The need to create awareness towards Cholesterol

Objectives: Nowadays we witness some misinformation towards cholesterol effect in our patients health in mass and social media. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of awareness towards cholesterol levels in a Portuguese sample and to assess targets for interventions with gains in cardiovascular health.

Desenvolvimento e validação de um manual de prevenção de quedas destinado a idosos residentes na comunidade

O envelhecimento é um dos fenómenos demográficos da sociedade atual, sendo as quedas um dos problemas de saúde pública que mais afeta a população idosa. Para prevenir quedas têm sido testadas intervenções multifatoriais, que incluem diversas abordagens, tais como a educacional. No desenvolvimento de material de educação para a saúde deve ter-se em conta os princípios de adequabilidade da literacia em saúde, visto que, quanto mais ajustada e “user-friendly” for a informação, maior é a probabilidade de adesão e adoção dos comportamentos ensinados. Esta adequabilidade é fundamental, surgindo o Health Literacy INDEX como uma ferramenta de análise da conformidade desses manuais face a diferentes critérios nos grandes domínios da linguagem, suporte gráfico e envolvimento do utilizador. Objetivo: Desenvolver um manual sobre prevenção de quedas, destinado a idosos residentes na comunidade, de acordo com os princípios de adequabilidade em literacia em saúde e validá-lo para a população portuguesa. Metodologia: A fase I compreendeu a pesquisa de manuais educativos sobre prevenção de quedas, destinados a idosos, em motores de busca genéricos e em portais institucionais, tendo sido selecionados 11 manuais, publicados após 2006. Estes foram sujeitos à aplicação da ferramenta de avaliação Health Literacy INDEX, para verificação da sua conformidade, em termos de literacia em saúde, e aferição dos pontos fortes e fracos. Na fase II elaborou-se um manual sobre prevenção de quedas destinado a idosos em língua portuguesa, segundo as demandas da literacia em saúde e tendo por base a avaliação efetuada na fase anterior. Na fase III, dinamizou-se o manual junto de um grupo de 16 indivíduos, tendo por objetivo a sua validação. Resultados/Discussão: Na análise da conformidade, realizada na fase I, 10 dos 11 manuais obtiveram pontuações superiores a 50%, destacando-se quatro (A, C, J e K) com pontuações superiores a 75%. As componentes mais abordadas nos manuais foram a atividade física, estratégias em caso de queda, modificações do ambiente doméstico e visão. Na dinamização do manual não foram identificadas dificuldades na sua compreensão e os participantes demonstraram uma pré-disposição para intervir nos fatores de risco identificados. Relativamente ao manual consideraram que tinha uma apresentação muito boa, com conteúdo muito útil e fácil de ler. O que pode ser explicado pela aplicação, neste manual, das recomendações para a literacia em saúde preconizadas na literatura. Conclusão: O sucesso das intervenções na prevenção de quedas em idosos, dependerá em parte, das características dos manuais informativos, bem como do nível de literacia em saúde dos destinatários, apresentando-se o Health Literacy INDEX como uma ferramenta adequada à validação e/ou produção de manuais informativos. Futuramente, e por forma a consolidar os resultados obtidos, pretende-se replicar este projeto, através da sua dinamização junto de outros grupos, em contextos de promoção da saúde e envelhecimento ativo e saudável.

Prescription and over-the-counter pain medication in arthritis: awareness of active ingredients and attitudes to medication borrowing and sharing

