ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Utilization of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (Lifeline; formerly called the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) was analyzed in relation to suicide deaths in U.S. states between 2007 and 2020 to identify states with potential unmet need for mental health crisis hotline services. METHODS: Annual state call rates were calculated from calls routed to the Lifeline during the 2007-2020 period (N=13.6 million). Annual state suicide mortality rates (standardized) were calculated from suicide deaths reported to the National Vital Statistics System (2007-2020 cumulative deaths=588,122). Call rate ratio (CRR) and mortality rate ratio (MRR) were estimated by state and year. RESULTS: Sixteen U.S. states demonstrated a consistently high MRR and a low CRR, suggesting high suicide burden and relatively low Lifeline use. Heterogeneity in state CRRs decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: Prioritizing states with a high MRR and a low CRR for messaging and outreach regarding the availability of the Lifeline can ensure more equitable, need-based access to this critical resource.
Subject(s)
Hotlines , Suicide Prevention , Suicide, Completed , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Hotlines/statistics & numerical data , Hotlines/supply & distribution , Hotlines/trends , Suicide Prevention/methods , Suicide Prevention/statistics & numerical data , Suicide Prevention/supply & distribution , Suicide Prevention/trends , Suicide, Completed/statistics & numerical data , Suicide, Completed/trends , United States/epidemiology , International Classification of Diseases , Racial Groups/statistics & numerical data , Mental Health Services/supply & distribution , Mental Health Services/trends , Vulnerable Populations/statistics & numerical dataSubject(s)
COVID-19/pathology , Dermatology/organization & administration , Hotlines/statistics & numerical data , Skin Diseases/pathology , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/psychology , Foundations/organization & administration , Health Services Accessibility/trends , Hotlines/trends , Humans , Ireland/epidemiology , Nurse's Role , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Skin Diseases/diagnosis , Skin Diseases/epidemiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: During periods such as the COVID-19 crisis, there is a need for responsive public health surveillance indicators in order to monitor both the epidemic growth and potential public health consequences of preventative measures such as lockdown. We assessed whether the automatic classification of the content of calls to emergency medical communication centers could provide relevant and responsive indicators. METHODS: We retrieved all 796,209 free-text call reports from the emergency medical communication center of the Gironde department, France, between 2018 and 2020. We trained a natural language processing neural network model with a mixed unsupervised/supervised method to classify all reasons for calls in 2020. Validation and parameter adjustment were performed using a sample of 39,907 manually-coded free-text reports. RESULTS: The number of daily calls for flu-like symptoms began to increase from February 21, 2020 and reached an unprecedented level by February 28, 2020 and peaked on March 14, 2020, 3 days before lockdown. It was strongly correlated with daily emergency room admissions, with a delay of 14 days. Calls for chest pain and stress and anxiety, peaked 12 days later. Calls for malaises with loss of consciousness, non-voluntary injuries and alcohol intoxications sharply decreased, starting one month before lockdown. No noticeable trends in relation to lockdown was found for other groups of reasons including gastroenteritis and abdominal pain, stroke, suicide and self-harm, pregnancy and delivery problems. DISCUSSION: The first wave of the COVID-19 crisis came along with increased levels of stress and anxiety but no increase in alcohol intoxication and violence. As expected, call related to road traffic crashes sharply decreased. The sharp decrease in the number of calls for malaise was more surprising. CONCLUSION: The content of calls to emergency medical communication centers is an efficient epidemiological surveillance data source that provides insights into the societal upheavals induced by a health crisis. The use of an automatic classification system using artificial intelligence makes it possible to free itself from the context that could influence a human coder, especially in a crisis situation. The COVID-19 crisis and/or lockdown induced deep modifications in the population health profile.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Emergency Service, Hospital , Hotlines/trends , Natural Language Processing , Neural Networks, Computer , Adult , Communicable Disease Control , Female , France/epidemiology , Humans , Male , Public Health Surveillance , SARS-CoV-2 , Self-Injurious Behavior/epidemiology , Social Isolation/psychology , Stress, Psychological/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The aim of this article was to conduct a rapid critical review of the literature about the relationship between violence against women (VAW) and the current COVID-19 pandemic. After the screening process, a total of 42 articles were considered. Our review confirmed that the "stay at home" policies to contrast the pandemic have increased the problem of VAW, creating a "shadow pandemic within the pandemic", as it was called by the United Nations. However, rigorous studies estimating the relationship between VAW and COVID-19 pandemic are scarce; most of the articles are commentaries, letters, editorials, and most of the published data derives from social media, internet, anecdotal evidence and helplines reports. Health care systems should promote further investigations into the relation between VAW and COVID-19, to identify creative solutions to provide clinical care and forensic services for victims of VAW.