Randomized controlled trial of a text-based smokeless tobacco cessation intervention for rural and medically underserved communities.

INTRODUCTION: Smokeless tobacco use remains prevalent in rural and medically underserved populations, leading to increased rates of tobacco-related cancers and chronic disease. While access to effective cessation programs is limited, text-based interventions may offer a delivery approach with broad reach. This two-armed randomized control trial (RCT) assessed the efficacy of #EnufSnuff.TXT, a text-based smokeless tobacco cessation intervention, in rural and medically underserved communities. METHODS: We conducted a two-arm RCT assessing #EnufSnuff.TXT, a text-based scheduled reduction intervention paired with text-based cessation support messages compared with the modified Enough Snuff intervention comprised of a cessation education booklet and bi-weekly motivational text messages. We recruited participants via social media and surveyed participants at three and six months post-randomization. The primary outcome was self-reported seven-day point prevalence abstinence at six months. RESULTS: We recruited and randomized 532 participants. At three months post randomization, the quit rate was significantly higher in #EnufSnuff.TXT arm compared to the Enough Snuff arm for intent-to-treat (ITT) cases (29.2% vs 19.0%, OR=1.75, p=0.0066). The quit rate at six months post randomization remained higher in #EnufSNuff.TXT compared to Enough Snuff for ITT cases (23.1% vs 20.9%, OR=1.14, p=0.5384), although no longer significantly different. CONCLUSION: This is the first large-scale text-based cessation clinical trial for individuals in underserved areas who use smokeless tobacco. The #EnufSnuff.TXT intervention performed better in the short term, however both interventions yielded similar quit-rates at 6-months post randomization. Future research should focus on improving long-term abstinence in the #EnufSNuff.TXT intervention. IMPLICATIONS: Text-based cessation approaches have the potential to increase access to cessation interventions in rural and medically underserved areas and reduce tobacco-related chronic disease morbidity and mortality. Our study shows short-term efficacy from the first ever randomized controlled trial of a smokeless tobacco cessation intervention, #EnufSnuff.TXT, for rural and medically underserved residents in the United States. Our #EnufSnuff.TXT Intervention offers a scalable solution to reach and provide much needed access to cessation interventions in medically underserved, rural communities in the United States. This work provides the foundation for further inquiry on augmented text-based approaches to increase cessation in this at-risk group.

Psychosocial stressors associated with frailty in community-dwelling older adults in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is multifactorial; however, psychosocial stressors contributing to frailty are poorly understood. This study aimed to examine whether gender, race/ ethnicity, and education are associated with differential exposure to psychosocial stressors, determine psychosocial stressors contributing to frailty, and explore the mediating psychosocial stressors pathway. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 7679 community-dwelling older adults (≥65) from the Health and Retirement Study (2006 and 2008 waves). Psychosocial stressors such as loneliness, low subjective social status, financial strain, poor neighborhood cohesion, everyday discrimination, and traumatic life events were measured. Frailty was defined by the Fried phenotype measure. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine the association of gender, race/ethnicity, and education with psychosocial stressors, psychosocial stressors associated with frailty, and the mediating psychosocial stressors pathway. RESULTS: Females experienced greater financial strain but lower discrimination (both p < 0.05). Older adults who identified as Hispanic, Black, and racially or ethnically minoritized experienced low subjective social status, high financial strain, low neighborhood cohesion, and high discrimination than their White counterparts (all p < 0.05). Those with lower education experienced high loneliness, low subjective social status, high financial strain, low neighborhood cohesion but lower traumatic life events (all p < 0.05). Psychosocial stressors: High loneliness, low subjective social status, high financial strain, and low neighborhood cohesion (all p < 0.05) independently increased the odds of frailty. The mediating pathway of psychosocial stressors was not significant.  CONCLUSION: Disparities exist in exposure to psychosocial stressors associated with frailty. Multilevel interventions are needed to reduce the influence of psychosocial stressors on frailty.

Nurse practitioner satisfaction with in-person versus telehealth chronic care delivery.

