Communicating Oncologic Prognosis With Empathy: A Pilot Study of a Novel Communication Guide

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 1029-1036
Author(s):  
Megan Lippe ◽  
Phillips Farya ◽  
McCulloch Jennifer ◽  
Alexandra Stanley ◽  
Jones Barbara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Prognostic Information ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Incurable Cancer ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Impact

Background: Clear communication between patients, families, and health-care providers is imperative to maximize patient outcomes, particularly for patients diagnosed with incurable cancer who require prompt engagement in decision-making. In response to the need to engage in quality patient-centered communication, an interprofessional team, representing medicine, nursing, social work, spiritual care, and clinical psychology, explored extant literature and developed a simple, single-page communication guide that summarizes the prognosis for patients with incurable cancers. The tool was specifically designed to enhance communication for patients, families, and across all members of the treatment and patient support team. Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of the communication guide on patient’s accurate understanding of prognosis and the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Methods: The study employed a sequential explanatory mixed-method design. Using pre- and post-tests, participants completed a prognosis and treatment perception survey and were randomized into control or intervention groups based on preference for prognostic information. The oncologist utilized the communication guide with the participants in the intervention group. Finally, 6-week post-test surveys were completed, followed by an exit interview. Results: Key findings revealed participants prefer receiving detailed information about prognosis and have differing perceptions compared to the oncologists. Understandings of prognosis for patients and oncologists became more congruent following use of the communication guide. Participants found the tool useful and helpful. Conclusions: The communication tool serves as a promising mechanism to enhance patient-centered communication about prognosis for patients with incurable cancer.

The use of telehealth (text messaging and video communications) in patients with cystic fibrosis: A pilot study

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Gur ◽  
Vered Nir ◽  
Anna Teleshov ◽  
Ronen Bar-Yoseph ◽  
Eynav Manor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Multi Centre Study ◽  
Before And After

Background Poor communications between cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and health-care providers may result in gaps in knowledge and misconceptions about medication usage, and can lead to poor adherence. We aimed to assess the feasibility of using WhatsApp and Skype to improve communications. Methods This single-centre pilot study included CF patients who were older than eight years of age assigned to two groups: one without intervention (control group), and one with intervention. Each patient from the intervention group received Skype-based online video chats and WhatsApp messages from members of the multidisciplinary CF team. CF questionnaires, revised (CFQ-R) scores, knowledge and adherence based on CF My Way and patients satisfaction were evaluated before and after three months. Feasibility was assessed by session attendance, acceptability and satisfaction survey. Descriptive analysis and paired and non-paired t-tests were used as applicable. Results Eighteen patients were recruited to this feasibility study (nine in each group). Each intervention group participant had between four and six Skype video chats and received 22–45 WhatsApp messages. In this small study, CFQ-R scores, knowledge, adherence and patient satisfaction were similar in both groups before and after the three-month intervention. Conclusions A telehealth-based approach, using Skype video chats and WhatsApp messages, was feasible and acceptable in this pilot study. A larger and longer multi-centre study is warranted to examine the efficacy of these interventions to improve knowledge, adherence and communication.

Adding a Parent to the Brain Tumor Team: Evaluating a Peer Support Intervention for Parents of Children With Brain Tumors

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Baron Nelson ◽  
Kathy Riley ◽  
Kimberly Arellano
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tumor ◽  
Brain Tumors ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Pediatric Brain Tumor ◽  
Family Impact ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

Childhood brain tumors often present profound challenges to patients and families. To address these challenges, the California Chapter of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation provides hospital-based support services to parents of children with brain tumors from a Veteran Parent (VP). This mixed-methods, cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention using validated tools to compare parental resilience and impact of illness on the family between parents who met with the VP and those who did not. Two-tailed t tests assessed significant differences in scores on the PedsQL Family Impact module and Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25). Additional qualitative data gleaned from focus groups with stakeholders (health care providers and parents) were analyzed using key constructs of social support theory with Atlas.ti. Although there were no significant differences in overall scores on the PedsQL Family Impact module or CD-RISC-25 between groups, parents in the intervention group scored better on items related to handling difficult decisions and painful feelings. Overarching themes emerged from focus groups around participants’ experiences with the program and included informational and emotional support, peer parent relatedness, changed outlook, and empowerment. Results reveal the impact of peer parent support and need for emotional and instrumental support.

