The association between psychological distress, abusive experiences, and help-seeking among people with intimate partner violence.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem associated with countless adverse physical and mental health outcomes. It places an enormous economic and public health burden on communities. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between psychological states (such as depression or hopeless) and help-seeking experiences of IPV survivors after experiencing IPV, based on the Allegheny County Health Survey (ACHS). METHODS: Data from 2015 to 2016 Allegheny County Health Survey with N = 8,012 adults were analyzed. The 6-item version of the Kessler Psychological Stress Scale, located in Module 11 of the ACHS questionnaire, was used to measure psychological stress in participants. Module 12 of the ACHS questionnaire collected information on participants' experiences of intimate partner violence and help-seeking in the past 12 months. Descriptive statistical analysis, Pearson's chi-square or two sample independent t-tests statistical analysis, and multivariate binary logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between IPV experience and psychological distress. RESULTS: A total of 212 of the 8,012 participants had IPV experience, with age, marital status, education, income, and race significantly different from those without IPV experience. The psychological stress of participants feeling hopeless (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.37-2.99), restless or fidgety (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.27-2.65), perceiving everything was an effort (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.08-2.22) and worthless (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.01-2.20) was associated with the IPV experience. Help-seeking behaviors of IPV survivors were associated with psychological distress, such as hopelessness (OR = 6.71, 95% CI = 1.38-32.60). CONCLUSIONS: This study explored the association between IPV experience, help-seeking and psychological distress, and the need to expand community support. It is necessary to implement targeted interventions, enhance training of professionals, and promote the identification of early IPV cases as well as collaboration between healthcare and social support departments to reduce the occurrence of IPV or psychological distress following IPV.

Experiences of receiving an mHealth application with proactive nursing support among community-dwelling older adults: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: As the population ages, a plethora of digital and mobile health applications for assistance with independent living have emerged. Still unknown, however, is how older adults sustain the use of these applications. AIM: This study sought to explore the experiences of older adults following their participation in a programme that combined the use of an mHealth application with proactive telecare nursing support. METHODS: We employed a concurrent mixed-methods design for this study. The quantitative strand included a survey, whereas the qualitative strand included open-ended questions as part of the survey to understand the participants' experiences. Participants for this study were community-dwelling older adults who had taken part in an interventional study that sought to examine the effects of mHealth and nurse support. A convenience sampling approach was employed to recruit potential participants for this study. FINDINGS: Fifty-five older adults participated. The majority expressed positive attitudes and satisfaction with the app and the nurses' support. The app and nurses' support helped participants to understand their health status and obtain health information. Reasons to halt app usage included technical issues and limited social support. CONCLUSION: Mobile apps with professional follow-up support could potentially support older adults in the community, although emerging concerns need to be addressed to sustain long-term usage of these apps.

Compassionate care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: There was a substantial documented call for healthcare professionals to provide compassionate care during the COVID-19 pandemic and significant criticism voiced when it was lacking. This study aimed to explore perspectives on compassionate care among healthcare professionals providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on healthcare professionals who participated in a wide range of COVID-19 measures, including testing, quarantine, diagnosis, and care provision (patients with COVID-19 or patients with other illnesses and comorbid with COVID-19). METHODS: A qualitative design with an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was used. Twenty frontline healthcare professionals (15 nurses and five physicians) who had worked in COVID-19 facilities in China were interviewed individually. RESULTS: Participants stated that a commitment to 'offering oneself' and 'balancing the advantages/disadvantages' in providing care during the pandemic were key to alleviate population-level suffering. On a personal level, they described a desire for obtaining 'mutual support' and improving 'professional competencies' to safeguard their physical and mental well-being. Two professional competencies were notable: coping with grief and implementing infection control across the organization. Additionally, they emphasized the importance of receiving support from the health care organization, the public, and leaders in creating an 'environment conducive to fostering compassionate care.' CONCLUSION: Healthcare professionals recognized the centrality of compassionate care during the pandemic which entailed a commitment to offering themselves, the balancing of advantages and disadvantages in order to find the best solution, as well as the need to safeguard themselves using professional competencies. Such findings can enrich the contemporary understanding of compassion, including when it is lacking. Support from the healthcare organization, the public, and leadership were crucial in fostering compassionate care in healthcare professionals during the pandemic and in moving the field forward in the future.

