A study of validity and usability evidence for non-technical skills assessment tools in simulated adult resuscitation scenarios.

BACKGROUND: Non-technical skills (NTS) assessment tools are widely used to provide formative and summative assessment for healthcare professionals and there are now many of them. This study has examined three different tools designed for similar settings and gathered evidence to test their validity and usability. METHODS: Three NTS assessment tools designed for use in the UK were used by three experienced faculty to review standardized videos of simulated cardiac arrest scenarios: ANTS (Anesthetists' Non-Technical Skills), Oxford NOTECHS (Oxford NOn-TECHnical Skills) and OSCAR (Observational Skill based Clinical Assessment tool for Resuscitation). Internal consistency, interrater reliability and quantitative and qualitative analysis of usability were analyzed for each tool. RESULTS: Internal consistency and interrater reliability (IRR) varied considerably for the three tools across NTS categories and elements. Intraclass correlation scores of three expert raters ranged from poor (task management in ANTS [0.26] and situation awareness (SA) in Oxford NOTECHS [0.34]) to very good (problem solving in Oxford NOTECHS [0.81] and cooperation [0.84] and SA [0.87] in OSCAR). Furthermore, different statistical tests of IRR produced different results for each tool. Quantitative and qualitative examination of usability also revealed challenges in using each tool. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of standardization of NTS assessment tools and training in their use is unhelpful for healthcare educators and students. Educators require ongoing support in the use of NTS assessment tools for the evaluation of individual healthcare professionals or healthcare teams. Summative or high-stakes examinations using NTS assessment tools should be undertaken with at least two assessors to provide consensus scoring. In light of the renewed focus on simulation as an educational tool to support and enhance training recovery in the aftermath of COVID-19, it is even more important that assessment of these vital skills is standardized, simplified and supported with adequate training.

Contributions of synaptic and astrocyte physiology to the anaesthetised encephalogram revealed using a computational model.

BACKGROUND: General anaesthesia is known to enhance inhibitory synaptic transmission to produce characteristic effects on the EEG and reduction in brain metabolism secondary to reduced neuronal activity. Evidence suggests that anaesthesia might have a direct effect on synaptic metabolic processes, and this relates to anaesthesia sensitivity. We explored elements of synaptic transmission looking for possible contributions to the anaesthetised EEG and how it may modulate anaesthesia sensitivity. METHODS: We developed a Hodgkin-Huxley-type neural network computer simulation capable of mimicking anaesthetic prolongation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs), and capable of altering postsynaptic ion homeostasis and neurotransmitter recycling. We examined their interactions on simulated electrocorticography (sECoG), and compared these with published anaesthesia EEG spectra. RESULTS: The sECoG spectra from the model were comparable with published normal awake EEG spectra. Prolongation of IPSP duration in the model caused inhibition of high frequencies and saturation of low frequencies with a peak in keeping with current evidence. IPSP prolongation alone was unable to reproduce alpha rhythms or the generalised increase in EEG power found with anaesthesia. Adding inhibition of postsynaptic ion homeostasis to IPSP prolongation helped retain alpha rhythms, increased sECoG power, and antagonised the slow-wave saturation peak in a dose-dependent fashion that appeared dependent on the postsynaptic membrane potential, providing a plausible mechanism for how metabolic changes can modulate anaesthesia sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Our model suggests how metabolic processes can modulate anaesthesia and produce non-receptor dependent drug sensitivity.

Invasive Electrical Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Painful Diabetic Neuropathy: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Neuromodulation is a treatment option for people suffering from painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) unresponsive to conventional pharmacotherapy. We systematically examined the pain outcomes of patients with PDN receiving any type of invasive neuromodulation for treatment of neuropathic pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MEDLINE and Embase were searched through 10 January 2020, without language restriction. All study types were included. Two reviewers independently screened publications and extracted data. Quantitative meta-analysis was performed with pain scores converted to a standard 100-point scale. Randomized controlled trial (RCT) scores were pooled using the inverse variance method and expressed as mean differences. RESULTS: RCTs of tonic spinal cord stimulation (t-SCS) showed greater pain improvement than best medical therapy at six months (intention-to-treat: 38/100, 95% CI: 29-47). By per-protocol analysis, case series of t-SCS and dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGS) showed improvement by 56 (95% CI: 39-73) and 55 (22-87), respectively, at 12 months. For t-SCS, the rate of failing a therapeutic stimulation trial was 16%, the risk of infection was 4%, and the rate of lead problems requiring surgery to resolve was 4% per year of follow-up. High-frequency SCS and burst SCS both showed efficacy, with few patients studied. CONCLUSION: Efficacious, lasting and safe surgical pain management options are available to diabetic patients suffering from PDN. Tonic-SCS is the established standard of treatment; however, other SCS paradigms and DRGS are emerging as promising treatments offering comparable pain benefits, but with few cases published to date. Randomized controlled trials are ongoing to assess their relative merits.