scholarly journals Patient Portal Implementation and Uptake: Qualitative Comparative Case Study

10.2196/18973 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. e18973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melita Avdagovska ◽  
Mark Ballermann ◽  
Karin Olson ◽  
Timothy Graham ◽  
Devidas Menon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
National Goal ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
The Impact

Background Giving patients access to their health information is a provincial and national goal, and it is critical to the delivery of patient-centered care. With this shift, patient portals have become more prevalent. In Alberta, the Alberta Health Services piloted a portal (MyChart). There was a need to identify factors that promoted the use of this portal. Furthermore, it was imperative to understand why there was variability in uptake within the various clinics that participated in the pilot. Objective This study aims to identify potential factors that could improve the uptake of MyChart from the perspectives of both users and nonusers at pilot sites. We focused on factors that promoted the use of MyChart along with related benefits and barriers to its use, with the intention that this information could be incorporated into the plan for its province-wide implementation. Methods A qualitative comparative case study was conducted to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial perceptions of users and to identify ways to increase uptake. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 56 participants (27 patients, 21 providers, 4 nonmedical staff, and 4 clinic managers) from 5 clinics. Patients were asked about the impact of MyChart on their health and health care. Providers were asked about the impact on the patient-provider relationship and workflow. Managers were asked about barriers to implementation. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and entered into NVivo. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Results from a comparison of factors related to uptake of MyChart in 5 clinics (2 clinics with high uptake, 1 with moderate uptake, 1 with low uptake, and 1 with no uptake) are reported. Some theoretical constructs in our study, such as intention to use, perceived value, similarity (novelty) of the technology, and patient health needs, were similar to findings published by other research teams. We also identified some new factors associated with uptake, including satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the current status quo, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, behavioral intentions, and use behavior. All these factors had an impact on the level of uptake in each setting and created different opportunities for end users. Conclusions There is limited research on factors that influence the uptake of patient portals. We identified some factors that were consistent with those reported by others but also several new factors that were associated with the update of MyChart, a new patient portal, in the clinics we studied. On the basis of our results, we posit that a shared understanding of the technology among patients, clinicians, and managers, along with dissatisfaction with nonportal-based communications, is foundational and must be addressed for patient portals to support improvements in care.

scholarly journals Care Pathways in Persistent Orofacial Pain

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Breckons ◽  
S.M. Bissett ◽  
C. Exley ◽  
V. Araujo-Soares ◽  
J. Durham
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Orofacial Pain ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Care Pathways ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
The Impact

Persistent orofacial pain is relatively common and known to have an adverse effect on quality of life. Previous studies suggest that the current care pathway may be problematic, but it is not well understood which health services patients access and what their experience is. The aim of this study was to explore care pathways and their impact from the perspective of patients. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a maximum variation sample of patients recruited from primary (community based) and secondary (specialist hospital based) care in the United Kingdom. Questions focused on the stages in their pathway and the impact of the care that they had received. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim, and analysis followed principles of the constant comparative method. NVivo 10 was used to help organize and analyze data. Twenty-two patients were interviewed at baseline, and 18 took part in a second interview at 12 mo. Three main themes emerged from the data: the “fluidity of the care pathway,” in which patients described moving among health care providers in attempts to have their pain diagnosed and managed, occurring alongside a “failure to progress,” where despite multiple appointments, patients described frustration at delays in obtaining a diagnosis and effective treatment for their pain. Throughout their care pathways, patients described the “effects of unmanaged pain,” where the longer the pain went unmanaged, the greater its potential to negatively affect their lives. Findings of this study suggest that the current care pathway is inefficient and fails to meet patient needs. Future work needs to focus on working with stakeholder groups to redesign patient-centered care pathways. Knowledge Transfer Statement: Data from qualitative interviews conducted with patients with persistent orofacial pain suggest significant problems with the existing care pathway, consisting of delays to diagnosis, treatment, and referral. Patients describing their struggle to progress through the current care pathway highlighted the difficulties occurring while living with orofacial pain. This study suggests a need for a revised care pathway, which better meets the needs of people with persistent orofacial pain.

