Examining attitudes to uptake and sustainment of technology among care aides in the delivery of care: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Care aides are health workers who deliver hands-on care to patients across the healthcare continuum. The use of technology in healthcare delivery is increasing, and evidence regarding how care aides' attitudes may either facilitate or hinder the adoption of healthcare technologies is lacking.The aim of the proposed scoping review is to examine available evidence regarding care aides' attitudes towards the adoption of innovation and factors that may influence the sustainable use of technology in healthcare delivery. Published studies, grey literature and review articles that identify a method for the review, conference abstracts and website publications regarding the attitude, uptake and sustainable use of technology in care delivery by care aides will be included. For abstracts that have resulted in publications, the full publications will be included. The search for evidence commenced in June 2023 and will end in March 2024. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) method will be used to conduct the review. The CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PubMed, SCOPUS, PROSPERO, Web of Science and JBI Evidence Synthesis databases will be searched using keywords for publications within the last 20 years to examine trends in health technology and attitudes of care aides towards innovation over the last two decades. A search of grey literature and websites will be conducted. The reference list of the retrieved articles will be used to identify additional literature. The search results will be exported into a literature management tool for screening and analysis. Article screening will be performed by two authors and if a third is needed to resolve any differences. Data analysis will be guided by two theoretical frameworks. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethics approval is required. The findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and presented in conferences. REGISTRATION DETAILS: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/CZQUP.

The Association Between the Presence of Medical Care and Resident Outcomes in Canadian Nursing Homes: a Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis.

The quality of medical care provided to older residents in nursing homes may depend upon available staffing models; this study examined the relationship between physician and nurse practitioner (NP) presence, care involvement, and resident outcomes. The secondary analysis of data collected in the Translating Research in Elder Care (TREC) study during 2019-20 included items on daily presence of physicians and NPs on units, physician involvement in care planning, and ability to contact physician or NP when necessary linked to routinely collected Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set version 2.0 data. Eight logistic regression models tested the association between measures of staffing involvement and each outcome (antipsychotic use without indication (APM), physical restraint use, hospital transfers, and polypharmacy). The sample consisted of 10,888 residents across 320 care units in 90 facilities. Of the units, 277 (86%) reported a physician or NP visited daily, 160 (72.1%) reported that the physician was involved in care planning, and 318 (99%) units reported that the physician or NP could be reached when needed. Following adjustment for multiple confounding variables, there were no statistically significant associations between presence/involvement of medical professionals and resident outcomes (for example, physician or NP presence on the unit and hospitalization transfers [AOR=1.17, 95% CI: 0.46-3.10] or polypharmacy [AOR=1.37, 95% CI: 0.64-2.93]). We found non-significant associations between medical staff presence and involvement and selected resident outcomes, suggesting either the presence of many unaccounted for confounding inter-related resident-care provider variables or underlying insensitivity of the available data.

Penile compression devices for the treatment of urinary incontinence: current status and future prospects.

INTRODUCTION: Urinary incontinence (UI), especially stress UI, is common after prostatectomy. Penile compression devices (PCDs) may be a safe, tolerable option for conservative management in men who are not candidates for or not interested in surgical intervention for their UI. AREAS COVERED: This article examines the epidemiology of post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPI), and options for management. All available studies on PCDs are explored, including those on biomechanics, safety, tolerability, and user experience. History, availability of PCDs, and areas for future development are discussed. EXPERT OPINION: PCDs are an option for conservative management of PPI. They are recommended for those men without impairment in cognition, dexterity, or sensation. They should be worn for short periods of time and are best used during situations when incontinence might be precipitated. Overall, data suggest they are well tolerated and effective when tested, but large randomized comparative trials and studies of long-term use with relevant patient reported outcome measures are lacking. More studies are needed on commercially available PCDs. Biomechanical studies suggest that there are superior designs and materials both for efficacy and tolerability. With an aging population, and more older men going for prostate surgery, a larger market for these devices is likely.

A protocol for the co-creation and usability/acceptability testing of an evidence-based, patient-centred intervention for self-management of urinary incontinence in older men.

