Navigating between stakeholders in return-to-work processes: A qualitative study exploring experiences of workers on sick leave due to back pain.

BACKGROUND: Return-to-work processes involve many stakeholders who need to cooperate to best support the person on sick leave. Yet, there is little knowledge of how workers sick listed due to back pain experience navigating between stakeholders. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore how Danish workers on sick leave due to back pain experience navigating between the involved stakeholders, focusing on settings related to social work, health care and workplace. METHODS: Sixteen individual semi-structured interviews were conducted and data analysed using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: Analysis resulted in three themes. 1) 'Meeting the system' where establishing a positive relationship with the social worker was hampered by a negative perception of the job centre. This perception was initiated by the convening letter and accentuated by physical meetings being experienced as a waste of time. 2) In 'Navigating between systems' some participants lacked support from professionals to navigate the role as messenger between the job centre and health care system. 3) In 'The workplace-a familiar arena' workers experience the workplace as a familiar arena, even if negative decisions were made. Analysis additionally revealed that patients' return-to-work processes could be divided into two types, namely complex and smooth. CONCLUSION: The initial contact from the job centre seems pivotal for the following return-to-work process. The main challenges experienced by sick listed workers were related to the job centre and to being a messenger between job centre and health care, not to their workplace and the decisions made there.

The ambiguity of goal-setting: a study of patients' perspectives on goal-setting in outpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury.

PURPOSE: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex health condition requiring long-term rehabilitation. Person-centred goal-setting is a central component of rehabilitation. However, knowledge of patients' perspectives on the goal-setting in SCI rehabilitation is scarce. The purpose was therefore to explore patients' perspectives on goal-setting in multidisciplinary SCI rehabilitation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An anthropological study combining participant-observation and individual interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The COREQ checklist was used to report study quality. RESULTS: Patients with SCI perceived goal-setting as ambiguous. On the one hand, they considered it insignificant, because it was complicated to transform complex needs of everyday life to recommended criteria of goals being measurable, specific, and realistic. On the other hand, they considered it a potentially useful guiding tool. Patients were uncertain of impact of goals and perceived goal-setting as vague during rehabilitation. Patient involvement was challenged by insufficient integration of patients' experience-based knowledge of everyday life and clinicians' profession-based knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Goal-setting in rehabilitation is not the patients' need but they accept it as the clinicians' framework for rehabilitation. For goal-setting to become meaningful to patients with SCI, patient involvement should be strengthened by equally integrating the patients' perspectives in the goal-setting process.Implications for rehabilitationHealth-care professionals have to strengthen patient involvement in SCI rehabilitation by to a greater extent integrating the patients' knowledge of their everyday life and preferences rather than primarily focusing on profession-based knowledge.Health-care professionals must support patients in setting goals which are practically meaningful and relevant to the patients' everyday life and achievably and if needed go beyond the structured measurement of SMART goals.In an acknowledgement of the dynamic nature of goal-setting, clinicians should emphasise formulating goals in a flexible and non-directive manner, thereby providing room for patients' changing needs and challenges over time.Goals in SCI rehabilitation cover a wide range from broad, value-based goals to more specific goals, and the health-care professionals must ensure inclusion of such a wide range of goals.

Goal-Setting in clinical practice: a study of health-care professionals' perspectives in outpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury.

PURPOSE: Spinal cord injury is a complex condition requiring long-term rehabilitation. Goal-setting is considered an essential part of rehabilitation, however, knowledge of how goal-setting is practised across health-care professions, settings and diagnoses are scarce. The purpose of the study was therefore to explore health-care professionals' perspectives on goal-setting practice in outpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation targeting patients with spinal cord injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An anthropological study combining participant-observation and focus group interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. COREQ checklist was used to report the study quality. RESULTS: Health-care professionals experienced a field of tension between internationally recommended goal-setting criteria, requiring goals to be specific, measurable, realistic and time-based, and a practice influenced by patients presenting complex needs. The challenges were managed using a negotiation strategy characterized by a tinkering approach to adjust notions of measurability, realism and time frame into practice. Also, health-care professionals were challenged in relation to practising a person-centred rehabilitation approach. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest rethinking the goal-setting process by allowing recommended goal-setting criteria to be adapted to a specific practice context while acknowledging goal-setting practice in its variety and flexibility as a strength. Furthermore, improved incorporation of patients' perspectives in the practice is needed. Implications for rehabilitationTo strengthen person-centred rehabilitation practice, clinicians should actively search for and engage patient-identified needs and preferences in shared goal-setting.Standard criteria of goal-setting should comply with the individual and specific participation in the everyday life of patients with SCI.SMART goals are not always the right way to formulate rehabilitation goals.A flexible and pragmatic approach is needed to reach a balance between the patients' complex needs and the recommendations for goals to be specific, measurable, realistic, and time-based.

