Understanding the experiences of PHC nurses in caring for older patients in the post-fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory qualitative study.

Objective: To ensure the best possible care, the perspective of PHC nurse work experience during the COVID-19 pandemic should be considered when developing nursing care protocols for older patients who receive PHC services. Method: This exploratory qualitative study was conducted with 18 nurses working continuously in PHC between the first and fifth waves of the pandemic. Semi-structured thematic interviews were undertaken. Qualitative thematic content analysis was conducted to identify and group the themes that emerged from the discourse. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The first topic describes the nurses' experiences of physical and mental suffering in caring for older patients in response to the pandemic. The second topic covers the experience of reorganizing PHC work. The third topic focuses on the difficulties of caring for older patients. The final topic includes issues of support needs for nurses in PHC work. Conclusion: The experience and understanding of PHC nurses in caring for older people during the COVID pandemic should lead to significant changes in the system of nursing care for geriatric patients and in the cooperative role within geriatric care specialist teams. Drawing on the experience of COVID-19, it is necessary to work on the weak points of PHC exposed by the pandemic in order to improve the quality of care and life for geriatric patients.

Young women's social support networks during pregnancy in Soweto, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Although studies from high-income countries have examined social support during pregnancy, it remains unclear what type of support is received by expectant mothers from low- and middle-income country settings. AIM: To explore young women's social support networks during pregnancy in Soweto, South Africa. SETTING: This study was undertaken in an academic hospital based in the Southwestern Townships (Soweto), Johannesburg, in Gauteng province, South Africa. METHODS: An exploratory descriptive qualitative approach was employed. Eighteen (18) young pregnant women were recruited using a purposive sampling approach. In-depth interviews were conducted, and data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Analysis of the data resulted in the development of two superordinate themes namely; (1) relationships during pregnancy and (2) network involvement. Involvement of the various social networks contributed greatly to the young women having a greater sense of potential parental efficacy and increased acceptance of their pregnancies. Pregnant women who receive sufficient social support from immediate networks have increased potential to embrace and give attention to pregnancy-related changes. CONCLUSION: Focusing on less-examined characteristics that could enhance pregnant women's health could help in the reduction of deaths that arise because of pregnancy complications and contribute in globally accelerating increased accessibility to adequate reproductive health.Contribution: This study's findings emphasise the necessity for policymakers and healthcare providers to educate the broader community about the importance of partner, family and peer support to minimise risks that may affect pregnancy care and wellbeing of mothers.

Registrars' experience with research in family medicine training programmes in South Africa.

BACKGROUND:  Completion of a research assignment is a requirement for specialist training in South Africa. Difficulty with completion delays graduation and the supply of family physicians. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of registrars with their research in postgraduate family medicine training programmes. METHODS:  An explorative descriptive qualitative study. Extreme case purposive sampling selected registrars who had and had not completed their research on time, from all nine training programmes. Saturation was achieved after 12 semi-structured interviews. The framework method was used for data analysis, assisted by ATLAS.ti software. RESULTS:  The assumption of prior learning by teachers and supervisors contributed to a sense of being overwhelmed and stressed. Teaching modules should be more standardised and focussed on the practical tasks and skills, rather than didactic theory. Lengthy provincial and ethics processes, and lack of institutional support, such as scholarly services and financial support, caused delays. The expertise of the supervisor was important, and the registrar-supervisor relationship should be constructive, collaborative and responsive. The individual research experience was dependent on choosing a feasible project and having dedicated time. The balancing of personal, professional and academic responsibilities was challenging. CONCLUSION:  Training programmes should revise the teaching of research and improve institutional processes. Supervisors need to become more responsive, with adequate expertise. Provincial support is needed for streamlined approval and dedicated research time.Contribution: The study highlights ways in which teaching, and completion of research can be improved, to increase the supply of family physicians to the country.

Lived experiences of women with spontaneous abortion at a district hospital, South Africa.

