Weight Loss Surgery Increases Kidney Transplant Rates in Patients With Renal Failure and Obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the outcomes of kidney transplant (KT) candidates with obesity undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (SG) to meet the criteria for KT. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was conducted of electronic medical records of KT candidates with obesity (body mass index >35 kg/m2) who underwent SG in our institution. Weight loss, adverse health events, and the listing and transplant rates were abstracted and compared with the nonsurgical cohort. RESULTS: The SG was performed in 54 patients; 50 patients did not have surgery. Baseline demographic characteristics were comparable at the time of evaluation. Mean body mass index ± SD of the SG group was 41.7±3.6 kg/m2 at baseline (vs 41.5±4.3 kg/m2 for nonsurgical controls); at 2 and 12 months after SG, it was 36.4±4.1 kg/m2 and 32.6±4.0 kg/m2 (P<.01 for both). In the median follow-up time of 15.5 months (interquartile range, 6.4 to 23.9 months), SG was followed by active listing (37/54 people), and 20 of 54 received KT during a median follow-up time of 20.9 months (interquartile range, 14.7 to 28.3 months) after SG. In contrast, 14 of 50 patients in the nonsurgical cohort were listed, and 5 received a KT (P<.01). Three patients (5.6%) experienced surgical complications. There was no difference in overall hospitalization rates and adverse health outcomes, but the SG cohort experienced a higher risk of clinically significant functional decline. CONCLUSION: In KT candidates with obesity, SG appears to be effective, with 37% of patients undergoing KT during the next 18 months (P<.01). Further research is needed to confirm and to improve the safety and efficacy of SG for patients with obesity seeking a KT.

Self-Management Programs and the Pursuit of Behavior Change.

A self-management intervention is a personalized approach to individuals aiming to engage individuals in a behavior change to develop skills to live better with their condition. Self-management involves an iterative process between participants and providers in which goals are formulated and feedback is given. All respiratory societies advocate self-management as part of chronic care because it may improve quality of life and health-care utilization. Self-management is an integral part of pulmonary rehabilitation. Self-management interventions usually involve education and exercise prescription, and that is an asset of current programs; however, recent reports indicate that effective strategies for motivation and a behavior change focus are often missed. A recent systematic review on self-management urges the need for a specific aspect and characteristic of self-management interventions: iterative interactions between participants and health-care professionals competent in using behavior change practices to elicit participants' motivation, confidence, and competence to develop skills to better manage their disease. A recent review of self-care intervention in chronic disease states that the major deficits found in self-care interventions included a lack of attention and/or innovation to the psychological consequences of chronic illness, technology, and behavior change techniques to help patients manage symptoms. There is a need for exploration of mechanisms to explain the relationships between both anxiety and depression, and adherence to treatment in COPD. The latter is particularly appropriate for pulmonary rehabilitation, for which greater adherence is needed. This report aims to introduce basic aspects of behavior change and a proposed roadmap to introduce behavior change into pulmonary rehabilitation and chronic care programs.

Management of Patients With Kidney Disease Undergoing Bariatric Surgery: A Multidisciplinary Approach.

Bariatric surgery is increasingly recognized as a safe and effective treatment for obesity in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including stages 4, 5, and 5D (on dialysis). Among the available surgical methods, sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is the most commonly performed weight loss procedure and is mainly done to facilitate kidney transplantation (KT). However, many KT candidates treated with SG remain on the transplant waiting list for months to years, with some never receiving a transplant. Therefore, appropriate candidates for SG must be selected, and post-SG management should address the unique needs of this population, with a focus on sustaining the metabolic benefits of surgery while minimizing potential side effects related to rapid weight loss which may inadvertently lead to muscle and bone catabolism. Multidisciplinary post-SG care in this population may lead to overall better health on the transplant waiting list, resulting in a higher percentage of post-SG patients ultimately receiving KT. To tailor the effective treatment for these patients, clinicians should acknowledge that patients with CKD stage 4-5D have different nutritional needs and are metabolically and psychosocially distinct from the general bariatric surgery population. Sarcopenia is highly prevalent and may be exacerbated by muscle catabolism following SG if not adequately addressed. Blood pressure, glucose, and bone metabolism are all affected by the CKD stage 4-5D, and therefore require distinct diagnostic and management approaches. Long-standing chronic disease, associated comorbidities, and low adherence to medical therapies require ongoing comprehensive psychosocial assessment and support. This paper aims to review and consolidate the existing literature concerning the intersection of CKD stage 4-5D and the consequences of SG. We also suggest future clinical outcome studies examining novel treatment approaches for this medically complex population.

