Development and Testing of the Relational and Structural Components of Innovativeness Across Academia and Practice for Healthcare Progress Scale.

OBJECTIVE: Using data from 5 academic-practice sites across the United States, researchers developed and validated a scale to measure conditions that enable healthcare innovations. BACKGROUND: Academic-practice partnerships are a catalyst for innovation and healthcare development. However, limited theoretically grounded evidence exists to provide strategic direction for healthcare innovation across practice and academia. METHODS: Phase 1 of the analytical strategy involved scale development using 16 subject matter experts. Phase 2 involved pilot testing the scale. RESULTS: The final Innovativeness Across Academia and Practice for Healthcare Progress Scale (IA-APHPS) consisted of 7 domains: 3 relational domains, 2 structural domains, and 2 impact domains. The confirmatory factor analysis model fits well with a comparative fit index of 0.92 and a root-mean-square error of approximation of 0.06 (n = 477). CONCLUSION: As the 1st validated scale of healthcare innovation, the IA-APHPS allows nurses to use a diagnostic tool to facilitate innovative processes and outputs across academic-practice partnerships.

Impact of Telemedicine on Access to Care for Rural Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of telemedicine on access to gender-affirming care for rural transgender and gender diverse youth. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of data drawn from the electronic medical records of a clinic that provides approximately 10 000 adolescent and young adult visits per year and serves patients seeking gender health care. The no-show rate was examined as a proxy for access to care due to anticipated challenges with recruiting a representative sample of a historically marginalized population. Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations was conducted to model the association between the odds of a no-show visit and covariates of interest. RESULTS: Telemedicine visits, rural home address, gender health visits, longer travel time, and being younger than 18 years old were associated with lower odds of a no-show in univariate models (n = 17 928 visits). In the adjusted model, the OR of no-shows for gender health visits was 0.56 (95% CI 0.42-0.74), adjusting for rurality, telemedicine, age (< or >18 years), and travel time to the clinic. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, telemedicine was associated with reduced no-shows overall, and especially for rural, transgender and gender diverse youth, and patients who hold both identities. Although the no-show rate does not fully capture barriers to access, these findings provide insight into how this vulnerable population may benefit from expanded access to telemedicine for rural individuals whose communities may lack providers with the skills to serve this population.

Back to basics: Practical strategies to reduce sensory overstimulation in the emergency department identified by adults and caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Sensory overstimulation of autistic patients of all ages during an ED visit can ultimately lead to care escalation, but few studies have evaluated patient perspectives on improving the ED sensory experience across the age continuum. The purpose of this study was to explore patient-centered perspectives on reducing adult and pediatric autistic patients' sensory stimulation during an ED visit. METHODS: We used a qualitative descriptive design to explore how autistic patients experience sensory disruption and recommendations to improve care. Data were analyzed inductively using an overall categorization of 6 senses (visual, auditory, touch, smell, taste, and proprioception). RESULTS: Fourteen adults and 30 caregivers of children provided written responses to open-ended interview questions (n = 44). Participants suggested strategies to minimize the sensory disruption they experienced; however, an overarching recommendation was for clinicians to ask about their or their child's preferences before delivering care or services. CONCLUSION: Because people with autism are more likely to visit an ED than their neurotypical counterparts, ED clinicians should be proficient in "sensory-friendly care." A variety of evidence-based practical strategies and design approaches exist that can be leveraged to reduce the risk of care escalation; however, the most basic may be to prioritize asking patients and their caregivers about their preferences prior to providing care.

Rural Cancer Survivors' Perceptions of a Nurse-Led Telehealth Intervention to Manage Cancer-Related Distress.

OBJECTIVES: To understand rural survivors' experiences of participating in a nurse-led telehealth visit designed to address cancer-related distress. SAMPLE & SETTING: 25 rural-dwelling, post-treatment adult survivors of head and neck cancer recruited from a cancer center clinic affiliated with an academic health system serving a rural catchment area in the southeastern United States. METHODS & VARIABLES: A descriptive multimethod approach using semistructured qualitative interviews and the Telemedicine Satisfaction and Usefulness Questionnaire. RESULTS: Three primary themes emerged from the qualitative interviews, related to trust, access to information, and technology barriers. Quantitative findings indicated high satisfaction with the nurse-patient relationship through telehealth and lower satisfaction with using telehealth equipment to connect to a visit. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Despite facing technology barriers, rural cancer survivors prioritize speaking with an oncology certified nurse through telehealth. Although they may be willing to be open and vulnerable with an oncology nurse about their distress, rural survivors are less likely to accept a referral to another provider of psychosocial care. Nurses can incorporate warm handoffs to increase psychosocial referral uptake for rural survivors.