BACKGROUND:  Spontaneous abortions occur in 12.5% of pregnancies and have a significant impact on the well-being of women. Dissatisfaction with health services is well-documented, but no studies have been conducted in district health services of the Western Cape. The aim was to explore the lived experiences of women presenting with spontaneous abortions to the emergency department at Helderberg Hospital. METHODS:  A descriptive phenomenological qualitative study used criterion-based purposive sampling to identify suitable participants. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews. Atlas-ti (version 22) software assisted with data analysis using the framework method. RESULTS:  A total of nine participants were interviewed. There were four main themes: a supportive environment, staff attitudes and behaviour, the impact of time, and sharing of information. The comfort, cleanliness and privacy of the environment were important. COVID-19 had also impacted on this. Showing interest, demonstrating empathy and being nonjudgemental were important, as well as the waiting time for definitive treatment and the time needed to assimilate and accept the diagnosis. In addition, the ability to give relevant information, explain the diagnosis and help patients share in decision-making were key issues. CONCLUSION:  This study highlighted the need for a more person-centred approach and managers should focus on changes to organisational culture through training and clinical governance activities. Attention should be paid to the physical environment, availability of patient information materials and sequential coordination of care with primary care services.Contribution: This study identifies issues that can improve person-centredness and women's satisfaction with care for spontaneous abortion.

Determinants of antiretroviral therapy adherence among transgender women in South Africa.

BACKGROUND:  Transgender women bear a huge burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in South Africa. However, they are not fully engaged in healthcare across the HIV continuum of care. In addition, transgender women face multiple facets of stigma and discrimination as well as socio-economic inequalities, which all have a negative impact on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. OBJECTIVE:  The study aimed at exploring and describing the experiences of ART adherence of transgender women living with HIV in the Buffalo City Metro Municipality. METHODS:  The study employed an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) design. Twelve participants were enrolled using a snowballing sampling technique. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using an IPA framework. RESULTS:  While exploring determinants to ART adherence among transgender women living with HIV in Buffalo City Metro, two superordinate themes emerged: enablers to ART adherence and psychosocial factors promoting adherence. The study found that factors such as differentiated ART service delivery, ARV medicines-related factors, motivators for taking treatment and support systems facilitated ART adherence. CONCLUSION:  Emerging from this study is the need to scale up differentiated, person-centred ART service deliveries that will enhance access and adherence to treatment for transgender women.Contribution: This study provides unique insights on factors enhancing ART adherence among transgender women. There is a paucity of literature on access to HIV care services for key and vulnerable populations, and these findings will be shared in the country and in the region.

Experiences of patients living with HIV and AIDS on antiretroviral therapy in Accra, Ghana.

BACKGROUND:  The human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV and AIDS) pandemic has greatly affected Africa, particularly Ghana. The pandemic remains a public health concern, particularly in terms of accessing essential medication and improving quality of life for people living with the disease. OBJECTIVES:  This study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of persons diagnosed and living with HIV who are on antiretroviral therapy. METHOD:  A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and contextual design was used. The research population included persons diagnosed with HIV who were receiving antiretroviral therapy at three public hospitals in Ghana. Data saturation was achieved after conducting 15 semi-structured interviews. Creswell's six steps of data analysis were used to analyse the data, which resulted in the emergence of one main theme and six sub-themes. RESULTS:  The main theme identified by the researchers highlighted the participants' diverse experiences of being diagnosed and living with HIV. It was found that the study participants expressed shock, disbelief, surprise, and fear of death after being diagnosed with HIV. The participants also experienced stigmatisation, discrimination, and rejection. CONCLUSION:  There is a need for further research on the extent of discrimination and stigmatisation and the effect on optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Continuous public education on HIV is required to limit the extent of discrimination and stigmatisation.Contribution: The study has highlighted the various emotions related to stigma and discrimination expressed by persons living with HIV (PLHIV). The findings will guide policy on eliminating discrimination and stigmatisation for people living with HIV.

"Caminando Con Riesgo": perceptions of occupational injury, workplace safety and workers rights among Spanish-speaking hospitalized patients.

