Cardio-oncology care in the era of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: An International Cardio-Oncology Society (ICOS) statement.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has given rise to a pandemic of unprecedented proportions in the modern era because of its highly contagious nature and impact on human health and society: coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Patients with cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and established CV disease (CVD) are among those initially identified at the highest risk for serious complications, including death. Subsequent studies have pointed out that patients with cancer are also at high risk for a critical disease course. Therefore, the most vulnerable patients are seemingly those with both cancer and CVD, and a careful, unified approach in the evaluation and management of this patient population is especially needed in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. This review provides an overview of the unique implications of the viral outbreak for the field of cardio-oncology and outlines key modifications in the approach to this ever-increasing patient population. These modifications include a shift toward greater utilization of cardiac biomarkers and a more focused CV imaging approach in the broader context of modifications to typical practice pathways. The goal of this strategic adjustment is to minimize the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (or other future viral outbreaks) while not becoming negligent of CVD and its important impact on the overall outcomes of patients who are being treated for cancer.

Monitoring and integrated care coordination of patients with alpha-mannosidosis: A global Delphi consensus study.

INTRODUCTION: Current literature lacks consensus on initial assessments and routine follow-up care of patients with alpha-mannosidosis (AM). A Delphi panel was conducted to generate and validate recommendations on best practices for initial assessment, routine follow-up care, and integrated care coordination of patients with AM. METHODS: A modified Delphi method involving 3 rounds of online surveys was used. An independent administrator and 2 nonvoting physician co-chairs managed survey development, anonymous data collection, and analysis. A multidisciplinary panel comprising 20 physicians from 12 countries responded to 57 open-ended questions in the first survey. Round 2 consisted of 11 ranking questions and 44 voting statements. In round 3, panelists voted to validate 60 consensus statements. The panel response rate was ≥95% in all 3 rounds. Panelists used 5-point Likert scales to indicate importance (score of ≥3) or agreement (score of ≥4). Consensus was defined a priori as ≥75% agreement with ≥75% of panelists voting. RESULTS: Consensus was reached on 60 statements, encompassing 3 key areas: initial assessments, routine follow-up care, and treatment-related follow-up. The panel agreed on the type and frequency of assessments related to genetic testing, baseline evaluations, quality of life, biochemical measures, affected body systems, treatment received, and integrated care coordination in patients with AM. Forty-nine statements reached 90% to 100% consensus, 8 statements reached 80% to 85% consensus, and 1 statement reached 75% consensus. Two statements each reached consensus on 15 baseline assessments to be conducted at the initial follow-up visit after diagnosis in pediatric and adult patients. CONCLUSION: This is the first Delphi study providing internationally applicable, best-practice recommendations for monitoring patients with AM that may improve their care and well-being.

Comparison of Clinical Decision Support Tools to Improve Pediatric Lipid Screening.

OBJECTIVE: To test whether different clinical decision support tools increase clinician orders and patient completions relative to standard practice and each other. STUDY DESIGN: A pragmatic, patient-randomized clinical trial in the electronic health record was conducted between October 2019 and April 2020 at Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania, with 4 arms: care gap-a passive listing recommending screening; alert-a panel promoting and enabling lipid screen orders; both; and a standard practice-no guideline-based notification-control arm. Data were analyzed for 13 346 9- to 11-year-old patients seen within Geisinger primary care, cardiology, urgent care, or nutrition clinics, or who had an endocrinology visit. Principal outcomes were lipid screening orders by clinicians and completions by patients within 1 week of orders. RESULTS: Active (care gap and/or alert) vs control arm patients were significantly more likely (P < .05) to have lipid screening tests ordered and completed, with ORs ranging from 1.67 (95% CI 1.28-2.19) to 5.73 (95% CI 4.46-7.36) for orders and 1.54 (95% CI 1.04-2.27) to 2.90 (95% CI 2.02-4.15) for completions. Alerts, with or without care gaps listed, outperformed care gaps alone on orders, with odds ratios ranging from 2.92 (95% CI 2.32-3.66) to 3.43 (95% CI 2.73-4.29). CONCLUSIONS: Electronic alerts can increase lipid screening orders and completions, suggesting clinical decision support can improve guideline-concordant screening. The study also highlights electronic record-based patient randomization as a way to determine relative effectiveness of support tools. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04118348.