How to Facilitate Adherence to Cardiac Rehabilitation in Primary Health Settings for Ischaemic Heart Disease Patients. The Perspectives of Health Professionals.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a class 1A recommendation and an integrated part of standard treatment for patients with cardiac disease. In Denmark, CR adheres to European guidelines, it is group-based and partly conducted in primary health settings. Despite high evidence for the benefits of CR, it remains underutilized. How to facilitate CR adherence in primary health settings is poorly understood. Aim: This study explores health professional's perspectives on how to facilitate CR adherence for patients with ischaemic heart disease in primary health settings. Methods: Data were collected through focus group discussions. Respondents were health professionals specialized in and working with CR in primary health settings. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Eleven health professionals participated in two focus group discussions. Five themes emerged as facilitators of CR; (1) placing the person at the center, (2) coherent programme, (3) flow of information, (4) contextual factors, and (5) feeling of belonging. Conclusion: This study illuminates the complexity of facilitating adherence to CR in primary health settings and provides ways in which health professionals may facilitate adherence. Placing the person at the center is pivotal and may be done by adapting CR offers to patients' social context, culture and life circumstances and ensuring a feeling of belonging. The rhetoric related to CR should be positive and throughout the entire course of treatment health professionals should possess a generic and collective approach to and view of CR. Perceiving these elements as potential facilitators is of vital importance and addressing them may facilitate adherence.

Why Do Patients With Ischaemic Heart Disease Drop Out From Cardiac Rehabilitation in Primary Health Settings. A Qualitative Audit of Patient Charts.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and medical treatment are integrated parts of the intervention for cardiac patients and are a class 1A recommendation. However, CR dropout is reported to be relatively high and little is known about the reasons for CR dropout in primary health settings. Aim: This study investigates causes for CR dropout through a qualitative audit of medical charts among patients with ischaemic heart disease. Methods: This was a qualitative retrospective audit of patient's medical charts. Patients who dropped out from CR between 1 January and 31 December 2018 in five primary health settings were included. Local patient charts provided information related to causes and formed the basis of the analysis. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: A total of 690 patients were referred for and commenced CR and 199 (29%) dropped out. Twenty-five (12.6%) patients finished CR but were excluded due to standards of ≥180 days between CR meetings, leaving 118 patients included. Four themes as causes for patient's dropout were identified: (1) CR-programmes, (2) logistical, (3) intrapersonal and (4) clinical factors. Conclusion: This study identified new focus areas to which health professionals may attend in reducing drop-out from CR. Organisation of CR, challenges with combining labor market attachment and CR, focus on patient education and comorbidities. The results underline the importance of health professionals emphasizing the benefits of CR and explains that CR enhances long-term labor market attachment. Furthermore, health professionals should encourage participation in patient education and adapt exercise to the individual patient's potential.

Dynamics of a specialized and complex health care system: Exploring general practitioners' management of multimorbidity.

