Examine Healthcare Providers Research Articles

Health worker perspectives on barriers and facilitators of tuberculosis investigation coverage among index case contacts in rural Southwestern Uganda: a qualitative study

BackgroundIn 2012, the World Health Organization recommended screening and investigation of contacts of index tuberculosis patients as a strategy to accelerate detection of tuberculosis (TB) cases. Nine years after the adoption of this recommendation, coverage of TB contact investigations in Uganda remains low. The objective of this study was to examine health care providers’ perceptions of factors influencing coverage of TB contact investigations in three selected rural health facilities in Mbarara district, southwestern Uganda.MethodsThis study identified provider opinions on the barriers and facilitators to implementation of TB contact investigation using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Using an exploratory qualitative study design, semi-structured interviews with 19 health workers involved in the TB program at district, health facility and community levels were conducted from April 2020 and July 2020. Analysis was conducted inductively using reflexive thematic analysis in six iterative steps: familiarizing with the data, creating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, developing theme definitions, and writing the report.ResultsNineteen health care workers participated in this study which translates to a 100% response rate. These included two district TB and leprosy supervisors, five nurses, five clinical officers, six village health team members and one laboratory technician. The three themes that emerged from the analysis were intervention-related, health system and contextual factors. Health system-related barriers included inadequate or delayed government funding for the TB program, shortage of human resources, insufficient personal protective equipment, and a stock-out of supplies such as Xpert MTB cartridges. Contextual barriers included steep terrain, poverty or low income, and the stigma associated with TB and COVID-19. Facilitators comprised increased knowledge and understanding of the intervention, performance review and on-the-job training of health workers.ConclusionsThis study found that most of the factors affecting TB contact investigations in this rural community were related to health system constraints such as inadequate or delayed funding and human resource shortages. This can be addressed by strengthening the foundational elements of the health system - health financing and human resources - to establish a comprehensive TB control program that will enable the efficient identification of missing TB patients.

Healthcare providers' perceived barriers and facilitators to screening for intimate partner violence in pregnant women attending prenatal clinics.

To examine healthcare providers' extent of and perceived barriers and facilitators to screening for intimate partner violence in pregnant women attending prenatal clinics. Cross-sectional descriptive design was used to collect data from 130 healthcare providers. Seventeen healthcare providers from 17 prenatal clinics in Kanungu district, Uganda, were recruited via convenience sampling to participate in an online survey implementing a modified Normalization Measure Development instrument. Data were collected between February 2023 and March 2023 (02/8/2023 to 03/12/2023) and analysed using descriptive and Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square tests. Slightly more than half (56%) of healthcare providers report screening pregnant women for intimate partner violence. There was a statistically significant relationship between healthcare providers screening for intimate partner violence and having previous training on intimate partner violence screening. The only barrier to screening identified was a lack of understanding of how intimate partner violence screening affects the nature of participant's own work. There were numerous potential facilitators identified for healthcare providers' intimate partner violence screening. Although higher-than-expected number of healthcare providers reported screening of pregnant women for intimate partner violence, the extent of screening is still suboptimal. The barrier to screening identified needs to be addressed and facilitators promoted. Receiving training among healthcare providers on intimate partner violence screening was associated with higher levels of screening; thus, this needs to be enhanced to optimize screening rates. Future studies should assess screening practices objectively and implement interventions to improve healthcare providers' intimate partner violence screening rates. Screening for intimate partner violence should be part of standard care provided by healthcare providers to all pregnant women during prenatal clinic visits. The study supports the need for more training for healthcare providers in aspects related to intimate partner violence screening in order to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment of those affected, identify those at risk and increase awareness. There is a need to enhance healthcare providers' capacity for intimate partner violence screening through education by integrating intimate partner violence screening pre- and post-registration courses and preparation programs or curriculum. Intimate partner violence (IPV) in pregnancy is a global health problem. Screening for IPV by healthcare providers is suboptimal. This study found that only 56% of healthcare providers were routinely screening for IPV in Ugandan prenatal clinics. This study identified the main facilitators and one barrier to IPV screening. This study has adhered to the relevant EQUATOR guidelines for quantitative studies. No patient was involved in this study.

