Increasing incidence of anogenital warts with an urban-rural divide among males in Manitoba, Canada, 1990-2011.

BACKGROUND: Anogenital warts (AGW) are caused by the most common sexually transmitted infection, human papillomavirus. The objective of this study was to examine AGW incidence from 1990 to 2011 by sex, age, income quintile, and residential area category (urban/rural). The study period included the initiation of school-based HPV vaccination for girls in the sixth grade, which began in 2008. The data presented in this paper may also be useful for establishing baseline rates of AGW incidence which may be used to evaluate the success of the school-based HPV immunization program. METHODS: Cases of anogenital warts were identified using Manitoba's administrative databases of Physician Claims and Hospital Discharge Abstracts. Annual age-standardized incidence in Manitoba from 1990 to 2011 was calculated. Incident AGW rates were compared by sex, age group, residential area category (urban/rural), and household income quintile using logistic regression. Joinpoint regression analyses were used to evaluate the time trends of AGW. RESULTS: Prior to 2000, AGW incidence was higher among females than males. However, from 2000 to 2011 the incidence was higher among males and increased steadily over time. AGW incidence tended to peak in younger age groups among females compared to males. Females and males living in urban areas had nearly twice the odds of AGW occurrence compared to those in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for education about AGW in male population. The upcoming initiation of HPV vaccination among boys may reduce the incidence and should be evaluated.

A descriptive study evaluating perinatal healthcare providers' perspectives of palliative programming in 3 Canadian institutions.

A paucity of research has evaluated the perspectives of the broader healthcare team regarding perinatal palliative care. This study examines the views of healthcare providers involved in perinatal palliative care in 3 tertiary care hospitals in Canada. Developing an understanding of their perspectives of care provision, as well as the interactions that took place with families and other teams while providing perinatal palliative care, was of interest. Twenty-nine healthcare providers were involved in 4 focus groups and 5 individual interviews. Data were transcribed and content analysis was undertaken. The overarching theme of communication materialized from the data. Within this theme were 3 subthemes, each highlighting an aspect of communication that impacted care provision: connecting through proximity, protected time and dedicated space, and flexibility and formality. The study also describes a model of integrated perinatal palliative care program development and explains where each of the 3 sites falls along this continuum. The development of formal programs in these facilities is varied and recommendations are included to enhance communication and assist in providing improved and integrated programming.

Supporting collaborative use of the Diabetes Population Risk Tool (DPoRT) in health-related practice: a multiple case study research protocol.

BACKGROUND: Health policy makers have stated that diabetes prevention is a priority; however, the type, intensity, and target of interventions or policy changes that will achieve the greatest impact remains uncertain. In response to this uncertainty, the Diabetes Population Risk Tool (DPoRT) was developed and validated to estimate future diabetes risk based on routinely collected population data. To facilitate use of DPoRT, we partnered with regional and provincial health-related decision makers in Ontario and Manitoba, Canada. Primary objectives include: i) evaluate the effectiveness of partnerships between the research team and DPoRT users; ii) explore strategies that facilitate uptake and overcome barriers to DPoRT use; and iii) implement and evaluate the knowledge translation approach. METHODS: This protocol reflects an integrated knowledge translation (IKT) approach and corresponds to the action phase of the Knowledge-to-Action (KtoA) framework. Our IKT approach includes: employing a knowledge brokering team to facilitate relationships with DPoRT users (objective 1); tailored training for DPoRT users; assessment of barriers and facilitators to DPoRT use; and customized dissemination strategies to present DPoRT outputs to decision maker audiences (objective 2). Finally, a utilization-focused evaluation will assess the effectiveness and impact of the proposed KtoA process for DPoRT application (objective 3). This research design utilizes a multiple case study approach. Units of analyses consist of two public health units, one provincial health organization, and one provincial knowledge dissemination team whereby we will connect with multiple regional health authorities. Evaluation will be based on analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data collected from passive (e.g., observer notes) and active (e.g., surveys and interviews) methods. DISCUSSION: DPoRT offers an innovative way to make routinely collected population health data practical and meaningful for diabetes prevention planning and decision making. Importantly, we will evaluate the utility of the KtoA cycle for a novel purpose - the application of a tool. Additionally, we will evaluate this approach in multiple diverse settings, thus considering contextual factors. This research will offer insights into how knowledge translation strategies can support the use of population-based risk assessment tools to promote informed decision making in health-related settings.

Postgraduate palliative care education: evaluation of a South African programme.

