Work Domain Analysis for understanding medication safety in care homes in England: an exploratory study

Medication safety and errors are a major concern in care homes. In addition to the identification of incidents, there is a need for a comprehensive system description to avoid the danger of introducing interventions that have unintended consequences and are therefore unsustainable. The aim of the study was to explore the impact and uniqueness of Work Domain Analysis (WDA) to facilitate an in-depth understanding of medication safety problems within the care home system and identify the potential benefits of WDA to design safety interventions to improve medication safety. A comprehensive, systematic and contextual overview of the care home medication system was developed for the first time. The novel use of the Abstraction Hierarchy (AH) to analyse medication errors revealed the value of the AH to guide a comprehensive analysis of errors and generate system improvement recommendations that took into account the contextual information of the wider system.

NF93-136 Chemical Spots, Stains and Discoloration of Home Furnishings

We live in a world of chemicals. Unfortunately, some of the characteristics that make household chemical products the most useful are the same qualities that lead to trouble when these products are carelessly handled. A chemical stain or spot is a serious kind of stain that is appearing with increasing frequency and is different from ordinary stains. This type of discoloration or color is caused by a variety of chemical ingredients contains in dozens of common household products. This NebFact discusses the different chemical spots, stains and discolorations that are found in your home furnishings.

Collaboration as a Foundation for the Project Approach in Family Child Care

Supporting children's curiosity was considered important at my family child care home. How could we best achieve this? As my assistant caregiver Deb and 1 attended professional development workshops, we began to wonder if the project approach (Helm & Katz 2001) would be an effective means of supporting inquiry and collaborative learning. Before we would commit ourselves, we wanted to learn more. We had many questions. Just what is the project approach? What does it look like? How will it support children's learning? What do we need to be successful with it? The literature suggested many examples of successful projects at child care centers and preschools (Breig-Allen et al. 1998; Harkem: 1999; Beneke 2000; Glassman & Whaley 2000). Our challenge was how to adapt the project approach to our home child care situations.

Homeless access to dental health care: Creation of a dental service model

This project involved developing a model for planning a dental emergency treatment center that could function as an embedded component of a shelter for the homeless population. The dental services provided by such a clinic should include treatment for tooth pain, dental caries or cavities, chipped or broken teeth, broken partials, abscessed teeth, emergency cleanings, periodontal disease or gum disease and fillings. These are the dental services that are most often sought by homeless people in hospital emergency rooms.^ The underlying assumption for this project was that the oral health needs of the homeless community can most effectively be addressed by implementing small dental clinics in existing facilities that provide shelter and other services for this population. The model described in this project identifies oral health care services that would be provided by the clinic, facility (physical plant) requirements and associated infrastructure to operate an embedded dental clinic, methods for obtaining funding, strategies of recruiting dental professionals to staff the facility, and methods to assess the outcomes of the embedded clinic strategy. As an example, this project describes a strategy for developing such an embedded clinic at San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries SAMM shelter based on recommendations from community health care leaders, managers of homeless shelters, members of the homeless community and dental professionals^

The role and impact of transitional care utilization in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Although one out of every five gastrointestinal cancer patients needs transitional care (home-based skilled care or placement in skilled nursing or rehabilitation facilities) following treatment, few studies have examined outcomes in this population compared to patients who return home without assistance. This study has two primary goals: 1. To evaluate long-term cancer-specific outcomes in colorectal cancer patients utilizing transitional care compared to those that return home without assistance following therapy 2. To compare results using standard regression techniques and propensity scores. ^ METHODS Patients undergoing curative surgery for colorectal adenocarcinoma will be identified using data from a tertiary care Veterans Administration hospital. Survival and recurrence will then be determined from VA records and the Social Security Death Index. ^ The association between transitional care utilization and overall and disease-free survival will be evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression to adjust for confounding factors. Predictors of transitional care utilization will be assessed using multiple logistic regression to generate a propensity score which will also be used to assess differences in survival based on transitional care use. ^ POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANCE If transitional care utilization is associated with worse survival and recurrence following therapy then it will be important to subsequently assess the mechanism in order to target interventions to improve outcomes. If there is no difference in cancer-specific outcomes, then this project can potentially highlight benefits of supportive therapy following colorectal cancer resection.^

Child care business start up profile.

The profile is divided into two sections: one geared towards those hoping to establish a day care home, and the other for those establishing a larger scale day care center.

Choices for Care in Illinois : the first year.

Cover title.