Perceptions and Experiences of Healthcare Providers and Patients Towards Digital Health Services in Primary Health Care: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Digital health has the potential to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by supporting health systems and enhancing health promotion and disease prevention. However, obstacles such as restricted internet access, inadequate technical assistance, clinical resource disparity, and insufficient user training can impede the utilization and growth of digital health. Researchers should examine healthcare providers' and patients' perspectives to identify challenges and enhance usability. The study was conducted among women health volunteers, staff nurses, and patients who used the VinCense mobile application (MedIoTek Health Systems Private Limited, Chennai, India) to record vital signs. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to evaluate participants' sociodemographic characteristics, perception of digital health monitoring, and patients' attitudes toward digital health monitoring devices. The data were analyzed using R programming, Version 4.3.3 (www.r-project.org). A multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes of patients toward digital health monitoring. The study involved 27 healthcare providers and 406 patients. The majority (66.6%) of healthcare providers found the device convenient and efficient. Around 74.1% faced technical difficulties like internet connectivity and device battery issues. Among patients, 79.8% were satisfied with their digital health monitoring experience, 86.2% found device usage comfortable and 78.1% expressed satisfaction with health education and feedback.Around 354 (87.2%) patients stated that technology has improved healthcare, and 326 (80.3%) said that health technologies have improved ease. The results indicate that female gender (p=0.00), age above 50 years (p=0.04), and occupation status as a semiskilled worker (p=0.03), skilled worker (p=0.00), and clerical/shop/farmer (p=0.01) were statistically significant and associated with the positive attitude for digital health monitoring. The digital health monitoring experience was found satisfactory by both patients and healthcare providers. The mobile health (mHealth) has tremendous potential for enhancing patient health. Therefore, it is advisable to contemplate an expansion of the VinCense mHealth Platform and other digital solutions to improve service delivery in primary healthcare setups.

Providers' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Electronic Health Records in Identifying Opioid Misuse.

This study aimed to understand prescribing providers' perceptions of electronic health record (EHR) effectiveness in enabling them to identify and prevent opioid misuse and addiction. We used a cross-sectional survey designed and administered by KLAS Research to examine healthcare providers' perceptions of their experiences with EHR systems. Univariate analysis and mixed-effects logistic regression analysis with organization-level random effects were performed. A total of 17,790 prescribing providers responded to the survey question related to this article's primary outcome about opioid misuse prevention. Overall, 34% of respondents believed EHRs helped prevent opioid misuse and addiction. Advanced practice providers were more likely than attending physicians and trainees to believe EHRs were effective in reducing opioid misuse, as were providers with fewer than 5 years of experience. Understanding providers' perceptions of EHR effectiveness is critical as the health outcome of reducing opioid misuse depends upon their willingness to adopt and apply new technology to their standardized routines. Healthcare managers can enhance providers' use of EHRs to facilitate the prevention of opioid misuse with ongoing training related to advanced EHR system features.

Primary healthcare provider experience of knowledge brokering interventions for mood management

ABSTRACT Background Knowledge brokering is a knowledge translation strategy used in healthcare settings to facilitate the implementation of evidence into practice. How healthcare providers perceive and respond to various knowledge translation approaches is not well understood. This qualitative study used the Theoretical Domains Framework to examine healthcare providers’ experiences with receiving one of two knowledge translation strategies: a remote knowledge broker (rKB); or monthly emails, for encouraging delivery of mood management interventions to patients enrolled in a smoking cessation program. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 healthcare providers recruited from primary care teams. We used stratified purposeful sampling to recruit participants who were allocated to receive either the rKB, or a monthly email-based knowledge translation strategy as part of a cluster randomized controlled trial. Interviews were structured around domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to explore determinants influencing practice change. Data were coded into relevant domains. Results Both knowledge translation strategies were considered helpful prompts to remind participants to deliver mood interventions to patients presenting depressive symptoms. Neither strategy appeared to have influenced the health care providers on the domains we probed. The domains pertaining to knowledge and professional identity were perceived as facilitators to implementation, while domains related to beliefs about consequences, emotion, and environmental context acted as barriers and/or facilitators to healthcare providers implementing mood management interventions. Conclusion Both strategies served as reminders and reinforced providers’ knowledge regarding the connection between smoking and depressed mood. The TDF can help researchers better understand the influence of specific knowledge translation strategies on healthcare provider behavior change, as well as potential barriers and facilitators to implementation of evidence-informed interventions. Environmental context should be considered to address challenges and facilitate the movement of knowledge into clinical practice.