Home-Based Physical Activity Program With Health Coaching for participants With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Sweden: A Proof-of-Concept Pilot Study.

Home-based interventions are at the center stage of current health care demands. There is a clear need to translate pulmonary rehabilitation into a home-based setting. This 8-week pilot study aimed to determine the feasibility of a home-based physical activity program for participants with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Sweden. Patients with COPD, aged 40 years or older and clinically stable in the past 3 months, were recruited. The program used a fitness tracker to monitor step count, weekly health coaching calls using motivational interviewing, and video-guided mindful movements. The outcome measures were adherence to the 8-week program's video-guided exercises (number of times videos were watched), adherence to health coaching calls (minimum 8), monthly and daily step count, and quality of life (QoL) using the chronic respiratory questionnaire. Thirteen participants were enrolled, and 12 participants adhered to health coaching calls and step monitoring. We had 643 video-exercise views, which exceeded the minimum standard (576 views). The mean difference comparing total monthly steps from baseline and the 8-week time point was 47,039 steps (95% CI, -113,625 to 1623.5; P=.06). The minimal clinical improvement of 500 daily steps was found for 8 of the patients. No significant improvement was found in the QoL measures and mental health. We found the home-based physical activity program to be a feasible intervention. Patients reported high adherence to tracking step counts, health coaching calls, and video-guided exercise. No improvements in QoL or monthly step count emerged; however, we found high adherence and a positive trend in the number of monthly step counts, and improvements of at least 500 daily step counts improved in most patients with this small sample size.

Understanding the Patient Experience of Home-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation with Health Coaching for COPD: A Qualitative Interview Study.

Background: We recently reported on a randomized trial of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that showed improvement in all domains of quality of life, accelerometry-measured physical activity, and self-management. In this current study, we used a theoretical framework to help us gain an in-depth understanding of how patients experience complex, multi-component programs to help uncover factors related to behavior change and to inform program scale-up in other populations. Study Design and Methods: The parent trial was conducted with COPD patients receiving care at an academic medical center and a community health system in the upper Midwest. The 12-week PR intervention included 3 daily video-guided exercises, activity monitors, and weekly telephonic health coaching. Trial participants were eligible to participate in an individual phone interview about their experience if they completed the intervention within the prior 12 months.. Analysis of verbatim transcripts followed an inductive thematic approach followed by deductive categorization and interpretation using a theoretical model: the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) model developed for linking intervention functions to aspects of behavioral change. Results: Among 32 eligible program participants,32 were approached, and 15 completed interviews between October 19, 2021, and January 13, 2022. The COM-B model and recommendations for program improvement were observed in the primary findings. Discussion: Participants' feedback highlighted how the health coaching bolstered skills and confidence among individuals with the poorest function at program enrollment and how improved physical function and mood led to motivation. It also highlighted the roles of technology and telephonic support in a home-based program. Suggestions for improvement included providing exercise variations.

Adding Granularity of COPD Self-Management to Impact Quality of Life.

Background: Self-management abilities are a recognized ingredient for living well with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), improving all outcomes. Fostering self-management requires a personalized program and patient engagement to make lifestyle decisions. While some self-management practices are proven effective, like the prompt use of a plan for COPD exacerbations, there is a guideline-recognized gap on specific self-management behaviors that can impact particular COPD symptoms and allow for tailored self-management programs. We aimed to investigate the association of well-defined self-management behaviors with the most common COPD symptoms in a large cohort of patients with COPD. Methods: We analyzed baseline data of stable COPD patients who participated in 3 National Institutes of Health-funded studies. Symptoms were defined by the 4 domains of the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire: dyspnea-fatigue-emotions-mastery. The self-management behaviors were the individual items of the Self-Management Ability Scale-30. Lasso regression models were built to explore the association of behaviors with symptoms, adjusting for lung function and age. Results: We analyzed 512 stable COPD patients, 54% female, age mean (standard deviation [SD]) 69.6 (9.9) years and forced expiratory volume in 1 second percent predicted (FEV1%) 42.2 (19.0).Dyspnea was associated with exercising and self-efficacy for self-care. Emotion was associated with good relationships, self-efficacy for self-care, positivity, and participating in agreeable activities. Fatigue was associated with self-efficacy for self-care, doing exercise, and participating in agreeable activities. Mastery was associated with self-efficacy for self-care, positivity, exercising, and participating in agreeable activities. Discussion: Our findings provide specific self-management behaviors associated with common COPD symptoms that may inform self-management programs. Positive thinking represents a novel self-management approach to COPD emotions and mastery.

