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1.
Res Social Adm Pharm ; 20(5): 520-530, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38403571

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Older patients often have complex medication regimens, which change as they move across transitions of care. Engagement of older patients and families in making medication decisions across transitions of care is important for safe and high-quality medication management. AIMS: To explore decision-making between health professionals, older patients and families about medication changes across transitions of care, and to examine how patient and family engagement is enacted in the process of decision-making in relation to these medication changes. METHODS: A focused ethnographic design was undertaken with semi-structured interviews, observations, and reflective focus groups or interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on transcribed data. The study was undertaken at a public teaching acute care hospital and a public teaching community hospital in Australia. RESULTS: In all, 182 older patients, 44 family members and 94 health professionals participated. Four themes were conceptualised from the data: different customs and routines, medication challenges, health professional interactions, and patient and family involvement. Environments had differences in their customs and routines, which increased the potential for medication delays or the substitution of unintended medications. Medication challenges included health professionals assuming that patients and families did not need information about regularly prescribed medications. Patients and families were informed about new medications after health professionals had already made decisions to prescribe these medications. Health professionals tended to work in disciplinary silos, and they had views about their role in interacting with patients and families. Patients and families were expected to take the initiative to participate in decision-making about medication changes. CONCLUSIONS: Patient movements across transitions of care can create complex and chaotic medication management situations, which lacks transparency, especially for older patients and their families. A greater focus on pre-emptive and planned discussions about medication changes will contribute to improving patient and family involvement in medication decision-making.


Subject(s)
Communication , Health Personnel , Humans , Anthropology, Cultural , Focus Groups , Australia , Qualitative Research
2.
Med Teach ; : 1-10, 2023 Dec 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38048408

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We examined whether medical students' opinions on the acceptability of a behaviour were influenced by previously encountering a similar professionally challenging situation, assessed the magnitude of effect of 'experience' compared to other demographic factors which influence medical students' opinions, and evaluated whether opinions regarding some situations/behaviours were more susceptible to 'experience' bias? METHODS: Confidential, on-line survey for medical students distributed to Australian and New Zealand (AUS/NZ) medical schools. Students submitted de-identified demographic information, provided opinions on the acceptability of a wide range of student behaviours in professionally challenging situations, and whether they had encountered similar situations. RESULTS: 3171 students participated from all 21 Aus/NZ medical schools (16% of registered students). Medical students reported encountering many of the professionally challenging situations, with varying opinions on what was acceptable behaviour. The most significant factor influencing acceptability towards a behaviour was whether the student reported encountering a similar situation. The professional dilemmas most significantly influenced by previous experience typically related to behaviours that students could witness in clinical environments, and often involved breaches of trust. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the relationship between experience and medical students' opinions on professional behaviour- the 'Schweitzer effect'. When students encounter poor examples of professional behaviour, especially concerning trust breaches, it significantly influences their perception of the behaviour. These results highlight the importance of placing students in healthcare settings with positive professional role modelling/work cultures.


Medical students report encountering a wide range of professionally challenging situations, and have varying opinions on acceptable professional behavioursAlthough medical students' opinions on professional behaviours are influenced by their demography, the most significant factor influencing the acceptability towards a behaviour was whether the student reported encountering a similar professional dilemmaStudents appear to be susceptible to normalising counter productive work behaviours, particularly those related to breaches of trustBy placing students in toxic work culture environments with poor role models, we may inadvertently enable healthcare systems to perpetuate poor professional behaviour.

3.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36293870

ABSTRACT

This study examines demographic factors which may influence opinions concerning medical students' self-care and substance use behaviors as a means of providing insights into how future doctors view these issues compared to Australian doctors and members of the public. We conducted national, multicenter, prospective, on-line cross-sectional surveys using hypothetical scenarios to three cohorts- Australian medical students, medical doctors, and the public. Participants' responses were compared for the different contextual variables within the scenarios and the participants' demographic characteristics. In total 2602 medical students, 809 doctors and 503 members of the public participated. Compared with doctors and the public, medical students were least tolerant of alcohol intoxication, and most tolerant of using stimulants to assist with study, and cannabis for anxiety. Doctor respondents more often aligned with the public's opinions on the acceptability of the medical students' behaviors. Although opinions are not equivalent to behaviour, Australian students' views on the acceptability for cannabis to help manage anxiety, and inappropriate use of prescription-only drugs are concerning; these future doctors will be responsible for prescribing drugs and managing patients with substance abuse problems. However, if current Australian medical student's opinions on alcohol misuse persist, one of the commonest substance addictions amongst doctors may decrease in future.


