Co-design and evaluation of a digital serious game to promote public awareness about pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer, ranking seventh in global cancer-related deaths, poses a significant public health challenge with increasing incidence and mortality. Most cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, resulting in low survival rates. Early diagnosis significantly impacts prognosis, making symptom awareness crucial. Symptoms are often subtle, leading to delayed help-seeking behaviour. Patients and their carers prioritise increased public awareness, indicating a need for innovative approaches to promote awareness of the disease. METHODS: This study employed a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design to assess the relationship between a serious game and pancreatic cancer awareness. Members of the public (N = 727) were recruited internationally, via social media and with signposting by relevant organisations. Participants completed measures of symptom awareness and help-seeking intentions before and after playing the game. The serious game, co-designed with experts by lived experience, patient advocates and healthcare professionals, presented participants with a human anatomy diagram, with each section linked to a question about pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: The serious game demonstrated a statistically significant improvement on pancreatic cancer awareness based on matched paired t-tests. Due to missing data, paired comparisons were only possible for 489 cases. Symptom awareness scores exhibited a statistically significant increase from pre-test to post-test, with a large effect size (p < 0.001, d = 1.43). Help-seeking intentions also markedly improved, showing a significant increase from pre-test to post-test, with a large effect size (p < 0.001, d = 1.10). Independent-samples t-tests were also conducted to determine if there were any group differences on pre- to post-test changes based on age, gender, and previous knowledge and/or experience of pancreatic cancer. Participants overwhelmingly endorsed the game's usability and educational value, suggesting its potential as an effective tool for enhancing public awareness and proactive health-seeking behaviour. DISCUSSION: This study is the first to explore a serious game's utility in pancreatic cancer awareness. Results suggest that such interventions can effectively increase public awareness and influence help-seeking intentions. The co-design process ensured content relevance, and participant satisfaction was high. Findings highlight the game's potential as an accessible and convenient tool for diverse populations.

Using a six-step co-design model to rapidly respond to cancer carers support and information needs during a global pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic placed severe strain on cancer carers resulting in an urgent need for information and support. METHODS: The Santin 2019 6-step co-design model was used to rapidly modify an existing online cancer carers resource. Draft content of a COVID-19 module was created via two workshops and six meetings with an expert advisory team (Step 1). This content was then produced into videoed testimonials (Step 2). A module prototype was reviewed by volunteers (Step 3) and modified based on feedback (Step 4). User-testing occurred via two online feedback sessions (Step 5) and modifications were made (Step 6). All steps were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. RESULTS: A COVID-19 support, and information module was rapidly co-designed by n = 45 stakeholders (n = 11 workshop 1 and 2 (3 carers/14 professionals), n = 6 advisory committee (1 carer/5 professionals), n = 4 video content (1 carer/3 professionals) and n = 24 feedback sessions (5 carers/19 professionals). The module contained vaccination information, infection control and how to manage the psychosocial impact of restrictions. Information was delivered in 4 short videos with links to up-to-date guidance and information services. Participants identified that the module included all key information for carers in an accessible and informative way. The use of videos was viewed as an emotive and reassuring. CONCLUSIONS: During a global pandemic, cancer carers urgently required tailored information. Co-designed online resources allow service providers to rapidly respond to emerging and unprecedented issues and provide urgent information and support.

Registered Nurses' Perspectives of the Impact of a Post-registration Education Qualification on Patient Care and Clinical Practice in Cancer Care: a Qualitative Study.

Student evaluation of teaching is routinely completed as modules and programmes of study at higher education institutions conclude. The evaluations are often focused on the educational value and experience. For programmes with healthcare professionals as students, the impact of the learning on patient care and clinical practice is not routinely captured in these student evaluations. These insights are crucial as the definitive impact of learning for many educational programmes of study for healthcare professionals is to enhance patient outcomes. The aim of this qualitative research study was to capture the impact of a post-registration Specialist Practice in cancer pathway for registered nurses in the context of Northern Ireland following completion of the programme. Eleven participants engaged in interviews in 2021 who had completed the education programme from 2013 to 2021. Two themes inductively emerged from the data which provided insights into the specific impact of the education programme on patient care and clinical practice. Theme one identified patient outcomes improved, and was related to five sub themes; development of nurse's clinical knowledge; enhanced awareness of the holistic impact of cancer; greater understanding of patient services available; development of clinical networks; and greater decision-making ability. Theme two related to the impact of the qualification on clinical practice through an increase in their professional credibility within the multidisciplinary team in cancer services. The debate on how to capture the impact of education on patient care and clinical practice in cancer care, should consider how to routinely capture this data.