Differences in Sedentary Time, Light Physical Activity, and Steps Associated with Better COPD Quality of Life.

INTRODUCTION: There is a knowledge gap about how much physical activity is recommended to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We asked, what is the average difference in sedentary time and physical activity associated with clinically meaningful differences in symptoms in a large, well-characterized cohort of patients with advanced COPD? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of daily activity data in 292 patients with stable COPD. Activity measure coefficients from multivariable linear models were used to predict the average difference in activity between patients with twice the minimal clinically important difference in reported symptoms. RESULTS: Symptoms were assessed with the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire subdomains - dyspnea, fatigue, mastery, and emotions. Daily steps, minutes in light physical activity, and sedentary time were measured by triaxial accelerometers. Average sedentary time, light physical activity, and steps were 767.6 minutes, 177.7 minutes, and 2960 steps, respectively. Individuals with 1-point better dyspnea scores averaged 24.5 (8.4-40.5) minutes less sedentary time per day. Individuals with 1-point better dyspnea and fatigue scores averaged 21.5 (10.9-32.3) minutes or 12.5 (2.0-23.2) minutes more light physical activity per day, respectively. Individuals with 1-point better dyspnea, fatigue, mastery, and emotions scores averaged 762 (546-984), 579 (351-814), 418 (207-636), and 392 (157-634) more steps per day, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We provide guidance to clinicians counseling patients with severe COPD in activity-related goal setting on sedentary time, light physical activity, and steps associated with better symptoms.

A pilot study of trained ICU doulas providing early psychological support to critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Over a third of critical illness survivors suffer from mental health problems following hospitalization. Memories of delusional experiences are a major risk factor. In this project, ICU doulas delivered a unique positive suggestion intervention targeting the vulnerable time period during critical illness when these memories are formed. METHODS: Adult critically ill patients were recruited for this single-arm, prospective pilot study. These ICU patients received a positive suggestion intervention daily during their ICU stay in parallel with their medical treatment. The intervention was designed to be delivered over a minimum of two sessions. Feasibility was defined as intervention delivery on ≥ 70% of ICU days after patient enrollment. As a secondary analysis, psychometric questionnaires were compared to those of a historic control cohort of patients receiving standard care in the ICU using adjusted linear regression models. RESULTS: Of the 97 patients who received the intervention and were alive at the end of their ICU course, 54 were excluded from analyses mostly for having received only one session because of a short ICU length of stay of < 2 days, transitioning to comfort care or not wanting to answer the study questionnaires. Forty-three patients who completed 2 or more sessions of the positive therapeutic suggestion intervention provided by two trained ICU doulas received it for a median of 4 days (IQR 3, 5), with each session lasting for a median of 20 min (IQR 14, 25). The intervention was delivered on 71% of days, meeting our pre-determined feasibility goal. Compared to historical controls (N = 299), patients receiving the intervention had higher severity of illness and longer length of stay. When adjusted for baseline differences, patients both with and without mechanical ventilation who received the intervention scored lower on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)-Depression subscale. The intervention was also associated with reduced HADS-Anxiety subscale among ventilated patients. CONCLUSIONS: Positive therapeutic suggestion delivered by ICU doulas is feasible in the ICU setting. A randomized trial is warranted to better delineate the role that positive suggestion and ICU doulas may play in ongoing interprofessional efforts to humanize critical care medicine. The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03736954) on 03/14/2018 prior to the first patient enrollment https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03736954?cond=ICU+Doulas+Providing+Psychological+Support&draw=2&rank=1 .

Examining Burnout in Interprofessional Intensive Care Unit Clinicians Using Qualitative Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Health care professionals working in intensive care units report a high degree of burnout, but this topic has not been extensively studied from an interdisciplinary perspective. OBJECTIVE: To characterize experiences of burnout among members of interprofessional intensive care unit teams and identify possible contributing factors. METHODS: This qualitative study involved interviews of registered nurses, respiratory therapists, physicians, pharmacists, and a personal care assistant working in multiple intensive care units of a single academic medical center to assess work stressors. RESULTS: Team composition was a factor in burnout, particularly when nonphysician team members felt that their opinions were not valued despite the institution's emphasis on a multidisciplinary team-based model of care. This was especially true when roles were not well defined at the outset of a code situation. Members of nearly all disciplines stated that there was not enough time in a day to complete all the required tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple factors contribute to work-related stress and burnout across different professions in the intensive care unit. Improved communication and increased receptivity to diverse opinions among members of the multidisciplinary team may help reduce stress.