Impact of Training to Improve Knowledge on Blood Transfusion among Health Care Providers from Tertiary Hospitals in Tanzania

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-69
Author(s):  
Abdu J. Bhombo ◽  
Oscar Mwashiuya ◽  
Wilhellmuss I. Mauka ◽  
Elineema Meda ◽  
Iragi Ngerageza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Blood Transfusion ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Transfusion Practice ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Impact

Background: Blood transfusion is a lifesaving therapy which is linked to the adverse outcome when given inappropriately. Inadequate knowledge and skills among health care providers have been reported to contribute to safety issues for recipients and wastage of the precious resource. This study was conducted to determine the impact of training of health care providers in Tanzania on improving the knowledge regarding the transfusion of blood and blood components.Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study which used secondary data from pre and post training assessment questionnaire whereby trainees answered the same set of questions before training (pre-test) and after training (post-test). The questionnaire consisted of two Likert scale questions and eight YES/NO questions which assessed the perception of clinicians, nurses and Laboratory personnel on blood transfusion practices. Moreover, there were thirty multiple-choice questions for assessment of basic knowledge related to usage of blood and blood components.Results: One hundred and eleven (111) health care providers who attended training on blood transfusion were recruited into this study, out of which 72.1% (80/111) were from secondary health care facilities and 6.3% (7/111) were from tertiary health care facilities. The pre-test mean percent score was 32.8% (SD ±12.9%), while the post-test mean percent score was 56.6% (SD ±12.9%). The mean percentage of knowledge gain was 26.6% (SD±13.0%) and 27.1% (SD±12.5%) for health care providers and National Blood Transfusion Service staff respectively. It was observed that only 25.8% (24/93) and 19% (19/100) of participants were aware of the transfusion timing of various blood components and principles of platelet transfusion, respectively. Regarding bedside blood handling practices, only 52.9% (46/87) responded, ‘warm whole blood unit and packed red blood by putting under room temperature for 30 minutes and the majority of participants 63.1% (65/103) reported not to ask for consent before blood transfusion.Conclusion: There was a modest improvement in the knowledge on blood transfusion practice among participants. The overall performance of participants increased from 33% in the pre-test to 57% in the post-test. Therefore, this study has shown the positive impact of training for health care providers in improving their knowledge. We recommend regular on job training courses and mentorship program for health care providers for proficiency in clinical transfusion practice. Key words: Blood Transfusion, Training and Health care providers.

scholarly journals The Impact of Training of Medical Students on COVID-19: Goa Medical College February 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 05 (04) ◽  
pp. 22-25
Author(s):  
Akshaya V Naik ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Training Session ◽  
First Year ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Impact

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infection caused by a newly found strain of coronavirus which is now named as SARS CoV- 2. Since there is no cure yet against this deadly disease, preventive measures remains the mainstay till date. Healthcare workers being the frontline workers in this pandemic need to have adequate knowledge about the disease to tackle and revert this pandemic. Thus the present study aimed to assess the impact of training sessions on knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 among undergraduate MBBS students in Goa Medical College. Method: The present study was a descriptive study carried out using the pre-test and post-test questionnaire that was collected during the COVID-19 training held for first year MBBS students of Goa Medical College. EpiData 3.1 was used for entry of the data. The results were analysed using SPSS software version 22. Result: A total of 161 MBBS students participated in the study. It was seen that knowledge regarding various aspects of COVID-19 like the new nomenclature of the novel virus (28%), symptoms (42%), mode of spread (78.9%), and concept of social distancing (50.3%) was poor among the students which improved significantly after the training session. Conclusion: With more and more ongoing researches on COVID-19 worldwide, new updates will get added to its epidemiology with time. Health care workers being the frontline workers need to keep themselves updated with the latest knowledge. Regular training sessions can enlighten the health care providers with the much needed updates which will further help to improve their skills in prevention and management of COVID-19.

scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF AUDIO-VISUAL MEDIA ON ADOLESCENTS’ KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE TOWARD SMOKING DANGEROUS AT SECONDARY HIGH SCHOOL 2 HALONGONAN SUBDISTRICT, INDONESIA

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-171
Author(s):  
Sarmaida Siregar ◽  
Kintoko Rochadi ◽  
Linda T Maas
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
T Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Audiovisual Media ◽  
Knowledge And Attitude ◽  
The Impact