Subject(s)
Students, Medical , Substance-Related Disorders , Humans , Self Care , Cross-Sectional Studies , Attitude of Health Personnel , Prospective Studies , Australia , Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Surveys and Questionnaires
5.
BMC Health Serv Res ; 22(1): 813, 2022 Jun 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35733164

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Health organisations are increasingly implementing 'embedded researcher' models to translate research into practice. This paper examines the impact of an embedded researcher model known as the embedded Economist (eE) Program that was implemented in an Australian Primary Health Network (PHN) located in regional New South Wales, Australia. The site, participants, program aims and design are described. Insights into the facilitators, challenges and barriers to the integration of economic evaluation perspectives into the work of the PHN are provided. METHODS: The eE Program consisted of embedding a lead health economist on site, supported by offsite economists, part-time, for fifteen weeks to collaborate with PHN staff. Evaluation of the eE at the PHN included qualitative data collection via semi-structured interviews (N= 34), observations (N=8) and a field diary kept by the embedded economists. A thematic analysis was undertaken through the triangulation of this data. RESULTS: The eE Program successfully met its aims of increasing PHN staff awareness of the value of economic evaluation principles in decision-making and their capacity to access and apply these principles. There was also evidence that the program resulted in PHN staff applying economic evaluations when commissioning service providers. Evaluation of the eE identified two key facilitators for achieving these results. First, a highly receptive organisational context characterised by a work ethic, and site processes and procedures that were dedicated to improvement. Second was the development of trusted relationships between the embedded economist and PHN staff that was enabled through: the commitment of the economist to bi-directional learning; facilitating access to economic tools and techniques; personality traits (likeable and enthusiastic); and because the eE provided ongoing support for PHN projects beyond the fifteen-week embedding period. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first detailed case description of an embedded health economics program. The results demonstrate how the process, context and relational factors of engaging and embedding the support of a health economist works and why. The findings reinforce international evidence in this area and are of practical utility to the future deployment of such programs.


Subject(s)
Capacity Building , Australia , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Humans , New South Wales
6.
Aust J Rural Health ; 30(5): 582-592, 2022 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35749467

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of a small community-based hospice on the end-of-life experiences of patients and families. METHODS: Mixed-methods study. DESIGN: Patient admission data were used to assess utilisation of the hospice. Open-ended interviews with hospice patients and their families/carers were used to understand the emotional effects of the service. SETTING: A small palliative end-of-life hospice in a rural town in NSW, Australia, during a 12-month trial period that began in March 2019. Data were collected in October-November 2019. PARTICIPANTS: Patients, families and carers who used the hospice during the trial period, as well as staff working at the hospice. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Quantitative measures included the number of patients admitted to the hospice, the average length of stay and the overall occupancy rate of the hospice. Quantitative interviews were used to explore the experiences of patients and families who used the hospice, and whether the hospice met their end-of-life needs. RESULTS: During the trial, 58 patients were admitted to the hospice. The majority of admissions were less than 7 days. Two patients and nine family members were interviewed about their experiences, and six staff completed interviews. Experiences were consistently positive, with the community setting of the hospice contributing to a peaceful and home-like end-of-life experience. Interviewees described meaningful relationships with staff, a pleasant physical environment and the comprehensive care provided were key elements of this experience. CONCLUSION: This model, embedding end-of-life care within a residential aged care facility, facilitated a positive end-of-life experience for residents of this regional community. The development of local models to meet local needs is essential to enabling people nearing the end of life to remain in their location of choice, and ensure that their needs are met at this vulnerable time.


Subject(s)
Hospice Care , Terminal Care , Aged , Community Health Services , Death , Humans , Palliative Care
7.
Health Expect ; 25(4): 1807-1820, 2022 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35621044

