Muscle, Health and Costs: A Glance at their Relationship.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between muscle parameters (mass, strength, physical performance) and activities of daily living (ADL), quality of life (QoL), and health care costs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional Maastricht Sarcopenia Study (MaSS). SETTING: Community-dwelling, assisted-living, residential living facility. PARTICIPANTS: 227 adults aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Muscle mass, hand grip strength and physical performance were assessed by bio-electrical impedance, JAMAR dynamometer and the Short Physical Performance Battery, respectively. Health outcomes were measured by the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (disability in ADL) and the EQ-5D-5L (QoL). Health care costs were calculated based on health care use in the past three months. RESULTS: Muscle strength and physical performance showed a strong correlation with ADL, QoL, and health care costs (P<.01); for muscle mass no significant correlations were observed. Regression analyses showed that higher gait speed (OR 0.06, 95%CI 0.01-0.55) was associated with a lower probability of ADL disability. Furthermore, slower chair stand (OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.08-1.42), and more comorbidities (OR 1.58, 95%CI 1.23-2.02) were explanatory factors for higher ADL disability. Explanatory factors for QoL and costs were: more disability in ADL (OR 1.26, 95%CI 1.12-1.41 for QoL; B = 0.09, P<.01 for costs) and more comorbidities (OR 1.44, 95%CI 1.14-1.82 for QoL; B = 0.35, P<.01 for costs). CONCLUSION: Lower gait speed and chair stand were potential drivers of disability in ADL. Disability in ADL and comorbidities were associated with QoL and health care costs in community-dwelling older adults. Improving physical performance may be a valuable target for future intervention and research to impact health burden and costs.

Cost analysis of one of the first outpatient wound clinics in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: To perform, from an insurance perspective, a cost analysis of one of the outpatient community wound care clinics in the Netherlands, the Knowledge Centre in Wound Care (KCWC) at Venray. METHOD: This study involved a cost analysis based on an observational cohort study with a one-year pre-admission and a one-year post-admission comparison of costs. Patients were included when they first consulted the outpatient wound care clinic. Participants were all insured by the same health insurance company, Coöperatie Volksgezondheidszorg (VGZ). A standard six-step procedure for performing cost studies was used to calculate the costs. Given the skewed cost data, non-parametric bootstrapping was used to test for statistical differences. RESULTS: There were 172 patients included in this study. The difference in costs related to wound care between the year before and the year after initial admission to the wound clinic amounted to an average reduction of €2621 (£1873) per patient in the base case analysis. The categories 'general practitioner', 'hospital care', 'mental health care' and 'transport' scored lower, indicating lower costs, in the year after admission to the wound clinic. CONCLUSION: In this study, only the reimbursement data of patients of one health insurance company, and specifically only those made under the 2006 Dutch Health Insurance Act, were available. Because of the observational design, definitive conclusions cannot be made regarding a demonstrated reduction of costs in the year post admission. Nevertheless, this study is a first attempt of a cost analysis of an equipped outpatient wound clinic as an innovative way of responding to the increasing number of chronic wounds in the Netherlands. The calculations show that savings in wound care are possible. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: A possible conflict of interest should be mentioned. First author AALM Rondas, PhD student at Maastricht University, is working at the KCWC wound clinic at Venray in the Netherlands as a physician. However, the research data were provided externally by Coöperatie Volksgezondheidszorg (VGZ) and checked by the academic co-authors, none of whom have a conflict of interest. The authors have no financial or commercial interest to declare.

