Determinants of Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) members' burnout and its relationship with patient-centered care.

Burnout is a prevalent issue among healthcare providers affecting up to 54% of physicians and 35% of nurses. Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) is a team-based primary care delivery model designed to assure the delivery of high-quality care while improving clinicians' well-being. Limited studies evaluated the relationship between work environment variables and PACT members' burnout and the relationship between PACT members' burnout and patient-centered care. This cross-sectional study is based on the 2018 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) national web-based PACT survey. Burnout was measured using a single-item question that was validated in previous studies. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Fifty-one percent of primary care providers and 40.12% of nurses reported high burnout. PACT members with a work environment characterized by high-quality team interaction, leadership support, and psychological safety experienced lower levels of burnout. PACT members' burnout explained 6% of the variance in PACT members' ability to deliver patient-centered care. Burnout among PACT members is attributed to multiple personal and occupational variables. This study identified modifiable work environment variables that can be used to inform burnout interventions.

The impact of patient-provider relationships on choosing between VA and VA-purchased care: A qualitative study of health care decision-making among rural veterans.

PURPOSE: Since the Choice Act in 2014, many Veterans have had greater options for seeking Veteran Affairs (VA)-purchased care in the community. We investigated factors that influence rural Veterans' decisions regarding where to seek care. METHODS: We utilized semi-structured telephone interviews to query Veterans living in rural or highly rural areas of Midwestern states about their health care options, preferences, and experiences. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, thematically coded, and deductively analyzed using a socioecological approach. FINDINGS: Forty rural Veterans (20 men/20 women) ages 28-76 years completed interviews in 2019. We found that rural Veterans often spoke about their relationships and interactions with providers as an important factor in deciding where to seek care. They expressed three socioecological qualities of patient-provider relationships that affected their decisions: (1) personal level-rural Veterans traveled longer distances for more compatible patient-provider relationships; (2) interpersonal level-they sought stable patient-provider relationships that encouraged familiarity, trust, and communication; and (3) organizational level-they emphasized shared identities and expertise that fostered a sense of belonging with their provider. Participants also described how impersonal interactions, status differences, and staff turnover impacted their choice of provider and were disruptive to patient-provider relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Rural Veterans' interview responses suggest exploring innovative ways to measure socioecological dimensions (i.e., personal, interpersonal, and organizational) of access-related decisions and patient-provider relationships to better understand health care barriers and needs. Such measures align with the VA's Whole Health approach that emphasizes person-centered care and the value of social relationships to Veterans' health.

Frontline perspectives on adoption and non-adoption of care management tools for high-risk patients in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Population health management tools (PHMTs) embedded within electronic health records (EHR) could improve management of high-risk patients and reduce costs associated with potentially avoidable emergency department visits or hospitalizations. Adoption of PHMTs across the Veterans Health Administration (VA) has been variable and previous research suggests that understaffed primary care (PC) teams might not be using the tools. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective content analysis of open-text responses (n = 1804) from the VA's 2018 national primary care personnel survey to, 1) identify system-level and individual-level factors associated with why clinicians are not using the tools, and 2) to document clinicians' recommendations to improve tool adoption. RESULTS: We found three themes pertaining to low adoption and/or tool use: 1) IT burden and administrative tasks (e.g., manually mailing letters to patients), 2) staffing shortages (e.g., nurses covering multiple teams), and 3) no training or difficulty using the tools (e.g., not knowing how to access the tools or use the data). Frontline clinician recommendations included automating some tasks, reconfiguring team roles to shift administrative work away from providers and nurses, consolidating PHMTs into a centralized, easily accessible repository, and providing training. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare system-level factors (staffing) and individual-level factors (lack of training) can limit adoption of PHMTs that could be useful for reducing costs and improving patient outcomes. Future research, including qualitative interviews with clinicians who use/don't use the tools, could help develop interventions to address barriers to adoption. IMPLICATIONS: Shifting more administrative tasks to clerical staff would free up clinician time for population health management but may not be possible for understaffed PC teams. Additionally, healthcare systems may be able to increase PHMT use by making them more easily accessible through the electronic health record and providing training in their use.

