Repeat re-irradiation with interstitial HDR-brachytherapy for an in-field isolated nodal recurrence in a patient with HPV-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

PURPOSE: Locoregionally recurrent head and neck cancer is a complex clinical scenario that often requires multimodality treatment. These patients have often previously received definitive treatment with a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and systemic therapy, which can make further management difficult. A second isolated locoregional failure is rare and clinicians are faced with a challenge to optimize disease control while minimizing treatment-related toxicity. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In this report, we present the diagnosis, management, and outcomes of a patient with an isolated locoregional recurrence who was previously treated with two courses of radiation. The patient was treated with a second course of reirradiation using interstitial brachytherapy as well as a discussion regarding patient selection and optimal management for recurrent head and neck cancer. RESULTS: Repeat reirradiation using interstitial HDR-brachytherapy with the use of an alloderm spacer was successfully delivered to the patient for an in-field right neck nodal recurrence. He received a total EQD2/BED dose of 127.70/153.24 Gy. At 1-year followup, the patient was without evidence of recurrent disease or new significant side effects. CONCLUSION: Recurrent head and neck cancer should be managed with a multidisciplinary approach given the complex clinical scenario. Reirradiation is a commonly used salvage measure for recurrent head and neck cancer that requires careful planning and patient selection due to prior treatment-related effects and dose constraints. We reported a case of a second course of reirradiation using interstitial HDR-brachytherapy for locoregionally recurrent head and neck cancer and showed no recurrence of disease or worsening long term side effects at 1 year.

Effectiveness of non-pharmacological strategies for managing delirium in hospitalized postoperative adults: an umbrella review protocol.

REVIEW QUESTION/OBJECTIVE: The question of this review: What is the effectiveness of non-pharmacological strategies for the management of delirium in hospitalized adult postoperative patients?The objective of this umbrella review is to determine the effectiveness of non-pharmacological strategies for the management of delirium in adult postoperative patients, 18 years and over, in an acute care hospitalized setting.More specifically, the review aims to identify which non-pharmacological strategy/strategies, provided as a single strategy or combined as two or more strategies, is the most effective for management of delirium in hospitalized postoperative adult patients?