Depth to the airway lumen at the level of the cricothyroid membrane measured by ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: Knowing the likely depth to the airway before emergency cricothyroidotomy may improve success in cases where it cannot be measured. Our aim was to measure the depth to the airway at the cricothyroid membrane by ultrasound in a large group of adult patients. METHOD: Prospective, observational study in two centres, Oxford and Gloucester. Patients presenting for a large variety of surgical operations were studied. Patients under 18 years; pregnant; critically ill; had a history of neck surgery were not included. Ultrasound examination was performed pre-operatively while participants lay supine with their head and neck extended, with light transducer pressure. We measured depth to the airway lumen in mm; age; weight; height and sex. RESULTS: In total 352 patients were studied. We found that depth to the airway lumen strongly correlated with weight (r = 0.855, P < 0.001) and to a lesser extent body mass index (r = 0.781, P < 0.001). Statistical analysis produced an equation to predict upper 95% CI of depth to the airway from the patient's weight: Depth to the airway lumen in mm = (0.13 × weight in kg) + 0.86. CONCLUSIONS: If ultrasound measurement is not possible before emergency cricothyroidotomy, the clinician could use our results to predict the depth to the airway by using the patient's weight. If the upper 95% CI were used as the depth of incision, it would enter the airway in 39 out of 40 patients of that weight, without damage to posterior structures in those with a shallower airway.

The Importance of the Location of Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulator Electrodes Within the Nerve Root Exit Foramen.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the relationship between the electrical power requirement to achieve pain relief and the position of the active electrode of dorsal root ganglion stimulators within the spinal nerve root exit foramen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of 92 consecutive patients undergoing dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGS) for chronic pain in a single center. Cervical and sacral cases, and failed trials/explanted DRGS were excluded, so we report on 57 patients with 78 implanted leads. Anteroposterior and lateral fluoroscopic images of the lead in the exit foramen were examined, and the active electrode positions were put into categories depending on their location relative to fixed anatomical landmarks. The clinical outcome and the power requirements for each of these groups of electrodes were then analyzed. Overall pain outcome was assessed by numeric pain rating scale score pre-operatively and post-operatively. RESULTS: There was no significant relationship between power requirements and mediolateral electrode position, although the lowest average was observed with electrode positions directly below the center of the pedicle. On lateral x-ray, the lowest power requirements were observed in the electrodes positioned superodorsally or dorsally within the foramen. Importantly, power requirements in this location were consistently low, while the power requirements in other locations were not only higher but also much more variable. Electrodes in the superodorsal position required a median output power almost four times lower than electrodes in other positions (p = 0.002). Clinical outcome was not significantly related to power requirement or foraminal position. CONCLUSION: Aiming for a superodorsal electrode position on lateral intraoperative fluoroscopy is desirable, since siting leads in this location reduces the required stimulator output power very substantially and thus will extend battery life. Position within the foramen does not determine clinical outcome, and so the implanter can safely aim for the low power site without detriment to the analgesic efficacy of the system.