Assessment and management of diabetes-related foot infection according to the new International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot guidelines 2023-Multidisciplinary grand rounds.

Diabetes-related foot disease is a serious and common complication for people with diabetes mellitus. The gold standard care for a person with diabetes-related foot disease is the involvement of a multidisciplinary foot team engaged in evidence-based care. To date, there are seven International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) guidelines published to assist healthcare providers in managing diabetes-related foot disease around the world. This review discusses the acute management of diabetes-related foot infection with insights from experts of various specialities (internal medicine, infectious disease, vascular surgery, radiology) with a discussion on the implementation of IWGDF guidelines in real life practice and the challenges that healthcare providers may face.

DNA sequences from type specimens and type strains - how to increase their number and improve their annotation in NCBI GenBank and related databases.

Scientific names permit humans and search engines to access knowledge about the biodiversity that surrounds us, and names linked to DNA sequences are playing an ever-greater role in search-and-match identification procedures. Here, we analyze how users and curators of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) are flagging and curating sequences derived from nomenclatural type material, which is the only way to improve the quality of DNA-based identification in the long run. For prokaryotes, 18,281 genome assemblies from type strains have been curated by NCBI staff and improve the quality of prokaryote naming. For Fungi, type-derived sequences representing over 21,000 species are now essential for fungus naming and identification. For the remaining eukaryotes, however, the numbers of sequences identifiable as type-derived are minuscule, representing only 1,000 species of arthropods, 8,441 vertebrates, and 430 embryophytes. An increase in the production and curation of such sequences will come from (i) sequencing of types or topotypic specimens in museum collections, (ii) the March 2023 rule changes at the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration requiring more metadata for specimens, and (iii) efforts by data submitters to facilitate curation, including informing NCBI curators about a specimen's type status. We illustrate different type-data submission journeys and provide best-practice examples from a range of organisms. Expanding the number of type-derived sequences in DNA databases, especially of eukaryotes, is crucial for capturing, documenting, and protecting biodiversity.

Advancing data honesty in experimental biology.

The ease with which scientific data, particularly certain types of raw data in experimental biology, can be fabricated without trace begs urgent attention. This is thought to be a widespread problem across the academic world, where published results are the major currency, incentivizing publication of (usually positive) results at the cost of lax scientific rigor and even fraudulent data. Although solutions to improve data sharing and methodological transparency are increasingly being implemented, the inability to detect dishonesty within raw data remains an inherent flaw in the way in which we judge research. We therefore propose that one solution would be the development of a non-modifiable raw data format that could be published alongside scientific results; a format that would enable data authentication from the earliest stages of experimental data collection. A further extension of this tool could allow changes to the initial original version to be tracked, so every reviewer and reader could follow the logical footsteps of the author and detect unintentional errors or intentional manipulations of the data. Were such a tool to be developed, we would not advocate its use as a prerequisite for journal submission; rather, we envisage that authors would be given the option to provide such authentication. Only authors who did not manipulate or fabricate their data can provide the original data without risking discovery, so the mere choice to do so already increases their credibility (much like 'honest signaling' in animals). We strongly believe that such a tool would enhance data honesty and encourage more reliable science.

Antibiotic use, best practice statement adherence, and UTI rate for intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxin-A injection for overactive bladder: A multi-institutional collaboration from the SUFU Research Network (SURN).