Economic Evaluation of an Enhanced Post-Discharge Home-Based Care Program for Stroke Survivors.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the cost-effectiveness of an enhanced postdischarge home-based care program for stroke survivors compared with usual care. METHODS: This was a trial-based economic evaluation study. One hundred and sixteen patients with ischemic stroke were recruited from neurology units in a Chinese hospital and randomized into intervention (n = 58) or usual care groups (n = 58). The intervention commenced with predischarge planning and transitioned to home follow-up postdischarge. Trained nurse case managers supported by an interdisciplinary team provided comprehensive assessment, individualized goal setting, and skill training to support home-based rehabilitation for intervention group participants. Standard care was provided to usual care group participants. Total cost and quality-adjusted life-years gained at 3-month (T1), 6-month (T2), and 12-month (T3) follow-ups were calculated. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios between the groups were obtained. RESULTS: The intervention group showed a significant increase in utility compared with the usual care group at T1 (P = .003), T2 (P = .007), and T3 (P < .001). The average total QALY gain from baseline for the intervention group was higher than for the usual care group at all time points. The likelihood of being cost-effective ranged from 61.9% to 67.2% from the provider perspective, and from 59.7% to 66.8% from the societal perspective. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the intervention program was cost-effective with significantly higher quality-adjusted life-years for stroke survivors when compared with usual care. It provides economic evidence to support the development of home-based stroke rehabilitation program, especially in the low- and middle-income countries.

Feasibility of a mobile health app-based self-management program for Chinese patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Objective: There are currently an increasing number of mobile health (mHealth) programs offered to patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy, but their rate of adherence to app usage has remained low. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of an mHealth app-based program such as the adherence rate of app usage and determine the preliminary effects on self-efficacy, quality of life, symptom burden and healthcare utilization in these patients. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled pilot trial. Ninety-six participants were randomly allocated into either an intervention group or a control group (routine care plus a placebo app). The intervention group engaged in a 6-week self-regulation activity and received nurse-led social support via the app. The intention-to-treat principle was adopted. The generalized estimating equation was utilized to analyze the between-group, within-group and interaction effectiveness of this program. Results: Totally 96 participants were enrolled from 16 May to 23 August 2022. The average rate of adherence to app usage increased from 4.8% at week 3 to 51.2% at week 6. There was a statistically significant reduction in the physiological efficacy scores of the intervention (p < .001) and control groups (p < .001) at week 6, compared with the baseline. At week 6, the intervention group reported a significantly lower symptom burden (p = .042) and significantly better physical well-being than the control group (p = .024). Conclusions: It is feasible to perform an mHealth app-based self-management program for patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy. Nurses can utilize this program to facilitate patient self-management of symptoms during chemotherapy. Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov, (NCT05192525).

Sexual Role Functioning, Sexual Satisfaction, and Intimacy After Surviving Burn Injuries: A Scoping Review of Associated Factors, Screening Tools, and Burn Care Staff Preparedness.

Although concerns regarding intimacy abound among burn survivors, these are often not captured during rehabilitation. Considering that sexuality remains a part of humans suggests a critical need to pay attention to this aspect. To guide further work, this review sought to examine existing studies to ascertain what is known about factors associated with sexual role functioning, sexual satisfaction, and intimacy, the screening tools employed, and the preparedness of burn care staff in initiating discussions about these. We employed a scoping review approach with extensive searches in four peer-reviewed databases for studies reporting on the phenomenon, published in English from 2010 to date. Seventeen studies comprising of thirteen studies reporting on the burn survivors and four reporting on burn care staff were retained. Though we identified both sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with post-burn sexual role functioning, sexual satisfaction, and intimacy, the existing evidence appear limited which made it rather difficult to draw definitive conclusions. The sexuality subscale of the Burn Specific Health Scale- Brief emerged as the commonly used screening/ assessment tool. The evidence suggest that burn care staff are generally unprepared to initiate discussions regarding sexual role functioning, sexual satisfaction, and intimacy and often, there is no personnel assigned to this task. There is a great need for studies to strengthen the evidence base regarding the factors associated with post-burn sexual role functioning, sexual satisfaction, and intimacy. Additionally, it is imperative to build capacity of burn care practitioners with the requisite know-how needed to navigate through sexual issues.

