Quality of life in the voice of children who depend on health technologies: Mixed methods study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the quality of life of children who depend on health technologies as expressed in their own words. METHODS: A parallel and convergent mixed methods design was employed with 30 aged five to 12 year old children who depend on health technologies. Data collection was done through a characterization form, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 questionnaire with the total sample in quantitative phase; semi-structured interviews with a subset of nine participants in qualitative phase. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and deductive thematic content analyses, respectively. RESULTS: Findings from PedsQL 4.0 showed that quality of life for children who depend on health technologies is average. However, data integration through mixed methods showed that this average goes beyond quantitative data through hearing the children's own voices. The results from data integration pointed out that children recognize their limitations and adapt to them; what most affects their quality of life is the emotional domain; children reported suffering prejudice due to their physical limitations; and that the school positively impacts their quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Data integration highlighted that children acknowledge their limitations and pain generated by these devices. Concerns about the future and the ability to do things that other children the same age can do was the most impactful aspect on their quality of life. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nursing care plans should consider that what affects most children who depend on health technologies' quality of life is anxiety for the future of being incapacitated or dependent.

Validation of a Guideline for Nurses Taking Care of Patients With Liver Cirrhosis in the Context of COVID-19 in the Emergency Department.

The objective of this study was to prepare and validate the content of a guideline for nursing care of adult patients with liver cirrhosis and COVID-19 treated in the emergency department. The study was conducted in two stages: first, the guideline was developed based on an integrative literature review and existing guidelines on the topic. The guideline was prepared with six domains and 64 care items. In the second stage, 15 specialists in urgency and emergency services performed content validation of the guideline. The data were analyzed using the Content Validity Index, with reliability assessed through Cronbach's α. The judges validated the guide regarding language clarity, objectivity, theoretical relevance, and practical pertinence. The value of the guideline's Content Validity Index was 0.96. Cronbach's α reliability reached a value of 0.93. The judges validated all domains and items of the guideline for theoretical relevance and practical pertinence, to be used by researchers and clinical practice professionals in the nursing area.

Effectiveness of care transition strategies for colorectal cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Implementing effective strategies to transition care for individuals with colorectal cancer is an important tool to qualify care for affected individuals, as well as contribute to the dispensation of continuous and quality care to patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to transition from hospital care to the community compared to usual care for colorectal cancer patients to reduce hospital stay, readmissions at 30 days, and visit to the emergency department up to 30 days. METHOD: Systematic review and meta-analysis followed the recommendations of PRISMA statement, with protocol registered in PROSPERO (CRD 42,020,162,249). Searches were carried out in May 2020 in the following databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. The measure of effect used for dichotomous outcomes was relative risk, and for continuous outcomes, the difference of means was used, with their confidence intervals of 95%. Heterogeneity was evaluated using inconsistency statistics. RESULTS: Of 631 identified studies, seven studies were included. The meta-analysis of the studies showed a reduction in readmissions at 30 days of 32% and a significant reduction in hospital stay time of approximately one and a half days, both of which were analyzed in favor of the group of care transition interventions. CONCLUSION: The findings showed effective care transition strategies for the transition of colorectal cancer patients, such as post-discharge active surveillance program, standardized protocol of improved recovery, and telephone follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CRD42020162249.

In-hospital falls in a large hospital in the south of Brazil: A 6-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Reporting falls in the hospital setting is a world-recognized strategy to prevent these incidents. OBJECTIVE: To describe in-hospital falls reported in a large hospital in the South of Brazil. METHOD: Retrospective, descriptive study of falls reported in the hospital's electronic reporting system. RESULTS: We analyzed 1071 fall incidents. The incidence of falls in inpatient units was 1.7 per 1000 patient days. Among the recorded falls, 95.3% occurred in patients who had been previously assessed as being at high or moderate risk of falls; 61.5% were using medications associated with increased risk of falls. Regarding age, 70.8% of the falls occurred in patients aged ≥60 years. Falls occurred mostly (72.6%) in inpatients units, and in 63.4% of the incidents the fall was witnessed by a family member/companion or a health team professionals. No injuries were recorded in 71.4% of the patients. Serious adverse events or sentinel events, such as fractures or head trauma occurred in 2.1% of the patients. Of these, 80% were in the group aged ≥60 years; 83% of the head traumas and 58% of the fractures occurred in patients who had been assessed as being at high risk of falls. Fractures were associated (p = 0.026) with age 70-79 years. CONCLUSION: At the hospital where the study was performed, new fall prevention strategies must focus on patients admitted to inpatient units, aged ≥60 years, assessed as being at high risk of falls, and using medications associated with increased risk of falls.