The effectiveness of therapeutic patient education on adherence to oral anti-cancer medicines in adult cancer patients in ambulatory care settings: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to oral cancer medicines is a challenge for adult patients with cancer. Education specifically tailored for an individual patient with cancer may improve adherence. Therapeutic patient education when utilized effectively may maximize health outcomes and positively affect the quality of life of adult patients with cancer. Currently, there are no published systematic reviews specific to the effectiveness of therapeutic patient education on improvement of oral anti-cancer medicines adherence in patients with cancer. OBJECTIVES: To synthesize the best available evidence on the effectiveness of therapeutic patient education on adherence to oral anti-cancer medicines in adult cancer patients 18 years and older in an ambulatory care setting. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Types of participants: This review considered studies involving adults of any ethnicity, race or gender, aged 18 years or older who were diagnosed with any form of cancer, receiving oral anti-cancer medicines in an ambulatory care setting. Types of intervention(s): This review considered studies on the use of therapeutic patient education as the additional intervention to routine patient education for promoting oral anti-cancer medicine adherence in adult patients with cancer in an ambulatory care setting. Routine patient education was considered as a comparator. Types of outcomes: The outcome considered was adherence to prescribed oral anti-cancer medicines. Types of studies: This review considered experimental and observational studies. SEARCH STRATEGY: The literature search included published and unpublished studies in the English Language from 1953 through August 2014. A search of PubMed, CINAHL, Excerpta Medica Database, Academic Search Premier, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition was conducted using identified keywords and indexed terms across all included databases. A search for grey literature and electronic hand searching of relevant journals was also performed. METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY: Two reviewers independently evaluated the included studies for methodological quality utilizing standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute. DATA COLLECTION: Standardized data extraction tools were used by two reviewers independently as per the Joanna Briggs Institute for data extraction. DATA SYNTHESIS: Due to clinical and methodological heterogeneity between the included studies, statistical meta-analysis was not feasible. The results are presented in a narrative form. RESULTS: Two studies were included in this review, one randomized controlled trial and one cohort study. Both studies had small sample sizes and were moderate and low quality. The clinical significance of therapeutic patient education interventions and the relationship between behavior changes and health outcome changes remain unclear. The randomized clinical trial found a benefit in medication adherence rates in the tailored education intervention group compared to the standard education group at two and four months. Adherence rates measured by self-report (91.3% and 95.1%) and pharmacy refill rates (80% and 73.7%) were superior for the intervention group; however pharmacy refill rates were lower than self-reports of adherence. Tailored educational interventions were only beneficial on pharmacy refill rates (p=.0048) for promoting adherence at the two-month time interval. The cohort study found the intensified pharmaceutical educational intervention group demonstrated enhanced overall medication adherence then the standard education group (97.9% vs. 90.5%, p=0.069). The intervention group also showed a higher mean daily adherence to medication (96. 8% vs. 87.2%, p=0.029). The relative risk of the intervention group deviating from the medication intake interval of 12 hours was 0.51(95%CI, 0.46-0.56) compared to the control group (p<0.05, Chi-square test).The two studies showed no statistically significant differences, only modest to low evidence that therapeutic educational interventions support the clinical outcome of oral anti-cancer medicine adherence. CONCLUSIONS: There is a paucity of research evidence on the effectiveness of therapeutic patient educational interventions for improving patient adherence to oral cancer medicines. The effect of therapeutic patient educational interventions on oral anti-cancer medicine adherence has yet to be determined. Therapeutic patient educational interventions remain questionable, differing in format and educational strategies. A specific standardized methodology and evaluation approach to therapeutic patient education may reduce symptomatology, prevent side effects, maximize health outcomes and positively affect the quality of life and survival of adult patients with cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: There is limited evidence that therapeutic patient educational interventions improve oral anti-cancer medicine adherence in adult patients with cancer in ambulatory care settings. A growing number of patients with cancer are being prescribed oral anti-cancer medicines; a better understanding of how therapeutic patient education strategies are effectively implemented may promote patient self-motivation and oral anti-cancer medicine adherence. This review recommends the development of a specific standardized methodology and evaluation approach to therapeutic patient education that may empower patients to increase their adherence to self-managed medication and achieve positive health outcomes IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: Clinical trials with larger sample sizes, standardization of content, comparing specific adherence education or tailored education interventions are needed.

The Effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing on Glycemic Control for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM2): A Systematic Review.

REVIEW QUESTION/OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize the best available evidence on the effects of motivational interviewing (MI) interventions (including adaptions of motivational interviewing [AMIs]) on the improvement of glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. BACKGROUND: Worldwide, 346 million people have diabetes. With the growing prevalence of diabetes, controlling modifiable risk factors is essential to preventing complications and disease progression. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is estimated to be double the present rate and by the year 2034 nearly 44 million Americans will have this preventable disease. In the United States (US), nearly 13 percent of adults aged 20 years and older have diabetes; this includes 25.8 million people, adults and children . Type 2 diabetes is more common in ethnic groups inclusive of African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. Diabetes is especially common in the elderly, 10.9 million or 26.9% of those aged 65 years and older have the disease. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 26% of US adults have impaired fasting glucose (IFG) of 100-125mg/dl and that 34% of adults meet the criteria for metabolic syndrome. An additional 35 % of adults have pre-diabetes, a condition marked by elevated blood sugar that is not yet in the diabetic range.Type 2 diabetes occurs when people have insulin resistance and insulin cannot be appropriately utilized for blood sugar regulation. Type 2 diabetes is characterised by impaired glucose tolerance. It can be defined by the criteria derived from the World Health Organization [WHO] that uses a single fasting glucose value of ≥ 126mg/dl or a single two hour glucose value of ≥ 200mg/dl. A laboratory blood test examining levels of glycosylated haemoglobin (HgbA1c) provides an estimated average blood glucose level over the past two-three months. An HbA1C level of 6.5% or higher can indicate diabetes.Serious complications and premature death can ensue if type 2 diabetes is not treated. Collaboratively, the health care team and people with type 2 diabetes aim to manage this disease process, and lessen the risk of complications to the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Comprehensive support, knowledge, multidisciplinary therapy and treatment modalities will enhance health outcomes and slow disease progression.The Healthy People 2020 initiative outlines several objectives to achieve these changes and cover a comprehensive assortment of disease specific management accountabilities including regular medical care and self-management education/training. Many behaviour change techniques and strategies are known to be successful, yet are seldom implemented in today's health care arena. Dieticians, diabetes educators, and nurse practitioners are in an excellent position to serve as change agents to assist patients with diabetes in making necessary lifestyle changes.Motivational interviewing (MI) is a well-known, scientifically tested method of counseling clients first described by Miller and further developed by Miller and Rollnick. Motivational interviewing is a useful intervention strategy in the treatment of lifestyle problems and diseases such as diabetes . MI is a client-oriented, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence. The four guiding principles of MI are: express empathy, develop discrepancies, roll with resistance, and support self-efficacy. Adaptation of motivational interviewing (AMI) utilises the basic elements of motivational interviewing and also includes a feedback component. In clinical research, most empirical studies have dealt with the efficacy of AMIs and no studies have addressed the efficacy of MI in its relatively pure form.In clinical practice, health care providers utilise AMIs solely or in combination with other approaches such as the transtheoretical model (TTM) to promote behavioural change. These techniques are often used in brief sessions to maximise time, cost and efficiency.Motivational interviewing has been shown to be effective in counseling patients towards behaviour change in smoking cessation , increasing exercise, and reducing alcohol consumption. While combined effect estimates including body mass index (BMI) show a significant effect for MI, combined effect estimates for cigarettes per day and glycosylated haemoglobin (HA1c) were not significant . Isolated effects of MI on BMI and/or HbA1c have not been identified. Strong clinical evidence suggests that patients with diabetes should achieve certain clinical goals such as lowering HbA1c to reduce morbidity and mortality. Motivational interviewing is a technique that is effective in behaviour change and could potentially be effective with achieving these goals. MI may lead to improved quality of life, health status and clinical outcomes for persons with type 2 diabetes through empowerment and supporting informed decision-making, self-care behaviors, and problem-solving, with active participation and collaboration with the interdisciplinary health care team.A search of the MEDLINE, DARE, CINHAHL, PROSPERO, Joanna Briggs and Cochrane Libraries of Systematic Reviews failed to locate a review conducted on this topic.

