Perceptions And Abilities Related To Patient Engagement In Diabetes Care Among Primary Healthcare Providers In Malaysia: A Qualitative Study

@#Malaysia seeks to transform its public healthcare sector to manage the growing number of people with diabetes. Patient engagement is a critical clinical competency for healthcare providers treating people with diabetes. In this study, we investigate the perceptions of and ability to practice patient engagement among doctors and nurses working in Malaysia’s primary healthcare system. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine non-specialist doctors and ten nurses working in primary healthcare clinics. Further, 12 key informants with specialist knowledge about diabetes care and the healthcare system in Malaysia were interviewed. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Three main themes emerged: 1) understanding barriers to self-care and treatment, 2) perceived training needs and skills within patient engagement and empowerment, and 3) challenges to the practice of patient engagement. A range of barriers was identified in healthcare providers’ ability to practice patient engagement. Future efforts should seek to improve competencies within patient engagement, identification of especially psychosocial barriers to self-care and empowerment. Yet, available manpower and time also influence whether patient engagement is practiced.

Educational Needs for Sexual Health and Its Effect on Depression and the Quality of Life in Patients with Prostate Cancer

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore educational needs for sexual health, to identify relations among educational needs for sexual health, depression and quality of life, and to identify the factors affecting quality of life in patients with prostate cancer aged > 40 years. METHODS: A sample of 78 patients was recruited from a university hospital in Seoul. A cross-sectional design was used in which participants completed the questionnaires to assess educational needs for sexual health, depression and quality of life. The data were analyzed using the t-test, ANOVA, correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis. RESULTS: The quality of life of participants differed significantly by occupation status before and after diagnosis, stage at diagnosis, underlying disease, performance status, and in the Gleason sum score. Stepwise regression analysis of the data showed that depression, sexual interaction, Gleason sum score, and occupation since diagnosis were the statistically significant factors associated with quality of life of patients with prostate cancer. This regression model explained 55.1% of the quality of life. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that depression and sexual interaction had the greatest impact on quality of life in prostate cancer patients. In clinical practice, we recommend that healthcare professionals take the initiative to provide adequate and accurate information about sexual health to prostate cancer survivors.

Nurses' Educational Needs Assessment for Financial Management Education Using the Nominal Group Technique

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the financial management educational needs of nurses in order to development an educational program to strengthen their financial management competencies. METHODS: Data were collected from two focus groups using the nominal group technique. The study consisted of three steps: a literature review, focus group discussion using the nominal group technique, and data synthesis. RESULTS: After analyzing the results, nine key components were selected: corporate management and accounting, introduction to financial management in hospitals, basic structure of accounting, basics of hospital accounting, basics of financial statements, understanding the accounts of financial statements, advanced analysis of financial statements, application of financial management, and capital financing of hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings can be used to develop a financial management education program to strengthen the financial management competencies of nurse.

Parenting Stress and Information Needs at the End of Treatment after Complete Remission of Leukemia

PURPOSE: This study has attempted to comparatively analyze the parenting stress that parents of a child with leukemia and their information needs at the end of treatment after complete remission (CR) of leukemia. METHODS: For data collection, a structured questionnaire survey on parenting stress and information needs was conducted using parents of children with leukemia visiting the Blood & Marrow Transplantation Center at C University Hospital in Seoul from August to December 2011. A total of 100 parents were examined. RESULTS: The parents of children under treatment after CR had greater parenting stress than parents of children whose treatment was finished. The parents of children whose treatment was finished had greater information needs than the parents of children whose treatment was ongoing. The differences had no statistical significance. In both groups, information needs about patients' growth development and school adjustment was high. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that it is necessary to add information about daily life management, child's growth development, sociopsychological adaptation, school adjustment, and support of family, to the current symptom care-centered education program.