Canadian Health Care Providers Research Articles

Canadian National Pancreas Conference 2023: A Review of Multidisciplinary Engagement in Pancreatic Cancer Care.

Pancreatic cancer is a complex malignancy associated with poor prognosis and high symptom burden. Optimal patient care relies on the integration of various sectors in the healthcare field as well as innovation through research. The Canadian National Pancreas Conference (NPC) was co-organized and hosted by Craig's Cause Pancreatic Cancer Society and The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in November 2023 in Montreal, Canada. The conference sought to bridge the gap between Canadian healthcare providers and researchers who share the common goal of improving the prognosis, quality of life, and survival for patients with pancreatic cancer. The accredited event featured discussion topics including diagnosis and screening, value-based and palliative care, pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, cancer-reducing treatment, and an overview of the current management landscape. The present article reviews the NPC sessions and discusses the presented content with respect to the current literature.

Perspectives and Current Practices in the Provision of Sexual Health Support for People with CKD: A Survey of Canadian Health Care Providers

Perspectives and Current Practices in the Provision of Sexual Health Support for People with CKD: A Survey of Canadian Health Care Providers

Why Are Healthcare Providers Leaving Their Jobs? A Convergent Mixed-Methods Investigation of Turnover Intention among Canadian Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Staffing shortages across the healthcare sector pose a threat to the continuity of the Canadian healthcare system in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. We sought to understand factors associated with turnover intention as well as Canadian healthcare providers' (HCPs) perspectives and experiences with turnover intention as related to both organizational and professional turnover. A convergent questionnaire mixed-methods design was employed. Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regressions were used to analyze quantitative data and ascertain factors associated with turnover intention. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative open-field textbox data and understand HCPs' perspectives and experiences with turnover intention. Quantitative analyses revealed that 78.6% of HCPs surveyed (N = 398) reported at least a 25% turnover likelihood regarding their organization, with 67.5% reporting at least a 25% turnover likelihood regarding their profession. Whereas regression models revealed the significant impact of years worked, burnout, and organizational support on turnover likelihood for organizations, age, sex, burnout, and organizational support contributed to the likelihood of leaving a profession. Patterns of meaning drawn from participants' qualitative responses were organized according to the following four themes: (1) Content to stay, (2) Drowning and no one cares, (3) Moral stressors, and (4) Wrestling with the costs and benefits. Many HCPs described weighing the costs and benefits of leaving their organization or profession during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although challenging working conditions, moral stressors, and burnout may play a significant role in HCPs' experiences of turnover intention, there is ample room to intervene with organizational support.

Level of patient contact and Impact of Event scores among Canadian healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundHealthcare providers (HCP) continue to provide patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic despite the known risks for transmission. Studies conducted early in the pandemic showed that factors associated with higher levels of distress among HCP included being of younger age, female, in close contact with people with COVID-19, and lower levels of education. The goal of this study was to determine if level of patient contact was associated with concern for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as measured by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R).MethodsThis cross-sectional study, embedded within a prospective cohort study, recruited HCP working in hospitals in four Canadian provinces from June 2020 to June 2023. Data were collected at enrolment and annually from baseline surveys with the IES-R scale completed at withdrawal/study completion. Modified Poisson regression was used to determine the association between level of patient contact and concern for PTSD (i.e., IES-R scores ≥24).ResultsThe adjusted rate ratio (RR) associated with concern for PTSD among HCP with physical contact/direct patient care was 1.19 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03, 1.38) times higher than for HCP with no direct contact. In fully adjusted linear regression models, physical care/contact was associated with higher avoidance and hyperarousal scores, but not intrusion scores.ConclusionsAdministrators and planners need to consider the impact of heightened and ongoing stress among HCP by providing early screening for adverse emotional outcomes and delivery of tailored preventive strategies to ensure immediate and long-term HCP health.

