Managing 'sick days' in patients with chronic conditions: An exploration of patient and healthcare provider experiences.

INTRODUCTION: People with chronic medical conditions often take medications that improve long-term outcomes but which can be harmful during acute illness. Guidelines recommend that healthcare providers offer instructions to temporarily stop these medications when patients are sick (i.e., sick days). We describe the experiences of patients managing sick days and of healthcare providers providing sick day guidance to their patients. METHODS: We undertook a qualitative descriptive study. We purposively sampled patients and healthcare providers from across Canada. Adult patients were eligible if they took at least two medications for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and/or kidney disease. Healthcare providers were eligible if they were practising in a community setting with at least 1 year of experience. Data were collected using virtual focus groups and individual phone interviews conducted in English. Team members analyzed transcripts using conventional content analysis. RESULTS: We interviewed 48 participants (20 patients and 28 healthcare providers). Most patients were between 50 and 64 years of age and identified their health status as 'good'. Most healthcare providers were between 45 and 54 years of age and the majority practised as pharmacists in urban areas. We identified three overarching themes that summarize the experiences of patients and healthcare providers, largely suggesting a broad spectrum in approaches to managing sick days: Individualized Communication, Tailored Sick Day Practices, and Variation in Knowledge of Sick Day Practices and Relevant Resources. CONCLUSION: It is important to understand the perspectives of both patients and healthcare providers with respect to the management of sick days. This understanding can be used to improve care and outcomes for people living with chronic conditions during sick days. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Two patient partners were involved from proposal development to the dissemination of our findings, including manuscript development. Both patient partners took part in team meetings and contributed to team decision-making. Patient partners also participated in data analysis by reviewing codes and theme development. Furthermore, patients living with various chronic conditions and healthcare providers participated in focus groups and individual interviews.

High dose rate endoluminal brachytherapy in the treatment of endobronchial lesions - experience of a single institution and literature review.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of Iridium-192 high-dose-rate endobronchial brachytherapy (HDR-EBT) for palliation of symptoms and for curative intent. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of a prospectively registered cohort of 31 patients with endobronchial lesions treated with HDR-EBT at our institution between 2008 and 2020. Eighteen patients were treated with palliative intent and 13 curative intent; 4 of them as a boost to external radiation therapy (XRT). The primary objectives of the study were to analyze the symptomatic relief, endoscopic response, and treatment-related toxicity. As a secondary endpoint, survival analyses were performed. RESULTS: In palliative setting, most of the symptomatic patients (80%) presented a significant clinical improvement and 75% presented endoscopic improvement of the lesions. In curative setting, all patients with visible lesions had endoscopic improvement and better survival than palliatively treated patients (median: 78 and 9 months, respectively; p = 0.002). There were no complications in 91.4% of the treatments: only one pneumonia, one pneumothorax and one bronchial stenosis occurred, all in palliative treatments. No fatal hemoptysis happened. Acute toxicity was mild (G ≤ 2) and transitory. DISCUSSION: HDR-EBT is an excellent, safe, and inexpensive palliative treatment of symptoms caused by endobronchial growth of tumors in the proximal airway, either as a single treatment or in combination with XRT. It can also be an alternative in the treatment of initial malignant tumors when surgery or XRT is not possible, and it may also play a role in treating non-malignant bronchial obstructions.