Male urinary incontinence (UI) is most prevalent in older men, with one in three men aged 65 and above having problems maintaining continence. Addressing health inequalities, male-female disparities in continence services, and low health-seeking among men emphasizes the necessity for co-creating an intervention that empowers them to self-manage their UI. We aim to co-create a self-management intervention with an older men and Health care provider (HCP) group and assess its usability and/or acceptability among older men with UI. The intervention mapping (IM) framework, a co-creation strategy, will be used to co-create a self-management tool, followed by usability and/or acceptability testing. The study will be guided by the first four IM steps: the logic model of the problem, the logic model of change, program/intervention design, and program/intervention production, followed by preliminary testing. A participatory group of older men with UI recruited from an existing group of patient partners, and continence care experts will be involved in all steps of the IM process. Usability and/or acceptability testing will be conducted on a sample of 20 users recruited through seniors' associations and retirement living facilities. After accessing the self-management tool for a week, participants will complete a product usability testing scale (aka System Usability Scale-SUS) and/or an acceptability test, depending on the preferred mode(s) of intervention delivery. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics. A benchmark overall mean usability score of 70 represents a good/usable product, based on the large database of SUS scores.

Defining and prioritizing modifiable risk factors towards the co-creation of a urinary incontinence self-management intervention for older men: A sequential multimethod study protocol.

Urinary incontinence (UI), characterized by involuntary urine leakage is a chronic, embarrassing and stigmatizing condition that is under-reported and under-treated). UI is under-prioritized and under-researched, particularly in older men (defined here as men 65+), and there have been calls for more targeted research focusing on this specific group. No existing self-management interventions focus on the needs of older men and none incorporate the perspectives of older men into their development. Furthermore, health inequalities and disparities in continence services for men, and a low level of health seeking behavior in men with UI make it crucial to incorporate their perspectives into intervention development to ensure optimal outcomes. The study will identify risk factors for UI that are potentially amenable to self-management in older men, assess their self-efficacy in managing UI, and determine what modifiable risk factors older men feel are pragmatic to include as part of a self-management program. We will conduct and report a sequential multi-method design consisting of a Delphi study among healthcare experts and a survey among older men with UI, according to the Guidance on Conducting and Reporting Delphi Studies (CREDES) Checklist and the Checklist for Reporting Of Survey Studies (CROSS). A geographically dispersed, multidisciplinary group of 30 health care professionals (urologists, geriatricians, family physicians, and nurses) involved in continence care and a representative sample of at least 128 ethnically diverse older men will participate in a Delphi survey and an older men's survey respectively. The healthcare experts will evaluate an evidence-synthesized list of UI risk factors to determine those potentially amenable to self-management. Delphi rounds will be repeated until consensus threshold of 75% is reached. Thereafter, older men recruited via stratified sampling of population subgroups will rate a list of expert-identified potentially modifiable risk factors to indicate which factors they deem practicable and can prioritize. Older men's survey questionnaires will capture information on patients' characteristics (socio-demographics and UI-related items). The Geriatric Self-Efficacy Index for UI (GSE-UI Index) as well as a Likert scale to assess perceived capability and willingness to modify the expert-identified UI modifiable risk factors will be included. Data will be analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.

Mapping Quality Indicators to Assess Older Adult Health and Care in Community-, Continuing-, and Acute-Care Settings: A Systematic Review of Reviews and Guidelines.

Quality indicators (QIs) play a vital role in enhancing the care of older adults. This study aimed to identify existing QIs relevant to the health and care of older adults in community-care, continuing-care, and acute-care settings, along with available information such as definitions and calculation methods. A systematic review of published review studies, grey literature, and guidelines was undertaken, utilizing six electronic databases searched for materials dated from 2010 to 2 June 2023. To be included in this study, the literature had to provide data on QIs in a setting involving older adults. This study included 27 reviews and 44 grey literature sources, identifying a total of 6391 QIs. The highest number of indicators (37%) were relevant to continuing care; 32% and 28% were pertinent to community- and acute-care settings, respectively. The process domain had the highest number of QIs (3932), while the structure domain had the fewest indicators (521). A total of 39 focus areas were identified, with the five most common areas being, in descending order, orthopedics/hip fractures, end-of-life/palliative care, appropriate prescribing, neurocognitive conditions, and cardiovascular conditions; these areas ranged between 10% and 6%. When mapped against the Quadruple Aim framework, most QIs (85%) were linked to improving health outcomes. This inclusive compilation of QIs serves as a resource for addressing various focus areas pertinent to the Quadruple Aims. However, few quality indicators have been designed to provide a comprehensive and thorough evaluation of a specific aspect, taking into account all three key domains: structure, process, and outcomes. Addressing the description and psychometric properties of QIs is foundational for ensuring their trustworthiness and effective application.

