scholarly journals Identifying the Value of an eHealth Intervention Aimed at Cognitive Impairments: Observational Study in Different Contexts and Service Models (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Jurkeviciute ◽  
Lex van Velsen ◽  
Henrik Eriksson ◽  
Svante Lifvergren ◽  
Pietro Davide Trimarchi ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Value is one of the central concepts in health care, but it is vague within the field of summative eHealth evaluations. Moreover, the role of context in explaining the value is underexplored, and there is no explicit framework guiding the evaluation of the value of eHealth interventions. Hence, different studies conceptualize and operationalize value in different ways. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study is to identify contextual factors that determine similarities and differences in the value of an eHealth intervention between 2 contexts. We also aim to reflect on and contribute to the discussion about the specification, assessment, and relativity of the “value” concept in the evaluation of eHealth interventions. METHODS The study concerned a 6-month eHealth intervention targeted at elderly patients (n=107) diagnosed with cognitive impairment in Italy and Sweden. The intervention introduced a case manager role and an eHealth platform to provide remote monitoring and coaching services to the patients. A model for evaluating the value of eHealth interventions was designed as monetary and nonmonetary benefits and sacrifices, based on the value conceptualizations in eHealth and marketing literature. The data was collected using the Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE), the clock drawing test, and the 5-level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L). Semistructured interviews were conducted with patients and health care professionals. Monetary data was collected from the health care and technology providers. RESULTS The value of an eHealth intervention applied to similar types of populations but differed in different contexts. In Sweden, patients improved cognitive performance (MMSE mean 0.85, SD 1.62, <i>P</i>&lt;.001), reduced anxiety (EQ-5D-5L mean 0.16, SD 0.54, <i>P</i>=.046), perceived their health better (EQ-5D-5L VAS scale mean 2.6, SD 9.7, <i>P</i>=.035), and both patients and health care professionals were satisfied with the care. However, the Swedish service model demonstrated an increased cost, higher workload for health care professionals, and the intervention was not cost-efficient. In Italy, the patients were satisfied with the care received, and the health care professionals felt empowered and had an acceptable workload. Moreover, the intervention was cost-effective. However, clinical efficacy and quality of life improvements have not been observed. We identified 6 factors that influence the value of eHealth intervention in a particular context: (1) service delivery design of the intervention (process of delivery), (2) organizational setup of the intervention (ie, organizational structure and professionals involved), (3) cost of different treatments, (4) hourly rates of staff for delivering the intervention, (5) lifestyle habits of the population (eg, how physically active they were in their daily life and if they were living alone or with family), and (6) local preferences on the quality of patient care. CONCLUSIONS Value in the assessments of eHealth interventions need to be considered beyond economic terms, perceptions, or behavior changes. To obtain a holistic view of the value created, it needs to be operationalized into monetary and nonmonetary outcomes, categorizing these into benefits and sacrifices.

10.2196/17720 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. e17720
Author(s):  
Monika Jurkeviciute ◽  
Lex van Velsen ◽  
Henrik Eriksson ◽  
Svante Lifvergren ◽  
Pietro Davide Trimarchi ◽  
...  

Background Value is one of the central concepts in health care, but it is vague within the field of summative eHealth evaluations. Moreover, the role of context in explaining the value is underexplored, and there is no explicit framework guiding the evaluation of the value of eHealth interventions. Hence, different studies conceptualize and operationalize value in different ways. Objective The objective of our study is to identify contextual factors that determine similarities and differences in the value of an eHealth intervention between 2 contexts. We also aim to reflect on and contribute to the discussion about the specification, assessment, and relativity of the “value” concept in the evaluation of eHealth interventions. Methods The study concerned a 6-month eHealth intervention targeted at elderly patients (n=107) diagnosed with cognitive impairment in Italy and Sweden. The intervention introduced a case manager role and an eHealth platform to provide remote monitoring and coaching services to the patients. A model for evaluating the value of eHealth interventions was designed as monetary and nonmonetary benefits and sacrifices, based on the value conceptualizations in eHealth and marketing literature. The data was collected using the Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE), the clock drawing test, and the 5-level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L). Semistructured interviews were conducted with patients and health care professionals. Monetary data was collected from the health care and technology providers. Results The value of an eHealth intervention applied to similar types of populations but differed in different contexts. In Sweden, patients improved cognitive performance (MMSE mean 0.85, SD 1.62, P<.001), reduced anxiety (EQ-5D-5L mean 0.16, SD 0.54, P=.046), perceived their health better (EQ-5D-5L VAS scale mean 2.6, SD 9.7, P=.035), and both patients and health care professionals were satisfied with the care. However, the Swedish service model demonstrated an increased cost, higher workload for health care professionals, and the intervention was not cost-efficient. In Italy, the patients were satisfied with the care received, and the health care professionals felt empowered and had an acceptable workload. Moreover, the intervention was cost-effective. However, clinical efficacy and quality of life improvements have not been observed. We identified 6 factors that influence the value of eHealth intervention in a particular context: (1) service delivery design of the intervention (process of delivery), (2) organizational setup of the intervention (ie, organizational structure and professionals involved), (3) cost of different treatments, (4) hourly rates of staff for delivering the intervention, (5) lifestyle habits of the population (eg, how physically active they were in their daily life and if they were living alone or with family), and (6) local preferences on the quality of patient care. Conclusions Value in the assessments of eHealth interventions need to be considered beyond economic terms, perceptions, or behavior changes. To obtain a holistic view of the value created, it needs to be operationalized into monetary and nonmonetary outcomes, categorizing these into benefits and sacrifices.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew R Quanbeck