An eHealth self-management intervention for adults with chronic kidney disease, My Kidneys My Health: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: There is limited research of electronic tools for self-management for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We sought to evaluate participant engagement, perceived self-efficacy and website usage in a preliminary evaluation of My Kidneys My Health, a patient-facing eHealth tool in Canada. METHODS: We conducted an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study of adults with CKD who were not on kidney replacement therapy and who had access to My Kidneys My Health for 8 weeks. Outcomes included acceptance (measured by the Technology Acceptance Model), self-efficacy (measured by the Chronic Disease Self-Efficacy Scale [CDSES]) and website usage patterns (captured using Google Analytics). We analyzed participant interviews using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-nine participants with CKD completed baseline questionnaires, of whom 22 completed end-of-study questionnaires; data saturation was achieved with 15 telephone interviews. Acceptance was high, with more than 70% of participants agreeing or strongly agreeing that the website was easy to use and useful. Of the 22 who completed end-of-study questionnaires, 18 (82%) indicated they would recommend its use to others and 16 (73%) stated they would use the website in the future. Average scores for website satisfaction and look and feel were 7.7 (standard deviation [SD] 2.0) and 8.2 (SD 2.0) out of 10, respectively. The CDSES indicated that participants gained an increase in CKD information. Interviewed participants reported that the website offered valuable information and interactive tools for patients with early or newly diagnosed CKD, or for those experiencing changes in health status. Popular website pages and interactive features included Food and Diet, What is CKD, My Question List and the Depression Screener. INTERPRETATION: Participants indicated that the My Kidneys My Health website provided accessible content and tools that may improve self-efficacy and support in CKD self-management. Further evaluation of the website's effectiveness in supporting self-management among a larger, more heterogenous population is warranted.

A Web-Based Self-Management Support Prototype for Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease (My Kidneys My Health): Co-Design and Usability Testing.

BACKGROUND: Supporting patients to self-manage their chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been identified as a research priority by patients with CKD and those who care for them. Self-management has been shown to slow CKD progression and improve the quality of life of individuals living with the disease. Previous work has identified a need for a person-centered, theory-informed, web-based tool for CKD self-management that can be individualized to a patient's unique situation, priorities, and preferences. We addressed this gap using an integrated knowledge translation method and patient engagement principles. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to conduct systematic co-design and usability testing of a web-based self-management prototype for adults with CKD (nondialysis and nontransplant) and their caregivers to enhance self-management support. METHODS: A multistep, iterative system development cycle was used to co-design and test the My Kidneys My Health prototype. The 3-step process included creating website features and content using 2 sequential focus groups with patients with CKD and caregivers, heuristic testing using the 10 heuristic principles by Nielsen, and usability testing through in-person 60-minute interviews with patients with CKD and their caregivers. Patients with CKD, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, software developers, graphic designers, and policy makers were involved in all steps of this study. RESULTS: In step 1, 18 participants (14 patients and 4 caregivers) attended one of the 2 sequential focus groups. The participants provided specific suggestions for simplifying navigation as well as suggestions to incorporate video, text, audio, interactive components, and visuals to convey information. A total of 5 reviewers completed the heuristic analysis (step 2), identifying items mainly related to navigation and functionality. Furthermore, 5 participants completed usability testing (step 3) and provided feedback on video production, navigation, features and functionality, and branding. Participants reported visiting the website repeatedly for the following features: personalized food tool, my health care provider question list, symptom guidance based on CKD severity, and medication advice. Usability was high, with a mean system usability score of 90 out of 100. CONCLUSIONS: The My Kidneys My Health prototype is a systematically developed, multifaceted, web-based CKD self-management support tool guided by the theory and preferences of patients with CKD and their caregivers. The website is user friendly and provides features that improve user experience by tailoring the content and resources to their needs. A feasibility study will provide insights into the acceptability of and engagement with the prototype and identify preliminary patient-reported outcomes (eg, self-efficacy) as well as potential factors related to implementation. This work is relevant given the shift to virtual care during the current pandemic times and provides patients with support when in-person care is restricted.