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , Intimate Partner Violence/statistics & numerical data , Pandemics , Quarantine , Emergency Medical Services , Health Services Accessibility , Hotlines/trends , Humans , Intimate Partner Violence/trends , Police , Public PolicyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Patient medicines helpline services (PMHS) are available from some National Health Service Trusts in the UK to support patients following their discharge from hospital. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the available evidence regarding the characteristics of enquirers and enquiries to PMHS, in order to develop recommendations for service improvement. METHODS: Searches were conducted using Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus, and Web of Science, on 4 June 2019. Forward and backward citation searches were conducted, and grey literature was searched. Studies were included if they reported any characteristics of enquirers who use PMHS, and/or enquiries received. Study quality was assessed using the Axis tool. A narrative synthesis was conducted, and where appropriate, weighted means (WMs) were calculated. Where possible, outcomes were compared with Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data for England, to establish whether the profile of helpline users may differ to that of hospital patients. RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included (~4362 enquiries). Risk of bias from assessed studies was 71%. Enquirers were predominantly female (WM=53%; HES mean=57%), elderly (WM=69 years; HES mean=53 years) and enquired regarding themselves (WM=72%). Out of inpatient and outpatient enquirers, 50% were inpatients and 50% were outpatients (WM). Six of 15 studies reported adverse effects as the main enquiry reason. Two of four studies reported antimicrobial drugs as the main enquiry drug class. From two studies, the main clinical origin of enquiries were general surgery and cardiology. Across six studies, 27% (WM) of enquiries concerned medicines-related errors. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that PMHS are often used by elderly patients, which is important since this group may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing medicines-related issues following hospital discharge. Over a quarter of enquiries to PMHS may concern medicines-related errors, suggesting that addressing such errors is an important function of this service. However, our study findings may be limited by a high risk of bias within included studies. Further research could provide a more detailed profile of helpline users (eg, ethnicity, average number of medicines consumed), and we encourage helpline providers to use their enquiry data to conduct local projects to improve hospital services (eg, reducing errors). PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018116276.
Subject(s)
Hotlines/trends , Medication Errors/trends , Pharmacy Service, Hospital/trends , State Medicine/trends , Age Factors , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/diagnosis , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/epidemiology , England , Hotlines/methods , Humans , Medication Errors/prevention & control , Pharmacy Service, Hospital/methods , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Households are increasingly stockpiling and producing hand sanitizer amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which can pose an increased risk for unintentional toxicity among children. Despite guidelines for hand sanitizer production published by the World Health Organization, many turn to streaming media for instruction. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate hand sanitizer formulations and safety precautions discussed in popular do-it-yourself (DIY) YouTube videos, and to assess the frequency of calls to poison control centers for pediatric hand sanitizer exposure before and after the arrival of COVID-19 in the United States. METHODS: The first 100 videos on YouTube with the most views using the search term "DIY hand sanitizer" were evaluated for accuracy compared with the World Health Organization local hand sanitizer production guidelines. The incidence of pediatric hand sanitizer exposure reported to participating U.S. poison control centers from January 2018 through May 2020 was reviewed from the American Association of Poison Control Centers National Poison Data System. The average number of calls between January 2020 and May 2020 was compared, and the average number of calls in March 2020 was compared with March 2019 and March 2018. RESULTS: Of the YouTube videos that met inclusion criteria, 27% discussed the use of at least 96% ethanol or 99.8% isopropyl alcohol, 4.1% incorporated 3% hydrogen peroxide, 82% used glycerol or an alternative humectant, and 4.1% specified the need for distilled or previously boiled water. Most of the videos failed to describe labeling storage containers, 69% of videos encouraged the use of oils or perfumes to enhance hand sanitizer scent, and 2% of videos promoted the use of coloring agents to be more attractive for use among children specifically. There was a significantly increased average number of daily calls to poison control centers regarding unsafe pediatric hand sanitizer exposure since the first confirmed COVID-19 patient in the United States. There was a significantly increased average number of daily calls in March 2020 compared with the previous 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: YouTube may not be an accurate source for effective hand sanitizer concoction. Health care providers and parents should be aware of the increased surge in hand sanitizer exposure among children and should take proper precautionary measures.