Psychometric evaluation of a contemporary version of the drug and drug problems perception questionnaire

BackgroundMore than 20 years ago, the Drug and Drug Problems Perception Questionnaire (DDPPQ) was developed to examine healthcare providers’ attitudes and perceptions towards individuals who use drugs. In alignment with recommended terminology respectful of this patient population, the 20-item measure was revised using person-centered language. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the person-centered DDPPQ (PC-DDPPQ) version among undergraduate nursing students. MethodsExploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine the PC-DDPPQ factor structure using a cross-sectional design. A convenience sample of 400 students from two nursing schools located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the US participated in the study. The sample (N = 400) was divided equally between the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). ResultsAfter applying principal axis factoring (PAF) with oblique (Promax) rotation, the EFA yielded a five-factor, 20-item structure that explained 70.0% of the variance. The CFA revealed that the final model, derived from the EFA, which yielded a 19-item, five-factor structure adequately fit the data (Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.959, the Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.951 and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.058). ConclusionsExcept for one item (item #14), the five-factor structure aligned with the original 20-item version. This study contributes to promoting the use of a more appropriate and less stigmatizing language among healthcare providers working with patients who use drugs.

Providers’ and Patients’ Perspectives on Diagnostic Errors in the Acute Care Setting

Diagnostic errors (DEs) have been studied extensively in ambulatory care, but less work has been done in the acute care setting. In this study, the authors examined health care providers' and patients' perspectives about the classification of DEs, the main causes and scope of DEs in acute care, the main gaps in current systems, and the need for innovative solutions. A qualitative mixed methods study was conducted, including semistructured interviews with health care providers and focus groups with patient advisors. Using grounded theory approach, thematic categories were derived from the interviews and focus groups. The research team conducted interviews with 17 providers and two focus groups with seven patient advisors. Both providers and patient advisors struggled to define and describe DEs in acute care settings. Although participants agreed that DEs pose a significant risk to patient safety, their perception of the frequency of DEs was mixed. Most participants identified communication failures, lack of comfort with diagnostic uncertainty, incorrect clinical evaluation, and cognitive load as key causes of DEs. Most respondents believed that non-information technology (IT) tools and processes (for example, communication improvement strategies) could significantly reduce DEs. The study findings represent an important supplement to our understanding of DEs in acute care settings and the advancement of a culture of patient safety in the context of patient-centered care and patient engagement. Health care organizations should consider the key factors identified in this study when trying to create a culture that engages clinicians and patients in reducing DEs.

Inconsistent Provider Testing Practices for Congenital Cytomegalovirus: Missed Diagnoses and Missed Opportunities.

Newborn congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) screening programs have been found to increase the rates of early diagnosis and treatment. In North America, newborn cCMV screening programs have not been widely implemented, leaving healthcare providers to rely on clinical suspicion alone to prompt testing. This study sought to examine healthcare providers' cCMV testing practices at a quaternary children's hospital. A retrospective review of the electronic health record was completed for eligible infants over a six-year period. Bivariate calculations and analyses were performed. Between 2014 and 2019, a total of 40,091 infants were cared for at the study institution, of which 178 were tested for cCMV and 10 infants were diagnosed with cCMV. Isolated small-for-gestational age was the most common indication (53/178) to prompt testing. Overall, the cCMV testing rate was 4.5 tests per 1000 infants, with a resulting diagnostic prevalence of 0.2 cases per 1000 infants, which is 15-fold lower than the expected prevalence. Providers relying on clinical suspicion alone are infrequently testing infants for cCMV, resulting in missed diagnoses and missed opportunities for treatment. Systematic cCMV screening practices may improve diagnosis, treatment, and childhood outcomes.

