Integration of a dental hygienist into the interprofessional long-term care team.

BACKGROUND: To address poor oral health of residents in long-term care homes (LTCH), this study explored the process of integrating an educational resource and a dental hygienist on the interprofessional care team. METHODS: This convergent mixed-methods study took place at a 472-bed LTCH in Toronto, Canada from February to August 2018. Nurses employed at the LTCH participated in the study. During the study period, a dental hygienist was integrated into an interprofessional LTCH team. Nurses completed an online eLearning module about using the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) when referring residents' oral health concerns to a. Pre/post knowledge quizzes, module feedback and satisfaction surveys were administered. A retrospective chart review examined OHAT use and compared nurse and dental hygienist oral health assessments. Two cycles of semi-structured interviews with five nurses explored experiences with the eLearning module, OHAT and integration of the dental hygienist into the team. RESULTS: Nurses scored well on the knowledge quizzes and reported comfort in using the OHAT to refer oral concerns to a dental hygienist; however, actual use was minimal. oral health issues were under-reported by nurses on the Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set (RAI-MDS); the dental hygienist reported significantly more debris, teeth lost and carious teeth (all P < 0.0001). Qualitative analysis indicated that the nurses valued dental hygienist integration into the team. Using knowledge mobilisation practices, a new oral health referral tool was developed. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the feasibility and desirability of an oral health eLearning module, practical assessment tools and participation of a dental hygienist on the LTCH interprofessional care team.

Attitudes of Canadian stroke physicians regarding palliative care for patients with acute severe stroke: A national survey.

BACKGROUND: Palliative care (PC) aims to enhance the quality of life for patients and their families when confronted with serious illness.  As stroke continues to inflict high morbidity and mortality, the integration of palliative care within acute stroke care remains an important aspect of quality inpatient care. AIM: This study aims to investigate the experiences and perceived barriers of PC integration for patients with acute severe stroke in Canadian stroke physicians. METHODS: We conducted an anonymous, descriptive, cross-sectional web-based self-administered survey of stroke physicians in Canada who engage in acute severe stroke care. The questionnaire contained three sections related to stroke physician characteristics, practice attributes, and opinions about palliative care.  Descriptive statistics, univariate, and regression analysis were performed to ascertain relations between collected variables. RESULTS: Of the 132 physician associate members, 120 were surveyed with a response rate of 69 (58%). Stroke physicians reported that PC services were consulted "sometimes" and that PC services were consulted rarely for prognostication and more often for end-of-life care which they agreed was better delivered off the stroke unit. Several barriers for early integration of palliative care services were identified including uncertainty in prognosis. Stroke physicians endorsed education of both families and physicians would be beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: There remain perceived barriers for integration of palliative care within the acute stroke population. Challenges include consultation of PC services, uncertainty around patient prognosis, engagement, and educational barriers. There are opportunities for further integration and collaboration between palliative care physicians and stroke physicians.

Routinized Syphilis Screening Among Men Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: We implemented an opt-out clinic-based intervention pairing syphilis tests with routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load testing. The primary objective was to determine the degree to which this intervention increased the detection of early syphilis. METHODS: The Enhanced Syphilis Screening Among HIV-Positive Men (ESSAHM) Trial was a stepped wedge cluster-randomized controlled trial involving 4 urban HIV clinics in Ontario, Canada, from 2015 to 2017. The population was HIV-positive adult males. The intervention was standing orders for syphilis serological testing with viral loads, and control was usual practice. We obtained test results via linkage with the centralized provincial laboratory and defined cases using a standardized clinical worksheet and medical record review. We employed a generalized linear mixed model with a logit link to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the intervention. RESULTS: A total of 3895 men were followed over 7471 person-years. The mean number of syphilis tests increased from 0.53 to 2.02 tests per person per year. There were 217 new diagnoses of syphilis (control, 81; intervention, 136), for which 147 (68%) were cases of early syphilis (control, 61 [75%]; intervention, 86 [63%]). The annualized proportion with newly detected early syphilis increased from 0.009 to 0.032 with implementation of the intervention; the corresponding time-adjusted OR was 1.25 (95% CI, .71-2.20). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of standing orders for syphilis testing with HIV viral loads was feasible and increased testing, yet produced less-than-expected increases in case detection compared to past uncontrolled pre-post trials. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT02019043.

