scholarly journals Managing Multiple Medications and Their Packaging for Older People in Home Care Nursing: An Interview Study

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1265
Author(s):  
Giana Carli Lorenzini
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Medication Management ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Home Care Nursing ◽  
Home Care Nurses

Home care nurses assist older people in their daily living and well-being, including medication management. Medication management can be challenging for older people with functional constraints and several chronic conditions. This paper presents how home care nurses manage medications and their packaging for older people at their homes. This study followed an explorative qualitative research design, in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with home care nurses in Sweden (n = 14). The study revealed that home care nurses need to coordinate a multitude of interrelated tasks, with documentation being paramount. Regarding medication management, automated systems were preferred, as they reduce medication errors and facilitate dispensing of medications for each patient when compared with analogue systems still in use (i.e., dosing boxes), commonly used by older people. Importantly, the lack of a common journal system for updates on prescribed medication among health care providers and analogue communication still in place creates space for outdated prescription of medications for patients. There are opportunities for further investigation on how technology can help home care nurses in coordinating medication management tasks with other health care providers, and on receiving updates about medication intake by older patients when the nurse is not at their homes.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Patterns of Health Care Use Among Poor Older People Under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Program in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 233372141985545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Williams Agyemang-Duah ◽  
Charles Peprah ◽  
Francis Arthur-Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Expenditure ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Care Use ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Health Lifestyle

In spite of the growing literature on prevalence and patterns of health care use in later life globally, studies have generally overlooked subjective standpoints of vulnerable Ghanaian older people obstructing the achievement of the United Nations’ health-related Sustainable Development Goals. We examined the prevalence and patterns of health care use among poor older people in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ghana. Cross-sectional data were obtained from an Aging, Health, Lifestyle and Health Services Survey conducted between June 1 and 20, 2018 ( N = 200). Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were carried out to estimate the differences between gender and health care utilization with significant level of less than or equal to 0.05. Whereas, 85% of the respondents utilized health care, females were higher utilizers (88% vs. 75%) but males significantly incurred higher health care expenditure. The majority utilized health services on monthly basis (38%) and consulted public health care providers (77%). While 68% utilized services from hospitals, most sourced health information from family members (54%) and financed their health care through personal income (45%). The study found that the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty grant played a little role in reducing health poverty. Stakeholders should review social programs that target poor older people in order to improve their well-being and utilization of health care.

On the road again: Patient perspectives on commuting for palliative care

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Pesut ◽  
Carole A. Robinson ◽  
Joan L. Bottorff ◽  
Gillian Fyles ◽  
Sandra Broughton
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
On The Road

AbstractObjective:The aim of this research project was to gain an understanding of the experiences of rural cancer patients who commute to an urban cancer center for palliative care.Method:The study utilized a mixed method design. Fifteen individuals with a palliative designation participated in semi-structured interviews and filled out the Problems and Needs in Palliative Care Questionnaire.Results:Qualitative findings included three major themes: cultures of rural life and care, strategies for commuting, and the effects of commuting. Participants valued their rural lifestyles and gained significant support from their communities. Strategies included preparing for the trip with particular attention to pain management, making the most of time, and maintaining significant relationships. Establishing a routine helped to offset the anxiety of commuting. Commuting was costly but the quality of life and supportive relationships obtained through treatment were significant benefits. Questionnaire data suggested that participants were experiencing a number of problems but few indicated they desired more professional attention to those problems.Significance of Results:Rural lifestyles are often an important part of overall well-being and commuting for care is both costly and complex. Health care providers should assist individuals to weigh the relative contributions of staying in their rural locale versus commuting for care to their overall quality of life. Palliative-care individuals in this study indicated a number of ongoing problems but were not inclined to seek further assistance from health care providers in addressing those problems. Clinicians should actively inquire about problems and further research is needed to understand why patients are reluctant to seek help.

scholarly journals Oncology Health Care Providers’ Perceptions of the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Oncology Patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melody Nichole Chavez ◽  
Victoria K. Marshall ◽  
Dinorah Martinez Tyson ◽  
Tina M. Mason ◽  
Kaitlyn Rechenberg
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Oncology Patients ◽  
Living With Cancer

Abstract Purpose. The COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation measures have had a profound impact on the psychological and mental well-being of people living with cancer. The aim of this study was to explore oncology health care professionals’ (OHCP) perceptions of psychological effects of COVID-19 among people in active cancer treatment. Methods. An exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of OHCP, who were actively participating and providing care to patients with cancer and undergoing treatment. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using Atlas.ti v8. Inductive applied thematic analysis techniques were employed to identify emergent themes.Results. A total of 30 OHCP participated in the study with the majority being registered nurses (70%), worked in the outpatient oncology clinic (56.7%) and worked in current position 1- 5 years (53.3%). The overarching themes included: (1) cancer care treatment disrupted due to patients fear of exposure to COVID-19; (2) social distancing restrictions had a negative impact on social support and supportive services exacerbating psychological and physical well-being among oncology patients; (3) pandemic-related stressors lead to overwhelmed coping skills among oncology patients; and (4) OHCP play vital roles in providing emotional support to comfort, reassure and connect oncology patients with their family/friends through technology.Conclusion. Our findings highlight increased psychological distress during the pandemic. Behavioral health interventions for oncology patients should focus within the scope of the “new world of Covid-19” of reduced face to face support and increased online support.