Dosimetric impact of bladder filling on organs at risk with barium contrast in the small bowel for adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this prospective study was to analyze dosimetric impact of modifying bladder filling on dose distribution in organs at risk (OARs) when using contrast in the small bowel of patients under adjuvant therapy with high-dose-rate vaginal cuff brachytherapy (HDR-VCB) for endometrial cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This research included 19 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery. They were treated with HDR-VCB and 2.5-3.5 cm diameter cylinders. Two successive computerized tomography (CT) scans were performed, with empty bladder and with bladder filled with 180 cc of saline solution. Bladder, rectum, sigmoid, and small bowel were delineated as OARs. Oral barium contrast was used to clearly visualize small bowel loops. Prescription dose was 7 Gy. Dose-volume histograms were generated for each OAR, with full and empty bladder to compare doses received. RESULTS: Bladder distension had no dosimetric impact on the bladder, rectum, or sigmoid, unlike the small bowel. With full bladder, mean minimum dose at 2 cc (D2cc) was not significantly higher for full vs. empty bladder (5.56 vs. 5.06 Gy, p = 0.07), whereas there was a significant reduction in the small bowel (1.68 vs. 2.70 Gy, p < 0.001). With full bladder, the dose increased to 50% of the volume (D50%) of the bladder (2.11 vs. 1.28 Gy, p < 0.001), and decreased in the small bowel (0.70 vs. 1.09 Gy, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The present study describes the dose received by organs at risk during HDR-VCB, making it possible to define the dose received by small bowel loops, when visualized with oral barium contrast. In patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery, a full bladder during HDR-VCB reduces the dose to the small bowel without a clinically relevant dose increase in the bladder, and no dose increase in other OARs.

Content and Quality of Websites for Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: An Environmental Scan.

BACKGROUND: Although numerous websites for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are available, little is known about their content and quality. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of CKD websites, and the degree to which they align with information needs identified by patients with CKD. METHODS: We identified websites by entering "chronic kidney disease" in 3 search engines: Google.com (with regional variants for Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), Bing.com, and Yahoo.com. We included the first 50 unique English-language sites from each search. We evaluated website content using a 30-point scale comprising 8 priority content domains identified by patients with CKD (understanding CKD, diet, symptoms, medications, mental/physical health, finances, travel, and work/school). We used standardized tools to evaluate usability, reliability, and readability (DISCERN, HONcode, LIDA, Reading Ease, and Reading Grade Level). Two reviewers independently conducted the search, screen, and evaluation. RESULTS: Of the 2093 websites identified, 115 were included. Overall, sites covered a mean (SD) of 29% (17.8) of the CKD content areas. The proportion of sites covering content related to understanding CKD, symptoms, and diet was highest (97%, 80%, and 72%, respectively). The proportion of sites covering travel, finances, and work/school content was lowest (22%, 12%, and 12%, respectively). The mean (SD) scores for DISCERN, LIDA and HONcode were 68% (14.6), 71% (14.4), and 75% (17.2), respectively, considered above average for usability and reliability. The mean (SD) Reading Grade Level was 10.6 (2.8) and Reading Ease was 49.8 (14.4), suggesting poor readability. CONCLUSIONS: Although many CKD web sites were of reasonable quality, their readability was poor. Furthermore, most sites covered less than 30% of the content patients identified as important for CKD self-management. These results will inform content gaps in internet-accessible information on CKD self-management that should be addressed by future eHealth web-based tools.

