Transition of patients with recently diagnosed Dementia from inpatient to outpatient setting- a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: After being diagnosed with dementia, patients need a medical professional to empathetically address their fears and get initial questions answered. This scoping review therefore addresses how patients newly diagnosed with dementia are cared for in the general practitioner (GP) setting and how the communication between different healthcare professionals and the GP is handled. METHODS: The scoping review was conducted based on the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. After developing a search algorithm, literature searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PsychInfo, GeroLit and Cinahl using defined search criteria, such as a focus on qualitative study designs. After the removal of duplicates, title/abstract and full text screening was carried out. RESULTS: Final data extraction included 10 articles out of 12,633 records. Strategies regarding the post-acute care of newly diagnosed patients included providing clarity and comfort to the patients and giving support and information both pre- and post-diagnosis. Care efforts were focused on advanced care planning and deprescribing. Involving people with dementia and their caregivers in further care was seen as crucial to provide them with the support needed. GPs emphasised the importance of listening to concerns, as well as ensuring wishes are respected, and autonomy is maintained. All studies found communication between the GP setting and other healthcare professionals regarding post-acute care to be inadequate. Lack of information sharing, clinical notes and recommendations for the GP setting resulted in inefficient provision of support, as GPs feel limited in their ability to act. DISCUSSION: Sharing necessary information with the GP setting could promote patient-centred care for people living with dementia and facilitate appropriate and timely resource allocation and effective healthcare collaboration between the settings, for example, by defining clear care pathways and clarifying roles and expectations.

Educational interventions aimed at improving knowledge of delirium among nursing home staff-a realist review.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is a neuropathological syndrome that is characterised by fluctuating impairments in attention, cognitive performance, and consciousness. Since delirium represents a medical emergency, it can be associated with adverse clinical and economic outcomes. Although nursing home residents face a high risk of developing delirium, health care professionals in this field appear to have limited knowledge of delirium despite the critical role they play in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of delirium in nursing homes. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this realist review is to develop an initial programme theory with the goal of understanding how, why, and under what circumstances educational interventions can improve the delirium-specific knowledge of health care professionals in nursing homes. METHODS: This realist review was conducted in accordance with the RAMESES (Realist And Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis: and Evolving Standards) guidelines and includes the following steps: (1) search strategy and literature review; (2) study selection and assessment; (3) data extraction; (4) data synthesis; and (5) development of an initial programme theory. It also included stakeholder discussions with health care professionals recruited from nursing home care, which focused on their experiences with delirium. RESULTS: From a set of 1703 initially identified publications, ten publications were included in this realist review. Based on these publications, context-mechanism-outcome configurations were developed; these configurations pertained to (1) management support, (2) cognitive impairments among residents, (3) familiarity with residents, (4) participatory intervention development, (5) practical application, (6) case scenarios, (7) support from experts and (8) relevance of communication. CONCLUSIONS: Educational interventions aimed at improving the delirium-specific knowledge of health care professionals should feature methodological diversity if they are to enhance health care professionals' interest in delirium and highlight the fundamental contributions they make to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of delirium. Educational interventions should also take into account the multidimensional contextual factors that can have massive impacts on the relevant mode of action as well as the responses of health care professionals in nursing homes. The identification of delirium in residents is a fundamental responsibility for nursing home staff. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This review has been registered at Open Science Framework https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/6ZKM3.

Development and implementation of a treatment pathway to reduce coronary angiograms - lessons from a failure.

BACKGROUND: The rates of coronary angiograms (CA) and related procedures (percutaneous intervention [PCI]) are significantly higher in Germany than in other Organisation for Economic Co-ordination and Development (OECD) countries. The current guidelines recommend non-invasive diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD); CA should only have a limited role in choosing the appropriate revascularisation procedure. The aim of the present study was to explore whether improvements in guideline adherence can be achieved through the implementation of regional treatment pathways. We chose four regions of Germany with high utilisation of CAs for the study. Here we report the results of the concomitant qualitative study. METHODS: General practitioners and specialist physicians (cardiologists, hospital-based cardiologists, emergency physicians, radiologists and nuclear medicine specialists) caring for patients with suspected CHD were invited to develop regional treatment pathways. Four academic departments provided support for moderation, provision of materials, etc. The study team observed session discussions and took notes. After the development of the treatment pathways, 45 semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participating physicians. Interviews and field notes were transcribed verbatim and underwent qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Pathway development received little support among the participants. Although consensus documents were produced, the results were unlikely to improve practice. The participants expressed very little commitment to change. Although this attempt clearly failed in all study regions, our experience provides relevant insights into the process of evidence appraisal and implementation. A lack of organisational skills, ignorance of current evidence and guidelines, and a lack of feedback regarding one's own clinical behaviour proved to be insurmountable. CA was still seen as the diagnostic gold standard by most interviewees. CONCLUSIONS: Oversupply and overutilisation can be assumed to be present in study regions but are not immediately perceived by clinicians. The problem is unlikely to be solved by regional collaborative initiatives; optimised resource planning within the health care system combined with appropriate economic incentives might best address these issues.

