Exploring the experiences of adults with stroke in virtual community-based stroke programs: a qualitative descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is among the top contributors to disability and can impact an individual's cognition, physical functioning, and mental health. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, several community-based organizations have started delivering stroke programs virtually. However, participants' experiences in these programs remain understudied, and evidence-based guidelines to inform and optimize virtual stroke program development and delivery are lacking. Thus, this study aimed to describe the perspectives and experiences of individuals with stroke who participated in virtual community-based organization stroke programs, including perceived access and participation facilitators and barriers and suggestions for improving these programs. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive design was used to gather participant experiences through semi-structured interviews. Audio-recorded interviews were conducted on Zoom and transcribed verbatim. Adult participants who had experienced a stroke and attended at least one Canadian virtual community-based organization stroke program were recruited. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twelve participants (32-69 years, 2-23 years post-stroke, eight women and four men) participated in this study. Five themes were identified: (1) motives to join virtual community-based organization stroke programs, including gaining peer connections, knowledge and information; (2) perceived barriers to accessing and participating in virtual community-based organization stroke programs, including technology inequities, difficulties navigating technology, and inadequate facilitation; (3) perceived facilitators to accessing and participating in virtual community-based organization stroke programs, including remote access, virtual platform features and program leader characteristics/skills; (4) unmet needs during virtual community-based organization stroke programs, including in-person connection and individualized support; and (5) suggestions and preferences for improving virtual community-based organization stroke programs, including program facilitation, content and format. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings highlight opportunities to improve virtual community-based organization stroke programs to optimize participant experiences and outcomes. Addressing the barriers and suggestions identified in this study may improve virtual community-based organization stroke programs' access and quality.

Evaluations of virtual exercise programmes for adults with mobility limitations: a scoping review protocol incorporating an equity lens to inform the development of strategies to optimise participation of under-represented groups.

INTRODUCTION: For individuals with mobility limitations, virtual exercise programmes can address the challenges of in-person participation in community exercise programmes. A synthesis of studies of virtual exercise programmes targeting mobility limitations provided outside of conventional rehabilitation services and strategies used to optimise equitable access and inclusivity in these programmes is lacking. We aim to characterise evaluations of virtual exercise programmes for adults with mobility limitations, and the nature of and extent to which equity, diversity and inclusion considerations are integrated in the research process. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A scoping review following a six-stage methodological framework, including a consultation exercise, is proposed. A comprehensive strategy will be used to search Medline, Embase, PEDro, CINAHL and Scopus to identify peer-reviewed studies evaluating virtual exercise programmes for adults with mobility limitations living in the community. Three trained reviewers will select studies independently. Data (eg, study methodology, programme structure and content, participant characteristics) will be extracted using a standardised form, and collated and summarised using quantitative and qualitative methods. The PROGRESS-Plus and International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health frameworks will be used to classify participant characteristics and study outcomes, respectively. During the consultation exercise, key knowledge users, including exercise participants, programme providers and coordinators, and members of community organisations for persons living with disabilities and under-represented groups, will be asked to provide insights regarding the applicability of review findings. A directed content analysis of data from the consultation exercise will be performed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The research ethics board at the University of Toronto approved the consultation exercise. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. Findings will enhance understanding of current research evaluating virtual exercise programmes and inform future research and strategies for promoting equitable access and outcomes for individuals with mobility limitations. REGISTRATION DETAILS: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/X5JMA.

Convergent parallel mixed-methods study to understand information exchange in paediatric critical care and inform the development of safety-enhancing interventions: a protocol study.