Care transition strategies in Latin American countries: an integrative review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and analyze available literature on care transition strategies in Latin American countries. METHODS: Integrative literature review that included studies indexed in PubMed, LILACS, Web of Science Core Collection, CINAHL, SCOPUS databases, and the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), published in Portuguese, Spanish or English, between 2010 and 2017. RESULTS: Eleven articles were selected and the strategies were grouped into components of care transition: discharge planning, advanced care planning, patient education and promotion of self-management, medication safety, complete communication of information, and outpatient follow-up. These strategies were carried out by multidisciplinary team members, in which nurses play a leading role in promoting safe care transitions. CONCLUSIONS: Care transition activities are generally initiated very close to patient discharge, this differs from recommendations of care transition programs and models, which suggest implementing care transition strategies from the time of admission until discharge.

Researching safety culture: deliberative dialogue with a restorative lens.

Safety culture is a key component of patient safety. Many patient safety strategies in health care have been adapted from high-reliability organizations (HRO) such as aviation. However, to date, attempts to transform the cultures of health care settings through HRO approaches have had mixed results. We propose a methodological approach for safety culture research, which integrates the theory and practice of restoration science with the principles and methods of deliberative dialogue to support active engagement in critical reflection and collective debate. Our aim is to describe how these two innovative approaches in health services research can be used together to provide a comprehensive effective method to study and implement change in safety culture. Restorative research in health care integrates socio-ecological theory of complex adaptive systems concepts with collaborative, place-sensitive study of local practice contexts. Deliberative dialogue brings together all stakeholders to collectively develop solutions on an issue to facilitate change. Together these approaches can be used to actively engage people in the study of safety culture to gain a better understanding of its elements. More importantly, we argue that the synergistic use of these approaches offers enhanced potential to move health care professionals towards actionable strategies to improve patient safety within today's complex health care systems.

Contributions of the sandwich doctoral program to methodological approaches: an experience report. / Contribuições do programa de doutorado sanduíche nas abordagens metodológicas: relato de experiência.

Objective To share our experience on theoretical and methodological insights we have gained as researchers working together during the Sandwich Doctoral Program. Method This is a descriptive experience report. Results We have incorporated restoration thinking into a study on patient safety culture and will enhance knowledge translation by applying principles of deliberative dialogue to increase the uptake and implementation of research results. Conclusion Incorporating new approaches in Brazilian nursing research plays a key role in achieving international participation and visibility in different areas of nursing knowledge.

[Mothers of children with autistic disorder: perceptions and trajectories]. / Mães de crianças com transtorno autístic: percepções e trajetórias.

Childhood autism is characterized by severe and global impairment in several areas of human development and demands extensive care and dependence on the parents. The objective of this study was to understand the perceptions of mothers of children with autism regarding changes suffered by the child and their trajectories in search of an autism diagnosis. This is an exploratory descriptive study with a qualitative approach conducted with ten participant mothers. Data were collected in 2013 by means of semi-structured interviews. Thematic content analysis produced the following categories: perceptions of mothers as to changes in behaviour and/or development of their children; and trajectories of mothers in search of a diagnosis for their children. After the perception of changes in behaviour/development, mothers face an arduous trajectory of healthcare service utilization.

[Patient safety: analysis of the incidents notified in a hospital, in south of Brazil]. / Segurança do paciente: análise dos incidentes notificados em um hospital do sul do Brasil.

This study aimed to evaluate the incidents reported between the years 2008 and 2012, in a large hospital in southern Brazil. This is a retrospective study of documentary analysis, transverse and descriptive with a quantitative approach. Data was collected in march 2013, analyzed and presented as absolute and relative frequency. We identified 755 cases; this represented 1.1% of total hospitalizations. The higher frequency of reporting in inpatient units was 64.8%. The incident with the highest prevalence in this study was 45.4% falls, followed by medication error 16.7% and 16.2% other incidents. The low number of notifications can be related to the system adopted by the institution where the professional who notifies the incident needs to be identified.

Care Transition From the Perspectives of Oncological Patients and the Multiprofessional Care Team: A Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Integration into the health system is essential for safe care and efficient use of resources. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to analyze the transition of care from the perspective of adult patients with neoplasia of the digestive tract and the multiprofessional care team, identify factors that influence the transition of care, and, collectively with professionals, create actions to improve the transition of care at the study site. METHODS: The Care Transitions Measure-15 was administered in a mixed methods study, with a QUAN→QUAL sequential explanatory approach. The principles of deliberative dialogue were used as a knowledge translation strategy, and data integration was carried out. RESULTS: The average score of the Care Transitions Measure-15 considered satisfactory was 74.3. The care plan factor had an unsatisfactory score of 66. Strategies to improve the care transition were listed by the focus group participants, such as supplementary care protocol for patients with neoplasms of the digestive tract, and providing a single discharge plan containing all information relevant to the treatment and continuity of patient care. CONCLUSION: The low score for the care plan factor indicates weakness in the care transition. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The integrated analysis results indicated that the care transition can be improved by an educational process during discharge planning, implementation of protocols for patients with neoplasia of the digestive tract, and identification of a reference caregiver to help patients navigate the healthcare system.

