Association between adopting emergency department crowding interventions and emergency departments' core performance measures.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the association between adopting emergency department (ED) crowding interventions and emergency departments' core performance measures. METHODS: We analyzed the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) data from 2007 to 2015. The outcome variables are ED length of stay for discharged and admitted patients, boarding time, wait time and percentage of patients who left ED before being seen (LWBS). The independent variables are whether or not a hospital adopted each of the 20 crowding interventions. Controlling for patient-level, hospital level and temporal confounders we analyze and report results using multivariable logit model. RESULTS: Between 2007 and 2015, NHAMCS collected data for 269,721 ED visit encounters, representing a nationwide of about 1.18 billion separate ED visits. Of 20 crowding interventions we tested, using adopting bedside registration (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.75-0.98, P < .05), electronic dashboard (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.76-0.98, P < .05), kiosk check-in technology (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.41-0.83, P < .001), physician based triage (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.73-0.99, P < .05) full capacity protocol (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.79-0.99, P < .05) are associated with decrease in the odds of prolonged wait time. Adopting kiosk check-in (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.35-0.85, P < .05) is associated with a decrease in the odds of prolonged boarding time. Using wireless communication devices (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.57-0.97, P < .05), bedside registration (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.64-0.094, P < .05) and pooled nursing (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.72-0.98, P < .05) are associated with decrease in the odds of a patient LWBS. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of interventions did not significantly associated with ED' core performance measures.

Reliability, validity and measurement invariance of the Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire (SMAQ) among HIV-positive women in Ethiopia: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy is critical to the achievement of the third target of the UNAIDS Fast-Track Initiative goals of 2020-2030. Reliable, valid and accurate measurement of adherence are important for correct assessment of adherence and in predicting the efficacy of ART. The Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire is a six-item scale which assesses the perception of persons living with HIV about their adherence to ART. Despite recent widespread use, its measurement properties have yet to be carefully documented beyond the original study in Spain. The objective of this paper was to conduct internal consistency reliability, concurrent validity and measurement invariance tests for the SMAQ. METHODS: HIV-positive women who were receiving ART services from 51 service providers in two sub-cities of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia completed the SMAQ in a HIV treatment referral network study between 2011 and 2012. Two cross-sections of 402 and 524 female patients of reproductive age, respectively, from the two sub-cities were randomly selected and interviewed at baseline and follow-up. We used Cronbach's coefficient alpha (α) to assess internal consistency reliability, Pearson product-moment correlation (r) to assess concurrent validity and multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis to analyze factorial structure and measurement invariance of the SMAQ. RESULTS: All participants were female with a mean age of 33; median: 34 years; range 18-45 years. Cronbach's alphas for the six items of the SMAQ were 0.66, 0.68, 0.75 and 0.75 for T1 control, T1 intervention, T2 control, and T2 intervention groups, respectively. Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.78, 0.49, 0.52, 0.48, 0.76 and 0.80 for items 1 to 6, respectively, between T1 compared to T2. We found invariance for factor loadings, observed item intercepts and factor variances, also known as strong measurement invariance, when we compared latent adherence levels between and across patient-groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the six-item SMAQ scale has adequate reliability and validity indices for this sample, in addition to being invariant across comparison groups. The findings of this study strengthen the evidence in support of the increasing use of SMAQ by interventionists and researchers to examine, pool and compare adherence scores across groups and time periods.

Associations between low literacy and health status measures: cross-sectional analyses of two physical activity trials.

Arthritis researchers have thoroughly documented a powerful relationship between years of education and health outcomes, but they have not documented the role of literacy. The authors examined the associations between literacy and arthritis health status measures. Participants were recruited from southeastern urban and rural areas. Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, which provides an estimate of reading level in less than 3 minutes, was administered to 447 participants at baseline in 2 community-based randomized controlled trials of lifestyle interventions designed for aging sedentary adults with arthritis. Those who read below ninth grade were considered to have low literacy. Among the 447 study participants, the median sample age was 69 years. A majority of the participants were women (86%), Caucasian (80%), overweight or obese (72%). Of all participants, 20% had low literacy. Significantly more African Americans (54%) than Caucasians (12%) had low literacy levels (p < .001). Individuals with low literacy did not have significantly worse disability or arthritis symptoms than individuals with adequate literacy (all ps > .05). Among our study participants, 1 in 5 had low literacy, but literacy was not associated with health status in this population.

Couple communication and contraception use in urban Senegal.