‘It’s not me, it’s them’ – a report describing the weight-related attitudes towards obesity in pregnancy among maternal healthcare providers

BackgroundOccurrences of weight stigma have been documented in prenatal clinical settings from the perspective of pregnant patients, however little is known from the viewpoint of healthcare providers themselves. Reported experiences of weight stigma caused by maternal healthcare providers may be due to negative attitudes towards obesity in pregnancy and a lack of obesity specific education. The objective of this study was to assess weight-related attitudes and assumptions towards obesity in pregnancy among maternal healthcare providers in order to inform future interventions to mitigate weight stigma in prenatal clinical settings.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was administered online for maternal healthcare providers in Canada that assessed weight-related attitudes and assumptions towards lifestyle behaviours in pregnancy for patients who have obesity. Participants indicated their level of agreement on a 5-point likert scale, and mean scores were calculated with higher scores indicating poorer attitudes. Participants reported whether they had observed weight stigma occur in clinical settings. Finally, participants were asked whether or not they had received obesity-specific training, and attitude scores were compared between the two groups.ResultsSeventy-two maternal healthcare providers (midwives, OBGYNs, residents, perinatal nurses, and family physicians) completed the survey, and 79.2% indicated that they had observed pregnant patients with obesity experience weight stigma in a clinical setting. Those who had obesity training perceived that their peers had poorer attitudes (3.7 ± 0.9) than those without training (3.1 ± 0.7; t(70) = 2.23, p = 0.029, Cohen’s d = 0.86).ConclusionsWeight stigma occurs in prenatal clinical environments, and this was confirmed by maternal healthcare providers themselves. These findings support advocacy efforts to integrate weight stigma related content and mitigation strategies in medical education for health professionals, including maternal healthcare providers. Future work should include prospective examination of weight related attitudes among maternal healthcare providers and implications of obesity specific education, including strategies on mitigating weight stigma in the delivery of prenatal care.

Current perception and barriers to implementing lung ultrasound in Canadian neonatal intensive care units: a national survey.

Despite the growing body of literature supporting the use of point-of-care lung ultrasound (POC-LU) in neonates, its adoption in Canadian neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) remains limited. This study aimed to identify healthcare providers' perceptions and barriers to implementing POC-LU in Canadian NICUs. We conducted an electronic survey targeting neonatologists, neonatal fellows, neonatal nurse practitioners, and registered respiratory therapists in 20 Canadian NICUs. The survey comprised a 28-item questionnaire divided into four sections: (1) participants' demographics and availability of POC-LU equipment, (2) experience and interest in POC-LU learning, (3) perception of POC-LU as a diagnostic tool, and (4) barriers to POC-LU implementation in NICUs.A total of 194 participants completed the survey, with neonatologists comprising the majority (45%). Nearly half of the participants (48%) reported prior experience with POC-LU. The most prevalent indications for POC-LU use were diagnosis of pleural effusion (90%), pneumothorax (87%), and respiratory distress syndrome (76%). Participants identified the primary barrier to POC-LU adoption as the lack of trained providers available for both training and clinical integration. Notably, most respondents (87%) expressed keen interest in learning neonatal POC-LU. A subgroup analysis based on the responses collected from NICU-directors of 12 institutions yielded results consistent with those of the overall participant pool. Conclusion: This survey underscores the perceived importance of POC-LU among NICU healthcare providers. A Canadian consensus is required to facilitate the development of widespread training programs as well as standardized clinical practice guideline for its implementation. What is Known: • In recent years, point-of-care lung ultrasound (POC-LU) has emerged as an important tool in neonatology, revolutionizing the assessment and management of critically ill infants. However, its adoption in Canadian Neonatal Intensive Care Units remains limited. What is New: • Most Canadian healthcare providers showed high level of interest in learning POC-LU techniques. Additionally, POC-LU was perceived as a useful tool for diagnosis and guiding intervention in various neonatal respiratory diseases. Nonetheless, the lack of expertise emerged as the primary barrier to its adoption and practice across different groups of participants regardless of their clinical experience level.

