Telehealth and its impact on the management of type 2 diabetes

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has created many challenges and barriers in healthcare, which includes the treatment and management of patients with type 2 diabetes (Robson & Hosseinzadeh, 2021). The purpose of this Evidence-Based Project (EBP) project is to evaluate the effectiveness of type 2 diabetes management through telehealth and answers the following PICOT question: In patients with diabetes type 2 who have difficulties with medical visit compliance (P), will the telehealth platform (I), compared to patient's previous visit HbA1c (C) improve the Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) diagnostic marker (O) over a 12-week period(T)? An extensive literature search of five databases was performed, citation chasing, and a hand search yielded fourteen pieces of evidence ranging from level I to VI (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2019). The pieces of evidence selected for this project support the evidence that telehealth implementation is as effective as the "usual care" or in-person visits to treat type 2 diabetes. The John Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) model was selected. Patients with a HbA1c of greater than 6.7% have been asked to schedule two six-week telehealth visits. During the live video visit, a review of medications, and diabetes self-management education (DSME) will be conducted. Participants will be provided with education to promote lifestyle modifications. The visits will be conducted through an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system that is Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant. A paired t-Test will be used with the data collected from the pre-and post-HbA1c. Improve the management of type 2 diabetes with the incorporation of telemedicine in primary care. Research supports the need to further expand the use of telehealth in primary care, to improve patient outcomes and decrease co-morbidities related to type 2 diabetes.

A Systematic Review Identifying Adverse Health Outcomes and Mortality Rates Associated with Telehealth

Background: The literature supporting telehealth management is growing accelerated by the COVID-pandemic. We hypothesize that there are risks of adverse events associated with telehealth interventions. Methods: A review of PubMed (including MEDLINE), Embase, ISI (Web of Science), VHL/GHL, Scopus, Science Direct, and PsycINFO was conducted for all adverse events associated with telehealth from January 1, 1960 to March 1, 2021. This systematic review and meta-analyses were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: Of 5,144 citations 78 published studies met criteria for quality evaluation and underwent full text ion including the qualitative synthesis. Of the 78 included studies 8 were included in the quantitative synthesis resulting in 2 meta-analyses. The results of the meta-analysis suggest that monitoring patients using telehealth techniques is associated with 40% lower mortality risks among patients suffering from heart failure, compared to those who received traditional care. The results of the random-effects meta-analysis showed the pooled relative risk of mortality to be 0.60, indicating that patients that underwent telemonitoring had a lower mortality risk compared with the patients that underwent usual care. Among patients with heart implants, patients who received telemonitoring had a 35% lower mortality risk compared to patients receiving traditional care. Conclusions: While RCTs of telehealth interventions demonstrate enhanced patient outcomes in a number of studies and pave the way to evidence-based practice, the heterogeneity of the research questions suggest an important need for more complementary studies with consistent outcome assessments.

Remote and digitally delivered mental health support for care-experienced young people: Some practice-based reflections in response to cummings (2023)

In a recent contribution to this journal, Cummings (2023) reports findings from a preliminary qualitative study of practitioner viewpoints regarding digitally delivered mental health support to care-experienced young people. Cummings' study highlights the need to engage with professional experiences of using digital methods with this group, both during and outside of the COVID-19 pandemic. A response to - and commentary on - Cummings' contribution is provided, to advance discussion of issues identified by the research. We reflect on our experience as practitioners and researchers working in and alongside specialist child and adolescent mental health service teams serving care-experienced children and young people. We focus on workspaces in remote working, therapeutic technique in online and telephone-based care, and virtues and challenges of remote care delivery. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

A Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Haemostatic Interventions in Primary Cleft Palate Repair.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of adrenaline infiltration, topical adrenaline, systemic tranexamic acid, fibrin tissue sealants and alginate-based topical coagulants at reducing blood loss and post-operative bleeding in primary cleft palate repair. DESIGN: Systematic review according to PRISMA-P guidelines, using Covidence systematic review software to facilitate 3-stage screening and data extraction by two reviewers. SETTING: Academic cleft surgery center. INTERVENTIONS: Any peri-operative intervention to reduce intra-operative and post-operative bleeding. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Estimated blood loss, rate of post-operative bleeding, rate of return to theatre for haemostasis. RESULTS: Sixteen relevant studies were identified, with a total of 1469 study participants. Nine studies examined efficacy of infiltrating vasoconstrictors and all concluded that 1:100,000-1:400,000 adrenaline infiltration reduced intra-operative blood loss, to the range of 12-60 ml. Secondary bleeding and re-operation for haemostasis were uncommon. Tranexamic acid was studied in five randomised controlled trials, two of which demonstrated a significant reduction in blood loss compared to a control group. Use of fibrin and gelatin sponge products was examined in 3 studies, all of which reported no or minimal bleeding, but did not have quantifiable outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: Infiltration with vasoconstricting agents, administration of systemic tranexamic acid and application of fibrin sealants have a well-studied and favorable safety profile in pediatric cases, and likely contribute to the relatively low incidence of post-operative bleeding and intra-operative blood loss in primary cleft palate repair.

