Making the Virtual Rounds: The Use of Blogs by Health-Care Professionals

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey Scheibling ◽  
James Gillett ◽  
Gordon Brett
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Institutional Constraints ◽  
Health 2.0 ◽  
Health Care Practitioners ◽  
Qualitative Thematic Analysis ◽  
Grand Rounds

In the “Health 2.0” era, digital media has altered how health care is conducted and how patients consume medical information. This article explores the reasons why health-care professionals create their own blogs and how they use blogging as a component of their work. We examine interviews with medical bloggers ( n = 83) featured on “Grand Rounds,” a weekly medical blog forum or “carnival,” to interpret the ways in which blogging is incorporated into their everyday lives. In performing a qualitative thematic analysis, we develop five themes that help capture what blogs mean to these health-care practitioners. The uses of blogs speak to articulating and reestablishing a professional reputation, connecting with patients informally, writing for therapeutic reasons, negotiating institutional constraints, and promoting community and health-care reform.

scholarly journals Norwegian Nurses’ Reflections Upon Experiences of Ethical Challenges in Older People Care - A Qualitative Thematic Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Rykkje ◽  
Anne Lise Holm ◽  
Marit Helene Hem
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Older People ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Best Interest ◽  
Ethical Competence ◽  
Qualitative Thematic Analysis

Abstract Background: Many countries face an increasingly older population in need of health care services. There are reports of lack of qualified staff and resources, resulting in poor quality and undignified care. Care quality is depended upon factors like organization and staffing, but it is also recommended to focus on what staff members experience in clinical practice. In addition, ethical competence is a precondition for high quality care. The aim of this study is to provide knowledge about ethically challenging situations in caring for older people in institutions such as nursing homes and hospitals, and to gain insight into nurses’ written reflections about their experiences and management of ethical challenges in clinical practice.Methods: The data material consist of reflection notes by continuous education students in advanced gerontology in Norway. Data was collected in 2017–2018. We included 42 of 83 notes and utilized qualitative thematic analysis.Findings: “Doing what is in the patients’ best interest” is the guiding principle for the participants, portrayed through three themes as follows: a) Meeting vulnerability, discomfort and emotional pain, b) Collaboration with relatives, and c) Struggling to perform professional care. Within each theme, we provide a variety of ethically challenging situations in older people care. The findings represent the participants’ written experiences and reflections upon how they manage the situation and their effort to provide the best possible care.Conclusions: Health care professionals’ ethical competences may develop when reflecting upon their care performance. Therefore, building ethical competence should be a priority in education of healthcare professionals and in clinical practice. We acknowledge that ethical reflection does not automatically improve care quality, although we find that it fosters increased awareness of one’s action, and as such, it can act as a potential for change.Implications for practice: How nurses reflect upon and manage challenging situations indicates that quality in care is possible despite scarce resources, and this may contribute to reduce ageism and encourage health care personnel to be willing to work in older people care.

Experiences of Volunteers Supporting Parents Following a Fatal Fetal Anomaly Diagnosis

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232098783
Author(s):  
Stacey Power ◽  
Keelin O’Donoghue ◽  
Sarah Meaney
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Fetal Anomaly ◽  
Voluntary Organizations ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Bereaved Parents ◽  
Collaborative Working ◽  
And Training

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.

Perceptions of Canadian Armed Forces Health Services health care professionals on cognitive assessment processes

2021 ◽  
pp. e20200066
Author(s):  
Chelsea Jones ◽  
Lorraine Smith-MacDonald ◽  
Suzette Brémault-Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Brain Injuries ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Canadian Armed Forces ◽  
Qualitative Thematic Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Screen ◽  
And Function

