Diagnosing COVID-19; towards a feasible COVID-19 rule-out protocol.

INTRODUCTION: We present the results of the COVID-19 rule-out protocol at Ghent University Hospital, a step-wise testing approach which included repeat NFS SARS-CoV-2 rRT-PCR, respiratory multiplex RT-PCR, low-dose chest CT and bronchoscopy with BAL to confirm or rule-out SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients admitted with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. RESULTS: Between 19 March 2020 and 30 April 2020, 455 non-critically ill patients with symptoms suspect for COVID-19 were admitted. The initial NFS for SARS-CoV-2 rRT-PCR yielded 66.9%, the second NFS 25.4% and bronchoscopy with BAL 5.9% of total COVID-19 diagnoses. In the BAL fluid, other respiratory pathogens were detected in 65% (13/20) of the COVID-19 negative patients and only in 1/7 COVID-19 positive patients. Retrospective antibody testing at the time around BAL sampling showed a positive IgA or IgG in 42.9 % of the COVID-19 positive and 10.5% of the COVID-19 negative group. Follow-up serology showed 100% COVID-19 positivity in the COVID-19 positive group and 100% IgG negativity in the COVID-19 negative group. CONCLUSION: In our experience, bronchoscopy with BAL can have an added value to rule-in or rule-out COVID-19 in patients with clinical and radiographical high-likelihood of COVID-19 and repeated negative NFS testing. Furthermore, culture and respiratory multiplex PCR on BAL fluid can aid to identify alternative microbial etiological agents in this group. Retrospective analysis of antibody development in this selected group of patients suggests that the implementation of serological assays in the routine testing protocol will decrease the need for invasive procedures like bronchoscopy.

Compliance with a structured bedside handover protocol: An observational, multicentred study.

BACKGROUND: Bedside handover is the delivery of the nurse-to-nurse shift handover at the patient's bedside. The method is increasingly used in nursing, but the evidence concerning the implementation process and compliance to the method is limited. OBJECTIVES: To determine the compliance with a structured bedside handover protocol following ISBARR and if there were differences in compliance between wards. DESIGN: A multicentred observational study with unannounced and non-participatory observations (n = 638) one month after the implementation of a structured bedside handover protocol. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Observations of individual patient handovers between nurses from the morning shift and the afternoon shift in 12 nursing wards in seven hospitals in Flanders, Belgium. METHODS: A tailored and structured bedside handover protocol following ISBARR was developed, and nurses were trained accordingly. One month after implementation, a minimum of 50 observations were performed with a checklist, in each participating ward. To enhance reliability, 20% of the observations were conducted by two researchers, and inter-rater agreement was calculated. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVAs and multilevel analysis. RESULTS: Average compliance rates to the structured content protocol during bedside handovers were high (83.63%; SD 11.44%), and length of stay, the type of ward and the nursing care model were influencing contextual factors. Items that were most often omitted included identification of the patient (46.27%), the introduction of nurses (36.51%), hand hygiene (35.89%), actively involving the patient (34.44%), and using the call light (21.37%). Items concerning the exchange of clinical information (e.g., test results, reason for admittance, diagnoses) were omitted less (8.09%-1.45%). Absence of the patients (27.29%) and staffing issues (26.70%) accounted for more than half of the non-executed bedside handovers. On average, a bedside handover took 146 s per patient. CONCLUSIONS: When the bedside handover was delivered, compliance to the structured content was high, indicating that the execution of a bedside handover is a feasible step for nurses. The compliance rate was influenced by the patient's length of stay, the nursing care model and the type of ward, but their influence was limited. Future implementation projects on bedside handover should focus sufficiently on standard hospital procedures and patient involvement. According to the nurses, there was however a high number of situations where bedside handovers could not be delivered, perhaps indicating a reluctance in practice to use bedside handovers.

Patient and public involvement in hospital policy-making: Identifying key elements for effective participation.

