Sustainability of enhanced recovery after surgery programmes in gastrointestinal surgery: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based intervention that is well-recognised across multiple surgical specialties as having potential to lead to improved patient and hospital outcomes. Little is known about sustainability of ERAS programmes. AIMS: This review aimed to describe available evidence evaluating sustainability of ERAS programmes in gastrointestinal surgery to understand: (a) how sustainability has been defined; (b) examine determinants of sustainability; (c) identify strategies used to facilitate sustainability; (d) identify adaptations to support sustainability; and (e) examine outcomes measured as indicators of sustainability of ERAS programmes. METHODS: This scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute's methodology. Research databases (PubMed, Embase, CINHAL) and the grey literature were searched (inception to September 2022) for studies reporting sustainability of ERAS programmes in gastrointestinal surgery. Included articles reported an aspect of sustainability (i.e., definition, determinants, strategies, adaptations, outcomes and ongoing use) at ≥2 years following initial implementation. Aspects of sustainability were categorised according to relevant frameworks to facilitate synthesis. RESULTS: The search strategy yielded 1852 records; first round screening excluded 1749, leaving 103 articles for full text review. Overall, 22 studies were included in this review. Sustainability was poorly conceptualised and inconsistently reported across included studies. Provision of adequate resources was the most frequently identified enabler to sustainability (n/N = 9/12, 75%); however, relatively few studies (n = 4) provided a robust report of determinants, with no study reporting determinants of sustainability and strategies and adaptations to support sustainability alongside patient and service delivery outcomes. CONCLUSION: Improved reporting, particularly of strategies and adaptations to support sustainability is needed. Refinement of ERAS reporting guidelines should be made to facilitate this, and future implementation studies should plan to document and report changes in context and corresponding programme changes to help researchers and clinicians sustain ERAS programmes locally.

Navigating the facilitation journey: a qualitative, longitudinal evaluation of 'Eat Walk Engage' novice and experienced facilitators.

BACKGROUND: The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) and integrated-PARIHS (i-PARIHS) frameworks position facilitation as an overarching strategy to enable implementation. In the revised i-PARIHS framework, facilitation is operationalised through a multi-level model with novice, experienced and expert facilitators working together in a network structure to build facilitation knowledge and skills along a continuum. To date, there has been limited evaluation of this facilitation model in practice, which is the aim of the study reported here. METHODS: A descriptive, qualitative longitudinal study was undertaken to track a team of four novice and two experienced facilitators involved in facilitating the implementation of an intervention known as 'Eat Walk Engage' to improve multidisciplinary team delivery of age-friendly care principles in hospital. Over an 18-month period, repeat interviews were conducted to explore the learning, development, and evolving roles of novice facilitators and the roles of the experienced facilitators in providing support and mentoring. Interview data were analysed using a descriptive qualitative approach and findings were interpreted in collaboration with the participating facilitators. RESULTS: The findings demonstrated experiential learning in both the novice and experienced facilitator groups as they enacted their roles in practice. The novice facilitators progressively transitioned to becoming more experienced facilitators and the experienced facilitators became increasingly expert, in line with the i-PARIHS concept of a facilitation journey from novice to expert. Strategies to support this development included a staggered approach to learning, regular meetings between the experienced and novice facilitators, reflective writing and informal peer support and networking. However, the roles were not without challenge and these challenges changed over time, from a more specific focus on the demands of the facilitator role to concerns about embedding and sustaining improvements in practice. CONCLUSIONS: Within a network of peers and a mentored relationship with more experienced facilitators, individuals who are new to an implementation facilitator role can transition along a continuum to become experienced facilitators. Building implementation facilitation capability in this way takes time and requires tailored support and mentorship using a mix of structured and flexible approaches incorporating opportunities for reflection to support individual and group learning.

Implementing a ward-based programme to improve care for older inpatients: process evaluation of the cluster randomised CHERISH trial.