Health care professionals' views of paediatric outpatient non-attendance:implications for general practice

Background. Non-attendance at paediatric hospital outpatient appointments poses potential risks to children's health and welfare. Prevention and management of missed appointments depends on the perceptions of clinicians and decision makers from both primary and secondary care, including general practitioners (GPs) who are integral to non-attendance follow-up. Objectives. To examine the views of clinical, managerial and executive health care staff regarding occurrence and management of non-attendance at general paediatric outpatient clinics. Methods. A qualitative study using individual semi-structured interviews was carried out at three English Primary Care Trusts and a nearby children's hospital. Interviews were conducted with 37 staff, including GPs, hospital doctors, other health care professionals, managers, executives and commissioners. Participants were recruited through purposive and 'snowball' sampling methods. Data were analysed following a thematic framework approach. Results. GPs focused on situational difficulties for families, while hospital-based staff emphasized the influence of parents' beliefs on attendance. Managers, executives and commissioners presented a broad overview of both factors, but with less detailed views. All groups discussed sociodemographic factors, with non-attendance thought to be more likely in 'chaotic families'. Hospital interviewees emphasized child protection issues and the need for thorough follow-up of missed appointments. However, GPs were reluctant to interfere with parental responsibilities. Conclusion. Parental motivation and practical and social barriers should be considered. Responsibilities regarding missed appointments are not clear across health care sectors, but GPs are uniquely placed to address non-attendance issues and are central to child safeguarding. Primary care policies and strategies could be introduced to reduce non-attendance and ensure children receive the care they require. © The Author 2013.

Foundations of an intervention package to improve communication in residential care settings:a mixed methods study

Background: The prevalence of hearing loss is considerably higher in individuals in residential care than in people within the community-dwelling population, and yet hearing aids and hearing services are relatively underused. Care staff have a key role in supporting access to services. Objectives: This study identifies staff perspectives on hearing loss and their views about potential hearing service improvements. Study design: A four-stage mixed methods study was used, made up of qualitative interviews, observation, a survey and a stakeholder involvement meeting. Results: The qualitative stages indicated that staff were concerned about their levels of interaction with residents. Staff considered maximizing communication as part of their professional role. The quantitative survey indicated that these views were widely held by staff, and the stakeholder stage identified the need for social support and dedicated staff training opportunities. Conclusion: Care home staff regard communication as a shared issue. Future interventions could enhance access to hearing services and provide care home staff with training in hearing loss and hearing aid management. © 2013 Informa Healthcare.

Improving the management of behaviour that challenges associated with dementia in care homes:protocol for pharmacy-health psychology intervention feasibility study

INTRODUCTION: The inappropriate use of antipsychotics in people with dementia for behaviour that challenges is associated with an estimated 1800 deaths annually. However, solely focusing on antipsychotics may transfer prescribing to other equally dangerous psychotropics. Little is known about the role of pharmacists in the management of psychotropics used to treat behaviours that challenge. This research aims to determine whether it is feasible to implement and measure the effectiveness of a combined pharmacy-health psychology intervention incorporating a medication review and staff training package to limit the prescription of psychotropics to manage behaviour that challenges in care home residents with dementia. METHODS/ANALYSIS: 6 care homes within the West Midlands will be recruited. People with dementia receiving medication for behaviour that challenges, or their personal consultee, will be approached regarding participation. Medication used to treat behaviour that challenges will be reviewed by the pharmacist, in collaboration with the general practitioner (GP), person with dementia and carer. The behavioural intervention consists of a training package for care home staff and GPs promoting person-centred care and treating behaviours that challenge as an expression of unmet need. The primary outcome measure is the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home version (NPI-NH). Other outcomes include quality of life (EQ-5D and DEMQoL), cognition (sMMSE), health economic (CSRI) and prescribed medication including whether recommendations were implemented. Outcome data will be collected at 6 weeks, and 3 and 6 months. Pretraining and post-training interviews will explore stakeholders' expectations and experiences of the intervention. Data will be used to estimate the sample size for a definitive study. ETHICS/DISSEMINATION: The project has received a favourable opinion from the East Midlands REC (15/EM/3014). If potential participants lack capacity, a personal consultee will be consulted regarding participation in line with the Mental Capacity Act. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences.

Pneumonia and influenza: specific considerations in care homes

This review provides an update on current evidence surrounding epidemiology, treatment and prevention of lower respiratory tract infection, with special reference to pneumonia and influenza, in care home residents. The care home sector is growing and provides a unique ecological niche for infections, housing frail older people with multiple comorbidities and frequent contact with healthcare services. There are therefore considerations in the epidemiology and management of these conditions which are specific to care homes. Opportunities for prevention, in the form of vaccination strategies and improving oral hygiene, may reduce the burden of these diseases in the future. Work is needed to research these infections specifically in the care home setting and this article highlights current gaps in our knowledge.

Palliative care team visits. Qualitative study through participant observation

Objectives: To describe the clinical encounters that occur when a palliative care team provides patient care and the features that influence these encounters and indicate whether they are favorable or unfavorable depending on the expectations and feelings of the various participants. Methods: A qualitative case study conducted via participant observation. A total of 12 observations of the meetings of palliative care teams with patients and families in different settings (home, hospital and consultation room) were performed. The visits were follow-up or first visits, either scheduled or on demand. Content analysis of the observation was performed. Results: The analysis showed the normal follow-up activity of the palliative care unit that was focused on controlling symptoms, sharing information and providing advice on therapeutic regimens and care. The environment appeared to condition the patients\' expressions and the type of patient relationship. Favorable clinical encounter conditions included kindness and gratitude. Unfavorable conditions were deterioration caused by approaching death, unrealistic family objectives and limited resources. Conclusion: Home visits from basic palliative care teams play an important role in patient and family well-being. The visits seem to focus on controlling symptoms and are conditioned by available resources.