INTRODUCTION: The effective exchange of clinical information is essential to high-quality patient care, especially in the critical care unit (CCU) where communication failures can have profoundly negative impacts on critically ill patients with limited physiological capacity to tolerate errors. A comprehensive systematic characterisation of information exchange within a CCU is needed to inform the development and implementation of effective, contextually appropriate interventions. The objective of this study is to characterise when, where and how healthcare providers exchange clinical information in the Department of Critical Care Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children and explore the factors that currently facilitate or counter established best rounding practices therein. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A convergent parallel mixed-methods study design will be used to collect, analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative data. Naturalistic observations of rounds and relevant peripheral information exchange activities will be conducted to collect time-stamped event data on workflow and communication patterns (time-motion data) and field notes. To complement observational data, the subjective perspectives of healthcare providers and patient families will be gathered through surveys and interviews. Departmental metrics will be collected to further contextualise the environment. Time-motion data will be analysed quantitatively; patterns in field note, survey and interview results will be examined based on themes identified deductively from literature and/or inductively based on the data collected (thematic analysis). The proactive triangulation of these systemic, procedural and contextual data will inform the design and implementation of efficacious interventions in future work. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Institutional research ethics approval has been acquired (REB #1000059173). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant conferences. Findings will be presented to stakeholders including interdisciplinary staff, departmental management and leadership and families to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the exchange of clinical information in its current state and develop user-centred recommendations for improvement.

A Stewardship Program to Optimize the Use of Inhaled Nitric Oxide in Pediatric Critical Care.

PURPOSE: Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is a pulmonary vasodilator that is approved for use in term and near-term neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure associated with evidence of pulmonary hypertension. However, it is commonly used in infants and children to treat a variety of other cardiopulmonary diseases associated with pulmonary hypertension and hypoxic respiratory failure. In critically ill children, iNO therapy may be continued for a prolonged period, and this increases the risk for adverse consequences including toxicity and unnecessary costs. We implemented an iNO Stewardship Program with the aim of improving adherence to guidelines and reducing unnecessary iNO utilization. METHODS: Between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2015, a before and after cohort study was conducted at The Hospital for Sick Children. Prospective iNO usage and outcome variables in the poststewardship period were examined. RESULTS: Patient characteristics and outcomes were similar before and after stewardship implementation. The number of iNO therapy courses were also similar in the before and after period. Inhaled nitric oxide utilization in the pediatric intensive care unit and the cardiac critical care unit decreased from 15 765 hours in the prestewardship period (April 2011 to March 2013) to 10 342 hours in the poststewardship period (April 2013 to March 2015), with significant improvement in adherence to the iNO guideline and a small decrease in expenditure (3%). CONCLUSION: Implementation of the iNO Stewardship was successful at reducing overall iNO utilization. This quality improvement initiative helped us optimize practice and subsequently expand the methodology to inform the clinical indication for iNO.

Impact of Stewardship on Inhaled Nitric Oxide Utilization in a Neonatal ICU.

OBJECTIVES: Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) remains the "gold standard" therapy for hypoxemic respiratory failure in newborns. Despite good quality evidence to guide iNO use in this population, we observed considerable practice variation, particularly in timing and rate of weaning. To promote evidence-based practice, we launched an iNO stewardship program in April 2013. Our objective was to determine whether iNO stewardship led to changes in iNO utilization and weaning. METHODS: We conducted a quality improvement project in an outborn quaternary NICU, targeting improved iNO guideline compliance. We compared patterns of iNO utilization between 2 cohorts: prestewardship (April 2011-March 2013; retrospective data collection) and poststewardship (April 2013-March 2015; prospective data collection). RESULTS: Eighty-seven neonates received 88 courses of iNO in the 2 years prestewardship, and 64 neonates received 64 courses of iNO in the 2 years poststewardship. There were no significant differences (P > .05) in patient demographics, in the proportion of patients receiving iNO "off-label," in proportion initiated at the referring hospital, or in outcomes (death or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). There were significant (P < .05) reductions in median total hours on iNO per patient (47 vs 20; P < .001), in iNO hours per patient from maximum dose to initial wean (28 vs 9; P < .01), and in hours from initial wean to discontinuation (14 vs 8; P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of iNO stewardship was associated with improved adherence to evidence-based guidelines and an overall reduction in total and per-patient iNO use.