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Communicating about medications across transitions of care is important in older patients who frequently move between health care settings. While there is increasing interest in understanding patient communication across transitions of care, little is known about older patients' involvement in formal and informal modes of communication regarding managing medications. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to explore how older patients participated in managing their medications across transitions of care through formal and informal modes of communication. METHODS: The study was conducted across two metropolitan hospitals: an acute hospital and a geriatric rehabilitation hospital in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. A focused ethnographic design was used involving semi-structured interviews (n = 50), observations (203 h) and individual interviews or focus groups (n = 25). Following thematic analysis, data were analysed using Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed two major discursive practices, which comprised of an interplay between formal and informal communication and environmental influences on formal and informal communication. Self-created patient notes were used by older patients to initiate informal discussion with health professionals about medication decisions, which challenged traditional unequal power relations between health professionals and patients. Formal prompts on electronic medication administration records facilitated the continuous information discourse about patients' medications across transitions of care and encouraged health professionals to seek out older patients' preferences through informal bedside interactions. Environmental influences on communication comprised health professionals' physical movements across private and public spaces in the ward, their distance from older patients at the bedside and utilization of the computer systems during patient encounters. CONCLUSION: Older patients' self-created medication notes enabled them to take on a more active role in formal and informal medication communication across transitions of care. Older patients and family members did not have continuous access to information about medication changes during their hospital stay and systems often failed to address older patients' key concerns about their medications, which hindered their active involvement in formal and informal communication. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Older adults, family members and health professionals volunteered to be interviewed and observed.


Subject(s)
Health Communication , Patient Participation , Patient Transfer , Aged , Anthropology, Cultural , Family , Health Communication/standards , Humans , Professional-Family Relations , Victoria
8.
J Patient Saf ; 18(7): e1124-e1134, 2022 10 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35617637

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Despite increased emphasis on education and training for patient safety in medical schools, there is little known about factors influencing decision making regarding patient safety behaviors. This study examined the nature and magnitude of factors that may influence opinions around patient safety-related behaviors as a means of providing insights into how Australian doctors and medical students view these issues relative to members of the public. METHODS: A national, multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional survey was conducted using responses to hypothetical patient safety scenarios involving the following: fabricating results, personal protective equipment, presenteeism, and reporting concerns.Australian enrolled medical students, medical doctors, and members of the public were surveyed.Participant responses were compared for the different contextual variables within the scenarios and the participants' demographic characteristics. RESULTS: In total, 2602 medical student, 809 doctors, and 503 members of the Australian public participated. The 3 demographic groups had significantly differing opinions on many of the patient safety dilemmas. Doctors were more tolerant of medical students not reporting concerning behaviors and attending placements despite recent illness. Medical students' opinions frequently demonstrated a "transition effect," bridging between the doctors and publics' attitudes, consistent with professional identity formation. CONCLUSIONS: Opinions on the acceptability of medical students' patient safety-related behaviors were influenced by the demographics of the cohort and the contextual complexity of the scenario. Although the survey used hypothetical scenarios, doctors and medical students' opinions seem to be influenced by cognitive dissonances, biases, and heuristics, which may negatively affect patient safety.


Subject(s)
Students, Medical , Australia , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Patient Safety , Professionalism , Prospective Studies , Students, Medical/psychology
9.
Int J Health Policy Manag ; 11(6): 855-858, 2022 06 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34634881

ABSTRACT

Edelman and colleagues' analysis of the views of Board members of Australian Research Translation Centres (RTCs) is well timed. There has been little study of Australian RTCs to date. We focus on their recommendations regarding knowledge mobilisation (KM) to open broader debate on the wisdom of regarding UK practices as a blueprint. We go further and ask whether successful RTCs might, as a result of responding to local context, create idiosyncratic structures and solutions, making generalisable learning less likely? There has been much invested in Australian RTCs and implications of government's formative evaluation of their work is discussed. Five recommendations are made that could help RTCs: allowing system end-users a greater say in funding decisions, taking a broader, more democratic approach to kinds of knowledge that are valued; investing in methodologies derived from the innovation space; and, a creative attention to governance to support these ideas.


Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care , Organizations , Australia , Government Programs , Humans , Qualitative Research
10.
J Clin Nurs ; 31(21-22): 3235-3249, 2022 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34873761

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Communication about managing medications during transitions of care can be a challenging process for older patients since they often have complex medication regimens. Previous studies highlighted that links between communication breakdowns and medication incidents in older patients occur mainly at discharge or in the post-discharge period. Little attention has been paid to exploring communication strategies facilitating patient-centred medication communication at transitions of care from a discourse-analytic perspective. OBJECTIVES: To explore, through a discursive lens, strategies that enable patient-centred medication communication at transitions of care. DESIGN: A focused ethnographic study was employed for this study. The study was reported according to the COREQ checklist. METHODS: Interviews, observations and focus groups were analysed utilising Critical Discourse Analysis and the Medication Communication Model following thematic analysis. Data collection was undertaken in eight wards across two metropolitan hospitals in Australia. RESULTS: Patient preferences and beliefs about medications were identified as important characteristics of patient-centred communication. Strategies included empathetic talk prioritising patients' medication needs and preferences for medications; informative talk clarifying patients' concerns; and encouraging talk for enhancing shared decision-making with older patients. Challenges relating to the use of these strategies included patients' hearing, speech or cognitive impairments, language barriers and absence of interpreters or family members during care transitions. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: To enhance medication communication, nurses, doctors and pharmacists should incorporate older patients' preferences, previous experiences and beliefs, and consider the challenges faced by patients across transitions. Strategies encouraging patients' contribution to decision-making processes are crucial to patient-centeredness in medication communication. Nurses need to engage in informative talk more frequently when administering the medications to ensure older patients' understanding of medications prescribed or altered in hospital settings.


