scholarly journals Making use of evidence in commissioning practice: insights into the understanding of a telecare study’s findings

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Woolham ◽  
Nicole Steils ◽  
Kirsty Forsyth ◽  
Malcolm Fisk ◽  
Jeremy Porteus
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Trial Methodology ◽  
Independent Evidence ◽  
Inaccurate Information ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Market Capture ◽  
Nuanced Understanding

Background. This paper discusses findings from a study of English Local Authority (LA) Adult Social Care Departments (ASCDs) that explored how managers use telecare. A decade earlier, a large clinical trial, the ‘Whole System Demonstrator’ project (WSD), funded by the Department of Health (DH) investigated telecare’s effectiveness in promoting and maintaining independence among users. It found no evidence that telecare improved outcomes. Despite these conclusions, the DH did not change its policy or guidance, and LAs did not appear to scale back investment in telecare.<br />Aims and objectives. The present study explores how English ASCDs responded to WSD findings and why investment continued despite evidence from the WSD.<br />Methods. Data were obtained from an online survey sent to all telecare lead managers in England. The survey achieved a final response rate of 75%.<br />Findings. The survey asked questions focused on awareness and use of research in general, and specifically knowledge about the findings of the WSD. Most respondents were highly critical of the WSD methods, and its findings.<br />Discussion. Critical examination of telecare manager views found widespread inaccurate information about the trial methodology and findings, as well as the wider political and policy context that shaped it.<br />Conclusions. The WSD could not explain why telecare did not deliver better outcomes. A more nuanced understanding of the circumstances in which it might achieve good outcomes has received little consideration. LA difficulties in using evidence in telecare commissioning potentially leaves the sector at risk of market capture and supplier induced demand.<br />key messages<br /><ol><li>Social care services in England continue to invest in telecare despite evidence it does not produce better outcomes for older users.</li><br /><li>Generalizable evidence for telecare effectiveness is not well understood by commissioners/providers.</li><br /><li>Better use of evidence is needed for telecare to be effective for older people.</li><br /><li>Without independent evidence there is a risk of ‘market capture’ by manufacturers.</li></ol><br />

scholarly journals Beyond Modernisation? Social Care and the Transformation of Welfare Governance

2008 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
JANET NEWMAN ◽  
CAROLINE GLENDINNING ◽  
MICHAEL HUGHES
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Social Care Service ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
The Future

AbstractThis article reflects on the process and outcomes of modernisation in adult social care in England and Wales, drawing particularly on the recently completed Modernising Adult Social Care (MASC) research programme commissioned by the Department of Health. We begin by exploring the contested status of ‘modernisation’ as a descriptor of reform. We then outline some of the distinctive features of adult social care services and suggest that these features introduce dynamics likely to shape both the experiences and outcomes of policy ambitions for modernisation. We then reflect on the evidence emerging from the MASC studies and develop a model for illuminating some of the dynamics of welfare governance. Finally, we highlight the emerging focus on individualisation and on user-directed and controlled services. We argue that the current focus of modernisation involves a reduced emphasis on structural and institutional approaches to change and an increased emphasis on changes in the behaviours and roles of adult social care service users. This focus has implications for both the future dynamics of welfare governance and for conceptions of citizenship.

scholarly journals Personalisation and the Co-operative Tradition

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Fisher ◽  
Susan Baines ◽  
Mary Rayner
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Mutual Aid ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Health Programme

There is growing interest in how enterprises based on co-operative values can help to meet needs relating to welfare and re-energise public services. The objective of this article is to examine critically the intersection of personalised adult social care services and the co-operative tradition, which emphasises mutual aid and value-led enterprise. We do this by retelling the story of personalisation through a co-operative lens, and ground this reading in case studies of two new co-operative enterprises that were supported under a Department of Health programme in England (2006–2009) intended to demonstrate how personalised adult social care could be extended by developing collaborative, co-operative organisational forms.

