DEMENTIA CARE AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: INNOVATIONS IN TRAINING ACROSS SETTINGS

Abstract It is well-established that there is a critical shortage of trained health care staff who can deliver high-quality behavioral health services to persons with dementia. The development of innovative professional training curricula, and effectively implementing and sustaining such programs, is a key element in addressing this workforce crisis. This symposium highlights cutting-edge efforts being conducted across the continuum of care, to train health care professionals to support optimal behavioral health for persons with dementia. In the outpatient setting, Wyman et al. present data from a survey of mental health clinicians on their perspectives about working with persons with dementia and caregivers, revealing critical gaps in knowledge and skills to target in continuing education programming. Wray and colleagues focus on integrated behavioral health in primary care, discussing how geriatric experts can most effectively contribute to improved assessment and treatment within this setting. Koepp presents an innovative program to transform outpatient mental health care for persons with dementia through provider training and consultation. In the residential care setting, Reinhardt and colleagues report on the implementation of a comprehensive approach to the alleviation of behavioral health problems through training direct care staff in person-directed care in nursing homes. Finally, Karel et al share how VA interprofessional nursing home teams learn and sustain an evidence-based program to address behavioral concerns among residents with dementia. The discussant will lend a deep expertise in research and policy related to the geriatric workforce to her remarks on the presentations.

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Measuring Attitudes of Mental Health Care Staff Toward Suicidal Patients

Archives of Suicide Research ◽

10.1080/13811110214526 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 309-323 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Anne-Marie Aish ◽

Inga-Lill Ramberg ◽

Danuta Wasserman

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Care Staff ◽

Health Care Staff ◽

Suicidal Patients

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Explore mental health literacy of primary health care staff in Macau

Journal of Nursing & Care ◽

10.4172/2167-1168-c10-091 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 07 ◽

Author(s):

Ka Wa Mio ◽

Song-Yuan Huang

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Primary Health Care ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Mental Health Literacy ◽

Care Staff ◽

Health Care Staff ◽

Primary Health

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Working Atmosphere and Job Satisfaction of Health Care Staff in Kenya: An Exploratory Study

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2015/256205 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Katja Goetz ◽

Michael Marx ◽

Irmgard Marx ◽

Marc Brodowski ◽

Maureen Nafula ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Quality Management System ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Care Staff ◽

Health Care Staff ◽

Good Opportunity ◽

Overall Job Satisfaction

Background. Job satisfaction and working atmosphere are important for optimal health care delivery. The study aimed to document working atmosphere and job satisfaction of health care professionals in Kenya and to explore associations between job satisfaction, staff characteristics, and working atmosphere.Methods. Data from the integrated quality management system (IQMS) for the health sector in Kenya were used. Job satisfaction was measured with 10 items and with additional 5 items adapted to job situation in Kenya. Working atmosphere was measured with 13 item questionnaire. A stepwise linear regression analysis was performed with overall job satisfaction and working atmosphere, aspects of job satisfaction, and individual characteristics.Results. Out of 832 questionnaires handed out, 435 questionnaires were completed (response rate: 52.3%). Health care staff indicated high commitment to provide quality services and low levels regarding the adequacy and functionality of equipment at their work station. The aspect “support of the ministry of health” (β= 0.577) showed the highest score of explained variance (32.9%) regarding overall job satisfaction.Conclusions. IQMS which also evaluates job satisfaction and working atmosphere of health care staff provides a good opportunity for strengthening the recruitment and retention of health care staff as well as improving the provision of good quality of care.

