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Objective: Stroke survivors often experience residual impairments and motor decline post-discharge. While digital home rehabilitation combined with supervision could be a promising approach for reducing human resources, increasing motor ability, and supporting rehabilitation persistence there is a lack of reviews synthesizing the effects. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the effect of digital home rehabilitation and supervision in improving motor ability of upper limb, static balance, stroke-related quality of life, and self-reported arm function among stroke survivors. Methods: Six electronic databases, grey literature, ongoing studies, and reference lists were searched for relevant studies. Two investigators independently reviewed titles, abstracts, screened full texts for eligibility and performed data extraction. Meta-analysis of 13 independent studies were grouped into four separate meta-analyses. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessments, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) tool was used for evaluating the overall quality of the evidence. Results: Meta-analyses showed no statistically significant difference between intervention (digital home rehabilitation) and control groups (home training/clinic-based) of all outcomes including motor ability of upper limb, static balance, stroke-related quality of life, and self-reported arm function. In the sub-group analysis digital home rehabilitation was associated with better quality of arm use (standardized mean difference = 0.68, 95% confidence interval: [0.27, 1.09], p = 0.001). Conclusions: This result indicated that digital home rehabilitation has similar effects and could potentially replace home training or clinic-based services. This review highlights better-targeted digital motor interventions to examine the effects of interventions further. The quality of evidence was moderate to high in motor and self-reported arm outcomes, and low for balance and quality of life.
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INTRODUCTION: Nurses, assuming a wide range of clinical and patient care responsibilities in a healthcare team, are highly susceptible to direct and indirect exposure to traumatic experiences. However, literature has shown that nurses with certain traits developed a new sense of personal strength in the face of adversity, known as post-traumatic growth (PTG). This review aimed to synthesize the best available evidence to evaluate personal and work-related factors associated with PTG among nurses. DESIGN: Mixed studies systematic review. METHODS: Studies examining factors influencing PTG on certified nurses from all healthcare facilities were included. Published and unpublished studies were identified by searching 12 databases from their inception until 4th February 2023. Two reviewers independently screened, appraised, piloted a data collection form, and extracted relevant data. Meta-summary, meta-synthesis, meta-analysis, as well as subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Integration of results followed result-based convergent design. RESULTS: A total of 98 studies with 29,706 nurses from 18 countries were included. These included 49 quantitative, 42 qualitative, and seven mixed-methods studies. Forty-six influencing factors were meta-analyzed, whereas nine facilitating factors were meta-summarized. A PTG conceptual map was created. Four constructs emerged from the integration synthesis: (a) personal system, (b) work-related system, (c) event-related factors, and (d) cognitive transformation. CONCLUSION: The review findings highlighted areas healthcare organizations could do to facilitate PTG in nurses. Practical implications include developing intervention programs based on PTG facilitators. Further research should examine the trend of PTG and its dynamic response to different nursing factors. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Research on trauma-focused therapies targeting nurses' mental health is lacking. Therefore, findings from this review could inform healthcare organizations on the PTG phenomenon and developing support measures for nurses through healthcare policies and clinical practice.
