La visión de los profesionales sanitarios del proceso diagnóstico de las mujeres con cáncer de ovario en Catalunya: estudio cualitativo / Health professionals’ perspective about women's experiences during the diagnostic process of ovarian cancer in Catalonia: Qualitative study

Objetivo: Identificar las oportunidades perdidas en el diagnóstico del cáncer de ovario (CO) en el sistema sanitario público de Catalunya mediante el análisis de la visión de los profesionales sobre el relato de las experiencias de las pacientes con CO. Diseño: Estudio cualitativo exploratorio-descriptivo, con dos grupos focales. Emplazamiento: Atención primaria, noviembre de 2017. Participantes: Treinta y cuatro profesionales en base a un muestreo teórico: 21médicos de familia, 8profesionales de centros de salud sexual y reproductiva y 5ginecólogos de hospital. Métodos: Los participantes debatieron sobre diferentes itinerarios de procesos diagnósticos de mujeres con CO mediante la exposición de tres flujogramas elaborados a partir de los relatos obtenidos en entrevistas a pacientes. Se realizó un análisis de contenido temático. Resultados: Se identificaron tres temas con diversos subtemas: a)falta de sospecha diagnóstica (desconocimiento de los síntomas, obviar la anamnesis y la exploración física, fragmentación de la atención y sesgos y prejuicios); b)dificultades para activar el proceso diagnóstico (acceso limitado a pruebas, accesibilidad desigual a ginecología y falta de seguimiento), y c)ausencia de circuitos rápidos preestablecidos. Conclusiones: Los resultados ofrecen una visión de las dificultades del diagnóstico precoz del CO en nuestro ámbito. Creemos que su identificación permitirá la elaboración de estrategias para mejorar la precisión diagnóstica y la calidad de la atención en las mujeres con CO en nuestro medio.(AU)

Objective: To identify missed opportunities in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer (OC) in the public health system of Catalonia, through the analysis of the perceptions of health professionals on the stories's experiences of OC patients. Design: Qualitative exploratory-descriptive study, with two focus groups. Setting: Primary Care, November 2017. Participants: Thirty-four professionals based on theoretical sampling: 21 family doctors, 8 professionals from sexual and reproductive health centres and 5 hospital gynaecologists. Methods: Participants discussed the different diagnostic pathways for women with OC through the presentation of flowcharts which were developed with three storie's and experiences of OC patients. Results: Three themes with various sub-themes were identified as follow: a)lack of cancer diagnostic suspicion (lack of knowledge of symptoms of OC, anamnesis and physical examination overlooked, fragmentation of patient's care and bias and prejudice); b)difficulties in activating the diagnostic process (limited access to tests, unequal accessibility to gynaecology and lack of follow-up); and c)absence of fast-track referral system.Conclusions: The results offer insight into the difficulties of early diagnosis of OC in our setting. We believe that their identification will allow the development of strategies to improve diagnostic accuracy and quality of care for women with OC in our setting.(AU)

[Health professionals' perspective about women's experiences during the diagnostic process of ovarian cancer in Catalonia: Qualitative study]. / La visión de los profesionales sanitarios del proceso diagnóstico de las mujeres con cáncer de ovario en Catalunya: estudio cualitativo.

OBJECTIVE: To identify missed opportunities in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer (OC) in the public health system of Catalonia, through the analysis of the perceptions of health professionals on the stories's experiences of OC patients. DESIGN: Qualitative exploratory-descriptive study, with two focus groups. SETTING: Primary Care, November 2017. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-four professionals based on theoretical sampling: 21 family doctors, 8 professionals from sexual and reproductive health centres and 5 hospital gynaecologists. METHODS: Participants discussed the different diagnostic pathways for women with OC through the presentation of flowcharts which were developed with three storie's and experiences of OC patients. RESULTS: Three themes with various sub-themes were identified as follow: a)lack of cancer diagnostic suspicion (lack of knowledge of symptoms of OC, anamnesis and physical examination overlooked, fragmentation of patient's care and bias and prejudice); b)difficulties in activating the diagnostic process (limited access to tests, unequal accessibility to gynaecology and lack of follow-up); and c)absence of fast-track referral system. CONCLUSIONS: The results offer insight into the difficulties of early diagnosis of OC in our setting. We believe that their identification will allow the development of strategies to improve diagnostic accuracy and quality of care for women with OC in our setting.