BACKGROUND: Older inpatients are at high risk of hospital-associated complications, particularly delirium and functional decline. These can be mitigated by consistent attention to age-friendly care practices such as early mobility, adequate nutrition and hydration, and meaningful cognitive and social activities. Eat Walk Engage is a ward-based improvement programme theoretically informed by the i-PARIHS framework which significantly reduced delirium in a four-hospital cluster trial. The objective of this process evaluation was to understand how Eat Walk Engage worked across trial sites. METHODS: Prospective multi-method implementation evaluation on medical and surgical wards in four hospitals implementing Eat Walk Engage January 2016-May 2017. Using UK Medical Research Council guidance, this process evaluation assessed context, implementation (core components, implementation strategies and improvements) and mechanisms of impact (practice changes measured through older person interviews, structured mealtime observations and activity mapping) at each site. RESULTS: The four wards had varied contextual barriers which altered dynamically with time. One ward with complex outer organisational barriers showed poorer implementation and fewer practice changes. Two experienced facilitators supported four novice site facilitators through interactive training and structured reflection as well as data management, networking and organisational influence. Novice site facilitators used many implementation strategies to facilitate 45 discrete improvements at individual, team and system level. Patient interviews (42 before and 38 after implementation) showed better communication about program goals in three sites. Observations of 283 meals before and 297 after implementation showed improvements in mealtime positioning and assistance in all sites. Activity mapping in 85 patients before and 111 patients after implementation showed improvements in cognitive and social engagement in three sites, but inconsistent changes in mobility. The improvements in mealtime care and cognitive and social engagement are plausible mediators of reduced delirium observed in the trial. The lack of consistent mobility improvements may explain why the trial did not show reduction in functional decline. CONCLUSIONS: A multi-level enabling facilitation approach supported adaptive implementation to varied contexts to support mechanisms of impact which partly achieved the programme goals. Contexts changed over time, suggesting the need for adequate time and continued facilitation to embed, enhance and sustain age-friendly practices on acute care wards and optimise outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The CHERISH trial was prospectively registered with the ANZCTR ( http://www.anzctr.org.au ): ACTRN12615000879561.

Developing a knowledge translation program for health practitioners: Allied Health Translating Research into Practice.

Background: Front-line health practitioners lack confidence in knowledge translation, yet they are often required to undertake projects to bridge the knowledge-practice gap. There are few initiatives focused on building the capacity of the health practitioner workforce to undertake knowledge translation, with most programs focusing on developing the skills of researchers. This paper reports the development and evaluation of a knowledge translation capacity building program for allied health practitioners located over geographically dispersed locations in Queensland, Australia. Methods: Allied Health Translating Research into Practice (AH-TRIP) was developed over five years with consideration of theory, research evidence and local needs assessment. AH-TRIP includes five components: training and education; support and networks (including champions and mentoring); showcase and recognition; TRIP projects and implementation; evaluation. The RE-AIM framework (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation Maintenance) guided the evaluation plan, with this paper reporting on the reach (number, discipline, geographical location), adoption by health services, and participant satisfaction between 2019 and 2021. Results: A total of 986 allied health practitioners participated in at least one component of AH-TRIP, with a quarter of participants located in regional areas of Queensland. Online training materials received an average of 944 unique page views each month. A total of 148 allied health practitioners have received mentoring to undertake their project, including a range of allied health disciplines and clinical areas. Very high satisfaction was reported by those receiving mentoring and attending the annual showcase event. Nine of sixteen public hospital and health service districts have adopted AH-TRIP. Conclusion: AH-TRIP is a low-cost knowledge translation capacity building initiative which can be delivered at scale to support allied health practitioners across geographically dispersed locations. Higher adoption in metropolitan areas suggests that further investment and targeted strategies are needed to reach health practitioners working in regional areas. Future evaluation should focus on exploring the impact on individual participants and the health service.

Impact of a health services innovation university program in a major public hospital and health service: a mixed methods evaluation.

BACKGROUND: While health services and their clinicians might seek to be innovative, finite budgets, increased demands on health services, and ineffective implementation strategies create challenges to sustaining innovation. These challenges can be addressed by building staff capacity to design cost-effective, evidence-based innovations, and selecting appropriate implementation strategies. A bespoke university award qualification and associated program of activities was developed to build the capacity of staff at Australia's largest health service to implement and evaluate evidence-based practice (EBP): a Graduate Certificate in Health Science majoring in Health Services Innovation. The aim of this study was to establish the health service's pre-program capacity to implement EBP and to identify preliminary changes in capacity that have occurred as a result of the Health Services Innovation program. METHODS: A mixed methods design underpinned by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research informed the research design, data collection, and analysis. Data about EBP implementation capacity aligned to the framework constructs were sought through qualitative interviews of university and health service executives, focus groups with students, and a quantitative survey of managers and students. The outcomes measured were knowledge of, attitudes towards, and use of EBP within the health service, as well as changes to practice which students identified had resulted from their participation in the program. RESULTS: The Health Services Innovation program has contributed to short-term changes in health service capacity to implement EBP. Participating students have not only increased their individual skills and knowledge, but also changed their EPB culture and practice which has ignited and sustained health service innovations and improvements in the first 18 months of the program. Capacity changes observed across wider sections of the organization include an increase in connections and networks, use of a shared language, and use of robust implementation science methods such as stakeholder analyses. CONCLUSION: This is a unique study that assessed data from all stakeholders: university and health service executives, students, and their managers. By assembling multiple perspectives, we identified that developing the social capital of the organization through delivering a full suite of capacity-building initiatives was critical to the preliminary success of the program.