Introduction: Occupational health disparities are well documented among immigrant populations and occupational injury remains a high cause of morbidity and mortality among immigrant populations. There are several factors that contribute to the high prevalence of work-related injury among this population and those without legal status are more likely to experience abusive labor practices that can lead to injury. While the work-related injuries and experiences of Spanish-speaking workers have been explored previously, there is a paucity of literature documenting injury among hospitalized patients. Additionally, there are few documented hospital-based occupational injury prevention programs and no programs that implement workers rights information. The purpose of this study was to further explore the context of work related injuries primarily experienced by Spanish speaking patients and knowledge of their rights in the workplace. Methods: This was a semi-structured qualitative interview study with Spanish speaking patients admitted to the hospital for work related injuries. The study team member conducting interviews was bilingual and trained in qualitative methodology. An interview guide was utilized for all interviews and was developed with an immigrant workers rights organization and study team expertise, and factors documented in the literature. Participants were asked about the type and context of the injury sustained, access and perceptions of workplace safety, and knowledge of participants rights as workers. All interviews were conducted in Spanish, recorded, transcribed in Spanish and then translated into English. A codebook was developed and refined iteratively and two independent coders coded all English transcripts using Dedoose. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was reached and data was analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: A total of eight interviews were completed. All participants reported working in hazardous conditions that resulted in an injury. Participants expressed a relative acceptance that their workplace environment was dangerous and acknowledged that injuries were common, essentially normalizing the risk of injury. There were varying reports of access to and utilization of safety information and equipment and employer engagement in safety was perceived as a facilitator to safety. Most participants did have some familiarity with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections but were not as familiar with OSHA procedures and their rights as workers. Discussion: We identified several themes related to workplace injury among Spanish speaking patients, many of which raise concerns about access to workplace safety, re-injury and long-term recovery. The context around immigration is particularly important to consider and may lead to unique risk factors for injury, recovery, and re-injury both in the workplace and beyond the workplace, suggesting that perhaps immigration status alone may serve as a predisposition to injury. Thus, it is critical to understand the context around work related injuries in this population considering the tremendous impact of employment on one's health and financial stability. Further research on this topic is warranted, specifically the exploration of multiple intersecting layers of exposure to injury among immigrant populations. Future work should focus on hospital-based strategies for injury prevention and know your rights education tailored to Spanish speaking populations.

Pregnancy loss in women with systemic lupus erythematosus: Grounded Theory.

OBJECTIVE: to learn the meanings attributed to pregnancy loss by women with Lupus. METHOD: qualitative research, based on Symbolic Interactionism and Grounded Theory. Data collection took place between January and August 2022 through in-depth interviews. Data analysis went through the stages of initial and focused coding. RESULTS: seventeen women participated. The central phenomenon "The climb to motherhood: falls and overcoming" was constructed, consisting of three categories: "Falling to the ground during the climb: the experience of pregnancy loss"; "Getting up and following the path: new attempts to conceive"; and "Remembering the journey: meanings attributed to pregnancy losses". FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: experiencing pregnancy is, analogously, like climbing a mountain, where obstacles need to be overcome to reach the summit. The experience of pregnancy loss is seen as complex, especially when there is fragility in healthcare and a lack of awareness regarding feelings of loss and grief.

Qualitative case study on the disability acceptance experiences of soldiers with disabilities.

PURPOSE: This study comprehensively examines the disability acceptance experience of individuals who become disabled following accidents in the military after enlistment. METHODS: In-depth interviews and participative observation of two soldiers with disabilities are conducted. Data sources encompass the transcripts from these interviews, relevant news videos, and articles on the participants. A qualitative case study approach is applied to conduct both "within-case" and "cross-case" analyses. RESULTS: Although the two participants survived a crippling accidents, their military units did not actively attempt to resolve the accident. They grappled with despair and found it challenging to accept their new status as individuals with disability. Over time, they noticed changes in their personal relationships and started considering themselves burdens on their caregivers. However, despite encountering psychological challenges, which were marked by repeated setbacks and disappointments, the soldiers consistently made determined efforts to realize their objectives. Moreover, they strove to lead purposeful lives despite suffering the adversities caused by their disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first in-depth examination of the disability acceptance experiences of soldiers with disability. The insights gleaned from our in-depth interviews will help formulate psychological and physical support systems for such individuals.

Managing "socially admitted" patients in hospital: a qualitative study of health care providers' perceptions.

