Evaluating the effect of Family Integrated Care on maternal stress and anxiety in neonatal intensive care units.

Objective: To identify how Family Integrated Care (FICare) affected maternal stress and anxiety. Study Design: This secondary analysis of the FICare cluster randomised controlled trial included infants born between 1 April 2013 and 31 August 2015 at ≤33 weeks' gestation. Mothers completed the PSS:NICU and STAI questionnaires at enrolment and study day 21. Results: 1383 mothers completed the surveys at one or both time-points. The mean PSS:NICU and STAI scores at day 21 were significantly lower in the FICare mothers than controls (PSS:NICU mean [standard deviation] FICare 2.32 [0.75], control 2.48 [0.78], p = 0.0005; STAI FICare 70.8 [20.0], control 74.2 [19.6], p = 0.0004). The sights and sounds, looks and behaviour, and parental role PSS:NICU subscales and the state and trait STAI subscales were all significantly different between FIC are and controls at day 21. The magnitude of change in all stress and anxiety subscales was greater in the FICare group than controls. These differences remained significant after adjustment for confounders with the greatest change in the parental role (least-squares mean [95% confidence interval] FICare -0.65 [-0.72, 0.57], control -0.31 [-0.38, -0.24], p < 0.0001) and state anxiety subscales. Conclusion: FICare is effective at reducing NICU-related maternal stress and anxiety.

Drawing on emotions: the evolving role of art therapy.

Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media to improve well-being. This article explores the history and development of art therapy, from the first description of art therapy in the 1940s, to the two main approaches still in use today. The benefits of art therapy with regard to its delivery, patient population, and cost are then broadly discussed. The use of art therapy in psychiatric conditions, specifically in schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like conditions, is highlighted, as well as its role in chronic and physical conditions like asthma and cancer. Furthermore, the potential for art therapy to be more broadly implemented using technological novelties, such as virtual reality, is considered, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transition to telehealth : Engaging medical students in telemedicine healthcare delivery.

In recent years, telemedicine has been increasingly incorporated into medical practice, a process which has now been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As telemedicine continues to progress, it is necessary for medical institutions to incorporate telemedicine into their curricula, and to provide students with the necessary skills and experience to effectively carry out telemedicine consultations. The purposes of this study are to review the involvement of medical students with telemedicine and to determine both the benefits and the challenges experienced. A literature review on the MEDLINE; CINAHL Plus; APA PsychInfo; Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts; and Health Business Elite databases was performed on September 7, 2020, yielding 561 results. 33 manuscripts were analysed, with the main benefits and challenges experienced by medical students summarized. In addition to increasing their understanding of the importance of telemedicine and the acquisition of telemedicine-specific skills, students may use telemedicine to act as a valuable workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges that students face, such as discomfort with carrying out telemedicine consults and building rapport with patients, may be addressed through the incorporation of telemedicine teaching into the medical curricula through experiential learning. However, other more systemic challenges, such as technical difficulties and cost, need to be examined for the full benefits of telemedicine to be realized. Telemedicine is here to stay and has proven its worth during the COVID-19 pandemic, with medical students embracing its potential in assisting in medical clinics, simulation of clinical placements, and online classrooms.