Evaluation of the role of the clinical Nurse Specialist in cancer care: an integrative literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Although there is growing evidence the Clinical Nurse Specialist role makes a difference to patient care, the full value of this service may not be always appreciated with current models not meeting the needs of those with cancer. The primary aim of this integrative literature review was to evaluate outcomes associated with the role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist in cancer care. The secondary aim was to identify the components of the Clinical Nurse Specialist role in cancer care from the included papers in the literature review. METHODS: An integrative literature review using a systematic approach was adopted. Literature searches were undertaken in four databases and supplemented with a search in the grey literature and reference lists of included papers. Searches were limited to January 2009-July 2019 and those written in the English language. Three reviewers independently completed the searches and reviewed the papers before reaching a consensus. RESULTS: Fourteen eligible research papers were identified. Evaluations were predominately positive with the role contributing to improving patient outcomes with regards psychological support, information provision, symptom management, service coordination and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The findings of this literature review firmly establish the Clinical Nurse Specialist as a valuable member of the multidisciplinary team in enhancing cancer care services.

Addressing the current challenges of adopting evidence-based practice in nursing.

This aim of this article is to explore the current position of evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing. The article provides an overview of the historical context and emergence of EBP with an outline of the EBP process. There is an exploration of the current challenges facing the nursing profession as it endeavours to adopt EBP into care delivery, along with actions to address these challenges. There will also be a discussion on how to integrate EBP into undergraduate nursing curricula as academic institutions implement the Future nurse standards of proficiency from the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

"Transition from children's to adult services for adolescents/young adults with life-limiting conditions: developing realist programme theory through an international comparison".

BACKGROUND: Managing transition of adolescents/young adults with life-limiting conditions from children's to adult services has become a global health and social care issue. Suboptimal transitions from children's to adult services can lead to measurable adverse outcomes. Interventions are emerging but there is little theory to guide service developments aimed at improving transition. The Transition to Adult Services for Young Adults with Life-limiting conditions (TAYSL study) included development of the TASYL Transition Theory, which describes eight interventions which can help prepare services and adolescents/young adults with life-limiting conditions for a successful transition. We aimed to assess the usefulness of the TASYL Transition Theory in a Canadian context to identify interventions, mechanisms and contextual factors associated with a successful transition from children's to adult services for adolescents/young adults; and to discover new theoretical elements that might modify the TASYL Theory. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey focused on organisational approaches to transition was distributed to three organisations providing services to adolescents with life-limiting conditions in Toronto, Canada. This data was mapped to the TASYL Transition Theory to identify corresponding and new theoretical elements. RESULTS: Invitations were sent to 411 potentially eligible health care professionals with 56 responses from across the three participating sites. The results validated three of the eight interventions: early start to the transition process; developing adolescent/young adult autonomy; and the role of parents/carers; with partial support for the remaining five. One new intervention was identified: effective communication between healthcare professionals and the adolescent/young adult and their parents/carers. There was also support for contextual factors including those related to staff knowledge and attitudes, and a lack of time to provide transition services centred on the adolescent/young adult. Some mechanisms were supported, including the adolescent/young adult gaining confidence in relationships with service providers and in decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: The Transition Theory travelled well between Ireland and Toronto, indicating its potential to guide both service development and research in different contexts. Future research could include studies with adult service providers; qualitative work to further explicate mechanisms and contextual factors; and use the theory prospectively to develop and test new or modified interventions to improve transition.

The usefulness and acceptability of a personal health record to children and young people living with a complex health condition: A realist review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: There are a growing number of children and young people (CYP) with chronic health needs or complex disabilities. Increasingly, CYP with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions are surviving into adulthood. Communication between CYP, their family, and health professionals can be challenging. The use of a personal health record (PHR) is one potential strategy for improving communication by promoting CYP's health advocacy skills. However, PHR implementation has proved difficult due to technical, organisational, and professional barriers. The aim of this realist review is to identify the factors, which help or hinder the use of PHRs with CYP living with a complex health condition. METHODS: Systematic realist review. Literature was sourced from six databases: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsychInfo, The Cochrane Library, and Science Direct (from 1946 to August Week 3 2018). The web was searched to identify grey literature. Articles were sourced from reference lists of included studies. Data were extracted using a standardised data extraction form. Two reviewers completed data extraction and synthesis. Methodological rigor was assessed using the relevant Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. RESULTS: Nine articles were included. Contextual factors, which helped implementation, included the CYP having a high perception of need for a PHR and a high level of desire for self-management. Service providers and CYP need knowledge about the purpose and benefits of the PHR, and organisations need a dedicated person to facilitate PHR use. Mechanisms triggered by the PHR included improved understanding and knowledge of health care condition(s) for CYP, an increased feeling of control over condition(s), and more active engagement in their health care. Outcomes for CYP included improved self-advocacy and communication. CONCLUSION: Clearer definitions of which young people would benefit from using a PHR must be established to inform which organisations and service providers would be best suited to PHR implementation.