Quality Improvement Evaluation of a Veterans' Palliative Care Telehealth Music Therapy Program

Music therapy is an important psychosocial aspect of hospice and palliative care programs to address pain, grief, and anxiety. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges to psychosocial therapies in palliative care, including the inability of families to be at the bedside of seriously ill patients, and the need to provide services remotely through video technology. Due to this sudden shift in service delivery, music therapists adapted without research evidence or evaluation of service quality. This evidence-based quality improvement (QI) evaluation examined the program effectiveness of music therapy telehealth services at one Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) for patients in palliative care, their family members, and VAMC staff during this time of societal grief, anxiety, and isolation. Evaluation metrics included patient (n = 39), staff (n = 27), and family member (n = 3) responses to QI surveys, and analysis of journal entries from key stakeholders (i.e., music therapist, nurse case manager, palliative care physician). We conducted a content analysis of QI surveys and completed the first and second cycle coding of journal entries. Results from the QI survey indicated that music therapy telehealth provided affective and interpersonal benefits, and increased compliance with other therapies. Reflections from key stakeholders included clinical recommendations for service implementation and descriptions of the influence of the telehealth modality on the therapeutic relationship. Findings suggested that music therapy telehealth services can provide psychosocial support for veterans, families, and staff in palliative care. QI research may be utilized to provide helpful ongoing feedback regarding clinical effectiveness.

Organization of medical care for patients with colorectal cancer during coronavirus-19 pandemic (review)

The COVID-19 pandemic, with it is rapid increase in new cases and deaths, has caused hospital overload around the world, creating an unprecedented challenge for health systems and requiring the rapid development of reliable and evidence-based guidelines. Moreover, this has led to urgent identification of non-COVID health priorities. The cancer service must be restructured. Diagnosis and treatment for colorectal cancer in the background of the COVID-19 pandemic requires a restrained approach based on the priority of patient care.Copyright © 2021, Association of Coloproctologists of Russia. All rights reserved.

Implementation of evidence-based practice in nursing education

Implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) in health care is an essential part of the primary response to the challenges of health care services. Improving nursing practice in the healthcare system is intended to enhance the care experience, improve the health status of society, and reduce per capita healthcare costs. Several studies show that most of what nurses do today is based more on experience, tradition, and gut feelings than on evidence. This study conducted a literature review and bibliometric analysis on papers published from 2017-2022 about evidence-based practice in nursing. From 2017 to 2020, the number of nursing research projects that used evidence-based practice went up. The number of studies has significantly decreased between 2021 and 2022. The results of bibliometric data mapping found 31 relevant items based on keywords. Each item is divided into four clusters. Evidence-based, guideline-based, and nursing students are the most commonly used terms. The most frequently investigated topics in EBP research projects are implementation (skills and theory), and the most recent topic was the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. Furthermore, numerous methods have been proven effective in implementing EBP in nursing;constructive model, simulation technology-based learning, and multifaceted intervention. These findings may also be used as a foundation for the development of continuing professional development of clinical nurse education and practice. © 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Good or best practice statements: proposal for the operationalisation and implementation of GRADE guidance.

An evidence-based approach is considered the gold standard for health decision-making. Sometimes, a guideline panel might judge the certainty that the desirable effects of an intervention clearly outweigh its undesirable effects as high, but the body of supportive evidence is indirect. In such cases, the application of the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach for grading the strength of recommendations is inappropriate. Instead, the GRADE Working Group has recommended developing ungraded best or good practice statement (GPS) and developed guidance under which circumsances they would be appropriate.Through an evaluation of COVID-1- related recommendations on the eCOVID Recommendation Map (COVID-19.recmap.org), we found that recommendations qualifying a GPS were widespread. However, guideline developers failed to label them as GPS or transparently report justifications for their development. We identified ways to improve and facilitate the operationalisation and implementation of the GRADE guidance for GPS.Herein, we propose a structured process for the development of GPSs that includes applying a sequential order for the GRADE guidance for developing GPS. This operationalisation considers relevant evidence-to-decision criteria when assessing the net consequences of implementing the statement, and reporting information supporting judgments for each criterion. We also propose a standardised table to facilitate the identification of GPS and reporting of their development. This operationalised guidance, if endorsed by guideline developers, may palliate some of the shortcomings identified. Our proposal may also inform future updates of the GRADE guidance for GPS.