BACKGROUND: Emergency departments are a last resort for some socially vulnerable patients without an acute medical illness (colloquially known as "socially admitted" patients), resulting in their occupation of hospital beds typically designated for patients requiring acute medical care. In this study, we aimed to explore the perceptions of health care providers regarding patients admitted as "social admissions." METHODS: This qualitative study was informed by grounded theory and involved semistructured interviews at a Nova Scotia tertiary care centre. From October 2022 to July 2023, we interviewed eligible participants, including any health care clinician or administrator who worked directly with "socially admitted" patients. Virtual or in-person individual interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, then independently and iteratively coded. We mapped themes on the 5 domains of the Quintuple Aim conceptual framework. RESULTS: We interviewed 20 nurses, physicians, administrators, and social workers. Most identified as female (n = 11) and White (n = 13), and were in their mid to late career (n = 13). We categorized 9 themes into 5 domains: patient experience (patient description, provision of care); care team well-being (moral distress, hierarchy of care); health equity (stigma and missed opportunities, prejudices); cost of care (wait-lists and scarcity of alternatives); and population health (factors leading to vulnerability, system changes). Participants described experiences caring for "socially admitted" patients, perceptions and assumptions underlying "social" presentations, system barriers to care delivery, and suggestions of potential solutions. INTERPRETATION: Health care providers viewed "socially admitted" patients as needing enhanced care but identified individual, institutional, and system challenges that impeded its realization. Examining perceptions of the people who care for "socially admitted" patients offers insights to guide clinicians and policy-makers in caring for socially vulnerable patients.

The Ethics of Electronic Tracking Devices in Dementia Care: An Interview Study with Developers.

Wandering is a symptom of dementia that can have devastating consequences on the lives of persons living with dementia and their families and caregivers. Increasingly, caregivers are turning towards electronic tracking devices to help manage wandering. Ethical questions have been raised regarding these location-based technologies and although qualitative research has been conducted to gain better insight into various stakeholders' views on the topic, developers of these technologies have been largely excluded. No qualitative research has focused on developers' perceptions of ethics related to electronic tracking devices. To address this, we performed a qualitative semi-structured interview study based on grounded theory. We interviewed 15 developers of electronic tracking devices to better understand how they perceive ethical issues surrounding the design, development, and use of these devices within dementia care. Our results reveal that developers are strongly motivated by moral considerations and believe that including stakeholders throughout the development process is critical for success. Developers felt a strong sense of moral obligation towards topics within their control and a weaker sense of moral obligation towards topics outside their control. This leads to a perceived moral boundary between development and use, where some moral responsibility is shifted to end-users.

Facilitators of and barriers to County Behavioral Health System Transformation and Innovation: an interview study.

BACKGROUND: Inadequate and inequitable access to quality behavioral health services and high costs within the mental health systems are long-standing problems. System-level (e.g., fee-for-service payment model, lack of a universal payor) and individual factors (e.g., lack of knowledge of existing resources) contribute to difficulties in accessing resources and services. Patients are underserved in County behavioral health systems in the United States. Orange County's (California) Behavioral Health System Transformation project sought to improve access by addressing two parts of their system: developing a template for value-based contracts that promote payor-agnostic care (Part 1); developing a digital platform to support resource navigation (Part 2). Our aim was to evaluate facilitators of and barriers to each of these system changes. METHODS: We collected interview data from County or health care agency leaders, contracted partners, and community stakeholders. Themes were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. RESULTS: Five themes were identified related to behavioral health system transformation, including 1) aligning goals and values, 2) addressing fit, 3) fostering engagement and partnership, 4) being aware of implementation contexts, and 5) promoting communication. A lack of fit into incentive structures and changing state guidelines and priorities were barriers to contract development. Involving diverse communities to inform design and content facilitated the process of developing digital tools. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the multifaceted factors that help facilitate or hinder behavioral health system transformation, such as the need for addressing systematic and process behaviors, leveraging the knowledge of leadership and community stakeholders, fostering collaboration, and adapting to implementation contexts.

A qualitative analysis of post-hoc interviews with multilevel participants of a randomized controlled trial of a community-based intervention.