Lay Summary Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Service Members (SMs) experience mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), which can affect cognitive functioning. Adequate cognitive functioning is needed to perform military duties safely and function in all aspects of life. A standardized process that includes cognitive screen/assessment within a mTBI rehabilitation strategy is not widely used within Canadian Forces Health Services (CFHS). A qualitative thematic analysis nested within an implementation science approach was used to explore the experiences of 17 CFHS health care professionals who perform cognitive screens/assessments. Perceived facilitators, barriers, and recommendations for improving cog-nitive assessment practices for injured CAF-SMs were identified within 5 themes. Development and implementation of cognitive screen/assessment policies and protocols will enable CFHS to best assess and treat cognitive dysfunction among CAF-SMs.

scholarly journals Health-care Workforce Training to Effectively Support Family Caregivers of Seniors in Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-171
Author(s):  
Rachel Fisher ◽  
Jasneet Parmar ◽  
Wendy Duggleby ◽  
Peter George J. Tian ◽  
Wonita Janzen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Workforce Training ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Canadian Health Care System ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Qualitative Thematic Analysis

Introduction Family caregivers (FCGs) play an integral, yet often invisible, role in the Canadian health-care system. As the population ages, their presence will become even more essential as they help balance demands on the system and enable community dwelling seniors to remain so for as long as possible. To preserve their own well-being and capacity to provide ongoing care, FCGs require support to the meet the challenges of their daily caregiving responsibilities. Supporting FCGs results in better care provision to community-dwelling seniors receiving health-care services, as well as enhancing the quality of life for FCGs. Although FCGs rely upon health-care professionals (HCPs) to provide them with support and services, there is a paucity of research pertaining to the type of health workforce training (HWFT) that HCPs should receive to address FCG needs. Programs that train HCPs to engage with, empower, and support FCGs are required. Objective To describe and discuss key findings of a caregiver symposium focused on determining components of HWFT that might better enable HCPs to support FCGs. Methods A one-day symposium was held on February 22, 2018 in Edmonton, Alberta, to gather the perspectives of FCGs, HCPs, and stakeholders. Attendees participated in a series of working groups to discuss barriers, facilitators, and recommendations related to HWFT. Proceedings and working group discussions were transcribed, and a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes. Results Participants identified the following topic areas as being essential to training HCPs in the provision of support for FCGs: understanding the FCG role, communicating with FCGs, partnering with FCGs, fostering FCG resilience, navigating healthcare systems and accessing resources, and enhancing the culture and context of care. Conclusions FCGs require more support than is currently being provided by HCPs. Training programs need to specifically address topics identified by participants. These findings will be used to develop HWFT for HCPs.

scholarly journals Use of Social Media in Health Communication: Findings From the Health Information National Trends Survey 2013, 2014, and 2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 107327481984144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinhai Huo ◽  
Raj Desai ◽  
Young-Rock Hong ◽  
Kea Turner ◽  
Arch G. Mainous ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Communication ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
National Trends ◽  
Pooled Sample

The number of social media users has increased substantially in the past decade, creating an opportunity for health-care professionals and patients to leverage social media for health communication. This study examines the recent use and predictors of social media for health communication in a nationally representative sample of US adults over time. We used 2013, 2014, and 2017 National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey to identify respondents’ use of social media for sharing health information or exchanging medical information with a health-care professional. We conducted bivariate analysis using the Pearson χ2 test to assess the association of respondents’ basic demographic characteristics as well as health status and the use of social media for health communication. We performed multivariable logistic regression models to examine factors associated with the use of social media for health communication. We identified 4242 respondents (weighted sample size: 343 465 241 [2-year pooled sample]) who used social media for sharing health information and 4834 respondents (weighted sample size: 354 419 489 [2-year pooled sample]) who used social media for exchanging medical information. Multivariable analyses indicated the proportion of respondents who used social media for sharing health information has decreased (odds ratio [OR], 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49-0.85, P = .002), while the use of social media for exchanging medical information with a health-care professional has increased (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.09-3.26, P = .025). The younger population had significantly higher odds of using social media for health communication. The study found no racial/ethnic disparities in the use of social media for health communication. Use of social media for sharing health information has declined, while exchanging medical information with health-care professionals has increased. Future research is needed to determine how to engage the population in social media–based health interventions, particularly for older adults.

