Feasibility and acceptability of SEPA+PrEP: An HIV prevention intervention to increase PrEP knowledge, initiation, and persistence among cisgender heterosexual Hispanic women.

The HIV epidemic disproportionately affects Hispanics in the U.S., with Hispanic women (HW) accounting for 18% of new HIV diagnoses in 2019 despite comprising only 16% of the female population. The imbalance of power related to cultural values and HW's lack of knowledge and low perception of risk for HIV interferes with prevention efforts (e.g., condom use, HIV testing, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis [PrEP]). It is estimated that in 2019, only 10% of women in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were given prescriptions for it. This number is estimated to be significantly lower among HW. PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV, reducing the risk of acquiring HIV from sexual activity by about 99%. To respond to this need, we developed SEPA+PrEP, a biobehavioral HIV prevention intervention that adapted and integrated SEPA (Salud/Health, Educación/Education, Prevención/Prevention, Autocuidado/Self-Care), an empirically validated behavioral HIV prevention intervention, with the evidence-based biomedical strategy of PrEP. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of SEPA+PrEP among cisgender heterosexual Hispanic women (HW). We used a mixed methods approach to gather data from 44 HW living in the City of Homestead and its surrounding communities in Miami-Dade County, Florida. None of the participants knew about PrEP prior to participating in the study, and the majority (70.5%, n = 23) had not used condoms when engaging in vaginal sex during the previous three months. Overall, study results suggest that SEPA+PrEP is an acceptable and feasible intervention to prevent HIV among HW, with a focus on PrEP knowledge, initiation, and maintenance.

"ActuaYa": A Preliminary Efficacy Study of a Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Intervention for Older Hispanic Women.

Chronic diseases (CDs) are increasingly common among the aging population. Some evidence suggests that older Hispanic women ages 50 years and older (OHW) are at an increased risk for CDs and poorer outcomes than other groups. This study investigated the preliminary efficacy of ActuaYa, a culturally tailored CD prevention and health promotion intervention for OHW. A prospective, single-group, repeated measures study (n = 50) was conducted in Florida. Clinical measures and surveys were collected at baseline and post-intervention at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-tests, and McNemar tests were used for analysis. At baseline, more than half of the participants had a CD. Post-intervention results showed a significant decrease in participants' MAP, BMI, and A1C, and a significant increase in self-efficacy for exercise and HIV knowledge compared to baseline measures. The results of this study support the preliminary efficacy of ActuaYa in preventing CDs and increasing health promotion among OHW.

A scoping review of the impact of organisational factors on providers and related interventions in LMICs: Implications for respectful maternity care.

We have limited understanding of the organisational issues at the health facility-level that impact providers and care as it relates to mistreatment in childbirth, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). By extension, it is not clear what types of facility-level organisational changes or changes in working environments in LMICs could support and enable respectful maternity care (RMC). While there has been relatively more attention to health system pressures related to shortages of staff and other resources as key barriers, other organisational challenges may be less explored in the context of RMC. This scoping review aims to consolidate evidence to address these gaps. We searched literature published in English between 2000-2021 within Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect databases. Study selection was two-fold. Maternal health articles articulating an organisational issue at the facility- level and impact on providers and/or care in an LMIC setting were included. We also searched for literature on interventions but due to the limited number of related intervention studies in maternity care specifically, we expanded intervention study criteria to include all medical disciplines. Organisational issues captured from the non-intervention, maternal health studies, and solutions offered by intervention studies across disciplines were organised thematically and to establish linkages between problems and solutions. Of 5677 hits, 54 articles were included: 41 non-intervention maternal healthcare studies and 13 intervention studies across all medical disciplines. Key organisational challenges relate to high workload, unbalanced division of work, lack of professional autonomy, low pay, inadequate training, poor feedback and supervision, and workplace violence, and these were differentially influenced by resource shortages. Interventions that respond to these challenges focus on leadership, supportive supervision, peer support, mitigating workplace violence, and planning for shortages. While many of these issues were worsened by resource shortages, medical and professional hierarchies also strongly underpinned a number of organisational problems. Frontline providers, particularly midwives and nurses, suffer disproportionately and need greater attention. Transforming institutional leadership and approaches to supervision may be particularly useful to tackle existing power hierarchies that could in turn support a culture of respectful care.

Haemorrhage and Calcification on Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging : A Quick and Reliable Qualitative Technique for Differentiating Lesions with Ambiguous Phase.