BACKGROUND: The widespread use of telehealth and regulatory changes that enhanced nurse practitioner (NP) practice authority because of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic offers an opportunity to assess postpandemic NP satisfaction with telehealth care delivery and perceptions of its feasibility compared with in-person visits. PURPOSE: Outpatient chronic care delivery satisfaction and preference were compared among NPs who provide care to adults through in-person and/or telehealth visits and examined NP demographic and clinical characteristics associated with overall satisfaction by care delivery type. METHODOLOGY: Data were collected using a cross-sectional, descriptive design through online dissemination of The Care Delivery Satisfaction Survey to a nationally representative sample of 586 NPs. RESULTS: Compared with NPs using both visit types to deliver care, NPs delivering care in-person only had significantly lower satisfaction scores for interpersonal manner ( p = .0076) and communication ( p = .0108). NPs using telehealth only had significantly higher overall satisfaction and satisfaction subscale scores (all p < .01) compared with NPs using both visit types. Overall, 77% of NPs using both visit types preferred in-person delivery. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: NPs delivering telehealth care only were more satisfied with chronic care delivery than NPs using both delivery types. NPs using both types were more satisfied with interpersonal manner and communication compared with NPs delivering in-person care only. Most NPs using both types preferred in-person care delivery. Given increased telehealth use, health systems, academic institutions, and insurance companies can use these study findings to inform policy on telehealth resources and infrastructure.

Structural determinants and cardiometabolic typologies related to frailty in community-dwelling older adults.

Frailty is a geriatric syndrome linked to adverse outcomes. Co-occurring cardiometabolic factors increase frailty risk; however, their distinct combinations (typologies) associated with frailty are unclear. We aimed to identify subgroups of older adults with distinct cardiometabolic typologies and characterize their relationship with structural determinants and frailty to inform tailored approaches to prevent and delay frailty. This study was cross-sectional design and included 7984 community-dwelling older adults (65+ years) enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study (2006 and 2008). Latent class analysis was performed using seven cardiometabolic indicators (abdominal obesity, obesity, low high-density lipoprotein; and elevated blood pressure, blood sugar, total cholesterol, C-reactive protein). Frailty was indicated by ≥3 features (weakness, slowness, fatigue, low physical activity, unintentional weight loss). Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between structural determinants (gender, race/ethnicity, and education), cardiometabolic typologies, and frailty. Three cardiometabolic subgroups were identified: insulin-resistant (n = 3547), hypertensive dyslipidemia (n = 1246), and hypertensive (n = 3191). Insulin-resistant subgroup members were more likely to be female, non-Hispanic Black, and college non-graduates; hypertensive dyslipidemia subgroup members were more likely to be non-Hispanic Others and report high school education; and hypertensive subgroup members were more likely to be male and college educated (p≤.05). Frailty risk was higher for females, Hispanic or Non-Hispanic Black older adults, and those with lower education (p≤.001). Frailty risk was greater in the insulin-resistant compared to the other subgroups (both aOR=2.0, both p<.001). Findings highlight a need to design tailored interventions targeting cardiometabolic typologies to prevent and delay frailty.

Is everything really okay?: Using ecological momentary assessment to evaluate daily co-fluctuations in anxiety and reassurance seeking.

OBJECTIVE: Reassurance seeking, a behavior prominent in anxiety disorders and depression, is associated with poorer quality of interpersonal relationships and acts as a mechanism of stress generation. However, little research has elucidated momentary associations between state anxiety and reassurance seeking behaviors. METHOD: In a sample of 104 university-affiliated young adults, we sought to replicate cross-sectional associations of reassurance seeking with trait anxiety (Aim 1) and intolerance of uncertainty (Aim 2). We then used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to evaluate concurrent fluctuations in daily anxiety and reassurance seeking across 14 consecutive days (Aim 3). Hierarchical multi-level models for intensive longitudinal data were used to evaluate the relationship between state anxiety and daily reassurance seeking. RESULTS: In baseline analyses, trait anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty were significantly associated with greater trait reassurance seeking, controlling for depression. Analyses of the EMA data showed that daily reassurance seeking behaviors fluctuated concurrently with daily anxiety during the 14 days, while controlling for trait anxiety and depression. CONCLUSION: Given evidence of concurrent fluctuations between state anxiety and reassurance seeking, the behavior should be considered as a potential target in treatment for anxiety disorders.

Characterizing burnout and resilience among nurses: A latent profile analysis of emotional exhaustion, emotional thriving and emotional recovery.