Community experiences with police and implications for public health: A focus group study.

Interactions with the police can impact an individual's short and long-term physical, mental, and social wellbeing, as well as levels of violence and unrest within a community. As such, this study aimed to explore experiences with the police among individuals experiencing socioeconomic disadvantages in Edmonton, Canada. For this qualitative study, participants (n = 39) were recruited from an emergency shelter for women, a drop-in community organization supporting individuals experiencing socioeconomic disadvantages, and a centre providing settlement support for newcomers to Canada. During the recruitment process, the research information sheet, including the scope and goals of the study, was presented, and participants who had any experience with the police were recruited. Each participant joined one of seven focus groups, during which experiences with the police were discussed; data from the focus groups were analyzed utilizing thematic analysis. Factors that contributed to satisfactory experiences with the police included the police demonstrating responsiveness and compassion, as well as an individual's understanding of police work. Factors that contributed to unsatisfactory experiences included the experiences of discrimination, stigmatization, and disrespect during interactions with the police. Participants suggested that community-police relationships could be improved by police being less judgemental and suspicious in their approach, undergoing regular training in sociocultural sensitivity, and being more open in their communication and community outreach. Overall, adopting a less discriminatory and more empathetic approach within a police force is essential for creating and maintaining a positive community-police relationship. By considering the socioeconomic context of people's behaviours and actions, police can better support the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

Drivers of COVID-19 Outcomes in Long-Term Care Facilities Using Multi-Level Analysis: A Systematic Review.

This study aimed to identify the individual, organizational, and environmental factors which contributed to COVID-19-related outcomes in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). A systematic review was conducted to summarize and synthesize empirical studies using a multi-level analysis approach to address the identified influential factors. Five databases were searched on 23 May 2023. To be included in the review, studies had to be published in peer-reviewed journals or as grey literature containing relevant statistical data. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool was employed to assess the methodological quality of each article included in this study. Of 2137 citations identified after exclusions, 99 records met the inclusion criteria. The predominant individual, organizational, and environmental factors that were most frequently found associated with the COVID-19 outbreak comprised older age, higher dependency level; lower staffing levels and lower star and subset domain ratings for the facility; and occupancy metrics and co-occurrences of outbreaks in counties and communities where the LTCFs were located, respectively. The primary individual, organizational, and environmental factors frequently linked to COVID-19-related deaths comprised age, and male sex; higher percentages of racial and ethnic minorities in LTCFs, as well as ownership types (including private, for-profit, and chain membership); and higher occupancy metrics and LTCF's size and bed capacity, respectively. Unfolding the risk factors collectively may mitigate the risk of outbreaks and pandemic-related mortality in LTCFs during future endemic and pandemics through developing and improving interventions that address those significant factors.

NITES, a nocturnal bladder score to aid diagnosis during the transition to older age care.

BACKGROUND: As adults transition to older age, bothersome nocturnal lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) become common. There is need for a reliable assessment metric to detect and measure specific symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To subject the nocturnal LUTS score for older individuals, Nocturia, Incontinence, Toileting and Enuresis Symptom Score (NITES), to psychometric analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Factor analysis of the metric was conducted with completed questionnaires from 151 older individuals who were either admitted to a tertiary hospital or attending an outpatient continence clinic. Test re-test reliability involved 18 older community dwelling individuals attending a Geriatrician clinic completing the metric at two timepoints separated by at least 1 week. Intra-class correlation coefficients were determined for reliability of each factor and item. RESULTS: The NITES metric was completed by 98 hospitalized older individuals and 53 attending a continence clinic (mean age 83.2 years [SD 7.0]). Factor analysis demonstrated that one item had a floor effect and two items had poor endorsement. After test re-test reliability analysis, a further three items were removed: one due to poor correlation between timepoints and two demonstrating inadequate internal consistency. The final NITES metric is comprised of three factors: Sleep 4-items, Incontinence 4-items, and Personal Bother 2-items. A 4-item short form for symptom screening was extracted from the longer measure. CONCLUSION: The final NITES metric is a 10-item questionnaire with an embedded 4-item short symptom screen. It has utility utilized to detect nocturnal bladder symptoms in both community dwelling and hospitalized older adults.