CONTEXTE: Bien qu'il existe de nombreux sites Web s'adressant aux patients atteints d'insuffisance rénale chronique (IRC), on en sait peu sur leur qualité et sur la pertinence de leur contenu. OBJECTIFS: Évaluer la qualité de sites Web traitant de l'IRC et vérifier s'ils sont en phase avec les besoins d'information formulés par les patients. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Nous avons répertorié des sites Web en entrant chronic kidney disease (insuffisance rénale chronique) dans trois moteurs de recherche, soit Google.com (et ses variantes régionales australienne, canadienne, britannique et étatsunienne), Bing.com et Yahoo.com. Ont été inclus les 50 premiers sites en anglais s'affichant sur chacun. Le contenu a été évalué avec une échelle en 30 points englobant huit domaines d'intérêt cités par les patients atteints d'IRC, soit Understanding CKD (comprendre l'IRC), Diet (régime alimentaire), Symptoms (symptômes), Medications (médicaments), Mental/Physical Health (santé physique/mentale), Finances (finances), Travel (voyage) et Work/School (travail/études). Des outils normalisés (DISCERN, HONcode, LIDA, Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level) ont été employés pour évaluer la convivialité, la fiabilité et la lisibilité des contenus. Deux examinateurs ont procédé à la recherche, au triage et à l'évaluation des sites de façon indépendante. RÉSULTATS: Des 2 093 sites répertoriés, 115 ont été inclus. Dans l'ensemble, ceux-ci couvraient les domaines d'intérêt à 29 % (17,8) en moyenne. La compréhension de l'IRC (97 %), les symptômes (80 %) et le régime alimentaire (72 %) se sont révélés les sujets abordés par une plus grande proportion des sites évalués. Les voyages (22 %), la situation financière (12 %) et le travail/les études (12 %) constituaient quant à eux les sujets les moins couverts. Les scores moyens pour DISCERN (68 % [14,6]), LIDA (71 % [14,4]) et HONcode (75 % [17,2]) se sont avérés au-dessus de la moyenne pour la convivialité et la fiabilité. Le score moyen au Reading Grade Level était de 10,6 (2,8) et celui du Reading Ease était de 49,8 (14,4), suggérant une faible lisibilité. CONCLUSION: Bien que la qualité de plusieurs sites Web traitant de l'IRC se soit révélée satisfaisante, leur lisibilité était faible. De plus, la plupart couvraient moins de 30 % du contenu jugé important par les patients dans l'autogestion de la maladie. Ces résultats mettront en lumière les lacunes de l'information accessible sur internet quant à l'autogestion de l'IRC; lacunes qui devraient être comblées par les futurs outils de santé en ligne.

Overview of Self-Management Resources Used by Canadian Chronic Kidney Disease Clinics: A National Survey.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) clinics across Canada provide tailored care for patients with CKD with an aim to slow progression and prevent complications. These clinics provide CKD self-management resources; however, there is limited information about what resources are being used by clinics. We undertook a survey of CKD clinics across Canada to identify self-management resources for adults aged 18 years and over with CKD categories 1 to 5 and not requiring dialysis or transplant. OBJECTIVE: To identify and collate self-management resources (eg, strategies, tools, educational materials) used by CKD clinics across Canada for adults with CKD (categories 1 to 5, not requiring kidney replacement therapy). DESIGN: Self-administered, semistructured electronic survey. SETTING PARTICIPANTS: Canadian CKD clinics with previously identified contact information. METHODS AND MEASUREMENTS: We contacted 57 CKD English-speaking clinics and invited them to complete an online survey. The survey was available from October 2016 to January 2017 and consisted of 17 questions regarding the use and attributes of self-management resources including topic, delivery format, provider, target population, where the intervention was provided, and resource languages. RESULTS: Forty-four clinics (77%) completed the survey. The most common topic was modality education provided in print format, by nurses. The most frequently used resource was the Kidney Foundation of Canada (KFOC) Living With Kidney Disease manual. We also identified that the majority of resources were available in English, targeting both patients and caregivers in the outpatient setting. LIMITATIONS: Our survey included Canadian adult CKD clinics, which may not be generalizability to other settings, such as care of people with CKD in primary care. CONCLUSIONS: Adult CKD clinics across Canada provide some similar resources, but also provide many different self-management resources. Even though some of the same resources were used by multiple clinics, the way they were provided them (ie, provider, location, delivery format) varied by the individual clinics. Knowledge of self-management resources currently provided in CKD clinics, along with synthesis of the literature and patient preferred self-management strategies, will inform the design and development of a novel self-management intervention that is patient-centric and adheres to the principles of self-management.