Technology-assisted cardiac rehabilitation for coronary heart disease patients with central obesity: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Limited empirical evidence is available regarding the effect of technology-assisted cardiac rehabilitation (TACR) among coronary heart disease (CHD) patients with central obesity. AIM: To determine the effects of 12-week TACR on health outcomes of patients with CHD. DESIGN: Two-arm randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Cardiovascular department of a regional hospital. POPULATION: Coronary heart disease patients with central obesity. METHODS: The study randomized 78 hospitalized CHD patients to receive either the 12-week TACR intervention or usual care. Guided by social cognitive theory, the intervention began with an in-person assessment and orientation session to assess and identify individual risks and familiarize with the e-platform/device before discharge. After discharge, patients were encouraged to visit the interactive CR website for knowledge and skills acquisition, data uploading, use the pedometer for daily step tracking, and interact with peers and professionals via social media for problem-solving and mutual support. Data were collected at baseline (T0), six-week (T1), and 12-week (T2). RESULTS: Participants in the intervention group showed significant improvement in daily steps at six weeks but not 12 weeks (T1: ß=2713.48, P=0.03; T2:ß=2450.70, P=0.08), weekly sitting minutes (T1: ß=-665.17, P=0.002; T2: ß=-722.29, P=0.02), and total (vigorous, moderate, and walking) exercise at 12-week (ß=-2445.99, P=0.008). Improvement in health-promoting lifestyle profile (T1: ß=24.9, P<0.001; T2: ß=15.50, P<0.001), smoking cessation (T2: ß=-2.28, P<0.04), self-efficacy (T2: ß=0.63, P=0.02), body mass index (T1:ß =-0.97, P=0.03; T2: ß=-0.73, P=0.04) and waist circumferences (T1: ß =-1.97, P=0.003; T2: ß =-3.14, P=0.002) were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated the effectiveness of the TACR intervention in improving healthy behaviors and anthropometric parameters for CHD patients with central obesity. Individual assessment, collaborative action planning, and ongoing obesity management support should be highlighted in TACR programs for CHD patients. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: Central obesity should be assessed and highlighted in TACR intervention as an independent risk factor that requires corresponding behavior change and body fat management.

Improving post-acute stroke follow-up care by adopting telecare consultations in a nurse-led clinic: Study protocol of a hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and implementation strategies of telecare consultations in post-stroke nurse-led clinics. BACKGROUND: Telecare consultations could be an alternative to conventional in-person consultations and improve continuity of care for stroke survivors following their discharge from hospital. Previous studies utilizing telecare consultations only focused on testing their clinical effectiveness on stroke survivors; the appropriateness and feasibility of adopting this new delivery modality in a real-world setting were not examined. DESIGN: A Type II hybrid effectiveness-implementation design will be adopted. METHODS: Eligible stroke survivor participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention group (telecare consultation) or control group (usual in-person clinic consultation). Both groups will receive the same nursing intervention but delivered through different channels. The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance framework will be used to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and implementation outcomes. The primary outcome is the non-inferiority of the degree of disability between the two groups at 3 months into the intervention and at 3 months post-intervention. The paper complies with the SPIRIT guidelines for study protocols adapted for designing and reporting parallel group randomized trials. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will provide key insights into the processes for implementing and adopting telecare consultations into long-term services for post-stroke patients. IMPACT: This study contributes to the translation of telecare consultations for stroke survivors into real-life settings. If effective, this program may provide guidance for expanding telecare consultations to other post-stroke nurse-led clinics or to patients with other chronic diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered at clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT05183672). Registered on 10 January 2022.

Effectiveness of support from community health workers on the sustained use of a wearable monitoring device among community-dwelling older adults: A randomized trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Wearable monitoring devices, such as smartwatches and fitness bands, are health technologies for enhancing self-care management among community-dwelling older adults. While the evidence suggests that these devices can promote health, older adults often struggle to use them over the long term. Community health workers can effectively motivate older adults to change their health behaviors. This study proposes an intervention involving community health workers as peer supporters to promote sustained daily use of wearable monitoring devices among community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: The intervention group in this randomized controlled trial will receive the Live with Wearable Monitoring Device program from trained community health workers with the support of a nurse and social workers through a one-time home visit and regular phone calls. The control group will receive only the wearable monitoring device. Data will be collected at baseline, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. DISCUSSION: Merely providing older adults with wearable monitoring devices may not lead to the realization of the potential health benefits of these devices, as long-term usage can be challenging. The results of this trial can provide evidence for a new approach to enhancing self-management and community healthcare among community-dwelling older adults, ultimately improving their health outcomes. IMPACT: Wearable monitoring devices not only enable real-time monitoring of vital signs, but can also support tailored messaging and facilitate virtual communication between users and healthcare professionals. Despite considerable health benefits, there is evidence showing that older adults largely stop using them after a few months. This study is the first to use a peer support approach to help older adults incorporate a wearable monitoring device in their daily routines in conjunction with goal setting and regular reminders. This will boost the self-care ability of the older adults, allowing them to continue physically functioning in the community. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was prospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT05269303). Registration date: 24/2/2022.