Subject(s)
Posttraumatic Growth, Psychological , Humans , Nurses/psychology , Workplace/psychologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Spinal disorders are highly prevalent worldwide with high socioeconomic costs. This cost is associated with the demand for treatment and productivity loss, prompting the exploration of technologies to improve patient outcomes. Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) are computerized systems that are increasingly used to facilitate safe and efficient health care. Their applications range in depth and can be found across health care specialties. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to explore the use of CDSSs in patients with spinal disorders. METHODS: We used the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological guidance for this scoping review and reported according to the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) statement. Databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, and PsycINFO, were searched from inception until October 11, 2022. The included studies examined the use of digitalized CDSSs in patients with spinal disorders. RESULTS: A total of 4 major CDSS functions were identified from 31 studies: preventing unnecessary imaging (n=8, 26%), aiding diagnosis (n=6, 19%), aiding prognosis (n=11, 35%), and recommending treatment options (n=6, 20%). Most studies used the knowledge-based system. Logistic regression was the most commonly used method, followed by decision tree algorithms. The use of CDSSs to aid in the management of spinal disorders was generally accepted over the threat to physicians' clinical decision-making autonomy. CONCLUSIONS: Although the effectiveness was frequently evaluated by examining the agreement between the decisions made by the CDSSs and the health care providers, comparing the CDSS recommendations with actual clinical outcomes would be preferable. In addition, future studies on CDSS development should focus on system integration, considering end user's needs and preferences, and external validation and impact studies to assess effectiveness and generalizability. TRIAL REGISTRATION: OSF Registries osf.io/dyz3f; https://osf.io/dyz3f.
Subject(s)
Decision Support Systems, Clinical , Humans , Algorithms , Clinical Decision-Making , Databases, FactualABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Circumcision as a common elective pediatric surgery worldwide is a stressful and anxiety-inducing experience for parents and children. Although current perioperative interventions proved effective, such as reducing preoperative anxiety, there are limited holistic solutions using mobile apps. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to describe the development and primary evaluation of an intelligent customer-driven smartphone-based app program (ICory-Circumcision) to enhance health outcomes among children undergoing circumcision and their family caregivers. METHODS: Based on the review of the literature and previous studies, Bandura's self-efficacy theory was adopted as the conceptual framework. A multidisciplinary team was built to identify the content and develop the apps. Semistructured interviews were conducted to evaluate the ICory-Circumcision. RESULTS: The ICory-Circumcision study was carried out from March 2019 to January 2020 and comprised 2 mobile apps, BuddyCare app and Triumf Health mobile game app. The former provides a day-by-day perioperative guide for parents whose children are undergoing circumcision, while the latter provides emotional support and distraction to children. In total, 6 participants were recruited to use the apps and interviewed to evaluate the program. In total, 4 main categories and 10 subcategories were generated from content analysis. CONCLUSIONS: ICory-Circumcision seemed to lean toward being useful. Revisions to ICory-Circumcision are necessary to enhance its contents and features before advancing to the randomized controlled trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04174404; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04174404.
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BACKGROUND: Breast cancer causes significant distress in patient-caregiver dyads. While psychosocial and/or mHealth-based interventions have shown efficacy in improving their psychosocial well-being, no reviews have synthesised the effectiveness of such interventions delivered specifically to the breast cancer patient-caregiver dyad. OBJECTIVE: To synthesise available evidence examining the effectiveness of mHealth-based psychosocial interventions among breast cancer patient-caregiver dyads in improving their psychosocial well-being (primary outcomes: dyadic adjustment, depression and anxiety; secondary outcomes: stress, symptom distress, social well-being and relationship quality), compared to active or non-active controls. DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies were comprehensively searched from seven electronic databases (PubMed, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science), ongoing trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO ICTRP) and grey literature (ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global) from inception of databases till 23 December 2022. Studies involving breast cancer patient-caregiver dyads participating in mHealth-based psychosocial interventions, compared to active or non-active controls, were included. Exclusion criteria were terminally ill patients and/or participants with psychiatric disorders or cognitive impairment and interventions collecting symptomatic data, promoting breast cancer screening or involving only physical activities. Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal of studies were conducted independently by two reviewers. Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool version 1 and JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist were used to appraise the randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies, respectively. Meta-analyses using Review Manager 5.4.1 synthesised the effects of outcomes of interest. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were conducted. The GRADE approach appraised the overall evidence quality. RESULTS: Twelve trials involving 1204 breast cancer patient-caregiver dyads were included. Meta-analyses found statistically significant increase in caregiver anxiety (standardised mean difference (SMD) = 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.09, 0.77], Z = 2.47, p = 0.01), involving 479 caregivers in 5 studies, and stress (SMD = 0.25, 95% CI [0.05, 0.45], Z = 2.44, p = 0.01), involving 387 caregivers in 4 studies post-intervention, favouring control groups. The intervention effects on the remaining outcomes were statistically insignificant. Beneficial effects of such interventions remain uncertain. The overall quality of evidence was very low for all primary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the effectiveness of mHealth-based psychosocial interventions on the psychosocial well-being of breast cancer patient-caregiver dyads are inconclusive. The high heterogeneity shown in the meta-analyses and very-low overall quality of evidence imply the need for cautious interpretation of findings. Higher-quality studies are needed to assess the effects of psychosocial interventions on dyadic outcomes and determine optimal intervention regimes.