Exploring the Educational Value of an Immersive Virtual Reality Method Within a Continuing Education Module in Nursing: A Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have explored the potential educational value of immersive 360° video in continuing education. This study explored the potential value of immersive 360° video as an acceptable educational method in a continuing education module in nursing. METHOD: A convergent parallel mixed methods design was adopted. The setting was a nursing and midwifery school at a university. The 11 participants were RNs. Data were collected at three time points with surveys and focus groups. RESULTS: Participants found educational value in the triggering of a deep reflective process, supported by a subsequent classroom discussion. Further, there were nuances and complexities to be considered, with a need to tailor material toward high-acuity, low-frequency, or challenging clinical events when considering content. CONCLUSION: Immersive 360° videos are a potentially useful method for providing continuing education; however, the content must be tailored to students' learning needs. A reflective model may provide a valuable structure for discussions after the use of immersive 360° video. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(5):261-268.].

Pilot study to explore the use of mobile spaced learning as a digital learning platform when teaching symptom management to undergraduate nursing students: SPLENdidS study.

BACKGROUND: The management of patients' holistic symptom needs are often complex and challenging. The education needs of undergraduate nursing students must be optimally addressed to have a significant positive impact on patient care. Mobile spaced learning has been recognised as a form of online education which can provide a novel approach to delivering effective evidence based healthcare education to undergraduate students. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this pilot study was to explore the experiences of undergraduate nursing students in a university setting, of using mobile spaced learning as a digital platform for symptom management education. METHOD: This pilot study used a mixed methods approach. Online spaced learning material, which utilised both case based scenarios and multiple choice questions, was delivered to first year undergraduate nursing students over a period of 2 weeks. Participants were then invited to participate in an online survey related to the usability of mobile spaced learning. A focus group was conducted to further explore the participants' views. RESULT: Findings conveyed that students viewed mobile spaced learning as an acceptable platform that enhanced both their learning and their ability to transfer knowledge into clinical practice. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a digital spaced learning intervention would be acceptable to undergraduate nursing students learning about holistic symptom management. Further research is needed to explore the feasibility of implementing this intervention within the undergraduate nursing curriculum, and also to explore the impact on long-term knowledge retention.

Role of the clinical nurse specialist as a non-medical prescriber in managing the palliative care needs of individuals with advanced lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Rapid identification of the palliative care needs of individuals with a diagnosis of advanced lung cancer is crucial to maximise the patient's quality of life by upholding exemplary standards of patient-centred holistic care. The clinical nurse specialist is in an ideal position to contribute to the identification and management of the palliative care needs of individuals with advanced lung cancer through the assessment and timely prescribing of medications to manage distressing symptoms. AIM: This paper reviews and critiques the role of the clinical nurse specialist as an independent non-medical prescriber in the management of palliative symptoms in end-of-life care for patients with advanced lung cancer. RESULTS: Published literature highlights the positive impact the clinical nurse specialist has as a non-medical prescriber in addressing the palliative needs of individuals with lung cancer. However, there are barriers and challenges, and to overcome these, maximising resources and the availability of support is required to ensure the delivery of timely, person-centred care. CONCLUSION: The clinical nurse specialist as a non-medical prescriber is an evolving role. There are a range of factors that may influence the clinical nurse specialist to confidently and competently undertake this role. These include the perception that there will be an escalation in the workload, concerns about increased accountability and inadequate mentoring for this new role. To incentivise this role, multidisciplinary support is essential in promoting the clinical nurse specialist's confidence for developing this service to individuals with advanced lung cancer.

Prognostic awareness in advanced cancer: an integrative literature review.

Individuals with advanced cancer who have accurate prognostic awareness are reported to make more informed decisions about their plan of care. Despite this, it is reported that individuals do not always have accurate prognostic awareness with the rationale for this discordance unclear. The primary aim of the integrative literature review was to identify if there is concordance between actual prognosis and accurate prognostic awareness in individuals with advanced cancer. The secondary aim was to identify the rationale for any discordance between actual prognosis and prognostic awareness in individuals with advanced cancer. This is an integrative literature review using a systematic approach. Literature searches were undertaken in March 2018 in four databases; CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library. Searches were limited to between 2008 and 2018 and those written in the English language. Database searches were supplemented with papers from reference lists of included papers and grey literature. Two reviewers independently completed the literature search and independently reviewed the papers. Fourteen eligible research papers were identified. The majority of individuals with advanced cancer in the included studies did not have accurate prognostic awareness. When identified, the rationale for discordance relates to the individual not being communicated accurate prognostic information, not being able to recall prognostic conversations or prognosis being discussed in vague terms. As individuals with advanced cancer with accurate prognostic awareness make more informed decisions at a crucial time in their life trajectory, it is imperative that healthcare professionals are equipped to effectively deliver accurate prognostic information, ensuring understanding is assessed.