Subject(s)
Hand Sanitizers/adverse effects , Hand Sanitizers/chemical synthesis , Hotlines/trends , Poison Control Centers , Social Media , Video Recording , COVID-19/epidemiology , Child , Child Health , Consumer Health Information , Hotlines/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Pandemics , United States/epidemiologySubject(s)
Child Abuse/statistics & numerical data , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Quarantine , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Child , Child Abuse/trends , Child Protective Services/statistics & numerical data , Child Protective Services/trends , Communicable Disease Control , Emergency Service, Hospital , France/epidemiology , Hospitals, University , Hotlines/statistics & numerical data , Hotlines/trends , Humans , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Thirty-day all-cause readmissions are high after aortic valve replacement (AVR). We aimed to assess the effectiveness of a structured telephone follow-up (TFU) and a 24/7 hotline on reducing 30-day all-cause readmission (30-DACR) after AVR, on reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression and on improving perceived health state. METHODS: A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted. Patients (nâ¯=â¯288) were randomly allocated to either post-discharge usual care or to care that provided TFU and access to a 24/7 hotline after AVR. Ancillary endpoints were time-to-event (readmission), proportion of avoidable versus unavoidable readmissions after AVR, and predictors of 30-DACR after AVR. RESULTS: 30-DACR was 22.3%. The structured TFU and 24/7 hotline intervention failed to reduce 30-DACR rates after AVR (Pâ¯=â¯0.274). Symptoms of anxiety were significantly reduced 30â¯days after surgery (Pâ¯=â¯0.031), an effect that did not persist one year after surgery (Pâ¯=â¯0.108). Most readmissions occurred before 15â¯days post-discharge, and 75% of them were deemed to be unavoidable. Pleural drainage before hospital discharge (Pâ¯=â¯0.027) and symptoms of anxiety before surgery (Pâ¯=â¯0.003) were predictors of 30-DACR after AVR. CONCLUSION: The TFU and 24/7 hotline had no effect on reducing 30-DACR after AVR. However, we did measure reduced symptoms of anxiety the first month after AVR. Anxiety reduction appeared to be an important target for intervention, because we found it to be a risk factor for readmission. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of interventions to prevent avoidable unplanned readmissions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT02522663.