INTRODUCTION: Community-based health interventions often demonstrate efficacy in clinical trial settings but fail to be implemented in the real-world. We sought to identify the key operational and contextual elements of the Los Angeles Barbershop Blood Pressure Study (LABBPS), an objectively successful community-based health intervention primed for real-world implementation. LABBPS was a cluster randomized control trial that paired the barbers of Black-owned barbershops with clinical pharmacists to manage uncontrolled hypertension in Black male patrons, demonstrating a substantial 21.6 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure. Despite this success, the LABBPS intervention has not expanded beyond the original clinical trial setting. The aim of this study was to determine the facilitating and limiting factors to expansion of the LABBPS intervention. METHODS: We undertook a qualitative assessment of semi-structured interviews with study participants performed after trial completion. Interviews included a total of 31 participants including 20 (6%) of the 319 LABBPS program participants ("patrons"), 10 (19%) barbers, and one (50%) clinical pharmacist. The semi-structured interviews were focused on perceptions of the medical system, study intervention, and influence of social factors on health. RESULTS: Several common themes emerged from thematic analysis of interview responses including: importance of care provided in a convenient and safe environment, individual responsibility for health and health-related behaviors, and engagement of trusted community members. In particular, patrons reported that receiving the intervention from their barber in a familiar environment positively influenced the formation of relationships with clinical pharmacists around shared efforts to improve medication adherence and healthy habits. All interviewee groups identified the trust diad, comprising the familiar environment and respected community member, as instrumental in increasing health-related behaviors to a degree not usually achieved by traditional healthcare providers. DISCUSSION: In conclusion, participants of an objectively successful community-based intervention trial consistently identified key features that could facilitate wider implementation and efficacy: social trust relationships, soliciting insights of trust bearers, and consistent engagement in a familiar community setting. These findings can help to inform the design and operations of future community-based studies and programs aiming to achieve a broad and sustainable impact.

What recovery domains are important following a total knee replacement? A qualitative, interview-based study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore people's views of recovery from total knee replacement (TKR) and which recovery domains they felt were important. DESIGN: Semi-structured interviews exploring the views of individuals about to undergo or who have undergone TKR. A constant-comparative approach with thematic analysis was used to identify themes. The process of sampling, collecting data and analysis were continuous and iterative throughout the study, with interviews ceasing once thematic saturation was achieved. SETTING: Tertiary care centre. PARTICIPANTS: A purposive sample was used to account for variables including pre, early or late postoperative status. RESULTS: 12 participants were interviewed, 4 who were preoperative, 4 early postoperative and 4 late postoperative. Themes of pain, function, fear of complications, awareness of the artificial knee joint and return to work were identified. Subthemes of balancing acute and chronic pain were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this interview-based study identify pain and function, in particular mobility, that were universally important to those undergoing TKR. Surgeons should consider exploring these domains when taking informed consent to enhance shared decision-making. Researchers should consider these recovery domains when designing interventional studies.

'It's just my knee': a qualitative study investigating the process of reframing and young athletes' perceived quality of life between anterior cruciate ligament injury and surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To understand the factors influencing young athletes' perceptions of quality of life (QOL) following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, prior to reconstructive surgery. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of data. SETTING: Tertiary sports medicine clinic with patients recruited from the practices of three specialist orthopaedic surgeons. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty athletes aged 14-25 provided consent to participate in the study and completed interviews prior to their ACL reconstruction surgery. Participants were eligible to participate if they were scheduled to undergo ACL reconstruction, were 25 years of age or younger, identified as athletes (participated in any level of organised sport), could communicate in English and agreed to be audio recorded. Participants were not eligible if they had experienced a multiligament injury or fracture. RESULTS: Young athletes shared common factors that made up their QOL; social connections and support, sport, health, and independence. However, participants' perceptions of their current QOL were quite variable (13-95/100 on a Visual Analogue Scale). Participants who were able to reframe their injury experience by shifting focus to the positive or unaffected aspects of their lives tended to have more favourable perceptions of their QOL than participants who shifted focus to the losses associated with injury. CONCLUSIONS: Young athletes who have experienced an ACL injury define their QOL based on social support, sport, health and independence. Individual processes of adaptation and cognitive reframing in response to an ACL injury may exert a greater influence on postinjury QOL than the physical ramifications of the injury itself. Understanding individual perceptions may help target potential interventions or supports to enhance athletes' adaptation to injury.

Influence of external assessment on quality and safety in surgery: a qualitative study of surgeons' perspectives.

