The impact of train-the-trainer programs on the continued professional development of nurses: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Train-the-trainer (TTT) programs are widely applied to disseminate knowledge within healthcare systems, but evidence of the effectiveness of this educational model remains unclear. We systematically reviewed studies evaluating the impact of train-the-trainer models on the learning outcomes of nurses. METHODS: The reporting of our systematic review followed PRISMA 2020 checklist. Records identified from MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and ERIC were independently screened by two researchers and deemed eligible if studies evaluated learning outcomes of a train-the-trainer intervention for trainers or trainees targeting nurses. Study quality was assessed with Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal tools and data of study characteristics extracted (objective, design, population, outcomes, results). Heterogeneity of outcomes ruled out meta-analysis; a narrative synthesis and vote counting based on direction of effects (p < 0.05) synthesized the results. All records were uploaded and organized in EPPI-Reviewer. RESULTS: Of the 3800 identified records 11 studies were included. The included studies were published between 1998 and 2021 and mostly performed in the US or Northern Europe. Nine studies had quasi-experimental designs and two were randomized controlled trials. All evaluated effects on nurses of which two also included nurses' assistants. The direction of effects of the 13 outcomes (knowledge, n = 10; skills, n = 2; practice, n = 1) measured in the 11 included studies were all beneficial. The statistical analysis of the vote counting showed that train-the-trainer programs could significantly (p < 0.05) improve trainees' knowledge, but the number of outcomes measuring impact on skills or practice was insufficient for synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Train-the-trainer models can successfully disseminate knowledge to nurses within healthcare systems. Considering the nurse shortages faced by most Western healthcare systems, train-the-trainer models can be a timesaving and sustainable way of delivering education. However, new comparative studies that evaluate practice outcomes are needed to conclude whether TTT programs are more effective, affordable and timesaving alternatives to other training programs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The protocol was registered in Research Registry ( https://www.researchregistry.com , unique identifying number 941, 29 June 2020).

When People With Chronic Conditions Turn to Peers on Social Media to Obtain and Share Information: Systematic Review of the Implications for Relationships With Health Care Professionals.

BACKGROUND: People living with chronic conditions such as diabetes turn to peers on social media to obtain and share information. Although social media use has grown dramatically in the past decade, little is known about its implications for the relationships between people with chronic conditions and health care professionals (HCPs). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to systematically review the content and quality of studies examining what the retrieval and sharing of information by people with chronic conditions on social media implies for their relationships with HCPs. METHODS: We conducted a search of studies in MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), and CINAHL (EBSCO). Eligible studies were primary studies; examined social media use; included adults with any type of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases that are closely linked with diabetes, obesity, hypertension, or dyslipidemia; and reported on the implications for people with chronic conditions-HCP relationships when people with chronic conditions access and share information on social media. We used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool version 2018 to assess the quality of the studies, and the included studies were narratively synthesized. RESULTS: Of the 3111 screened studies, 17 (0.55%) were included. Most studies (13/17, 76%) were of low quality. The narrative synthesis identified implications for people with chronic conditions-HCP relationships when people with chronic conditions access and share information on social media, divided into 3 main categories with 7 subcategories. These categories of implications address how the peer interactions of people with chronic conditions on social media can influence their communication with HCPs, how people with chronic conditions discuss advice and medical information from HCPs on social media, and how relationships with HCPs are discussed by people with chronic conditions on social media. The implications are illustrated collectively in a conceptual model. CONCLUSIONS: More evidence is needed to draw conclusions, but the findings indicate that the peer interactions of people with chronic conditions on social media are implicated in the ways in which people with chronic conditions equip themselves for clinical consultations, evaluate the information and advice provided by HCPs, and manage their relationships with HCPs. Future populations with chronic conditions will be raised in a digital world, and social media will likely remain a strategy for obtaining support and information. However, the generally low quality of the studies included in this review points to the relatively immature state of research exploring social media and its implications for people with chronic conditions-HCP relationships. Better study designs and methods for conducting research on social media are needed to generate robust evidence.

Exploring protective factors through positive psychology and salutogenesis in Danish families with type 2 diabetes.