INTRODUCTION: Onabotulinumtoxin A (BTX-A) is a well-established treatment for overactive bladder (OAB). The American Urological Association (AUA) 2008 Antibiotic Best Practice Statement (BPS) recommended trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or fluoroquinolone for cystoscopy with manipulation. The aim of the study was to evaluate concordance with antibiotic best practices at the time of BTX-A injection and urinary tract infection (UTI) rates based on antibiotic regimen. METHODS: Men and women undergoing first-time BTX-A injection for idiopathic OAB with 100 units in 2016, within the SUFU Research Network (SURN) multi-institutional retrospective database were included. Patients on suppressive antibiotics were excluded. The primary outcome was concordance of periprocedural antibiotic use with the AUA 2008 BPS antimicrobials of choice for "cystoscopy with manipulation." As a secondary outcome we compared the incidence of UTI among women within 30 days after BTX-A administration. Each outcome was further stratified by procedure setting (office vs. operating room; OR). RESULTS: Of the cohort of 216 subjects (175 women, 41 men) undergoing BTX-A, 24 different periprocedural antibiotic regimens were utilized, and 98 (45%) underwent BTX-A injections in the OR setting while 118 (55%) underwent BTX-A injection in the office. Antibiotics were given to 86% of patients in the OR versus 77% in office, and 8.3% of subjects received BPS concordant antibiotics in the OR versus 82% in office. UTI rates did not vary significantly among the 141 subjects who received antibiotics and had 30-day follow-up (8% BPS-concordant vs. 16% BPS-discordant, CI -2.4% to 19%, p = 0.13). A sensitivity analysis of UTI rates based on procedure setting (office vs. OR) did not demonstrate any difference in UTI rates (p = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective multi-institutional study demonstrates that antibiotic regimens and adherence to the 2008 AUA BPS were highly variable among providers with lower rates of BPS concordant antibiotic use in the OR setting. UTI rates at 30 days following BTX-A did not vary significantly based on concordance with the BPS or procedure setting.

Best Practice Alert to Promote Screening for Primary Aldosteronism Among People With Apparent Treatment-Resistant Hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: Guidelines recommend screening all individuals with resistant hypertension for primary aldosteronism (PA) but less than 2% are screened. We aimed to develop a noninterruptive Best Practice Alert (BPA) to assess if its implementation in the electronic health record improved PA screening rates among individuals with apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH). METHODS: We implemented a noninterruptive BPA on 9/17/2022 at our ambulatory primary care, endocrinology, nephrology, and cardiology clinics. We assessed clinical parameters of people with aTRH before (9/17/2021-9/16/2022) and after (9/17/2022-9/16/2023) the BPA was implemented. The noninterruptive BPA embedded with an order set identified people with aTRH and recommended screening for PA if it was not previously performed. RESULTS: There were 10 944 and 11 463 people with aTRH who attended office visits during the 12 months before and after the BPA implementation, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in median age (P = .096), sex (P = .577), race (P = .753), and ethnicity (P = .472) between the pre- and post-BPA implementation groups. There was a significant increase in PA screening orders placed (227 [2.1%] vs 476 [4.2%], P < .001) and PA screening labs performed (169 [1.5%] vs 382 [3.3, P < .001) after BPA implementation. PA screening tests were positive in 26% (44/169) and 23% (88/382) of people in the pre- and post-BPA groups, respectively (P = .447). CONCLUSION: Implementation of a real-time electronic health record BPA doubled the screening rate for PA among people with aTRH; however, the overall screening rate was low.

Quality improvement project to reduce medicare 1-day write-offs due to inappropriate admission orders.