[Closing care gaps after hospitalization: Study results [intersec-CM] on discharge and transfer management according to sect. 39 SGB V for people with cognitive impairments associated with dementia]. / Versorgungslücken nach dem Krankenhausaufenthalt schließen: Studienergebnisse [intersec-CM] zum Entlass- und Überleitungsmanagement nach § 39 SGB V für Menschen, die im Krankenhaus kognitive demenzielle Beeinträchtigungen zeigen.

In Germany, there are 1.8 million people currently living with dementia, and the trend is rising. In particular, the health system at the transition from hospital to outpatient care is facing major challenges given the high increase in a difficult patient clientele. Legal efforts have been undertaken (sect. 39a of the Fifth Social Code Book [SGB V]) to close the care gaps in the discharge and transfer process. This article aims to provide an overview of the documentation process of the discharge and transfer management for people with cognitive impairments in everyday clinical practice according to SGB V sect. 39 para. 1a after the Discharge Management Act came into force. Furthermore, the manuscript answers the research question "How is the statutory discharge management of people with cognitive impairments (MmkB) aged 65 and over documented" and highlights further characteristics of the discharge documentation for MmkB starting with the transition from the inpatient setting to other care settings. In order to answer the research question(s), a qualitative content analysis of all discharge documents available at the time of discharge was carried out as part of the intervention study on cross-sector care management to support cognitively impaired people during and after a hospital stay [intersec-CM], which was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The results of the analysis show that, despite legal efforts, there are currently no standardized, unified processes of discharge management for people with cognitive impairments that can be traced in writing. However, departments with a large proportion of vulnerable patient groups were able to offer valuable insights: for example, their discharge documents included a short social history. Further evidence-based research and development in the domain of discharge management for people with cognitive impairments remains essential.

[Everyday Life and Mental Health of Elderly with Cognitive Impairment During the Covid-19 Pandemic]. / Lebensalltag und psychosoziale Gesundheit älterer Menschen mit kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen während der COVID-19-Pandemie.

OBJECTIVE: The aim is to analyze pandemic-related effects on everyday life and psychosocial health in the understudied vulnerable group of cognitively impaired elderly people living at home. METHODS: Structured telephone interviews in 2020 (n+=+141) and 2021 (n+=+107) were used to survey over-65s with cognitive impairment (MMSE Ø 23.4). The results from the 2021 survey presented here reflect experiences and attitudes, effects on daily life and health care, and psychosocial burdens and resources. Longitudinal analysis of selected indicators of burden is provided for n+=+66. RESULTS: Even in the face of increasing concerns and moderate impacts on everyday life and health care, overall psychosocial health is proving to be good and largely stable over time. CONCLUSION: Respondents have high levels of personal and social resources, and their coping with limitations is characterized by acceptance and willingness to adapt.

Use of the FallAkte Plus System as an IT Infrastructure for the North Rhine-Westphalian General Practice Research Network: Mixed Methods Usability Study.

BACKGROUND: Primary care research networks can generate important information in the setting where most patients are seen and treated. However, this requires a suitable IT infrastructure (ITI), which the North Rhine-Westphalian general practice research network is looking to implement. OBJECTIVE: This mixed methods research study aims to evaluate (study 1) requirements for an ITI and (study 2) the usability of an IT solution already available on the market, the FallAkte Plus (FA+) system for the North Rhine-Westphalian general practice research network, which comprises 8 primary care university institutes in Germany's largest state. METHODS: In study 1, a survey was conducted among researchers from the institutes to identify the requirements for a suitable ITI. The questionnaire consisted of standardized questions with open-ended responses. In study 2, a mixed method approach combining a think-aloud approach and a quantitative survey was used to evaluate the usability and acceptance of the FA+ system among 3 user groups: researchers, general practitioners, and practice assistants. Respondents were asked to assess the usability with the validated system usability scale and to test a short questionnaire on vaccination management through FA+. RESULTS: In study 1, five of 8 institutes participated in the requirements survey. A total of 32 user requirements related primarily to study management were identified, including data entry, data storage, and user access management. In study 2, a total of 36 participants (24 researchers and 12 general practitioners or practice assistants) were surveyed in the mixed methods study of an already existing IT solution. The tutorial video and handouts explaining how to use the FA+ system were well received. Researchers, unlike practice personnel, were concerned about data security and data protection regarding the system's emergency feature, which enables access to all patient data. The median overall system usability scale rating was 60 (IQR 33.0-85.0), whereby practice personnel (median 82, IQR 58.0-94.0) assigned higher ratings than researchers (median 44, IQR 14.0-61.5). Users appreciated the option to integrate data from practices and other health care facilities. However, they voted against the use of the FA+ system due to a lack of support for various study formats. CONCLUSIONS: Usability assessments vary markedly by professional group and role. In its current stage of development, the FA+ system does not fully meet the requirements for a suitable ITI. Improvements in the user interface, performance, interoperability, security, and advanced features are necessary to make it more effective and user-friendly. Collaborating with end users and incorporating their feedback are crucial for the successful development of any practice network research ITI.