Subject(s)
Aftercare , Patient Discharge , Aged , Anthropology, Cultural , Communication , Humans , Pharmacists , Qualitative Research
12.
Qual Health Res ; 31(14): 2678-2691, 2021 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34657517

ABSTRACT

Communicating about medications across transitions of care is a challenging process for older patients. In this article, we examined communication processes between older patients, family members, and health professionals about managing medications across transitions of care, focusing on older patients' experiences. A focused ethnographic design was employed across two metropolitan hospitals. Data collection methods included interviews, observations, and focus groups. Following thematic analysis, data were analyzed using Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis and Medication Communication Model. Older patients' medication knowledge and family members' advocacy challenged unequal power relations between clinicians and patients and families. Doctors' use of authoritative discourse impeded older patients' participation in the medication communication. Older patients perceived that nurses' involvement in medication communication was limited due to their task-related routines. To reduce the unequal power relations, health professionals should be more proactive in sharing information about medications with older patients across transitions of care.


Subject(s)
Communication , Professional-Family Relations , Aged , Anthropology, Cultural , Family , Health Personnel , Humans , Qualitative Research
13.
J Health Organ Manag ; ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print)2021 May 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33934583

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to argue for an improved conceptualisation of health service research, using Stengers' (2018) metaphor of "slow science" as a critical yardstick. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The paper is structured in three parts. It first reviews the field of health services research and the approaches that dominate it. It then considers the healthcare research approaches whose principles and methodologies are more aligned with "slow science" before presenting a description of a "slow science" project in which the authors are currently engaged. FINDINGS: Current approaches to health service research struggle to offer adequate resources for resolving frontline complexity, principally because they set more store by knowledge generalisation, disciplinary continuity and integrity and the consolidation of expertise, than by engaging with frontline complexity on its terms, negotiating issues with frontline staff and patients on their terms and framing findings and solutions in ways that key in to the in situ dynamics and complexities that define health service delivery. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: There is a need to engage in a paradigm shift that engages health services as co-researchers, prioritising practical change and local involvement over knowledge production. Economics is a research field where the products are of natural appeal to powerful health service managers. A "slow science" approach adopted by the embedded Economist Program with its emphasis on pre-implementation, knowledge mobilisation and parallel site capacity development sets out how research can be flexibly produced to improve health services.


Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care , Health Services Research , Health Facilities , Health Services , Humans , Research Personnel
14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33918010

ABSTRACT

Communication breakdowns contribute to medication incidents involving older people across transitions of care. The purpose of this paper is to examine how interprofessional and intraprofessional communication occurs in managing older patients' medications across transitions of care in acute and geriatric rehabilitation settings. An ethnographic design was used with semi-structured interviews, observations and focus groups undertaken in an acute tertiary referral hospital and a geriatric rehabilitation facility. Communication to manage medications was influenced by the clinical context comprising the transferring setting (preparing for transfer), receiving setting (setting after transfer) and 'real-time' (simultaneous communication). Three themes reflected these clinical contexts: dissemination of medication information, safe continuation of medications and barriers to collaborative communication. In transferring settings, nurses and pharmacists anticipated communication breakdowns and initiated additional communication activities to ensure safe information transfer. In receiving settings, all health professionals contributed to facilitating safe continuation of medications. Although health professionals of different disciplines sometimes communicated with each other, communication mostly occurred between health professionals of the same discipline. Lack of communication with pharmacists occurred despite all health professionals acknowledging their important role. Greater levels of proactive preparation by health professionals prior to transfers would reduce opportunities for errors relating to continuation of medications.