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Prevalence of reported suicidal behaviour in the general population and mental health-care staff

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s003329179900238x ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 30 (5) ◽

pp. 1189-1196 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

INGA-LILL RAMBERG ◽

DANUTA WASSERMAN

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

General Population ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Suicidal Behaviour ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Care Staff ◽

Health Care Staff ◽

Suicidal Thoughts ◽

Age And Sex

Background. Higher rates of suicidal behaviour have been reported among staff in mental health care than in the general population. However, no studies of these two groups have been carried out simultaneously, using the same methods. This study aims to investigate whether they differ in terms of age- and sex-standardized prevalence of suicidal behaviour.Methods. Identical questions about suicidal behaviour were addressed in the same year to a random sample of the general population and to mental health-care staff in Stockholm. Life weariness among the latter was also investigated.Results. Age- and sex-standardized past year prevalences of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts were found to be similar among mental health-care staff and the general population. Lifetime prevalence of both suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts was significantly higher among mental health-care staff than among the general population. Psychologists/social workers have a higher probability of: lifetime thoughts of life is not worth living; death wishes; and, suicidal thoughts, than nurses/assistant nurses.Conclusions. Reports on lifetime prevalence of suicidal behaviour may be biased in populations that are not reminded of these problems in everyday life. Data on past year prevalence of suicidal behaviour show clearly the similarity between the general population and the mental health-care staff.

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The Use of Patient-Facing Teleconsultations in the National Health Service: Scoping Review

JMIR Medical Informatics ◽

10.2196/15380 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. e15380 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Micheal O'Cathail ◽

M Ananth Sivanandan ◽

Claire Diver ◽

Poulam Patel ◽

Judith Christian

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

National Health Service ◽

Health Service ◽

Outcome Measures ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Care Setting ◽

Care Staff ◽

Health Care Staff ◽

Routine Practice ◽

Over Time

Background The National Health Service (NHS) Long-Term Plan has set out a vision of enabling patients to access digital interactions with health care professionals within 5 years, including by video link. Objective This review aimed to examine the extent and nature of the use of patient-facing teleconsultations within a health care setting in the United Kingdom and what outcome measures have been assessed. Methods We conducted a systematic scoping review of teleconsultation studies following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched up to the end of December 2018 for publications that reported on the use of patient-facing teleconsultations in a UK health care setting. Results The search retrieved 3132 publications, of which 101 were included for a full review. Overall, the studies were heterogeneous in design, in the specialty assessed, and reported outcome measures. The technology used for teleconsultations changed over time with earlier studies employing bespoke, often expensive, solutions. Two-thirds of the studies, conducted between 1995 and 2005, used this method. Later studies transitioned to Web-based commercial solutions such as Skype. There were five outcome measures that were assessed: (1) technical feasibility, (2) user satisfaction, (3) clinical effectiveness, (4) cost, (5) logistical and operational considerations. Due to the changing nature of technology over time, there were differing technical issues across the studies. Generally, teleconsultations were acceptable to patients, but this was less consistent among health care professionals. However, among both groups, face-to-face consultations were still seen as the gold standard. A wide range of clinical scenarios found teleconsultations to be clinically useful but potentially limited to more straightforward clinical interactions. Due to the wide array of study types and changes in technology over time, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions on the cost involved. However, cost savings for health care providers have been demonstrated by the goal-directed implementation of teleconsultations. The integration of technology into routine practice represents a complex problem with barriers identified in funding and hospital reimbursement, information technologies infrastructure, and integration into clinicians’ workflow. Conclusions Teleconsultations appear to be safe and effective in the correct clinical situations. Where offered, it is likely that patients will be keen to engage, although teleconsultations should only be offered as an option to support traditional care models rather than replace them outright. Health care staff should be encouraged and supported in using teleconsultations to diversify their practice. Health care organizations need to consider developing a digital technology strategy and implementation groups to assist health care staff to integrate digitally enabled care into routine practice. The introduction of new technologies should be assessed after a set period with service evaluations, including feedback from key stakeholders.

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Development of a Web-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention to Support Lifestyle Behavior Change and Well-Being in Health Care Staff: Participatory Design Study

JMIR Formative Research ◽

10.2196/22507 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (11) ◽

pp. e22507

Author(s):