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INTRODUCTION: Stroke is a time-critical condition and one of the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. To decrease mortality and improve patient outcome by improving access to optimal treatment, there is an emerging need to improve the accuracy of the methods used to identify and characterise stroke in prehospital settings and emergency departments (EDs). This might be accomplished by developing computerised decision support systems (CDSSs) that are based on artificial intelligence (AI) and potential new data sources such as vital signs, biomarkers and image and video analysis. This scoping review aims to summarise literature on existing methods for early characterisation of stroke by using AI. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The review will be performed with respect to the Arksey and O'Malley's model. Peer-reviewed articles about AI-based CDSSs for the characterisation of stroke or new potential data sources for stroke CDSSs, published between January 1995 and April 2023 and written in English, will be included. Studies reporting methods that depend on mobile CT scanning or with no focus on prehospital or ED care will be excluded. Screening will be done in two steps: title and abstract screening followed by full-text screening. Two reviewers will perform the screening process independently, and a third reviewer will be involved in case of disagreement. Final decision will be made based on majority vote. Results will be reported using a descriptive summary and thematic analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The methodology used in the protocol is based on information publicly available and does not need ethical approval. The results from the review will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The findings will be shared at relevant national and international conferences and meetings in the field of digital health and neurology.
Subject(s)
Emergency Medical Services , Stroke , Humans , Artificial Intelligence , Stroke/diagnosis , Stroke/therapy , Research Design , Review Literature as TopicABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is an under-recognised independent risk factor and a potential consequence of stroke. We systematically reviewed and meta-analysed the effectiveness of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy in improving post-stroke outcomes. METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) for randomised controlled trials comparing PAP therapy against a control or placebo group. We evaluated the pooled effects of PAP therapy on recurrent vascular events, neurological deficit, cognition, functional independence, daytime sleepiness and depression using random effects meta-analyses. RESULTS: We identified 24 studies. Our meta-analyses showed that PAP therapy reduced recurrent vascular events (risk ratio 0.47, 95% CI 0.28-0.78), and showed significant beneficial effects on neurological deficit (Hedges' g= -0.79, 95% CI -1.19- -0.39), cognition (g=0.85, 95% CI 0.04-1.65), functional independence (g=0.45, 95% CI 0.01-0.88) and daytime sleepiness (g= -0.96, 95% CI -1.56- -0.37). However, there was insignificant reduction in depression (g= -0.56, 95% CI -2.15-1.02). No publication bias was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Post-stroke patients with SDB benefited from PAP therapy. Prospective trials are needed to determine the ideal initiation period and the minimum effective therapeutic dose.