Delegation of Work Within a Patient-Centered Medical Home.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the perceptions of core team members implementing patient-centered medical home (PCMH) within the Veterans Health Administration regarding delegation of work. BACKGROUND: Significant overlap exists in the performance of work tasks among PCMH team members (primary care providers, RNs, clinical associates, clerks), and scant literature exists on appropriate delegation within PCMH teams. METHODS: This study conducted used a quantitative and qualitative analysis of 4254 respondents to a 2018 survey. RESULTS: Primary care providers rely heavily on team members, and nurses report being relied upon at high levels. Lack of role clarity and a perceived need for a team leader were concerns voiced by participants. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicated a need for clear guidance on roles and responsibilities within the team. Patient-centered medical home team members need information about the scope of practice of each professional group to allow providers to function at the top of their scope of practice and ensure effective delegation.

Care Management and Care Coordination Within a Patient-Centered Medical Home.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze perceptions and experiences of clinicians implementing the patient-centered medical home (PCMH). BACKGROUND: The PCMH model focuses on several important concepts, including team-based care management as well as care coordination and continuity among providers and across settings of care. METHODS: A qualitative analysis of data collected in 2016 from primary care personnel through a national survey was conducted. RESULTS: Four themes were found consistent with care management and care coordination: the importance of teamwork and optimized team member roles, need for adequate prioritization of care management and care coordination, need to refine tools and resources supporting care management and care coordination, and challenges with managing and coordinating care with and across complex systems. CONCLUSIONS: Successful implementation requires adequate support for teamwork and ensuring team members can work according to their clinical competency. Nurses practicing in expanded roles need clear role guidelines and adequate time to function in these roles.

Veterans' preferences for tobacco treatment in primary care: A discrete choice experiment.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate US veterans' preferences for smoking cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy. METHODS: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted in 123 Veterans Health Administration primary care outpatients who planned to quit smoking within 6 months. Key attributes of tobacco cessation treatment were based on literature review and expert opinion. We used a hierarchical Bayesian approach with a logit model to estimate the part-worth utility of each attribute level and used latent class logit models to explore preference heterogeneity. RESULTS: In the aggregate, participants valued counseling options with the following attributes: higher quit rate at 1 year, emphasis on autonomy, familiarity of the counselor, counselor's communication skills, and inclusion of printed materials on smoking cessation. Participants valued pharmacotherapy options with the following attributes: higher quit rate at 1 year, lower risk of physical side effects, zero copayment, monthly check-in calls, and less weight gain. Latent class analysis revealed distinct clusters of patients with a unique preference "phenotype." CONCLUSIONS: Veterans have distinct preferences for attributes of cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Identifying patients' preferences provides an opportunity for clinicians to offer tailored treatment options that better engage veterans in their own care and boost adherence to guideline-recommended counseling and pharmacotherapy.

Creating and disseminating a home-based cardiac rehabilitation program: experience from the Veterans Health Administration.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs provide significant benefit for people with cardiovascular disease. Despite these benefits, such services are not universally available. We designed and evaluated a national home-based CR (HBCR) program in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The primary aim of the study was to examine barriers and facilitators associated with site-level implementation of HBCR. METHODS: This study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design with qualitative data to analyze the process of implementation, quantitative data to determine low and high uptake of the HBCR program, and the integration of the two to determine which facilitators and barriers were associated with adoption. Data were drawn from 16 VHA facilities, and included semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders, document analysis, and quantitative analysis of CR program attendance codes. Qualitative data were analyzed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research codes including three years of document analysis and 22 interviews. RESULTS: Comparing high and low uptake programs, readiness for implementation (leadership engagement, available resources, and access to knowledge and information), planning, and engaging champions and opinion leaders were key to success. High uptake sites were more likely to seek information from the external facilitator, compared to low uptake sites. There were few adaptations to the design of the program at individual sites. CONCLUSION: Consistent and supportive leadership, both clinical and administrative, are critical elements to getting HBCR programs up and running and sustaining programs over time. All sites in this study had external funding to develop their program, but high adopters both made better use of those resources and were able to leverage existing resources in the setting. These data will inform broader policy regarding use of HBCR services.