1.35 Examining Primary Care Provider Attitudes in an Internet-Based Adolescent Depression Preventive Intervention

Pediatric primary care clinics can be an important point of access for mental health care. Despite the recent introduction of guidelines to support pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) in managing depression, implementation within primary care has been limited. To identify barriers, we examined healthcare providers’ attitudes regarding depression in adolescents.

Health Care Providers' Lived Experience Caring for Victims of Youth Violence Separated From Family During Trauma Resuscitation.

Family presence during trauma resuscitation is increasingly emphasized; yet it is inconsistently applied and has not been studied in victims of youth violence from the perspective of the health care provider. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experience of health care providers involved in the care of children who are separated from their family during trauma resuscitation for injuries sustained from youth violence. A qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was conducted to examine health care providers' experiences. Data were collected from March 2021 to April 2021 using open-ended, semistructured interviews conducted via Zoom or telephone. Data were transcribed and analyzed following the transcendental phenomenological reduction approach. Seven health care providers were interviewed. Ages of the participants ranged from 31 to 60 years (mean: 52.1 years). Years of practice ranged from 9.5 to 36 years (mean: 26 years). The participants' professions included surgeon, registered nurse, violence interventionalist, and social worker. From the data collected, 6 major themes emerged: current landscape, decision making, safety and security, law enforcement presence, characteristics of families of victims of youth violence, and staff reflections. This study demonstrates the value of incorporating health care providers' experiences to inform the barriers, facilitators, and nuances of implementing family presence during trauma resuscitation for pediatric victims of violence.

Immigrant Women’s Access to Healthcare Services in the United States: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

Immigrant women’s perceptions and needs are not well-represented in the health literature. In order to address the gap, this study explores personal and system-level barriers to accessing healthcare services among immigrant women, and their coping mechanisms to overcome these barriers. Using eight databases, a total of 147 studies were retrieved. Of these studies, 11 qualitative studies were selected and synthesized. A theory-generating qualitative meta-synthesis (QMS) approach was used to analyze and synthesize raw qualitative data. The QMS results indicate that immigrant women face personal-level barriers (lack of transportation, insurance, trust, inadequate financial capacity, and insufficient health information, gender, legal status, language proficiency) and system-level barriers (discrimination, miscommunication, complexity, lack of cultural competence) in accessing healthcare services. Immigrant women mainly rely on family and community support, and cultural solutions as coping strategies to overcome these barriers. Implications include policymakers and healthcare providers should adopt culturally relevant and inclusive approaches, disseminate multi-lingual health information, and work in collaboration with immigrant women and their community support groups to tackle the challenges. Future research may focus on subgroups of immigrant women to develop more culturally competent and practical collaborative solutions, and examine healthcare providers’ perspectives, as well as immigrant women’s perspectives.

Cultural competence and experiences of maternity health care providers on care for migrant women: A qualitative meta-synthesis.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 aim to reduce health care inequity and maternal and infant mortality rates amongst marginalized populations. To provide adequate and culturally relevant maternity care for minority ethnic groups, it is imperative to examine health care providers' views on care for migrant women. We reviewed published accounts of views and experiences of maternity health care providers providing maternity care for migrant women as a way of exploring their cultural competency. A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted. Systematic searches were conducted in five electronic databases from inception dates through February 2021. Qualitative data were analyzed using a framework thematic analysis based on Campinha-Bacote's five-component cultural competency model. Eleven studies were included. Findings were presented according to Campinha-Bacote's model: cultural awareness, cultural knowledge (personal responsibility, familial role and cultural influence, the influence of social and system factors, conflicting maternity care expectations), cultural encounter (language and communication), and cultural desire (establishing trust and going the extra mile, resources to boost culturally competent care). Our findings can inform the design of high-quality behavioral change, health care management, sociological, and other relevant studies, along with reviews of what matters to service users about cultural responsiveness. Our data also suggest that health system constraints can exacerbate the lack of cultural competency. Improving the quality of care for migrant communities will necessitate a joint effort between health care organizations, health care providers, policymakers, and researchers in developing and implementing more culturally relevant maternity care policies and management interventions.

