scholarly journals Lending an Ear: iPeer2Peer plus Teens Taking Charge online self-management to empower adolescents with arthritis in Ireland: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e027952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhan O'Higgins ◽  
Jennifer Stinson ◽  
Sara Ahola Kohut ◽  
Line Caes ◽  
Caroline Heary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Advisory Panel ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Taking Charge ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionJuvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) negatively affects adolescents’ everyday activities. To address the need for innovative, effective, convenient, low-cost psychosocial self-management programmes, we developed an Irish version of Canadian Teens Taking Charge (TTC) and integrated it with Skype-based peer support iPeer2Peer (iP2P).ObjectivesTo explore the feasibility and preliminary outcome impact (effectiveness) of an integrated iP2P and Irish TTC, via three-arm (treatment as usual, TTC and iP2P–TTC) pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT); and determine feasibility and sample size for a full RCT. To ensure active involvement of adolescents with JIA via a Young Person Advisory Panel and examine how participants experienced the study. Finally, to see if TTC and iP2P with TTC reduce costs for families.Methods and analysisRecruitment of 60 families will be ongoing until July 2019, via healthcare professionals and support groups. Analysis will consist of single-blinded (outcome assessment), three-arm pilot RCT, using online questionnaires, with assessments at baseline (T1), after intervention (T2) and 3 months post-intervention (T3). The primary outcomes on feasibility with comparisons of TTC and iP2P–TTC on fidelity, acceptability and satisfaction, engagement and degrees of tailoring. The secondary outcomes will be self-management and self-efficacy and a range of health-related quality-of-life factors, pain indicators and costs.Participants from the intervention groups will be invited to share their perspectives on the process in semistructured interviews. Quantitative data will be analysed using SPSS V.21 and the audio-taped and transcribed qualitative data will be analysed using qualitative content analysis.DisseminationVia journal articles, conference presentations, co-delivered by key stakeholders when possible, launch of accessible, effective and sustainable Internet self-management and peer support for Irish adolescents with JIA.Trial registration numberISRCTN13535901; Pre-results.

scholarly journals A Short Mindfulness Retreat for Students to Reduce Stress and Promote Self-Compassion: Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial Exploring Both an Indoor and a Natural Outdoor Retreat Setting

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 910
Author(s):  
Dorthe Djernis ◽  
Mia S. O’Toole ◽  
Lone O. Fjorback ◽  
Helle Svenningsen ◽  
Mimi Y. Mehlsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Here, we developed and examined a new way of disseminating mindfulness in nature to people without meditation experience, based on the finding that mindfulness conducted in natural settings may have added benefits. We evaluated a 5-day residential programme aiming to reduce stress and improve mental health outcomes. We compared an indoor and an outdoor version of the programme to a control group in a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT). Sixty Danish university students experiencing moderate to high levels of stress were randomised into a residential mindfulness programme indoors (n = 20), in nature (n = 22), or a control group (n = 18). Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale and the Self-Compassion Scale (primary outcomes) along with additional secondary outcome measures at the start and end of the program and 3 months after. Stress was decreased with small to medium effect sizes post-intervention, although not statistically significant. Self-compassion increased post-intervention, but effect sizes were small and not significant. At follow-up, changes in stress were not significant, however self-compassion increased for both interventions with medium-sized effects. For the intervention groups, medium- to large-sized positive effects on trait mindfulness after a behavioural task were found post-intervention, and small- to medium-sized effects in self-reported mindfulness were seen at follow-up. Connectedness to Nature was the only outcome measure with an incremental effect in nature, exceeding the control with a medium-sized effect at follow-up. All participants in the nature arm completed the intervention, and so did 97% of the participants in all three arms. Overall, the results encourage the conduct of a larger-scale RCT, but only after adjusting some elements of the programme to better fit and take advantage of the potential benefits of the natural environment.