Retrospective study of pressure ulcer prevalence in Dutch general hospitals since 2001.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether factors such as patient characteristics, pressure ulcer (PU) prevention strategies and the structural quality indicators used by institutions and wards can explain an apparent decline in PU prevalence from 2001 to 2008. METHOD: The Dutch National Prevalence Survey of Care Problems (known as LPZ) database from 2001 to 2008 was used to explore differences in patient characteristics, PU prevention strategies and structural quality indicators used by institutions and wards between two periods, 2001-2004 (PU as an internal health-care quality indicator) and 2005-2008 (PU as an external health-care quality indicator). RESULTS: Compared with 2001-2004, fewer participants with CVA /hemiparesis (OR 0.485), infectious diseases (OR 0.861), surgery lasting >2 hours (OR 0.637), at-risk Braden scale scores (OR 0.844), and more participants with diabetes mellitus (OR 1.693) were found in the 2005-2008 group. More special beds/mattresses (OR 2.216) and special cushions in wheelchairs (OR 2.277) were used in the 2005- 2008 period, as well as slightly more repositioning, dehydration/malnutrition prevention and PU prevention and treatment information. More institutions had information leaflets (OR 5.894), PU prevention guidelines (OR 4.625), a PU committee (OR 2.503), and a PU-wound care nurse at ward level (OR 2.434) in the 2005-2008 period. CONCLUSION: The decline in PU prevalence at Dutch general hospitals after 2004 may be partly explained by differences in patient characteristics, improved structural quality indicators and a slight improvement in PU prevention. Further research is needed to find evidence of which individual factors can explain the decline in PU prevalence after 2004 and whether any changes in health care policy have impacted on these prevalence rates.

The role of the nurse in community continence care: a systematic review.

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a condition that is associated with decreased quality of life. Apart from this impact on quality of life, UI is also a very costly problem. It is recognised that 'usual care' for patients suffering from UI is not optimal. Specialised nurses can play an important role in the care for community-dwelling incontinent patients, as they have the appropriate interpersonal and technical skills to provide patient-tailored care. This systematic review analyses the effect of treatment by nurses on clinical and economic outcomes. A total of 12 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were found, varying in terms of population, setting, outcome measurement and control/intervention. There is limited evidence that treatment by nurses results in a decrease in incontinence. No evidence was found for cost reduction. Recommendations are made for future studies.

The impact of assessing the prevalence of pressure ulcers on the willingness of health care institutions to plan and implement activities to reduce the prevalence.

BACKGROUND: In 1998, 89 health care institutions (hospitals, nursing homes, residential homes, and community care institutions) participated in the first Dutch National Pressure Ulcer Prevalence Study. AIM: Based on the innovation-decision process for individuals (Rogers 1995), the effect of their participation was investigated at different levels in the institutions [prevalence assessment coordinator, director, ward management (enrolled) nurses, and the pressure ulcer committee]. METHOD: A mail questionnaire was developed and filled out by 54 coordinators of the participating health care institutions. RESULTS: Results showed that according to the coordinators most levels of the institutions were familiar with the results of the prevalence assessment, understood them, and were persuaded that their prevalence rate had to be changed. As a result, almost all of the coordinators of the institutions were planning activities to change pressure ulcer management, while half of the coordinators had already implemented some actions. The main activities planned or implemented were developing or updating the prevention and treatment protocol and educating the (enrolled) nurses. Some institutions were planning or had already implemented the appointment of a nurse specialist or a nurse paying special attention to pressure ulcers. Results showed that the different levels of the institutions took initiatives on different categories of activities. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that participating in the first national prevalence study was a positive experience for the institutions, because agenda-setting took place and most started to plan or implement activities to improve the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers.

Risk assessment scales for pressure ulcers: a theoretical, methodological, and clinical perspective.

Several instruments have been devised to measure risk of developing pressure ulcers. In this article, the value of risk assessment scales is explored and discussed from a theoretical, methodological, and clinical perspective. The first part of the article focuses on the validity of such scales from the first two perspectives. It is argued that currently it is not possible to devise an instrument with perfect content validity because too many factors are involved in the development of pressure ulcers. When establishing predictive validity of a risk assessment instrument, one needs an external criterion to test sensitivity and specificity. This article argues that the external criterion normally used--pressure ulcers that actually develop--is not a good indicator of the risk of developing pressure ulcers, because this criterion is influenced by the use of preventive methods. Therefore, the author suggests using not only the pressure ulcers that actually develop, but also incorporating preventive methods into the external criterion. Despite their limitations, risk assessment scales are recommended. However, to be effective, they should be used within a broader preventive program. Furthermore, using the chance a patient has of developing pressure ulcers, instead of one or two cutoff points, is recommended.

Differences in pain assessment and decisions regarding the administration of analgesics between novices, intermediates and experts in pediatric nursing.

