scholarly journals Measuring quality in community nursing: a mixed-methods study

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (18) ◽  
pp. 1-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Horrocks ◽  
Katherine Pollard ◽  
Lorna Duncan ◽  
Christina Petsoulas ◽  
Emma Gibbard ◽  
...  

Background High-quality nursing care is crucial for patients with complex conditions and comorbidities living at home, but such care is largely invisible to health planners and managers. Nursing care quality in acute settings is typically measured using a range of different quality measures; however, little is known about how service quality is measured in community nursing. Objective To establish which quality indicators (QIs) are selected for community nursing; how these are selected and applied; and their usefulness to service users (patients and/or carers), commissioners and provider staff. Design A mixed-methods study comprising three phases. (1) A national survey was undertaken of ‘Commissioning for Quality and Innovation’ indicators applied to community nursing care in 2014/15. The data were analysed descriptively using IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA). (2) An in-depth case study was conducted in five sites. Qualitative data were collected through observations, interviews, focus groups and documents. A thematic analysis was conducted using QSR NVivo 10 (QSR International, Warrington, UK). The findings from the first two phases were synthesised using a theoretical framework to examine how local and distal contexts affecting care provision impacted on the selection and application of QIs for community nursing. (3) Validity testing the findings and associated draft good practice guidance through a series of stakeholder engagement events held in venues across England. Setting The national survey was conducted by telephone and e-mail. Each case study site comprised a Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and its associated provider of community nursing services. Participants Survey – 145 (68.7%) CCGs across England. Case study NHS England national and regional quality leads (n = 5), commissioners (n = 19), provider managers (n = 32), registered community nurses (n = 45); and adult patients (n = 14) receiving care in their own homes and/or carers (n = 7). Findings A wide range of indicators was used nationally, with a major focus on organisational processes. Lack of nurse and service user involvement in indicator selection processes had a negative impact on their application and perceived usefulness. Indicator data collection was hampered by problematic information technology (IT) software and connectivity and interorganisational system incompatibility. Front-line staff considered indicators designed for acute settings inappropriate for use in community settings. Indicators did not reflect aspects of care, such as time spent, kindness and respect, that were highly valued by front-line staff and service user participants. Workshop delegates (commissioners, provider managers, front-line staff and service users, n = 242) endorsed the findings and drafted good practice guidance. Limitations Ongoing service reorganisation during the study period affected access to participants in some sites. The limited available data precluded an in-depth documentary analysis. Conclusions The current QIs for community nursing are of limited use. Indicators will be enhanced by involving service users and front-line staff in identification of suitable measures. Resolution of connectivity and compatibility challenges should assist implementation of new IT packages into practice. Modifications are likely to be required to ensure that indicators developed for acute settings are suitable for community. A mix of qualitative and quantitative methods will better represent community nursing service quality. Future work Future research should investigate the appropriate modifications and associated costs of administering QI schemes in integrated care settings. Funding The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

Author(s):  
Stephanie D. Preston ◽  
Julia D. Liao ◽  
Theodore P. Toombs ◽  
Rainer Romero-Canyas ◽  
Julia Speiser ◽  
...  

AbstractWhat makes a flagship species effective in engaging conservation donors? Large, charismatic mammals are typically selected as ambassadors, but a few studies suggest butterflies—and monarchs in particular—may be even more appealing. To gather more information about people’s responses to monarchs, we conducted an empirical study of member submissions to a successful conservation campaign, the Monarch Story Campaign, conducted by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The set of 691 stories along with their associated demographic and donation data was analyzed in a mixed-methods study using qualitative analysis and tests of association. The results showed that people often described encounters with monarchs in childhood and as adults. They expressed strong, positive emotions, and lauded the monarch’s beauty and other “awe-inspiring” qualities and expressed wonder at their lifecycle (i.e., metamorphosis and migration). They also raised conservation themes of distress at monarch loss, calls for action, and caretaking, such as being “fragile” and “in need.” Sharing personal encounters was associated with current efforts to save the species and more past financial donations, while a second pattern tied more donations to awe at the monarch’s mass migration. These results imply that conservation campaigns built around species people encounter may build lifelong awareness, concern, and actions towards conservation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (12) ◽  
pp. 4887-4899
Author(s):  
Annette Keuning‐Plantinga ◽  
Petrie Roodbol ◽  
Barbara C. Munster ◽  
Evelyn J. Finnema

Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Peiffer-Smadja ◽  
Rosalie Allison ◽  
Leah F. Jones ◽  
Alison Holmes ◽  
Parvesh Patel ◽  
...  