Background:
Many Australians with arthritis self-manage their pain with prescription and/or over-the-counter pain medications, containing paracetamol. If taken appropriately, these medications are relatively safe; however, if mismanaged through patients' iinability to understand medication labels and instructions, these medications may cause adverse drug events and/or toxicities.
Aim:
This study explored the prescription and over-the-counter pain medications most commonly used by people with arthritis and the ability of these patients to correctly identify paracetamol as an active ingredient in commonly available preparations. The study also investigated the functional health literacy of these patients and their inclination to borrow and/or share pain medications.
Method:
Adult participants diagnosed with arthritis were invited to complete an anonymous survey which included questions about their prescription and over-the-counter pain medications; their medication borrowing and sharing behaviours; their functional health literacy; and their knowledge about preparations containing paracetamol as an active ingredient.
Results:
Most of the 254 participants used analgesic agents containing paracetamol, as combination tablets (paracetamol 500 mg and codeine 30 mg) or paracetamol-only tablets (paracetamol 665 mg) to self-manage their pain. Respondents with low functional health literacy scores were significantly less likely to identify paracetamol as an active ingredient in both combination and paracetamol-only pharmaceutical products, and were more likely to guess or did not know how to identify that paracetamol was an active ingredient in these products. Almost 30% of the respondents indicated that they had and/or intended to borrow/share their over-the-counter
pain medications whereas less than 10% suggested that they had and/or intended to borrow/share their prescription pain medication.
Conclusion:
Australians with arthritis, especially those with low functional health literacy scores, self-managing their pain with paracetamol-containing products, do not always recognise paracetamol as an active ingredient in combination products, and may risk potential paracetamol-related adverse effects and/or toxicities.

Exploring Aboriginal patients’ experiences of cardiac care at a major metropolitan hospital in Melbourne

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to explore Aboriginal patients' lived experiences of cardiac care at a major metropolitan hospital in Melbourne.Methods: The study was a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 10 Aboriginal patients who had been treated in the cardiology unit at the study hospital during 2012-13. A phenomenological approach was used to analyse the data.Results: Eight themes emerged from the data, each concerning various aspects of participants' experiences: 'dislike of hospitals', 'system failures', 'engagement with hospital staff', 'experiences of racism', 'health literacy and information needs', 'self-identifying as Aboriginal', 'family involvement in care' and 'going home and difficulties adapting'. Most participants had positive experiences of the cardiac care, but hospitalisation was often challenging because of a sense of dislocation and disorientation. The stress of hospitalisation was greatly mediated by positive engagements with staff, but at times exacerbated by system failures or negative experiences.Conclusion Cardiac crises are stressful and hospital stays were particularly disorienting for Aboriginal people dislocated from their home land and community.What is known about the topic? Aboriginal people have higher mortality rates due to cardiovascular diseases compared with other Australians. Along with different factors contributing to the life expectancy gap, Aboriginal people also face significant barriers in the use of the healthcare system.What does this paper add? Aboriginal patients' lived experience of cardiac care at a major metropolitan hospital in Melbourne is explored in this paper. Different issues were revealed during their interaction with the hospital staff and the hospital system in conjunction with their cultural aspect of patient care.What are the implications for practitioners? Positive interactions with staff, ongoing support from family and community, culturally appropriate cardiac rehabilitation programs can improve the cardiac care experiences of Aboriginal patients.

Educação para a saúde como estratégia de promoção da vacinação

Relatório de Estagio apresentado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Enfermagem Comunitaria

Educação para a saúde como estratégia de promoção da vacinação

Relatório de Estagio apresentado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Enfermagem Comunitaria

Training a system-literate care coordination workforce.

People with chronic complex conditions continue to experience increasing health system fragmentation and poor coordination. To reverse these trends, one solution has been an investment in effective models of care coordination that use a care coordinator workforce. Care coordinators are not a homogenous workforce - but an applied professional role, providing direct and indirect care, and is often undertaken by nurses, allied health professionals, social workers or general practitioners. In Australia, there is no training curriculum nor courses, nor nationally recognised professional quality standards for the care coordinator workforce. With the growing complexity and fragmentation of the health care system, health system literacy - shared understanding of the roles and contributions of the different workforce professions, organisations and systems, among patients and indeed the health workforce is required. Efforts to improve health system literacy among the health workforce are increasing at a policy, practice and research level. However, insufficient evidence exists about what are the health system literacy needs of care coordinators, and what is required for them to be most effective. Key areas to build a health system literate care coordination workforce are presented. Care coordination is more than an optional extra, but one of the only ways we are going to be able to provide equitable health services for people with chronic complex conditions. People with low health literacy require more support with the coordination of their care, therefore we need to build a high performing care coordinator workforce that upholds professional quality standards, and is health literacy responsive.