Building a communication and support network among quality improvement teams in nursing homes: a longitudinal study of the SCOPE trial.

BACKGROUND: We applied a longitudinal network analysis approach to assess the formation of knowledge sharing and collaboration networks among care aide-led quality improvement (QI) teams in Canadian nursing homes participating in the Safer Care for Older Persons (in residential) Environments (SCOPE) trial which aimed to support unregulated front-line staff to lead unit-based quality improvement (QI) teams in nursing homes. We hypothesized that SCOPE's communicative and participatory nature would provide opportunities for peer support, knowledge sharing, and collaboration building among teams. METHODS: Fourteen QI teams in Alberta (AB) and seventeen QI teams in British Columbia (BC) participated in the study. Communications across nursing homes occurred through a series of 4 collaborative Learning Congresses (training sessions) over a 1-year period. The senior leaders of QI teams participated in two online network surveys about the communication/collaboration between teams in their province, 1 month after the first, and 6 months later, after the fourth Learning Congress. We developed communication and collaboration network maps pertaining to three time points: before SCOPE, at 2 months, and at 9 months. RESULTS: Over time, teams made significantly more new connections and strengthened existing ones, within and across regions. Geographic proximity and co-membership in organizational chains were important predictors of connectivity before and during SCOPE. Teams whose members were well connected at baseline disproportionately improved connectivity over time. On the other hand, teams that did not have prior opportunities to connect appeared to use SCOPE to build new ties. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest the importance of network-altering activities to the formation of collaboration networks among QI teams across nursing homes. Active strategies could be used to better connect less connected teams and facilitate collaboration among geographically proximate teams. These findings may inform the development of interventions to leverage existing networks and provide new networking opportunities to develop and sustain organizational improvements.

A Double-blind, Randomised Four-way Crossover Study to Compare the Effects of Fesoterodine 4 and 8 mg Once Daily and Qxybutynin 5 mg Twice Daily After Steady-state Dosing Versus Placebo on Cognitive Function in Overactive Bladder-wet Patients over the Age of 75 Years with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There is a reported association between overactive bladder (OAB) treated with antimuscarinic drugs and an increased risk of a dementia diagnosis, although short-term data suggest that newer OAB antimuscarinics are cognitively safe. This study examined the cognitive safety of fesoterodine in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and OAB. METHODS: This four-way randomised crossover study examined the cognitive effects of fesoterodine 4 and 8 mg and oxybutynin 5 mg b.i.d. compared with placebo. Older adult patients with OAB and MCI were included. Treatment and washout periods were of 1-week duration, to reach steady-state drug levels. The primary outcome was continuity of attention at 1 and 4 h after the dose. The secondary outcomes included other cognitive domains, change in Montreal Cognitive Assessment score, and alertness. KEY FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS: Twenty-three patients completed the study (16 females and seven males). For the primary outcome, at 1 h after the dose, a trend towards worsening of continuity of attention was observed for fesoterodine 4 mg (p = 0.09) compared with placebo. At 4 h after the dose, a nonstatistically significant trend towards improvement compared with placebo was observed in the fesoterodine 4 mg group (p = 0.0633) compared with placebo. No differences were observed in any other treatment group at either time point. Apart from quality of working memory, associated with a statistically significant improvement with fesoterodine 4 mg, there was no difference in any comparison for other secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to steady-state dosing of fesoterodine 4 and 8 mg or oxybutynin 5 mg b.i.d. was not associated with any detectable effect on cognitive function using a sensitive battery of cognitive tests in a group of older adult patients with MCI and OAB. PATIENT SUMMARY: In this report, we investigated whether the medication fesoterodine, a member of a family of drugs called anticholinergics, commonly used for the treatment of a condition called overactive bladder that leads to accidental leakage of urine, affected the memory function of older adults with mild memory impairment. These people might be more sensitive to memory side effects. We found that at the doses most used by doctors, the drug had no effect on any of the memory functions we tested.