scholarly journals Implementing self-management: a mixed-methods study of women’s experiences of a postpartum hypertension intervention (SNAP-HT)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Elspeth Cairns ◽  
Katherine L. Tucker ◽  
Carole Crawford ◽  
Richard J. McManus ◽  
John Powell
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Blood Pressure Monitoring ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Normalisation Process Theory ◽  
Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Abstract Background Self-management strategies are effective in a number of medical conditions; however, implementation studies have demonstrated adoption into clinical practice can be problematic. The process of implementation was explored during a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating postpartum blood pressure self-management, in women with medicated hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Methods A mixed methods study using semi-structured interviews with a qualitative and a scored (quantitative) component were undertaken as part of a pilot randomised controlled trial (SNAP-HT) in postnatal women with medicated gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia. Women were randomised to usual care or blood pressure self-management. Self-management entailed daily home blood pressure monitoring and automated medication reduction via telemonitoring. Women from both groups optionally consented to participate in audio-recorded interviews, at four weeks and six months postpartum. Interview questions were developed to explore the proposed benefits of self-management and the constructs of Normalisation Process Theory. Participants provided a score (Likert scale 1-5) for each question and were encouraged to expand upon these answers through further discussion. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using the framework approach. Results Sixty-eight women, 34 from each randomised group, completed at least one audio-recorded interview. Several overarching themes emerged from analysis of 126 interview transcripts: control; convenience; confidence, communication and knowledge; concern; constraints; and components of the intervention. In the scored component of the analysis, both groups reported feeling more in control of their condition postpartum compared to during pregnancy, more so in those self-managing at both four weeks and six months: adjusted differences 0.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.2 to 1.1) and 0.7 (95% CI 0.3 to 1.2) respectively. Conclusions Interviews and quantitative data showed that self-management enhanced women’s sense of control, and improved their blood pressure-related anxiety. Prior to taking part, a few women anticipated that home monitoring might increase anxiety, but stated that it had the opposite effect. Self-management was perceived as more flexible, reactive and as enabling more targeted down-titration of medication. These data provide considerable support for blood pressure self-management postpartum, and reinforce the effectiveness of the intervention used in this study. Trial registration Prospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov on 07/01/2015 (NCT02333240) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02333240.

scholarly journals Implementing self-management: a mixed-methods study of women’s experiences of a postpartum hypertension intervention

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Elspeth Cairns ◽  
Katherine L. Tucker ◽  
Carole Crawford ◽  
Richard J. McManus ◽  
John Powell
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Blood Pressure Monitoring ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Normalisation Process Theory ◽  
Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Abstract Background Self-management strategies are effective in a number of medical conditions; however, implementation studies have demonstrated that adoption into clinical practice can be problematic. The process of implementation was explored during a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating postpartum blood pressure self-management, in women with medicated hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Methods A mixed methods study using semi-structured interviews with both a qualitative and a scored (quantitative) component were undertaken as part of a pilot randomised controlled trial in postnatal women with medicated gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia. Women were randomised to usual care or blood pressure self-management. Self-management entailed daily home blood pressure monitoring and automated medication reduction via telemonitoring. Women from both groups consented to participate in audio-recorded interviews, at four weeks and six months postpartum. Interview questions were developed to explore the proposed benefits of self-management and the constructs of Normalisation Process Theory. Participants provided a score (Likert scale 1-5) for each question and were encouraged to expand upon these answers through further discussion. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using the framework approach. Results Sixty-eight women, 34 from each randomised group, completed at least one audio-recorded interview. Several overarching themes emerged from analysis of 126 interview transcripts: control; convenience; confidence, communication and knowledge; concern; constraints; and components of the intervention. In the scored component of the analysis, both groups reported feeling more in control of their condition postpartum compared to during pregnancy, more so in those self-managing at both four weeks and six months: adjusted differences 0.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.2 to 1.1) and 0.7 (95% CI 0.3 to 1.2) respectively. Conclusions Interviews and quantitative data showed that self-management enhanced women’s sense of control, and improved their blood pressure-related anxiety. Prior to taking part, a few women anticipated that home monitoring might increase anxiety, but stated that it had the opposite effect. Self-management was perceived as more flexible, reactive and as enabling more targeted down-titration of medication. These data provide considerable support for blood pressure self-management postpartum, and reinforce the effectiveness of the intervention used in this study. Trial registration Prospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov on 07/01/2015 (NCT02333240) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02333240.

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