Women's experiences along the ovarian cancer diagnostic pathway in Catalonia: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of symptoms and prompt diagnosis of ovarian cancer are considered important avenues for improving patient experiences and outcomes. METHODS: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to perform patient interviews, collecting individual accounts of the prediagnostic phase in women diagnosed and treated for ovarian cancer in 2016-2017. Purposive sampling was used to obtain a diverse sample of 24 participants, while thematic content analysis was used to extract themes and subthemes from interview data. RESULTS: Three themes and nine subthemes were identified. The first theme was women's delay in recognizing symptoms and seeking care, with subthemes on the lack of knowledge about early signs of ovarian cancer, gender-related barriers and false reassurance from negative test results. A second theme was missed opportunities during healthcare encounters, due to misattribution of women's symptoms by their physicians, underestimation of symptom severity and need for mediation and inadequate tests and/or false negative results. Finally, interviews highlighted the use of resources and alternative healthcare pathways, including complementary/alternative medicines, access to private health care and women's capacity for action and decision-making (agency) about their health. CONCLUSION: Delayed diagnosis of ovarian cancer is rooted in both individual factors (lack of health literacy, reluctance to seek care) and systemic issues (missed opportunities in healthcare encounters, access to timely specialist care). Further research is needed to investigate the extent to which traditional gender roles and socioeconomic inequalities condition women's ability to manage their own health and to interact with health professionals and the health system. PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: In addition to the patient participation during the interviews, one author was a representative of a patient association.

Women's preference to apply shared decision-making in breast cancer screening: a discrete choice experiment.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse women's stated preferences for establishing the relative importance of each attribute of shared decision-making (SDM) and their willingness to pay (WTP) for more participatory care in breast cancer screening programmes (BCSP). DESIGN: A discrete choice experiment was designed with 12 questions (choice tasks). It included three attributes: 'How the information is obtained', regarding benefits and harms; whether there is a 'Dialogue for scheduled mammography' between the healthcare professional and the woman; and, 'Who makes the decision', regarding participation in BCSP. Data were obtained using a survey that included 12 choice tasks, 1 question on WTP and 7 socioeconomic-related questions. The analysis was performed using conditional mixed-effect logit regression and stratification according to WTP. SETTING: Data collection related to BCSP was conducted between June and November 2021 in Catalonia, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-five women aged between 50 and 60. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Women's perceived utility of each attribute, trade-off on these attributes and WTP for SDM in BCSP. RESULT: The only significant attribute was 'Who makes the decision'. The decision made alone (coefficient=2.879; 95% CI=2.297 to 3.461) and the decision made together with a healthcare professional (2.375; 95% CI=1.573 to 3.177) were the options preferred by women. The former contributes 21% more utility than the latter. Moreover, 52.3% of the women stated a WTP of €10 or more for SDM. Women's preferences regarding attributes did not influence their WTP. CONCLUSIONS: The participant women refused a current paternalistic model and preferred either SDM or informed decision-making in BCSP.

Understanding the role and importance of occupational therapy in mental health services in Morocco: Perspectives from mental health professionals.

BACKGROUND: Across the global landscape, mental health care still exhibits challenges because of the lack of human and professional resources to face its consequences. In Morocco, mental health problems affect mainly adolescents and young adults, with a clear impact on functional engagement in their daily lives. Occupational therapy, as a holistic and person-centered practice, may be an ideal mental health strategy to promote health and well-being through occupation, thereby enabling individuals to participate in regular daily activities. OBJECTIVE: To understand, from an intercultural perspective, the point of view of mental health professionals regarding the role and importance of occupation-based practices in Errazi Mental Health Hospital in Salé(Rabat) Morocco. METHOD: A qualitative research design was used for this study. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews with 12 mental health care professionals (non-occupational therapists). These results were used to gain an understanding of their perspectives regarding the main role of human occupation in mental health services in Morocco, and to incorporate an intercultural outlook in terms of occupational therapy. Data analysis was conducted in three phases, by following the grounded theory methodology. RESULTS: Two categories, "dimensions of occupation in Moroccan mental health" and "the interplay between traditional and western perspectives involving mental health" emerged from this research. Both categories included five subcategories. CONCLUSION: This study identifies how occupation-based services in Moroccan mental health care require considering not only the cultural perspective of mental health, and the sociocultural meaning rooted in occupations, but also the relevance of incorporating a community-centered approach. Moreover, it discusses how occupational therapy education in Morocco must incorporate an intercultural perspective of the therapy's theory and practice.