Facilitating Birth for Women Who Have Experienced Genital Cutting

Female genital cutting (FGC) is a traditional practice in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Due to increasing migration from these areas to Canada and elsewhere, the care of women who have undergone FGC has become both a national and a global concern. It is widely regarded as a public health and human rights issue affecting at least 140 million women worldwide. In Canada, pregnant women who experienced FGC may face more physical and emotional challenges than their nonpregnant counterparts. Their need to access optimal perinatal care is critical, as FGC, particularly that with more extensive cutting (infibulation), is widely considered to be an indirect cause of maternal/ newborn morbidity. The purposes of this article are (1) to provide a deeper insight into challenges confronting affected women seeking maternity care in Canada and their providers and (2) to recommend the appropriateness of the Canadian midwifery model in providing optimal care for women who have experienced FGC. The goal is to support Canadian health care providers in gaining a greater understanding of the historical, cultural, and physical realities of FGC so that they are able to provide maternity care that meets Canadian standards while being sensitive to cultural values and beliefs. This article has been peer reviewed.

Gaps in the Implementation of Menopause Hormone Therapy Among Canadian Health Care Providers

Gaps in the Implementation of Menopause Hormone Therapy Among Canadian Health Care Providers

Current Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention Practices among Canadian Midwives

Alcohol use during pregnancy is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes for the woman and fetus, including stillbirth, miscarriage, low birth weight, and risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Midwives are uniquely situated to routinely engage in conversations about alcohol use with women that are strength based, health promoting, and focused on empowerment. This report is a secondary analysis of the midwifery responses (n = 196) from a larger data set of health care providers collected by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) in an online survey in October and November 2017. The aim of the survey was to identify current knowledge, attitudes, practices, and beliefs among Canadian health care providers on screening, brief intervention, and referral (SBIR) for women’s alcohol use. Most midwives (97%) ask women about alcohol use during pregnancy; however, only about half practice brief intervention (57%). Perceived confidence in conducting brief intervention was positively associated with its practice (t [193] = 5.31, p < .0001). Improving skills and confidence to provide brief support about alcohol use during pregnancy using evidence-informed approaches will strengthen this practice in Canada. This article has been peer reviewed.

Access to Oncology Medicines in Canada: Consensus Forum for Recommendations for Improvement.

Patient access to new oncology drugs in Canada is only possible after navigating multiple sequential systemic checkpoints for national regulatory approval, health technology assessment (HTA) and collective government price negotiation. These steps delay access and prevent health care providers from being able to prescribe optimal therapy. Eighteen Canadian oncology clinicians from the medicine, nursing and pharmacy professions met to develop consensus recommendations for defining reasonable government performance standards around process and timeliness to improve Canadian cancer patients' access to best care. A modified Delphi methodology was used to identify consensus on 30 questions involving five themes: accountability, disparities, endpoints, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness. It was agreed that greater transparency is required across regulatory and HTA processes. Health professionals in oncology are frustrated for their patients because they are unable to deliver the modern guideline-supported therapies they want to provide due to delays in approval or funding. Canadian health care providers request improvements in timely access to life-saving therapeutics in line with other comparator countries. Clinicians expect urgent improvements in Canadian health systems to give our patients their best chance of survival.

The influence of health service interactions and local policies on vaccination decision-making in immigrant women: A multi-site Canadian qualitative study

ObjectivesResearch on immigrant and refugee vaccination uptake in Canada shows that immunization decisions vary by vaccine type, location, age and migration status. Despite their diversity, these studies often treat immigrant and refugee populations as a single group relative to other Canadians. In this comparative study, we explored how previous risk communication and immunization experiences influence immunization decisions by immigrant and refugee women from three communities across Canada. MethodsParticipants included women from the Punjabi immigrant community located in Surrey and Abbotsford, British Columbia (n = 36), the Nigerian immigrant community located in Winnipeg, Manitoba (n = 43), and the Congolese refugee community in Edmonton, Alberta (n = 18). Using focus groups guided by focused ethnography methodology, we sought to understand immunization experiences in Canada and before arrival, and what information sources influenced the immunization decision-making process by the women in the three communities. ResultsParticipants had differing past experiences in Canada and before their arrival that influenced how they used information in their vaccination decisions. Clear vaccination communications and dialogue with Canadian health care providers increased trust in Canadian health care and the likelihood of vaccine uptake. By contrast, weak vaccine recommendations and antivaccination information in the community prompted participants to decline future vaccines. ConclusionGiven our participants' different communication preferences and needs, we argue that a one-size-fits-all communication approach is inappropriate for immigrant and refugee populations. Instead, multi-pronged communication strategies are required to reach participants and respond to previous experiences and information that may lead to vaccination hesitancy.