Investigating the Attitudes of Health-Care Professionals towards the Use of Integrated Care Pathways in a District General Hospital: A Thematic Analysis of Focus Group Discussion

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanya Claridge ◽  
Dianne Parker ◽  
Gary Cook
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Group Discussion ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
District General Hospital ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Integrated Care Pathways

Context: Integrated care pathways (ICPs) are an increasingly common approach to the standardization and integration of health-care practice in the NHS. They delineate interdisciplinary critical decision points and evidence-based daily treatment regimens for patients in specific disease groups. ICP champions assert that they have the potential to decrease medical errors, increase the accuracy of data capture, increase the efficiency of personnel and ultimately improve the quality of patient care. Despite the theoretical benefits of ICP use, there was anecdotal evidence of staff unease and audit evidence of variable compliance with ICPs at a district general hospital (DGH). Objective: This focus group study was one of the three interdependent methodologies used to investigate the attitudes of health-care professionals towards ICPs in a DGH. It was anticipated that thematic analysis of the focus group discussion would facilitate further the interpretation of qualitative data already analysed in a previous phase of the project, and inform the development of a survey questionnaire investigating the attitudes of the health-care professionals towards ICPs. Design: Ten focus groups comprising on average, six health-care professionals were conducted. The staff involved included doctors, nurses, professions allied to medicine, a member of the Community Health Council and non-clinical managers. The focus groups included staff with a range of seniority and speciality. Results: Analysis of the data achieved facilitated the confirmation and identification of themes underpinning the focus group discussion. These are reported here and illustrated by representative quotations. Conclusion: The focus group study provided a valuable insight into the attitudes regarding ICPs of over 60 health-care professionals. The themes identified were used to facilitate the development of a survey questionnaire to explore them in a quantifiable way. Focus group methodology proved to be a useful way to explore emerging issues in depth, and to observe areas of disagreement among staff.

scholarly journals Xigua Video as a Source of Information on Breast Cancer: Content Analysis

10.2196/19668 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. e19668
Author(s):  
Peng Pan ◽  
Changhua Yu ◽  
Tao Li ◽  
Xilei Zhou ◽  
Tingting Dai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Misleading Information ◽  
Global Quality ◽  
Information Group ◽  
Source Of Information

Background Seeking health information on the internet is a popular trend. Xigua Video, a short video platform in China, ranks among the most accessed websites in the country and hosts an increasing number of videos with medical information. However, the nature of these videos is frequently unscientific, misleading, or even harmful. Objective Little is known about Xigua Video as a source of information on breast cancer. Thus, the study aimed to investigate the contents, quality, and reliability of breast cancer–related content on Xigua Video. Methods On February 4, 2020, a Xigua Video search was performed using the keyword “breast cancer.” Videos were categorized by 2 doctors based on whether the video content provided useful or misleading information. Furthermore, the reliability and quality of the videos were assessed using the 5-point DISCERN tool and 5-point global quality score criteria. Results Out of the 170 videos selected for the study, 64 (37.6%) were classified as useful, whereas 106 (62.4%) provided misleading information. A total of 41.8% videos (71/170) were generated by individuals compared to 19.4% videos (33/170) contributed by health care professionals. The topics mainly covered etiology, anatomy, symptoms, preventions, treatments, and prognosis. The top topic was “treatments” (119/170, 70%). The reliability scores and global quality scores of the videos in the useful information group were high (P<.001). No differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of video length, duration in months, and comments. The number of total views was higher for the misleading information group (819,478.5 vs 647,940) but did not reach a level of statistical significance (P=.112). The uploading sources of the videos were mainly health care professionals, health information websites, medical advertisements, and individuals. Statistical differences were found between the uploading source groups in terms of reliability scores and global quality scores (P<.001). In terms of total views, video length, duration, and comments, no statistical differences were indicated among the said groups. However, a statistical difference was noted between the useful and misleading information video groups with respect to the uploading sources (P<.001). Conclusions A large number of Xigua videos pertaining to breast cancer contain misleading information. There is a need for accurate health information to be provided on Xigua Video and other social media; health care professionals should address this challenge.