Development of support material for health professionals who are implementing Shared Decision-making in breast cancer screening: validation using the Delphi technique.

BACKGROUND: The Literature is no report support material on Shared Decision-making applied to breast cancer screening that is intended for Spanish health professionals. The researcher created both a handbook and a guide for this topic using an adaption of the Three-talk model. OBJECTIVE: A Delphi method will be used to reach an agreement among experts on the contents and design of a manual and guide, designed by the research team, and to be used by health professionals in the application of SDM in breast cancer screening. DESIGN: A qualitative study. The content and design of the handbook and the guide was discussed by 20 experts. The Delphi techniques was in an online mode between July and October 2020 and researchers used Google forms in three rounds with open and closed questions. The criterion established for consensus was a coefficient of concordance (Cc) above 75, for questions using a Likert scale of 1-6-in which 1 meant 'completely disagree' and 6 'completely agree'-with a cut-off point equal to or higher than 4. RESULTS: Participants considered the Three-talk model suitable for the screening context. The handbook sections and level of detail were considered satisfactory (Cc=90). The summary provided by the clinical practice guide was considered necessary (Cc=75), as it was the self-assessment tool for professionals (Cc=85). Content was added: addressing the limitations of the SDM model; extending the number of sample dialogues for health professionals; providing supplementary resources on using Patient Decisions aids and adding references on communication skills. CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS: The first handbook and clinical practice guide providing unique SDM support material for health professionals have been developed. The handbook and guide are useful and innovative as supporting material for health professionals, but training strategies for SDM and a piloting plan for the use of materials are requested, in order to facilitate its implementation.

Views of health professionals on risk-based breast cancer screening and its implementation in the Spanish National Health System: A qualitative discussion group study.

BACKGROUND: With the aim of increasing benefits and decreasing harms, risk-based breast cancer screening has been proposed as an alternative to age-based screening. This study explores barriers and facilitators to implementing a risk-based breast cancer screening program from the perspective of health professionals, in the context of a National Health Service. METHODS: Socio-constructivist qualitative research carried out in Catalonia (Spain), in the year 2019. Four discussion groups were conducted, with a total of 29 health professionals from primary care, breast cancer screening programs, hospital breast units, epidemiology units, and clinical specialties. A descriptive-interpretive thematic analysis was performed. RESULTS: Identified barriers included resistance to reducing the number of screening exams for low-risk women; resistance to change for health professionals; difficulties in risk communication; lack of conclusive evidence of the benefits of risk-based screening; limited economic resources; and organizational transformation. Facilitators include benefits of risk-based strategies for high and low-risk women; women's active role in their health care; proximity of women and primary care professionals; experience of health professionals in other screening programs; and greater efficiency of a risk-based screening program. Organizational and administrative changes in the health system, commitment by policy makers, training of health professionals, and educational interventions addressed to the general population will be required. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the expressed difficulties, participants supported the implementation of risk-based screening. They highlighted its benefits, especially for women at high risk of breast cancer and those under 50 years of age, and assumed a greater efficiency of the risk-based program compared to the aged-based one. Future studies should assess the efficiency and feasibility of risk-based breast cancer screening for its transfer to clinical practice.

Coping experiences of women in the different phases of breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To understand the evolution of coping among women diagnosed with breast cancer over time, and the effect of age and family income on coping. METHOD: Using a phenomenological qualitative study, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with sixteen women in a hospital in Barcelona (Spain) between January 2018 and June 2019. An analysis of thematic content and discursive profile was carried out, assisted by the Nvivo v.12 program. RESULTS: Coping strategies change according to the meaning of breast cancer in each phase and the age and family income. In the acute phase, multiple coping strategies are identified, and this variety was more frequent among the young women in the study. In the extended phase, planning, distancing, and seeking social support become important. The latter used during treatment by older women in the study, regardless of family income. In the follow-up phase, distancing stands out, but also the search for social support among young women with fewer resources. CONCLUSIONS: Coping with breast cancer evolves according to the meaning that the disease receives in each phase. In addition, the analysis by discursive profile shows how the social support context is also related to the coping strategies in each phase.

Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the COMPASS mobile app: a citizen science project.

To evaluate the usability of the COMPASS application with mixed-methodology, using a citizen science approach. Parents/tutors of 10-11 years old children attending a primary school in Barcelona, Spain, were invited to take part in the study. We conducted semi-structured interviews on a subset (n = 7) of participants, two weeks after using the app for the first time. A list of suggestions of improvement was extracted from the interviews. The System Usability Scale (SUS, range 0-100) was administered to all participants before and after the improvements were implemented. We provide both a quantitative analysis (t-test of change in SUS scores) and a qualitative thematic analysis of the interviews. A total of 22 participants were included in the study. The mean score before implementation of changes was 68.5 (Standard deviation, SD = 11.1), and improved to 73.1 (10.5) (p-value = 0.025). Regarding the qualitative assessment, we obtained 24 codes and grouped them into 3 categories. It uncovered problems in the installation phase and the main barriers to use: lack of time and the need for the app to evolve. The new version of COMPASS, improved by taking into account the participants' comments and suggestions, was more usable than the initial version.

Managing ethical aspects of advance directives in emergency care services.

BACKGROUND: In Hospital Emergency Department and Emergency Medical Services professionals experience situations in which they face difficulties or barriers to know patient's advance directives and implement them. OBJECTIVES: To analyse the barriers, facilitators, and ethical conflicts perceived by health professionals derived from the management of advance directives in emergency services. RESEARCH DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, AND CONTEXT: This is a qualitative phenomenological study conducted with purposive sampling including a population of nursing and medical professionals linked to Hospital Emergency Department and Emergency Medical Services. Three focus groups were formed, totalling 24 participants. We performed an inductive-type thematic discourse analysis. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: This study was approved by ethical committees of Ethical Commitee of Clínic Hospital (Barcelona) and Comittee of Emergency Medical Services (Barcelona). The participants received information about the purpose of the study. Patients' anonymity and willingness to participate in the study were guaranteed. FINDINGS: There were four types of barriers that hindered the proper management of patients' advance directives in Hospital Emergency Department and Emergency Medical Services: personal and professional, family members, organisational and structural, and those derived from the health system. These barriers caused ethical conflicts and hindered professionals' decision-making. DISCUSSION: These results are in line with those of previous studies and indicate that factors such as gender, professional category, and years of experience, in addition to professionals' beliefs and the opinions of colleagues and family members, can also influence the professionals' final decisions. CONCLUSION: The different strategies described in this study can contribute to the development of health policies and action protocols to help reduce both the barriers that hinder the correct management and implementation of advance directives and the ethical conflicts generated.

Acceptability of a lifelogging wearable camera in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: The main objective of this research was to evaluate the acceptance of technology based on a wearable lifelogging camera in a sample of older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: A mixed-method design was used, consisting of a self-report questionnaire, numerous images taken by users, and a series of focus group discussions. The patients were involved in an individualized training programme. RESULTS: Nine MCI patients and their caregiver relatives were included. They showed good acceptance of the camera and downloaded an appropriate number of images on a daily basis. Perceived severity and ease of use were the main factors associated with the intention to use the device. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with MCI can become competent users of lifelogging wearable cameras with a good level of acceptance. Privacy concerns are outweighed by the potential benefits for memory. Limitations, strengths and implications for future research are discussed.

Effect of information about the benefits and harms of mammography on women's decision making: The InforMa randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In Spain, women invited to breast screening are not usually informed about potential harms of screening. The objective of the InforMa study is to assess the effect of receiving information about the benefits and harms of breast screening on informed choice and other decision-making outcomes, in women approaching the age of invitation to mammography screening. METHODS: Two-stage randomised controlled trial. In the first stage, 40 elementary territorial units of the public healthcare system were selected and randomised to intervention or control. In the second stage, women aged 49-50 years were randomly selected. The target sample size was 400 women. Women in the intervention arm received a decision aid (DA) with detailed information on the benefits and harms of screening. Women in the control arm received a standard leaflet that did not mention harms and recommended accepting the invitation to participate in the Breast Cancer Screening Program (BCSP). The primary outcome was informed choice, defined as adequate knowledge and intentions consistent with attitudes. Secondary outcomes included decisional conflict, worry about breast cancer, time perspective, opinions about the DA or the leaflet, and participation in the BCSP. RESULTS: In the intervention group, 23.2% of 203 women made an informed choice compared to only 0.5% of 197 women in the control group (p < 0.001). Attitudes and intentions were similar in both study groups with a high frequency of women intending to be screened, 82.8% vs 82.2% (p = 0.893). Decisional conflict was significantly lower in the intervention group. No differences were observed in confidence in the decision, anxiety, and participation in BCSP. CONCLUSIONS: Women in Spain lack knowledge on the benefits and harms of breast screening. Providing quantitative information on benefits and harms has produced a considerable increase in knowledge and informed choice, with a high acceptance of the informative materials. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial identifier NCT03046004 at ClinicalTrials.gov registry. Registered on February 4 2017. Trial name: InforMa study.