Subject(s)
Anxiety/psychology , Anxiety/therapy , Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation/psychology , Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation/trends , Hotlines/trends , Patient Readmission/trends , Aftercare , Aged , Anxiety/epidemiology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Hotlines/methods , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Discharge/trends , Prospective Studies , TelephoneABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Researchers and activists have expressed concerns over the lack of availability and nonuse of reversible, modern, contraceptive methods in India for decades. New attempts to increase access, availability, and acceptance of reversible contraceptives need to be developed, instead of relying solely on female sterilization. Mobile health (mHealth) initiatives may offer one way to serve underprivileged populations who face challenges in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in countries such as India. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the outcome of an mHealth intervention for enhancing knowledge of, and practices related to, reversible contraceptives in rural Western India. METHODS: We implemented a nonrandomized controlled trial (before-and-after study in an intervention area and a control area) in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The intervention in this case was a mobile-based SRH helpline provided by a nongovernmental organization (NGO). Baseline and follow-up surveys were carried out in two government-run primary health center areas, one each in the intervention and control area, and 405 respondents were surveyed in the two rounds. An interview-based structured questionnaire suitable for a low-literacy environment was used to collect data. The effect of the intervention was estimated using logistic regression, adjusted for gender, by calculating robust standard errors to take into account the clustering of individuals by the area (intervention or control). In each regression model, the effect of intervention was estimated by including a term for interaction between the intervention area and the period before and after the intervention. The exponent of the regression coefficient of the interaction term corresponding to the period after the intervention, along with the 95% CI, is reported here. The odds ratio for the control village multiplied by this exponent gives the odds ratio for the intervention village. Calls received in the intervention were recorded and their topics analyzed. RESULTS: The current use of reversible contraception (18% increase in intervention area vs 2% increase in control area; 95% CI) has seen changes. The proportion of respondents who had heard of contraception methods from an NGO rose in the intervention area by 23% whereas it decreased in the control area by 1% (95% CI). However, the general level of awareness of reversible contraception, shown by the first contraceptive method that came to respondents' mind, did not improve. Demand for wider SRH information beyond contraception was high. Men and adolescents, in addition to married women, made use of the helpline. CONCLUSIONS: A mobile helpline that one can confidentially approach at a time most convenient to the client can help provide necessary information and support to those who need reversible contraception or other sexual health information. Services that integrate mHealth in a context-sensitive way to other face-to-face health care services add value to SRH services in rural India.
Subject(s)
Hotlines/methods , Long-Acting Reversible Contraception/methods , Rural Population/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Controlled Before-After Studies , Female , Hotlines/trends , Humans , India , Long-Acting Reversible Contraception/trends , Male , Organizations/organization & administration , Organizations/statistics & numerical data , Reproductive Health/standards , Reproductive Health/trendsABSTRACT
Telephone nurses give advice and support and make assessments based on verbal communication only. Web-based decision support systems are often used to increase patient safety and make medically correct assessments. The aim of the present this study was to describe factors affecting the use of a decision support system and experiences with this system among telephone nurses in Swedish primary health care. Observations and semistructured interviews were conducted. Six registered nurses with at least 1 year of experience of telephone nursing participated. Field notes and interviews were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The main findings of the present this study were factors that decrease the decision support system use or promote deviation from decision support system use, factors that are positive for decision support system use and the decision support system complicates the work. Underuse and deviations from decision support systems can be a safety risk, because decisions are based on too little information. Further research with observations of telephone nurses' use of decision support systems is needed to develop both telephone nursing and decision support systems.
Subject(s)
Decision Support Systems, Clinical/standards , Hotlines/methods , Nurses/standards , Adult , Female , Hotlines/trends , Humans , Interviews as Topic/methods , Male , Middle Aged , Nurses/psychology , Nurses/statistics & numerical data , Qualitative Research , Sweden , Triage/methods , Triage/standardsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Patients and their caregivers are expected to take joint responsibility for reporting symptoms and seeking medical assistance, for example, by calling oncology emergency telephones or other helplines during a cancer trajectory. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim was to explore the meaning of responsibility as it appeared in patients' or caregivers' experiences of calling an oncological emergency telephone. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS AND CONTEXT: Inspired by qualitative description and qualitative content analysis, a secondary analysis of data from interviews with 12 participants calling the oncological emergency telephone at a Danish university hospital was performed. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The project observes demands for safekeeping data and all regulations concerning research ethics in agreement with the Nordic Nurses Federation and the Danish Health Act. FINDINGS: Two main themes emerged: (1) to act responsibly as a patient or caregiver was to 'be watchful and alert', 'report symptoms the right way' and 'do crosschecking' and (2) to deal with the burden of responsibility was to 'feel safe when dealing with the burden of responsibility' and 'be relieved from the burden of responsibility'. DISCUSSION: Too much responsibility and a potential imbalance between healthcare professionals' expectations and callers' knowledge and capacity to act may place additional burdens on the callers, which may be eased by person-centred care. CONCLUSION: The meaning of responsibility appeared in the participants' capacity to act, where they observed, assessed and reported symptoms and controlled prescribed treatments as well as shared or handed over the responsibility to the healthcare providers. Thus, the analysis provided essential knowledge for healthcare professionals on how patients and caregivers handle this responsibility when faced with a cancer disease that is treated on an outpatient basis.