How do we make progress in phenotyping patients with LUT such as OAB and underactive detrusor, including using urine markers and microbiome data, in order to personalize therapy? ICI-RS 2023: Part 1.

INTRODUCTION: Overactive bladder (OAB) and Underactive bladder (UAB) could be associated with metabolic syndrome, affective disorders, sex hormone deficiency, changes in urinary microbiota, functional gastrointestinal disorders, or autonomic nervous system dysfunction. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this Think Tank was to provide a guide on how to investigate OAB and/or detrusor underactivity (DU) patients to better clarify the underlying pathophysiology and possibly personalize the treatment. METHODS: A compendium of discussion based on the current evidence related to phenotyping patients with OAB or DU investigating metabolic, neurogical, psychological and gastrointestinal aspects with the aim to personalize the treatment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The article emphasizes the critical significance of adopting a comprehensive yet tailored approach to phenotyping patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, such as OAB and UAB. The intricate interplay between the lower urinary tract and various factors, metabolic, neurological, psychological, and gastrointestinal can define unique LUT profiles, enabling personalized therapies to replace the one-size-fits-all approach.

How do we make progress in phenotyping patients with lower urinary tract such as overactive bladder and underactive detrusor, including using urine markers and microbiome data, to personalize therapy? ICI-RS 2023-Part 2.

INTRODUCTION: Overactive bladder (OAB) and underactive bladder (UAB) could be associated with metabolic syndrome, affective disorders, sex hormone deficiency, changes in urinary microbiota, functional gastrointestinal disorders, or autonomic nervous system dysfunction. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this Think Tank was to provide a guide on how to investigate OAB and/or detrusor underactivity (DU) patients to better clarify the underlying pathophysiology and possibly personalize the treatment. METHODS: A compendium of discussion based on the current evidence related to phenotyping patients with OAB or DU using urodynamic tests, functional neuro-imaging, urinary markers, and microbiome. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The article emphasizes the critical significance of adopting a comprehensive yet tailored approach to phenotyping patients with lower urinary tract (LUT) symptoms, such as OAB and UAB. The intricate interplay between the LUT and various factors, metabolic, neurological, psychological, and gastrointestinal can define unique LUT profiles, enabling personalized therapies to replace the one-size-fits-all approach.

Benefits of a digital health technology for older nursing home residents. A de-novo cost-effectiveness model for digital health technologies to aid in the assessment of toileting and containment care needs.

The aim of this study was first, to introduce a comprehensive, de-novo health economic (HE) model incorporating the full range of activities involved in toileting and containment care (T&CC) for people with incontinence, capturing all the potential benefits and costs of existing and future Digital Health Technologies (DHT) aimed at improving continence care, for both residential care and home care. Second, to use this novel model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the DHT TENA SmartCare Identifi in the implementation of person-centred continence care (PCCC), compared with conventional continence care for Canadian nursing home residents. The de-novo HE model was designed to evaluate technologies across different care settings from the perspective of several stakeholders. Health states were based on six care need profiles with increasing need for toileting assistance, three care stages with varying degrees of toileting success, and five levels of skin health. The main outcomes were incremental costs and quality-adjusted life years. The effectiveness of the TENA SmartCare Identifi was based primarily on trial data combined with literature and expert opinion where necessary. Costs were reported in CAD 2020. After 2 years, 21% of residents in the DHT group received mainly toileting as their continence care strategy compared with 12% in the conventional care group. Conversely, with the DHT 15% of residents rely mainly on absorbent products for incontinence care, compared with 40% with conventional care. On average, residents lived for 2.34 years, during which the DHT resulted in a small gain in quality-adjusted life years of 0.015 and overall cost-savings of $1,467 per resident compared with conventional care. Most cost-savings were achieved through reduced costs for absorbent products. Since most, if not all, stakeholders gain from use of the DHT-assisted PCCC, widespread use in Canadian residential care facilities should be considered, and similar assessments for other countries encouraged.