Background: Community pharmacists are involved in antimicrobial stewardship through self-care advice and delivering medications for uncomplicated infections. Objectives: This mixed methods study aimed to identify opportunities to enhance the role of community pharmacists in the management of service users with suspected or confirmed urinary tract infection (UTI). Methods: Data collection was through a service user survey (n = 51) and pharmacist surveys and semi-structured interviews before (16 interviews, 22 questionnaires) and after (15 interviews, 16 questionnaires) trialing UTI leaflets designed to be shared with service users. Data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis and descriptive tabulation of quantitative data. Results: Twenty-five percent (n = 13/51) of service users with urinary symptoms sought help from a pharmacist first and 65% (n = 33/51) were comfortable discussing their urinary symptoms with a pharmacist in a private space. Community pharmacists were confident as the first professional contact for service users with uncomplicated UTI (n = 13/16, 81%), but indicated the lack of a specific patient referral pathway (n = 16/16, 100%), the need for additional funding and staff (n = 10/16, 62%), and the importance of developing prescription options for pharmacists (5/16, 31%). All community pharmacists reported playing a daily role in controlling antimicrobial resistance by educating service users about viral and bacterial infections and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Enhancing their role will need greater integrated working with general practices and more prescribers based in community pharmacy. Conclusion: This study suggests that community pharmacists could play a greater role in the management of uncomplicated UTI. The current reconfiguration of primary care in England with primary care networks and integrated care systems could provide a real opportunity for this collaborative working with potential learning for international initiatives.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido van de Luitgaarden ◽  
Michelle van der Tier

Summary This article reports on an empirical case study into the process of establishing a working relationship between social workers and service users in an online social work service. Workers were using an online chat application to interact with young people, who sought professional help for various types of psychosocial problems. Two chat conversations and one interview of each of five research participants were analysed in terms of the way in which the working relationship between the service user and the online social worker was established. Thus, a total of 10 chat conversations and five interviews were included in this study. Findings Subjects were shown to be particularly focused on the process of addressing the issues with which the service users were trying to cope. As a consequence, limited effort was observed with regard to shaping the working relationship in such a way that the service user gained control over the course of the conversation. Applications As the medium influences the process of establishing a positive working relationship, it is argued that the worker should be able to understand the implications for the manner in which online conversations are conducted. Social work education is called upon to facilitate the acquiring of the knowledge and skills needed for such. It is suggested that more research into service users’ expectations regarding the working relationship within online social work could provide additional insights for the further improvement of these types of services.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-174
Author(s):  
Pedro Ruyman Brito-Brito ◽  
Domingo Angel Fernandez-Gutierrez ◽  
Hilary M. Smith ◽  

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Ruymán Brito-Brito ◽  
Cristina Oter-Quintana ◽  
Ángel Martín-García ◽  
Mª Teresa Alcolea-Cosín ◽  
Susana Martín-Iglesias ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. e12169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emel Teksoz ◽  
Ibrahim Bilgin ◽  
Suna Eryigit Madzwamuse ◽  
Ayse Ferda Oscakci

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 428-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Hayward ◽  
Steve West ◽  
Moira Green ◽  
Alison Blank

Health policy guidelines state that people who use mental health services should be involved in the development of the services they receive (Department of Health, 1999). Examples of good practice in this respect are reported from staff recruitment (Diamond et al, 2003), research (Trivedi & Wykes, 2002) and training (Repper, 2000; Harper, 2003). However, support for user involvement is not universal (Summers, 2003; Soffe, 2004) and, most significantly, there is considerable confusion about what is meant by involvement. The following case study will address these issues by: (a) adding to the evidence regarding the successful involvement of service users in training; and (b) clarifying the process by which involvement can be safely achieved.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-165
Author(s):  
George Boon Sai Teoh ◽  
Agnes Wei Lin Liau

Distance learners studying English confront emotionally demanding obstacles. A mixed methods study was conducted to explore the role that distance learners’ emotional intelligence (EI) plays as they learn English. In phase one of the study, 238 students responded to a composite questionnaire that yielded their EI scores, demography, and viewpoints regarding the English course. In phase two, 18 volunteers selected based on their EI scores were interviewed to obtain qualitative data to build upon the quantitative results. This paper presents a case study of a student called Aini. The findings revealed that Aini’s EI helped her manage her emotions, perceptions, and actions, and ultimately obtain her obligatory English credits for graduation. It is imperative to inculcate students’ EI to help them manage their emotions in order to adapt and persevere, not only when learning English via distance learning but also to successfully accomplish one’s goals in life.


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