A Mobile App to Increase Informed Decisions About Colorectal Cancer Screening Among African American and Caucasian Women: A Pilot Study.

At this time, there are no interactive mobile apps designed to increase informed decisions about colorectal cancer screening among women. Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death among women. The study's purpose was to explore the usability, acceptability, and satisfaction with a mobile app designed to increase colorectal cancer screening informed decisions among 50- to 64-year-old women. Using previous research, an interactive mobile app to increase informed decisions about colorectal cancer screening was developed and pilot tested among African American and Caucasian women (N = 41). In total, 80.6% of women strongly agree/agreed that the mobile app made them think about colorectal cancer screening, 83.8% strongly agree/agreed that the mobile app provided enough information to make a decision about colorectal cancer screening, and 86.1% strongly agree/agreed that the mobile app could help them talk to their provider about colorectal cancer screening. Participants (63.2%) identified family/spouse as who they would talk to about their colorectal cancer screening decision. Participants found the mobile app easy to use and useful in making colorectal cancer screening decisions. Social support is important when making decisions about colorectal cancer screening. Healthcare professionals need new strategies, such as mobile apps, that engage patients, have the potential to increase patient-provider communication, and increase colorectal cancer screening adherence.

Colorectal Cancer Awareness for Women via Facebook: A Pilot Study.

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women. Women report being screened for colorectal cancer less often than men, and if colorectal cancer screening guidelines were routinely followed, approximately 60% of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented. Many colorectal cancer screening interventions have not used Facebook, which is the most popular social media site among women. Little is known about engaging women in colorectal cancer screening and risk reduction information using Facebook. The "Colorectal Cancer Screening Awareness for Women" Facebook page was created to promote colorectal cancer screening and risk reduction awareness among women. Facebook posts targeted women aged 45-64 years and highlighted colorectal cancer screening methods, guidelines, and colorectal cancer risk reduction strategies. Demographics and data about the women's interactions with the page were collected using Facebook analytics and analyzed. The majority of the 391 users of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Awareness for Women Facebook page were women aged 45-54 years (56.5%). The most "liked" posts were related to colorectal cancer risk reduction behaviors. In an effort to increase routine colorectal cancer screening and colorectal cancer risk reduction behaviors, gastroenterology nurses and practices should consider Facebook as a good method to regularly engage women in colorectal cancer screening and colorectal cancer risk reduction information.

EATI Island - A virtual-reality-based elder abuse and neglect educational intervention.

Despite high prevalence rates of elder abuse and neglect (EA/N), compliance with mandatory reporting remains low. A lack of practical training on EA/N has been identified as a barrier. This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an innovative virtual-reality-based educational intervention intended to improve EA/N recognition and reporting among nurses and social workers providing in-home services. The educational intervention consisted of two parts, including an introductory course and advanced assessment training in virtual reality. The advanced assessment training was focused on learning to use the QualCare Scale, an instrument used to assess quality of family caregiving. Data was evaluated in terms of user satisfaction, changes in knowledge, and changes in practice. Results indicate that participants were satisfied with the content and format of the training program. Participants made gains in knowledge in identification and had 99% accuracy in their mandatory reporting decisions. Importantly, professionals reported making changes in their daily practice based on knowledge and skills learnt. Evaluation data indicate that this interdisciplinary training program was a satisfactory way to learn that produced changes in knowledge and impacted clinical practice. Few implementation barriers were encountered during this project suggesting it would be replicable.

Identifying elder abuse & neglect among family caregiving dyads: A cross sectional study of psychometric properties of the QualCare scale.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Universal screening for elder abuse and neglect is a current controversy in geriatrics, fueled by the lack of evidence on valid and reliable instruments. Since each U.S. State and many other countries have their own legal definitions of what constitutes elder abuse and neglect, this further complicates instrument development and clinical assessment. The purpose of this paper is to present data on the sensitivity and specificity of the QualCare Scale, an instrument with utility in detecting clinically significant elder abuse and neglect among older adults receiving care at home. DESIGN: Data used in this analysis were collected during a training program in which trainees completed assessments (N=80) of standardized case scenarios of caregiving dyads. Trainees completed the QualCare Scale during each assessment. SETTING: This training program, including the assessments of the standardized case scenarios, was completed using a custom designed virtual-reality platform. Trainees were able to interact with the environment, older adult and caregiver within the case scenario. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six nurses and social workers from two Michigan Medicaid Waiver Sites participated in the training program. Each participant assessed between one and five scenarios, yielding the sample of 80 assessments used in this analysis. MEASUREMENTS: The research team designed each standardized case scenario to reflect whether or not the QualCare Scale subscale score should indicate reportable elder abuse and neglect per the State statute. Accordingly, the research team's QualCare Scale scores for each scenario were used as the gold standard criterion of clinical significance for comparison against the participant's assessment scores. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity for each of the six QualCare subscales was determined. Overall, the subscales had high sensitivity (≥0.811) but a wide range for specificity (0.167-1.000). CONCLUSION: The QualCare Scale can be an effective tool in detecting clinically significant elder abuse and neglect among older adults receiving care at home. This tool is suitable and feasible for use by practitioners working in home care. The QualCare Scale score indicating clinically significant or reportable elder abuse and neglect can be raised or lowered to be consistent with State or Country statutes, or simply used to create appropriate care plans to support caregiving. Findings from the QualCare Scale can support the multidisciplinary team in planning for and evaluating preventative interventions.

Best Practices for the Identification of Elder Abuse and Neglect in Home Health.

Elder abuse and neglect (EA/N) affects over 1 million older adults each year, and disproportionately affects persons with dementia and older women. Home healthcare professionals are in an advantageous position to assess for, identify, and report EA/N. Lack of knowledge on EA/N risk factors, assessment tools, and mandatory reporting guidelines often prevent professionals from identifying and reporting EA/N. This article provides practical guidance on EA/N risk factors, assessment tools, and reporting responsibilities that can easily be implemented in practice.