Subject(s)
Communication , Interprofessional Relations , Aged , Health Personnel , Humans , Pharmacists , Qualitative Research
15.
BMC Health Serv Res ; 21(1): 201, 2021 Mar 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33676496

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Systematic approaches to the inclusion of economic evaluation in national healthcare decision-making are usual. It is less common for economic evaluation to be routinely undertaken at the 'local-level' (e.g. in a health service or hospital) despite the largest proportion of health care expenditure being determined at this service level and recognition by local health service decision makers of the need for capacity building in economic evaluation skills. This paper describes a novel program - the embedded Economist (eE) Program. The eE Program aims to increase local health service staff awareness of, and develop their capacity to access and apply, economic evaluation principles in decision making. The eE program evaluation is also described. The aim of the evaluation is to capture the contextual, procedural and relational aspects that assist and detract from the eE program aims; as well as the outcomes and impact from the specific eE projects. METHODS: The eE Program consists of a embedding a health economist in six health services and the provision of supported education in applied economic evaluation, provided via a community of practice and a university course. The embedded approach is grounded in co-production, embedded researchers and 'slow science'. The sites, participants, and program design are described. The program evaluation includes qualitative data collection via surveys, semi-structured interviews, observations and field diaries. In order to share interim findings, data are collected and analysed prior, during and after implementation of the eE program, at each of the six health service sites. The surveys will be analysed by calculating frequencies and descriptive statistics. A thematic analysis will be conducted on interview, observation and filed diary data. The Framework to Assess the Impact from Translational health research (FAIT) is utilised to assess the overall impact of the eE Program. DISCUSSION: This program and evaluation will contribute to knowledge about how best to build capacity and skills in economic evaluation amongst decision-makers working in local-level health services. It will examine the extent to which participants are able to improve their ability to utilise evidence to inform decisions, avoid waste and improve the value of care delivery.


Subject(s)
Rural Health Services , Capacity Building , Delivery of Health Care , Humans , Program Evaluation , Surveys and Questionnaires
16.
Res Social Adm Pharm ; 17(2): 273-291, 2021 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32299684

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Communication about managing medications may be difficult when older people move across transitions of care. Communication breakdowns may result in medication discrepancies or incidents. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to explore older patients' experiences and perceptions of communication about managing medications across transitions of care. DESIGN: A systematic review. METHODS: A comprehensive review was conducted of qualitative, quantitative and mixed method studies using CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO, Web of Science, INFORMIT and Scopus. These databases were searched from inception to 14.12.2018. Key article cross-checking and hand searching of reference lists of included papers were also undertaken. INCLUSION CRITERIA: studies of the medication management perspectives of people aged 65 or older who transferred between care settings. These settings comprised patients' homes, residential aged care and acute and subacute care. Only English language studies were included. Comments, case reports, systematic reviews, letters, editorials were excluded. Thematic analysis was undertaken by synthesising qualitative data, whereas quantitative data were summarised descriptively. Methodological quality was assessed with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. RESULTS: The final review comprised 33 studies: 12 qualitative, 17 quantitative and 4 mixed methods studies. Twenty studies addressed the link between communication and medication discrepancies; ten studies identified facilitators of self-care through older patient engagement; 18 studies included older patients' experiences with health professionals about their medication regimen; and, 13 studies included strategies for communication about medications with older patients. Poor communication between primary and secondary care settings was reported as a reason for medication discrepancy before discharge. Older patients expected ongoing and tailored communication with providers and timely, accurate and written information about their medications before discharge or available for the post-discharge period. CONCLUSIONS: Communication about medications was often found to be ineffective. Most emphasis was placed on older patients' perspectives at discharge and in the post-discharge period. There was little exploration of older patients' views of communication about medication management on admission, during hospitalisation, or transfer between settings.


Subject(s)
Aftercare , Patient Discharge , Aged , Communication , Humans , Patient Participation , Perception
17.
Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract ; 26(1): 297-311, 2021 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32833138

ABSTRACT

Australian general practice trainees typically consult with patients from their first week of training, seeking in-consultation supervisory assistance only when not sufficiently confident to complete patient consultations independently. Trainee help-seeking plays a key role in supervisor oversight of trainee consultations. This study used focus groups and interviews with general practice supervisors to explore their approaches to trainee help-seeking and in-consultation supervision. Supervisor approaches are discussed under three themes: establishing a help-seeking culture; perceptions of in-consultation assistance required; and scripts for help provision. Within these themes, three interwoven entrustment processes were identified: supervisor entrustment; trainee self-entrustment; and 'patient entrustment' (patient confidence in the trainee's clinical management). Entrustment appears to develop rapidly, holistically and informally in general practice training, partly in response to workflow pressure and time constraints. Typical supervisor scripts and etiquette for help-provision involve indirect, soft correction strategies to build trainee self-entrustment. These scripts appear to be difficult to adapt appropriately to under-performing trainees. Importantly, supervisor scripts also promote patient entrustment, increasing the likelihood of patients returning to the trainee and training practice for subsequent review, which is a major mechanism for ensuring patient safety in general practice. Theories of entrustment in general practice training must account for the interplay between supervisor, trainee and patient entrustment processes, and work-related constraints. Gaps between entrustment as espoused in theory, and entrustment as enacted, may suggest limitations of entrustment theory when extended to the general practice context, and/or room for improvement in the oversight of trainee consultations in general practice training.