A cross-sectional survey of services for young adults with life-limiting conditions making the transition from children's to adult services in Ireland.

BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of young adults with life-limiting conditions are living into adulthood and consequently making the transition from children's to adult services. A poorly planned transition is associated with adverse outcomes such as non-adherence to treatment and loss to follow-up, together with negative social and emotional outcomes. However, there is little descriptive data on how organisations are currently managing transition. AIM: To obtain an overview of organisational approaches to transition on the island of Ireland, and to explore important organisational factors that may influence the effectiveness of the process. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey. One of the four Health Services Executive areas in the Republic of Ireland and the whole of Northern Ireland. Participants were service providers in statutory and non-statutory organisations providing transition services to young adults with life-limiting conditions. RESULTS: The survey was distributed to 55 organisations. The overall response rate was 29/55 (53%). The approach to transition most commonly used focused on interagency communication and collaboration. Key factors in an effective transition were reported as: early commencement; effective communication between the young adult, their family, and services; the availability of appropriate adult services; and effective preparation through collaboration with the young adult and their family. However, implementation of these processes was inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate that caring for young adults with life-limiting conditions presents a considerable challenge to organisations and that transition from children's to adult services is an important part of this challenge.

Facilitating transition from children's to adult services for young adults with life-limiting conditions (TASYL): Programme theory developed from a mixed methods realist evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Improvements in care and treatment have led to more young adults with life-limiting conditions living beyond childhood, necessitating a transition from children's to adult services. Given the lack of evidence on interventions to promote transition, it is important that those creating and evaluating interventions develop a theoretical understanding of how such complex interventions may work. OBJECTIVES: To develop theory about the interventions, and organisational and human factors that help or hinder a successful transition from children's to adult services, drawing on the experience, knowledge, and insights of young adults with life-limiting conditions, their parents/carers, and service providers. DESIGN: A realist evaluation using mixed methods with four phases of data collection in the island of Ireland. Phase one: a questionnaire survey of statutory and non-statutory organisations providing health, social and educational services to young adults making the transition from children's to adult services in Northern Ireland and one Health Services Executive area in the Republic of Ireland. Phase two: interviews with eight young adults. Phase three: two focus groups with a total of ten parents/carers. Phase four: interviews with 17 service providers. Data were analysed seeking to explain the impact of services and interventions, and to identify organisational and human factors thought to influence the quality, safety and continuity of care. RESULTS: Eight interventions were identified as facilitating transition from children's to adult services. The inter-relationships between these interventions supported two complementary models for successful transition. One focused on fostering a sense of confidence among adult service providers to manage the complex care of the young adult, and empowering providers to make the necessary preparations in terms of facilities and staff training. The other focused on the young adults, with service providers collaborating to develop an autonomous young adult, whilst actively involving parents/carers. These models interact in that a knowledgeable, confident young adult who is growing in decision-making abilities is best placed to take advantage of services - but only if those services are properly resourced and run by staff with appropriate skills. No single intervention or stakeholder group can guarantee a successful transition. Rather, service providers could work with young adults and their parents/carers to consider desired outcomes, and the range of interventions, in light of the organisational and human resources available in their context. This would allow them to supplement the organisational context where necessary and select interventions that are more likely to deliver outcomes in that context.

Transition from children's to adult services for young adults with life-limiting conditions: A realist review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Improvements in care and treatment have led to more young adults with life-limiting conditions living beyond childhood, which means they must make the transition from children's to adult services. This has proved a challenging process for both young adults and service providers, with complex transition interventions interacting in unpredictable ways with local contexts. OBJECTIVES: To explain how intervention processes interact with contextual factors to help transition from children's to adult services for young adults with life-limiting conditions. DESIGN: Systematic realist review of the literature. DATA SOURCES: Literature was sourced from four electronic databases: Embase, MEDLINE, Science Direct and Cochrane Library from January 1995 to April 2016. This was supplemented with a search in Google Scholar and articles sourced from reference lists of included papers. REVIEW METHODS: Data were extracted using an adapted standardised data extraction tool which included identifying information related to interventions, mechanisms, contextual influences and outcomes. Two reviewers assessed the relevance of papers based on the inclusion criteria. Methodological rigor was assessed using the relevant Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tools. RESULTS: 78 articles were included in the review. Six interventions were identified related to an effective transition to adult services. Contextual factors include the need for children's service providers to collaborate with adult service providers to prepare an environment with knowledgeable staff and adequate resources. Mechanisms triggered by the interventions include a sense of empowerment and agency amongst all stakeholders. CONCLUSIONS: Early planning, collaboration between children's and adult service providers, and a focus on increasing the young adults' confidence in decision-making and engaging with adult services, are vital to a successful transition. Interventions should be tailored to their context and focused not only on organisational procedures but on equipping young adults, parents/carers and staff to engage with each other effectively.