BACKGROUND: We identified that Stanford Health Care had a significant number of patients who after discharge are found by the utilization review committee not to meet Center for Mediare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 2-midnight benchmark for inpatient status. Some of the charges incurred during the care of these patients are written-off and known as Medicare 1-day write-offs. This study which aims to evaluate the use of a Best Practice Alert (BPA) feature on the electronic medical record, EPIC, to ensure appropriate designation of a patient's hospitalization status as either inpatient or outpatient in accordance with Center for Medicare and Medicaid services (CMS) 2 midnight length of stay benchmark thereby reducing the number of associated write-offs. METHOD: We incorporated a best practice alert (BPA) into the Epic Electronic Medical Record (EMR) that would prompt the discharging provider and the case manager to review the patients' inpatient designation prior to discharge and change the patient's designation to observation when deemed appropriate. Patients who met the inclusion criteria (Patients must have Medicare fee-for-service insurance, inpatient length of stay (LOS) less than 2 midnights, inpatient designation as hospitalization status at time of discharge, was hospitalized to an acute level of care and belonged to one of 37 listed hospital services at the time of signing of the discharge order) were randomized to have the BPA either silent or active over a three-month period from July 18, 2019, to October 18, 2019. RESULT: A total of 88 patients were included in this study: 40 in the control arm and 48 in the intervention arm. In the intervention arm, 8 (8/48, 16.7%) had an inpatient status designation despite potentially meeting Medicare guidelines for an observation stay, comparing to 23 patients (23/40, 57.5%) patients in the control group (p = 0.001). The estimated number of write-offs in the control arm was 17 (73.9%, out of 23 inpatient patients) while in the intervention arm was 1 (12.5%, out of 8 inpatient patient) after accounting for patients who may have met inpatient criteria for other reasons based on case manager note review. CONCLUSION: This is the first time to our knowledge that a BPA has been used in this manner to reduce the number of Medicare 1-day write-offs.

Developing a best-practice agenda for music therapy research to support informal carers of terminally ill patients pre- and post-death bereavement: a world café approach.

BACKGROUND: Informal carers of terminally ill patients play a vital role in providing palliative care at home, which impacts on their pre- and post-death bereavement experience and presents an up to 50% greater risk for mental-health problems. However, developing and implementing effective bereavement support remains challenging. There is a need to build the evidence base for music therapy as a potentially promising bereavement support for this vulnerable population. This study aimed to co-design an international best practice agenda for research into music therapy for informal carers of patients pre- and post-death bereavement. METHODS: Online half day workshop using a World Café approach; an innovative method for harnessing group intelligence within a group of international expert stakeholders (music therapy clinicians and academics with experience of music therapy with informal carers at end-of-life). Demographics, experience, key priorities and methodological challenges were gathered during a pre-workshop survey to inform workshop discussions. The online workshop involved four rounds of rotating, 25-minute, small group parallel discussions using Padlet. One final large group discussion involved a consensus building activity. All data were analysed thematically to identify patterns to inform priorities and recommendations. RESULTS: Twenty-two consented and completed the pre-event survey (response rate 44%), from countries representing 10 different time zones. Sixteen participated in the workshop and developed the following best practice agenda. The effectiveness of music therapy in supporting informal carers across the bereavement continuum should be prioritised. This should be done using a mixed methods design to draw on the strengths of different methodological approaches to building the evidence base. It should involve service users throughout and should use a core outcome set to guide the choice of clinically important bereavement outcome measures in efficacy/effectiveness research. CONCLUSIONS: Findings should inform future pre- and post-death bereavement support research for informal caregivers of terminally ill patients. This is an important step in building the evidence base for commissioners and service providers on how to incorporate more innovative approaches in palliative care bereavement services.

A systematic review of whether Health Impact Assessment frameworks support best practice principles.