OBJECTIVES: Couple communication about family planning has been shown to increase uptake of contraception. However, couple communication is often measured based solely on one partner's report of communication. This research investigates the influence of couple-reported communication about family planning on current and future use of contraception using couple-level data. METHODS: We used baseline data from the Measurement, Learning, and Evaluation (MLE) project collected through household surveys in 2011 from a cross-sectional representative sample of women and men in urban Senegal to conduct secondary data analysis. We used multivariable logit models to estimate the average marginal effects of couple communication about family planning on current contraception use and future intention to use contraception. RESULTS: Couple communication about family planning reported by both partners was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of current use of contraception and with future intention to use contraception among non-contracepting couples. Couples where one partner reported discussing family planning had a 25% point greater likelihood of current contraception use than couples where neither partner reported discussing, while couples where both partners reported discussing family planning had a 56% point greater likelihood of current contraception use, representing more than twice the effect size. Among couples not using contraception, couples where one partner reported discussing family planning had a 15% point greater likelihood of future intention to use contraception than couples where neither partner reported discussing, while couples where both partners reported discussing family planning had a 38% point greater likelihood of future intention to use contraception. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the importance of the inclusion of both partners in family planning programs to increase communication about contraception and highlight the need for future research using couple-level data, measures, and analysis.

What is full capacity protocol, and how is it implemented successfully?

BACKGROUND: Full capacity protocol (FCP) is an internationally recognized intervention designed to address emergency department (ED) crowding. Despite FCP international recognition and positive effects on hospital performance measures, many hospitals, even the most crowded ones, have not implemented FCP. We conducted this study to identify the core components of FCP, explore the key barriers and facilitators associated with the FCP implementation, and provide practical recommendations on how to overcome those barriers. METHODS: To identify the core components of FCP, we used a non-experimental approach. We conducted semi-structured interviews with key informants (e.g., division chiefs, medical directors) involved in the implementation of FCP. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to guide data collection and analysis. We used a template analysis approach to determine the relevance of the CFIR constructs to implementing the FCP. We analyzed the responses to the interview questions about FCP definition and FCP key principles, compared different hospitals' FCP official documents, and consulted with the original FCP developer. We then used an adaptation framework to categorize the core components of FCP into three main groups. Finally, we summarized practical recommendations for each barrier based on information provided by the interviewees. RESULTS: A total of 32 interviews were conducted. We observed that FCP has evolved from the idea of transferring boarded patients from ED hallways to inpatient hallways to a practical hospital-wide intervention with several components and multiple levels. The key determinant of successful FCP implementation was collaboration with inpatient nursing staff, as they were often reluctant to have patients boarded in inpatient hallways. Other determinants of successful FCP implementation were reaching consensus about the criteria for activation of each FCP level and actions in each FCP level, modifying the electronic health records system, restructuring the inpatient units to have adequate staffing and resources, complying with external regulations and policies such as fire marshal guidelines, and gaining hospital leaders' support. CONCLUSIONS: The key determinant in implementing FCP is creating a supportive and cooperative hospital culture and encouraging key stakeholders, including inpatient nursing staff, to acknowledge that crowding is a hospital-wide problem that requires a hospital-wide response.

Organizational network strengthening effects on antiretroviral therapy initiation and adherence.

The WHO recommends antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation immediately after HIV diagnosis. When HIV services are fragmented and poorly coordinated, initiation of ART can be delayed. MEASURE Evaluation conducted an organizational network intervention in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which increased referral network density and client satisfaction in the intervention versus control networks. The objective of our study was to extend the parent study by assessing effects of network density on the speed of ART initiation and adherence to ART. Measures of client-time since HIV diagnosis, use of ART, satisfaction with HIV-related services, and adherence were obtained from cross-sectional interviews with female service recipients with HIV/AIDS at baseline (T1, 402) and at 18-month follow-up (T2, 524) and compared between network sites. We used weighted least squares estimation with probit regression techniques in a structural equation modeling framework for analyses. On average at follow-up, clients in the intervention network were more likely to have quicker ART initiation, and were initiated on ART 15 days faster than clients in the control network. Moreover, quicker ART initiation was associated with higher adherence. A unit increase in speed of ART initiation was associated with 0.5 points increase in latent adherence score in the intervention group (p < .05). Satisfaction with care positively predicted adherence to ART. Network density had no direct effect on ART adherence. This quasi-experiment demonstrated that increased referral network density, through improved HIV client referrals, can enhance speed of ART initiation, resulting in improved adherence.

Managing healthcare services in the global marketplace.

The world is getting "flatter"; people, information, technology, and ideas are increasingly crossing national borders. U.S. healthcare is not immune from the forces of globalization. Competition from medical tourism and the rapid growth in the number of undocumented aliens requiring care represent just two challenges healthcare organizations face. An international workforce requires leaders to confront the legal, financial, and ethical implications of using foreign-trained personnel. Cross-border institutional arrangements are emerging, drawing players motivated by social responsibility, globalization of competitors, growth opportunities, or an awareness of vulnerability to the forces of globalization. Forward-thinking healthcare leaders will begin to identify global strategies that address global pressures, explore the opportunities, and take practical steps to prepare for a flatter world.