The domiciliary support in the vision of the informal care provider

The home support services are a social response in order to improve the quality of life directed predominantly for the elderly and for people with varying degrees of disability and dependence. Examples of those services are hygiene and personal comfort, medication, housekeeping and cleaning, preparation and monitoring of the meals; the dressing, etc. It is necessary to make society aware of the importance of these services to all those who need them. The general objective was to understand the most important relationships among informal caregivers, those who are care and home support services providers. Material and Methods. Data were collected through a questionnaire, using the various dimensions of the construct Quality SERVPERF model of service that matches the 22 items of SERVQUAL model. The various items used to assess the perception of care individuals and informal caregivers about the quality of home care services. 82 individuals participated providers of informal care, to receive home support services, and exclusion criteria, the fact of having a diagnosed psychiatric illness or psychological factors that prevent them from responding. The analysis was performed with SPSS and SEM-PLS for the estimation of the proposed structural model. Written consent was obtained, free and clear of each subject. Results and Conclusions. The results showed that the relationships with healthcare professionals are the most important positive effects on satisfaction. This research emphasizes the need to work closely with health professionals to improve the relationship between technicians and patients. Although current constructs appear to explain much of the satisfaction, it is recommended that the future researches exploit new variables, to get a better understanding of the effects of public health policies on the quality of life of these patients.

A integração da Saúde Mental na estratégia saúde da família : perspectivas dos gerentes da atenção primária de São Paulo

RESUMO: Introdução: A integração da saúde mental (SM) na atenção primária (AP) é a principal garantia de acesso da população às boas práticas em SM. Embora amplamente recomendada há décadas, existem poucos modelos de integração efetiva da SM na AP. Em 2008 o Ministério da Saúde do Brasil criou o Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família (NASF), que passou a ser o responsável pela integração da SM na AP. O objetivo deste estudo é conhecer, a partir da ótica dos gerentes da AP, como se dá a integração da SM na AP, suas visões sobre o NASF e sugestões para melhorar este modelo de integração. A partir dos resultados apresentaremos recomendações para aperfeiçoar o modelo vigente de integração da SM na AP. Método: Pesquisa qualitativa, de caráter exploratório, com orientação analítica – descritiva. Foram realizadas 10 entrevistas semi-estruturadas com gerentes da AP, na região metropolitana de São Paulo. Trabalhou-se com o conceito de amostragem intencional, utilizando como critério de escolha os casos extremos ou desviantes. Foi utilizado o método da Análise Estrutural ou Framework Analysis, uma modalidade de análise de conteúdo. Resultados: Os entrevistados consideraram haver mais barreiras do que facilitadores à integração da SM na AP. As barreiras e facilitadores apresentados estavam relacionados ao contexto social, fatores organizacionais, e componentes pessoais das equipes de trabalhadores. Os gerentes mostram não ter clareza sobre como operacionalizar suas ideias sobre integração da SM na AP e sobre o escopo das intervenções da SM na AP. Na visão dos gerentes a atuação do NASF ainda é incapaz de promover o cuidado integrado. Conclusões: A maior dificuldade não é criar a política de integração da SM na AP, mas viabilizar sua implementação. Recomenda-se aperfeiçoamento do processo de trabalho do NASF e investigações sobre a natureza e exequibilidade do apoio matricial no contexto da AP.--------------ABSTRACT: Introduction: The integration of mental health (MH) in primary care (PC) is the main guarantee of access to good practices in MH. Although widely recommended for decades, there are few models of effective integration of MH in PC. In 2008 the Brazilian Ministry of Health created the Core of Support for the Family Health Strategy (NASF), to be the responsible for the integration of MH in PC. This study aims understanding the PC manager’s perspective about the integration of MH in PC, their visions about the NASF and their suggestions to improve this model of integrated care. Based on results we will present recommendations to improve NASF’s model of integration MH in PC. Method: Qualitative research, exploratory and analytical descriptive study. We conducted 10 semi-structured interviews with PC managers, in the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo. We worked with the concept of intentional sampling, using as a criterion for choosing the extreme or deviant cases. We used the Framework Analysis methodological approach, a method of contente analysis. Results: The interviewees considered that there are more barriers than facilitators for the integration of MH in PC. The barriers and facilitators presented were related to the social context,organizational factors, and personal component of the PC staff. Managers’ shows not have clarity about how implement their ideas about integration of MH in PC and about the scope of the interventions of MH in PC. The NASF is still unable to promote the integrated care in managers perception. Conclusions: The biggest difficulty is not to create a policy of integration of MH in PC, but its implementation. It is recommended to improve the NASF work process and to research about the nature and feasibility of matrix support in the context of PC.

Modelação de ambientes ubíquos na plataforma APEX

Dissertação de Mestrado em Engenharia Informática