Subject(s)
Disorders of Excessive Somnolence , Sleep Apnea Syndromes , Humans , Continuous Positive Airway Pressure/adverse effects , Prospective Studies , Risk Factors , Sleep Apnea Syndromes/diagnosis , Sleep Apnea Syndromes/therapyABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The current literature related to patient safety of interorganizational health information is fragmented. This study aims to identify interorganizational health information exchange-related patient safety incidents occurring in the emergency department, emergency medical services, and home care. The research also aimed to describe the causes and consequences of these incidents. METHODS: A total of sixty (n = 60) interorganizational health information exchange-related patient safety incident free text reports were analyzed. The reports were reported in the emergency department, emergency medical services, or home care between January 2016 and December 2019 in one hospital district in Finland. RESULTS: The identified interorganizational health information exchange-related incidents were grouped under two main categories: "Inadequate documentation"; and "Inadequate use of information". The causes of these incidents were grouped under the two main categories "Factors related to the healthcare professional " and "Organizational factors", while the consequences of these incidents fell under the two main categories "Adverse events" and "Additional actions to prevent, avoid, and correct adverse events". CONCLUSION: This study shows that the inadequate documentation and use of information is mainly caused by factors related to the healthcare professional and organization, including technical problems. These incidents cause adverse events and additional actions to prevent, avoid, and correct the events. The sociotechnical perspective, including factors related to health care professionals, organization, and technology, should be emphasized in patient safety development of inter-organizational health information exchange and it will be the focus of our future research. Continuous research and development work is needed because the processes and information systems used in health care are constantly evolving.
Subject(s)
Emergency Medical Services , Health Information Exchange , Humans , Patient Safety , Risk Management , Emergency Service, HospitalABSTRACT
AIMS: To synthesize the effectiveness of web-based psychosocial interventions on self-efficacy, anxiety, depression, quality of life (QoL), non-specific psychological and cancer-specific distress among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Six databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL and CNKI) were searched from inception to December 2021. REVIEW METHODS: Experimental/quasi-experimental studies involving patients with CRC for the improvement of aforementioned outcomes were included. Two reviewers screened and extracted the data, and assessed studies' methodological quality using risk of bias tools. Meta-analyses and narrative syntheses were performed. RESULTS: Nineteen studies consisting of 1386 participants were identified. Cognitive-behavioural therapy delivered online was the most common trialled web-based psychosocial intervention. Meta-analyses revealed no positive effect for self-efficacy (standardized mean difference 0.93, 95% CI: 0.52 to 1.35, p < .01) and minimal benefit for QoL (mean difference [MD] 2.83, 95% CI: -0.31 to 5.98, p = .08) but significant positive effects for anxiety (MD -2.23, 95% CI: -3.31 to -1.14, p < .01) and depression (MD -2.84, 95% CI: -4.09 to -1.59, p < .01) among CRC survivors in the intervention group as compared with the control group. Narrative synthesis suggested possible benefits in reducing distress. CONCLUSION: Web-based psychosocial interventions are promising alternatives to conventional delivery methods in reducing patients' anxiety, depression and distress. However, evidence on self-efficacy and QoL remains inconsistent. More adequately powered, well-designed trials with targeted and theory-based interventions are required to ascertain findings. IMPACT: By highlighting the potential of web-based psychosocial interventions in reducing anxiety and depression among CRC survivors, this review has put forth beneficial information supporting the use and acceptance of web-based care delivery in light of COVID-19 restrictions and nationwide lockdowns. Meanwhile, the paucity of empirical support reflects the necessity of more extensive research to test and improve other health outcomes. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021261396.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Colorectal Neoplasms , Communicable Disease Control , Depression/therapy , Humans , Internet , Psychosocial Intervention , Quality of LifeABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) surgeries are major, complex, and often associated with debilitating symptoms or significant deconditioning that may impair patients' quality of life. Little is known about how patients and family caregivers cope and their unmet needs during this daunting perioperative phase. This study aimed to explore the experiences and needs of CRC patients who undergo surgery and their family caregivers. METHODS: An exploratory qualitative design was adopted. A total of 27 participants comprising fifteen outpatients who had undergone colorectal cancer surgery and twelve family caregivers were recruited through purposive sampling from a public tertiary hospital in Singapore between December 2019 and November 2020. Individual, audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: initial reactions to the diagnosis, impact of the illness and surgery, personal coping, and external support. The lack of apparent assessments on the psychological well-being of patients was found despite several participants exhibiting early signs of distress. Access to psychological support provided by healthcare professionals or peers was selective, and knowledge deficit was prevalent, especially in the preoperative stage. CONCLUSION: Psychological priming and strengthening are important for CRC patients' and their caregivers' adaptive coping throughout the treatment continuum. Technology-based, dyadic psychoeducation should be offered preoperatively to ease CRC patients' acceptance of their diagnosis and adjustment to life after surgery while at the same time reduce the burden of family carers.