Smoking is a bad behavior which can cause danger to health. Today, it becomes a habit for adolescents. It can be prevented by promoting health education by using audiovisual media, which provides information and education for increasing good knowledge and attitude toward the prevention of smoking. The research problem was how about the influence of audiovisual media on adolescents' knowledge and attitude. The objective of the research was to analyze the impact of audiovisual media on adolescents' knowledge and attitude toward the danger of smoking at SMP Negeri 2 Halongonan Timur Subdistrict. The study used a quasi-experimental method with pretest-posttest design. It was conducted at SMP Negeri 2 Halongonan Timur Subdistrict, Padang Lawas Utara Regency. Eighty-four samples were selected and allocated to the intervention group and the control group. The data were gathered using questionnaires. The hypothesis was tested by using paired t-test ad independent t-test. The result of the research showed that there was a significant influence of audiovisual media (p<0.05) on adolescents' knowledge and attitude after they had been given intervention. The conclusion was that audiovisual media was more effective in increasing adolescents' knowledge and attitude toward the danger of smoking. It is recommended that parents not smoke in front of their children. The school management needs to collaborate with the parents for discussing the academic development and students' behavior, and health care providers should increase health education program about the danger of smoking. Keywords: audiovisual media, knowledge, attitude, the danger of smoking

The Effects of the Medical Pause on Physiological Stress Markers among Health Care Providers: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 019394592110276
Author(s):  
Ebru Cayir ◽  
Tim Cunningham ◽  
Ryne Ackard ◽  
Julie Haizlip ◽  
Jeongok Logan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
The Impact

Contemplative practices promote well-being, work engagement and resilience among health care providers. We examined the impact of The Pause, a brief contemplative intervention, on health care providers’ physiological stress response. Participants were randomly assigned to either The Pause or the control group. They participated in a high-fidelity, stressful medical simulation. Following the simulation, intervention group practiced The Pause. Outcome measures were heart rate variability, heart rate, and blood pressure. We adjusted for baseline physiological variables, sociodemographic variables, self-care practices, and perceived stress. Participants in the intervention group had a standard deviation of the normal-to-normal RR intervals (heart rate variability indicator) that was 13.8 (95% CI 4.0, 23.5; p < .01) points higher than those in the control group. There were no significant effects of The Pause on heart rate or blood pressure. The Pause may reduce stress reactivity, increase heart rate variability, and enhance resilience in health care providers.

scholarly journals Patient Portal Implementation and Uptake: Qualitative Comparative Case Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melita Avdagovska ◽  
Mark Ballermann ◽  
Karin Olson ◽  
Timothy Graham ◽  
Devidas Menon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
National Goal ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Giving patients access to their health information is a provincial and national goal, and it is critical to the delivery of patient-centered care. With this shift, patient portals have become more prevalent. In Alberta, the Alberta Health Services piloted a portal (MyChart). There was a need to identify factors that promoted the use of this portal. Furthermore, it was imperative to understand why there was variability in uptake within the various clinics that participated in the pilot. OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify potential factors that could improve the uptake of MyChart from the perspectives of both users and nonusers at pilot sites. We focused on factors that promoted the use of MyChart along with related benefits and barriers to its use, with the intention that this information could be incorporated into the plan for its province-wide implementation. METHODS A qualitative comparative case study was conducted to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial perceptions of users and to identify ways to increase uptake. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 56 participants (27 patients, 21 providers, 4 nonmedical staff, and 4 clinic managers) from 5 clinics. Patients were asked about the impact of MyChart on their health and health care. Providers were asked about the impact on the patient-provider relationship and workflow. Managers were asked about barriers to implementation. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and entered into NVivo. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS Results from a comparison of factors related to uptake of MyChart in 5 clinics (2 clinics with high uptake, 1 with moderate uptake, 1 with low uptake, and 1 with no uptake) are reported. Some theoretical constructs in our study, such as intention to use, perceived value, similarity (novelty) of the technology, and patient health needs, were similar to findings published by other research teams. We also identified some new factors associated with uptake, including satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the current status quo, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, behavioral intentions, and use behavior. All these factors had an impact on the level of uptake in each setting and created different opportunities for end users. CONCLUSIONS There is limited research on factors that influence the uptake of patient portals. We identified some factors that were consistent with those reported by others but also several new factors that were associated with the update of MyChart, a new patient portal, in the clinics we studied. On the basis of our results, we posit that a shared understanding of the technology among patients, clinicians, and managers, along with dissatisfaction with nonportal-based communications, is foundational and must be addressed for patient portals to support improvements in care.

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