Implementation of an Electronic Mental Health Platform for Youth and Young Adults in a School Context Across Alberta, Canada: Thematic Analysis of the Perspectives of Stakeholders.

BACKGROUND: Youth, aged 15 to 24 years, are more likely to experience mental health (MH) or substance use issues than other age groups. This is a critical period for intervention because MH disorders, if left unattended, may become chronic and serious and negatively affect many aspects of a young person's life. Even among those who are treated, poor outcomes will still occur for a percentage of youth. Electronic MH (eMH) tools have been implemented in traditional MH settings to reach youth requiring assistance with MH and substance use issues. However, the utility of eMH tools in school settings has yet to be investigated. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to gain an understanding of the perspectives of key school staff stakeholders regarding barriers and facilitators to the implementation of the Innowell eMH platform in secondary schools across the province of Alberta, Canada. METHODS: Guided by a qualitative descriptive approach, focus groups were conducted to elicit stakeholder perspectives on the perceived implementation challenges and opportunities of embedding the Innowell eMH platform in secondary school MH services. In total, 8 focus groups were conducted with 52 key school staff stakeholders. RESULTS: Themes related to barriers and facilitators to youth and school MH care professional (MHCP) capacity in implementing and using eMH tools were identified. With respect to youth capacity barriers, the following themes were inductively generated: (1) concerns about some students not being suitable for eMH services, (2) minors requiring consent from parents or caregivers to use eMH services as well as confidentiality and privacy concerns, and (3) limited access to technology and internet service among youth. A second theme related to school MHCP barriers to implementation, which included (1) feeling stretched with high caseloads and change fatigue, (2) concerns with risk and liability, and (3) unmasking MH issues in the face of limited resources. In contrast to the barriers to youth and MHCP capacity, many facilitators to implementation were discussed. Youth capacity facilitators included (1) the potential for youth to be empowered using eMH tools, (2) the platform fostering therapeutic relationships with school personnel, and (3) enhancing access to needed services and resources. MHCP capacity facilitators to implementation were (1) system transformation through flexibility and problem-solving, (2) opportunities for collaboration with youth and MHCPs and across different systems, and (3) an opportunity for the continuity of services. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight nuanced school MHCP perspectives that demonstrate critical youth and MHCP capacity concerns, with consideration for organizational factors that may impede or enhance the implementation processes for embedding eMH in a school context. The barriers and facilitators to implementation provide future researchers and decision makers with challenges and opportunities that could be addressed in the preimplementation phase.

Clinical and Socioeconomic Associations With Hospital Days and Emergency Department Visits Among Medically Complex Children: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate associations between clinical and socioeconomic variables and hospital days and emergency department (ED) visits for children with medical complexity (CMCs) for 5 years after index admission. METHODS: Retrospective, longitudinal, population-based cohort study of CMCs in Alberta (n = 12 621) diagnosed between 2010 and 2013 using administrative data linked to socioeconomic data. The primary outcomes were annual cumulative numbers of hospital days and ED visits for 5 years after index admission. Data were analyzed using mixed-effect hurdle regression. RESULTS: Among CMCs utilizing resources, those with more chronic medications had more hospital days (relative difference [RD] 3.331 for ≥5 vs 0 medications in year 1, SE 0.347, P value < .001) and ED visits (RD 1.836 for 0 vs ≥5 medications in year 1, SE 0.133, P value < .001). Among these CMCs, initial length of stay had significant, positive associations with hospital days (RD 1.960-5.097, SE 0.161-0.610, P value < .001 outside of the gastrointestinal and hematology and immunodeficiency groups). Those residing in rural or remote areas had more ED visits than those in urban or metropolitan locations (RD 1.727 for rural versus urban, SE 0.075, P < .001). Material and social deprivation had significant, positive associations with number of ED visits. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical factors are more strongly associated with hospitalizations and socioeconomic factors with ED visits. Policy administrators and researchers aiming to optimize resource use and improve outcomes for CMCs should consider interventions that include both clinical care and socioeconomic support.

Croup.

INTRODUCTION: Croup is characterised by the abrupt onset, most commonly at night, of a barking cough, inspiratory stridor, hoarseness, and respiratory distress due to upper airway obstruction. It leads to signs of upper airway obstruction, and must be differentiated from acute epiglottitis, bacterial tracheitis, or an inhaled foreign body. Croup affects about 3% of children per year, usually between the ages of 6 months and 3 years, and 75% of infections are caused by parainfluenza virus. Symptoms usually resolve within 48 hours, but severe upper airway obstruction can, rarely, lead to respiratory failure and arrest. METHODS AND OUTCOMES: We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of treatments in children with mild croup and moderate to severe croup? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to November 2013 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). RESULTS: We found 19 studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: corticosteroids (dexamethasone, intramuscular and oral), nebulised budesonide, oral prednisolone, heliox, humidification, and nebulised adrenaline (racemate and L-adrenaline [ephinephrine]).