Thinking about the development of rapid recommendation based on the status of covid-19 evidence.

With the outbreak and rapid spread of the COVID-19 worldwide, a large amount of relevant research evidence has quickly emerged. However, due to the uneven quality of evidence, poor quality and slow speed of evidence translation, it is a big challenge for health decision-makers, clinicians, and patients to make evidence-based decisions. Based on rapid systematic review of evidence, the rapid advice-guidelines can promptly and effectively transform the latest current evidence into recommendations guiding clinical practice. In the face of global public health emergencies, by building a new type of evidence ecosystem, a completely closed loop of evidence from production and evaluation to application and transformation is formed to improve the level of medical practice and reduce the waste of health resources.Copyright © 2021, Peking Union Medical College Hospital. All rights reserved.

Impacts on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) services, including patient relapse and death, during the COVID-19 pandemic: Mixed methods results from a multi-national survey

Objectives: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is important in the management of major, life-threating, and treatment-resistant psychiatric illness. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted ECT services. The need for new infection control measures, staff/resource redeployment and shortages, and the perception that ECT is as an 'elective' procedure have caused changes to, and reductions in, ECT delivery. The aim of this study was to explore the impacts of COVID-19 on ECT services, staff, and patients globally. Method(s): Data were collected using an electronic, mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey. The survey was open March to November 2021. Clinical directors in ECT services, their delegates, and anaesthetists were asked to participate. Quantitative findings are reported. Result(s): One hundred and twelve participants worldwide completed the survey. The study identified significant impacts on services, staff, and patients. Based on quantitative results, most participants (57.8%, n=63) reported their services made at least one change to ECT delivery. More than three-quarters (81.0%, n=73) reported their service had identified at least one patient who could not access ECT. More than two-thirds (71.4%, n=67) reported their service identified at patients who experienced a relapse in their psychiatric illness due to lack of ECT access. Six participants (7.6%) reported their service had identified at least one patient who died, by suicide or other means, due to lack of ECT access. Participants' qualitative responses were detailed, averaging 43 words. Three qualitative themes were identified: (1) Service provision, about the importance of ECT services continuing during the pandemic, (2) Preparedness, through guidelines and environmental design, and (3) Personal protection, about strategies to increase staff safety. Conclusion(s): This is the first multi-site, international survey to explore the impacts of COVID-19 on ECT services, staff, and patients. Its findings can be used to inform evidence-based ECT practice. This supports the ongoing safe, effective operation of ECT services. Research Category and Technology and Methods Clinical Research: 2. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Keywords: Survey, Mixed Methods, COVID, Service changes;Copyright © 2023

The First Annual COIL International Shark Tank

For the COIL assignment, students worked in international teams of four to identify an existing problem in both the U.S. and Japanese health care systems, develop a PICOT (Population of concern, Intervention or interest, Comparison, Outcome, and Timeframe) question, and formulate an evidence-based solution to address the existing health care challenge. A mobile cancer screening van to screen populations with high risk factors for breast cancer, skin cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and child immunizations. 6. Each university used different learning management systems but agreed to use free online resources, such as Padlet, Translate, and Google Drive/Microsoft One Drive to enhance collaboration and communication.

School and community reforms that help navigate the COVID-19 crisis

Twenty-five percent of high school students have reported emotional and mental health issues during the pandemic. Many students have had to face illness, loss, food insecurity, and economic hardship resulting from the pandemic. They have experienced anxiety, fear, and depression attributable to long-term school closures, isolation, quarantines, and stay-at-home orders. School-based mental health (SMH) can be viewed as an emerging need in response to this increasing national health crisis. This chapter discusses the importance of SMH services for children in schools, highlights the use of tiered systems to prevent and respond to mental health concerns of students and provides specific considerations for school and community for creating integrated systems. Evidence-based practices (EBPs) have a strong scientific basis for their use, as they are supported by high-quality research that offers empirical demonstrations of effectiveness. As a response, schools across the United States are adopting tiered systems of support, consisting of EBPs, to address systematically the growing diversity of students' needs, particularly in light of Covid-19's effects on students' academic, behavioral, and social-emotional well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Organization of medical care for patients with colorectal cancer during coronavirus-19 pandemic (review).