OBJECTIVES: Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is an evidence-based approach to assess the likely public health impacts of a policy or plan in any sector. Several HIA frameworks are available to guide practitioners doing a HIA. This systematic review sought to determine whether these support practitioners to meet best practice principles defined by the International Association for Impact Assessment. STUDY DESIGN: This was a systematic review. METHODS: Three complementary search strategies were used to identify frameworks in June 2022. We used three databases to find completed HIAs published in the last five years and hand-searched their reference lists for frameworks. We also searched 23 HIA repositories using Google's Advanced function and contacted HIA practitioners via two international mailing lists. We used a bespoke quality appraisal tool to assess frameworks against the principles. RESULTS: The search identified 24 HIA frameworks. None of the frameworks achieved a 'good' rating for all best practice principles. Many identified the principles but did not provide guidance on how to meet them at all HIA steps. The highest number of frameworks were rated 'good' for ethical use of evidence and comprehensive approach to health (n = 15). Eight frameworks were rated as 'good' for participation, and two for equity. The highest number of frameworks rated 'poor' for sustainability (n = 11). CONCLUSIONS: There is marked variation in the degree to which HIA frameworks support the best practice principles. HIA practitioners could select elements from different frameworks for practical guidance to meet all the best practice principles.

Improved adherence to hip fracture standards reduces mortality after hip fractures.

BACKGROUND: Hip fractures are increasing in incidence due to increasing life expectancy. Mortality continues to improve but it is important to explore which factors are responsible for driving improvements. METHODS: A cohort of hip fracture patients predating SARS-CoV-2 was examined to determine the predictors of adherence to the six Irish Hip Fracture Standards (IHFS) and the impact of adherence on short (30 day) and long term (1 year) mortality. Our primary aim was assess the impact of a single HFS and cumulative number of HFS on mortality after hip fracture. Our secondary aim was to determine the impact of the HFS which are intrinsically linked to specialist Geriatric care. RESULTS: Across 962 patients, over 5 years, the factors which were associated with adherence to HFS were female gender, increasing ASA grade and being nursed on an orthopaedic ward. Patients with increasing ASA were more likely to have met HFS 4-6 (Geriatrician review HFS4, bone health HFS5 & specialist falls assessment HFS6), less likely to have surgery within 48 h are more likely to develop a pressure ulcer. If the patient was not nursed on an orthopaedic ward all HFS were less likely to be met. At 30 days HFS 4-6 were associated with a statistically significant odds ratio (OR) of being alive, while at one year HFS 1 (admitted to an orthopaedic ward within 4 h), 5 and 6 were associated with a statistically significant OR of being alive. As increasing numbers of hip fracture standards were met patients were more likely to be alive at 30 days and one year. CONCLUSION: This study has identified that improved adherence to hip fracture standards are associated with improved mortality at 30 days and one year.

Interprofessional teams with and without nurse practitioners and the level of adherence to best practice guidelines in cardiac surgery: A retrospective study.

AIM: To examine the level of adherence to best-practice guidelines of interprofessional teams with acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) compared to interprofessional teams without ACNPs. DESIGN: A retrospective observational study was conducted in 2023. METHOD: A retrospective cohort was created including 280 patients who underwent a coronary artery bypass graft and/or a valve repair and hospitalised in a cardiac surgery unit of a university affiliated hospital in Québec (Canada) between 1 January 2019 to 31 January 2020. The level of adherence to best-practice guidelines was measured from a composite score in percentage. The composite score was created from a newly developed tool including 99 items across six categories (patient information, pharmacotherapy, laboratory tests, post-operative assessment, patient and interprofessional teams' characteristics). Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were computed to examine the effect of interprofessional teams with ACNPs on the level of adherence to best-practice guidelines. RESULTS: Most of the patients of the cohort were male and underwent a coronary artery bypass graft procedure. Patients under the care of interprofessional teams with ACNP were 1.72 times more likely to reach a level of adherence higher than 80% compared to interprofessional teams without ACNPs and were 2.29 times more likely to be within the highest quartile of the scores for the level of adherence to best-practice guidelines of the cohort. IMPACT: This study provides empirical data supporting the benefits of ACNP practice for patients, interprofessional teams and healthcare organisations. RELEVANCE FOR PRACTICE: Our findings identify the important contributions of interprofessional teams that include ACNPs using a validated instrument, as well as their contribution to the delivery of high quality patient care. REPORTING METHOD: This study followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: Guidelines for reporting observational studies guidelines. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Groundwater modelling reports fail to comply with guideline recommendations for model reproducibility.