BACKGROUND Primary healthcare systems are uniquely positioned to provide access to strategies for reducing alcohol misuse and high-risk drinking, strategies which include mHealth apps. The extent of human interaction needed to achieve effective and cost-effective use of mHealth apps in primary care remains largely unexamined. This study seeks to understand how varying levels of human interaction affect the ways in which an mHealth intervention for the prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorders works or does not work, for whom, and under what circumstances. OBJECTIVE The primary aim is to detect the effectiveness of an mHealth intervention by assessing differences in self-reported risky drinking patterns and quality of life between participants in three study groups (self-monitored, peer-supported, and clinically integrated). Each group reflects differences in the level of human touch provided to support use of the intervention. The cost-effectiveness of each approach will be assessed . METHODS This Hybrid 1 study is an unblinded patient-level randomized clinical trial testing the effects of using an evidence-based mHealth system on participants’ drinking patterns and quality of life. There are two groups of participants for this study: individuals receiving the intervention and health care professionals practicing in the broader primary care environment. The intervention is a smartphone app encouraging users to reduce their alcohol consumption within the context of integrative medicine using techniques to build healthy habits. Primary outcomes for quantitative analysis will be participant data on their risky drinking days and quality of life, as well as app usage from weekly and quarterly surveys. Cost measures include intervention and implementation costs. Cost per participant will be determined for each study arm with intervention and implementation costs separated within each group. There will also be a qualitative assessment of health care professionals’ engagement with the app as well as their thoughts on participant experience with the app. RESULTS This protocol was approved on November 18, 2019 by the Health Sciences Minimal Risk Institutional Review Board with subsequent annual reviews. Recruitment began on March 06, 2020 but was suspended on March 13, 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Limited recruitment resumed on July 6, 2020. Trial status as of June 9, 2021: 257 participants are enrolled in the study toward a planned enrollment of 546 participants. CONCLUSIONS New knowledge gained from this study could have wide and lasting benefits related to the integration of mHealth systems for alcohol use disorders in primary healthcare systems. Results of the study will guide policy makers and providers to cost-effective ways to incorporate technology in health care. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04011644


Author(s):  
Ravi Kant Jain ◽  
Adhir Jain ◽  
Neeraj Jain

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Worldwide, increasing concern has been given to the assessment of patient satisfaction survey as a method of monitor of the quality of health care provision in the health institutions. The study aimed to assess the level of patient satisfaction with preoperative and postoperative surgical services and its associated factors. Study includes Experience of 17 questionnaires.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> A total of 507 indoor patients were taken on a random basis full filing the inclusion and exclusion criteria, over a period of 1 year from December 2017 to January 2018. Firstly, we applied Cronbach's alpha to know the reliability of survey questionnaire, then we collected the final data. Association between two non-parametric variables was seen using Pearson’s chi-square test. A p value of less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Data was analysed using SPSS 21.0.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> Patients with good satisfaction rates were 60.2%. We found that males are more satisfied then females with Pearson Chi-square value=8.033, df=1, p value=0.005. Patients with age of above 80 years and between age group of 21-40 years have comparatively lower satisfaction rates with Pearson Chi-square value=33.265, df=4, P value=0.000.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Assessing patients’ satisfaction rates can be a simple and cost effective technique for evaluating the services provided by health care providers and institutions and should be conducted periodically to detect carelessness and bring about overall improvement in the quality of care provided. This should be generalised and universally accepted.</p><p class="Default"> </p>


1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria M. Talbott

Complaints of older widows regarding their husbands' health care are investigated in this study. Sixty-four older widows were interviewed several years after their husbands' deaths. The deaths occurred in the early 1980s. Forty-six percent reported problems in the health care their husbands had received. Widows whose husbands had not known in advance that they were going to die were more likely to complain about their husbands' medical care than widows whose husbands had known in advance. Complaints were also related to the frequency of several symptoms of grief. The widows' complaints about their husbands' care focus on quality of care, perceived insensitivity on the part of health care professionals, lack of control over the death, and the organization of services.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 237437352199774
Author(s):  
Thomas Key ◽  
Avadhut Kulkarni ◽  
Vikram Kandhari ◽  
Zayd Jawad ◽  
Angela Hughes ◽  
...  