The COVID-19 pandemic, with it is rapid increase in new cases and deaths, has caused hospital overload around the world, creating an unprecedented challenge for health systems and requiring the rapid development of reliable and evidence-based guidelines. Moreover, this has led to urgent identification of non-COVID health priorities. The cancer service must be restructured. Diagnosis and treatment for colorectal cancer in the background of the COVID-19 pandemic requires a restrained approach based on the priority of patient care.Copyright © 2021, Association of Coloproctologists of Russia. All rights reserved.

Weaving Evidence into Action for Veterans with dementia (WEAVE): Codesigning the implementation of nonpharmacological interventions for programme fidelity and sustainability.

RATIONALE: Challenges associated with translating evidence into practice are well recognised and calls for effective strategies to reduce the time lag and successfully embed evidence-based practices into usual care are loud and clear. While a plethora of nonpharmacological interventions for people with dementia exist; few are based on strong evidence and there is little consideration for programme operationalisation in the complex environment of long-term care. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This paper describes the preparation for the implementation of the Weaving Evidence into Action for Veterans with dementia project, incorporating the codesign of delivery of four evidence-based, nonpharmacological interventions. METHOD: Implementation preparation for this type 2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation project was underpinned by the Implementation Framework for Aged Care (IFAC). A sociocultural-political contextual scan was undertaken, and reflection on the IFAC question 'why change?' with key stakeholders. Delivery of the four interventions of music therapy, exercise, reminiscence therapy and sensory modulation was explored using codesign methodology. Preparation of both intervention delivery personnel and recipients was via training, establishment of a change team and promotional/awareness-raising strategies. RESULTS: The contextual scan revealed Australian government reforms and organisational imperatives facing long-term care services, while reflections on 'why change' flagged best practice dementia care at the local care home level. Several codesign sessions involved veterans with dementia, family members, care home staff members and volunteers to ensure programme alignment with needs and preferences, accounting for existing activities. Training was designed and delivered before programme commencement. A change team was established and strategies to support behaviour change instigated. Implementation evaluation is reported elsewhere. CONCLUSION: The extended preparatory period for implementation, afforded by the COVID-19 pandemic on programme commencement, enabled time for widespread understanding of the programme and necessary upskill of staff. Comprehensive codesign with all stakeholders of programme components identified core and flexible elements necessary for fidelity of implementation.

Improving Practice for Urinary Continence Care on Adult Acute Medical and Rehabilitation Wards: A Multi-Site, Co-Created Implementation Study.

Many adult inpatients experience urinary continence issues; however, we lack evidence on effective interventions for inpatient continence care. We conducted a before and after implementation study. We implemented our guideline-based intervention using strategies targeting identified barriers and evaluated the impact on urinary continence care provided by inpatient clinicians. Fifteen wards (acute = 3, rehabilitation = 7, acute and rehabilitation = 5) at 12 hospitals (metropolitan = 4, regional = 8) participated. We screened 2298 consecutive adult medical records for evidence of urinary continence symptoms over three 3-month periods: before implementation (T0: n = 849), after the 6-month implementation period (T1: n = 740), and after a 6-month maintenance period (T2: n = 709). The records of symptomatic inpatients were audited for continence assessment, diagnosis, and management plans. All wards contributed data at T0, and 11/15 wards contributed at T1 and T2 (dropouts due to COVID-19). Approximately 26% of stroke, 33% acute medical, and 50% of rehabilitation inpatients were symptomatic. The proportions of symptomatic patients (T0: n = 283, T1: n = 241, T2: n = 256) receiving recommended care were: assessment T0 = 38%, T1 = 63%, T2 = 68%; diagnosis T0 = 30%, T1 = 70%, T2 = 71%; management plan T0 = 7%, T1 = 24%, T2 = 24%. Overall, there were 4-fold increased odds for receiving assessments and management plans and 6-fold greater odds for diagnosis. These improvements were sustained at T2. This intervention has improved inpatient continence care.

[Evidence synthesis for COVID-19 interventions: update reports from Argentina's National Commission for Health Technology AssessmentSíntese de evidências para intervenções em COVID-19: relatórios de atualização da Comissão Nacional de Avaliação de Tecnologias em Saúde da Argentina]. / Síntesis de evidencia para intervenciones en COVID-19: informes de actualización de la Comisión Nacional de Evaluación de Tecnologías de Salud de Argentina.