CONTEXTE: Au Canada, les cliniques de néphropathie chronique prodiguent des soins spécifiques aux patients atteints d'insuffisance rénale chronique (IRC) dans le but de ralentir la progression de la maladie et de prévenir les complications. Ces cliniques offrent des ressources de prise en charge autonome de la maladie, mais on dispose de peu d'information sur les ressources qui sont effectivement offertes aux patients. OBJECTIFS DE L'ÉTUDE: L'étude visait le recensement des ressources de prise en charge autonome (stratégies, outils, documents informatifs et autres) offertes par les cliniques de néphropathie canadiennes à leurs patients adultes atteints d'IRC de stade 1 à 5 ne requérant pas de thérapie de remplacement rénal. TYPE D'ÉTUDE: L'étude a été menée sous la forme d'un sondage électronique semi-structuré et auto-administré. CADRE DE L'ÉTUDE: Le sondage a été présenté à des cliniques de néphropathie chronique canadiennes pour lesquelles nous avions préalablement trouvé une personne-ressource. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Nous avons invité les personnes-ressources de 57 cliniques anglo-canadiennes à compléter notre sondage diffusé en ligne entre octobre 2016 et janvier 2017. Le sondage comptait 17 questions relatives à la nature et à l'utilisation des ressources de prise en charge autonome offertes (sujet, forme, fournisseur, population ciblée, langues, lieu de l'intervention, etc.). RÉSULTATS: Des 57 répondants potentiels approchés, 44 (77 %) ont complété le sondage. La demande d'information la plus souvent mentionnée concernait les modalités de dialyse et la ressource alors fournie consistait en un document informatif remis en version papier par le personnel infirmier. La ressource la plus souvent employée était le guide Vivre à sa façon (en 2 livrets) rédigé par la Fondation canadienne du rein. On a de plus constaté que la majorité des ressources étaient en anglais, la langue commune aux patients et aux fournisseurs de soins en consultation externe. LIMITES DE L'ÉTUDE: Notre sondage s'est limité à des cliniques traitant des adultes atteints d'IRC. Nos résultats pourraient ne pas être généralisables dans d'autres contextes, notamment aux soins prodigués aux patients atteints d'IRC dans les établissements de soins primaires. CONCLUSION: Les cliniques de néphropathie chronique canadiennes proposent certaines ressources similaires de prise en charge autonome aux adultes souffrant d'IRC, mais les ressources diffèrent passablement d'un établissement à un autre. Et bien que plusieurs cliniques recourent aux mêmes ressources, on a noté des variations dans façon de les fournir (fournisseur, lieu de l'intervention, support du document). Une meilleure connaissance des stratégies de gestion autonome privilégiées par les patients et des ressources actuellement offertes dans les cliniques de néphropathie chronique, combinée à une synthèse de la littérature, favorisera l'élaboration de stratégies d'intervention centrées sur les besoins des patients et conformes aux principes de la prise en charge autonome.

A scoping review of adult chronic kidney disease clinical pathways for primary care.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects ∼10% of the adult population. The majority of patients with CKD are managed by primary care physicians, and despite the availability of effective treatment options, the use of evidence-based interventions for CKD in this setting remains suboptimal. Clinical pathways have been identified as effective tools to guide primary care physicians in providing evidence-based care. We aimed to describe the availability, characteristics and credibility of clinical pathways for adult CKD using a scoping review methodology. METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL and targeted Internet sites from inception to 31 October 2014 to identify studies and resources that identified adult CKD clinical pathways for primary care settings. Study selection and data extraction were independently performed by two reviewers. RESULTS: From 487 citations, 41 items were eligible for review: 7 published articles and 34 grey literature resources published between 2001 and 2014. Of the 41 clinical pathways, 32, 24 and 22% were from the UK, USA and Canada, respectively. The majority (66%, n = 31) of clinical pathways were static in nature (did not have an online interactive feature). The majority (76%) of articles/resources reported using one or more clinical practice guidelines as a resource to guide the clinical pathway content. Few articles described a dissemination and evaluation plan for the clinical pathway, but most reported the targeted end-users. CONCLUSIONS: Our scoping review synthesized available literature on CKD clinical pathways in the primary care setting. We found that existing clinical pathways are diverse in their design, content and implementation. These results can be used by researchers developing or testing new or existing clinical pathways and by practitioners and health system stakeholders who aim to implement CKD clinical pathways in clinical practice.