OBJECTIVE: To explore general practitioners' (GPs') experiences of cooperation with hospital-based physicians regarding multimorbid patients and to identify challenges as well as strategies in managing such challenges.Study setting: Three medical practices in a provincial town in Denmark. STUDY DESIGN: A qualitative methodological design was used with explorative data collection among GPs.Data collection/Extraction methods: Participant observation, qualitative interviews and a focus group interview were conducted. Interpretive description was used as the analytical framework.Principal findings: The GPs appreciated cooperating with physicians in optimizing treatment of multimorbid patients. However, three main challenges were experienced: insufficient communication and coordination; unclear divisions of roles and responsibilities; and differences in the way of approaching patients. The GPs navigated these challenges and complexities by taking advantage of their personal relationships and by developing creative and patient-centred ad hoc solutions to difficulties in cross-sectorial cooperation. A hospital initiative to support care for multimorbid patients has not been adopted by the GPs as a preferred strategy. CONCLUSIONS: The structures of the health care system severely challenged cooperation regarding multimorbid patients; nevertheless, these GPs were aware of the advantages of cooperation, and their mainstay strategy in this involved personalized solutions and flexibility.

Effective rehabilitation interventions and participation among people with multiple sclerosis: An overview of reviews.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of non-traumatic disability in people aged 10-65 years. Evidence exists for the effectiveness of multidisciplinary rehabilitation and exercise. However, the effectiveness of other rehabilitation approaches in MS needs further evaluation. The purposes were to systematically synthesise and evaluate knowledge on effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions and determinants for participation among persons with MS (pwMS) to inform clinical guidelines on rehabilitation. Joanna Briggs Institute methodology was used. PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science were searched for reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and meta-syntheses published 2009-2019. All types of rehabilitation interventions provided to pwMS at any time and in all settings were eligible. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data. The most recently published reviews on mixed and specific modalities were included. The findings were reported in a narrative summary and a mixed-method analysis. Among 108 eligible reviews, 6 qualitative or mixed-method reviews and 66 quantitative were included (total pwMS>90,000). This overview provides solid evidence for effectiveness of a spectrum of modalities. Among the modalities, there was strong evidence for the effectiveness of multidisciplinary, cognitive and exercise approaches, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy including full body training on functioning and participation outcomes. Employment significantly influenced quality of life; thus, vocational rehabilitation should be initiated early. The healthcare professionals should identify personal factors including relations and coping, and the rehabilitation process should involve partners or close family. The mixed-method analysis revealed insufficient consensus between the perspectives of pwMS on their rehabilitation and reported effects indicating that further research should target the experiences of pwMS. Further, results showed that rehabilitation should be patient-centred, focus on the complexity of needs, and be organised and performed by an experienced multidisciplinary team. Evidence-based rehabilitation should be initiated early after pwMS are diagnosed and follow international guidelines. DATABASE REGISTRATION: PROSPERO ID: CRD42020152422.

Diabetes prevention interventions for women after gestational diabetes mellitus: an overview of reviews.

AIMS: To present an overview of reviews of interventions for the prevention of diabetes in women after gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with the overall aim of gaining information in order to establish local interventions. METHODS: Six databases were searched for quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods systematic reviews. All types of interventions or screening programmes were eligible. The outcomes were effectiveness of reducing diabetes incidence, encouraging healthy behavioural changes and enhancing women's perceptions of their increased risks of developing type 2 diabetes following GDM. RESULTS: Eighteen reviews were included: three on screening programmes and seven on participation and risk perceptions. Interventions promoting physical activity, healthy diet, breastfeeding and antidiabetic medicine reported significantly decreased incidence of postpartum diabetes, up to 34% reduction after any breastfeeding compared to none. Effects were larger if the intervention began early after birth and lasted longer. Participation in screening rose up to 40% with face-to-face recruitment in a GDM healthcare setting. Interventions were mainly based in healthcare settings and involved up to nine health professions, councillors and peer educators, mostly dieticians. Women reported a lack of postpartum care and demonstrated a low knowledge of risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. Typical barriers to participation were lack of awareness of increased risk and low levels of support from family. CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle interventions or pharmacological treatment postpartum was effective in decreasing diabetes incidence following GDM. Women's knowledge of the risk of diabetes and importance of physical activity was insufficient. Early face-to-face recruitment increased participation in screening. Programmes aimed at women following a diagnosis of GDM ought to provide professional and social support, promote screening, breastfeeding, knowledge of risk factors, be long-lasting and offered early after birth, preferably by face-to-face recruitment.