Patient Perspectives on Opioids: Views of Inpatient Veterans with Chronic Pain.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate perspectives on opioids and opioid use from hospitalized veterans with comorbid chronic pain using qualitative methods. DESIGN: This was an analysis of individual qualitative interviews. The semistructured interview guide was developed by a hospitalist with clinical expertise in pain treatment with guidance from a medical anthropologist. Interviews aimed to understand participants' experiences of chronic pain. SETTING: A Midwestern Veterans Health Administration inpatient hospital unit. SUBJECTS: Nineteen inpatient veterans with a history of chronic pain or antecedent opioid use. METHODS: Recently admitted veterans were screened for chronic pain diagnosis on admission and antecedent opioid use. Eligible veterans were approached to participate in an in-person interview during their hospitalization. RESULTS: The following themes were identified in relation to opioid use: other patients as the problem (by misusing opioids resulting in broad limits to opioid access), empathy for providers (perceived to be working under prescribing constraints), and opioids as a last resort. CONCLUSIONS: Although participants were not specifically questioned about opioid medications, discussion of opioids was prevalent in discussions of chronic pain. Findings suggest the potential utility of engaging hospitalized veterans in conversations about opioids and alternative pain management strategies.

Development of a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) Questionnaire to Understand Veterans' Preferences for Tobacco Treatment in Primary Care.

BACKGROUND: Providers often prescribe counseling and/or medications for tobacco cessation without considering patients' treatment preferences. OBJECTIVE: The primary aims of this study are to describe (1) the development of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) questionnaire designed to identify the attributes and levels of tobacco treatment that are most important to veterans; and (2) the decision-making process in choosing between hypothetical tobacco treatments. METHODS: We recruited current smokers who were already scheduled for a primary care appointment within a single Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system. Subjects were asked to rate the importance of selected treatment attributes and were interviewed during two rounds of pilot testing of initial DCE instruments. Key attributes and levels of the initial instruments were identified by targeted literature review; the instruments were iteratively revised after each round of pilot testing. Using a 'think aloud' approach, subjects were interviewed while completing DCE choice tasks. Constant comparison techniques were used to characterize the issues raised by subjects. Findings from the cognitive interviews were used to revise the initial DCE instruments. RESULTS: Most subjects completed the DCE questionnaire without difficulty and considered two or more attributes in choosing between treatments. Two common patterns of decision-making emerged during the cognitive interviews: (1) counting 'pros' and 'cons' of each treatment alternative; and (2) using a 'rule-out' strategy to eliminate a given treatment choice if it included an undesirable attribute. Subjects routinely discounted the importance of certain attributes and, in a few cases, focused primarily on a single 'must-have' attribute. CONCLUSION: Cognitive interviews provide valuable insights into the comprehension and interpretation of DCE attributes, the decision processes used by veterans during completion of choice tasks, and underlying reasons for non'-compensatory decision-making.

"Let Me Get You a Nicotine Patch": Nurses' Perceptions of Implementing Smoking Cessation Guidelines for Hospitalized Veterans.

Many hospitalized smokers do not receive guideline-recommended tobacco treatment, but little is known about the perceptions of inpatient nurses with regard to tobacco treatment. We used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design to help explain the findings of an academic detailing intervention trial on the inpatient medicine units of four Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals. We surveyed 164 nurses and conducted semistructured interviews in a purposeful sample of 33 nurses with different attitudes toward cessation counseling. Content analysis was used to inductively characterize the issues raised by participants. Emerging themes were categorized using the knowledge-attitudes-behavior framework of guideline adherence. Knowledge-related and attitudinal barriers included perceived lack of skills in cessation counseling and skepticism about the effectiveness of cessation guidelines in hospitalized veterans. Nurses also reported multiple behavioral and organizational barriers to guideline adherence: resistance from patients, insufficient time and resources, the presence of smoking areas on VA premises, and lack of coordination with primary care. VA hospitals should train inpatient staff how to negotiate behavior change, integrate cessation counseling into nurses' workflow, develop alternative referral mechanisms for post-discharge cessation counseling, and adopt hospital policies to promote inpatient abstinence.

The empowerment paradox as a central challenge to patient centered medical home implementation in the veteran's health administration.

In this paper we present results of a mixed methods study conducted to identify barriers to team function among staff implementing patient aligned care teams - the Department of Veterans Affairs' patient centered medical home (PCMH) model. Using a convergent mixed methods design, we administered a standardized survey measure (Team and Individual Role Perception Survey) to assess work role challenge and engagement; and conducted discussion groups to gather context pertaining to role change. We found that the role of primary care providers is highly challenging and did not become less difficult over the initial year of implementation. Unexpectedly over the course of the first year nurse care managers reported a decrease in their perceptions of empowerment and clerical associates reported less skill variety. Qualitative data suggest that more skilled team members fail to delegate and share tasks within their teams. We characterize this interprofessional knowledge factor as an empowerment paradox where team members find it difficult to share tasks in ways that are counter to traditionally structured hierarchical roles. Health care systems seeking to implement PCMH should dedicate resources to facilitating within-team role knowledge and negotiation.