Computer models are routinely used to underpin critical decision-making for projects that impact groundwater systems. Modelling results are communicated through technical reports, which advise regulators and other stakeholders of groundwater impacts, thereby informing approvals, project restrictions and monitoring requirements. Several guidelines and texts are available to instruct groundwater model development and reporting. In seven of the eight guidelines/texts reviewed, it is recommended that modelling reports (or a model archive) contain sufficient information for an external party to rebuild the model. This study examined that expectation (assumed to be "best practice") by reviewing 25 groundwater modelling reports from eight countries and assessing whether the information contained therein was sufficient (or an archive was provided) to rebuild the model on which the report was based. The reports were characterised based on 18 model components (e.g., aquifer properties, boundary conditions, etc.), and the availability of sufficient information in the report to rebuild each one. The "rebuildability" of model components was classified as: (a) reproducible (from the report), (b) reproducible but assumptions needed, and (c) not reproducible. The Analytical Hierarchical Process was employed to rank the reports based on the reproducibility of the models they describe. Only one of the 25 reports provided adequate information to rebuild the model, while one other report was accompanied by a model archive, resulting in two cases of model reproducibility, contrary to guideline recommendations. This outcome reflects problems with reproducibility in the wider scientific community. We conclude that modelling reports need to provide more detailed information to be compliant with best practice or model archives ought to be made available. Addressing this issue will ensure that stakeholders have access to the information needed to properly assess whether future groundwater impacts have been reliably evaluated.

Best practice transfer by public health nurses in Japan: actual conditions and related factors.

BACKGROUND: The workload of public health nurses (PHNs) working for local governments has been increasing as health issues become more diverse and complicated. Even amidst the ongoing administrative and fiscal reforms, there is an urgent need to ensure how effectively and efficiently public health nurses can practice in health service development. The objective of this research was to clarify the actual conditions of best practice transfer (BPT) and its related factors. METHODS: An anonymous postal and self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among PHNs working at 334 sites, including the local government offices and health centers across Japan, and analysed mainly through logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-five of the 334 institutions (55.4%) agreed to participate, and of the 966 questionnaire forms distributed, 709 forms (73.4%) were collected, of which 702 responses (72.7%) were valid. Although less than half (43.2%) have experience in BPT in health service development, more than 80% are willing to perform going forward. Significant factors for both the group with experience in BPT and the group with willingness to perform include an organizational culture that promotes BPT, as well as multiple elements of the workplace environment and facilitating factors related to knowledge and learning. The experienced group recognised the needs for criteria to evaluate the adaptability of best practice, while the willing group, to evaluate the quality of practice. CONCLUSIONS: Through a nationwide survey, this research elucidated for the first time the actual conditions of BPT by PHNs in Japan and related factors. The results indicated the importance of developing a system to promote BPT at the workplace level, also highlighted the importance for practitioners and experts, including researchers, to work together to develop practical guidelines to ensure evidence-based practices. Urgent actions are needed for the national and local governments to develop a system to promote BPT from diverse perspectives, building on the findings of this research.

Guidance for the provision of absorbent products for adult incontinence.

The Association for Continence Professionals first published their guidance for the provision of absorbent products for adult incontinence in 2017. This consensus document is targeted towards commissioning leads, NHS Trust Boards, Bladder and Bowel leads, among others, and has been updated over the years to ensure that all adults who suffer with continence issues undergo a comprehensive assessment and have access to an equitable service. This article provides an overview of the latest guidelines which were published in February 2023.

Selection of knowledge translation strategies to implement best practices on nonpharmacological prevention of delirium in intensive care unit / Sélection de stratégies de transfert des connaissances visant à implanter les pratiques recommandées de prévention non pharmacologiques du délirium en soins intensifs.