scholarly journals The patient advisor, an organizational resource as a lever for an enhanced oncology patient experience (PAROLE-onco): a longitudinal multiple case study protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. Pomey ◽  
M. de Guise ◽  
M. Desforges ◽  
K. Bouchard ◽  
C. Vialaron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Clinical Oncology ◽  
Patient Experience ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Legal Issues ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Ethical And Legal Issues ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Quebec is one of the Canadian provinces with the highest rates of cancer incidence and prevalence. A study by the Rossy Cancer Network (RCN) of McGill university assessed six aspects of the patient experience among cancer patients and found that emotional support is the aspect most lacking. To improve this support, trained patient advisors (PAs) can be included as full-fledged members of the healthcare team, given that PA can rely on their knowledge with experiencing the disease and from using health and social care services to accompany cancer patients, they could help to round out the health and social care services offer in oncology. However, the feasibility of integrating PAs in clinical oncology teams has not been studied. In this multisite study, we will explore how to integrate PAs in clinical oncology teams and, under what conditions this can be successfully done. We aim to better understand effects of this PA intervention on patients, on the PAs themselves, the health and social care team, the administrators, and on the organization of services and to identify associated ethical and legal issues. Methods/design We will conduct six mixed methods longitudinal case studies. Qualitative data will be used to study the integration of the PAs into clinical oncology teams and to identify the factors that are facilitators and inhibitors of the process, the associated ethical and legal issues, and the challenges that the PAs experience. Quantitative data will be used to assess effects on patients, PAs and team members, if any, of the PA intervention. The results will be used to support oncology programs in the integration of PAs into their healthcare teams and to design a future randomized pragmatic trial to evaluate the impact of PAs as full-fledged members of clinical oncology teams on cancer patients’ experience of emotional support throughout their care trajectory. Discussion This study will be the first to integrate PAs as full-fledged members of the clinical oncology team and to assess possible clinical and organizational level effects. Given the unique role of PAs, this study will complement the body of research on peer support and patient navigation. An additional innovative aspect of this study will be consideration of the ethical and legal issues at stake and how to address them in the health care organizations.

scholarly journals Impact of dementia education and training on health and social care staff knowledge, attitudes and confidence: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e039939
Author(s):  
Sahdia Parveen ◽  
Sarah Jane Smith ◽  
Cara Sass ◽  
Jan R Oyebode ◽  
Andrea Capstick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Training Content ◽  
The Impact ◽  
And Training ◽  
Dementia Education

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to establish the impact of dementia education and training on the knowledge, attitudes and confidence of health and social care staff. The study also aimed to identify the most effective features (content and pedagogical) of dementia education and training.DesignCross-sectional survey study. Data collection occurred in 2017.SettingsHealth and social care staff in the UK including acute care, mental health community care trusts, primary care and care homes.ParticipantsAll health and social care staff who had completed dementia education and training meeting the minimal standards as set by Health Education England, within the past 5 years were invited to participate in an online survey. A total of 668 health and social care staff provided informed consent and completed an online survey, and responses from 553 participants were included in this study. The majority of the respondents were of white British ethnicity (94.4%) and identified as women (88.4%).OutcomesKnowledge, attitude and confidence of health and social care staff.ResultsHierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted. Staff characteristics, education and training content variables and pedagogical factors were found to account for 29% of variance in staff confidence (F=4.13, p<0.001), 22% of variance in attitude (knowledge) (F=3.80, p<001), 18% of the variance in staff knowledge (F=2.77, p<0.01) and 14% of variance in staff comfort (attitude) (F=2.11, p<0.01).ConclusionThe results suggest that dementia education and training has limited impact on health and social care staff learning outcomes. While training content variables were important when attempting to improve staff knowledge, more consideration should be given to pedagogical factors when training is aiming to improve staff attitude and confidence.

scholarly journals Ownership Variation in Violated Regulations and National Care Standards: Evidence From Social Care Providers

2021 ◽  
pp. 089976402110014
Author(s):  
Anders M. Bach-Mortensen ◽  
Ani Movsisyan
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Research Gap