Use of mental health services after hurricane Floyd in North Carolina.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of a natural disaster, Hurricane Floyd, on the use of mental health services in a Medicaid population in North Carolina. METHODS: Difference-in-differences techniques were used to determine month-by-month and 12-month postevent average effects of the hurricane on the use of mental health services at the county level. The exposure group was drawn from 14 severely affected counties, and the control group was drawn from 56 unaffected counties. Data were analyzed from July 1998 (14 months before the hurricane) to September 2000 (12 months after the hurricane). RESULTS: The number of per-enrollee per-month outpatient visits to psychologists or licensed clinical social workers and the number of outpatient visits to non-mental health specialists showed a statistically significant increase over the 12-month postevent period, whereas the number of inpatient admissions for behavioral health reasons decreased. Dollars spent on antianxiety medication per enrollee per month showed a statistically significant decrease. CONCLUSIONS: The aftermath of Hurricane Floyd was associated with significantly greater use of mental health services in the Medicaid community in North Carolina for a few services. However, it is unclear whether changes in utilization patterns were due to the greater demand for services or to the availability of other services that may have served as substitutes. The results of this study underscore the importance of planning for service implementation and delivery after similar events in other states.

Effect of village midwife program on contraceptive prevalence and method choice in Indonesia.

Indonesia established its Village Midwife Program in 1989 to combat high rates of maternal mortality. The program's goals were to address gaps in access to reproductive health care for rural women, increase access to and use of family planning services, and broaden the mix of available contraceptive methods. In this study, we use longitudinal data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey to examine the program's effect on contraceptive practice. We find that the program did not affect overall contraceptive prevalence but did affect method choice. Over time, for women using contraceptives, midwives were associated with increased odds of injectable contraceptive use and decreased odds of oral contraceptive and implant use. Although the Indonesian government had hoped that the Village Midwife Program would channel women into using longer-lasting methods, the women's "switching behavior" indicates that the program succeeded in providing additional outlets for and promoting the use of injectable contraceptives.

The role of helplessness, outcome expectation for exercise and literacy in predicting disability and symptoms in older adults with arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of outcome expectation for exercise (OEE), helplessness, and literacy on arthritis outcomes in 2 community-based lifestyle randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in urban and rural communities with older adults with arthritis. METHODS: Data from 391 participants in 2 RCTs were combined to examine associations of 2 psychosocial variables: helplessness and OEE, and literacy with arthritis outcomes. Arthritis outcomes namely, the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and arthritis symptoms pain, fatigue and stiffness Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), were measured at baseline and at the end of the interventions. Complete baseline and post-intervention data were analyzed using STATA version 9. RESULTS: Disability after intervention was not predicted by helplessness, literacy, or OEE in the adjusted model. Arthritis symptoms after the intervention were all significantly predicted by helplessness at various magnitudes in adjusted models, but OEE and literacy were not significant predictors. CONCLUSION: When literacy, helplessness, and OEE were examined as predictors of arthritis outcomes in intervention trials, they did not predict disability. However, helplessness predicted symptoms of pain, fatigue, and stiffness, but literacy did not predict symptoms. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Future sustainable interventions may include self-management components that address decreasing helplessness to improve arthritis outcomes.

Practice based education to improve delivery systems for prevention in primary care: randomised trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of an intervention that combined continuing medical education with process improvement methods to implement "office systems" to improve the delivery of preventive care to children. DESIGN: Randomised trial in primary care practices. SETTING: Private paediatric and family practices in two areas of North Carolina. PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of 44 practices allocated to intervention and control groups. INTERVENTION: Practice based continuing medical education in which project staff coached practice staff in reviewing performance and identifying, testing, and implementing new care processes (such as chart screening) to improve delivery of preventive care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Change over time in the proportion of children aged 24-30 months who received age appropriate care for four preventive services (immunisations, and screening for tuberculosis, anaemia, and lead). RESULTS: The proportion of children per practice with age appropriate delivery of all four preventive services changed, after a one year period of implementation, from 7% to 34% in intervention practices and from 9% to 10% in control practices. After adjustment for baseline differences in the groups, the change in the prevalence of all four services between the beginning and the end of the study was 4.6-fold greater (95% confidence interval 1.6 to 13.2) in intervention practices. Thirty months after baseline, the proportion of children who were up to date with preventive services was higher in intervention than in control practices; results for screening for tuberculosis (54% v 32%), lead (68% v 30%), and anaemia (79% v 71%) were statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Continuing education combined with process improvement methods is effective in increasing rates of delivery of preventive care to children.