scholarly journals Substance Use Among Older People Living With HIV: Challenges for Health Care Providers

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherry Deren ◽  
Tara Cortes ◽  
Victoria Vaughan Dickson ◽  
Vincent Guilamo-Ramos ◽  
Benjamin H. Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Living With Hiv

Patient Flow or the Patient’s Journey? Exploring Health Care Providers’ Experiences and Understandings of Implementing a Care Pathway to Improve the Quality of Transitional Care for Older People

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232110038
Author(s):  
Cecilie Fromholt Olsen ◽  
Astrid Bergland ◽  
Jonas Debesay ◽  
Asta Bye ◽  
Anne Gudrun Langaas
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Transitional Care ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Care Pathways ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Care For Older People

Internationally, the implementation of care pathways is a common strategy for making transitional care for older people more effective and patient-centered. Previous research highlights inherent tensions in care pathways, particularly in relation to their patient-centered aspects, which may cause dilemmas for health care providers. Health care providers’ understandings and experiences of this, however, remain unclear. Our aim was to explore health care providers’ experiences and understandings of implementing a care pathway to improve transitional care for older people. We conducted semistructured interviews with 20 health care providers and three key persons, along with participant observations of 22 meetings, in a Norwegian quality improvement collaborative. Through a thematic analysis, we identified an understanding of the care pathway as both patient flow and the patient’s journey and a dilemma between the two, and we discuss how the negotiation of conflicting institutional logics is a central part of care pathway implementation.

scholarly journals Depression and Suicidality in Gay Men: Implications for Health Care Providers

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 910-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie Lee ◽  
John L. Oliffe ◽  
Mary T. Kelly ◽  
Olivier Ferlatte
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Prevalence Of Depression

Gay men are a subgroup vulnerable to depression and suicidality. The prevalence of depression among gay men is three times higher than the general adult population. Because depression is a known risk factor for suicide, gay men are also at high risk for suicidality. Despite the high prevalence of depression and suicidality, health researchers and health care providers have tended to focus on sexual health issues, most often human immunodeficiency virus in gay men. Related to this, gay men’s health has often been defined by sexual practices, and poorly understood are the intersections of gay men’s physical and mental health with social determinants of health including ethnicity, locale, education level, and socioeconomic status. In the current article summated is literature addressing risk factors for depression and suicidality among gay men including family acceptance of their sexual identities, social cohesion and belonging, internalized stigma, and victimization. Barriers to gay men’s help seeking are also discussed in detailing how health care providers might advance the well-being of this underserved subgroup by effectively addressing depression and suicidality.

Creating Comics to Address Well-Being and Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110654
Author(s):  
Kathryn West ◽  
Karen R. Jackson ◽  
Tobias L. Spears ◽  
Brian Callender
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Narrative Medicine ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Graphic Medicine ◽  
Racial Injustice ◽  
Pilot Implementation

In this descriptive case series, we detail the theoretical basis, methodology, and impact of a small-scale pilot implementation of graphic medicine workshops as an innovative approach to well-being and resilience in the age of COVID-19 and increasing awareness of racial injustice. The data provided in this article are anecdotal and based on participation in the workshops. Images created during the workshops are also shared as examples of the types of reflection that graphic medicine can enable. The workshops themselves were designed collaboratively and are based on the theoretical principles of graphic medicine, narrative medicine, and racial and social justice. They were conducted as part of a larger wellness initiative and were offered to health care-focused faculty at our academic medical institution. Our findings suggest that this was a beneficial activity which helped participants to reflect and reconsider their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic and surging awareness of racial injustice. Reflections also showed that drawings were correlated with ProQOL scores and may, in larger numbers, also help to mitigate or bring attention to issues of burnout in frontline providers. Drawings shared show the tremendous impact of COVID-19 and the simultaneous chaos and emptiness of practicing during dual pandemics. Our workshops engaged about 20 frontline health care providers and other health care faculty and highlight the utility of graphic medicine as a tool for building resilience and encouraging self-reflection. Further study is necessary, as is more rigorous analysis of the relationship between the graphics created and the ability to recognize and mitigate burnout.

