Value Of Emotional Support Research Articles

Utilizing Digital Health to Collect Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes in Prostate Cancer: Single-Arm Pilot Trial.

BackgroundMeasuring patient-reported outcomes (PROs) requires an individual’s perspective on their symptoms, functional status, and quality of life. Digital health enables remote electronic PRO (ePRO) assessments as a clinical decision support tool to facilitate meaningful provider interactions and personalized treatment.ObjectiveThis study explored the feasibility and acceptability of collecting ePROs using validated health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaires for prostate cancer.MethodsUsing Apple ResearchKit software, the Strength Through Insight app was created with content from validated HRQoL tools 26-item Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) or EPIC for Clinical Practice and 8-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Advanced Prostate Symptom Index. In a single-arm pilot study with patients receiving prostate cancer treatment at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and affiliates, participants were recruited, and instructed to download Strength Through Insight and complete ePROs once a week over 12 weeks. A mixed methods approach, including qualitative pre- and poststudy interviews, was used to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Strength Through Insight for the collection and care management of cancer treatment.ResultsThirty patients consented to the study; 1 patient failed to complete any of the questionnaires and was left out of the analysis of the intervention. Moreover, 86% (25/29) reached satisfactory questionnaire completion (defined as completion of 60% of weekly questions over 12 weeks). The lower bound of the exact one-sided 95% CI was 71%, exceeding the 70% feasibility threshold. Most participants self-identified with having a high digital literacy level (defined as the ability to use, understand, evaluate, and analyze information from multiple formats from a variety of digital sources), and only a few participants identified with having a low digital literacy level (defined as only having the ability to gather information on the Web). Interviews were thematically analyzed to reveal the following: (1) value of emotional support and wellness in cancer treatment, (2) rise of social patient advocacy in online patient communities and networks, (3) patient concerns over privacy, and (4) desire for personalized engagement tools.ConclusionsStrength Through Insight was demonstrated as a feasible and acceptable method of data collection for ePROs. A high compliance rate confirmed the app as a reliable tool for patients with localized and advanced prostate cancer. Nearly all participants reported that using the smartphone app is easier than or equivalent to the traditional paper-and-pen approach, providing evidence of acceptability and support for the use of remote PRO monitoring. This study expands on current research involving the value of digital health, as a social and behavioral science, augmented with technology, can begin to contribute to population health management, as it shapes psychographic segmentation by demographic, socioeconomic, health condition, or behavioral factors to group patients by their distinct personalities and motivations, which influence their choices.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NC03197948; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NC03197948

THE ROLE OF CHARACTERISTICS OF A PERSON’S SOCIAL NETWORK IN THE EVALUATION OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DURING STRESS

This article focuses on the problem of relations between socio-psychological traits of a person’s social network and a value of emotional support for this person in stressful situations of different emotional complexity. The study involves 196 people (98 men and 98 women) aged 17 to 60 years. Personal social network`s traits (breadth, density, structure) have been analyzed. The authors studied how a person evaluates the degree of emotional complexity of various stressful situations and ways of support one gets. Data obtained in the empirical research indicate the interrelations between the breadth and structure of a social network and the value of emotional support in stressful situations of average and above average levels of emotional complexity. The relations between a network`s socio-psychological traits and a value of support in everyday emotionally simple situations have not been identified, which confirms our hypothesis.

Living with Progeria

Children with Progeria can be an inspiration to those who meet them. Mission The Progeria Family Circle is a parents' organisation and network that supports European Progeria children and their families in several ways. The objectives are fourfold: Meetings First, the foundation organises annual meetings for all European children and their families. These are important highlights, because of the rarity of the disease children never see other patients. Also for the parents, mutual contact proved very valuable. Meetings are a source of joy in which the children find much self-esteem. Also they have the opportunity to speak with specialist physicians, and to exchange actual information about Progeria. Information As a second objective, the Progeria Family Circle offers parents of European children advice and support where needed. The value of emotional support and assistance of parents with experience is difficult to estimate. We bring family doctors and physiotherapists into contact with specialists in the field of Progeria. Support Progeria families come from different countries with different social, political and religious backgrounds. It is sometimes a big problem for families to give their children enough care. We also look for solutions to individual households to help them as directly as possible. If necessary, we seek financial support, when needed for the welfare of the child. Medical developments The fourth objective focuses on the medical field. The aim is to support better and faster recognition of symptoms and problems in new, but also known patients. Scientific research and new therapies have made much progress in the past few years. An experimental treatment with Farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIS) started in Boston, and European children were offered a different therapy with a combination of statines and amino-biphosfonate in Marseille. The last combination of medication is also now used in Boston.

The experiences of children with learning disablilities, their carers and staff during a hospital admission

Accessible summary Disabled children and their carers were asked what it was like to stay in hospital. They said they felt worried and the hospital was not always ready for them. They also said it was helpful if the child’s carer could be there during a hospital stay and it is better when the child has their own room. This research will help hospital make changes to make staying in hospital as positive as possible. SummaryGovernment policy is that people with learning disabilities should have their healthcare needs met by mainstream services. This study interviewed the carers of 13 children with learning disabilities admitted to hospital for a period longer than 24 h. Nursing staff and two children were also interviewed. Five themes were identified as having a significant impact: (i) child, carer and staff anxiety, (ii) preparedness for the admission, (iii) difficulties managing the child’s behaviour, (iv) carer presence during the admission and (v) ward environment. This study presents edited responses from children, their carers and ward staff and identifies areas for service improvement. These include an emphasis on the value of emotional support, ensuring staff are prepared for hospital admission, agreeing strategies for supporting the child’s behaviour, clarifying carers and staff roles during an admission, ensuring the child has an individual room if required. Study limitations are discussed and directions for future research recommended.

On Having a "Significant Other" During the Parent Care Years

In a study of 520 parent-caring women of different marital statuses, 29% of not-married daughters (separated, divorced, widowed, never married) responded affirmatively to the question "Do you have a special male friend whom you see exclusively?" This group is compared with married daughters and with not-married daughters who did not have such friends. Those without special male friends were the oldest, had the oldest and most disabled parents with whom they most often shared households, and had the fewest helpers in caregiving. Women without a special male relationship were more depressed than married women. Both groups of not-married women had significantly less socioemotional support in caregiving and reported receiving less satisfaction from their family and friendship networks than married women. The results also support findings on the value of emotional support from a confidant.

Continuous Emotional Support During Labor

To the Editor. — I write concerning the report by Kennell et al1regarding the value of emotional support for women in labor that can be provided by a sympathetic and informed femaledoula. This draws attention to a philosophy of the management of labor to which I had recently been exposed during a 2-year period in the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. Although the probable importance of emotional support in labor provided by a personal attendant seems to have been confirmed in some populations in recent studies,2it is not a new concept and, in fact, has been a central feature of the management of labor in the Dublin institution.3Reports from the National Maternity Hospital have emphasized the low intervention rate and low cesarean section rate.4This management, applicable to nulliparous patients in spontaneous labor with a single gestation and cephalic presentation,3