Social care services are increasingly provisioned in quasi-markets in which for-profit, public, and third sector providers compete for contracts. Existing research has investigated the implications of this development by analyzing ownership variation in latent outcomes such as quality, but little is known about whether ownership predicts variation in more concrete outcomes, such as violation types. To address this research gap, we coded publicly available inspection reports of social care providers regulated by the Care Inspectorate in Scotland and created a novel data set enabling analysis of ownership variation in violations of (a) regulations, and (b) national care standards over an entire inspection year ( n = 4,178). Using negative binomial and logistic regression models, we find that for-profit providers are more likely to violate non-enforceable outcomes (national care standards) relative to other ownership types. We did not identify a statistically significant difference between for-profit and third sector providers with regard to enforceable outcomes (regulations).

scholarly journals Occupational therapists’ experiences of enabling people to participate in sport

2020 ◽  
pp. 030802262097394
Author(s):  
Deborah Bullen ◽  
Channine Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Local Populations ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care

Introduction In response to growing demands on health and social care services there is an emphasis on communities addressing the needs of local populations to improve lives and reduce inequalities. Occupational therapists are responding to these demands by expanding their scope of practice into innovative settings, such as working with refugees, the homeless and residents of nursing homes, and within sport and leisure environments. The benefits of sport are widely acknowledged, and this paper argues that occupational therapists could play a pivotal role in enabling people to participate. Method This qualitative study drew on a phenomenological approach and used interviews and thematic analysis to explore five occupational therapists’ experiences of enabling people to participate in sport. Findings Findings revealed that participants demonstrated the uniqueness of occupational therapy when enabling people to participate in sport and practised according to their professional philosophy. There were opportunities to reach wider communities and promote the value of occupational therapy by collaborating with organisations, but there were also challenges when working outside of traditional settings. Conclusion The study emphasises the unique skills occupational therapists can bring to this setting. It highlights opportunities to expand their practice, to forge new partnerships in sports and leisure environments, and to address the national inactivity crisis.

Ring the Bell for Sickle Cell: Encouraging Advocacy in an Underserved Community

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110241
Author(s):  
Ellen M. Bloom ◽  
Kisha C. Hampton ◽  
Kimber Blackwell ◽  
Gary A. Gibson ◽  
Christopher Roberson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Workforce Development ◽  
Sickle Cell ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
State Funding ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Limited Life ◽  
Underserved Community ◽  
Access To Medical Care ◽  
Medical Advances

Sickle cell disease (SCD) was once a disease of childhood because of a limited life expectancy. Due to medical advances, it is now common for people with SCD to live into adulthood. Funding and resources for adults with SCD, however, remain limited. Adult patients would benefit from increased access to medical care, mental health care services, and workforce development. The Indiana Sickle Cell Consortium, a group of medical providers and community-based organizations, worked closely with people living with SCD and their family members to create a campaign advocating for state funding for programs for adults with SCD. This campaign culminated with the passage of a bill that provides $250,000 in funding for program development for adults with SCD. The bill also directs the Indiana Department of Health to carry out a needs assessment for people with SCD in Indiana. However, continued efforts are needed to reduce health disparities for people with SCD. The Indiana Sickle Cell Consortium will continue advocacy efforts in future legislative cycles and bring attention to the health inequities that affect people with SCD.

scholarly journals Analysing public service outsourcing: The value of a regulatory perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 958-974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Cunningham ◽  
Philip James
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
Regulatory Perspective ◽  
Longitudinal Case Studies ◽  
Voluntary Organisations

This article draws on findings from two longitudinal case studies of voluntary organisations engaged in delivering social care services via purchaser–provider relations with local authorities. The study focuses on changes to contractual relations, employment conditions in provider organisations and service quality. The article argues the influence of the market on these changes can only be adequately comprehended by rooting the analysis in an understanding of the way in which surrounding regulatory frameworks shape its structure and operation. In doing so, it reveals how in an era of shifting market conditions characterised by greater competition and dramatic local authority cuts, a ‘soft’ regulatory framework offers little support to partnership relations between voluntary organisations and local authorities. Instead, the regulatory environment undermines financial security among voluntary organisations, degrades employment conditions in them and raises concerns regarding their service quality.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document