Expectations and perceptions of primary healthcare professionals regarding their own continuous education in Catalonia (Spain): a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The planning and execution of continuous education in an organization that provides health services is a complex process. The objectives, learning sequences, and implementation strategies should all be oriented to improving the health of the population. The aim of this study was to analyse the expectations and perceptions of continuous educations by primary healthcare professionals (physicians and nurses) and identify aspects that hinder or encourage the process. METHODS: A qualitative study with 5 focus groups made up of 25 primary healthcare professionals from the Catalan Health Institute, Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). The focus groups were audio-recorded and the results transcribed. The analysis involved: a) Reading of the data looking for meanings b) Coding of the data by themes and extracting categories c) Reviewing and refining codes and categories d) Reconstruction of the data providing an explanatory framework for the meanings e) Discussion about the interpretations of the findings and f) Discussed with relevant professionals from PHC (physicians and nurses)"Data regarding thematic content were analyzed with the support of Atlasti 5.1 software. RESULTS: The health needs of the population were often at the core of the learning processes but the participants' views did not always spontaneously refer to improvements in these issues. Common themes that could hinder learning and where identified, including contextual aspects such as work constraints (timetables, places being covered during training) and funding policies. New learning strategies to improve the effectiveness of continuous education were proposed such as the exchange of knowledge, the activation of personal commitment to change, and the improvement of organizational aspects. CONCLUSIONS: The primary healthcare professionals in our study viewed continuous education as a professional necessity and would like to translate the knowledge acquired to improving the health of the population. Nevertheless, professional, structural, and organizational issues impede the process.

Motivational interviewing interactions and the primary health care challenges presented by smokers with low motivation to stop smoking: a conversation analysis.

BACKGROUND: Research indicates that one third of smokers have low motivation to stop smoking. The purpose of the study was to use Conversational Analysis to enhance understanding of the process in Motivational Interviewing sessions carried out by primary care doctors and nurses to motivate their patients to quit smoking. The present study is a substudy of the Systematic Intervention on Smoking Habits in Primary Health Care Project (Spanish acronym: ISTAPS). METHODS: Motivational interviewing sessions with a subset of nine participants (two interview sessions were conducted with two of the nine) in the ISTAPS study who were current smokers and scored fewer than 5 points on the Richmond test that measures motivation to quit smoking were videotaped and transcribed. A total of 11 interviews conducted by five primary health care professionals in Barcelona, Spain, were analysed. Qualitative Content Analysis was used to develop an analytical guide for coding transcriptions. Conversation Analysis allowed detailed study of the exchange of words during the interaction. RESULTS: Motivational Interviewing sessions had three phases: assessment, reflection on readiness to change, and summary. The interaction was constructed during an office visit, where interactional dilemmas arise and can be resolved in various ways. Some actions by professionals (use of reiterations, declarations, open-ended questions) helped to construct a framework of shared relationship; others inhibited this relationship (focusing on risks of smoking, clinging to the protocol, and prematurely emphasizing change). Some professionals tended to resolve interactional dilemmas (e.g., resistance) through a confrontational or directive style. Interactions that did not follow Motivational Interviewing principles predominated in seven of the interviews analysed. CONCLUSIONS: Conversational analysis showed that the complexity of the intervention increases when a health professional encounters individuals with low motivation for change, and interactional dilemmas may occur that make it difficult to follow Motivational Interview principles. Incorporating different forms of expression during the Motivational Interviewing could help to build patient-centred health care relationships and, for patients with low motivation to stop smoking, offer an opportunity to reflect on tobacco use during the office visit. The study findings could be included in professional training to improve the quality of motivational interviewing.