Canadian Health Care Providers' Perspectives on Working with Older Homeless Adults in Outreach Settings.

Service providers have a unique understanding of older homeless adults' challenges and service needs. However, research on the experiences of health care providers (HCPs) who work with this population is limited. We aimed to gain a better understanding of the experiences (roles, challenges, and rewards) of HCPs who work with older homeless adults (age 50 and over) in outreach settings. We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with 10 HCPs who worked in these roles. Four themes emerged: (a) the client-provider relationship as an essential building block to HCPs' work; (b) progression of care that acknowledges the "whole person"; (c) collaboration as integral to providers' work; and (d) the importance of system navigation. Providers found their work personally and professionally fulfilling but were frustrated by system-level challenges. Findings can be used to identify strategies on how to further support providers in their roles and enhance service provision for older homeless individuals.

Patient and Provider Gender and Kidney Transplant Referral in Canada: A Survey of Canadian Healthcare Providers.

Referral for kidney transplant (KT) is variable, with women often disadvantaged. This study aimed to better characterize Canadian transplant referral practices and identify potential differences by respondent and/or patient gender using surveys targeted at healthcare practitioners (HCPs) involved in KT. Surveys consisting of 25 complex patient cases representing 7 themes were distributed to KT HCPs across Canada (March 3, 2022-April 27, 2022) using national nephrology/transplant society email registries. Respondents were asked whether they would refer the patient for transplant. Two identical surveys were created, differing only by gender/gender pronouns used in each case. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association of respondent demographics and patient themes (including case gender) with the odds of transplant referral (overall and stratifying by respondent gender). Overall, the referral rate was 58.0% among 97 survey respondents (46.4% male). Case themes associated with a lower likelihood of referral included adherence concerns (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-0.94), medical complexity (aOR 0.57; 95% CI, 0.38-0.85), and perceived frailty (aOR 0.63; 95% CI, 0.47-0.84). Respondent gender was not associated with differences in KT referral (aOR 0.91; 95% CI, 0.65-1.26 for male versus female respondents) but modified the association of frailty (less referral for male than female respondents, P = 0.005) and medical complexity (less referral for female than male respondents, P = 0.009) with referral. There were no differences in referral rate by case gender ( P = 0.82). KT referral practices vary among Canadian HCPs. In this study, there were no differences in likelihood of transplant referral by candidate gender.

Coping, Supports and Moral Injury: Spiritual Well-Being and Organizational Support Are Associated with Reduced Moral Injury in Canadian Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Healthcare providers (HCPs) have described the onset of shame- and trust-violation-related moral injuries (MI) throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research suggests that HCPs may turn to various coping methods and supports, such as spirituality/religiosity, substance use, friends/family or organizational support, to manage workplace stress. It remains unknown, however, if similar coping methods and supports are associated with MI among this population. We explored associations between MI (including the shame and trust-violation presentations individually) and coping methods and supports. Canadian HCPs completed an online survey about their mental health and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, including demographic indices (e.g., sex, age, mental health history) and measures of MI, organizational support, social support, spiritual well-being, self-compassion, alcohol use, cannabis use and childhood adversity. Three hierarchical multiple linear regressions were conducted to assess the associations between coping methods/supports and (i) MI, (ii) shame-related MI and (iii) trust-violation-related MI, when controlling for age, mental health history and childhood adversity. One hundred and seventy-six (N = 176) HCPs were included in the data analysis. Spiritual well-being and organizational support were each significantly associated with reduced total MI (p's < 0.001), shame-related MI (p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively) and trust-violation-related MI (p's < 0.001). Notably, comparison of the standardized beta coefficients suggests that the association between trust-violation-related MI and both spiritual well-being and organizational support was more than twice as great as the associations between these variables and shame-related MI, emphasizing the importance of these supports and the trust-violation outcomes particularly. Mental health history (p = 0.02) and self-compassion (p = 0.01) were additionally related to shame-related MI only. Our findings indicate that heightened levels of spiritual well-being and organizational support were associated with reduced MI among HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than placing sole responsibility for mental health outcomes on HCPs individually, organizations can instead play a significant role in mitigating MI among staff by implementing evidence-informed organizational policies and interventions and by considering how supports for spiritual well-being may be implemented into existing models of care where relevant for employees.