INTRODUCTION: Transparency about the occurrence of adverse events has been a decades-long governmental priority, defining external feedback to healthcare providers as a key measure to improve the services and reduce the number of adverse events. This study aimed to explore surgeons' experiences of assessment by external bodies, with a focus on its impact on transparency, reporting and learning from serious adverse events. External bodies were defined as external inspection, police internal investigation, systems of patient injury compensation and media. METHODS: Based on a qualitative study design, 15 surgeons were recruited from four Norwegian university hospitals and examined with individual semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed by deductive content analysis. RESULTS: Four overarching themes were identified, related to influence of external inspection, police investigation, patient injury compensation and media publicity, (re)presented by three categories: (1) sense of criminalisation and reinforcement of guilt, being treated as suspects, (2) lack of knowledge and competence among external bodies causing and reinforcing a sense of clashing cultures between the 'medical and the outside world' with minor influence on quality improvement and (3) involving external bodies could stimulate awareness about internal issues of quality and safety, depending on relevant competence, knowledge and communication skills. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This study found that external assessment might generate criminalisation and scapegoating, reinforcing the sense of having medical perspectives on one hand and external regulatory perspectives on the other, which might hinder efforts to improve quality and safety. External bodies could, however, inspire useful adjustment of internal routines and procedures. The study implies that the variety and interconnections between external bodies may expose the surgeons to challenging pressure. Further studies are required to investigate these challenges to quality and safety in surgery.

'Getting addicted to it and losing a lot of money it's just like a hole.' A grounded theory model of how social determinants shape adolescents' choices to not gamble.

BACKGROUND: Gambling abstinence when underage lowers the risk of harmful gambling in later life. However, little research has examined why many young people refrain from gambling, even though this knowledge can inform protective strategies and lower risk factors to reduce underage gambling and subsequent harm. This study draws on the lived experience of adolescent non-gamblers to explore how social determinants while growing up have shaped their reasons and choices to not gamble. METHODS: Fourteen Australian non-gamblers, aged 12-17 years, participated in an in-depth individual interview (4 girls, 3 boys) or online community (4 girls, 3 boys). Questions in each condition differed, but both explored participants' gambling-related experiences while growing up, including exposure, attitudes and behaviours of parents and peers, advertising, simulated gambling and motivations for not gambling. The analysis used adaptive grounded theory methods. RESULTS: The grounded theory model identifies several reasons for not gambling, including not being interested, being below the legal gambling age, discouragement from parent and peers, concern about gambling addiction and harm, not wanting to risk money on a low chance of winning, and moral objections. These reasons were underpinned by several social determinants, including individual, parental, peer and environmental factors that can interact to deter young people from underage gambling. Key protective factors were parental role modelling and guidance, friendship groups who avoided gambling, critical thinking, rational gambling beliefs, financial literacy and having other hobbies and interests. CONCLUSIONS: Choices to not gamble emanated from multiple layers of influence, implying that multi-layered interventions, aligned with a public health response, are needed to deter underage gambling. At the environmental level, better age-gating for monetary and simulated gambling, countering cultural pressures, and less exposure to promotional gambling messages, may assist young people to resist these influences. Interventions that support parents to provide appropriate role modelling and guidance for their children are also important. Youth education could include cautionary tales from people with lived experience of gambling harm, and education to increase young people's financial literacy, ability to recognise marketing tactics, awareness of the risks and harms of gambling, and how to resist peer and other normalising gambling influences.

Perceptions and outcomes of an embedded Alzheimer Society First Link Coordinator in rural primary health care memory clinics.