A systematic review of the effectiveness of nurse coordinated transitioning of care on readmission rates for patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Readmission rates for patients with heart failure are a major concern for hospitals worldwide. The importance of patient education and a structured care plan to ease the transition from hospital to home has been the focus of many intervention strategies to reduce readmission rates. The use of transitioning of care plans is believed to improve medication reconciliation, communication, patient education, and follow-up. To date, the evidence has not been systematically evaluated to support the effectiveness of a nurse coordinated transitioning of care for patients with heart failure in reducing readmission rates. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the systematic review was to identify the best available evidence on the effectiveness of nurse coordinated transitioning of care between hospital and home on hospital readmission rates for all causes in adult patients hospitalised with heart failure. SEARCH STRATEGY: The search strategy aimed to find both published and unpublished studies in the English language from January 1975 through July 2010. A search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Healthsource Nursing/academic edition, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and the Joanna Briggs Institute Library of Systematic Reviews was conducted followed by a reference search of relevant studies. The initial key words searched were: heart failure, readmission, and transitional care. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials that evaluated the effect of nurse coordinated transitioning of care from hospital to home in adult patients with heart failure on readmission rates were selected. The outcome was defined as hospital readmissions for all causes following an initial admission for heart failure. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Studies selected for retrieval were critically evaluated by two independent reviewers for methodological validity using standardised critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-MAStARI). Data were extracted and analysed using the JBI-MAStARI program. RESULTS: A total of 16 randomised controlled studies were included. Ten of the 16 studies included in the review show that a nurse led transitioning of care intervention can reduce the rate of readmission for patients with heart failure. Interventions utilising home visits, or home visits coupled with telephone follow-up, show a more favourable reduction in readmission rates. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced readmissions occur when transitioning of care interventions are carried out by a heart failure trained nurse who conducts at least one home visit and follows the patient at least weekly for a minimum of 30 days post discharge with either additional home visits or telephone contact. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This review supports the development of a nurse coordinated transitioning of care plan which will require improvements in communication, in addition to changes in health policy and payment systems that align incentives and performance measures in caring for patients with heart failure. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: Future research should evaluate the effect of the intensity and duration of the transitioning of care intervention on readmission rates in a large randomised control trial on an adult population with heart failure to determine the ideal frequency and duration of the post discharge interventions.