AIMS: To identify subgroups of nurses with distinct profiles of burnout (emotional exhaustion) and resilience (emotional thriving and emotional recovery) and describe nurse characteristics associated with each profile. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, correlational design. METHODS: Data were collected via electronic survey from 2018 to 2019. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups of nurses with distinct profiles of emotional exhaustion, emotional thriving and emotional recovery, with each measured on a 0-100 scale. Bivariate statistics were used to determine profile differences in nurse sociodemographic, professional and psychological characteristics. RESULTS: Four distinct profile subgroups were identified: (1) "exhausted" (14% with very high emotional exhaustion, low emotional thriving and moderate emotional recovery), (2) "exhausted with thriving" (6% with high emotional exhaustion, moderate-high emotional thriving and low emotional recovery), (3) "exhausted with thriving and recovery" (52% with moderate-high emotional exhaustion, emotional thriving and emotional recovery), and (4) "thriving and recovery" (27% with low emotional exhaustion and very high emotional thriving and emotional recovery). Nurses in the "exhausted" and "exhausted with thriving" profiles reported greater depression and poorer work-life integration. Nurses in "exhausted" profile were more likely to work in an inpatient setting. Nurses in the "exhausted with thriving and recovery" and "thriving and recovery" profiles reported more positive emotions, more well-being behaviours, and better work-life integration, with the "thriving and recovery" subgroup having the highest levels of these characteristics, lower depression scores and greater racial minority representation. CONCLUSION: Approaches designed to improve nurse well-being should be tailored to the nurses' profile of emotional exhaustion, thriving and recovery to maximize effectiveness. IMPACT: Given the growing shortage of nurses in healthcare systems, it is critical that multilevel strategies be investigated to retain nursing staff that consider the intersectionality and complexity of the different aspects of burnout and resilience experienced by the nurse. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The aim was to assess burnout and resilience among nurses.

Patterns of patient-reported symptoms and association with sociodemographic and systemic sclerosis disease characteristics: a scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) Cohort cross-sectional study.

Background: Systemic sclerosis is a heterogenous disease in which little is known about patterns of patient-reported symptom clusters. We aimed to identify classes of individuals with similar anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and pain symptoms and to evaluate associated sociodemographic and disease-related characteristics. Methods: This multi-centre cross-sectional study used baseline data from Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network Cohort participants enrolled from 2014 to 2020. Eligible participants completed the PROMIS-29 v2.0 measure. Latent profile analysis was used to identify homogeneous classes of participants based on patterns of anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and pain scores. Sociodemographic and disease-related characteristics were compared across classes. Findings: Among 2212 participants, we identified five classes, including four classes with "Low" (565 participants, 26%), "Normal" (651 participants, 29%), "High" (569 participants, 26%), or "Very High" (193 participants, 9%) symptom levels across all symptoms. Participants in a fifth class, "High Fatigue/Sleep/Pain and Low Anxiety/Depression" (234 participants, 11%) had similar levels of fatigue, sleep disturbance, and pain as in the "High" class but low anxiety and depression symptoms. There were significant and substantive trends in sociodemographic characteristics (age, education, race or ethnicity, marital or partner status) and increasing disease severity (diffuse disease, tendon friction rubs, joint contractures, gastrointestinal symptoms) across severity-based classes. Disease severity and sociodemographic characteristics of "High Fatigue/Sleep/Pain and Low Anxiety/Depression" class participants were similar to the "High" severity class. Interpretation: Most people with systemic sclerosis can be classified by levels of patient-reported symptoms, which are consistent across symptoms and highly associated with sociodemographic and disease-related variables, except for one group which reports low mental health symptoms despite high levels of other symptoms and substantial disease burden. Studies are needed to better understand resilience in systemic sclerosis and to identify and facilitate implementation of cognitive and behavioural strategies to improve coping and overall quality of life. Funding: National Institute of Nursing Research (F31NR019007), Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Arthritis Society Canada, the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, the Jewish General Hospital Foundation, McGill University, Scleroderma Society of Ontario, Scleroderma Canada, Sclérodermie Québec, Scleroderma Manitoba, Scleroderma Atlantic, Scleroderma Association of BC, Scleroderma SASK, Scleroderma Australia, Scleroderma New South Wales, Scleroderma Victoria, and Scleroderma Queensland.

Measure of perceived social support from family, friends, and healthcare providers for Korean adolescents and young adults with cancer.