Results of the 2014-2015 Canadian Society of Nephrology workforce survey.

BACKGROUND: Nephrology was previously identified as a subspecialty with few Canadian employment opportunities, and in recent years, fewer trainees are choosing nephrology. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to better understand the current Canadian adult nephrology workforce and the expected workforce trends over the next 5 years. DESIGN: This is an online self-administered survey. SETTING: This study is set in Canada. SURVEY PARTICIPANTS: Survey participants are Canadian adult nephrologists, including self-identified division heads. MEASUREMENTS: The measurements of this study are demographics, training, current practice characteristics, work hours, and projected workforce needs. METHODS: Survey questions were based on previous workforce surveys. Ethics approval was obtained through the University of Saskatchewan. The survey was piloted in both English and French and modified based on the feedback to ensure that responses accurately reflected the information desired. It was circulated to all identified Canadian nephrologists via an anonymous e-mail link for self-administration. Categorical data was aggregated, and free-text answers were thematically analyzed. Additional descriptive analysis was conducted by all authors. RESULTS: Five hundred ninety-two Canadian nephrologists were contacted and 48 % responded, with representation from all Canadian provinces. One third of the respondents were female, and the largest age cohort was 41-50 years. Most nephrologists are trained in Canada and 61 % completed additional training. The majority of the respondents (69.1 %) began working as a nephrologist immediately upon completion of fellowship training. Younger nephrologists reported more challenges in finding a job. Eighty percent of responding nephrologists were satisfied with their current work hours, 13.1 % will reduce work hours within 3 years, an additional 8.2 % will reduce work hours within 5 years, and a further 14.2 % will reduce work hours within 10 years. Nephrology division heads forecasted the number of clinical and academic nephrologists needed for the next 3 and 5 years. LIMITATIONS: The response rate was 48 %. Forecasted workforce needs are not indicative of guaranteed future positions. CONCLUSIONS: This Canadian Society of Nephrology workforce survey demonstrated the current workforce demographics, individual nephrologist future workforce plans, and projected nephrology division requirements for the next 3 and 5 years. Further work will need to be done to refine Canadian nephrology workforce planning with the development of a robust strategy that encompasses both societal and nephrologists' needs with the realities of employment.

