Patient and Health Care Provider Perspectives on Patient Access to Test Results via Web Portals: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: A frequently used feature of electronic patient portals is the viewing of test results. Research on patient portals is abundant and offers evidence to help portal implementers make policy and practice decisions. In contrast, no comparable comprehensive summary of research addresses the direct release of and patient access to test results. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to analyze and synthesize published research focused on patient and health care provider perspectives on the direct release of laboratory, imaging, and radiology results to patients via web portals. METHODS: PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed. Searches were conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, and other databases. Citations were screened in Covidence using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Primary studies that focused on patient and health care provider perspectives on patient access to laboratory and imaging results via web portals were included. An updated search was conducted up to August 2023. Our review included 27 articles-20 examining patient views, 3 examining provider views, and 4 examining both patient and provider views. Data extraction and inductive data analysis were informed by sensitizing concepts from sociomaterial perspectives, and 15 themes were generated. RESULTS: Patient perspectives (24 papers) were synthesized using nine themes: (1) patterns of use and patient characteristics; (2) emotional response when viewing the results and uncertainty about their implications; (3) understanding test results; (4) preferences for mode and timing of result release; (5). information seeking and patients' actions motivated by viewing results via a portal; (6) contemplating changes in behavior and managing own health; (7) benefits of accessing test results via a portal; (8) limitations of accessing test results via a portal; and (9) suggestions for portal improvement. Health care provider perspectives (7 papers) were synthetized into six themes: (1) providers' view of benefits of patient access to results via the portal; (2) effects on health care provider workload; (3) concerns about patient anxiety; (4) timing of result release into the patient portal; (5) the method of result release into the patient portal: manual versus automatic release; and (6) the effects of hospital health information technology system on patient quality outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The timing of the release of test results emerged as a particularly important topic. In some countries, the policy context may motivate immediate release of most tests directly into patient portals. However, our findings aim to make policy makers, health administrators, and other stakeholders aware of factors to consider when making decisions about the timing of result release. This review is sensitive to the characteristics of patient populations and portal technology and can inform result release framework policies. The findings are timely, as patient portals have become more common internationally.

The living experience of surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and spiritual meaning making.

AIM: To understand the meaning of surviving out of hospital cardiac arrest and its aftereffects among Greek-speaking survivors. DESIGN: Hermeneutical phenomenological method based on Martin Heidegger's philosophy. METHODS: Eight Greek-speaking out of hospital cardiac arrest survivors were recruited using purposive sampling method. Data collection and analysis using the seven stages of hermeneutic analysis described by Diekelman. Data were collected through semi-structured personal interviews with open-ended questions. RESULTS: Analysis revealed five themes: 'The unexpected attack', 'Experiencing a different world: Transformation of Body, Time, Emotion and Sensation', 'Restoration of the re-embodied self', 'Life transformation' and 'Personal transformation'. The themes are commensurate with transcultural components of Near-Death Experiences. Surviving out of hospital cardiac arrest was perceived as a 'divine gift' and a chance to continue 'living in a more conscious and meaningful way'. Despite participants' physical and psychosocial challenges, the narratives highlighted a newly acquired deep appreciation for the joy of life, living and others. Construction of meaning and a heightened spirituality seem central in reconstructing life after out of hospital cardiac arrest survivors. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Out of hospital cardiac arrest survivors reflected and described in-depth on their lived experiences of out of hospital cardiac arrest through a 60- to 90-min interview. In addition, the participants provided their feedback on the interpretation of the findings, confirmed the study findings, and ensured that the analysis reflected aspects of their individual experiences and were true to them.

What Exactly Is "Complicated" Grief? A Scoping Research Literature Review to Understand Its Risk Factors and Prevalence.

Most people will experience bereavement grief, but some suffer from persistent or prolonged (PoP) grief, grief that used to be identified as "complicated" before recent DSM-5 and ICD-11 definitional developments. In 2020, a scoping literature review was undertaken to identify and consolidate contemporary evidence from research articles published in 2018 or 2019 in paper-based and open access peer-review journals on: (a) the incidence or prevalence of PoP grief, and (b) who develops it or is diagnosed as suffering from it, and correspondingly what causative factors or predictors are associated with PoP grief. All of the 11 identified research articles reported an incidence or prevalence rate, with these varying greatly, but with a much higher rate now that a 6-month post-death measurement timeframe is used. The predictors or factors among people who were identified as having PoP grief also varied considerably, although sudden and unexpected deaths were often implicated.