Cancer-Related Distress: Symptom Clusters in Rural Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.

BACKGROUND: Rural post-treatment head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors experience high rates of cancer-related distress and may experience unique symptom clusters. Oncology nurses can benefit from a better understanding of the symptom clusters that HNC survivors experience. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to identify symptom clusters of cancer-related distress in rural HNC survivors. METHODS: Secondary data analysis was conducted with survey data collected from rural HNC survivors (N = 20). Distress symptoms were measured using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer and Problem List, amended for a population with HNC. Symptom clusters were defined as two or more co-occurring symptoms and evaluated based on participant-reported severity using exploratory factor analysis. Resultant clusters were assessed for theoretical and clinical appropriateness. FINDINGS: Preliminary analysis suggests rural HNC survivors experience eight symptom clusters. As a first step, the results of this study can help nurses to identify symptom clusters in rural HNC survivors.

Climate and human mortality in Virginia, 2005-2020.

Using an extensive database of every resident death in Virginia from 2005 to 2020, climate-mortality relationships are examined for 12 climatically homogeneous regions within the Commonwealth. Each region is represented by a first-order weather station from which archived temperature and humidity data are used to generate a variety of biometeorologically relevant indices. Using these indices and other variables (such as air quality and heat and cold waves), daily mortality and climate relationships are modeled for each region over a 21-day lag period utilizing generalized additive models and distributed lag non-linear models. Optimal models are identified for each region, and a consensus model was also run based on maximum temperature to facilitate inter-regional comparisons. The relative risk of mortality varies markedly as a function of climate between regions, with U-shaped, J-shaped, and inverse linear relationships evident. Cold mortality exceeds heat mortality across most of Virginia (typical relative risks are 1.10 for cold and 1.03 for heat), with cold risks strongest at lags 3 to 10. Low temperatures (or low humidity) are protective at lags 0-2 days except in the colder, western parts of state. Heat mortality occurs at short lags (0-2 days) for three-fourths of the stations, but the spatial pattern is random. Mortality displacement is evident for most regions for several days following the heat-related spike. Although the use of region-specific models is justified, the simple consensus model based on a consistent set of predictors provides similar results.

Extending health care access via telemedicine in public libraries.

BACKGROUND: Despite the potential for telemedicine in public libraries to expand health care access to those living a long distance from care and in broadband poor areas, there are few libraries that collaborate with providers to extend access. PURPOSE: To explore licensed health care providers' perspectives on telemedicine in public libraries as a method of improving equitable access to care for populations lacking the ability to connect to telemedicine from home. METHODS: We used a two-phase explanatory sequential mixed methods design with a quantitative strand followed by a qualitative strand. Surveys were analyzed descriptively. Interviews were analyzed thematically using descriptive content analysis. RESULTS: Of the 50 survey respondents, 13 were physicians and 36 were nurse practitioners (NPs); 12 NPs were interviewed. NPs were overwhelmingly supportive of telemedicine in public libraires, describing how connecting at-risk populations to a video visit (VV) allowed for a more thorough and accurate assessment than a phone call. Although several NPs were concerned with privacy, others considered a library to be more private than the home. Interviews revealed how chronic illness management may be the ideal visit type for public library-based telemedicine. CONCLUSIONS: Given the importance of expanding access sites for telemedicine, NPs should consider partnering with libraries in their catchment areas where broadband access is sparse and patients must travel long distances to care. IMPLICATIONS: Managing chronic illnesses using telemedicine in public libraries may be an important approach toward reducing health disparities in populations who live in long distances from care and do not have home-based internet access.