Menna Brown ◽

Nic Hooper ◽

Parisa Eslambolchilar ◽

Ann John

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Design Process ◽

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽

Participatory Design ◽

Well Being ◽

Care Staff ◽

Health Care Staff ◽

Web Based ◽

Acceptance And Commitment

Background Positive emotional well-being is associated with healthier lifestyle choices and overall health function, whereas poor mental health is associated with significant economic and psychological costs. Thus, the development of effective interventions that improve emotional well-being is crucial to address the worldwide burden of disease. Objective This study aims to develop a web-based emotional well-being intervention for use by health care staff using participatory design to consider adherence and engagement from a user perspective. Methods A 3-staged iterative participatory design process was followed, including multiple stakeholders: researchers, computer scientists, mental health experts, and health care staff. Stage 1 used document analyses, direct observation, and welcome interviews; stage 2 used focus group discussions, rapid prototyping, and usability tasks; and stage 3 evaluated a high-fidelity prototype. Results Different health care staff (N=38) participated during a sustained period. A structured, sequential, automated, 12-week, web-based emotional well-being intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy was developed. Freely navigated psychoeducational resources were also included. Conclusions The iterative and collaborative participatory design process successfully met its objectives. It generated an in-depth understanding of well-being within the workplace and identified barriers to access. The 3-staged process ensured that participants had the opportunity to explore and articulate criteria relevant to their roles over time and reflect on decisions made at each stage.

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Teaching Anatomy to Neuroscientific Health-Care Professionals: Are They Receiving the Best Anatomical Education?

Medical Science Educator ◽

10.1007/s40670-019-00838-7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 41-45

Author(s):

Francesco Latini ◽

Mats Ryttlefors

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

White Matter ◽

Medical Students ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Brain Connectivity ◽

Care Staff ◽

Health Care Staff ◽

Brain Anatomy ◽

Brain White Matter ◽

White Matter Anatomy

Abstract University neuroanatomical courses seldom teach the anatomical-functional connectivity of the brain. White matter dissection improves understanding of brain connectivity, but until now has been restricted to neurosurgeons and in some cases to medical students, never to health-care non-medical professionals. Our aim was to teach white matter anatomy to medical and non-medical students to evaluate this technique in groups with different education. A standardized lab demonstration of white matter anatomy was performed with high appreciation rate in both groups, suggesting a suboptimal neuroanatomical education provided by basic course. We encourage to include this technique of teaching brain anatomy into basic neuroanatomical courses to improve the level of comprehension and competence in all health-care staff within the field of neuroscience.

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Understanding communication among health care professionals regarding death and dying in pediatrics

Palliative & Supportive Care ◽

10.1017/s1478951513000229 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 387-392 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Julianne Harrison ◽

Elana Evan ◽

Amy Hughes ◽

Shahram Yazdani ◽

Myke Federman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Death And Dying ◽

Palliative Care Service ◽

Care Staff ◽

Health Care Staff ◽

Care Providers ◽

Impending Death

AbstractObjective:Effective communication regarding death and dying in pediatrics is a vital component of any quality palliative care service. The goal of the current study is to understand communication among health care professionals regarding death and dying in children. The three hypotheses tested were: (1) hospital staff (physicians of all disciplines, nurses, and psychosocial clinicians) that utilize consultation services are more comfortable communicating about death and dying than those who do not use such services, (2) different disciplines of health care providers demonstrate varying levels of comfort communicating about a range of areas pertaining to death and dying, and (3) health care staff that have had some type of formal training in death and dying are more comfortable communicating about these issues.Methods:A primary analysis of a survey conducted in a tertiary care teaching children's hospital.Results:Health care professionals who felt comfortable discussing options for end of life care with colleagues also felt more comfortable: initiating a discussion regarding a child's impending death with his/her family (r = 0.42), discussing options for terminal care with a family (r = 0.58), discussing death with families from a variety of ethnic/cultural backgrounds (r = 0.51), guiding parents in developmentally age-appropriate discussions of death with their children (r = 0.43), identifying and seeking advice from a professional role model regarding management concerns (r = 0.40), or interacting with a family following the death of a child (r = 0.51). Among all three disciplines, physicians were more likely to initiate discussions with regards to a child's impending death (F = 13.07; p = 0.007). Health care professionals that received formal grief and bereavement training were more comfortable discussing death.Significance of the results:The results demonstrated that consultation practices are associated with a higher level of comfort in discussing death and dying in pediatrics.

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