Women's perspectives on motivational factors for lifestyle changes after gestational diabetes and implications for diabetes prevention interventions.

INTRODUCTION: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common complication in pregnancy and constitutes a public health problem due to the risk of developing diabetes and other diseases. Most women face barriers in complying with preventive programs. This study aimed to explore motivational factors for lifestyle changes among women with a history of GDM and their suggestions for preventive programs. METHODS: This study used a qualitative approach in six focus group interviews with a total of 32 women. The selection criteria were time since onset of GDM, including women diagnosed with GDM, six months and five years after GDM, diagnosed and not diagnosed with diabetes. Inductive analysis was performed. RESULTS: The women reacted with anxiety about their GDM diagnosis and experienced persistent concerns about the consequences of GDM. They were highly motivated to take preventive initiatives, but faced major adherence challenges. The demotivating factors were lack of time and resources, too little family involvement, lack of knowledge and social norms that may obstruct healthy eating. A powerful motivational factor for complying with preventive strategies was the well-being of their children and partners. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive initiatives should be rooted in the women's perception of GDM/diabetes and based on their experiences with barriers and motivational factors. The well-being and the quality of life within the family are dominant motivational factors which offer powerful potentials for supporting the women's coping capability. Further, there is a need to be responsiveness to the women and their families even a long time after the onset of GDM.

Users' Experiences With Home Mechanical Ventilation: A Review of Qualitative Studies.

BACKGROUND: Users of home mechanical ventilation encounter major psychological and physiologic challenges. To ensure well-functioning home mechanical ventilation, users' experiences of care and treatment are important knowledge to supplement clinical perspectives. This systematic review aimed to summarize current qualitative evidence regarding experiences of home mechanical ventilation users. METHODS: By following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines, 9 databases were systematically searched. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria after title and/or abstract screening and full-text assessment. These were appraised by using the Relevance, Appropriateness, Transparency, Soundness checklist. Thematic analysis guided data extraction and identification of the findings. The Confidence in the Evidence for Reviews of Qualitative Research tool was applied to assess the confidence of the findings. RESULTS: The review showed high confidence in 4 findings: an increase in quality of life, feeling forced to accept home mechanical ventilation, collaboration between home-care assistants and users of home mechanical ventilation is challenging, and information about the technology from a user's perspective. The review showed moderate confidence in 2 findings: living at home is pivotal for a normalized everyday life, and home mechanical ventilation causes a life with continued worries and uncertainty. CONCLUSIONS: According to the users, treatment by home mechanical ventilation resulted in increased well-being and facilitated a community- and home-based lifestyle compared with institutional-based treatment. However, the users also expressed difficulties in coming to terms with the necessary extensive surveillance, which gave rise to a sense of undermined autonomy and self-determinism as well as continued worries and uncertainty. The users called this situation dependent independency. As a result of the review we call for an increased focus on a patient-centered treatment and care.

Volunteering to Care for People with Severe Mental Illness: A Qualitative Study of the Significance of Professional and Private Life Experience.

Challenges in recruiting volunteers encountered by psychiatric services are barely elucidated despite a general societal increase in volunteering. The aim of the study was to explore the significance of professional and private life experiences in willingness to volunteer to care for people with severe mental illness. Focus group interviews with volunteers in the Community Family Programme was conducted, followed by thematic analysis. All interviewees had professional and/or private experience of SMI, which had a major influence on their initial willingness to volunteer. Volunteering was an opportunity to pass on their experiences and to care for SMI people in ways that were not possible in their professions. The interviewees did not distinguish between the influences of professional and/or private life experiences on their willingness to volunteer. The study demonstrates the importance of professional and/or private life experiences in initial considerations about volunteering for mental health care. The consequences for recruitment practices are discussed.

Multi-morbidity: A patient perspective on navigating the health care system and everyday life.