Objective: Assessing the perceived social support (PSS) that adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer receive from family, friends, and healthcare providers is critical to promoting their adjustment. This study developed a reliable and comprehensive self-report PSS assessment tool that measures various aspects of social support by translating existing measurements into Korean. Methods: The translation was completed in accordance with international guidelines. To focus on cultural adaptation, the main ideas associated with items were translated to reflect the differences between Western and Eastern culture. In total, 144 Korean AYAs with cancer (mean age: 17 years; 46% female) completed the translated version. A separate principal component analysis (PCA) with an orthogonal quartimax rotation, a minimum eigenvalue of 1.0, and minimum factor loadings of 0.50 was used for each subscale. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated for each PCA-derived subscale. Results: Four subscales with 46 items were identified. Two subscales represented perceived emotional support within the family (PSS-ESF, 14 items) and the AYA's perceived helpfulness within the family (PSS-HWF, 3 items). The third scale represented the perceived support of friends (PSS-Friends, 14 items). The final scale represented the perceived support of healthcare providers (PSS-HCPs, 15 items). Excellent reliability per subscale was demonstrated (Cronbach's alpha: 0.93 for PSS-ESF, 0.73 for PSS-HWF, and 0.92 each for PSS-Friends and PSS-HCPs). Conclusions: A culturally adapted and reliable Korean version questionnaire with four independent subscales was developed. Further assessment of the Korean PSS is required and will contribute to the development of culturally adapted and tailored interventions.

Does cumulative psychosocial stress explain frailty disparities in community-dwelling older adults?

OBJECTIVE: Frailty is a leading predictor of adverse outcomes in older adults. Although disparities in frailty are well-documented, it is unclear whether psychosocial stressors explain these disparities. This study aimed to examine the potential mediating role of psychosocial stress. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 7,679 community-dwelling older adults (≥ 65) from Health and Retirement Study in the US (2006 and 2008). We used six dichotomized psychosocial stressors: a) loneliness, b) discrimination, c) financial strain, d) low subjective status, e) poor neighborhood cohesion, and f) traumatic life events to compute cumulative psychosocial stress. The Fried frailty phenotype defined frailty based on three features: slowness, poor strength, weight loss, fatigue, and low physical activity. Multivariable regressions were used to examine the structural determinants (gender, education, race, and ethnicity) frailty relationship and test whether cumulative psychosocial stress has a mediating role. RESULTS: The frailty prevalence was 22%. Females, Hispanics, Blacks, and those with less education had higher odds of frailty (p<.01). Race and ethnic minorities and non-college graduates experienced greater cumulative psychosocial stress relative to their White and college graduate counterparts (p<.05), respectively. Greater cumulative psychosocial stress was associated with increased odds of frailty (p < .001); however, it did not mediate the structural determinants and frailty relationship. CONCLUSION: Contrary to expectations, cumulative psychosocial stress did not mediate the relationship between structural determinants and frailty. Rather, high cumulative psychosocial stress was independently associated with frailty. Further research should examine other psychosocial mediators to inform interventions to prevent/delay frailty.

Massive Transfusion Protocol Adherence: Relationship to Trauma Patient Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Ongoing evaluation of massive transfusion protocol adherence is critical to ensure better trauma patient outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This quality improvement initiative aimed to determine provider adherence to a recently revised massive transfusion protocol and its relationship to clinical outcomes among trauma patients requiring massive transfusion. METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive, correlational design was used to determine the association between provider adherence to a recently revised massive transfusion protocol and clinical outcomes in trauma patients with hemorrhage treated at a Level I trauma center from November 2018 to October 2020. Patient characteristics, provider massive transfusion protocol adherence, and patient outcomes were assessed. Patient characteristics and massive transfusion protocol adherence associations with 24-hr survival and survival to discharge were determined using bivariate statistical methods. RESULTS: A total of 95 trauma patients with massive transfusion protocol activation were evaluated. Of the 95, 71 (75%) survived the initial 24 hr following massive transfusion protocol activation and 65 (68%) survived to discharge. Based on protocol applicable items, the median massive transfusion protocol overall adherence rate per patient was 75% (IQR = 57.1-85.7) for the 65 survivors and 25% (IQR = 12.5-50.0) for the 21 nonsurvivors to discharge whose death occurred at least 1 hr after massive transfusion protocol activation (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Findings indicate the importance of ongoing evaluations of adherence to massive transfusion protocols in hospital trauma settings to target areas for improvement.