Couplelinks online intervention for young couples facing breast cancer: A randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Young women with breast cancer and their partners are more distressed than couples who are affected later in life. While dyadic interventions in the context of cancer are promising, there are access barriers, particularly for younger couples. This study evaluated Couplelinks, a professionally facilitated, web-based program designed to help couples improve their conjoint coping. METHOD: This randomised controlled trial employed a waitlist control evaluation of the program. Outcomes included dyadic coping, relationship adjustment, depression, and anxiety. RESULTS: Seventy-five couples consented to participate and were randomised. The final analysis included 31 couples in the treatment group and 36 couples in the waitlist group. Modest improvements were found in positive dyadic coping but effects were not maintained at 3-month follow-up. No effect was seen on overall relationship adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings inform the rapidly expanding field of online programming for couples in general, and those affected by BC in particular. Intervention timing, 'dose', low overall relational distress, and the mainly enrichment rather than problem-focus of Couplelinks may help explain the lack of change on relationship adjustment.

Therapeutic Touch in the Management of Responsive Behaviors in Patients with Dementia.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the use of therapeutic touch (TT) in the management of responsive behaviors in patients with dementia. METHODS: A randomized, double-blinded control trial was used to compare response to TT in a population with responsive behaviors in dementia, in 3 phases, pretreatment, treatment, and posttreatment each lasting 5 days. The participants were divided into three groups: experimental, placebo, and control. The experimental group received regular TT, the placebo group received mimic TT, and the control group received regular routine care. Behavior was observed and recorded by trained research assistants every 20 min during the study time throughout each of the phases. Modified Agitated Behavior Rating Scale (ABRS) and Revised Memory and Behavior Check (RMBC) scores were used to assess the behavioral symptoms of dementia throughout the study. RESULTS: All groups had decreasing RMBC scores during the pretreatment period, however; the experimental TT group was the only group whose RMBC scores continued to decrease during the treatment period. All groups had a similar pattern of rates of change in ABRS scores over the 15-day period, with no differential pattern of results related to experimental TT. CONCLUSION: Despite limited evidence, TT should be explored as an adjunctive therapy for reducing behavioral symptoms in individuals with dementia. Further research is needed to determine the effects of TT on responsive behaviors in dementia. There is a need for studies with larger sample sizes, equal distribution of participants between groups (in terms of dementia stages), and longer post study follow-ups.

Initiation and maintenance of behaviour change to support memory and brain health in older adults: A randomized controlled trial.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02087137.

Benzodiazepine Use and Morbidity-Mortality Outcomes in a Geriatric Palliative Care Unit: A Retrospective Review.

INTRODUCTION: Patients often experience delirium at the end of life. Benzodiazepine use may be associated with an increased risk of developing delirium. Alternate medications used in conjunction with benzodiazepines may serve as an independent precipitant of delirium. The aim is to understand the role of benzodiazepines in precipitating delirium and advanced mortality in palliative care population at the end of life. METHODS: A retrospective medical chart review was conducted at a hospice and palliative care inpatient unit between the periods of June 2017-December 2017 and October 2017-November 2018. It included patients in hospice and palliative care inpatient units who received a benzodiazepine and those who did not. Patient characteristics, as well as Palliative Performance Scale score, diagnosis, and occurrence of admission, terminal, and/or recurrent delirium, were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Use of a benzodiazepine was not significantly associated with overall mortality nor cause-specific death without terminal delirium rate. However, it was significantly associated with higher cause-specific death with terminal delirium rate and a higher recurrent delirium rate. DISCUSSION: This retrospective chart review suggests an association between benzodiazepine use and specific states of delirium and cause-specific death. However, it does not provide strong evidence on the use of this drug, especially at the end of life, as it pertains to the overall mortality rate. Suggested is a contextual approach to the use of benzodiazepines and the need to consider Palliative Performance Scale score and goals of care in the administration of this drug at varying periods during patient length of stay.

Existing semantic knowledge provides a schematic scaffold for inference in early cognitive decline, but not in amnestic MCI.

Healthy older adults show impaired relational learning, but improved transitive expression when inferences are made across pre-experimentally known premise relations. Here, we used the transitivity paradigm to ask whether the organizational structure within schemas facilitates the bridging of relations for novel inference for otherwise healthy older adults who are exhibiting early signs of cognitive decline ("at-risk" older adults), and individuals with single- or multiple-domain amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Relational learning was impaired in the two older adult groups, but transitive expression was facilitated by prior semantic knowledge of relations. Prior semantic knowledge did not improve novel inference for aMCI individuals. Schematic scaffolding can successfully support inference in preclinical cognitive decline, but such cognitive support may no longer be useful later in the disease process when dysfunction in neural circuitry may be too severe. The findings encourage future work of semantic knowledge and inference in larger samples of aMCI cases.