Inpatient Glycaemic Control is Poor in Patients Receiving Insulin Therapy

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are admitted to hospital more frequently than the general population and have longer inpatient stays. Tight inpatient glycaemic control improves outcome but is difficult to achieve, especially in those on insulin. We prospectively reviewed the capillary blood glucose (CBG) control of hospital inpatients receiving insulin to determine their level of control and to examine healthcare providers’ responses to dysglycaemia. Between March and June 2020, all patients on insulin admitted to Bantry General Hospital for more than 24 hrs were reviewed. CBG recordings were individually categorised as either hypoglycaemic (CBG < 4mmol/L), euglycaemic (CBG = 4–9.9mmol/L), mildly hyperglycaemic (CBG = 10-14mmol/L) or severely hyperglycaemic (CBG >14mmol/L). Each patient’s individual insulin dose was reviewed and compared with their concurrent CBG level and categorised as either appropriate or inappropriate. Other factors that were reviewed included whether a HbA1C was performed, whether a referral to the diabetic clinical nurse specialist was made and whether the patient was on glucocorticoid therapy.16 patients were enrolled, average age 77. 497 CBG checks were recorded over 108 patient days. Average length of stay was 6.6 days. All patients had type 2 DM. 10 patients were on basal insulin therapy, 4 were on basal-bolus insulin, 2 were on mixed insulin. CBG was checked sub-optimally (i.e. fewer than 4 times per day) on 35/108 patient days. 355/497 CBG checks were in the euglycaemic range; but only 3 patients were entirely euglycaemic throughout admission.17 hypoglycaemic events occurred in 5 patients. These events were spread unevenly with 1 patient having 10 hypoglycaemic events while the other 7 events were spread between the remaining 4 patients.125 severely hyperglycaemic events occurred in 13 patients. Again, these events were spread unevenly with over half (67/125) events occurring in only 3 patients. Of these 13 patients, 5 were on glucocorticoid therapy. All 5 patients that had hypoglycaemic events also had severely hyperglycaemic events. Of the hypoglycaemic events recorded, only 12/17 were treated appropriately (i.e. with 15-20g of fast-acting carbohydrate and a reduction in subsequent insulin dose). Of the hyperglycaemic events recorded, 77/125 were managed appropriately (i.e. with either a stat dose of bolus insulin being administered or an increase in subsequent insulin doses being made or both). 6 prescribing errors were recorded in total. HbA1c was checked in 5 patients. An inpatient referral was made by the medical team to the diabetes clinical nurse specialist for only 4 patients. Inpatient glycaemic control was suboptimal in the majority of patients. Dysglycaemia, especially hyperglycaemia, remains problematic. Insulin doses were not adjusted often enough or dramatically enough. Further doctor and nurse education is required in this area.

Rural and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Children Receiving Early Intervention Services.

We examined health care providers' (HCPs') responses to parents' developmental concerns about their children. We looked at the association with race, ethnicity, gender, rurality, and time to diagnosis. All data were secondary and derived from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services. Participants consisted of 1321 parents of children who had received early intervention services as reported by respondents' data collected in 2011. From a nationally representative sample of families receiving early intervention services, 76% were white, 10% were African American, 3% were Asian, 5% were Native American, and 9% were Hispanic. Families who were Hispanic were more likely to have received only a delaying response from HCPs. The average time to a developmental delay diagnosis was 5 months longer for families who received a delaying HCP response. Families who were Hispanic or who were from rural areas were most likely to receive a delayed HCP response; for parents who received a delayed HCP response, a developmental delay diagnosis took 5 months longer than for families from the other groups listed.

Defining and Redefining Family Involvement in Practice: An Implementation Trial of a Locally Adaptable Patient-Centered Professional Development Tool in Two Ontario Intensive Care Units.