[Infection prevention and control in neonatal intensive care unit]. / Prevenção e controle de infecçao em unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal.

This study was aimed to identify the knowledge of the nursing team of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on infection control, identijfying the factors that facilitate or hinder the prevention and control of Healthcare Associated Infections (HICAI). A descriptive study using a qualitative research method conducted with three nurses and 15 nurse technicians, who work in a NICU of a charitable organization, in southern Brazil. It became evident that the nursing staff had great knowledge about the factors that facilitate the prevention and control of HCAI in NICU, the most important factor being proper hand hygiene. Among the factors that hinder infection prevention and control are to overcrowding and excessive workload. The efficient performance of the nursing staff is an important part of the strategy for prevention and control of HCAI.

[Humanization of healthcare: perception of a nursing team in a neonatal and paediatric intensive care unit]. / Percepção da equipe de enfermagem sobre humanização em unidade de tratamento intensivo neonatal e pediátrica.

The humanization of healthcare is one of the key priorities of healthcare policies in Brazil, and directly reflects on the attitudes of user, employees and managers of health services. The aim of this study was to identify perception of the nursing team in terms of humanization of assistance in a neonatal and paediatric intensive care unit based on exploratory-descriptive research and a qualitative approach. A total of 11 members of a nursing team at the neonatal and paediatric intensive care unit of a hospital in southern Brazil participated in this study. Data was collected by means of semi structured interviews that were subsequently processed according to reference standards of thematic content analysis. This analysis resulted in three thematic categories: to humanize is to perceive the other as all-providing and all-supportive; bonding and communication as humanizing practices; and lack of ambience as a dehumanizing practice. Results showed that perception of the nursing team in relation to humanization is determined by the actual science and awareness of nursing care rather than specific acknowledgement of the National Humanization Policy.

Transition of care of patients with chronic diseases and its relation with clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. / Transición del cuidado de pacientes con enfermedades crónicas y su relación con las características clínicas y sociodemográficas.

OBJECTIVE: evaluate the transition of care from the perspective of people living with chronic diseases and identify its relation with clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. METHOD: cross-sectional study with 487 patients who were discharged from a hospital. Clinical and sociodemographic characterization instruments were used, as well as the Care Transitions Measure-15, which measures Preparation for self-management, Secured preferences, Understanding about medications and Care plan factors. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. RESULTS: the transition of care was satisfactory (76.8±10.4). Average of the factors: Preparation for self-management (82.2±10.8), Secured preferences (84.7±14.3), Understanding about medications (75.7±13.7) and Care plan (64.5±13.2). Female patients had a higher average in the understanding about medications factor. Whites and residents in the urban area better evaluated the Care plan factor. The highest mean was observed for the Secured preferences factor (84.7±14.3) and the lowest for the Care plan factor (64.5±13.2). In all factors, significant differences were found in the variables (surgical patient, carrying clinical artifacts and not being hospitalized for COVID-19). Patients hospitalized for up to five days showed statistical difference in Preparation for self-management and Understanding about medications factors. In patients who were not readmitted within 30 days of discharge, Preparation for self-management was better. The better the Preparation for self-management, the lower the 30-day readmission rates. CONCLUSION: in patients living with chronic diseases, sociodemographic and clinical variables are associated with the transition of care. Patients who better evaluated preparation for self-management had fewer readmissions within 30 days. (1) Brazilian study that evaluated the transition of care of patients with CNCDs. (2) Women had a higher average in the understanding about medications factor. (3) Whites and residents in the urban area better evaluated the care plan. (4) Better preparation for self-management reduces length of stay and readmissions. (5) Better preparation for understanding about medications reduces hospitalization time.

Care transitions among oncological patients: from hospital to community.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the transition of care from the perspective of cancer patients, in a Southern Brazil hospital, correlating perspectives with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. METHOD: Cross-sectional study using the Care Transitions Measure (CTM) with cancer patients undergoing clinical or surgical treatment following hospital discharge. Data collection was completed by telephone, between June and September 2019. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: The average CTM score was 74.1, which was considered satisfactory. The CTM factors: understanding about medications (83.3) and preparation for self-management (77.7) were deemed satisfactory; while: secured preferences (69.4) and care plan (66.1) were unsatisfactory for an effective and safe care transition. No statistically significant difference was found between sociodemographic variables and the CTM. Among the clinical variables, primary cancer and the secured preferences factor showed a significant difference (p = 0.044). CONCLUSION: The transition from hospital care to the community was considered satisfactory in the overall assessment.

Hospital discharge intervention developed in a dialogical way with families to prepare them to care for children with chronic diseases at home: Mixed methods study.