PURPOSE: Haemorrhage and calcification can be qualitatively distinguished on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) using phase information, but it is unclear how to make this distinction in a subset of lesions with ambiguous phase, containing a mixture of positive and negative values. This work investigates the validity of qualitative phase assessment at the cranial or caudal margins in classifying such lesions as haemorrhagic or calcific, when quantitative susceptibility mapping is not available to the neuroradiologist. METHODS: In a retrospective review of magnetic resonance imaging examinations acquired between July 2015 and November 2019, 87 lesions with ambiguous phase which could be confidently determined to be haemorrhagic or calcific were identified. Two blinded neuroradiologists independently classified these lesions as haemorrhagic or calcific using 3 approaches: qualitative phase assessment at the lesions' cranial or caudal margins, dominant phase, and in-plane margins. Combined sensitivities and specificities of these analyses were calculated using a generalised linear mixed model with random effects for reader. RESULTS: Assessment at the cranial or caudal margins achieved a sensitivity of 100% for haemorrhage and calcification, which was significantly superior (p < 0.05) to dominant phase assessment with sensitivities of 52% for haemorrhage (95% confidence interval, CI 43-61%) and 54% for calcification (95% CI 42-66%), as well as in-plane margin assessment with 28% (95% CI 18-38%) and 46% (95% CI 36-56%). CONCLUSION: Haemorrhage and calcification can be reliably distinguished in lesions with ambiguous phase on SWI by qualitative review of the phase signal at the cranial or caudal margins.

Cytodiagnosis of unusual metastases in parotid gland.

Documentation of metastatic lesions in the parotid gland diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is limited in the cytopathology literature. The metastases within the parotid masquerades clinically as primary neoplasm of parotid. The authors of present case report intent to highlight the importance of FNAC in the diagnosis of metastases in parotid. These diagnoses enable the search for the locations of unknown primaries. The nodules within the parotid masquerading as primary neoplasm have undergone FNAC in five cases. The cytomorphological interpretation of the smears was performed. The diagnosis on cytology was compared with subsequent histological evaluation of the suggested primary neoplasm. FNAC in the five cases revealed the following cytodiagnosis: metastases of ductal carcinoma (2), melanoma (1), deposits of small cell carcinoma (1) and metastases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (1). There was complete concordance when these cytodiagnoses were compared with histological evaluation from the suggested sites of primaries as well-differentiated ductal carcinoma of the breast (2), melanoma of the scalp (1), small cell carcinoma of the lung (1) and clear cell RCC of the kidney (1). The metastases within the parotid can masquerade as primary neoplasm. The cytomorphological patterns and features of metastases are similar to that of their primary neoplasm. Therefore, FNAC over the nodules within the parotid unsuspected for metastases provides valuable information to search for primary neoplasm.

Hurricane Katrina: A nurse practitioner's experience.

Storm preparedness and recovery has shown much improvement since Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005, during which more than 1,000 people died. The floodwaters did not recede for weeks. The purpose of this article is to provide readers with information on the lived experience of a nurse practitioner during Hurricane Katrina. Health care providers are not immune from the life-changing effects of a disaster. Readers are provided resources to access disaster preparedness information.

Reactions to threatening health messages.

BACKGROUND: Threatening health messages that focus on severity are popular, but frequently have no effect or even a counterproductive effect on behavior change. This paradox (i.e. wide application despite low effectiveness) may be partly explained by the intuitive appeal of threatening communication: it may be hard to predict the defensive reactions occurring in response to fear appeals. We examine this hypothesis by using two studies by Brown and colleagues, which provide evidence that threatening health messages in the form of distressing imagery in anti-smoking and anti-alcohol campaigns cause defensive reactions. METHODS: We simulated both Brown et al. experiments, asking participants to estimate the reactions of the original study subjects to the threatening health information (n = 93). Afterwards, we presented the actual original study outcomes. One week later, we assessed whether this knowledge of the actual study outcomes helped participants to more successfully estimate the effectiveness of the threatening health information (n = 72). RESULTS: Results showed that participants were initially convinced of the effectiveness of threatening health messages and were unable to anticipate the defensive reactions that in fact occurred. Furthermore, these estimates did not improve after participants had been explained the dynamics of threatening communication as well as what the effects of the threatening communication had been in reality. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the effectiveness of threatening health messages is intuitively appealing. What is more, providing empirical evidence against the use of threatening health messages has very little effect on this intuitive appeal.

Applying the Lean principles of the Toyota Production System to reduce wait times in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: In recognition of patient wait times, and deteriorating patient and staff satisfaction, we set out to improve these measures in our emergency department (ED) without adding any new funding or beds. METHODS: In 2005 all staff in the ED at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital began a transformation, employing Toyota Lean manufacturing principles to improve ED wait times and quality of care. Lean techniques such as value-stream mapping, just-in-time delivery techniques, workplace organization, reduction of systemic wastes, use of the worker as the source of quality improvement and ongoing refinement of our process steps formed the basis of our project. RESULTS: Our ED has achieved major improvements in departmental flow without adding any additional ED or inpatient beds. The mean registration to physician time has decreased from 111 minutes to 78 minutes. The number of patients who left without being seen has decreased from 7.1% to 4.3%. The length of stay (LOS) for discharged patients has decreased from a mean of 3.6 to 2.8 hours, with the largest decrease seen in our patients triaged at levels 4 or 5 using the Canadian Emergency Department Triage and Acuity Scale. We noted an improvement in ED patient satisfaction scores following the implementation of Lean principles. CONCLUSION: Lean manufacturing principles can improve the flow of patients through the ED, resulting in greater patient satisfaction along with reduced time spent by the patient in the ED.