Background: Delirium prevention in the ICU should focus on a non-pharmacological approach. However, these recommendations are not always applied by care providers. Objective: To select knowledge translation strategies to facilitate the implementation of non-pharmacological best practices to prevent delirium in the ICU. Method: A consensus study was conducted. Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of nonpharmacological methods, and knowledge translation strategies, were identified in two nominal groups. A context assessment was also carried out. Nine professionals and one patient-partner participated. Results: The barriers and facilitators on which consensus was reached were most frequently related to environmental context and resources, intention, and knowledge. The areas of organizational context with the highest levels of agreement were interpersonal relations, culture and leadership. Consequently, knowledge translation strategies were selected to facilitate practices, as well as to modify the environment and improve knowledge. Conclusion: A structured method was used during this study to guide the selection of knowledge translation strategies. The application of these strategies could potentially improve clinical practice in intensive care.

Introduction: La prévention du délirium aux soins intensifs devrait être axée sur les méthodes non pharmacologiques. Toutefois, ce type de recommandation n'est pas toujours appliqué. Objectif: Sélectionner des stratégies de transfert des connaissances afin de faciliter l'implantation des pratiques non pharmacologiques pouvant prévenir le délirium en soins intensifs. Méthode: Une étude de consensus a été réalisée autour de deux thèmes. Deux groupes nominaux ont été constitués pour identifier les barrières et les facilitateurs à l'implantation des méthodes et les stratégies de transfert des connaissances. Une évaluation du contexte a aussi été réalisée. Neuf professionnels et une patiente-partenaire ont participé. Résultats: Les barrières et les facilitateurs ayant fait l'objet d'un consensus étaient plus fréquemment reliés au contexte environnemental et aux ressources, à l'intention et aux connaissances. Les domaines du contexte organisationnel qui ont obtenu le plus haut niveau d'accord sont les relations interpersonnelles, la culture et le leadership. Conséquemment, des stratégies de transfert des connaissances pour faciliter les pratiques, modifier l'environnement et améliorer les connaissances ont été sélectionnées. Conclusion: Une méthode structurée a été utilisée afin de guider la sélection de stratégies de transfert des connaissances. L'application de ces stratégies pourrait potentiellement améliorer la pratique clinique en soins intensifs.

Clinic-based interventions to increase preexposure prophylaxis awareness and uptake among United States patients attending an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Baltimore, Maryland.

