ABSTRACT
Editing services within academic health centers are uncommon, and few studies have reported on their impact. In this article, we describe our medical writing center's editing service for faculty and trainees at a pediatric teaching hospital and associated outcomes of scholarly products (e.g., manuscripts and grants) over an 8-year period. Data for manuscripts and grant proposals edited by the writing center from 2015 through 2022 were collected electronically from our service request database. Outcome data on publications and grant proposals were regularly collected up to 12 months post-submission. Users were also asked if the writing center edits were helpful, improved readability, and if they planned to use the service in the future. From 2015 through 2022, the writing center received 697 requests, 88.4% to edit a document. Of the documents edited, 81.3% of manuscripts and 44.4% of grant proposals were successfully published or funded. When rating their experience, 97.8% of respondents rated the edits "helpful," 96.7% indicated the edits "improved readability," and 99.3% stated they planned to use the writing center in the future. Our results showed steady use of the writing center and high satisfaction with services. A writing center can be an effective tool to support psychology faculty development.
ABSTRACT
Background: Groote Schuur Hospital is a large Academic Hospital in South Africa that is in the process of integrating palliative care (PC) via a vertical nurse-led doctor-supported (VNLDS) service that was initially established to deliver clinical care. PC integration should occur across multiple dimensions and may result in variable degrees of integration between levels of the healthcare system. This research evaluates the VNLDS through a theory-driven evaluation to describe how the service affected integration. Methods: A mixed-method sequential design consisting of a narrative literature review on the theory of integration and PC, retrospective quantitative data from a PC service delivery database, qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and document analyses. It was structured in three phases which assisted in confirming and expanding the data. Statistical analyses, deductive thematic coding and documentary analyses were conducted according to the conceptual framework of PC integration. Results: The PC integration process was facilitated in the following ways: (i) the service provided good clinical PC; (ii) it was able to integrate on a professional level into specific diseases, such as cancer but not in all diseases; (iii) developing organizational structures within the service and (iv) the observed benefit of good clinical care increased the value stakeholders assigned to PC, thereby driving the adoption of PC. However, there are still clinicians who do not refer to PC services. This gap in referral may be grounded in assumptions and misconceptions about PC, especially at the organizational level. Discussion: Observed PC service delivery is core to integrating PC across the healthcare system because it challenges normative barriers. However, the VNLDS could not achieve integration in leadership and governance, education and hospital-wide guidelines and policies. Whole system integration, foregrounding organizational commitment to PC excellence, is core to integrating PC. Conclusion: The VNLDS service has effectively linked PC in specific disease profiles and normalized the PC approach where healthcare workers observed the service. These integrational gaps may be grounded in assumptions and misconceptions about PC, especially at the organizational level.
How does a nurse led palliative care service affect palliative care integration in a big teaching hospital? This article evaluates a nurse led doctor supported service in providing palliative care and how it affected the integration of palliative care in an Academic Hospital in South Africa. This study will help us understand the goals of integration, the extent of integration achieved by this service and how and why it was achieved or not.