Partnering with Indigenous Elders in primary care improves mental health outcomes of inner-city Indigenous patients: Prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether including Indigenous Elders as part of routine primary care improves depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in Indigenous patients. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with quantitative measures at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months postintervention, along with emergency department (ED) utilization rates before and after the intervention. SETTING: Western Canadian inner-city primary care clinic. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 45 people who were older than age 18, who self-identified as Indigenous, and who had no previous visits with the clinic-based Indigenous Elders program. INTERVENTION: Participants met with an Indigenous Elder as part of individual or group cultural sessions over the 6-month study period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in depressive symptoms, measured with the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire), following Indigenous patients' encounters with Indigenous Elders. Secondary outcomes included changes in suicide risk (measured with the SBQ-R [Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised]) and ED use. RESULTS: Characteristics among those who consented to participate were as follows: 71% were female; mean age was 49 years; 31% had attended residential or Indian day school; and 64% had direct experience in the foster care system. At baseline 28 participants had moderate to severe depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score of ≥ 10). There was a 5-point decrease that was sustained over a 6-month period (P = .001). Fourteen participants had an above-average suicide risk score at baseline (SBQ-R score of ≥ 7), and there was a 2-point decrease in suicide risk that was sustained over a 6-month period (P = .005). For all participants there was a 56% reduction in mental health-related ED visits (80 vs 35) when comparing the 12 months before and after enrolment. CONCLUSION: Encounters with Indigenous Elders, as part of routine primary care, were associated with a clinically and statistically significant reduction in depressive symptoms and suicide risk among Indigenous patients. Emergency department use decreased, which might reduce crisis-oriented mental health care costs. Further expansion and evaluation of the role of Indigenous Elders as part of routine primary care is warranted.

"All my relations": experiences and perceptions of Indigenous patients connecting with Indigenous Elders in an inner city primary care partnership for mental health and well-being.

BACKGROUND: Mental health services in urban settings generally have not been adapted to serve the needs of Indigenous patients. We explored how patients' encounters with Indigenous Elders affected their overall mental health and well-being to identify therapeutic mechanisms underlying improvement. METHODS: We conducted qualitative interviews of participants enrolled in a 6-month prospective mixed-methods evaluation of a program for mental health and well-being that featured the inclusion of Elders in the direct care of Indigenous patients in an inner city primary care clinic. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted to explore patients' experiences and perceptions of their participation in the Elders program. RESULTS: We included 37 participants from at least 20 different First Nations. All but 1 participant described substantial benefits from their encounters with Elders, and none reported being negatively affected. Five overarching themes were identified: experiencing healing after prolonged periods of seeking and desperation; strengthening cultural identity and belonging; developing trust and opening up; coping with losses; and engaging in ceremony and spiritual dimensions of care as a resource for hope. INTERPRETATION: Our evaluation illustrates that the Elders program was perceived by participants to have a broad range of positive impacts on their care and well-being. Although this study was based on experiences at a single urban clinic, these findings support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's calls to action regarding the inclusion of Elders as a strategy to improve care of Indigenous patients in Canadian health care systems.

Burnout among Canadian Psychiatry Residents: A National Survey.

OBJECTIVE: Burnout is a serious problem for health care providers that has implications for clinical practice and personal health. While burnout is known to affect residents, no studies have examined the prevalence or impact of burnout among Canadian psychiatry residents. METHOD: Residents in all Canadian psychiatry training programs were surveyed between May 1, 2014, and July 1, 2014. The survey included a well-validated, single-item measure to assess symptoms of burnout, several demographic questions, and Likert-scale items to assess residents' appraisals of empathic functioning and strategies for coping with stress from patient encounters. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 400 residents, for a response rate of 48%. Twenty-one percent (N = 84) of residents reported symptoms of burnout. Burnout was reported more frequently by residents in postgraduate year 2 than by those in other years and was associated with engagement in personal psychotherapy during residency. No association was found between burnout and age, gender, or location of residency program. Residents who endorsed symptoms of burnout reported higher levels of compromised empathic functioning, were less likely to consult with supervisors about stressful clinical experiences, and were more likely to engage in unhealthy coping strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Symptoms of burnout affect one-fifth of Canadian psychiatry residents. The associations between burnout symptoms and problematic clinical and personal functioning suggest areas of concern for those involved in the training of Canadian psychiatry residents.

Personal Therapy in Psychiatry Residency Training: A National Survey of Canadian Psychiatry Residents.