Subject(s)
Caregivers , Colorectal Neoplasms , Adaptation, Psychological , Caregivers/psychology , Colorectal Neoplasms/surgery , Humans , Qualitative Research , Quality of LifeABSTRACT
AIMS: To describe a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial which will evaluate the effectiveness of a gamified mobile health intervention for children in whole day surgery care. DESIGN: A study protocol for a two-arm randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention group (N = 62), in which patients receive routine care and play a mobile game designed for children or the control group (N = 62), in which patients receive routine care, including a mobile phone application that supports parents during the care path. The primary outcome is children's pre-operative anxiety, while the secondary outcome measures included fear and postoperative pain, along with parental satisfaction and anxiety. Data collection started in August 2020. RESULTS: The results of the ongoing randomized controlled trial will determine whether the developed gamified mobile health intervention can be recommended for hospital use, and whether it could be used to educate children about their surgical treatment to decrease anxiety.
Subject(s)
Mobile Applications , Telemedicine , Video Games , Ambulatory Surgical Procedures , Anxiety/prevention & control , Child , Humans , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Telemedicine/methodsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesise the evidence of the effectiveness of self-management interventions with action-taking components in improving self-efficacy, health-related quality of life, basic and instrumental activities of daily living, and depression for adult stroke survivors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine electronic databases were searched for relevant studies, including grey literature and ongoing studies. Randomised controlled trials targeting adult stroke survivors comparing health-related outcomes of patients receiving self-management interventions with action-taking components to usual care, placebo, or no-treatment were included. Screening, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment were conducted by two reviewers. Meta-analyses were performed. Overall quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE tool. RESULTS: A total of seventeen studies were included. Meta-analyses showed that the intervention may result in a slight increase in self-efficacy (SMD = 0.29, 95% CI [0.07-0.52], p = 0.010, I2 = 47%) and basic activities of daily living (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI [0.16-0.46], p < 0.001, I2 = 0%), but not for the other outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Self-management interventions with action-taking components may result in a slight improvement in self-efficacy and rehabilitation of basic activities of daily living. Future research should investigate which core self-management skill, or combination of them, is most effective in improving short-term and long-term outcomes.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONStroke can be a chronic condition as approximately half of stroke survivors suffer from permanent disabilities.Self-management interventions are one form of rehabilitation programmes available to stroke survivors.Self-management interventions with action-taking components may result in a slight increase in patient self-efficacy and carrying out basic activities of daily living compared to usual care given.
Subject(s)
Self-Management , Stroke Rehabilitation , Stroke , Humans , Adult , Activities of Daily Living , Quality of Life , SurvivorsABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: As the number of patients undergoing primary lower-limb joint replacement has risen continuously, hospital-based healthcare resources have become limited. Delivery of any ongoing rehabilitation needs to adapt to this trend. This systematic literature aimed to examine the effects and safety of telerehabilitation in patients with lower-limb joint replacement. METHODS: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted according to procedures by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Studies published prior to February 2020 were identified from Medline Ovid, Scopus, Ebsco Databases and Web of Science. Reference lists of relevant studies were also manually checked to find additional studies. Two researchers conducted study selection separately. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Randomized Controlled Trials was used to evaluate the quality of the relevant studies published. A narrative synthesis was used to report the results whereas effect sizes were estimated for different outcomes. RESULTS: Nine studies with 1266 patients were included. Study quality was predominantly affected by the lack of blinding. The patients who completed telerehabilitation showed an improvement in physical functioning that was similar to that of patients completing conventional in-person outpatient physical therapy without an increase in adverse events or resource utilization. The effect of telerehabilitation on physical functioning, however, was assessed as heterogeneous and moderate- to low-quality evidence. DISCUSSION: Telerehabilitation is a practical alternative to conventional in-person outpatient physical therapy in patients with lower-limb joint replacement. However, more robust studies are needed to build evidence about telerehabilitation.