Subject(s)
Emergency Medical Services/methods , Hotlines/methods , Professional Role/psychology , Aged , Emergency Medical Services/standards , Female , Hotlines/trends , Humans , Interviews as Topic/methods , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasms/therapy , Oncology Nursing/methods , Oncology Nursing/standards , Qualitative Research , TelephoneABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To summarize the reach, services offered, and cessation outcomes of the New York Quitline and compare with other state quitlines. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING: Forty-five US states. PARTICIPANTS: State-sponsored tobacco cessation quitlines in 45 US states that provided complete data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Quitline Data Warehouse (NQDW) for 24 quarters over 6 years (2010-Q1 through 2015-Q4). INTERVENTION: Telephone quitlines that offer tobacco use cessation services, including counseling, self-help materials, and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), to smokers at no cost to them. MEASURES: Percentage of adult tobacco users in the state who received counseling and/or free NRT from state quitlines (reach), services offered by state quitlines, and cessation outcomes among quitline clients 7 months after using quitline services. ANALYSIS: Reach, services offered, and cessation outcomes for the New York Quitline were compared with similar measures for the other 44 state quitlines with complete NQDW data for all quarters from 2010 through 2015. RESULTS: New York's average annual quitline reach from 2010 through 2015 was 3.0% per year compared to 1.1% per year for the other 44 states examined. CONCLUSION: Although the New York Quitline was open fewer hours per week and offered fewer counseling sessions and a smaller amount of free NRT than most of the other 44 state quitlines, the New York Quitline had similar quit rates to most of those state quitlines.
Subject(s)
Counseling/statistics & numerical data , Health Promotion/statistics & numerical data , Hotlines/statistics & numerical data , Hotlines/trends , Smoking Cessation/statistics & numerical data , Tobacco Use Cessation Devices/statistics & numerical data , Tobacco Use/prevention & control , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Counseling/methods , Female , Forecasting , Government Programs/statistics & numerical data , Health Promotion/trends , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , New York , Telephone , Tobacco Use/trends , Tobacco Use Cessation Devices/trends , United StatesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The use of information technology (IT) in health care has continuously increased. This includes software solutions for digitalisation, data storage and innovative approaches in diagnostics. The facilitation of the access to specific information, even by the patient, has changed daily clinical work. Patients inform themselves about symptoms, diagnostic methods and treatment options. This urge for information and the wish for the best treatment is summarised in the expression "patient empowerment". In some countries, the gap between do-it-yourself diagnosis and telemedicine via the telephone has already been closed. A sophisticated telemedical hotline may help to improve consultation and treatment of patients living in remote regions or rural communities. Traumatology telemedicine may also be used in trauma environments, such as disasters or mass casualties. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the demand for e-health solutions among patients seeking the help of the emergency department in a trauma hospital. METHODS: A total of 255 patients (age range 18â-â75 years) were included in the study and were surveyed with the use of a questionnaire. As regards personal data, the questionnaire asked the patient about their Internet habits and about interesting topics they had researched in the world wide web. However, the questionnaire was specifically designed to ask for potential benefits and the patient's expectations for e-health solutions. Expected weaknesses and procedures for telemedical services were also included in a subsection. RESULTS: 43.5% of the patient cohort were woman and 56.5% men. The average distance to the hospital was 39.86 km. 223 patients were insured by the governmental health service providers and 32 had private insurance coverage. Aside from online shopping and online banking, the search for health topics was most frequent. The greatest fear was the lack of personal contact to the doctor (71.2%). Patients were also concerned about the safety of individual health data in privately run databanks (54.3%). On the other hand, patients were neutral towards the web-based scheduling of medical appointments. Automatic reminders for such appointments were desired via e-mail (68.8%) or SMS (66.5%). CONCLUSION: Patients are demanding mobile solutions for scheduling medical appointments, including reminders of these. Patients are keen to be involved in the communications and would like to receive overall information about their health status. Online chats or video calls with physicians are not their first choice but might be a possibility until personal presentation.