Subject(s)
Faculty, Medical/organization & administration , General Practice/education , Internship and Residency/organization & administration , Learning , Trust , Adult , Aged , Australia , Faculty, Medical/psychology , Female , Humans , Internship and Residency/standards , Interviews as Topic , Male , Middle Aged , Organizational Culture , Patient Safety/standards , Qualitative Research
18.
BMJ Support Palliat Care ; 10(3): 259-261, 2020 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32430403
19.
Soc Sci Med ; 256: 113023, 2020 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32446154

ABSTRACT

In this paper we undertake an innovative analysis of infection prevention and control (IPC) activities in hospitals, using non-representational theory of space (2005). We deployed video-reflexive ethnography in three wards in two metropolitan teaching hospitals involving 252 healthcare workers as participants. We analysed our data iteratively using non-representational theory, which showed hospital space being constantly produced from varied, intersecting, and sometimes competing trajectories of hospital work, objects and people. The approach enabled multiple material factors impinging on routine IPC (including objects such as rolls of surgical tape), and habitual or prioritised actions (such as safeguarding patient privacy) to be included in analysis. The analysis also included the role of time which has been absent from other discussions of IPC, highlighting the transience of spaces produced through IPC practices and the need to continually re-make them. We found many situations in which the complexity of practice, rather than failures of compliance, contributed to potential microbial transmission. We show how inconsistency and confusion about IPC practice often can only be resolved through action. Our findings suggest that further reduction in preventable hospital infection rates will require better integration of IPC with other work trajectories; a shift in emphasis from compliance monitoring to collaborative practice; and greater use of in situ risk assessment and judgment.


Subject(s)
Cross Infection , Infection Control , Anthropology, Cultural , Cross Infection/prevention & control , Health Personnel , Hospitals , Humans
20.
BMC Fam Pract ; 21(1): 28, 2020 02 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32033540

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: 'Ad hoc' help-seeking by trainees from their supervisors during trainee consultations is important for patient safety, and trainee professional development. We explored trainee objectives and activities in seeking supervisor assistance, and trainee perceptions of the outcomes of this help-seeking (including the utility of supervisor responses). METHODS: Focus groups with Australian general practice trainees were undertaken. All data was audio-recorded and transcribed, coded using in-vivo and descriptive codes, and analysed by the constant comparison of provisional interpretations and themes with the data. Findings are reported under the over-arching categories of help-seeking objectives, activities and outcomes. RESULTS: Early in their general practice placements trainees needed information about practice facilities, and the "complex maze" of local patient resources and referral preferences: some clinical presentations were also unfamiliar, and many trainees were unaccustomed to making patient management decisions. Subsequent help-seeking was often characterised informally as "having a chat" or "getting a second opinion" so as not to "miss anything" when trainees were "not 100% sure". Trainees emphasised the importance of being (and demonstrating that they were) clinically safe. Workflow constraints, and supervisory and doctor-patient relationships, had a powerful influence on trainee help-seeking activities. An etiquette for providing help in front of patients was described. Trainees assessed the credibility of supervisors based on their approach to risk and their clinical expertise in the relevant area. Several trainees reported reservations about their supervisor's advice on occasions. CONCLUSION: A trainee's subsequent help-seeking is strongly influenced by how their supervisor responds when their help is sought. Trainees prefer to seek help from credible supervisors who respond promptly and maintain trainee 'face' in front of patients. Trainees learn through help-seeking to make their own clinical decisions but may remain uncertain about professional and societal expectations, and curious about how other general practitioners practise. Trainees value opportunities throughout their training to observe expert general practice.


Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Clinical Competence , General Practice/education , Help-Seeking Behavior , Patient Safety , Adult , Australia , Decision Making , Education, Medical, Graduate , Female , Focus Groups , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Qualitative Research
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