BACKGROUND: Primary health care has a central role in dementia detection, diagnosis, and management, especially in low-resource rural areas. Care navigation is a strategy to improve integration and access to care, but little is known about how navigators can collaborate with rural primary care teams to support dementia care. In Saskatchewan, Canada, the RaDAR (Rural Dementia Action Research) team partnered with rural primary health care teams to implement interprofessional memory clinics that included an Alzheimer Society First Link Coordinator (FLC) in a navigator role. Study objectives were to examine FLC and clinic team member perspectives of the impact of FLC involvement, and analysis of Alzheimer Society data comparing outcomes associated with three types of navigator-client contacts. METHODS: This study used a mixed-method design. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with FLC (n = 3) and clinic team members (n = 6) involved in five clinics. Data were analyzed using thematic inductive analysis. A longitudinal retrospective analysis was conducted with previously collected Alzheimer Society First Link database records. Memory clinic clients were compared to self- and direct-referred clients in the geographic area of the clinics on time to first contact, duration, and number of contacts. RESULTS: Three key themes were identified in both FLC and team interviews: perceived benefits to patients and families of FLC involvement, benefits to memory clinic team members, and impact of rural location. Whereas other team members assessed the patient, only FLC focused on caregivers, providing emotional and psychological support, connection to services, and symptom management. Face-to-face contact helped FLC establish a relationship with caregivers that facilitated future contacts. Team members were relieved knowing caregiver needs were addressed and learned about dementia subtypes and available services they could recommend to non-clinic clients with dementia. Although challenges of rural location included fewer available services and travel challenges in winter, the FLC role was even more important because it may be the only support available. CONCLUSIONS: FLC and team members identified perceived benefits of an embedded FLC for patients, caregivers, and themselves, many of which were linked to the FLC being in person.

Overlooked by the obstetric gaze - how women with persistent health problems due to severe perineal trauma experience encounters with healthcare services: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: During the first year postpartum, about 25 per cent of Swedish women with severe perineal trauma (SPT), i.e., a third- or fourth-degree perineal laceration at childbirth, are unsatisfied with their healthcare contacts. Further, there is a lack of research on the more long-term experiences of healthcare encounters among women with persistent SPT-related health problems. This study explores how women with self-reported persistent SPT-related health problems experience their contact with healthcare services 18 months to five years after childbirth when the SPT occurred. METHODS: In this descriptive qualitative study, a purposive sample of twelve women with self-reported persistent health problems after SPT were individually interviewed from November 2020 - February 2022. The data was analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Our results showed a paradoxical situation for women with persistent health problems due to SPT. They struggled with their traumatised body, but healthcare professionals rejected their health problems as postpartum normalities. This paradox highlighted the women's difficulties in accessing postpartum healthcare, rehabilitation, and sick leave, which left them with neglected healthcare needs, diminished emotional well-being, and loss of financial and social status. Our results indicated that these health problems did not diminish over time. Consequently, the women had to search relentlessly for a 'key person' in healthcare who acknowledged their persistent problems as legitimate to access needed care, rehabilitation, and sick leave, thus feeling empowered. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that women with persistent SPT-related health problems experienced complex health challenges. Additionally, their needs for medical care, rehabilitation, and sick leave were largely neglected. Thus, the study highlights an inequitable provision of SPT-related healthcare services in Sweden, including regional disparities in access to care. Hence, the authors suggest that Swedish national guidelines for SPT-related care need to be developed and implemented, applying a woman-centered approach, to ensure equitable, effective, and accessible healthcare.

Getting an outsider's perspective - sick-listed workers' experiences with early follow-up sessions in the return to work process: a qualitative interview study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore how early follow-up sessions (after 14 and 16 weeks of sick leave) with social insurance caseworkers was experienced by sick-listed workers, and how these sessions influenced their return-to-work process. METHODS: A qualitative interview study with sick-listed workers who completed two early follow-up sessions with caseworkers from the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration (NAV). Twenty-six individuals aged 30 to 60 years with a sick leave status of 50-100% participated in semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed with thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants' experiences of the early follow-up sessions could be categorized into three themes: (1) Getting an outsider's perspective, (2) enhanced understanding of the framework for long term sick-leave, and (3) the empathic and personal face of the social insurance system. Meeting a caseworker enabled an outsider perspective that promoted critical reflection and calibration of their thoughts. This was experienced as a useful addition to the support many received from their informal network, such as friends, family, and co-workers. The meetings also enabled a greater understanding of their rights and duties, possibilities, and limitations regarding welfare benefits, while also displaying an unexpected empathic and understanding perspective from those working in the social insurance system. CONCLUSION: For sick-listed individuals, receiving an early follow-up session from social insurance caseworkers was a positive experience that enhanced their understanding of their situation, and promoted reflection towards RTW. Thus, from the perspective of the sick-listed workers, early sessions with social insurance caseworkers could be a useful addition to the overall sickness absence follow-up.