Feasibility of a Health Coaching and Home-Based Rehabilitation Intervention With Remote Monitoring for COPD.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective treatment for patients with COPD, but patient uptake and adherence to the current offering of center-based pulmonary rehabilitation is modest due to transportation, access, poverty, and frailty, and even more so in the context of the COVID pandemic. Home-based options have been proposed and were found noninferior to center-based rehabilitation; however, there is a lack of home-based programs, and more understanding is needed. We aimed to test the feasibility, uptake, and adherence to a home-based program for COPD rehabilitation with health coaching. METHODS: We conducted a randomized trial with a wait-list controlled design to evaluate the effects of a home-based program with health coaching on breathlessness in subjects with moderate to severe COPD unable to attend the regular pulmonary rehabilitation program. The 8-week intervention consisted of video-guided exercises to be done 6 times a week and captured with a computer tablet. Health coaching was done weekly over the telephone to review subject activity and symptoms and to provide an opportunity for the subject to define their weekly goals. The primary outcomes were uptake, adherence, and Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) Dyspnea Domain. Secondary outcomes were self-management abilities and CRQ Emotions-Mastery-Fatigue. RESULTS: 154 subjects with moderate to severe COPD were randomized. Subject adherence was 86% to the proposed 6-times a week exercise routine. There (P = .062) was no significant difference in breathlessness (CRQ dyspnea). There was a significant improvement in self-management abilities (P < .001). The results of the qualitative interviews showed high levels of acceptability of the program. CONCLUSIONS: The tested home-based rehabilitation program with health coaching was feasible, highly acceptable, showed a high degree of adherence, and improved self-management abilities. This study offers seminal information for home-based rehabilitation programs to design alternative options of rehabilitation to individuals with COPD that cannot attend to the well-established center-based pulmonary rehabilitation. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT02557178.).

Evaluating resilience as a predictor of outcomes in lung transplant candidates.

BACKGROUND: Resilience represents the capacity to adapt to adversity. Resilience can improve following behavioral interventions. We examined lung transplant candidates' resilience as a novel predictor using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (RISC-10). METHODS: Waitlisted candidates at six centers were mailed questionnaires from 9/16/2015 to 10/1/2019. Follow-up surveys were collected annually and post-transplant. Outcomes were recorded through February 17, 2020. Primary outcome was pre-transplant death/delisting. Analyses included t test or chi-square for group comparisons, Pearson's correlation coefficients for strength of relationships, and Cox proportional-hazard models to evaluate associations with outcomes, adjusting for age, sex, and mood. RESULTS: Participation was 55.3% (N = 199). Baseline RISC-10 averaged 32.0 ± 5.6 and did not differ by demographics, primary transplant diagnosis, or disease severity markers. RISC-10 did not correlate to the commonly utilized Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates for Transplant [PACT] or Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplantation [SIPAT] tools. Scores < 26.3 (representing > 1 standard deviation below population average) occurred in 16% and were associated with pre-transplant death or delisting, adjusted Hazard Ratio of 2.60 (95% Confidence Interval 1.23-5.77; P = .01). CONCLUSION: One in six lung candidates had low resilience, predicting increased pre-transplant death/delisting. RISC-10 did not correlate with PACT or SIPAT; resilience may represent a novel risk factor.

Impact of Affect on Lung Transplant Candidate Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: We examined the association of adult lung transplant candidates' self-reported affect with transplant-related outcomes, evaluating whether a positive (vs negative) frame of mind might be protective. METHOD: Consenting waitlisted candidates from 6 centers completed the questionnaires including the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule annually and posttransplant. Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association of baseline affect with outcomes of death or delisting. Models were subsequently adjusted for age, marital status, and education. RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 169 candidates (77.9% participation). Mean positive affect, negative affect, and positive-to-negative affect ratio (positivity ratio) were similar to expected norms. The scores of the questionnaire did not change significantly over time. Fifteen (8.9%) waitlisted participants died. Candidates who died while waiting had lower positivity ratios compared to those who survived (1.82 vs 2.45; P = .02). A more negative affect was associated with increased death on the waiting list (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.10; P = .021). Conversely, a higher positivity ratio was associated with decreased death while waiting (adjusted OR: 0.45; P = .027). CONCLUSION: Negative affect may represent a novel risk factor for death on the waitlist. Enhancing positive affect may represent a useful target for psychological optimization in lung transplant candidates.