Exploration of shared decision making in oncology within the United States: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: Shared decision making (SDM) among the oncology population is highly important due to complex screening and treatment decisions. SDM among patients with cancer, caregivers, and clinicians has gained more attention and importance, yet few articles have systematically examined SDM, specifically in the adult oncology population. This review aims to explore SDM within the oncology literature and help identify major gaps and concerns, with the goal to provide guidance in the development of clear SDM definitions and interventions. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review using the Arksey and O'Malley approach along with the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist. A systematic search was conducted in four databases that included publications since 2016. RESULTS: Of the 364 initial articles, eleven publications met the inclusion criteria. We included articles that were original research, cancer related, and focused on shared decision making. Most studies were limited in defining SDM and operationalizing a model of SDM. There were several concerns revealed related to SDM: (1) racial inequality, (2) quality and preference of the patient, caregiver, and clinician communication is important, and (3) the use of a decision-making aid or tool provides value to the patient experience. CONCLUSION: Inconsistencies regarding the meaning and operationalization of SDM and inequality of the SDM process among patients from different racial/ethnic backgrounds impact the health and quality of care patients receive. Future studies should clearly and consistently define the meaning of SDM and develop decision aids that incorporate bidirectional, interactive communication between patients, caregivers, and clinicians that account for the diversity of racial, ethnic, and sociocultural backgrounds and preferences.

A Telemedicine-Delivered Nursing Intervention for Cancer-Related Distress in Rural Survivors.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate preliminary efficacy, fidelity, and integrity of data collection of a nurse-led, telemedicine-delivered video visit intervention aimed at improving management of rural survivors' cancer-related distress symptoms. SAMPLE & SETTING: 21 rural survivors participated in a nurse-led telemedicine intervention delivered six weeks after the end of active cancer treatment. METHODS & VARIABLES: Participants' symptom management was measured with the Short Form Survivor Unmet Needs Survey, a four-factor, 30-item instrument that measures the unmet needs of adult survivors. Data were collected preintervention and six weeks postintervention. RESULTS: The mean difference between pre- and postintervention survey scores was -0.24, representing an overall improvement in management of unmet needs. The unmet emotional needs domain had the highest mean preintervention score and the largest mean reduction. All effect sizes were small. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: A nurse-led, telemedicine-delivered video visit intervention may improve rural survivors' symptom management during early survivorship. Comparison with a control group using a sample size powered to detect clinically meaningful differences is an important next step to fully evaluate the impact of this model of care.

Improving equitable access to care via telemedicine in rural public libraries.

OBJECTIVE: Rural public libraries have been proposed as ideal locations from which individuals can access a telemedicine visit, but limited adoption of this practice suggests significant barriers remain. The purpose of this study was to determine rural public librarians' perspectives on the benefits and barriers to offering patrons the ability to use their public library for a telemedicine video visit, and to suggest strategies for moving this practice forward. DESIGN: Qualitative content analysis. SAMPLE: Fifteen rural US librarians and library directors. MEASUREMENTS: Individual interviews were conducted to determine perspectives on the benefits of and barriers to implementing telemedicine in public libraries. RESULTS: We identified four themes from the data: rural public libraries increase healthcare access in a trustworthy location, librarians are supportive of telemedicine, but have concerns, limited resources drive barriers to telemedicine implementation in rural libraries, and small rural libraries continued in-person service during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: Rural public libraries can be an important part of achieving equitable access to care, particularly with regard to chronic disease management in rural populations. Rural public health nurses can be instrumental in promoting collaborations between local libraries and regional health systems that may help libraries overcome financial barriers to this practice.

Statewide Analysis Reveals Period of Well-Child Visit Attendance for Earlier Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between well-child visit (WCV) attendance during early childhood and age at autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis using data drawn from a statewide all-payer claims database. STUDY DESIGN: We used a correlational study design with longitudinal data drawn from the Virginia All-Payer Claims Database. All children born in 2011 with a diagnosis of ASD were included (n = 253). Survival analysis determined the impact of WCV attendance on ASD diagnosis at each American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended early childhood visit, and the 5-year visit. RESULTS: Survival analysis revealed a significant impact of WCV attendance at the 24-month, 3-, and 4-year visits on earlier ASD diagnosis. Children who attended the 24-month visit were diagnosed nearly 10 months earlier than those who did not. Overall, children with ASD attended fewer than 50% of visits during early childhood. CONCLUSIONS: Promoting consistent WCV attendance during early childhood is an actionable strategy for improving early identification of ASD. Further exploration is needed to determine barriers to visit attendance and the impact of patterns of early childhood WCV attendance on age of ASD diagnosis. Development and implementation of interventions to promote adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended visits is needed.