Análisis de las barreras para la unificación de una Historia Clínica Electrónica -HCE- en Colombia

Objetivo: Identificar las barreras para la unificación de una Historia Clínica Electrónica –HCE- en Colombia. Materiales y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio cualitativo. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a profesionales y expertos de 22 instituciones del sector salud, de Bogotá y de los departamentos de Cundinamarca, Santander, Antioquia, Caldas, Huila, Valle del Cauca. Resultados: Colombia se encuentra en una estructuración para la implementación de la Historia Clínica Electrónica Unificada -HCEU-. Actualmente, se encuentra en unificación en 42 IPSs públicas en el departamento de Cundinamarca, el desarrollo de la HCEU en el país es privado y de desarrollo propio debido a las necesidades particulares de cada IPS. Conclusiones: Se identificaron barreras humanas, financieras, legales, organizacionales, técnicas y profesionales en los departamentos entrevistados. Se identificó que la unificación de la HCE depende del acuerdo de voluntades entre las IPSs del sector público, privado, EPSs, y el Gobierno Nacional.

Validez de contenido de un cuestionario para evaluar las etapas del cambio de comportamiento en estilos de vida en escolares, Colombia: Estudio FUPRECOL

Estudio de validación en escolares pertenecientes a instituciones educativas oficiales de la ciudad de Bogotá, Colombia. Se diseñó y aplicó el CCC-FUPRECOL que indagó por las etapas de cambio para la actividad física/ejercicio, consumo de frutas, verduras, drogas, tabaco e ingesta de bebidas alcohólicas, de manera auto-diligenciada por formulario estructurado.

Literacia em Saúde Mental em Adolescentes: efeito do género, idade e tipo de perturbação na intenção de procurar ajuda

Introdução: Estimativas recentes apontam para que cerca de 20% das crianças e adolescentes sejam afetados por problemas de saúde mental com expressão antes dos 18 anos de idade. Esta suscetibilidade dos adolescentes está associada a uma forte relutância e a atrasos na procura de ajuda profissional que podem não só agravar o problema, como comprometer o seu potencial de desenvolvimento em todas as áreas (Loureiro, 2013; Jorm, 2014). A intenção de procura de ajuda em saúde mental é uma variável importante, sendo determinada por fatores individuais (e.g. crenças pessoais, normas de género internalizadas, estratégias de coping, autoeficácia, resiliência, estigma) e sociais (e.g. acessibilidade e apoio social) que influenciam as atitudes da pessoa no sentido da procura ou evitamento da ajuda (Rosa, Loureiro e Sousa, 2014). Objetivos: Avaliar o efeito da idade, género e tipo de perturbação na intenção de procurar ajuda em saúde mental. Metodologia: Estudo quantitativo de nível II, descritivo e correlacional. Utilizou-se uma amostra de 757 adolescentes (59,8% raparigas e 40,2% rapazes), com idades compreendidas entre os 10 e os 18 anos (média = 14,33, DP = 2,19). A colheita de dados foi realizada entre maio e junho de 2014, utilizando-se como instrumento a Mental Health Literacy Scale (MentaHLiS). Realizou-se análise descritiva e para a comparação entre os grupos recorreu-se ao teste qui-quadrado. Resultados: Os resultados revelam uma associação com significado estatístico entre a intenção de procurar ajuda e as variáveis 'tipo de perturbação' (p = 0,029) e 'idade' (p < 0,001). No que respeita ao tipo de perturbação, a intenção de procurar ajuda surge associada sobretudo à depressão e ao abuso de álcool. Relativamente à idade, são os mais jovens (10-14 anos) que revelam uma maior intenção em procurar ajuda. O género não apresenta um efeito estatisticamente significativo (p = 0,817). Conclusões: Os resultados permitem-nos concluir, contrariamente ao que acontece com outros estudos, que o género dos adolescentes não é uma variável associada à intenção de procurar ajuda. Por outro lado, reforçam a ideia de que existem múltiplos determinantes que contribuem para os trajetos no processo de procura de ajuda, sendo o tipo de perturbação e a idade, dois fatores que, apesar de pouco estudados, deverão ser considerados.