Wearable Fitness Trackers to Predict Clinical Deterioration in Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Prospective Cohort Feasibility Study.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: People receiving hemodialysis often require urgent care or hospitalizations. It is possible that reductions in a patient's level of physical activity may serve as an "early warning" of clinical deterioration, allowing timely clinical intervention. We explored whether step count could serve as a trigger for deterioration. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort feasibility study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: We recruited consenting adult participants from outpatient dialysis clinics in Calgary, AB, between June 28, 2019, and October 10, 2019. EXPOSURE AND OUTCOMES: Participants wore a wristband fitness tracker for 4 weeks. Activity data from the trackers were imported weekly into the study database. Demographic, clinical management, functional impairment, and frailty were assessed at baseline. Clinical events (urgent care and emergency department visits and hospitalizations) were monitored during the observation period. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Box and whisker plots and line plots were used to describe each participant's daily steps. Adjusted rate ratios (and 95 % confidence intervals) were calculated to assess the associations between the number of steps taken each day and potential predictors. RESULTS: Data from 46 patients were included; their median age was 64 years (range, 22 to 85), and 63 % were men. The median number of steps taken per day was 3,133 (range, 248-13,753). Fourteen events among 11 patients were reported. Within patients, step count varied considerably; it was not possible to identify a patient-specific normal range for daily step count. There was no association between step count and the occurrence of clinical events, although the number of events was very small. LIMITATIONS: The number of participants was relatively small, and there were too few events to model to examine whether step count could predict clinical deterioration. CONCLUSIONS: Within-patient variation in daily step count was too high to generate a normal range for patients. However, patient-specific norms over a longer period (3- or 7-day periods) appear potentially worthy of future study in a larger sample and/or over a longer follow-up.

A scoping review of researchers' involvement in health policy dialogue in Africa.

BACKGROUND: Improving evidence-informed policy dialogue to support the development and implementation of national health policies is vital, but there is limited evidence on researchers' roles in policy dialogue processes in Africa. The objective of this study is to examine researchers' involvement in health policy dialogue in Africa. METHODS: The database search of this scoping review was conducted from inception to January 24, 2021, by an expert searcher/librarian to determine the extent of evidence, barriers, and facilitators of researchers' involvement in health policy dialogues in Africa. PROSPERO, Wiley Cochrane Library, OVID Medline, OVID EMBASE, OVID PsycINFO, OVID Global Health, EBSCO CINAHL, BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine), and Google/Google Scholar were searched using key words representing the concepts "policy dialogue", "health", and "Africa". No limits were applied. A narrative summary of results was presented. RESULTS: There were 26 eligible studies representing 21 African countries. Significant discrepancies in researchers' involvement existed across countries. In 62% of the countries, there was suboptimal involvement of researchers in policy dialogues due to no or partial participation in policy dialogues. Major barriers included limited funding, lack of evidence in the public health field of interest, and skepticism of policymakers. The presence of an interface for exchange, demand for scientific evidence, and donors' funding were the most reported facilitators. CONCLUSIONS: To improve the uptake of evidence in health policy-making processes, an environment of trust and communication between policymakers and researchers must be established. Policymakers need to demonstrate that they value research, by providing adequate funding, promoting knowledge translation activities, and supporting personal and professional development opportunities for researchers.

Tools for assessment of acute psychological distress in critical illness: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: Patients' experience of psychological distress in the intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with adverse effects, reduced satisfaction, and delayed physical and psychological recovery. There are no specific guidelines for the assessment and management of acute psychological distress during hospitalisation in the ICU. We reviewed existing tools for the assessment of acute psychological distress in ICU patients, examined evidence on their metric properties, and identified potential gaps and methodological considerations. METHOD: A scoping review based on literature searches (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Excerpta Medica Database, PsycINFO, Scopus, Health and Psychosocial Instruments, Dissertations and Theses Global, and Google Scholar) and predefined eligibility criteria was conducted as per current scoping review guidelines. FINDINGS: Overall, 14 assessment tools were identified having been developed in diverse ICU settings. The identified tools assess mainly anxiety and depressive symptoms and ICU stressors, and investigators have reported various validity and reliability metrics. It was unclear whether available tools can be used in specific groups, such as noncommunicative patients and patients with delirium, brain trauma, stroke, sedation, and cognitive impairments. CONCLUSION: Available tools have methodological limitations worth considering in future investigations. Given the high prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in ICU survivors, rigorously exploring the metric integrity of available tools used for anxiety, depressive, and psychological distress symptom assessment in the vulnerable ICU population is a practice and research priority. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: These results have implications for the selection and implementation of psychological distress assessment methods as a means for promoting meaningful patient-centred clinical outcomes and humanising ICU care experiences.

Pilot exploration of post-traumatic stress symptoms in intensive care unit survivors in Cyprus.