Subject(s)
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee , Telerehabilitation , Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/rehabilitation , Humans , Outpatients , Physical Therapy Modalities , Telerehabilitation/methodsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to identify, critically appraise, and synthesize the best available literature on registered nurses' and medical doctors' experiences of patient safety in health information exchange (HIE) during interorganizational care transitions. METHODS: The review was conducted according to the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence. A total of 5 multidisciplinary databases were searched from January 2010 to September 2020 to identify qualitative or mixed methods studies. The qualitative findings were pooled using JBI SUMARI with the meta-aggregation approach. RESULTS: The final review included 6 original studies. The 53 distinct findings were aggregated into 9 categories, which were further merged into 3 synthesized findings: (1) HIE efficiency and accuracy support patient safety during interorganizational care transitions; (2) inaccuracies in content and structure, along with poor HIE usability, jeopardize patient safety during interorganizational care transitions; and (3) health care professionals' (HCP) actions in HIE are associated with patient safety during interorganizational care transitions. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this review identified several advantages of HIE, namely, improvements in patient safety based on reduced human error. Nevertheless, a lack of usability and functionality can amplify the effects of human error and increase the risk of adverse events. In addition, HCPs' individual actions in HIE were found to influence patient safety. Hence, the cognitive and sociotechnical perspectives of work related to HIE should be studied. In addition, HCPs' experiences of each stage of HIE deployment should be clarified to ensure a high standard of patient safety. Registration: PROSPERO CRD42020220631, registered on November 13, 2020.
Subject(s)
Health Information Exchange , Nurses , Humans , Patient Safety , Patient Transfer , Qualitative Research , Systematic Reviews as TopicABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Elective colorectal cancer (CRC) surgeries offer enhanced surgical outcomes but demand high self-efficacy in prehabilitation and competency in self-care and disease management postsurgery. Conventional strategies to meet perioperative needs have not been pragmatic, and there remains a pressing need for novel technologies that could improve health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to describe the development of a smartphone-based interactive CRC self-management enhancement psychosocial program (iCanManage) in order to improve health outcomes among patients who undergo elective CRC surgeries and their family caregivers. METHODS: A multidisciplinary international team comprising physicians, specialist nurses, a psychologist, software engineers, academic researchers, cancer survivors, patient ambassadors, and ostomy care medical equipment suppliers was formed to facilitate the development of this patient-centric digital solution. The process occurred in several stages: (1) review of current practice through clinic visits and on-site observations; (2) review of literature and findings from preliminary studies; (3) content development grounded in an underpinning theory; (4) integration of support services; and (5) optimizing user experience through improving interface aesthetics and customization. In our study, 5 participants with CRC performed preliminary assessments on the quality of the developed solution using the 20-item user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (uMARS), which had good psychometric properties. RESULTS: Based on the collected uMARS data, the smartphone app was rated highly for functionality, aesthetics, information quality, and perceived impact, and moderately for engagement and subjective quality. Several limiting factors such as poor agility in the adoption of digital technology and low eHealth literacy were identified despite efforts to promote engagement and ensure ease of use of the mobile app. To overcome such barriers, additional app-training sessions, an instruction manual, and regular telephone calls will be incorporated into the iCanManage program during the trial period. CONCLUSIONS: This form of multidisciplinary collaboration is advantageous as it can potentially streamline existing care paths and allow the delivery of more holistic care to the CRC population during the perioperative period. Should the program be found to be effective and sustainable, hospitals adopting this digital solution may achieve better resource allocation and reduce overall health care costs in the long run. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04159363; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04159363.