A convergent parallel mixed methods design with qualitative data collection embedded in a quasi-experimental study was developed to examine the potential of three modalities of preparation for hospital discharge of the families of children with chronic diseases in terms of uncertainty levels and management of the disease at home. Caregivers of these children were divided into three groups: two experimental groups and one control group. Two scales were applied: one measured family management, and the other evaluated uncertainties in relation to the disease. In addition, an in-depth interview was conducted. Wilcoxon's test and the integrated response index were used in data analysis to compare performance between the groups. Inductive thematic analysis was employed for the qualitative data. The data were integrated, comparing the groups before and after preparation for hospital discharge. Twenty-five family caregivers completed this study. Data integration showed that the intervention group, in which the families developed planning to prepare for discharge in a dialogical way with professionals, presented better perceptions regarding care management when compared to structured guide and usual care groups. Participation of families in planning for hospital discharge showed a reduction in uncertainties regarding the disease and better care management of children at home.

Safety culture in healthcare: mixed method study.

PURPOSE: Healthcare providers' perceptions of management's effectiveness in achieving safety culture improvements are low, and there is little information in the literature on the subject. Objective: The overall aim of this study was to examine the patient safety culture within an interprofessional team - physicians, nurses, nurse technicians, speech therapist, psychologist, social worker, administrative support - practicing in an advanced neurology and neurosurgery center in Southern Brazil. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The authors applied the safety attitudes questionnaire (SAQ) in a mixed methods study, with a quan→QUAL sequential explanatory approach. FINDINGS: In the quantitative phase, the authors found a negative safety climate through the SAQ. In the qualitative phase, the approach enabled participants to identify specific safety problems. For that, participants proposed improvements that were directly and quickly implemented in the workplace during the study. The joint analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data inferred that the information and reflections of the focus group participants supported and validated the SAQ statistical analysis results. This integrated approach illustrated the importance of various safety culture aspects as a multifaceted phenomenon related to healthcare quality. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study provides explanations for why management is associated negatively with safety climate in healthcare institutions. In addition, the study provides a novel contribution adding value to mixed methods research methodology.

Patient safety climate in a Brazilian general hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To measure patient safety climate and the associated factors from the perspective of the multiprofessional team. METHOD: This was an analytical cross-sectional study, developed in a medium-sized hospital in the Southern region of Brazil. The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) was used as the data collection tool and applied to 199 workers of the multiprofessional and support team between November 2017 and February 2018. Data analysis was descriptive and analytical. A positive score was considered when ≥75. RESULTS: The overall SAQ score was positive (75.1). The domain Satisfaction at Work was the one with the highest score (88.7), while Stress Perception showed the worst score (59.1). It was observed that professionals without a College/University degree better evaluated the domains Satisfaction at Work, Management Perception and Working Conditions, whereas the ones with a College/University degree had better stress perception. Medical doctors showed better Stress Perception when compared to the other health professionals. CONCLUSION: There is a positive safety climate in health organizations from the perspective of the multiprofessional team. However, the domains Safety Climate, Working Conditions and Stress Perception constitute areas that need improvement in terms of patient safety in the institution.

Quality improvement strategy to enhance compliance with the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist in a large hospital: Quality improvement study.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist is an effective tool to reduce morbidity, mortality, perioperative complications, and hospital length of stay. However, its implementation that involves complex social interaction is still challenging. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to increase use of the Surgical Safety Checklist to 100% of performed surgeries compared to current practice at Hospital Moinhos de Vento, in Porto Alegre, Brazil. METHODS: A quality improvement strategy was implemented based on the Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle. During the intervention, Surgical Safety Checklist structure and content were adjusted to the local context and surgeons were engaged in discussions of the medical and scientific basis of the Surgical Safety Checklist. Also, the surgery center nursing team was trained as well as empowered to use the Surgical Safety Checklist. RESULTS: As compared to baseline data, there was an increase in the use of the tool and data was monitored to evaluate sustainability of the strategy over 26 months. Mean compliance with the Surgical Safety Checklist after the intervention reached 89%. Compliance with the most critical phase - time out - began at 26%. After the intervention, an increase in time out compliance was noted, varying from 60% to 90%. CONCLUSION: The proposed quality improvement strategy, implemented at no additional cost to the institution, was effective to increase Surgical Safety Checklist compliance and produced sustainable results.

Patient safety culture from the perspective of all the workers of a general hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the patient safety culture among the workers of a hospital institution in southern Brazil. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study, which was performed with 630 hospital workers, at Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, through the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire tool, in the month of April 2017. RESULTS: We found positive scores in all the safety culture domains, except for the perceived stress domain. CONCLUSION: Job satisfaction and teamwork spirit showed better scores for nursing and health professionals, when compared to the support team. Schooling, gender, operation time and the choice of workplace positively influenced the safe atmosphere.