scholarly journals Transition from pandemic to infodemic: an analysis of Turkish-language COVID-19 YouTube videos

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatih Cakmak ◽  
Seda Ozkan ◽  
Afsin Ipekci ◽  
Altug Kanbakan ◽  
Turker Demirtakan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Video Content ◽  
Global Quality ◽  
Content Index ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Youtube Videos ◽  
Turkish Language

Background: YouTube can be a powerful educational tool for the dissemination of health information. However, if uploaded health-related videos are inaccurate, it can mislead, create confusion and generate panic. Aims: This study aimed to determine the success of the most-watched Turkish-language COVID-19 YouTube videos regarding information and guidance on the disease for the public. The secondary aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and quality of such video content. Methods: The study was conducted during May 2020 and analysed 133 videos. The length of the videos, the number of likes and dislikes, comments and views, how long they have been on YouTube, Medical Information and Content Index (MICI) Score, mDISCERN scores, global quality scores, and the source and target audiences of the videos were all determined. Results: The average MICI Scores of videos was 2.48±3.74 and the global quality scores was 1.27±0.64. When MICI Scores were compared between video sources, the scores of academic hospitals and government videos were significantly higher. The global quality scores of videos from news agencies and independent users was significantly lower (P < 0.001). Among the targeted videos, only the global quality scores of the videos made for health-care workers were found to be significantly higher. Conclusion: Health-care professionals should upload more videos to improve the quality of health-related video content available on YouTube. Accompanied by evidence-based information, the issues of diagnosis, ways of transmission, prevention and treatment of diseases should be emphasized.

scholarly journals Nursing staff’s experience of appearance issues in various nursing situations

BMC Nursing ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Bringsén ◽  
Johanna Sjöbeck ◽  
Pia Petersson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Nursing Staff ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Knowledge Development ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Professional Nursing ◽  
Group Interviews

Abstract Background Health care professionals frequently interact with unknown patients in a process involving appearance-based judgements and priority-setting, all of which has an effect on health care equality. The healthcare provider–patient interaction is also highly relevant for the awareness and support of patients’ appearance concerns, with an associated possibility for improving patients’ satisfaction with their appearance and health. The aim was therefore to explore nursing staff’s experience of patients’ appearance issues in various nursing situations, with the purpose to facilitate awareness raising and knowledge development. Method A qualitative research approach with focus group interviews was chosen due to the exploratory aim of the study. Five semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with 24 nursing staff in total (19 women and five men). The participants’ ages varied (20 to 45 years) as did their professional nursing experience. The interviews lasted approximately one hour, were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed through thematic analysis. Results The thematic analysis resulted in the two themes Patient perspective and Professional nursing role, with associated subthemes. The findings showed the importance and impact of appearance issues in nursing situations and how these are linked to the health of the patients. Some groups of patients were identified as more vulnerable than others, which was associated with health care inequalities and health disparities. Value-based strategies along with knowledge, and skills for holistic person-centred care were identified as important resources for the development of appearance-related awareness and support in various nursing situations. Conclusion Strategies for improvement can be realised through the educational system for nursing staff, but mainly by using collective reflective learning forums in different workplaces. An empowerment approach is considered a useful framework for the implementation of holistic person-centred care, functioning as a resource for appearance-related awareness and support in various nursing situations. However, more research is needed on the complex and challenging phenomenon of appearance issues in nursing situations. Knowledge development related to successful person-centred strategies for appearance-related awareness and support is important, especially strategies with a salutogenic perspective.

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