Development and validation of the Overall Fidelity Enactment Scale for Complex Interventions (OFES-CI).

BACKGROUND: In many quality improvement (QI) and other complex interventions, assessing the fidelity with which participants 'enact' intervention activities (ie, implement them as intended) is underexplored. Adapting the evaluative approach used in objective structured clinical examinations, we aimed to develop and validate a practical approach to assessing fidelity enactment-the Overall Fidelity Enactment Scale for Complex Interventions (OFES-CI). METHODS: We developed the OFES-CI to evaluate enactment of the SCOPE QI intervention, which teaches nursing home teams to use plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles. The OFES-CI was piloted and revised early in SCOPE with good inter-rater reliability, so we proceeded with a single rater. An intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess inter-rater reliability. For 27 SCOPE teams, we used ICC to compare two methods for assessing fidelity enactment: (1) OFES-CI ratings provided by one of five trained experts who observed structured 6 min PDSA progress presentations made at the end of SCOPE, (2) average rating of two coders' deductive content analysis of qualitative process evaluation data collected during the final 3 months of SCOPE (our gold standard). RESULTS: Using Cicchetti's classification, inter-rater reliability between two coders who derived the gold standard enactment score was 'excellent' (ICC=0.93, 95% CI=0.85 to 0.97). Inter-rater reliability between the OFES-CI and the gold standard was good (ICC=0.71, 95% CI=0.46 to 0.86), after removing one team where open-text comments were discrepant with the rating. Rater feedback suggests the OFES-CI has strong face validity and positive implementation qualities (acceptability, easy to use, low training requirements). CONCLUSIONS: The OFES-CI provides a promising novel approach for assessing fidelity enactment in QI and other complex interventions. It demonstrates good reliability against our gold standard assessment approach and addresses the practicality problem in fidelity assessment by virtue of its suitable implementation qualities. Steps for adapting the OFES-CI to other complex interventions are offered.

Building a Program Theory of Implementation Using Process Evaluation of a Complex Quality Improvement Trial in Nursing Homes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Significant quality problems exist in long-term care (LTC). Interventions to improve care are complex and often have limited success. Implementation remains a black box. We developed a program theory explaining how implementation of a complex intervention occurs in LTC settings-examining mechanisms of impact, effects of context on implementation, and implementation outcomes such as fidelity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Concurrent process evaluation of Safer Care for Older Persons in residential Environments (SCOPE)-a frontline worker (care aide) led improvement trial in 31 Canadian LTC homes. Using a mixed-methods exploratory sequential design, qualitative data were analyzed using grounded theory to develop a conceptual model illustrating how teams implemented the intervention and how it produced change. Quantitative analyses (mixed-effects regression) tested aspects of the program theory. RESULTS: Implementation fidelity was moderate. Implementation is facilitated by (a) care aide engagement with core intervention components; (b) supportive leadership (internal facilitation) to create positive team dynamics and help negotiate competing workplace priorities; (c) shifts in care aide role perceptions and power differentials. Mixed-effects model results suggest intervention acceptability, perceived intervention benefits, and leadership support predict implementation fidelity. When leadership support is high, fidelity is high regardless of intervention acceptability or perceived benefits. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Our program theory addresses important knowledge gaps regarding implementation of complex interventions in nursing homes. Results can guide scaling of complex interventions and future research.

A scoping review of risk factors for urinary incontinence in older men.