MISE EN CONTEXTE: La néphrologie a été identifiée dans le passé comme une sous-spécialité pour laquelle les perspectives d'emploi se faisaient rares au Canada. Une conséquence de cette constatation a été la diminution du nombre de stagiaires qui l'ont choisie comme spécialité dans les dernières années. OBJECTIFS DU SONDAGE: On a cherché à mieux connaître la nature des effectifs actuels en néphrologie adulte au Canada et à mesurer l'évolution de la main-d'œuvre pour les cinq prochaines années. TYPE D'ÉTUDE: Le plan de l'enquête reposait sur un questionnaire autoadministré auquel les participants accédaient en ligne. PARTICIPANTS: Le sondage s'est tenu auprès des néphrologues canadiens traitant des adultes et incluait des répondants s'identifiant comme chefs de division. MESURES: On a recueilli des données sur les effectifs actuels la formation, les caractéristiques des pratiques en vigueur, le nombre d'heures travaillées et les besoins anticipés à moyen terme en fait de main d'œuvre. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Les questions de la présente enquête ont été établies à partir de sondages réalisés antérieurement au sujet des effectifs. L'Université de la Saskatchewan a fourni les approbations déontologiques nécessaires à la conduite de l'enquête. Le questionnaire modifié sur la base des commentaires reçus dans les sondages précédents pour s'assurer que les réponses tenaient compte de l'information souhaitée, était disponible en anglais et en français. Le questionnaire a été distribué à tous les néphrologues canadiens par le biais d'un lien de courrier électronique anonyme afin que ceux-ci puissent le remplir de façon autonome. Les données catégorielles ont été comptabilisées et les réponses aux questions ouvertes ont fait l'objet d'une analyse thématique. Enfin, les auteurs du présent article ont procédé à des analyses descriptives supplémentaires. RÉSULTATS: Le questionnaire a été envoyé à 592 néphrologues ceux-ci ont répondu dans une proportion de 48 % et celle-ci comptait des représentants de toutes les provinces canadiennes. Le tiers des répondants étaient des femmes, et le groupe d'âge prédominant était celui des 41 à 50 ans. La plupart des néphrologues questionnés avaient reçu leur formation au Canada, une proportion de 61 % avait suivi une formation supplémentaire. La majorité des répondants (69,1 %) ont mentionné avoir trouvé un emploi dans leur domaine de spécialité dès la fin de leur formation postdoctorale, mais les plus jeunes ont rapporté avoir rencontré plus de difficultés au moment de leur recherche d'un poste de néphrologue. La grande majorité des répondants (80 %) se disait satisfaite du nombre d'heures travaillées actuellement. Cependant, 13,1 % des néphrologues en poste ont l'intention de réduire leurs heures de travail au cours des trois prochaines années, 8,2 % prévoient de le faire dans les cinq ans alors que 14,2 % envisagent de le faire d'ici dix ans. Quant aux besoins d'effectifs en néphrologie clinique ainsi que pour le volet académique, les chefs de division ont fait des prévisions pour les prochains trois et cinq ans. LIMITES DE L'ÉTUDE: Le taux de participation au sondage ne s'élevait qu'à 48 %. De plus les prévisions concernant les besoins de main-d'œuvre mentionnés dans cette publication ne reflètent pas nécessairement de futures affectations. CONCLUSIONS: Cette enquête sur la situation des effectifs menée par la Société Canadienne de Néphrologie dresse le portrait de la situation actuelle des plans d'avenir individuels des néphrologues, de même que des besoins d'effectifs anticipés par les chefs de division pour les prochains trois et cinq ans. Des travaux ultérieurs devront être réalisés pour mieux arrimer la planification de la main-d'œuvre en néphrologie au Canada au développement de stratégies solides se penchant à la fois sur les besoins sociétaux et ceux des néphrologues concernant les réalités du marché du travail.

The war against polypharmacy: a new cost-effective geriatric-palliative approach for improving drug therapy in disabled elderly people.

BACKGROUND: The extent of medical and financial problems of polypharmacy in the elderly is disturbing, particularly in nursing homes and nursing departments. OBJECTIVES: To improve drug therapy and minimize drug intake in nursing departments. METHODS: We introduced a geriatric-palliative approach and methodology to combat the problem of polypharmacy. The study group comprised 119 disabled patients in six geriatric nursing departments; the control group included 71 patients of comparable age, gender and co-morbidities in the same wards. After 12 months, we assessed whether any change in medications affected the death rate, referrals to acute care facility, and costs. RESULTS: A total of 332 different drugs were discontinued in 119 patients (average of 2.8 drugs per patient) and was not associated with significant adverse effects. The overall rate of drug discontinuation failure was 18% of all patients and 10% of all drugs. The 1 year mortality rate was 45% in the control group but only 21% in the study group (P < 0.001, chi-square test). The patients' annual referral rate to acute care facilities was 30% in the control group but only 11.8% in the study group (P < 0.002). The intervention was associated with a substantial decrease in the cost of drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Application of the geriatric-palliative methodology in the disabled elderly enables simultaneous discontinuation of several medications and yields a number of benefits: reduction in mortality rates and referrals to acute care facilities, lower costs, and improved quality of living.