Research on best practices for family member involvement has shown that such involvement improves care quality in critical care settings and helps to reduce medical errors leading to adverse events. Although many critical care units promote the principle of "patient-centered care" and family member involvement, there can be a significant gap between knowledge about these processes and their translation into practice. This article is based on an implementation trial of a patient and family involvement knowledge-based tool that involves an educational component for frontline health care workers. By combining ethnographic observation, semistructured interviews, focus groups, and document analysis, we were able to not only examine health care provider views on family involvement but also explore the areas of tension that arose in practice because the introduction of the family involvement tool exposed local factors that shaped the conditions of possibility of family involvement. In particular, unspoken preferences, assumptions, and concerns about family involvement were brought to the fore because this intervention disrupted well-entrenched power dynamics related to family involvement and professional boundaries. Through this ethnographic research, we found that the concept of patient-centered care is not uncontroversial among health care providers and that the form of its practice was largely up for individual interpretation. Interventions and policies that aim to promote patient-centered and family-centered care would benefit from addressing the ways in which these ideas affect the work of different health care professionals and incorporating nursing concerns around family involvement.

Experiences of healthcare providers of older adults with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesCare for older adults with cancer became more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to examine healthcare providers' clinical barriers, patient questions, and overall experiences related to care delivery for these patients during the pandemic. Materials and methodsMembers of the Advocacy Committee of the Cancer and Aging Research Group along with the Association of Community Cancer Centers developed a 20-question survey for healthcare providers of older adults with cancer. Eligible participants were recruited by email sent through professional organizations' listservs, email blasts, and social media. This manuscript reports the qualitative data from the survey's three open-ended questions. Free text, open-ended survey items were analyzed by two independent coders for identification of common themes using NVivo software. Theme agreement was reached through consensus and count comparisons of participant responses were made. ResultsHealthcare system organizational challenges and meeting basic needs and support were commonly reported themes among respondents (n = 274). Barriers to care delivery included organizational challenges, patients' access to resources and support, concerns for patients' mental and physical health, and telehealth challenges. Respondents reported older adults were asking about their health and cancer care as well as access to basic needs and supports. Providers described worrying about patients' mental health, fear of personal safety, frustration in multi-level institutions, as well as experiencing positive leadership and communication. ConclusionProviders are faced with balancing their concerns for personal and patient safety. These findings demand resources and support allocation for older adults with cancer and healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unsupervised Machine Learning Algorithms Examine Healthcare Providers' Perceptions and Longitudinal Performance in a Digital Neonatal Resuscitation Simulator

Background: Frequent simulation-based education is recommended to improve health outcomes during neonatal resuscitation but is often inaccessible due to time, resource, and personnel requirements. Digital simulation presents a potential alternative; however, its effectiveness and reception by healthcare professionals (HCPs) remains largely unexplored.Objectives: This study explores HCPs' attitudes toward a digital simulator, technology, and mindset to elucidate their effects on neonatal resuscitation performance in simulation-based assessments.Methods: The study was conducted from April to August 2019 with 2-month (June–October 2019) and 5-month (September 2019–January 2020) follow-up at a tertiary perinatal center in Edmonton, Canada. Of 300 available neonatal HCPs, 50 participated. Participants completed a demographic survey, a pretest, two practice scenarios using the RETAIN neonatal resuscitation digital simulation, a posttest, and an attitudinal survey (100% response rate). Participants repeated the posttest scenario in 2 months (86% response rate) and completed another posttest scenario using a low-fidelity, tabletop simulator (80% response rate) 5 months after the initial study intervention. Participants' survey responses were collected to measure attitudes toward digital simulation and technology. Knowledge was assessed at baseline (pretest), acquisition (posttest), retention (2-month posttest), and transfer (5-month posttest).Results: Fifty neonatal HCPs participated in this study (44 females and 6 males; 27 nurses, 3 nurse practitioners, 14 respiratory therapists, and 6 doctors). Most participants reported technology in medical education as useful and beneficial. Three attitudinal clusters were identified by a hierarchical clustering algorithm based on survey responses. Although participants exhibited diverse attitudinal paths, they all improved neonatal resuscitation performance after using the digital simulator and successfully transferred their knowledge to a new medium.Conclusions: Digital simulation improved HCPs' neonatal resuscitation performance. Medical education may benefit by incorporating technology during simulation training.