Subject(s)
Caregivers , Colorectal Neoplasms , Colorectal Neoplasms/surgery , Humans , Interdisciplinary Studies , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Patient-Centered CareABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The parents of hospitalized children are often dissatisfied with waiting times, fasting, discharge criteria, postoperative pain relief, and postoperative guidance. Parents' experiences help care providers to provide effective, family-centered care that responds to parents' needs throughout the day surgery pathway. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to describe parental experiences of the pediatric day surgery pathway and the needs for a digital gaming solution in order to facilitate the digitalization of these pathways. METHODS: This was a descriptive qualitative study. The participants (N=31) were parents whose children were admitted to the hospital for the day surgical treatments or magnetic resonance imaging. The data were collected through an unstructured, open-ended questionnaire; an inductive content analysis was conducted to analyze the qualitative data. Reporting of the study findings adheres to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist. RESULTS: Parental experiences of the children's day surgery pathway included 3 main categories: (1) needs for parental guidance, (2) needs for support, and (3) child involved in his or her own pathway (eg, consideration of an individual child and preparation of child for treatment). The needs for a digital gaming solution were identified as 1 main category-the digital gaming solution for children and families to support care. This main category included 3 upper categories: (1) preparing children and families for the day surgery via the solution, (2) gamification in the solution, and (3) connecting people through the solution. CONCLUSIONS: Parents need guidance and support for their children's day surgery care pathways. A digital gaming solution may be a relevant tool to support communication and to provide information on day surgeries. Families are ready for and are open to digital gaming solutions that provide support and guidance and engage children in the day surgery pathways.
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BACKGROUND: As the number of patients with orthopaedic conditions has risen continuously, hospital-based healthcare resources have become limited. Delivery of additional services is needed to adapt to this trend. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the current literature of computer- and telephone-delivered interventions on patient outcomes and resource utilization in patients with orthopaedic conditions. METHODS: The systematic review was conducted in January 2019. The standardized checklist for randomized controlled trials was used to assess the quality of the relevant studies. A meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity in the included studies, and a narrative synthesis was conducted to draw informative conclusions relevant to current research, policy, and practice. RESULTS: A total of 1,173 articles were retrieved. Six randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria, providing evidence from 434 individuals across four countries. Two studies reported findings of computer-delivered interventions and four reported findings of telephone-delivered interventions. The patients who received both computer- and telephone-delivered interventions showed improvements in patient outcomes that were similar or better to those of patients receiving conventional care. This was without any increase in adverse events or costs. CONCLUSION: Computer- and telephone-delivered interventions are promising and safe alternatives to conventional care. This review, however, identifies a gap in evidence of high-quality studies exploring the effects of computer- and telephone-delivered interventions on patient outcomes and resource utilization. In future, these interventions should be evaluated from the perspective of intervention content, self-management, and patient empowerment. In addition, they should consider the whole care journey and the development of the newest technological innovations. Additionally, future surgery studies should take into account the personalized needs of special, high-risk patient groups and focus on patient-centric care to reduce postdischarge health problems and resource utilization in this population.