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated many rapid changes in the provision and delivery of health care in hospital. This study aimed to explore the patient experience of inpatient care during COVID-19 pandemic. An electronic questionnaire was designed and distributed to inpatients treated at a large University Health Board over a 6-week period. It focused on hospital inpatients’ experience of being cared for by health care professionals wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), explored communication, and patients’ perceptions of the quality of care. A total of 704 patients completed the survey. Results demonstrated that patients believe PPE is important to protect the health of both patients and staff and does not negatively impact on their care. In spite of routine use of PPE, patients were still able to identify and communicate with staff. Although visiting restrictions were enforced to limit disease transmission, patients maintained contact with their relatives by using various electronic forms of communication. Overall, patients rated the quality of care they received at 9/10. This single-center study demonstrates a positive patient experience of care at an unprecedented time.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 237437352098147
Author(s):  
Temitope Esther Olamuyiwa ◽  
Foluke Olukemi Adeniji

Introduction: Patient satisfaction is a commonly used indicator for measuring the quality of health care. This study assessed patients’ satisfaction with the quality of care at the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) clinic in a tertiary facility. Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study in which 379 systematically selected participants completed an interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Bivariate analysis was performed using Pearson χ2 with a P value set at ≤ .05. Results: The study found out that about half (193, 50.9%) of the respondents were satisfied with the availability of structure. Patients were not satisfied with waiting time in the medical records, account, laboratory, and pharmacy sections. Overall, 286 (75.5%) of the respondents were satisfied with the outcome of health care provided at the NHIS clinic. A statistically significant association ( P = .00) was observed between treatment outcome and patient satisfaction. Conclusion: There is a need to address structural deficiencies and time management at the clinic.


Author(s):  
Anmol Arora ◽  
Andrew Wright ◽  
Mark Cheng ◽  
Zahra Khwaja ◽  
Matthew Seah

AbstractHealthcare as an industry is recognised as one of the most innovative. Despite heavy regulation, there is substantial scope for new technologies and care models to not only boost patient outcomes but to do so at reduced cost to healthcare systems and consumers. Promoting innovation within national health systems such as the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom (UK) has been set as a key target for health care professionals and policy makers. However, while the UK has a world-class biomedical research industry, several reports in the last twenty years have highlighted the difficulties faced by the NHS in encouraging and adopting innovations, with the journey from idea to implementation of health technology often taking years and being very expensive, with a high failure rate. This has led to the establishment of several innovation pathways within and around the NHS, to encourage the invention, development and implementation of cost-effective technologies that improve health care delivery. These pathways span local, regional and national health infrastructure. They operate at different stages of the innovation pipeline, with their scope and work defined by location, technology area or industry sector, based on the specific problem identified when they were set up. In this introductory review, we outline each of the major innovation pathways operating at local, regional and national levels across the NHS, including their history, governance, operating procedures and areas of expertise. The extent to which innovation pathways address current challenges faced by innovators is discussed, as well as areas for improvement and future study.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan R. Fleischman ◽  
Kathleen Nolan ◽  
Nancy N. Dubler ◽  
Michael F. Epstein ◽  
Mary Ann Gerben ◽  
...  

Background. Much has been written about the care of the hopelessly ill adult, but there is little guidance for pediatric health care professionals in the management of children who are critically or terminally ill. Methods. Through a 3-day meeting in Tarrytown, NY, attended by a group of pediatricians and others directly involved in these issues, a principled approach was developed for the treatment of, and health care decision-making for, children who are gravely ill. Results. The group agreed that the needs and interests of the child must be the central focus of any treatment plan and that the child should be involved to as great extent possible, consistent with developmental maturity, in the decision-making process. Quality of future life should be viewed as being relevant in all decisions. Parents are believed to be the natural guardians of children and ought to have great latitude in making decisions for them. However, parental discretion is not absolute and professionals must maintain an independent obligation to protect the child's interests. Conclusions. Decision-making should be collaborative among patient, parents, and professionals. When conflict arises, consultation and ethics committees may assist in resolution. When cure or restoration of function is no longer possible, or reasonable, promotion of comfort becomes the primary goal of management. Optimal use of pain medication and compassionate concern for the physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being of the child and family should be the primary focus of the professionals caring for the dying child.


Curationis ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Leech ◽  
N.C. Van Wyk ◽  
C.J.E. Uys

In the previous article, the author described, according to the scope of practice of registered nurses, the responsibilities oi community nurses with regard to the management of infant developmental needs in primary health care clinics in South Africa. In this article, the focus is on the development of guidelines for the support of community nurses in fulfilling these responsibilities. Before the development of the guidelines is addressed, a brief overview of the background of the study, assumptions of the researcher and the methodology of the study is given. The development of the set of guidelines (DEFINE HOPE) is set against the background of the drive to improve the quality of developmental care for infants and their families. As guidelines help to translate scientific information into statements, it could be valuable to community nurses to improve their delivery of developmental care. To gather evidence for the formulation of the guidelines, the researcher utilised the themes identified during the analysis process in phase one of the research; investigated research articles; and compared findings and recommendations of the articles with the research findings obtained in phase one. In addition to the research findings and literature review, a focus group (health care professionals represented in the case study), was utilised to assist with the final development and validation of the guidelines. The researcher adapted a number of desirable attributes for guidelines, which are indicated in the literature, to compile the criteria for validation of the guidelines. In conclusion, guidelines are necessary to support community nurses in finding “best practice” within their scope of practice to ensure higher quality of developmental care to families with infants 0-2 years.


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