Implementation of smoking cessation guidelines in the emergency department: a qualitative study of staff perceptions.

BACKGROUND: The US Public Health Service smoking cessation practice guideline specifically recommends that physicians and nurses strongly advise their patients who use tobacco to quit, but the best approach for attaining this goal in the emergency department (ED) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize emergency physicians' (EPs) and nurses' (ENs) perceptions of cessation counseling and to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation of the 5 A's framework (Ask-Advise-Assess-Assist-Arrange) in the ED. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured, face-to-face interviews of 11 EPs and 19 ENs following a pre-post implementation trial of smoking cessation guidelines in two study EDs. We used purposeful sampling to target EPs and ENs with different attitudes toward cessation counseling, based on their responses to a written survey (Decisional Balance Questionnaire). Conventional content analysis was used to inductively characterize the issues raised by study participants and to construct a coding structure, which was then applied to study transcripts. RESULTS: The main findings of this study converged upon three overarching domains: 1) reactions to the intervention; 2) perceptions of patients' receptivity to cessation counseling; and 3) perspectives on ED cessation counseling and preventive care. ED staff expressed ambivalence toward the implementation of smoking cessation guidelines. Both ENs and EPs agreed that the delivery of smoking cessation counseling is important, but that it is not always practical in the ED on account of time constraints, the competing demands of acute care, and resistance from patients. Participants also called attention to the need for improved role clarity and teamwork when implementing the 5 A's in the ED. CONCLUSIONS: There are numerous challenges to the implementation of smoking cessation guidelines in the ED. ENs are generally willing to take the lead in offering brief cessation counseling, but their efforts need to be reinforced by EPs. ED systems need to address workflow, teamwork, and practice policies that facilitate prescription of smoking cessation medication, referral for cessation counseling, and follow-up in primary care. The results of this qualitative evaluation can be used to guide the design of future ED intervention studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT00756704.

Implementing smoking cessation guidelines for hospitalized veterans: effects on nurse attitudes and performance.

BACKGROUND: A minority of hospitalized smokers actually receives assistance in quitting during hospitalization or cessation counseling following discharge. This study aims to determine the impact of a guideline-based intervention on 1) nurses' delivery of the 5A's (Ask-Advise-Assess-Assist-Arrange follow-up) in hospitalized smokers, and 2) nurses' attitudes toward the intervention. METHODS: We conducted a pre-post guideline implementation trial involving 205 hospitalized smokers on the inpatient medicine units at one US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. The intervention included: 1) academic detailing of nurses on delivery of brief cessation counseling, 2) modification of the admission form to facilitate 5A's documentation, and 3) referral of motivated inpatients to receive proactive telephone counseling. Based on subject interviews, we calculated a nursing 5A's composite score for each patient (ranging from 0 to 9). We used linear regression with generalized estimating equations to compare the 5A's composite score (and logistic regression to compare individual A's) across periods. We compared 29 nurses' ratings of their self-efficacy and decisional balance ("pros" and "cons") with regard to cessation counseling before and after guideline implementation. Following implementation, we also interviewed a purposeful sample of nurses to assess their attitudes toward the intervention. RESULTS: Of 193 smokers who completed the pre-discharge interview, the mean nursing 5A's composite score was higher after guideline implementation (3.9 vs. 3.1, adjusted difference 1.0, 95 % CI 0.5-1.6). More patients were advised to quit (62 vs. 48 %, adjusted OR = 2.1, 95 % CI = 1.2-3.5) and were assisted in quitting (70 vs. 45 %, adjusted OR = 2.9, 95 % CI = 1.6-5.3) by a nurse during the post-implementation period. Nurses' attitudes toward cessation counseling improved following guideline implementation (35.3 vs. 32.7 on "pros" subscale, p = 0.01), without significant change on the "cons" subscale. CONCLUSIONS: A multifaceted intervention including academic detailing and adaptation of the nursing admission template is an effective strategy for improving nurses' delivery of brief cessation counseling in medical inpatients.