Subject(s)
Hotlines/trends , Orthopedics/trends , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Remote Consultation/trends , Telemedicine/trends , Wounds and Injuries/surgery , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Electronic Mail/trends , Emergency Service, Hospital/trends , Female , Germany , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Education as Topic/trends , Surveys and Questionnaires , Trauma Centers/trends , Video Recording/trends , Young AdultABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: State quitlines provide free telephone-based cessation services and are available in all states. However, quitlines presently reach 1% of US cigarette smokers. We assessed variations in quitline reach by race/ethnicity across 45 US states included in the National Quitline Data Warehouse, a repository on non-identifiable data reported by state quitlines. METHODS: During 2011 to 2013, we analyzed 1 220 171 records from the National Quitline Data Warehouse. Annual quitline reach was defined as the proportion of cigarette smokers and smokeless tobacco users who utilized quitline services during each year, and was calculated by dividing the number of state-specific quitline registrants in each year by the number of adult cigarette smokers and smokeless tobacco users in the state. RESULTS: Average annual reach ranged from: 0.08% (Tennessee) to 3.42% (Hawaii) among non-Hispanic whites; 0.17% (Tennessee) to 3.85% (Delaware) among non-Hispanic blacks; 0.27% (Nevada) to 9.98% (Delaware) among non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Native; 0.03% (Alabama) to 2.43% (Hawaii) among non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders; and from 0.08% (Tennessee) to 3.18% (Maine) among Hispanics. Average annual reach was highest among non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Native in 27 states, non-Hispanic blacks in 14 states, and non-Hispanic whites in four states. CONCLUSIONS: Quitlines appear to be reaching minority populations; however, overall reach remains low and variations in quitline reach exist by race/ethnicity. Opportunities exist to increase the utilization of quitlines and other effective cessation treatments among racial/ethnic minority populations. IMPLICATIONS: Some studies have assessed quitline reach across demographic groups in individual states; however, no studies have provided multistate data about quitline reach across race/ethnic groups. Ongoing monitoring of the use of state quitlines can help guide targeted outreach to particular race/ethnic groups with the goal of increasing the overall proportion and number of tobacco users that use quitlines. These efforts should be complemented by comprehensive tobacco control initiatives that increase cessation including mass media campaigns, smoke-free policies, increased tobacco prices, expansion of health insurance coverage, and health systems change.
Subject(s)
Government Programs/statistics & numerical data , Hotlines/statistics & numerical data , Smoking Cessation/ethnology , Tobacco Use/ethnology , Tobacco Use/therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Government Programs/trends , Health Behavior , Hotlines/trends , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Smoke-Free Policy/trends , Smoking Cessation/psychology , Tobacco Products/adverse effects , Tobacco Use/psychology , United States/ethnology , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The pan-Canadian Oncology Symptom Triage and Remote Support (COSTaRS) team developed 13 evidence-informed protocols for symptom management. AIM: To build an effective and sustainable approach for implementing the COSTaRS protocols for nurses providing telephone-based symptom support to cancer patients. METHODS: A comparative case study was guided by the Knowledge to Action Framework. Three cases were created for three Canadian oncology programs that have nurses providing telephone support. Teams of researchers and knowledge users: (a) assessed barriers and facilitators influencing protocol use, (b) adapted protocols for local use, (c) intervened to address barriers, (d) monitored use, and (e) assessed barriers and facilitators influencing sustained use. Analysis was within and across cases. RESULTS: At baseline, >85% nurses rated protocols positively but barriers were identified (64-80% needed training). Patients and families identified similar barriers and thought protocols would enhance consistency among nurses teaching self-management. Twenty-two COSTaRS workshops reached 85% to 97% of targeted nurses (N = 119). Nurses felt more confident with symptom management and using the COSTaRS protocols (p < .01). Protocol adaptations addressed barriers (e.g., health records approval, creating pocket versions, distributing with telephone messages). Chart audits revealed that protocols used were documented for 11% to 47% of patient calls. Sustained use requires organizational alignment and ongoing leadership support. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Protocol uptake was similar to trials that have evaluated tailored interventions to improve professional practice by overcoming identified barriers. Collaborating with knowledge users facilitated interpretation of findings, aided protocol adaptation, and supported implementation. Protocol implementation in nursing requires a tailored approach. A multifaceted intervention approach increased nurses' use of evidence-informed protocols during telephone calls with patients about symptoms. Training and other interventions improved nurses' confidence with using COSTaRS protocols and their uptake was evident in some documented telephone calls. Protocols could be adapted for use by patients and nurses globally.