People with type 2 diabetes (T2D) live with several challenges, which may enhance the risk of poor mental and physical health. However, despite living with a chronic illness, some individuals manage to achieve a life with positivity and well-being. The objective of this study is to explore the potential of Positive Psychology and Salutogenesis when analyzing how families with one or more members with T2D experience having resources leading to thriving. Data consist of 18 semi-structured family interviews with 38 participants. Data were analyzed using systematic text condensation with the concepts of sense of coherence and upward/downward spirals as the analytical framework. The analysis revealed three overall findings: (i) T2D is perceived as manageable due to general optimism despite living with a chronic illness; (ii) establishing supportive social relations means having the opportunity to share the burden of diabetes; and (iii) achieving an open dialogue and communicating the difficulties of diabetes without straining surroundings with negative illness communication. The three overall findings may reinforce each other in an upward spiral and enhance the sense of coherence. These findings have implications for diabetes management research and our understanding of psychological health in chronic illness. The overall goal is to help people with diabetes create meaning with their illness and make use of their social environment through dialogue and communication in order to increase positivity, optimism and mental health.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that involves ongoing disease self-management and several challenges, which may cause stress and negatively impact the quality of life. It can be difficult for people with diabetes and their relatives to manage the demanding illness and integrate it into daily life. However, despite living with diabetes, some individuals live a life with good mental health, positivity and well-being. This article uses the analysis of 18 interviews with 38 participants to describe factors influencing mental health in families with one or more members with type 2 diabetes. Factors such as optimism, supportive social relations and open communication all contributed to the family's positivity and mental health. When the families were optimistic about life with diabetes, when they were having and using supportive social relations and when they achieved a dialogue and communicated the difficulties of diabetes, diabetes seemed easier to manage and the burden of the illness where reduced. Optimism, supportive social relations and open illness communication appear connected and enhance one another. The goal is to help people with diabetes create meaning with their illness and make use of their social environment through dialogue in order to increase positivity, optimism and mental health.

Searching PubMed to Retrieve Publications on the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparative Analysis of Search Strings.

BACKGROUND: Since it was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, COVID-19 has dominated headlines around the world and researchers have generated thousands of scientific articles about the disease. The fast speed of publication has challenged researchers and other stakeholders to keep up with the volume of published articles. To search the literature effectively, researchers use databases such as PubMed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of different searches for COVID-19 records in PubMed and to assess the complexity of searches required. METHODS: We tested PubMed searches for COVID-19 to identify which search string performed best according to standard metrics (sensitivity, precision, and F-score). We evaluated the performance of 8 different searches in PubMed during the first 10 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate how complex a search string is needed. We also tested omitting hyphens and space characters as well as applying quotation marks. RESULTS: The two most comprehensive search strings combining several free-text and indexed search terms performed best in terms of sensitivity (98.4%/98.7%) and F-score (96.5%/95.7%), but the single-term search COVID-19 performed best in terms of precision (95.3%) and well in terms of sensitivity (94.4%) and F-score (94.8%). The term Wuhan virus performed the worst: 7.7% for sensitivity, 78.1% for precision, and 14.0% for F-score. We found that deleting a hyphen or space character could omit a substantial number of records, especially when searching with SARS-CoV-2 as a single term. CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive search strings combining free-text and indexed search terms performed better than single-term searches in PubMed, but not by a large margin compared to the single term COVID-19. For everyday searches, certain single-term searches that are entered correctly are probably sufficient, whereas more comprehensive searches should be used for systematic reviews. Still, we suggest additional measures that the US National Library of Medicine could take to support all PubMed users in searching the COVID-19 literature.

Involvement of family members in life with type 2 diabetes: Six interconnected problem domains of significance for family health identity and healthcare authenticity.

OBJECTIVES: Family involvement plays a key role in diabetes management. Problems and challenges related to type 2-diabetes often affect the whole family, and relatives are at increased risk of developing diabetes themselves. We highlight these issues in our objectives: (1) to uncover specific family problems associated with mutual involvement in life with type 2-diabetes and (2) to analytically look at ways of approaching these problems in healthcare settings. METHODS: Qualitative data were gathered in participatory problem assessment workshops. The data were analysed in three rounds using radical hermeneutics. RESULTS: Problems were categorized in six domains: knowledge, communication, support, everyday life, roles and worries. The final cross-analysis focusing on the link between family identity and healthcare authenticity provided information on how the six domains can be approached in healthcare settings. CONCLUSION: The study generated important knowledge about problems associated with family involvement in life with type 2 diabetes and about how family involvement can be supported in healthcare practice.