BACKGROUND: Approximately, 20% of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Although Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS) provides a comprehensive approach to PSTD symptoms, there is no evidence on DTS-I-M use in ICU survivors. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To validate the modified intensity Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS-I-M) (wherein the frequency and severity subscales are combined to express symptoms intensity) in a convenience sample of ICU survivors in Cyprus, and to explore the prevalence of PTSD symptoms and related predictors. DESIGN: An instrument validation design, along with a cross-sectional, correlational study design was employed. METHODS: Translation and cultural adaptation of the instrument were achieved through a group of experts and pilot testing. The DTS-I-M was administered via telephone. Participants' clinical data (length of ICU stay [LOS], mechanical ventilation duration [MVD], admission diagnosis, medication history) and demographics (age, gender) were collected. Non-parametric comparisons, and regression analyses to identify predictors of DTS-I-M scores and PTSD symptoms were employed. RESULTS: The Cypriot DTS-I-M version demonstrated high test-retest (Pearson's r = 0.928, P < .001) and internal consistency (Cronbach's [α] alpha = .97) reliability in a sample of 69 ICU survivors (62.7% response). About 36.2% of participants reported PTSD symptoms. Factor analysis confirmed the construct validity of the DTS-I-M, and a 3-factor structure (encompassing intrusive, avoidance, hyperarousal, mood, and cognitive symptoms). In a multiple regression, MVD (B = -3.11, OR [95% CI] = 22.58 [3.07-166.09, P = .002]) and LOS (r2 = 0.302, P = .002) were statistically significant predictors of DTS-I-M score. CONCLUSION: We confirm the applicability of the DTS-I-M for the assessment of PTSD symptoms in ICU survivors; and offer preliminary evidence on the prevalence and predictors of post-ICU PTSD symptoms in Cyprus. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: DTS-I-M is an appropriate screening tool for PTSD symptoms after ICU hospitalization. Patients with longer MVD and LOS are at higher risk for post-ICU PTSD symptoms and seem to experience more intense relevant symptoms.

Determining if nurses are involved in political action or politics: A scoping literature review.

BACKGROUND: There is much current as well as long-standing concern that nurses need to be more involved in and also more adept at politics and political action for the advancement of the profession, and for the health and wellbeing of the public. OBJECTIVES: An historical scoping literature review was carried out to identify if, as well as why, when, and how nurses become involved in government or meso-level political action or politics, and what is or has been gained through this involvement. DESIGN: Scoping literature review. SETTINGS (INCLUDING GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION): Worldwide published literature. PARTICIPANT: Nil. METHODS: Research and non-research articles on the topic were identified in a decade-by-decade search of the CINAHL database, all relevant ones were retained, and the per-decade findings in them were compared over time. RESULTS: Only 25 research reports, published 1988-2019, were identified. These studies were conducted in a few, mostly developed, countries. They provide a varied picture of nurse or nursing association involvement in political action and policy circles. In contrast, the opinion and theory articles demonstrate increased nurse and nursing association involvement in, as well as rising skill in political action and public policy engagement, although primarily in the United States and Canada. CONCLUSIONS: Research and case reports are needed now in all countries to correct the view that nurses and nursing associations are apolitical, and to gain information on how and why nurses and nursing associations become politically active and also determine what is gained through this activity.

Acute care nursing team members' perceptions of roles: Their own and each other's.

AIM: To examine registered nurses', licensed practical nurses' and health care aides' perceptions of their and each other's roles. BACKGROUND: Nursing team members' perceptions about their own and each other's roles affect how they understand their contributions to patient care and their work relationships and social status within health care organisations. There is a paucity of literature on how nursing team members perceive their roles and those of their colleagues. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of qualitative data using qualitative description. The parent study used grounded theory to examine nursing care for hospitalized older adults. METHOD: Conventional content analysis of interview transcripts and field notes from the original study. RESULTS: All nursing team members reported satisfaction from providing direct care. Registered nurses were uniquely responsible for leadership. Scope-of-practice changes contributed to role confusion and tension among team members. CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed to better understand how to support nursing teams learning about one another. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers could facilitate clarification about nursing roles and support effective role deployment.

Nursing care providers' perceptions on their role contributions in patient care: An integrative review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore registered nurses', licensed practical nurses' and healthcare aides' perceptions of their own and each other's role contributions. BACKGROUND: In response to contemporary economic and political pressures, healthcare institutions across the world have endeavoured to download job duties to less educated healthcare providers. As a result, nursing care is usually delivered by a team of nursing staff that have different roles. This means that there are fewer registered nurses and more licensed practical nurses and healthcare aides on nursing teams, despite evidence that increased numbers of registered nurses improve patient safety and care outcomes. DESIGN: This study was an integrative review using Whittemore and Knafl's stages for ensuring rigour. These stages include problem identification, literature searching, data evaluation, data analysis and presentation. METHODS: Four electronic databases were searched according to previously designed search strategies. The 14 retrieved articles were appraised using MMATs for quality. Data were extracted and analysed thematically. RESULTS: The findings of the integrative review revealed that registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and healthcare aides had little understanding about the roles of their fellow nursing team members and had difficulties describing their own roles. However, no studies concurrently examined registered nurses', licensed practical nurses' and healthcare aides' perceptions on their own or each other's roles and little were written about licensed practical nurses. CONCLUSION: More research is needed to examine the entire nursing team's perceptions about the various nursing roles.