Subject(s)
Orthopedic Procedures/rehabilitation , Osteoarthritis/therapy , Patient Outcome Assessment , Resource Allocation , Rheumatic Fever/therapy , Telemedicine , Computers , Humans , Patient Acceptance of Health Care , Patient Discharge , Randomized Controlled Trials as TopicABSTRACT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe the views on the needs of health specialists to consider when developing a digital gaming solution for children and families in a paediatric day surgery. BACKGROUND: Children's day surgery treatment is often cancelled at the last minute for various reasons, for example due to the lack of information. Digital gaming solutions could help families to be better oriented to the coming treatment. Despite the increasing demands for mHealth systems, there is not enough evidence-based information from the health specialist perspective for developing a digital gaming solution. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. METHODS: Health specialists (N = 15) including 11 nurses, one physiotherapist and four doctors from different areas from one university hospital in Finland were recruited using a snowball sampling method. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted in March and April 2019. The data were analysed using inductive conduct analyses. The COREQ checklist was used to report the data collection, analysis and the results. RESULTS: The data yielded 469 open codes, 21 sub-categories, three upper categories and one main category. The main category the digital gaming solution to support knowledge, care and guidance in children's day surgery included three upper categories: (a) support for preoperative information and guidance, (b) support for intra-operative information and care, and (c) support for postoperative information, care and guidance. CONCLUSION: Digital gaming solutions could be used to help children and families to be better prepared for upcoming treatments, to support communication in different languages and to improve children's pain management after operations. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Evidence-based information is important to ensure that future digital solutions answer the real needs of the staff and patients. There is a need for families and children's views to be taken into consideration when developing digital gaming solutions in the hospital context.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Surgical Procedures/standards , Pain Management/methods , Pediatrics/organization & administration , Video Games , Child , Female , Finland , Humans , Male , Professional-Family Relations , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To explore the perceptions of parents regarding the preparation of their children for surgery. DESIGN AND METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Sixteen parents of children who were undergoing various types of elective surgery in a public tertiary hospital in Singapore were recruited. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Five themes were derived: (1) assumed roles of the parents; (2) communication, decision-making, and emotional challenges; (3) factors facilitating the preparation of children for surgery; (4) surgery-related and financial concerns; and (5) the desire for more information and better management. While preparing their children for surgery, parents undertook several roles to ensure readiness and to provide support. Parents faced challenges while communicating with their children regarding their surgeries, experiencing negative emotions and dilemmas in making decisions for surgery. Factors such as previous experiences, children's positive mentality, and access to information helped to facilitate their preparation. Parents expressed surgery-related concerns such as anesthesia and a successful outcome of the surgery, the timing of the surgery, and postoperative care. Parents expressed a desire for easier to understand information through the use of visual materials, and improvements in current practices and management. CONCLUSION: This study provides a greater understanding of parents' perceptions of their roles, challenges, influencing factors, concerns, and needs when preparing their children for surgery. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The study findings provide insightful aspects for improving current healthcare practices and informing future research studies in exploring better surgery preparation programs for both parents and children.
Subject(s)
Communication , Parents , Child , Emotions , Humans , Perception , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
AIMS: To evaluate the effectiveness of web-based mobile health interventions on paediatric patients and their parents in the day surgery context, where the primary outcome was children's pre-operative anxiety and secondary outcomes were postoperative pain and parents' anxiety and satisfaction with entire course of the day surgery. DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. DATA SOURCES: CENTRAL, CINAHL, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, and Web of Science were systematically searched without time limits (up to December 2018). REVIEW METHODS: Studies were appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A random effect meta-analysis of children's pre-operative anxiety was performed. RESULTS: Eight studies with a total of 722 patients were included in the analysis. The effectiveness of web-based mobile health interventions, including age-appropriate videos, web-based game apps, and educational preparation games made for the hospital environment, was examined in pre-operative settings. A meta-analysis (N = 560 children) based on six studies found a statistically significant reduction in pre-operative anxiety measured by the Modified Yale Pre-operative Anxiety Scale with a moderate effect size. Three studies reported parental satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Web-based mobile health interventions can reduce children's pre-operative anxiety and increase parental satisfaction. Web-based mobile health interventions could be considered as non-pharmacological distraction tools for children in nursing. There is not enough evidence regarding the effectiveness of reducing children's postoperative pain and parental anxiety using similar interventions. IMPACT: Web-based mobile health interventions reduce children´s pre-operative anxiety and could therefore be considered as non-pharmacological distraction tools for children in nursing.