'Hello, my name is ': an exploratory case study of inter-professional student experiences in practice.

BACKGROUND: The 'Hello my name is …' campaign emphasises the importance of compassionate care and focuses on health professionals introducing themselves to patients. Research has found that using names is key to providing individuals with a sense of belonging and can be vital in ensuring patient safety. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the student experience of having 'Hello my name is …' printed on student uniforms and implement this campaign in practice. DESIGN: A case study was used to capture the experiences of 40 multiprofessional healthcare students in practice. Participants were asked to complete a reflective diary during their first week in practice and attend a focus group with 4-8 other students. SETTING: A higher education institution in the north east of England with students from adult, child and learning disability nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and midwifery programmes, in a variety of clinical placements throughout the region. FINDINGS: The implementation of the campaign and logo branding on the uniforms of students resulted in an increase in the number of times students were addressed by their name in practice. Participants reported that the study helped them to quickly develop a sense of belonging when on placement, and aided them in delivering compassionate care. Occasions when patient safety was improved were also reported. CONCLUSION: The use of names is a key feature in human relationships and the delivery of compassionate care, and the authors advocate use of the 'Hello my name is …' campaign for all health professionals.

The clinical effectiveness of intravesical sodium hyaluronate (cystistat®) in patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome and recurrent urinary tract infections.

OBJECTIVE: Painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC) and recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI) are clinically challenging conditions to manage in patients. We evaluate the clinical use of intravesical sodium hyaluronate (Cystistat®) in both these patient groups who have completed treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients with recurrent UTIs (Group I) and 8 patients with PBS/IC (Group II) received intravesical sodium hyaluronate (Cystistat®). Preinstallation demographic parameters were statically comparable in both groups. The mean age of presentation was 54.6 years in Group I and 57.5 years in Group II (p = 0.9). All 13 patients in Group I were on low dose antibiotics. The mean number of installations completed in both groups was 9 (range 4-21). RESULTS: Data was collected prospectively using a standard pre- and post-treatment questioner with the pelvic pain and urinary/frequency patient symptom scale. At a mean follow-up of 21 months a significant improvement in bladder pain (p = 0.05), daytime frequency (p = 0.03) and quality of life (p = 0.02) was noted in patients in Group I. Two patients had breakthrough UTIs during treatment. Within Group I, 7 (53%) patients responded well to treatment. Patients in Group II had a significant improvement in bladder pain (p = 0.02), urgency (p = 0.01), nocturia (p = 0.01) and quality of life (p = 0.04). Within Group II, 6 patients (75%) responded to treatment. CONCLUSION: Intravesical sodium hyaluronate (Cystistat®) can be used with minimal side effects and good compliance in both groups of patients with PBS and recurrent UTIs. Longer follow-up and larger patient numbers in both groups will be required to confirm the long-term efficacy of these two clinically challenging groups of patients.