OBJECTIVE: The authors collected nationally representative data on Canadian residents' experiences with and perspectives on personal psychotherapy in their psychiatric training. METHODS: A 43-item questionnaire was distributed electronically to all current psychiatry residents in Canada (N = 839). RESULTS: Four hundred residents from every program across Canada returned the survey (response rate 47.7%). The prevalence of personal therapy at any time was 55.3%, with 42.8% receiving personal therapy during residency. Of residents who undertook personal psychotherapy, 59.3% engaged in weekly therapy, 74.1% received psychodynamic psychotherapy, and 81.5% participated in long-term therapy (>1 year). Personal growth, self-understanding, and professional development were the most common reasons for engaging in personal therapy; however, one-third of residents did so to alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns. Time was the most important factor impeding residents from personal therapy; only 8.8% found stigma to act as a barrier. The vast majority of residents rated their experience with personal therapy as having a positive or very positive impact on their personal life (84.8%) and overall development as psychiatrists (81.8%). For 64% of respondents, personal therapy had an important or very important role in psychiatry residency training. Residents who received personal therapy rated themselves as better able to understand what happens moment by moment during therapy sessions, detect and deal with patients' emotional reactions, and constructively use their personal reactions to patients. CONCLUSION: Interest in personal therapy remains strong among psychiatry trainees in Canada. Residents who engaged in psychotherapy endorsed greater confidence in psychotherapy and rated their psychotherapy skills more favorably than those who had never been in the patient role, supporting the view of personal therapy as an important adjunct to psychotherapy training during residency.

Psychotherapy in Contemporary Psychiatric Practice.

OBJECTIVE: American data suggest a declining trend in the provision of psychotherapy by psychiatrists. Nevertheless, the extent to which such findings generalize to psychiatric practice in other countries is unclear. We surveyed psychiatrists in British Columbia to examine whether the reported decline in psychotherapy provision extends to the landscape of Canadian psychiatric practice. METHOD: A survey was mailed to the entire population of fully licensed psychiatrists registered in British Columbia (n = 623). The survey consisted of 30 items. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample and psychotherapy practice patterns. Associations between variables were evaluated using nonparametric tests. RESULTS: A total of 423 psychiatrists returned the survey, yielding a response rate of 68%. Overall, 80.9% of psychiatrists (n = 342) reported practicing psychotherapy. A decline in the provision of psychotherapy was not observed; in fact, there was an increase in psychotherapy provision among psychiatrists entering practice in the last 10 years. Individual therapy was the predominant format used by psychiatrists. The most common primary theoretical orientation was psychodynamic (29.9%). Regarding actual practice, supportive psychotherapy was practiced most frequently. Professional time constraints were perceived as the most significant barrier to providing psychotherapy. The majority (85%) of clinicians did not view remuneration as a significant barrier to treating patients with psychotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings challenge the prevailing view that psychotherapy is in decline among psychiatrists. Psychiatrists in British Columbia continue to integrate psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in clinical practice, thus preserving their unique place in the spectrum of mental health services.

Conceptualizing genetic counseling as psychotherapy in the era of genomic medicine.

Discussions about genetic contributions to medical illness have become increasingly commonplace. Physicians and other health-care providers in all quarters of medicine, from oncology to psychiatry, routinely field questions about the genetic basis of the medical conditions they treat. Communication about genetic testing and risk also enter into these conversations, as knowledge about genetics is increasingly expected of all medical specialists. Attendant to this evolving medical landscape is some uncertainty regarding the future of the genetic counseling profession, with the potential for both increases and decreases in demand for genetic counselors being possible outcomes. This emerging uncertainty provides the opportunity to explicitly conceptualize the potentially distinct value and contributions of the genetic counselor over and above education about genetics and risk that may be provided by other health professionals. In this paper we suggest conceptualizing genetic counseling as a highly circumscribed form of psychotherapy in which effective communication of genetic information is a central therapeutic goal. While such an approach is by no means new--in 1979 Seymour Kessler explicitly described genetic counseling as a "kind of psychotherapeutic encounter," an "interaction with a psychotherapeutic potential"--we expand on his view, and provide research evidence in support of our position. We review available evidence from process and outcome studies showing that genetic counseling is a therapeutic encounter that cannot be reduced to one where the counselor performs a simple "conduit for information" function, without losing effectiveness. We then discuss potential barriers that may have impeded greater uptake of a psychotherapeutic model of practice, and close by discussing implications for practice.