Spatial analysis of colorectal cancer outcomes and socioeconomic factors in Virginia.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) disparities vary by country and population group, but often have spatial features. This study of the United States state of Virginia assessed CRC outcomes, and identified demographic, socioeconomic and healthcare access contributors to CRC disparities. METHODS: County- and city-level cross-sectional data for 2011-2015 CRC incidence, mortality, and mortality-incidence ratio (MIR) were analyzed for geographically determined clusters (hotspots and cold spots) and their correlates. Spatial regression examined predictors including proportion of African American (AA) residents, rural-urban status, socioeconomic (SES) index, CRC screening rate, and densities of primary care providers (PCP) and gastroenterologists. Stationarity, which assesses spatial equality, was examined with geographically weighted regression. RESULTS: For incidence, one CRC hotspot and two cold spots were identified, including one large hotspot for MIR in southwest Virginia. In the spatial distribution of mortality, no clusters were found. Rurality and AA population were most associated with incidence. SES index, rurality, and PCP density were associated with spatial distribution of mortality. SES index and rurality were associated with MIR. Local coefficients indicated stronger associations of predictor variables in the southwestern region. CONCLUSIONS: Rurality, low SES, and racial distribution were important predictors of CRC incidence, mortality, and MIR. Regions with concentrations of one or more factors of disparities face additional hurdles to improving CRC outcomes. A large cluster of high MIR in southwest Virginia region requires further investigation to improve early cancer detection and support survivorship. Spatial analysis can identify high-disparity populations and be used to inform targeted cancer control programming.

Delirium Education in Hospice Care: A Quality Improvement Project.

Diagnosing delirium in hospice patients is challenging owing to the multifactorial causes and symptoms of delirium that can mimic natural end-of-life processes. When delirium goes unrecognized in hospice patients, preventable causes can be left untreated, leading to sequelae that are misaligned with the principles of hospice care. We conducted an evidence-based quality improvement project on a 10-bed inpatient hospice unit aimed at increasing nursing staff knowledge about assessing delirium, with a focus on preventable causes. Nurses were trained in use of the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale, which was implemented over a 5-week period. Increases in knowledge were evaluated with a pretest and posttest. We used a paired t test to determine knowledge improvement. Use of the tool was evaluated using a survey. Nurses demonstrated significantly improved knowledge after the educational session (P = .009). Survey results indicated overwhelmingly that nurses valued having an easy-to-use tool to assess delirium in their patients. Because we used a paper-based tool during the project, which was found to be cumbersome by staff, our next steps are to determine the feasibility of implementing the tool into the electronic medical record.

Use of trajectory models to track air pollution from source to exposure: A methodological approach for identifying communities at risk.

OBJECTIVE: Ongoing environmental changes increasingly require public health nurses to understand how environmental factors impact the health of populations. One approach to researching these impacts is incorporating environmental research methods to determine associations between harmful exposures and health. We use the Salton Sea in Southern California as a demonstration of how environmental exposure can be examined using air parcel trajectory analysis. DESIGN: We demonstrate a methodology for public health nurses to better understand and apply data from the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory meteorological model to estimate the effect of airborne particulate matter from a single source. MEASUREMENTS: We explain a method for tracking air parcel trajectories to populations: selection of meterological data to identify air parcels, geographic identification of population centers, generation of trajectories, classification of trajectory dispersions, adjusting for atmospheric stability, and merging environmental variables with health data. CONCLUSIONS: Climate change-related environmental events are expected to become more commonplace and disproportionately affect those populations impacted by health disparities. Public health nurses can identify communities at risk so that public health nursing researchers can use these techniques in collaboration with environmental science to robustly examine health effects of proximal air pollution sources for communities at risk.

Rural Disparities in Early Childhood Well Child Visit Attendance.

PURPOSE: Children should attend well child visits (WCVs) during early childhood so that developmental disorders may be identified as early as possible, so treatment can begin. The aim of this research was to determine if rurality impacts access to WCV during early childhood, and if altering rurality measurement methods impacts outcomes. DESIGN AND METHODS: We utilized a longitudinal correlational design with early childhood data gathered from the Virginia All Payer Claims Database, which contains claims data from Medicaid and the majority of Virginia commercial insurance payers (n = 6349). WCV attendance was evaluated against three rurality metrics: a traditional metric using Rural-Urban Commuting Area codes, a developed land variable, and a distance to care variable, at a zip code level. RESULTS: Two of the rurality methods revealed that rural children attend fewer WCVs than their urban counterparts, (67% vs. 50% respectively, using a traditional metric; and a 0.035 increase in WCV attendance for every percent increase in developed land). Differences were attenuated by insurance payer; children with Medicaid attend fewer WCVs than those with private insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Young children in rural Virginia attend fewer WCVs than their non-rural counterparts, placing them at higher risk for missing timely developmental disorder screenings. The coronavirus disease pandemic has been associated with an abrupt and significant reduction in vaccination rates, which likely indicates fewer WCVs and concomitant developmental screenings. Pediatric nurses should encourage families of young children to develop a plan for continued WCVs, so that early identification of developmental disorders can be achieved.