OBJECTIVE: The importance of everyday life when managing the burden of treatment is rarely studied. This article explores the burden of treatment among people with multi-morbidity by investigating the tension between everyday life and the health care system. METHOD: This was an ethnographic study using individual interviews and participant-observations. An inductive analytical approach was applied, moving from observations and results to broader generalisations. RESULTS: People with multi-morbidity experience dilemmas related to their individual priorities in everyday life and the management of their treatment burdens. Dilemmas were identified within three domains: family and social life; work life; agendas and set goals in appointments with health professionals. Individual resources and priorities in everyday life play a dominant role in resolving dilemmas and navigating the tension between everyday life and the health care system. DISCUSSION: People with multi-morbidity are seldom supported by health professionals in resolving the dilemmas they must face. This study suggests an increased focus on patient-centredness and argues in favour of planning health care through cooperation between health professionals and people with multi-morbidity in a way that integrates both health and everyday life priorities.

Psychiatric service users' experiences of emergency departments: a CERQual review of qualitative studies.

BACKGROUND: There is increased clinical and political attention towards integrating general and psychiatric emergency departments (ED). However, research into psychiatric service users' experiences regarding general EDs is limited. AIM: To identify and summarize current, qualitative evidence regarding service users' experiences attending EDs. A secondary aim is to apply and test the newly developed CERQual approach to summarizing qualitative review findings. METHODS: A systematic literature review of five databases based on PRISMA guidelines yielded 3334 unique entries. Screening by title/abstract identified 57 studies and, after full text assessment, nine studies were included. The included studies were critically appraised using CASP. Thematic synthesis was applied for data extraction and identification of findings. The CERQual approach was utilized to assess the confidence of the findings. RESULTS: The results of the review showed moderate confidence in the findings that service users experience meeting caring and judgmental ED staff, and that waiting times and a stressful environment are integral to their ED experiences. In contrast, low-to-very low confidence was seen in the findings that service users experience having their symptoms ignored and that EDs are used due to a lack of alternatives. A companion may improve service users experience and outcome of ED visits. CONCLUSION: Service users experience stress and discomfort in the ED. Service users highly appreciate knowing staff who can ease the discomfort. Overall, the results of this review speak in favour of integrated EDs where service users' needs are more likely to be recognized and accommodated.

Community Families: Bridging the gap between mental health services and civil society - A qualitative study from users' perspective.

BACKGROUND: Social interventions to support people with severe mental illness are important to improving the quality of life. The perspectives of users are essential in this process. This article explores users' experiences, investments and concerns of a befriending programme. MATERIAL: Focus group and individual qualitative interviews with service users. DISCUSSION: Overall, the experiences with the programme were positive, and the social interaction was highly valued. However, that the relationships were arranged and facilitated by mental health workers remained an unresolved concern even after several years. CONCLUSION: People with severe mental illness benefit from relationships despite the need of professional assistant.

Prognostic factors for disability and sick leave in patients with subacute non-malignant pain: a systematic review of cohort studies.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to identify generic prognostic factors for disability and sick leave in subacute pain patients. SETTING: General practice and other primary care facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Adults (>18 years) with a subacute (≤ 3-month) non-malignant pain condition. Eligibility criteria were cohort studies investigating the prediction of disability or long-term sick leave in adults with a subacute pain condition in a primary care setting. 19 studies were included, referring to a total of 6266 patients suffering from pain in the head, neck, back and shoulders. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was long-term disability (>3 months) due to a pain condition. The secondary outcome was sick leave, defined as 'absence from work' or 'return-to-work'. RESULTS: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and PEDro databases were searched from 16 January 2003 to 16 January 2014. The quality of evidence was presented according to the GRADE WG recommendations. Several factors were found to be associated with disability at follow-up for at least two different pain symptoms. However, owing to insufficient studies, no generic risk factors for sick leave were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple site pain, high pain severity, older age, baseline disability and longer pain duration were identified as potential prognostic factors for disability across pain sites. There was limited evidence that anxiety and depression were associated with disability in patients with subacute pain, indicating that these factors may not play as large a role as expected in developing disability due to a pain condition. Quality of evidence was moderate, low or very low, implying that confidence in the results is limited. Large prospective prognostic factor studies are needed with sufficient study populations and transparent reporting of all factors examined. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42014008914.