This report presents the work done on the design, publication, and impact of updates on evidence-based COVID-19 interventions, in order to support decision-making with updated evidence syntheses based on living systematic reviews of therapeutic interventions. To this end, a specific working group was created within the National Commission for Health Technology Assessment (CONETEC) of the Ministry of Health of Argentina, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). A methodology was designed to develop and publish assessment documents aimed at supporting decision-making. These update reports were based on the exploration of three areas: health effects, feasibility of implementation, and evidence-based recommendations. A color-coded system was used to present the conclusions according to the balance between their positive and negative effects in different clinical scenarios, in order to improve their interpretation and implementation. In 2021, 16 evidence synthesis reports were published (13 original reports and three full updates). These were downloaded many times from the CONETEC website and the Regional Database of Health Technology Assessment Reports of the Americas (BRISA), highlighting the need for robust, up-to-date, reliable evidence summaries adapted for implementation in the country's health system. Other challenges include constant updating of information, appropriate dissemination, and sustained rigorous preparation of the reports.

Este relatório tem como objetivo apresentar o trabalho realizado sobre o delineamento, publicação e impacto das atualizações para intervenções em COVID-19 baseadas em evidências, que visam fornecer sínteses de evidências atualizadas provenientes de revisões sistemáticas vivas sobre intervenções terapêuticas para apoiar a tomada de decisões. Para isso, foi criado um grupo de trabalho específico no âmbito da Comissão Nacional de Avaliação de Tecnologias de Saúde (CONETEC, na sigla em espanhol), do Ministério da Saúde da Argentina, em parceria com a Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (OPAS). Foi desenhada uma metodologia para a elaboração e publicação de documentos de avaliação destinados a apoiar a tomada de decisões. Esses relatórios de atualização se basearam na exploração de três domínios: efeitos na saúde, viabilidade da implementação e recomendações baseadas em evidências. As conclusões foram adaptadas a uma escala semafórica de acordo com o equilíbrio entre os benefícios e os aspectos negativos para os diferentes cenários clínicos, de forma a melhorar a sua interpretação e aplicação. Durante o ano de 2021, foram publicados 16 relatórios de síntese de evidências (13 originais e 3 atualizações completas), que receberam um número significativo de consultas no site da CONETEC e da Base Regional de Informes de Avaliação de Tecnologias em Saúde das Américas (BRISA). Assim, tornou-se visível a necessidade de contar com resumos de evidências robustos, atualizados e confiáveis adaptados ao contexto de aplicação no sistema de saúde do país. A atualização constante das informações, sua divulgação adequada e a manutenção do rigor na elaboração dos relatórios também apresentam desafios.

VA-Approved Enterprise Standardization of Nursing Documentation Prompted by COVID-19

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an interprofessional team from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Nursing Informatics and Office of Nursing Service was established to create standardized nursing documentation notes reflective of electronic health record modernization efforts. This foundational work established an enterprise methodology to electronically define and measure essential nursing documentation discrete data within an integrated complex health care system.

Antiviral effect of oral antiseptic solutions commonly used in dentistry practice: A scoping review

Objective: The purpose of this scoping review is to show the evidence available in the literature and provide an overview of the antimicrobial-containing mouthwashes for reducing viral load in order to group the most up-to-date information and make it more accessible to dentists. Design(s): A structured electronic search in PubMed (Medline), LILACS, EMBASE and EBSCO without temporal restriction was performed. The studies were selected based on their title, and full reading following a pre-established order based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The included studies were those that analyzed the effect of viral load reduction by mouthwashes, primary studies, no reviews and in Spanish, English or Portuguese. Result(s): The search resulted in 1881 articles, at the end of the exclusion of duplicates and selection, 71 articles were included in this scoping review. The substances most commonly found were chlorhexidine (CHX), povidone-iodine (PVP-I), essential oils (EO), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and other substances (OTHERS). Conclusion(s): Of all the mouthwashes analyzed, the Essential oils, Cetylpyridinium Chloride and Povidone-iodine, showed antiviral potential against common viruses present in the oral cavity, with no significant side effects in short-term use, and are viable options for use as a pre-procedure in clinical routine against SARS-CoV-2 and other types of viruses. The other solutions need further studies to determine their effect and confirm their clinical use.Copyright © 2023

Could COVID-19 be a Causative Factor for Hyperglycaemia and Cause Diabetes Mellitus.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been suspected that its causative agent, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, may cause transient or permanent hyperglycemia. This fact has resulted in a new focus of research interest related to the study of potential mechanisms leading to damage of pancreatic insulin-producing cells, as well as the possible impact of the virus on insulin sensitivity, which may manifest as metabolic disturbances in patients with COVID-19 and cause diabetes mellitus. Evidence from the literature suggests that Corona viruses can damage pancreatic (beta-cells by direct or indirect mechanisms and cause changes in insulin secretion and sensitivity. To what extent all these changes are valid claims that SARS-CoV-2 can trigger diabetes mellitus is still not fully proven.Copyright © 2022 Medical Information Center. All rights reserved.