Early integration of palliative care in a long-term care home: A telemedicine feasibility pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Palliative care plays an essential role in enhancing the quality of life and quality of death for residents in long-term care homes (LTCHs). Access to palliative care specialists is one barrier to providing palliative care to LTCHs. This project focused on palliative telemedicine, specifically evaluating whether integration of early palliative care specialist consultation into an LTCH would be feasible through the implementation of videoconferencing during routine interdisciplinary care conferences. METHOD: This was a mixed-methods evaluation of a pilot program implementation over 6 months, to integrate early palliative care into an LTCH. There were two pilot communities with a total of 61 residents. Resident demographics were collected by a chart review, and palliative telemedicine feasibility was evaluated using staff and family member surveys. RESULTS: For the 61 residents, the average age of the residents was 87 years, with 61% being female and 69% having dementia as the primary diagnosis. The mean CHESS (Change in Health, End-Stage Disease, Signs, and Symptoms) and ADL (Activities of Daily Living) scores were 0.8 and 4.0, respectively, with 54% having a Palliative Performance Scale score of 40. Seventeen clinical staff surveys on palliative teleconferences were completed with the majority rating their experience as high. Ten out of the 20 family members completed the palliative teleconference surveys, and the majority were generally satisfied with the experience and were willing to use it again. Clinical staff confidence in delivering palliative care through telemedicine significantly increased (P = 0.0021). SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: The results support the feasibility of videoconferencing as a means of palliative care provision. Despite technical issues, most clinical staff and families were satisfied with the videoconference and were willing to use it again. Early integration of palliative care specialist services into an LTCH through videoconferencing also led to improved self-rated confidence in the palliative approach to care by clinical staff.

Correction: Number of Psychosocial Strengths Predicts Reduced HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors Above and Beyond Syndemic Problems Among Gay and Bisexual Men.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. In the section, "Data Collection Procedure", the last sentence was incorrect.

Scenes as Micro-Cultures: Examining Heterogeneity of HIV Risk Behavior Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Toronto, Canada.

Using latent class analysis (LCA), we examined patterns of participation in multiple scenes, how sexual risk practices vary by scene, and psychosocial factors associated with these patterns among 470 gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) recruited from Toronto. We calculated posterior probability of being in a class from participation in nine separate scenes. We used Entropy, the Bayesian information criterion and the Lo-Mendel-Rubin likelihood ratio test to identify the best fit model. Fit indices suggested a four-class solution. Half (50%) of the GBM reported no or minimal participation in any scene, 28% reported participating in the dance club scene, 16% reported participating in the BDSM, bear, and leather scenes, and 6% reported participating in circuit, party and play, and sex party scenes. Compared to GBM who did not participate in scenes, GBM participating in the BDSM-Bear-Leather scene were more likely to be older, white, to report higher sexual self-esteem, and to engage in condomless anal sex; Party and Play scene members were more likely to be of Asian origin, and to use drugs before and during sex, whereas Dance Club scene members were more likely to be younger and to report lower self-esteem but higher hope. LCA allowed us to identify distinct social niches or micro-cultures and factors characterizing these micro-cultures. GBM differ in their risk for HIV and STIs according to characteristics associated with participation in distinct micro-cultures associated with scenes. Tailored interventions may be needed that focus on reducing HIV risk and promoting sexual health in specific contexts such as the BDSM-Bear-Leather and Party and Play.

Unmet basic needs negatively affect health-related quality of life in people aging with HIV: results from the Positive Spaces, Healthy Places study.

BACKGROUND: Basic needs (e.g., food security and stable housing) are important determinants of health and well-being, yet their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the context of HIV and aging has not been systematically investigated. METHODS: Multiple linear regression models examined the relationship between unmet basic needs, and physical and mental HRQoL by age strata (20-34, 35-49 and 50+) in a cross-sectional sample of 496 people living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. RESULTS: An overwhelming majority of participants (87%) reported unmet needs related to food, clothing or housing. The prevalence of unmet basic needs in the two older groups appeared to be lower than among younger participants, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. The presence of unmet basic needs predicted substantially lower mean physical health and mental health summary scores in the two oldest groups. Notably, age moderated the influence of unmet basic needs on HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: The availability and accessibility of food security, appropriate clothing and stable housing for people living with HIV who are aging need to become a higher priority for program planners and decision makers.