This article describes a study examining the influence of expertise on nurses' pain assessments and decisions regarding pharmacological interventions in children. In an experimental design, novices (n = 271), intermediates (n = 222), and experts (n = 202) in pediatric nursing, various cases were presented. Each case consisted of a combination of a vignette and a video. Subjects were asked (1) to assess the child's pain intensity, (2) to specify their confidence in the assessment, and (3) to state whether or not they would administer a non-narcotic analgesic. The results indicated that expertise did not influence assessments of pain intensity. However, expertise did have a distinct impact on both the subjects' confidence in their decisions, and the decision to administer analgesics. Experienced nurses were most confident and were most inclined to administer analgesics. The findings of this study are placed in the context of a general theory on the development of expertise, which assumes that experts' decision-making is based on cognitive structures that describe features of prototypical or even actual patients, so called "illness scripts". From this theory it can be deduced that mainly practical experience is responsible for the (lack of) differences in decision-making between novices, intermediates and experts.

Factors influencing nurses' pain assessment and interventions in children.

Research is lacking on factors influencing nurses' decision-making directed at the diagnosis of pain in children and its related interventions. This paper reports on two studies, namely a qualitative study and its replication, in which we explored factors influencing nurses' pain assessments and interventions in children. Those factors found to influence nurses' decisions were: medical diagnosis, child's expressions, age, and parents, and the nurses' knowledge, experience, attitude and workload. Some of these factors seem to have more influence than others. For example, the presence of a medical diagnosis seems to legitimate being in pain. Furthermore, it is suggested that mainly vocal expressions, especially crying, influence nurses' decisions to administer analgesics. Finally, nurses' negative views on non-narcotic analgesics were striking. In this paper, the results of both studies and their relationship to information reported in the literature are further elaborated and discussed, and hypotheses on strength and direction of influence of factors on pain assessment and intervention are generated.

[Development of a Dutch instrument for the assessment of pain in children]. / De ontwikkeling van een Nederlands multidimensioneel pijnbeoordelingsinstrument voor kinderen.

The Abu-Saad Pediatric Pain Assessment Tool consists of 30 word descriptors in the sensory, affective and evaluative domains as well as a 10 cm scale that measures present and worst pain experienced by the child. In the first phase of the study an inventory was carried out of pain word descriptors used by hospitalized Dutch children. In the second phase, these word descriptors were given an intensity value on the 10 cm scale by 355 children. An alpha reliability coefficient of 0.83 supported instrument homogeneity. Factor analysis (N - 355) was used to investigate construct validity. A three-factor solution was carried out to evaluate the validity of the three dimensions of pain. Factor 1 consisted of items in the affective and evaluative domains and factors 2 and 3 items from the sensory domain. Ultimately a two-factor solution provided the most intelligible conceptual pattern with the least loss of information. Conceptual composition and discussion of these factors are described and elaborated.

[Factors influencing nurses' pain assessment in children and the choice of pain-relieving interventions]. / Factoren die verpleegkundigen beïnvloeden bij het inschatten van pijn bij kinderen en bij het kiezen van pijnverlichtende interventies.

This article reports on a qualitative study, that explored factors influencing nurses' pain assessment and interventions with children. Although many factors appear to influence decision-making processes, nurses seem to attach more weight to some factors than to others. For example, medical diagnosis and the intensity with which the child expresses its pain are used as determining factors for the decision to administer analgesics. In this article the results of the study, their relationship to information reported in the literature as well as their implications for practice and research are further elaborated and discussed.

Determinants of pain assessment by nurses.

In this replication study pain assessment and patient perception by nurses was studied in relation to patient characteristics and nurse characteristics. Nurses were randomly assigned to one of 24 descriptions of a hypothetical patient of constant age and unspecified sex. The 24 descriptions varied by duration of pain, presence of a physical pathology, diagnosis category, and depression symptoms. Results showed that third- and fourth-year student nurses of a hospital based program, and registered nurses attributed more pain when test results of physical pathology were positive. Third- and fourth-year student nurses also attributed more pain to depressive patients. No differences were found with respect to pain duration and diagnostic category. Nursing experience seems also to be important in pain assessment. First-year student nurses attributed less pain to the hypothetical patient than third- and fourth-year student nurses and registered nurses. In addition they perceived the patient as more positive when physical pathology was present or when no symptoms of depression were present.