The Disappearing Lake: A Historical Analysis of Drought and the Salton Sea in the Context of the GeoHealth Framework.

The Imperial Valley region of Southeastern California has become one of the most productive agricultural regions in the state and has the highest rates of childhood asthma in California. Lack of precipitation in the Imperial Valley has caused the water level of the Salton Sea to recede to a record low since its formation in the early 1900s. Previous studies of wind and dust deposition conducted in other regions have shown how reduced precipitation, ground heating, and the diminishing water level in an arid climate pose a risk of exposing previously sequestered toxic chemicals to open air, adversely affecting lung health. The purpose of this study is to draw historical parallels between the Aral Sea and Salton Sea in the context of geomorphology, ecology, human health, economics, and human migration, to inform an assessment of environmentally related health impacts of those living in the Imperial Valley region. Future droughts and heatwaves are expected to rise in frequency and severity, disproportionately affecting those impacted by financial and health disparities. Future research must include the implications of population health in the context of GeoHealth as a result of the most recent drought and the receding water levels of the Salton Sea.

Evaluation of rural public libraries to address telemedicine inequities.

Access to home-based telemedicine is inequitably distributed in the United States due to the limited reach of fixed broadband in rural areas. Public libraries typically offer patrons free access to broadband. Libraries, particularly those in rural regions, need to be evaluated as sites for patients to connect to a health care provider over a video visit. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the technological readiness of public libraries to provide telemedicine support and to determine differences in readiness between rural and urban public libraries. We distributed a survey to Virginia librarians to evaluate technological readiness of their libraries to support telemedicine. Respondents from 39 libraries completed the survey, approximately one third of which were in rural or small urban areas. All reported fixed broadband, at least four computers, and staff to assist with technology. Eighty-five percent of surveyed libraries reported sufficient broadband speed and a private room available to patrons. There were no significant differences between rural and urban status for any of the library characteristics. Virginia public libraries may have infrastructure necessary to support patrons connecting to telemedicine. Libraries may benefit from systematic guidelines for collaborating with health providers to support telemedicine implementation across geographic and socioeconomically diverse areas.

Evaluation of 12-Week Shelf Life of Patient-Ready Endoscopes.

Current research suggests that for certain types of gastrointestinal endoscopes, longer shelf life (the interval of storage after which endoscopes should be reprocessed before their reuse) may not increase the likelihood of endoscope contamination. Scope contamination may, in fact, be related primarily to either inadequate disinfection processes or inadvertent contamination during storage, not to duration of storage. The purpose of this study evaluated the presence of bacteria and fungus following liquid chemical sterilization in colonoscopes and gastroscopes, after 12 weeks of shelf life during which time personal protective equipment was used during endoscope storage cabinet access. We stored four colonoscopes and two gastroscopes in a cabinet for 12 weeks after liquid chemical sterilization and the cabinet was only accessed during the 12-week period wearing personal protective equipment (gown and gloves). Scopes were tested for bacteria and fungus at the end of 12 weeks. No bacteria or fungus grew on any of the scopes. This study provides further support that contaminated endoscopes may be related to either inadequate disinfection or contamination during storage, not shelf life.

Mapping Geospatial Gaps in Early Identification of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Despite the known developmental benefits of early intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), diagnosis before age 5 years is often not achieved. Research suggests that lack of health insurance and living in rural areas and areas of severe provider shortages contribute significantly to these delays. The purpose of this project was to conduct a geospatial evaluation of potential gaps in early ASD diagnosis of uninsured children in Virginia. A secondary purpose was to show the use of geospatial analysis by pediatric nurse practitioners for policy advocacy. We mapped data from a statewide provider of ASD evaluative services associated with the Virginia Department of Health and found several communities with high numbers of uninsured children where children may not be receiving early diagnostic services. Pediatric nurse practitioners can help address community-level gaps in early identification of ASD for uninsured young children living in rural areas by conducting outreach programs to providers and families within rural communities and concurrently partnering with nurse-scientists to develop visually impactful geospatial analyses to educate legislators and further advocate for policy positions.