Dell'Ovo ◽

Stefano Capolongo

Keyword(s):

Quality Assessment ◽

Design Research ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Patient Centeredness ◽

Content Type ◽

Quality Healthcare ◽

Healthcare Facilities ◽

Social Environmental

Purpose Several healthcare quality assessment tools measure the processes and outcomes of the care system. The actual physical infrastructure (buildings and organizational) aspects are, however, rarely considered. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of validation and weighting of an evidence-informed framework for the quality assessment of hospital facilities from social, environmental and organizational perspectives to complement other assessments. Design/methodology/approach Sustainable High-quality Healthcare version 2 (SustHealth v2) is the updated version of an existing framework composed of three domains (social, environmental and organizational quality). To validate and establish a relevant weighting, interviews were conducted with 15 professionals within the field of healthcare planning, design, research and management. The study has been conducted through semi-structured interviews and the application of the Simon Roy Figueras (SRF) procedure for the elicitation of weights criteria. The data collected have been processed through the DecSpace web platform. Findings Among the three domains, the organizational qualities appear to be the most important (W = 49%), followed by the environmental (W = 29%) and social aspects (W = 22%). Relevant indicators such as future-proofing, wayfinding and users’ space control emerged as the most important within each macro-area. Those results are confirmed by the outcome of the interviews that highlight user/patient-centeredness, wayfinding strategies and space functionality as the most important concepts to foster in existing healthcare facilities improvement. Practical implications The study highlights important structural and organizational aspects that hospital managers and planners can consider when dealing with healthcare facilities’ quality improvement. Originality/value The use of the SRF multicriteria method is novel in this context when used to weight an assessment tool with a focus on hospital built environment.

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A librarian’s role in media effects health literacy

Reference Services Review ◽

10.1108/rsr-02-2016-0019 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 132-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jill R. Kavanaugh ◽

Kristelle Lavallee ◽

Rima Rudd

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Patient Education ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Complete Analysis ◽

Care Providers ◽

Content Type ◽

Embedded Librarian

Purpose This paper aims to assess a pediatric media health effects’ toolkit from a health literacy perspective. A secondary aim is to highlight the collaborative role of an embedded librarian. Design/methodology/approach The authors assessed ten items from the toolkit in several formats (text, survey and video) using the following health literacy assessment tools: the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, the Suitability Assessment of Materials, the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printed Materials and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audio/Visual Materials. Findings Both the toolkit’s readability scores and understandability scores provided a deeper understanding of where improvements to the toolkit need to be made. The review process also highlighted issues with the assessment tools themselves that prevent them from providing a complete analysis of each materials’ readability and suitability. Research limitations/implications This initial assessment of the toolkit will serve as the backbone for additional formative research, revisions and pilot tests, which will be conducted for the toolkit to become a viable, available and usable tool for pediatricians and health-care providers. The insight gleaned from this study serves as an example, for other institutions across fields, of the importance of having professionals, such as librarians, become well-versed in health literacy and offer guidance and insight for the development of health-focused patient materials. Originality/value This project provides further insight into the evolving role of the embedded librarian. As gatekeepers of information with the responsibility of vetting sources, informing the creation of content, and developing resources, the integration of health literacy knowledge is imperative for librarians to further the work of their institutions and aid in the progression of their field.

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Technology acceptance among adults undergoing joint replacement surgery for conducting home assessments: A qualitative feasibility study for a technology-based home assessment tool (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.28571 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rutali Joshi ◽

Sahar Mihandoust ◽

Anjali Joseph ◽

Kapil Chalil Madathil ◽

Shelia Cotten

Keyword(s):

Patient Care ◽

Technology Acceptance ◽

Joint Replacement ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Perceived Usefulness ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Joint Replacement Surgery ◽

Replacement Surgery ◽

Post Surgery

BACKGROUND Most adults prefer to age-in-place. However, the majority of homes are not designed to support resident needs, specially of adults undergoing joint replacement surgeries such as total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA). It is of paramount importance to proactively assess and modify the homes of adults undergoing TKA/THA such that they can safely transition home following surgery. There are several tools that utilize emerging technology like virtual reality, augmented reality, or teleconferencing to assess home environments. These are meant to be used by professionals like occupational therapists. However, the acceptance and uptake of simple technology like phone applications for assessing homes proactively by residents has not been explored. OBJECTIVE A qualitative exploratory study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility and potential acceptance of technology as well as identify recommendations based on expectations of adults for development of a technology-based resident-initiated home assessment tool. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 patient-care partner dyads before and after THA/TKA. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was used as a framework to understand the perceived usefulness, intention to use technology-based home assessment tools, as well as perceived barriers and facilitators of using of the tool. RESULTS About 68% of the patient-care partner dyads interviewed for this study perceived benefits of using a technology-based tool. All the participants who perceived the tool to be beneficial, showed positive behavioral intention of using it. A comparison of responses between pre- and post-surgery interviews revealed that around 50% of participants showed increased intention of using an assessment tool after experiencing challenges in their homes post-surgery. Participants provided recommendations for key content, potential features to include in the assessment tool, and preferred formats (e.g., checklists, visuals, and videos). CONCLUSIONS To increase acceptance of a technology-based home assessment tool, it is crucial that residents are made aware of the home environment challenges and the importance of an assessment tool to improve their safety and independence. The content, features, formats, and usability suggestions from the participants in this study provide a framework for health mobile application and interface developers to design a technology-based home assessment tool.

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