AIM: We aimed to assess the postgraduate palliative care distance education programme of the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of its perceived ability to influence palliative care delivery. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach, consisting of two surveys using open-ended and multiple-choice options, was conducted from January to December 2007 at the UCT School of Public Health and Family Medicine. All students registered in the programme from 2000 - 2007 were invited to participate; 83 (66.4% of all eligible participants) completed the general survey, and 41 (65.7%) of the programme's graduates completed the graduate survey. The survey scores and open-ended data were triangulated to evaluate UCT's palliative care postgraduate programme. RESULTS: General survey scores of graduates were significantly higher in 5 of the 6 categories in comparison with current students. The graduate survey indicated that curriculum and teaching strengths were in communication and dealing with challenging encounters. Graduates also stressed the need to develop a curriculum that incorporated a practical component. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to current postgraduate training, palliative care education in South Africa should be extended to undergraduate medical students, as the benefits of UCT's programme were limited to a small cohort of practitioners.

Using telehealth for assessment of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: the experience of two Canadian rural and remote communities.

INTRODUCTION: Telehealth has been used for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) diagnostic assessment in select Manitoban communities since 2000. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the FASD telehealth program within two rural and remote Northern Manitoban communities by comparing community practices from the perspective of professionals working with the FASD diagnostic clinics in these communities. Recommendations for the further development of FASD assessment by telehealth were made to further improve current implementation and guide expansion of the FASD telehealth program within the province. METHODOLOGY: Semistructured interviews were conducted from October 19 to December 11, 2009. Participants (N = 26) were comprised of professionals, including those in the education, social services, and health sectors. RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Two themes emerged from the data and covered the perceived strengths and drawbacks with the program, and meaningful suggestions to improve the service. Participants regarded the FASD telehealth program as successful and useful, especially given the remote location of the communities and the lack of on-site services. Recommendations addressing the barriers pertaining to the process were made from the study's findings and available scientific literature. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide a solid basis for the successful further development of the FASD telehealth programs.

Access to hospice care: multi-professional specialist perspectives in South Africa.

Research addressing the nature of hospice referrals focuses primarily on the effect of late referral and the majority of studies are based in North America. Using health care professionals as key informants, the goal was to describe the hospice referral system used in the Western Cape Province of South Africa from the perspective of nursing sisters, medical doctors, and social workers. Semi-structured interviews with 29 such individuals were conducted at 15 rural, urban and peri-urban sites, exploring their perceptions towards, and experiences with, patient referral to hospice programmes. Interpretative descriptive design allowed for a comprehensive description of the referral process as well as an extension of the data based on the perspectives of the three stakeholder groups. The majority of hospice referrals originated from either community-based clinics or state hospitals. Three main themes, centring around the process of referring, (lack of) standardization, and (lack of) knowledge, arose from the analysis of the transcripts. An interpretation of the themes led to the development of a model describing the ideal hospice referral system for South Africa.

Pediatric palliative care online: the views of health care professionals.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the role of an online resource for dying children, their family members, and health care providers from the perspective of pediatric palliative care experts. Semistructured interviews with 12 leaders in pediatric palliative care in North America were conducted, exploring their perceptions and attitudes towards various aspects of Web-based resources for dying children and their care providers. Informants felt that an online resource may allow for a different form of expression, a connection between people undergoing a rare event, and an increase in education and support. Major challenges, such as accessibility, monitoring, and remaining current, would be ongoing. Other key themes included access, information, and anonymity. The data suggest that developing Web-based resources for dying young patients and their families may have merit. Should this take place, a feasibility study will be necessary to further determine the value of such a Web site for these vulnerable populations.

Death anxiety in adolescents: the contributions of bereavement and religiosity.

Possible relationships between bereavement and religiosity to death anxiety levels of adolescents were investigated. Scales measuring religiosity, bereavement, and death anxiety were incorporated into one questionnaire. Two hundred and twenty-six adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18 participated in the study based in urban and rural private schools within Manitoba. Females exhibited significantly higher death anxiety levels than did males; differences between the death anxiety levels of adolescents having a no-previous-death-experience death and those who had experienced a familial death were not significant; while religiosity levels were significantly higher for students attending religion-based schools, the relationships between measurements of religiosity and death anxiety were weak. Grief due to bereavement was the major factor in determining death anxiety for the adolescent.

Death anxiety and personal growth in adolescents experiencing the death of a grandparent.

Relationships between bereavement following the death of a grandparent and adolescent death anxiety levels were examined using Hogan's Inventory of Bereavement and the revised Death Anxiety Scale within private schools. Of the 226 adolescent respondents (aged 11-18) who completed questionnaires, 124 had experienced the death of a grandparent. The regression model indicated that grief due to bereavement was found to be significantly associated with death anxiety. The factors of personal growth, gender, time since death, and numbers of deaths experienced were not found to be significant predictors within the model. The findings encourage further exploration into the nature of the grandparent-adolescent relationship as well as the impact of type of death experienced.