Stressors Among Healthcare Workers: A Summative Content Analysis.

Healthcare workers are experiencing high stress and burnout, at rates up to 70%, hindering patient care. Studies often focus on stressors in a particular setting or within the context of the pandemic which limits understanding of a more comprehensive view of stressors experienced by healthcare workers. The purpose of this study was to assess healthcare workers' self-reported major stressors. Between June 2018 and April 2019, U.S. healthcare workers (N = 2,310) wrote answers to an open-ended question: "What are your biggest stressors as you look back over the last few weeks?" A summative content analysis was used to analyze the data. Healthcare workers described three types of stressors: work stressors (49% of total stressors), personal life stressors (32% of total stressors), and stressors that intersect work and personal life (19% of total stressors). Future research and clinical practice should consider the multi-faceted sources of stress.

Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Intimate Partner Violence Among Latinx Immigrants in the US.

Latinx immigrants bear a disproportionate burden associated with intimate partner violence (IPV); however, efforts to develop evidence-based IPV prevention strategies and address health disparities have been impeded by a lack of understanding of the unique cultural (i.e., acculturation and acculturative stress) and socio-environmental (i.e., adverse childhood experiences [ACEs]) factors that contribute to IPV in this historically marginalized population. Guided by a contextual framework for IPV and a life-course perspective viewed through a gendered lens, this study aims to (a) identify relationships among acculturation, acculturative stress, ACEs, and IPV victimization and perpetration; and (b) explore whether profiles of IPV risk factors differ by gender (women vs. men) among Latinx immigrants. This cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study was a secondary analysis of data from the baseline assessment of 331 ever-partnered Latinx immigrants aged 18 to 44 in a longitudinal study named Salud (Health), Estrés (Stress), y Resilencia (Resilency) (SER) Hispano. Logistic regressions adjusting for individual characteristics and gender subgroup analyses were used to address study aims. The majority of the participants were women (71.30%). More than half of all participants had experienced IPV victimization (57.70%) or IPV perpetration (60.73%). Latinx immigrants with higher family stress (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.16; p < .001) had an elevated risk for IPV victimization; those with more ACEs (aOR = 1.08; p = .005) had an increased risk for IPV perpetration. Women had a lower risk of IPV victimization (aOR = 0.45; p = .03) and a higher risk for IPV perpetration (aOR = 3.26; p = .001) compared to men. Although further research is warranted, the profiles of risk factors for IPV perpetration were different for women than for men. Culturally tailored preventions focused on acculturative stress and ACEs are needed to help Latinx immigrant communities minimize exposure to life-course adversities, improve positive adaptation to the US, and eliminate IPV-relevant health disparities.

Dissemination of doctor of nursing practice project findings: Benefits and challenges associated with publishing in healthcare journals.

BACKGROUND: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs require a project to improve outcomes in a health care setting. However, dissemination methods vary. PURPOSE: This evaluation examined benefits and challenges associated with submitting project manuscripts to a peer-reviewed health care journal in a DNP program with this requirement. METHODS: Benefits and challenges were assessed with surveys completed by 85 DNP program alumni and 28 DNP mentors and by interviewing 5 faculty who teach in the DNP program and 5 editors of nursing journals. FINDINGS: Benefits of completing a manuscript included sharing knowledge to improve health care outcomes and enhancing nursing scholarship. Among alumni, 81% reported manuscript development was beneficial and 69% published their work. Most students, most faculty, and all editors endorsed the requirement with alternatives for projects lacking rigor or innovation. Challenges included need for faculty involvement and editorial/statistical resources. DISCUSSION: Despite challenges, there are benefits of publishing rigorous and innovative DNP work.

Psychobiological, clinical, and sociocultural factors that influence Black women seeking treatment for infertility: a mixed-methods study.