The involvement of patients and the public in healthcare decisions becomes increasingly important. Although patient involvement on the level of the individual patient-healthcare worker relationship is well studied, insight in the process of patient and public involvement on a more strategic level is limited. This study examines the involvement of patient and public (PPI) in decision-making concerning policy in six Flemish hospitals. The hospitals organized a stakeholder committee which advised the hospital on strategic policy planning. A three-phased mixed- methods study design with individual questionnaires (n = 69), observations (n = 10) and focus groups (n = 4) was used to analyze, summarize and integrate the findings. The results of this study indicate that: (1) PPI on hospital level should include the possibility to choose topics, like operational issues; (2) PPI-stakeholders should be able to have proper preparation; (3) PPI-stakeholders should be externally supported by a patient organization; (4) more autonomy should be provided for the stakeholder committee. Additionally, the study indicates that the influence of national legislation on stakeholder initiatives in different countries is limited. In combination with the growing importance of PPI and the fact that the recommendations presented are not claimed to be exhaustive, more transnational and conceptual research is needed in the future.

The Patient Participation Culture Tool for healthcare workers (PaCT-HCW) on general hospital wards: A development and psychometric validation study.

BACKGROUND: Patient participation is an important subject for modern healthcare. In order to improve patient participation on a ward, the ward's culture regarding patient participation should first be measured. In this study a measurement tool for patient participation culture from the healthcare worker's perspective, the Patient Participation Culture Tool for healthcare workers (PaCT-HCW), was developed and psychometrically evaluated. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a tool that measures the healthcare worker-related factors of patient participation and information sharing and dialogue in patient participation from the healthcare worker's perspective in order to represent the patient participation culture on general and university hospital wards. DESIGN: A four-phased validation study was conducted: (1) defining the construct of the PaCT-HCW, (2) development of the PaCT-HCW, (3) content validation, and (4) psychometric evaluation. SETTINGS: The Belgian Federal Government invited all Flemish general and university hospitals by e-mail to distribute the PaCT-HCW in their organization. Fifteen general hospitals took part in the study. PARTICIPANTS: Units for surgery, general medicine, medical rehabilitation, geriatric and maternal care were included. Intensive care-units, emergency room-units, psychiatric units and units with no admitted patients (e.g. radiology) were excluded. The respondents had to be caregivers, with hands-on patient contact, who worked on the same ward for more than six months. Nursing students and other healthcare workers with short-time internship on the ward were excluded. The tool was completed by 1329 respondents on 163 wards. METHODS: The PaCT-HCW was psychometrically evaluated by use of an exploratory factor analysis and calculation of the internal consistency. RESULTS: A model containing eight components was developed through a literature review, individual interviews, and focus interviews. The developed model showed high sampling adequacy and the Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant. An exploratory factor analysis identified eight components, explaining 49.88% of the variances. The eight original included components were retained. The PaCT-HCW also showed high internal consistency. CONCLUSION: The PaCT-HCW offers an in-depth and differentiated perspective of the healthcare worker-related factors of patient participation and information sharing and dialogue in patient participation. The PaCT-HCW has been developed thoroughly, resulting in a strong, psychometric evaluated tool and is a valuable measure for both scientists and clinicians to measure these two aspects in general and university hospitals. By using the PaCT-HCW, the opportunity is created to develop specific actions to improve patient participation.

Nursing staff and their team: Impact on intention to leave.

AIM: The aim was to examine the relationship between the quality of team-member exchange experienced by nursing staff and their intention to leave. Job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment are considered as mediators. BACKGROUND: While the shortage of nurses is a management and policy priority, few studies have studied the relationships between nursing staff and their team, key organizational attitudes, and intentions to leave the organization. METHOD: A questionnaire was administered to 217 registered nurses and nurse assistants in Belgium. Data were collected in 2012. To analyse the data, descriptive statistics, correlation, regression and path analyses were conducted. FINDINGS: Team-member exchange has a positive impact on nursing staff satisfaction and affective commitment. Job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment fully mediated the impact of team-member exchange on nursing staff's intention to leave. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: This study illustrates the potential benefits of the positive influence of team-member exchange on key organizational attitudes of nursing staff, and the negative influence on intention to leave through affective commitment and job satisfaction.