Exploring the Development of a Canadian Frostbite Care Network and the Future of Frostbite Care in Canada Using a Qualitative Approach

The Canadian Frostbite Collaborative project is exploring frostbite patient care needs and current practices in Canada to inform the development of a Canadian frostbite care network (CFCN) as a national quality improvement initiative. Using a quantitative and qualitative approach, this study aimed to define the landscape of current frostbite practices, challenges, and interest in future work. Current frostbite care practices were initially assessed through semistructured phone interviews of Canadian healthcare providers. Canadian healthcare providers managing frostbite in a range of health disciplines and contexts then participated in focus group sessions discussing the potential roles and opportunities as well as potential challenges in developing a CFCN. Roles and opportunities for a network in advancing frostbite care included facilitating research, educating stakeholders, facilitating collaboration, standardizing care, and advocating for frostbite care. Challenges identified in frostbite care and network development included managing resources, navigating the Canadian healthcare system, overcoming low numbers, and communicating with policymakers and frontline providers. Formalizing a CFCN may provide important opportunities and support in overcoming critical barriers to providing high-quality frostbite care across Canada.

#3281 SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF VIRTUAL OUTPATIENT NEPHROLOGY CONSULTATION IN THE NORTHERN ALBERTA RENAL PROGRAM

Abstract Background and Aims There is a growing awareness among Canadian health care providers of the need to incorporate virtual consultations safely and effectively post pandemic. With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, outpatient consultation in Northern Alberta Renal Program (NARP) was rapidly transitioned to virtual delivery (telephone or videoconferencing) in place of face-to-face visits. To scale up and sustain virtual consultation in kidney care programs, its safety and effectiveness in improving processes of care (reduced wait time and access to care) and patient-related outcomes must be established. Data establishing safety and effectiveness of virtual consultation in kidney care has been limited. We therefore aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of virtual consultation in patients with advanced CKD or peritoneal dialysis (PD) being cared for in NARP. Method The study was conducted in NARP (one of the largest kidney care programs in Canada). The study populations comprised two categories of patients with kidney disease: 1) CKD (non-dialytic) being followed in the ambulatory care clinics and 2) chronic PD patients being followed up in a dedicated home dialysis clinic at 3-monthly intervals. Data were collected over two-time points, pre and post implementation of virtual kidney following the COVID-19 pandemic: March 2019-February 2020 (pre-implementation), and March 2020- February 2021 (post implementation). We were only allowed to collate data on the processes of care outcomes for CKD (clinic cancellations or no-shows, wait times to see a nephrologist from the point of referral and number of visits), and adverse clinical outcomes (peritonitis rates, all-cause hospitalizations, technique failure, defined as PD failure with transition to hemodialysis) for the patients on PD. Summary statistics and tests of associations applied as appropriate. Interrupted time series analyses were used to evaluate trends. All analyses were conducted using (STATA 15 software (Stata Corporation, 2017). The study was approved by the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board. Results In patients on PD, the studied outcome measures were not significantly impacted (no changes in the trend) pre and post virtual care implementation (Figs 1a-c). The absolute number of clinic visits in patients on PD did not change (data not shown). In the patients with CKD, there were significant reductions in the rate of clinic cancellations/no-show rates (Fig. 2a), and a reduction in wait time (by a median of two weeks) following virtual care implementation (Fig. 2b). The rates of clinic visits pre and post implementation did not change (Fig. 2c) Conclusion The implementation of virtual consultation with the onset of COVID-19 pandemic (and the attendant reduction in face-to-face contacts with patients) did not negatively impact the care of patients on PD regarding risk for adverse clinical outcomes (peritonitis rates, all-cause hospitalizations, and technique failure). In patients with CKD, implementation of virtual care has led to significant improvements in the processes of care (reduction in wait times and enhanced access to care). These findings have implications in the design of sustainable virtual care programs for delivery of specialized kidney care in both dialysis and non-dialytic CKD in Canada and beyond.