Loneliness and ED Visits in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the association of loneliness and the incidence of ED visits in a large and well-characterized cohort of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); the association of loneliness with performance measures and health perception was the secondary objective. Baseline data were used from the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT), which investigated the effectiveness of lung volume reduction surgery in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. Patients received Quality of Wellbeing questionnaires, which asked about loneliness and social isolation. For comparing baseline variables between lonely and non-lonely subjects, we used χ2 tests for categorical variables and Wilcoxon tests for continuous variables. The association of loneliness with ED visits and health perception was assessed with a logistic model that adjusted for multiple critical confounders. The study took place from December 2002, to December 2004, with a follow-up period of 5 years to assess loneliness and 24 months to assess use of the emergency department. There were 1218 patients analyzed, mean age 65 (standard deviation [SD] 12), 47% were women, FEV 1% 41 (SD 12); 7.9% of participants reported feeling lonely. These individuals had worse health ratings, 6-minute walk tests (6MWTs), and breathlessness. Loneliness was independently associated with ED visits after adjusting for age, lung function, dyspnea, 6MWT, treatment, and gender, odds ratio (OR) 1.57 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.005-2.466), P=.04. This study suggests that loneliness in patients with COPD is significantly and independently associated to ED visits and reduced health perception. Addressing loneliness of patients with COPD in the outpatient setting may contribute to improved health perception and less health care utilization.

Frailty and Clinical Outcomes in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

RATIONALE: Frailty represents an increased vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. The frailty phenotype conceptual model (three or more patient attributes of wasting, exhaustion, low activity, slowness, and weakness) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in geriatric populations. OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to describe the risks associated with frailty in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS: Data from the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) were retrospectively analyzed. The frailty phenotype conceptual model was operationalized as three or more frailty parameters (a body mass index decrease of ≥5% over 12 months, self-reported exhaustion, low 6-minute walk distance, or physical activity or respiratory muscle strength in the lowest quartile). Frail participants were compared with participants with two or fewer frailty parameters. Participants were followed starting 12 months after NETT randomization (to minimize surgical effect) for 24 months. Univariate, multivariate, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox proportional hazard analyses were performed, adjusting for treatment arm, age, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, sex, and baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). Multiple imputation was used for missing values. RESULTS: The participants (N = 902) were predominantly white (94.5%) males (59.5%), with a median age of 67 years (interquartile range, 63-70 yr) and a median FEV1% predicted of 26 (interquartile range, 20-33). Six percent of the participants (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5 to 7.6) were frail. The incidence rate of frailty was 6.4 per 100 person-years. Frail participants reported significantly worse disease-specific and overall quality of life by St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire total score (mean difference of 11.6; 95% CI, 7.6 to 15.6; P < 0.001), mental composite on Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 (mean difference -6.8; 95% CI, -10.0 to -3.6; P < 0.001), and physical composite scores on Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 (mean difference -16.7; 95% CI, -21.3 to -12.1; P = 0.001). Frail participants had an increased rate of hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.5; P = 0.02) and an adjusted increase in hospital use of 8.0 days (95% CI, 4.4 to 11.6; P < 0.001) compared with nonfrail participants. Frail participants had a higher mortality rate (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.97 to 2.0; P = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: Among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, our measure of frailty (modified from the Fried frailty phenotype) was associated with incident and longer-duration hospitalization, and with poor quality of life.

Mindfulness for Healthcare Providers: The Role of Non-Reactivity in Reducing Stress.

CONTEXT: There is strong evidence in the literature that the cultivation of mindfulness through programs such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has a profound impact on perceived stress for healthcare providers. The mechanism of the latter association is still being studied. However, it has been hypothesized that in particular, the cultivation of non-reactivity as a mindfulness skill may be particularly associated with the salutary effect of MBSR to reduce stress in health care providers even if adjusted for the benefit on quality of life gained after MBSR. The latter may represent important mechanistic information to build customized mindfulness interventions for health care providers. OBJECTIVE: Determine whether the change in non-reactivity to inner experience after MBSR is associated with the adjusted changes in perceived stress after MBSR. DESIGN: a Cross-sectional study. SETTING: A large, Midwestern teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 100 health care providers. INTERVENTION: 8-week standard MBSR course. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceived Stress Scale-10, Linear Analog Scale Assessment to measure Quality of life, and the mindfulness domain non-reactivity to inner experience was assessed by the non-reactivity subscale of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. All measures were administered at baseline and completion of the intervention. RESULTS: The change from baseline to completion of MBSR was significant for all variables, with moderate-to-robust effect sizes. There was a significant negative correlation between non-reactivity and perceived stress both at baseline (p < 0.0001) and when comparing changes in scores from baseline to post-intervention (p < 0.0001). Change in non-reactivity to inner experience was robustly associated with the change in perceived stress (p < 0.0001) after MBSR (97% in 5000 bootstrapped models). CONCLUSION: Non-reactivity to inner experience is a key aspect of MBSR that is independently associated with a change in perceived stress in health care providers.