Effect of a Ward-Based Program on Hospital-Associated Complications and Length of Stay for Older Inpatients: The Cluster Randomized CHERISH Trial.

IMPORTANCE: Hospital-associated complications of older people (HAC-OPs) include delirium, hospital-associated disability, incontinence, pressure injuries, and falls. These complications may be preventable by age-friendly principles of care, including early mobility, good nutrition and hydration, and meaningful cognitive engagement; however, implementation is challenging. OBJECTIVES: To implement and evaluate a ward-based improvement program ("Eat Walk Engage") to more consistently deliver age-friendly principles of care to older individuals in acute inpatient wards. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cluster randomized CHERISH (Collaboration for Hospitalised Elders Reducing the Impact of Stays in Hospital) trial enrolled 539 consecutive inpatients aged 65 years or older, admitted for 3 days or more to study wards, from October 2, 2016, to April 3, 2017, with a 6-month follow-up. The study wards comprised 8 acute medical and surgical wards in 4 Australian public hospitals. Randomization was stratified by hospital, providing 4 clusters in intervention and in control groups. Statistical analysis was performed from August 28, 2018, to October 17, 2021, on an intention-to-treat basis. INTERVENTION: A trained facilitator supported a multidisciplinary work group on each intervention ward to improve the care practices, environment, and culture to support key age-friendly principles. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary outcomes were incidence of any HAC-OP and length of stay. Secondary outcomes were incidence of individual HAC-OPs, facility discharge, 6-month mortality, and all-cause readmission. Outcomes were analyzed at the individual level, adjusted for confounders and clustering. RESULTS: A total of 265 participants on 4 intervention wards (124 women [46.8%]; mean [SD] age, 75.9 [7.3] years) and 274 participants on 4 control wards (145 women [52.9%]; mean [SD] age, 78.0 [8.2] years) were enrolled. The composite primary outcome of any HAC-OP occurred for 115 of 248 intervention participants (46.4%) and 129 of 249 control participants (51.8%) (intervention group: adjusted odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.71-1.61). The median length of stay was 6 days (IQR, 4-9 days) for the intervention group and 7 days (IQR, 5-10 days) for the control group (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% credible interval, 0.80-1.15). The incidence of delirium was significantly lower for intervention participants (adjusted odds ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.31-0.90). There were no significant differences in other individual HAC-OPs, facility discharge, mortality, or readmissions. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The Eat Walk Engage program did not reduce the composite primary outcome of any HAC-OP or length of stay, but there was a significant reduction in the incidence of delirium. TRIAL REGISTRATION: anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12615000879561.

Why Don't We Tube Feed Hip Fracture Patients? Findings from the Implementation of an Enteral Tube Feeding Decision Support Tool.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to report (i) the prevalence of enteral tube feeding (ETF), (ii) investigate whether implementing a decision support tool influenced ETF rates, and (iii) understand reasons influencing decisions to offer ETF. METHODS: A pre/post evaluation included consecutive patients admitted to a hip fracture unit. Following baseline data collection, a published ETF Decision Support Tool was implemented by the multidisciplinary team to determine the necessity and influencing reasons for offering ETF. RESULTS: Pre-post groups (n = 90,86) were well matched for age (83 vs. 84.5 years; p = 0.304) and gender (females 57 vs. 57; p = 0.683). ETF rates remained low across groups (pre/post n = 4,2; p = 0.683) despite high malnutrition prevalence (41.6% vs. 50.6%; p = 0.238). Diverse and conflicting reasons were identified regarding decisions to offer ETF. CONCLUSION: A complex interplay of factors influences the team decision-making process to offer ETF to nutritionally vulnerable patients. These demands are individualised, rather than algorithmic, involving shared decision-making and informed consent processes.

Translating Research into Practice: How Confident Are Allied Health Clinicians?