Re-conocer los aasos, retos para el futuro: la investigación en psicología humanista / Recognize the steps, challenges for future: Research in Humanistic Psychology

Resumen La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar el estado de los procesos de investigación en psicología humanista. Los resultados encontrados surgen de la revisión bibliográfica realizada en las publicaciones encontradas entre el año 2005 y 2009, que posteriormente se amplió al periodo 2010-2012, en revistas indexadas. Se incluyeron revisiones en inglés y español. Esta mirada permite reconocer que las investigaciones en este enfoque han evolucionado desde las reflexiones teóricas hacia la aplicación de dichas premisas en diferentes campos profesionales. Al mismo tiempo, hace presencia la revisión de la pertinencia y actualidad de fundamentos epistemológicos. Se evidencia también un camino de apertura hacia la investigación cualitativa y el reconocimiento de los retos que implica tanto la investigación como la publicación de dichos estudios.

Abstract The present study aimed at analyzing the state of humanistic psychology research. The results are known from a literature review in publications found between 2005 and 2009, which was subsequently extended to 2010-2012, in indexed journals. Reviews were included in English and Spanish. Results recognized that research has evolved from theoretical considerations, to the application of such premises to different fields. At the same time, the review of relevance of epistemological and theoretical background makes presence. It evidences a path toward qualitative research and the recognition of the challenges of research and the publication of these studies.

Medical homes require more than an EMR and aligned incentives.

BACKGROUND: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is changing its primary care delivery by implementing the patient-centered medical home (PCMH). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate PCMH implementation among 22 newly formed teams working in the VHA. STUDY DESIGN: Longitudinal formative evaluation of team members' role transformation during the first 18 months of implementation. METHODS: We used 3 sequential, semistructured focus groups to gather data from 4 different groups representing the principal team member roles: primary care providers, registered nurse care managers, licensed practical nurses, and clerical associates. RESULTS: Team members identified within-team role and interpersonal conflict, as well as discordant administrative leadership styles, as key implementation challenges. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that, in addition to technological and fiscal infrastructure, healthcare leaders implementing the PCMH model must take into account interprofessional issues associated with changes in leadership and the adoption of team-based structures.

"All the money in the world " patient perspectives regarding the influence of financial incentives.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze patient perspectives of the use of financial incentives in a hypertension intervention. Study Setting. Twelve Veterans Affairs primary care clinics over a 9-month period. STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative semistructured interviews conducted with 54 hypertensive veterans participating in an intervention to promote guideline-consistent therapy. Intervention components included an intervention letter requesting patients talk with their providers, an offer of U.S.$20 to bring in the letter to their provider, and a health educator phone call. DATA COLLECTION METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted. Transcripts were coded for thematic content. The financial incentive theme was then subcoded for more detailed analysis. PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: Most participants (n=48; 88.9 percent) stated the incentive had (or would have) no effect on their decision to initiate a discussion with their provider. Some participants articulated reservations about the effectiveness and/or appropriateness of financial incentives in health care decisions; however, a few expressed the opinion that there may be some potential benefits to the use of financial incentives if they encourage patients to be active in their health care. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study raise questions about the appropriateness and unintended consequences of employing patient-directed financial incentives in health care settings.

Técnica pilates como alternativa para el tratamiento fisioterapéutico / Pilates technique as an alternative to the physiotherapy treatment

La revisión de técnicas alternativas, en las que se cuenta el pilates, es un punto de partida para evaluar su necesidad dentro del abordaje integral de la fisioterapia, que permitirá después la evaluación de dicha demanda a partir del manejo teórico de la misma.El presente estudio se realizó en dos etapas, la primera tuvo como fin evaluar mediante una encuesta el grado de conocimiento, aplicación y cobertura de utilización que tienen los docentes fisioterapeutas de todas las facultades a nivel de Bogotá, sobre la técnica Pilates, por lo cual se constituye como investigación de tipo descriptivo. Los resultados obtenidos en la encuesta mostraron que el 82% no tenían conocimiento acerca del tema.La segunda etapa fue de tipo tecnológico, y estuvo dirigida a la reproducción de un modulo de capacitación dirigido a cinco jueces fisioterapeutas, con el fin de dar validez y juzgar su pertinencia en el campo de la fisioterapia. Por medio de una encuesta que se realizó al final de la capacitación se demostró que el 100% de la población encontró interesante su aplicación en este campo, además quedó la inquietud de indagar y demostrar en qué tipo de población podría tener resultados benéficos o nocivos.