Introduction of a short writing task to measure and develop academic literacy in first year health undergraduates

This paper describes an initiative in the Faculty of Health at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia, where a short writing task was introduced to first year undergraduates in four courses including Public Health, Nursing, Social Work and Human Services, and Human Movement Studies. Over 1,000 students were involved in the trial. The task was assessed using an adaptation of the MASUS Procedure (Measuring the Academic Skills of University Students) (Webb & Bonanno, 1994). Feedback to the students including MASUS scores then enabled students to be directed to developmental workshops targeting their academic literacy needs. Students who achieved below the benchmark score were required to attend academic writing workshops in order to obtain the same summative 10% that was obtained by those who had achieved above the benchmark score. The trial was very informative, in terms of determining task appropriateness and timing, student feedback, student use of support, and student perceptions of the task and follow-up workshops. What we learned from the trial will be presented with a view to further refinement of this initiative.

Learning wellness : how ageing Australians experience health information literacy

Given identified synergies between information use and health status greater understanding is needed about how people use information to learn about their health. This article presents the findings of preliminary research into health information literacy which sought to explore how this is phenomenon is experienced among ageing Australians. Analysis of data from semi-structured interviews has revealed six different ways ageing Australians experience using information to learn about their health within one aspect of community life. Health information literacy is a new terrain for information literacy research endeavours and one which warrants further attention by the profession to foster and promote within the community.

Post-graduate health promotion students assess their information literacy

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine post-graduate health promotion students’ self-perceptions of information literacy skills prior to, and after completing PILOT, an online information literacy tutorial. Design/methodology/approach – Post graduate students at Queensland University of Technology enrolled in PUP038 New Developments in Health Promotion completed a pre- and post- self-assessment questionnaire. From 2008-2011 students were required to rate their academic writing and research skills before and after completing the PILOT online information literacy tutorial. Quantitative trends and qualitative themes were analysed to establish students’ self-assessment and the effectiveness of the PILOT tutorial. Findings – The results from four years of post-graduate students’ self-assessment questionnaires provide evidence of perceived improvements in information literacy skills after completing PILOT. Some students continued to have trouble with locating quality information and analysis as well as issues surrounding referencing and plagiarism. Feedback was generally positive and students’ responses indicated they found the tutorial highly beneficial in improving their research skills. Originality/value - This paper is original because it describes post-graduate health promotion students’ self-assessment of information literacy skills over a period of four years. The literature is limited in the health promotion domain and self-assessment of post-graduate students’ information literacy skills. Keywords – Self-assessment, Post-graduate, Information literacy, Library instruction, Higher education, Health promotion, Evidence-based practice Paper Type - Research paper

Health Information Literacy and the Experience of 65 to 79 Year Old Australians

Information literacy is presented here from a relational perspective, as people’s experience of using information to learn in a particular context. A detailed practical example of such a context is provided, in the health information literacy experience of 65–79 year old Australians. A phenomenographic investigation found five qualitatively distinct ways of experiencing health information literacy: Absorbing (intuitive reception), Targeting (a planned process), Journeying (a personal quest), Liberating (equipping for independence) and Collaborating (interacting in community). These five ways of experiencing indicated expanding awareness of context (degree of orientation towards their environment), source (breadth of esteemed information), beneficiary (the scope of people who gain) and agency (amount of activity), across HIL core aspects of information, learning and health. These results illustrate the potential contribution of relational information literacy to information science.