AIM: Knowledge translation (KT) is a multistage process of implementing practice change to align with evidence-based practice. This study aimed to determine the confidence of allied health professionals (AHPs) to undertake KT. METHODS: A quantitative questionnaire was disseminated to AHPs over a 4-week period. Awareness of and confidence with KT was assessed using a 100-mm visual analogue scale. RESULTS: 374 AHPs responded from 12 metropolitan hospitals in Queensland, Australia. Moderate confidence was reported for identifying an evidence-practice gap (median 70 mm, interquartile range [IQR] 50-80 mm), finding relevant literature/evidence (67 mm, 40-84 mm), and sharing evidence with colleagues (70 mm, 50-85 mm). Clinicians were less confident in choosing a KT framework (20 mm, 3-50 mm), implementing a practice change (40 mm, 15-61 mm), assessing barriers and enablers (50 mm, 25-70 mm) and supporting less experienced clinicians undertaking KT (42 mm, 14-68 mm). There was a weak positive correlation between years of experience and confidence in implementing practice change (rho=0.127, p=0.017). A majority of respondents (89%, n=333) reported an interest in learning more about KT. CONCLUSIONS: AHPs were interested in KT but had low confidence in implementing research into practice. These findings identify opportunities to support the training and education needs of AHPs in KT.

"You've got to keep moving, keep going": Understanding older patients' experiences and perceptions of delirium and nonpharmacological delirium prevention strategies in the acute hospital setting.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore older inpatients' experiences and perceptions of delirium and nonpharmacological delirium prevention strategies (NDPS). BACKGROUND: Delirium is a distressing and serious complication in hospitalised older adults. NDPS (supporting nutrition, mobility and cognitive participation) have strong supporting evidence. Few studies have explored older inpatients' perspectives of these strategies. This information may assist staff to better support patient participation in NDPS. DESIGN: Qualitative study using an interpretive descriptive (ID) methodological approach to explore older patient's experience of delirium and NDPS. METHODS: Structured interviews of inpatients aged over 65 years across 6 medical and surgical wards explored patients' experiences and perceptions of delirium and prevention activities related to nutrition, mobility and cognition; and barriers and enablers to participation. Reporting used COREQ. RESULTS: Twenty-three participants were included (12 male, 11 reported delirium experience). Participants reported a range of physiological, emotional and psychological responses to delirium, hearing about delirium was different to experiencing it. Most participants were aware of the benefits of maintaining nutrition and hydration, physical activity and cognitive engagement in hospital. Barriers included poor symptom control, inflexible routines and inconsistent communication, whilst enablers included access to equipment, family involvement, staff encouragement and individual goals. These were organised into themes: outlook, feeling well enough, hospital environment, feeling informed and listened to, and support networks. CONCLUSION: A more patient-centred approach to delirium prevention requires consideration of older people's values, needs, preferences and fit within the hospital environment and routines. Feeling informed, listened to and receiving support from staff and family carers can improve older inpatients' engagement in NPDS to prevent delirium in hospital. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses are ideally placed to improve patient participation in NDPS through holistic assessment and care, addressing symptoms, providing clear information about delirium and delirium prevention, and facilitating family carer support and patient interactions.

"I Wouldn't Ever Want It": A Qualitative Evaluation of Patient and Caregiver Perceptions Toward Enteral Tube Feeding in Hip Fracture Inpatients.

BACKGROUND: One in 2 hip fracture inpatients are malnourished on admission to hospital, with many experiencing nutrition decline during their length of stay. Despite this, enteral tube feeding (ETF) is rarely used in this population. As patient/caregiver viewpoints regarding the utility of ETF remain unclear, this study explored the perceptions of hip fracture inpatients and caregivers toward ETF use to assist recovery. METHODS: An inductive qualitative research project was conducted within a tertiary hospital orthogeriatric ward. Individual semistructured interviews were undertaken with 13 purposively sampled, postsurgery hip fracture inpatients and 7 caregivers. Interviews were transcribed, hard-copy coded, and thematically analyzed. RESULTS: The majority of inpatient participants did not wish to be tube fed. A novel, complex interrelationship of the following 3 main themes emerged: knowledge and understanding, perceived consequences and necessity of tube, contributed toward potential ETF acceptance and refusal. Theme interrelationship was indicated by subthemes (nutrition importance, attitude, and ability to cope) and driven by the following 3 key categories: value of nutrition, quality of life, and personal perception. CONCLUSION: A number of factors impacted the likelihood of tube acceptance. This highlights the importance of food as a medicine, treatment intent, and shared decision making when considering ETF in acute hip fracture inpatients.