BACKGROUND: Most epidemiological studies have not systematically identified or categorized risk factors for urinary incontinence (UI) in older men, despite a higher prevalence than in younger men. Considering the burden of UI, an understanding of risk factors can inform cost-effective prevention/treatment programs. This scoping review aimed to identify and categorise risk factors for UI in older men, identify gaps in the evidence, and opportunities for future research. METHODS: The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) method for scoping reviews guided the conduct and reporting of this review alongside the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews checklist. JBI's Population, Concept, and Context approach framed the inclusion criteria (all evidence sources on UI risk factors that included older men [65 +]). We employed JBI's three-step search strategy, which included a limited initial search in Ovid MEDLINE, a detailed comprehensive database search, and a search of reference lists of included studies, Google Scholar and grey literature. There were no restrictions on language, study type, or publication date. Two independent reviewers screened, selected, and extracted eligible studies. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Forty-seven articles that met the inclusion criteria identified 98 risk factors across six categories. Behavioural risk factors, reported by only two studies, were the least investigated of all the categories, whereas medical factors/diseases were the most investigated. No genetic factors were documented. The top five risk factors were increasing age/advanced age (n = 12), Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (n = 11), Diabetes Mellitus (n = 11), Detrusor overactivity (n = 10), limitation in physical function/ADL disability (n = 10), increased Body Mass Index (BMI)/overweight/obesity (n = 8), Dementia (n = 8), and Parkinson's disease (n = 7). CONCLUSION: There is a dearth of evidence to describe the role behavioural risk factors have in UI in older men. These factors may play a role in health promotion and disease prevention in this area. REGISTRATION: A protocol detailing the methods was developed and published, and is registered in the Open Science Framework [Feb 07 2023; https://osf.io/xsrge/ ].

Institutional Resistance to Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: Arguments and Realities Emerging in the Public Domain.

Since the legalization of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in Canada in 2016, volitional non-participation in MAiD on the part of some healthcare institutions has revealed ethical uncertainties, potential access problems, and policy gaps. The problem has remained much neglected in the literature base, with no comprehensive studies on the subject so far. We analyzed print media articles and grey literature on institutional objections to and non-participation in MAiD. Thematic analyses were performed on all data to better understand the diverse stakeholder arguments and positions that characterize this important public health debate. Our search yielded 89 relevant media articles and 22 legislative, policy, and other relevant documents published since 2016 in the English language. We identified four main themes about institutional refusals to participate in MAiD, articulated as the following questions: (1) Who has the right to conscience? (2) Can MAiD be considered a palliative practice? (3) Are there imbalances across diverse stakeholder rights and burdens? and (4) Where are the gaps being felt in MAiD service implementation? Stakeholder views about institutional conscience with respect to MAiD are varied, complex, and evolving. In the absence of substantial systematic evidence, public domain materials constitute a key resource for understanding the implications for service access and determining the relevance of this contentious issue for future MAiD research and policy.

Safer Care for Older Persons in (residential) Environments (SCOPE): a pragmatic controlled trial of a care aide-led quality improvement intervention.

BACKGROUND: The increased complexity of residents and increased needs for care in long-term care (LTC) have not been met with increased staffing. There remains a need to improve the quality of care for residents. Care aides, providers of the bulk of direct care, are well placed to contribute to quality improvement efforts but are often excluded from so doing. This study examined the effect of a facilitation intervention enabling care aides to lead quality improvement efforts and improve the use of evidence-informed best practices. The eventual goal was to improve both the quality of care for older residents in LTC homes and the engagement and empowerment of care aides in leading quality improvement efforts. METHODS: Intervention teams participated in a year-long facilitative intervention which supported care aide-led teams to test changes in care provision to residents using a combination of networking and QI education meetings, and quality advisor and senior leader support. This was a controlled trial with random selection of intervention clinical care units matched 1:1 post hoc with control units. The primary outcome, between group change in conceptual research use (CRU), was supplemented by secondary staff- and resident-level outcome measures. A power calculation based upon pilot data effect sizes resulted in a sample size of 25 intervention sites. RESULTS: The final sample included 32 intervention care units matched to 32 units in the control group. In an adjusted model, there was no statistically significant difference between intervention and control units for CRU or in secondary staff outcomes. Compared to baseline, resident-adjusted pain scores were statistically significantly reduced (less pain) in the intervention group (p=0.02). The level of resident dependency significantly decreased statistically for residents whose teams addressed mobility (p<0.0001) compared to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The Safer Care for Older Persons in (residential) Environments (SCOPE) intervention resulted in a smaller change in its primary outcome than initially expected resulting in a study underpowered to detect a difference. These findings should inform sample size calculations of future studies of this nature if using similar outcome measures. This study highlights the problem with measures drawn from current LTC databases to capture change in this population. Importantly, findings from the trial's concurrent process evaluation provide important insights into interpretation of main trial data, highlight the need for such evaluations of complex trials, and suggest the need to consider more broadly what constitutes "success" in complex interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03426072, registered August 02, 2018, first participant site April, 05, 2018.