Electroconvulsive therapy in patients with deep brain stimulators.

The scope of functional neurosurgery is expanding, and deep brain stimulation (DBS) indications with comorbid depressive disorders that are challenging to manage, such as movement disorders, are common. There is limited research or clinical experience on the safety and efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients with DBS electrodes. We present a case illustrating the challenges when faced with ECT for treatment-resistant depression in the context of preexisting DBS electrodes, and establish a database to collect cases of ECT in DBS patients.

The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) task force recommendations for the management of patients with mood disorders and comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

BACKGROUND: Patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) experience adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at rates substantially greater than the general population. Nonetheless, ADHD frequently goes untreated in this population. METHODS: We reviewed the literature regarding the management of adult ADHD in patients with mood disorders. Because a limited number of studies have been conducted in adults, our treatment recommendations also are partly informed by research in children and adolescents with BD+ADHD or MDD+ADHD, adults with ADHD, and our clinical experience. RESULTS: In individuals with mood disorders, ADHD is best diagnosed when typical symptoms persist during periods of sustained euthymia. Individuals with BD+ADHD, particularly those with bipolar I disorder (BD I), are at risk for mood destabilization with many ADHD treatments, and should be prescribed mood-stabilizing medications before initiating ADHD therapies. Bupropion is a reasonable first-line treatment for BD+ADHD, while mixed amphetamine salts and methylphenidate also may be considered in patients determined to be at low risk for manic switch. Modafinil and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are second-line choices. In patients with MDD+ADHD and moderate to severe depression, MDD should be the treatment priority, whereas in mildly depressed or euthymic patients the order may be reversed. First-line treatments for MDD+ADHD include bupropion, an antidepressant plus a long-acting stimulant, or an antidepressant plus CBT. Desipramine, nortriptyline, and venlafaxine are second-line options. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should be vigilant in screening for comorbid ADHD in mood disorder patients. ADHD symptoms can respond to appropriately chosen treatments.

Promising psychotherapies for personality disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a narrative review of recent research on the psychotherapeutic treatment of patients with personality disorders (PDs). METHOD: We conducted PubMed and PsycINFO searches of recently published articles that reported on the treatment outcomes of psychotherapies for PDs. Our focus was on studies that used randomized controlled trial (RCT) methodology. The search period was from January 2006 to June 2009. RESULTS: The effectiveness of various psychotherapy treatment packages for PDs is well supported by favourable results from RCTs. Beneficial effects of psychotherapy included reduced symptomatology, improved social and interpersonal functioning, reduced frequency of maladaptive behaviours, and decreased hospitalization. Equivalent effects among the interventions we compared were common. Many of the treatments studied required only limited training by therapists. Most studies were focused on treating patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Some findings were suggestive of psychotherapy being cost-effective; however, few studies actually included formal cost analyses. Only one study included follow-up of treated patients beyond 1-year posttreatment. CONCLUSIONS: There is strong support for the use of psychotherapy to treat patients with PDs. However, most of the evidence is limited to BPD. The findings of recent studies hold promise for training and practice. Future research should attend to identification of appropriate patient-treatment matches, elucidation of active treatment ingredients, and illumination of factors that are common among treatments that account for their equivalent effects.

Using probabilistic patient flow modelling helps generate individualised intensive care unit operational predictions and improved understanding of current organisational behaviours.

PURPOSE: We sought a bespoke, stochastic model for our specific, and complex ICU to understand its organisational behaviour and how best to focus our resources in order to optimise our intensive care unit's function. METHODS: Using 12 months of ICU data from 2017, we simulated different referral rates to find the threshold between occupancy and failed admissions and unsafe days. We also modelled the outcomes of four change options. RESULTS: Ninety-two percent bed occupancy is our threshold between practical unit function and optimal resource use. All change options reduced occupancy, and less predictably unsafe days and failed admissions. They were ranked by magnitude and direction of change. CONCLUSIONS: This approach goes one step further from past models by examining efficiency limits first, and then allowing change options to be quantitatively compared. The model can be adapted by any intensive care unit in order to predict optimal strategies for improving ICU efficiency.