Subject(s)
Clinical Protocols/standards , Hotlines/standards , Nurses/trends , Oncology Nursing/methods , Canada , Female , Hotlines/trends , Humans , Male , Program DevelopmentABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The public health consequences of the legalization of marijuana, whether for medical or recreational purposes, are little understood. Despite this, numerous states are considering medical or recreational legalization. In the context of abrupt changes in marijuana policy in 2009 in Colorado, the authors sought to investigate corresponding changes in marijuana-related public health indicators. METHODS: This observational, ecologic study used an interrupted time-series analysis to identify changes in public health indicators potentially related to broad policy changes that occurred in 2009. This was records-based research from the state of Colorado and Denver metropolitan area. Data were collected to examine frequency and trends of marijuana-related outcomes in hospital discharges and poison center calls between time periods before and after 2009 and adjusted for population. Analyses were conducted in 2014. RESULTS: Hospital discharges coded as marijuana-dependent increased 1% per month (95% CI=0.8, 1.1, p<0.001) from 2007 to 2013. A change in trend was detected in poison center calls mentioning marijuana (p<0.01). After 2009, poison center calls increased 0.8% per month (95% CI=0.2, 1.4, p<0.01). Poison center calls also increased 56% (95% CI=49%, 63%, p<0.001) in the period following the policy change. Further, there was one hospital discharge coded as dependent for every 3,159 (95% CI=2465, 3853, p<0.001) medical marijuana registrant applications. CONCLUSIONS: The abrupt nature of these changes suggests public health effects related to broad policy changes associated with marijuana. This report may be used to assist in policy decisions regarding the short-term public health effects of marijuana legalization.
Subject(s)
Hotlines/trends , Legislation, Drug , Marijuana Abuse/epidemiology , Marijuana Smoking/epidemiology , Medical Marijuana/adverse effects , Patient Discharge/trends , Public Health/trends , Colorado/epidemiology , Humans , Interrupted Time Series Analysis , Marijuana Smoking/legislation & jurisprudence , Registries , Regression AnalysisABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Tobacco cessation quitlines are generally effective in assisting smokers who want to quit. However, up to half of quitline callers report a history of mental health conditions and/or recent emotional challenges (MH+), and there has been little study of cessation outcomes for this population. Moreover, evidence suggests that callers who expect their MH+ to interfere with quit attempts have less success with quitting. This study compares rates of quitting among MH+ callers and callers with no mental health conditions or recent emotional challenges (MH-). It also compares rates of quitting between those who felt that mental health issues would interfere with their quit attempt (MHIQ+) and those who did not (MHIQ-). METHODS: National Jewish Health collected telephone data from 6 state quitlines. Participants received up to 5 coaching sessions and up to 8 weeks of nicotine replacement therapy. Smoking status was assessed during 3-month and 6-month post-intervention calls in a subset of participants (n = 4,960) for whom follow-up interviews were completed. RESULTS: Participation in follow-up interviews was not significantly different between callers with MH+ and those without MH- (p = .13). However, at follow-up MH+ participants were less likely to report a successful quit compared with MH- (3-month: 31% vs. 43%; 6-month: 33% vs. 43%; both p < .001). Among MH+ participants, those reporting MHIQ+ were significantly less likely to quit compared with those who were MHIQ- (3-month: 24% vs. 34%; 6-month: 26% vs. 35%; both p ≤ .001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of evaluating both the mental health status of individuals seeking support for smoking cessation as well as the individuals' expectations for success, because they may need more tailored intervention to ensure the potential for better compared with outcomes.