Mindfulness Meditation and Interprofessional Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study.

PROBLEM: Mindfulness training includes mindfulness meditation, which has been shown to improve both attention and self-awareness. Medical providers in the intensive care unit often deal with difficult situations with strong emotions, life-and-death decisions, and both interpersonal and interprofessional conflicts. The effect of mindfulness meditation training on healthcare providers during acute care tasks such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation remains unknown. Mindfulness meditation has the potential to improve provider well-being and reduce stress in individuals involved in resuscitation teams, which could then translate into better team communication and delivery of care under stress. A better understanding of this process could lead to more effective training approaches, improved team performance, and better patient outcomes. INTERVENTION: All participants were instructed to use a mindfulness meditation device (Muse™ headband) at home for 7 min twice a day or 14 min daily over the 4-week training period. This device uses brainwave sensors to monitor active versus relaxing brain activity and provides real-time feedback. CONTEXT: We conducted a single-group pretest-posttest convergent mixed-methods study. We enrolled 24 healthcare providers, comprising 4 interprofessional code teams, including physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and pharmacists. Each team participated in a simulation session immediately before and after the mindfulness training period. Each session consisted of two simulated cardiopulmonary arrest scenarios. Both quantitative and qualitative outcomes were assessed. OUTCOME: The median proportion of participants who used the device as prescribed was 85%. Emotional balance, as measured by the critical positivity ratio, improved significantly from pretraining to posttraining (p = .02). Qualitative findings showed that mindfulness meditation changed how participants responded to work-related stress, including stress in real-code situations. Participants described the value of time for self-guided practice with feedback from the device, which then helped them develop individual approaches to meditation not reliant on the technology. Time measures during the simulated scenarios improved, specifically, time to epinephrine in Scenario 1 (p = .03) and time to defibrillation in Scenario 2 (p = .02), improved. In addition, team performance, such as teamwork (p = .04), task management (p = .01), and overall performance (p = .04), improved significantly after mindfulness meditation training. Physiologic stress (skin conductance) improved but did not reach statistical significance (p = .11). LESSONS LEARNED: Mindfulness meditation practice may improve individual well-being and team function in high-stress clinical environments. Our results may represent a foundation to design larger confirmatory studies.

Development and Feasibility of a Home Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program With Health Coaching.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an effective intervention for COPD. However, traditional center-based PR programs suffer from low uptake. Home-based PR is a viable solution, but few studies have shown the effectiveness of remote PR, as there is a scarcity of systems that can be easily adopted in clinical practice. The aim of this report is to communicate the development and feasibility of a home PR program that includes commercially available technology that allows the PR health coach to follow the patient through his or her PR process and to present the design of a prospective clinical trial. METHODS: We developed a home PR system that includes a computer tablet, an activity monitor, and an oximeter connected to a cloud server. The home PR consists of 12 min of walking and 6 full-body exercises, to be completed 6 d/week, plus weekly telephone calls with the PR health coach. Two pilot studies were conducted in subjects with moderate-to-severe COPD. The first aimed to fine-tune the system development (N = 3), and the second tested the program feasibility of the 8-week program (N = 12). RESULTS: In pilot study 1, PR monitoring data from the subjects' home PR sessions were transmitted to the health coach application successfully. On a 10-point scale, participants rated the system as helpful (median = 8, interquartile range 8-9) and simple to use (median = 10, interquartile range 9-10). In pilot study 2, adherence ± SD for prescribed use was 87 ± 0.24%. Overall, participants gave the home PR system a rating of 6.2 ± 0.94 on a 7-point scale. CONCLUSIONS: A home PR program was developed that integrated health coaching and a home PR system that facilitated remote monitoring. Pilot testing indicated that the program is well-developed and feasible in a population of individuals with COPD. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT02999685.).