The Importance of Religiosity to the Well-Being of African American Older Adults Living With Dementia

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 509-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fayron Epps ◽  
Ishan C. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Religious Practices ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Religious Activities ◽  
Structured Interviews

This study was a post hoc analysis of a larger qualitative descriptive study exploring family involvement in health promotion activities for African Americans living with dementia where participants identified religious practices as meaningful health promotion activities. The purpose of this study was to explore ways in which religiosity may influence the well-being of older adults living with dementia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among a sample of 22 family caregivers and 15 older adults living with dementia ( N = 37). Three themes emerged: Engagement, Promotion of Faith and Spiritual Connectedness, and Maintenance of Religious Practices. It is imperative for family caregivers to understand the important contributions of religious activities and beliefs to the well-being of their family member. This information might be of use for faith communities, policy makers, and health care providers in the provision of optimal person-centered care and the promotion of quality of life for persons living with dementia.

scholarly journals Issues Associated With the Management and Governance of Sensor Data and Information to Assist Aging in Place: Focus Group Study With Health Care Professionals (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inga Hunter ◽  
Phoebe Elers ◽  
Caroline Lockhart ◽  
Hans Guesgen ◽  
Amardeep Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Age In Place

BACKGROUND Smart home and telemonitoring technologies have often been suggested to assist health care workers in supporting older people to age in place. However, there is limited research examining diverse information needs of different groups of health care workers and their access to appropriate information technologies. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the issues associated with using technologies that connect older people to their health care providers to support aging in place and enhance older people’s health and well-being. METHODS Seven focus group discussions were conducted comprising 44 health care professionals who provided clinic-based or in-home services to community-dwelling older people. Participants were asked about their information needs and how technology could help them support older people to age in place. The recordings of the sessions were transcribed and thematically analyzed. RESULTS The perspectives varied between the respondents who worked in primary care clinics and those who worked in community-based services. Three overarching themes were identified. The first theme was “access to technology and systems,” which examined the different levels of technology in use and the problems that various groups of health care professionals had in accessing information about their patients. Primary care professionals had access to good internal information systems but they experienced poor integration with other health care providers. The community-based teams had poor access to technology. The second theme was “collecting and sharing of information,” which focused on how technology might be used to provide them with more information about their patients. Primary care teams were interested in telemonitoring for specific clinical indicators but they wanted the information to be preprocessed. Community-based teams were more concerned about gaining information on the patients’ social environment. The third theme was that all respondents identified similar “barriers to uptake”: cost and funding issues, usability of systems by older people, and information security and privacy concerns. CONCLUSIONS The participants perceived the potential benefits of technologies, but they were concerned that the information they received should be preprocessed and integrated with current information systems and tailored to the older people’s unique and changing situations. Several management and governance issues were identified, which needed to be resolved to enable the widespread integration of these technologies into the health care system. The disconnected nature of the current information architecture means that there is no clear way for sensor data from telemonitoring and smart home devices to be integrated with other patient information. Furthermore, cost, privacy, security, and usability barriers also need to be resolved. This study highlights the importance and the complexity of management and governance of systems to collect and disseminate such information. Further research into the requirements of all stakeholder groups and how the information can be processed and disseminated is required.

scholarly journals Issues Associated With the Management and Governance of Sensor Data and Information to Assist Aging in Place: Focus Group Study With Health Care Professionals

10.2196/24157 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e24157
Author(s):  
Inga Hunter ◽  
Phoebe Elers ◽  
Caroline Lockhart ◽  
Hans Guesgen ◽  
Amardeep Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Age In Place

Background Smart home and telemonitoring technologies have often been suggested to assist health care workers in supporting older people to age in place. However, there is limited research examining diverse information needs of different groups of health care workers and their access to appropriate information technologies. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the issues associated with using technologies that connect older people to their health care providers to support aging in place and enhance older people’s health and well-being. Methods Seven focus group discussions were conducted comprising 44 health care professionals who provided clinic-based or in-home services to community-dwelling older people. Participants were asked about their information needs and how technology could help them support older people to age in place. The recordings of the sessions were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Results The perspectives varied between the respondents who worked in primary care clinics and those who worked in community-based services. Three overarching themes were identified. The first theme was “access to technology and systems,” which examined the different levels of technology in use and the problems that various groups of health care professionals had in accessing information about their patients. Primary care professionals had access to good internal information systems but they experienced poor integration with other health care providers. The community-based teams had poor access to technology. The second theme was “collecting and sharing of information,” which focused on how technology might be used to provide them with more information about their patients. Primary care teams were interested in telemonitoring for specific clinical indicators but they wanted the information to be preprocessed. Community-based teams were more concerned about gaining information on the patients’ social environment. The third theme was that all respondents identified similar “barriers to uptake”: cost and funding issues, usability of systems by older people, and information security and privacy concerns. Conclusions The participants perceived the potential benefits of technologies, but they were concerned that the information they received should be preprocessed and integrated with current information systems and tailored to the older people’s unique and changing situations. Several management and governance issues were identified, which needed to be resolved to enable the widespread integration of these technologies into the health care system. The disconnected nature of the current information architecture means that there is no clear way for sensor data from telemonitoring and smart home devices to be integrated with other patient information. Furthermore, cost, privacy, security, and usability barriers also need to be resolved. This study highlights the importance and the complexity of management and governance of systems to collect and disseminate such information. Further research into the requirements of all stakeholder groups and how the information can be processed and disseminated is required.

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