Serosorting and recreational drug use are risk factors for diagnosis of genital infection with chlamydia and gonorrhoea among HIV-positive men who have sex with men: results from a clinical cohort in Ontario, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: Rates of chlamydia and gonorrhoea have been rising in urban centres in Canada, particularly among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Our objective was to identify behavioural risk factors for diagnosis with chlamydia and gonorrhoea in this population, with a focus on the HIV status of sexual partners. METHODS: The OHTN Cohort Study follows people in HIV care across Ontario. We restricted the analysis to 1997 MSM who completed questionnaires in 2010-2013 at one of seven clinics that submit all chlamydia and gonorrhoea tests to the provincial public health laboratory; we obtained test results via record linkage. We estimated cumulative incidences using Kaplan-Meier methods and identified risk factors for diagnosis of a composite outcome (chlamydia or gonorrhoea infection) using Cox regression. RESULTS: At follow-up, there were 74 new chlamydia/gonorrhoea diagnoses with a 12-month cumulative incidence of 1.7% (95% CI 1.1% to 2.2%). Risk factors for chlamydia/gonorrhoea diagnosis were: 5+ HIV-positive partners (HR=3.3, 95% CI 1.4 to 7.8; reference=none) and recreational drug use (HR=2.2, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.9). CONCLUSIONS: Heightened risks with recreational drug use and multiple HIV-positive partners suggest that chlamydia/gonorrhoea may have achieved high prevalence in certain sexual networks among HIV-positive MSM. Interventions to promote safer sex and timely testing among MSM are needed.

Number of Psychosocial Strengths Predicts Reduced HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors Above and Beyond Syndemic Problems Among Gay and Bisexual Men.

Syndemics research shows the additive effect of psychosocial problems on high-risk sexual behavior among gay and bisexual men (GBM). Psychosocial strengths may predict less engagement in high-risk sexual behavior. In a study of 470 ethnically diverse HIV-negative GBM, regression models were computed using number of syndemic psychosocial problems, number of psychosocial strengths, and serodiscordant condomless anal sex (CAS). The number of syndemic psychosocial problems correlated with serodiscordant CAS (RR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.18-1.92; p = 0.001). When adding the number of psychosocial strengths to the model, the effect of syndemic psychosocial problems became non-significant, but the number of strengths-based factors remained significant (RR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.53-0.86; p = 0.002). Psychosocial strengths may operate additively in the same way as syndemic psychosocial problems, but in the opposite direction. Consistent with theories of resilience, psychosocial strengths may be an important set of variables predicting sexual risk behavior that is largely missing from the current HIV behavioral literature.

Sexual behaviors among women living with HIV in Ontario, Canada.

Understanding the sexual activities and partnerships of women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains important to promote healthy sexuality and to reduce the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. We described sexual behaviors of women living with HIV enrolled in an ongoing study in Ontario, Canada. Data were available from 582 women who self-completed a sexual behavior questionnaire between 2010 and 2012. Nearly half (46.1%) of women reported a sexual partner in the preceding three months; women less likely to be sexually active were older, Black/African, separated, divorced, widowed, single, and unemployed. Most sexually active women had one partner (76.4%), a regular partner (75.9%), male (96.2%) partner(s), and partners who were HIV-negative or unknown HIV status (75.2%). Women were more likely to use a condom with HIV-negative/status unknown partners (81.3%) than with HIV-positive partners (58.6%; p = .008). Only 8.0% of sexually active women reported condomless sex with a discordant HIV-negative/status unknown partner when their viral load was detectable. Overall, most women living with HIV were sexually inactive or engaged in sexual activities that were low risk for HIV transmission.

The role of people living with HIV as patient instructors - reducing stigma and improving interest around HIV care among medical students.

People living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) are increasingly recognized as experts in HIV and their own health. We developed a simulated clinical encounter (SCE) in which medical students provided HIV pre- and post-test counselling and point-of-care HIV testing for PHAs as patient instructors (PHA-PIs) under clinical preceptor supervision. The study assessed the acceptability of this teaching tool with a focus on assessing impact on HIV-related stigma among medical students. University of Toronto pre-clerkship medical students participated in a series of SCEs facilitated by 16 PHA-PIs and 22 clinical preceptors. Pre- and post-SCE students completed the validated Health Care Provider HIV/AIDS Stigma Scale (HPASS). HPASS measures overall stigma, as well as three domains within HIV stigma: stereotyping, discrimination, and prejudice. Higher scores represented higher levels of stigma. An additional questionnaire measured comfort in providing HIV-related care. Mean scores and results of paired t-tests are presented. Post-SCE, students (n = 62) demonstrated decreased overall stigma (68.74 vs. 61.81, p < .001) as well as decreased stigma within each domain. Post-SCE, students (n = 67) reported increased comfort in providing HIV-related care (10.24 vs. 18.06, p < .001). Involving PHA-PIs reduced HIV-related stigma among medical students and increased comfort in providing HIV-related care.