Objective: To provide a comprehensive and multidimensional description and conceptualization of the experiences of Black women seeking treatment for infertility. Design: Convergent parallel mixed-methods study combining retrospective chart review data and semistructured interview data. Setting: Private infertility clinic. Patients: African American/Black women between 18 and 44 years of age who presented for an initial infertility evaluation with a male partner between January 2015 and September 2019 at an infertility clinic in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area. Interventions: None. Main Outcomes: Treatment seeking. Measures: Psychobiological, clinical, and sociocultural factors. Results: Along with the psychobiological, clinical, and sociocultural domains, we understood that Black women who sought treatment for infertility were older and overweight, had complex gynecological diagnoses, and experienced infertility for long periods of time. The delay in seeking treatment was possibly because of a low perceived risk of infertility, poor understanding of treatment options, inadequate referral patterns of primary care providers, and limited social support. Further, Black women experienced delays in seeking treatment because they attempted lifestyle-based self-interventions before considering medical interventions. Facilitators to care included psychological distress, complex gynecological medical history, and finding culturally competent providers. Conclusions: The study findings show that Black women in the United States are vulnerable to disparities in healthcare delivery, especially within reproductive endocrinology. Our findings highlight areas where Black women are experiencing missed opportunities for teaching, early identification, and early referrals for infertility-related concerns. Future studies should seek to reduce barriers to infertility treatment at the clinical and policy levels.

Social determinants of human papillomavirus vaccine series completion among U.S. adolescents: A mixed-methods study.

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can significantly reduce HPV-associated cancers. In the US, two doses are recommended for vaccine completion for younger adolescents. However, series completion rates remain below the nation's goal of 80% coverage. Multi-faceted factors may influence adolescent series completion. The purpose of this study was to identify individual-level, relationship-level, and community-level factors of timely series completion among adolescents, ages 11-14, initiating the HPV vaccine series in 2017. Methods: A convergent, mixed-methods design was used combining adolescent electronic health record data (n = 803) and qualitative interviews with adolescents and their parents (n = 32) to assess timely series completion within 14-months (e.g., January 2018 to February 2019). Multivariable logistic regression analysis examined individual-level and community-level factors influencing timely series completion. Directed content analysis was used to identify relevant themes and subthemes. We provided an integrative summary to assess patterns of convergence or divergence between quantitative and qualitative data. Results: In the quantitative phase, 61.0% of adolescents completed the vaccine series and 47.3% completed it on-time. Higher odds of timely series completion were among younger adolescents at vaccine initiation (aOR = 1.82, 95%CI = 1.07, 3.11) and lower among adolescents who were Black (aOR = 0.57, 95%CI = 0.37, 0.89) and Hispanic (aOR = 0.54, 95%CI = 0.30, 0.95) compared to Non-Hispanic White adolescents and those without private insurance (aOR = 0.56, 95%CI = 0.37, 0.85). Qualitative findings revealed increased risk for HPV at sexual debut as a motivator for timely series completion. Family/peers and healthcare providers influenced timely series completion among minority adolescents. Community-level factors were not significantly associated with timely series completion, however, qualitative findings revealed lack of transportation as a barrier to timely series completion. Conclusion: Multi-level factors continue to influence timely series completion, despite fewer doses needed for series completion. Innovative strategies are needed to improve care coordination for receiving vaccine doses, patient-provider communication about series completion and increase access to HPV vaccine.

Use of Apfel Simplified Risk Score to Guide Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Prophylaxis in Adult Patients Undergoing Same-day Surgery.

PURPOSE: The quality improvement (QI) project implemented a postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) risk screening tool and introduced a risk-tailored prophylactic guideline to identify patients at risk for PONV and aimed to minimize PONV adverse events. DESIGN: This project represents the initial PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycle for quality improvement with use of a pre-post design with two independent groups designed to compare PONV rates before and after implementation of an Apfel Simplified Risk Score screening and prophylactic guideline intervention. METHODS: The project implemented the screening of patient PONV risk using the Apfel Simplified Risk Score and a combination antiemetic drug class prophylactic guideline for adult patients undergoing elective same-day surgery procedures. An online education module was provided to anesthesia professionals and was reviewed in-person with the relevant anesthesia professional team prior to surgery. Pre-implementation (N=107) PONV outcomes were collected. Data collected from a retrospective chart review was used to compare pre- and post-implementation PONV rates (N=96) and determine post-implementation anesthesia professional adherence to guideline recommendations. FINDINGS: Forty percent of screened patients were identified as having an increased PONV risk with an Apfel Simplified Risk Score of 3 or 4. The PONV rates for the pre-group (19.6%) and post-group (22.9%) did not significantly differ (P=.5567). Anesthesia professional adherence to administration of the recommended number of antiemetic drug classes was 89.6%. A Spearman point-biserial correlation analysis indicated a significant positive relationship between Apfel Simplified Risk Score and PONV onset in the post-group (rs=0.21, P=.0428). CONCLUSIONS: The Apfel Simplified Risk Score and prophylactic guideline increased identification of patients at risk for PONV but did not affect PONV rate despite a high anesthesia professional adherence to the guideline recommendations.