BACKGROUND: Cisgender women account for 1 of every 5 new US HIV diagnoses, with most cases (85%) attributed to heterosexual contact. HIV preexposure prophylaxis is an effective prevention strategy; however, preexposure prophylaxis awareness and prescriptions among women are low. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to increase preexposure prophylaxis counseling and uptake among cisgender women attending obstetrics and gynecology clinics. STUDY DESIGN: The study included 3 obstetrics and gynecology clinics within a single health system in a high HIV prevalence region. There were 3 phases: baseline (the 3-month period before the clinical trial that included provider education and training of a registered nurse about preexposure prophylaxis), clinical trial (the 3-month period during which eligible patients were randomized to an active control or preexposure prophylaxis registered nurse intervention), and maintenance (the 3-month period after the trial ended). Electronic medical record clinical decision support tools were available to both arms during the clinical trial, which included best practice alerts, order sets, progress note templates, and written and video preexposure prophylaxis educational materials for patients. In the intervention arm, a preexposure prophylaxis nurse contacted and counseled patients and was equipped to prescribe preexposure prophylaxis. Moreover, this study evaluated the phases through the "reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance" framework. The primary outcome of the study was effectiveness (eg, percentage of eligible patients with documented HIV prevention counseling in the electronic medical record or preexposure prophylaxis prescriptions). The secondary outcomes included reach (eg, percentage of best practice alerts that providers acted on or the percentage of eligible patients who spoke with the preexposure prophylaxis registered nurse), adoption (eg, percentage of eligible patients with a best practice alert that triggered or the percentage of eligible patients the preexposure prophylaxis registered nurse attempted to contact), and maintenance (eg, percentage of patients with documented HIV prevention counseling or preexposure prophylaxis prescriptions during the maintenance phase). RESULTS: There were 904 unique patients in all phases with a mean age of 28.8±7.7 years, and 416 patients (46%) were pregnant; moreover, 436 patients were randomized in the clinical trial phase. Concerning reach and adoption, best practice alerts were triggered for 100% of eligible encounters; however, the providers acted on 52% of them. The preexposure prophylaxis nurse attempted to contact every patient and successfully spoke with 81.2% of them in the preexposure prophylaxis registered nurse arm. Concerning effectiveness, there were significantly more patients counseled about preexposure prophylaxis in the preexposure prophylaxis registered nurse group than in the active control group (66.5% vs 12.3%, respectively; P<.001), although preexposure prophylaxis prescriptions were equivalent (P=1.0). Among the subgroup of patients who were counseled about preexposure prophylaxis, 18.5% of patients in the active control arm and 3.4% in the preexposure prophylaxis registered nurse arm were prescribed preexposure prophylaxis (P=.02). Concerning maintenance, clinical decision support tools alone resulted in preexposure prophylaxis counseling of 1.0% of patients during the maintenance phase vs 0.6% of patients during the baseline phase and 11.2% of patients during the clinical trial phase (P<.001). Preexposure prophylaxis prescriptions were not statistically different among the 3 phases (P=.096). CONCLUSION: A preexposure prophylaxis nurse effectively increased HIV prevention discussions but did not lead to more preexposure prophylaxis prescriptions than the preexposure prophylaxis-focused clinical decision support tools used by providers. The decrease in preexposure prophylaxis counseling after the trial phase suggests that persistent interventions are needed to maintain effects.

Paediatric clinical decision support: Evaluation of a best practice alert for red blood cell transfusion.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Providing red blood cell (RBC) transfusion to paediatric patients with a haemoglobin (Hb) level of <7 g/dL is the current best practice, but it is often difficult to ensure appropriateness of RBC transfusion on a health system level. Electronic health record (EHR) clinical decision support systems have been shown to be effective in encouraging providers to transfuse at appropriate Hb thresholds. We present our experience with an interruptive best practice alert (BPA) at a paediatric healthcare system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An interruptive BPA requiring physician response was implemented in our EHR (Epic Systems Corp., Verona, WI, USA) in 2018 based on Hb thresholds for inpatients. The threshold was initially <8 g/dL and later changed to <7 g/dL in 2019. We assessed total activations, number of RBC transfusions and hospital metrics through 2022 compared to the 2 years prior to implementation. RESULTS: The BPA activated 6956 times over 4 years, slightly less than 5/day, and the success rate, with no RBC transfusions within 24 h of order attempt, was 14.5% (1012/6956). There was a downward trend in the number of total RBC transfusions and RBC transfusions per admission after implementation, non-significant (p = 0.41 and p = >0.99). The annual case mix index was similar over the years evaluated. The estimated cost savings based on acquisition costs for RBC units were 213,822 USD or about $51,891 per year. CONCLUSION: BPA implementation led to sustained change in RBC transfusion towards best practice, and there were long-term savings in RBC expenditure.

Mental health and well-being in primatology: Breaking the taboos.

We hope to raise awareness of mental health and well-being among primatologists. With this aim in mind, we organized a workshop on mental health as part of the main program of the Winter meeting of the Primate Society of Great Britain in December 2021. The workshop was very well received. Here, we review the main issues raised in the workshop, and supplement them with our own observations, reflections, and reading. The information we gathered during the workshop reveals clear hazards to mental health and suggests that we must collectively acknowledge and better manage both the hazards themselves and our ability to cope with them if we are to avert disaster. We call on institutions and learned societies to lead in seeking solutions for the benefit of primatologists and primatology.