Perinatal Mental Illness in Canada: Canadian Health Care Providers Do Not Feel Competent [ID: 1377412

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The Hidden Crisis: Understanding Potentially Morally Injurious Events Experienced by Healthcare Providers during COVID-19 in Canada.

Healthcare providers (HCPs) may be at elevated risk for moral injury due to increased exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying PMIEs experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic is a critical first step for understanding moral injury in HCPs. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study was to gain a deeper understanding of the work-related PMIEs experienced by HCPs in Canada during the pandemic. Canadian HCPs completed an online survey between February and December 2021 about mental health and functioning, including demographics and the Moral Injury Outcome Scale (MIOS). We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of PMIEs described extemporaneously by HCPs in the open-text field of the MIOS. One-hundred and twenty-four (N = 124) HCPs were included in analysis. Eight PMIE-related themes were identified, comprising patients dying alone; provision of futile care; professional opinion being ignored; witnessing patient harm; bullying, violence and divided opinions; resources and personal protective equipment; increased workload and decreased staffing; and conflicting values. Understanding broad categories of PMIES experienced by Canadian HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to enhance cultural competency surrounding their experiences which will aid the development of targeted prevention and intervention approaches.

Good multiple sclerosis (MS) care and how to get there in Canada: Perspectives of Canadian healthcare providers working with persons with MS.

The literature that has examined healthcare access and needs of the multiple sclerosis (MS) population is limited. Currently, no research has engaged healthcare providers delivering services to this population to examine their perspectives on the provision of MS care in Canada. We aimed to summarize what good MS care should look like according to Canadian healthcare providers working with people with MS, and to identify the supports and resources required, within their care setting, to enable this standard of care. A qualitative descriptive approach was taken to analyze data from participants who responded to additional open-ended survey questions, within a larger "MS Models of Care Survey" targeting Canadian healthcare providers working with persons with MS. Currently, a gap exists between what healthcare providers working with persons with MS believe MS care should encompass and what they are able to offer. Participants emphasized that their MS clinics are currently understaffed and patient-to-provider ratios are high, leaving very little time to address the array of healthcare concerns their patients present with. The healthcare providers overwhelmingly described that moving toward multidisciplinary team-based MS care that includes appropriate numbers of MS-trained neurologists, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and mental health providers working within one location would be their prioritized approach to comprehensively managing MS care. This model of care enables all professionals to effectively coordinate care and use their time efficiently by only focusing on their area of expertise, all while meeting the needs of their patient in one setting, reducing wait-times and improving overall care. To meet the care needs of Canadians with MS, the healthcare system must consider standardizing and funding multidisciplinary team-based MS clinics, comparable to Stroke units, which continue to show favorable health outcomes after years of implementation.

Impact of social determinants of health on immigrant women’s cancer prevalence, outcomes, and survival experiences: narrative review

Background and Objective: This paper aims to review the social determinants of health to comprehend the cancer survival lived experiences of immigrant females. It can serve as a guideline for Canadian healthcare providers who wish to formulate an intervention for improving the quality of life of immigrant females who are cancer survivors. The intervention is formulated based on various factors associated with cancer development, health outcomes, and survival lived experiences of these immigrants.