Burden and risk factors for gastrointestinal symptom distress in HIV patients in the modern antiretroviral era.

In the modern antiretroviral (ARV) era, there is limited knowledge about the prevalence and risk factors for HIV patient-reported gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (diarrhoea/soft stool, nausea/vomiting, bloating/painful abdomen, loss of appetite, and weight loss/wasting) and distress. We prospectively analysed data (2007-2014) on distressing GI symptoms from the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study, which follows people attending HIV clinics. Using generalized estimating equations with a logit link, we estimated the associations of psychosocial, demographic, behavioural, and clinical factors with each GI symptoms compared to asymptomatic and non-bothersome symptoms. Among 1532 included participants, 80.4% were male, mean age was 45 years, and 64.6% reported being men who have sex with men. Most were Caucasian (56.3%), a median time since HIV diagnosis of 9.8 years (interquartile range (IQR): 4.1-16.9), and 83.1% were on ARV. More than two-thirds (68.7% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 63.1% to 69.2%)) reported one or more symptoms with a median of 1.2 (IQR: 0-1.7). The proportion remained stable over time since HIV diagnosis and ARV initiation. Risk factors varied for multivariable models. A strong association with Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale scores of ≥23 was found for all symptoms. Adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) were 1.72 (1.39-2.12), 2.95 (2.33-3.72), 2.20 (1.81-2.68), 4.97 (3.99-6.19), and 2.98 (2.52-3.82) for diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting, bloating, loss of appetite, and weight loss, respectively. With the exception of bloating, odds were significantly lower for those on ARV containing integrase inhibitors and greater for patients reporting current cannabis use. GI symptoms in the modern ARV era are highly prevalent and may arise as a common pathway of distress in response to psychosocial vulnerabilities, regardless of the stage of diagnosis. These findings support the need for integrated approaches to address psychological and physical distress in HIV disease.

Social determinants of health and retention in HIV care in a clinical cohort in Ontario, Canada.

Continuous HIV care supports antiretroviral therapy initiation and adherence, and prolongs survival. We investigated the association of social determinants of health (SDH) and subsequent retention in HIV care in a clinical cohort in Ontario, Canada. The Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study is a multi-site cohort of patients at 10 HIV clinics. Data were collected from medical charts, interviews, and via record linkage with the provincial public health laboratory for viral load tests. For participants interviewed in 2009, we used three-category multinomial logistic regression to identify predictors of retention in 2010-2012, defined as (1) continuous care (≥2 viral loads ≥90 days in all years; reference category); (2) discontinuous care (only 1 viral load/year in ≥1 year); and (3) a gap in care (≥1 year in 2010-2012 with no viral load). In total, 1838 participants were included. In 2010-2012, 71.7% had continuous care, 20.9% had discontinuous care, and 7.5% had a gap in care. Discontinuous care in 2009 was predictive (p < .0001) of future retention. SDH associated with discontinuous care were Indigenous ethnicity, being born in Canada, being employed, reporting hazardous drinking, and non-injection drug use. Being a heterosexual male was associated with having a gap in care, and being single and younger were associated with discontinuous care and a gap in care. Various SDH were associated with retention. Care discontinuity was highly predictive of future gaps. Targeted strategic interventions that better engage those at risk of suboptimal retention merit exploration. ABBREVIATIONS: AOR: adjusted odds ratio; ART: antiretroviral therapy; AUDIT: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; CES-D: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; CIs: confidence intervals; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; IQR: interquartile range; MSM: men who have sex with men; NA-ACCORD: North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design; OCS: Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study; OHTN: Ontario HIV Treatment Network; OR: odds ratio; PHOL: Public Health Ontario Laboratories; REB: Research Ethics Board; SDH: social determinants of health; US: United States.

The closer 'We' are, the stronger 'I' am: the impact of couple identity on cancer coping self-efficacy.

The present study tested the supposition that greater levels of couple identity (or we-ness) increase a woman's coping self-efficacy in relation to breast cancer, which, in turn, predicts better psychosocial adjustment. Women (N = 112) in committed relationships completed surveys assessing their levels of couple identity, cancer coping self-efficacy, and aspects of their psychosocial adjustment (specifically, depression, anxiety and functional well-being) during one of their outpatient visits to the cancer centre. As predicted, the more women identified with their relationships, the lower their levels of depression and anxiety were and the greater their functional well-being was. This relationship was mediated by coping self-efficacy: greater identification with one's relationship predicted greater confidence in one's ability to cope, which, in turn, predicted better adjustment. The role intimate relationships play in women's adjustment to breast cancer, as well as directions for further research, are discussed.