The Association between Well-being Behaviors and Resilience in Health Care Workers.

Engaging in well-being behaviors may promote resilience, which can protect against burnout. This descriptive, correlational analysis utilized baseline data from health care workers enrolled in the Web-based Implementation of the Science for Enhancing Resilience longitudinal study (N = 2,383). The study aimed to describe the association of (a) types of well-being behaviors (regular exercise, yoga, meditation, spent time with a close friend, vacation) and (b) total number of well-being behaviors with resilience (emotional thriving and emotional recovery), covarying for sociodemographic and professional characteristics. General linear model findings indicated that each well-being behavior was significantly associated with greater emotional thriving, while only exercise and spending time with friends were significantly related to greater emotional recovery. Emotional thriving and emotional recovery were also significantly higher among health care workers reporting more well-being behaviors. Engaging in well-being behaviors may be one part of the solution toward increasing resilience in health care workers that warrants further investigation.

Problematic internet use in adolescents and implementation of a social media hygiene protocol.

PURPOSE: This quality improvement project aimed to evaluate whether a social media hygiene education intervention designed for adolescents with problematic internet use (PIU) receiving treatment at a pediatric outpatient mental health clinic reduced PIU and/or improved mental health outcomes in adolescents. METHODS: Participants were 28 adolescents (71.4% females, mean age = 14.2 years) with PIU seeking outpatient mental health treatment. The most common associated diagnoses were anxiety (42.9%) and attention-deficit activity disorder (28.6%). A within-adolescent pre-post design was used to evaluate changes in PIU severity measured by the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS-2), depression and anxiety severity was assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale (PHQ-ADS), and screen time defined as the average hours/day during past 7-days recorded of the adolescent's smartphone. The practice change was an ad hoc social media hygiene education intervention conducted by their provider over five, once-a-week, one-hour telehealth sessions. RESULTS: A significant reduction in screen time (paired t = 10.14, df = 27, p < 0.001), severity of PIU (paired t = 12.07, df = 27, p < 0.001), and severity of depression and/or anxiety symptoms (paired t = 8.3, df = 27, p < 0.001) was demonstrated. Large effect sizes were observed (Cohen d = 1.6 to 2.3). Attendance for each session was 100% for Weeks 1, 2 and 5, 93% for Week 3 and 89% for Week 4. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest administration of a social-media hygiene protocol conducted via telehealth may reduce the severity of PIU and improve mental health outcomes in adolescents seeking outpatient mental health treatment.

Impact of Depression and Nicotine Dependence on Executive Functioning in Rural Older Adult Smokers: A Brief Report (NCT02510716).

INTRODUCTION: Rural older adults are an underserved population with high rates of smoking and related morbidity and mortality. Age-related executive function deficits are common in older smokers; however, the association of depression and nicotine dependence on executive function has not been explored. This study addressed whether depression and nicotine dependence are related to executive dysfunction in rural older adult smokers. METHODS: The sample included 40 rural older adults recruited from two primary care clinics in North Carolina. Executive function was evaluated with the Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI), Metacognition Index, and Global Executive Composite (GEC) T scores from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult. Nicotine dependence and depression symptoms were assessed using the Fagerstrom Test and Center for Epidemiologic Depression Scale-10, respectively. Analysis of variance was used to explore whether depression and/or nicotine dependence influences executive function. Nondirectional tests were performed with significance set at .10. RESULTS: Smokers who screened positive for depression had significantly greater executive dysfunction than those who did not (BRI: p = .0003, Metacognition Index: p < .0001, GEC: p < .0001), and moderate/high dependence was associated with greater executive function deficits compared with those with mild dependence (BRI: p = .0942). Together, depression and nicotine dependence explained 50% of the variability of the GEC overall scores. CONCLUSIONS: Executive dysfunction is common in rural older adult smokers and associated with depression and nicotine dependence severity. Futures studies should test the relationship of executive function and smoking cessation in the older adult population as it may have implications for cessation in this population.