The role of physical activity in cancer survivors\u2019 quality of life

PurposeAs a result of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, many cancer survivors experience persistent physical, mental, and emotional symptoms that affect their quality of life. Physical activity has been identified as an intervention that may help to manage the side effects of a cancer diagnosis and its treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of physical activity on overall quality of life in adult cancer survivors.MethodsOne-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted in person or via telephone with 13 adult (≥18 yrs) cancer survivors who had completed cancer treatment.ResultsThese cancer survivors described their physical activity as improving their physical functioning and mental health, as a means of positive social engagement, and adding positivity to their daily life.ConclusionEven though the cancer survivors in this study experienced diverse types of cancer and for different lengths of time as well as varying methods of treatment(s), these results support the role of physical activity in enhancing cancer survivors’ quality of life. Further research is warranted to (a) expand this research with a larger sample and quantitative methods, (b) examine healthcare providers’ knowledge and application of exercise guidelines to cancer survivors in cancer care, and (c) explore implementation strategies for greater advocacy for healthcare providers to share the exercise recommendations with cancer survivors.

Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer Using a Symptom Heuristics App: Provider Perceptions and Actions.

Purpose: This study examined health care providers' perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of a symptom heuristics app delivered via a tablet computer as a resource for understanding symptom experiences of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer. AYAs' app-generated symptom reports were compared with providers' documentation of AYAs' symptoms. Methods: This multisite study included responses from 86 AYAs 15-29 years of age who completed the Computerized Symptom Capture Tool (C-SCAT) before two scheduled visits for chemotherapy. After each visit, their providers completed a survey addressing their perspective of: (1) the usefulness of data provided by the C-SCAT to understand the AYAs' symptom experience, and (2) the nature of the discussion of symptoms with the AYA. An electronic health record review compared symptoms that AYAs identified by using the C-SCAT with providers' documentation of symptoms. Results: One hundred forty-four complete surveys were returned after 162 visits. Fifty percent (n = 72) of responses reported that the C-SCAT helped identify the patient's symptoms, and 53% (n = 76) reported that it helped identify the patient's priority symptoms. Providers also reported higher patient engagement and more focused discussions regarding symptoms. They reported that use of the C-SCAT facilitated the development of symptom management plans. Priority symptoms were documented more frequently than nonpriority symptoms (54% vs. 32.7%; p < 0.01) as was a plan for managing priority symptoms (33.7% vs. 17.9%; p < 0.01). Conclusion: Use of the C-SCAT enhanced providers' understanding of AYAs' symptom experiences. Further research is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the C-SCAT as a resource to improve symptom management among AYAs with cancer.

Perinatal health care providers' approaches to recommending and providing pertussis vaccination in pregnancy: a qualitative study.

In 2018, the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada recommended a single dose of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and reduced acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine in every pregnancy. To understand how perinatal health care providers in Canada are translating recent recommendations for universal antenatal Tdap vaccine into routine clinical practice, we examined health care providers' perceptions of what influences their ability to recommend and provide Tdap vaccine consistently to pregnant women. Between June 2018 and July 2019, we conducted semistructured telephone interviews with perinatal health care providers (nurses, midwives, family physicians and obstetricians) from 5 provinces (British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia) representing diverse educational experiences, practice settings and models of care. We analyzed the data using interpretive description. We interviewed 44 perinatal health care providers (13 family physicians, 12 midwives, 10 obstetricians and 9 nurses) practising in a variety of settings. Health care providers' ability to recommend and provide antenatal Tdap vaccine was strongly influenced by structural constraints in the Canadian perinatal health care system. The participants' clinical training varied, which resulted in different knowledge and practices. Participants felt hindered by a lack of lay information resources. Consistent and convenient vaccine access was perceived to be key to promoting confidence and encouraging uptake, yet antenatal Tdap vaccine was not easily accessible for all women. Our findings suggest that Canada's fragmented health care model has a detrimental effect on health care providers' ability to recommend and ensure access to antenatal Tdap vaccine. Lessons from this study are pertinent to the implementation of successful pertussis vaccine programs and future pregnancy vaccination initiatives.