Care of family caregivers of persons with dementia (CaFCa) through a tailor-made mobile app: study protocol of a complex intervention study

Abstract Background Mental disorders are highly prevalent, placing an enormous burden on individuals, society and economy. Research shows that family members who provide care to individuals with chronic or disabling mental conditions are themselves at risk. As a response to this problem, the project ‘Family Caregiver Support - Strategies and tools to promote the mental and emotional health of caregivers’ emerged, funded by Erasmus + Program and carried out by 8 European partners including ESS|P.PORTO. Objectives To empower family members as caregivers and to give them access to relevant medical information and to psychological support for their own needs. Methods A Guide and a Resource Pack concerning 9 important mental health disorders were developed. An interactive e-platform and a mobile App were developed to make available these materials. Validation of the products was carried out, in each country, by caregivers and health/social care professionals through online questionnaires. Data were collected and processed in an anonymous manner, and the confidentiality was ensured. Results In Portugal, 98% of respondents (25 caregivers/citizens interested on subject, and 25 health/social care professionals), consider the accessibility and attractivity of the platform very good or excellent; and more than 90% consider materials very effective for the caregiver’s empowerment. Some issues were identified to add to Resource Pack. Conclusions Data from partners is being processed but there is already strong evidence of the usability and efficacy of the project’s outcome, and a strong contribution was done for adult education concerning physical, mental and emotional health promotion of family caregivers.

Download Full-text

Planning Implementation Success of Syncope Clinical Practice Guidelines in the Emergency Department Using CFIR Framework

10.20944/preprints202103.0679.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jing Li ◽

Susan S. Smyth ◽

Jessica Miller Clouser ◽

Colleen A. McMullen ◽

Vedant Gupta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Clinical Practice ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Implementation Strategy ◽

Care Pathway ◽

Implementation Strategies ◽

Mobile App ◽

Care Plan ◽

Local Context ◽

Successful Implementation

Background and Objectives: Overuse and inappropriate use of testing and hospital admission are common in syncope evaluation and management. Though guidelines are available to optimize syncope care, study suggested that the current clinical guidelines have not significantly impacted resource utilization surrounding emergency department (ED) evaluation of syncope. Matching implementation strategies to barriers and facilitators and tailoring strategies to local context hold significant promise for a successful implementation of clinical practice guideline (CPG). Our team applied implementation science principles to develop a stakeholder-based implementation strategy. Methods and Materials: We partnered with patients, family caregivers, frontline clinicians and staff, and health system administrators at four health systems to conduct quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews for context assessment. The identification of implementation strategies was done by applying the CFIR-ERIC Implementation Strategy Matching Tool and soliciting stakeholders’ inputs. We then co-designed with patients and frontline teams, developed and tested specific strategies. Results: 114 clinicians completed surveys and 32 clinicians and stake-holders participated in interviews. Results from the surveys and interview indicated low awareness of syncope guidelines, and communication challenges with patients, lack of CPG protocol integration into ED workflows, and organizational process to change were recognized as major barriers. Thirty-one patients and their family caregivers participated in interviews and ex-pressed their expectations: clarity regarding their diagnosis, context surrounding care plan and diagnostic testing, and a desire to feel cared about. After identifying change methods to address those barriers, the multilevel, multicomponent implementation strategy, MISSION, included pa-tient educational materials, mentored implementation, academic detailing, Syncope Optimal Care Pathway and corresponding Mobile App, and Lean quality improvement methods. The pilot of MISSION demonstrated feasibility, acceptability and initial success on appropriate testing. Con-clusions: Effect multifaceted implementation strategies that target individuals, teams, and healthcare systems can be employed to plan successful implementation and promote adherence to syncope CPGs.

Download Full-text