A health-social service partnership programme for improving the health self-management of community-dwelling older adults: a hybrid effectiveness-implementation pilot study protocol.

BACKGROUND: The ageing population requires seamless, integrated health and social care services in the community to promote the health of older adults. However, inadequate financial resources, a lack of clear operational guidelines, and various organisational work cultures may affect the implementation quality and sustainability of these services. As a unique approach, this study seeks to examine the preliminary effects of a health-social partnership programme on the health self-management of community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong. Additionally, the study seeks to ascertain key insights into the mechanisms and processes required to implement and sustain a self-care management programme in broader practice in community settings. METHODS: This study will use a hybrid effectiveness-implementation design. During the 3-month programme, subjects in the intervention group will receive four Zoom video conference sessions and four telephone calls conducted by a health-social service team that will include a nurse case manager, community workers, general practitioners, a Chinese medicine practitioner, and social workers. Subjects in the control group will receive a monthly social telephone call from a trained research assistant to rule out the possible social effect of the intervention. The reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance framework (i.e. RE-AIM framework) will be used to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness outcomes. Of the five dimensions included in the RE-AIM framework, only effectiveness and maintenance outcomes will be collected from both the intervention and control groups. The outcomes of the other three dimensions-reach, adoption, and implementation-will only be collected from subjects in the intervention group. Data will be collected pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and 3 months after the intervention is completed to evaluate the maintenance effect of the programme. DISCUSSION: This programme will aim to enhance health-promoting self-care management behaviours in older adults dwelling in the community. This will be the first study in Hong Kong to use the hybrid effectiveness-implementation design and involve key stakeholders in the evaluation and implementation of a health self-management programme using a health-social service partnership approach. The programme, which will be rooted in the community, may be used as a model, if proven successful, for similar types of services. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04442867. Submitted 19 June 2020.

Global epidemiology of geriatric burns, capacities of care, and injury outcomes: Perspectives from the World Health Organization global burn registry.

BACKGROUND: An increasing aging population alongside a potentially increasing injury risk emphasizes a critical need for evidence-based burn care regarding preventive and therapeutic strategies tailored to the unique needs of older adults. However, we note a critical gap in understanding geriatric burn trends on a global scale and the care capacity across settings. Thus, this study sought to ascertain the global trend of geriatric burns with a focus on patient demographics, injury characteristics, capacities of care, and injury outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective design focusing on older adults aged ≥ 60 years with burns recorded in the World Health Organization Global Burn Registry as of 31st May 2023 was employed. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data. RESULTS: Of the 9277 records obtained from the Global Burn Registry, 849 participants (9.2%) were aged ≥ 60 years with the majority of these reported from the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) and Southeast Asia (SEARO) regions. More females than males were involved in burn injuries with the most common aetiological factor being flame. Most burns occurred in the home/ domestic setting with a seasonal variation (more injuries occurred in December and January). In terms of burn care capacity, the data suggest the availability of specialized services in most settings albeit the AFRO and SEARO regions still lacked the resources to offer specialized burn care. While most injured older adults were discharged home with no physical impairment (395, 46.5%), a substantial number died (250, 29.4%) during hospitalization, particularly in the African (AFRO) region and 111 (11.1%) left the facility against medical advice with the majority from the SEARO region (88). CONCLUSION: Burn injuries in older adults remain a public health issue. On the preventive aspect, the results demonstrate a need to intensify safety in the home or domestic setting, and during festive seasons. Therapeutically, the findings underscore a need to consider the inclusion of more specialist geriatric and palliative care services in the burn management process. Additionally, we identified a need to strengthen burn care capacity in the AFRO and SEARO regions.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Motivation to Change Lifestyle and Health Behaviors for Dementia Risk Reduction scale (MCLHB-DRR) in Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the psychometric properties of Chinese version of Motivation to Change Lifestyle and Health Behaviors for Dementia Risk Reduction (MCLHB-DRR) scale in Chinese community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: A convenience sample of 150 Chinese adults aged ≥50 was recruited from local community facilities. Reliability of MCLHB-DRR was evaluated using internal consistency and test-retest reliability over two weeks. Content validity and construct validity were assessed. Translation process followed Brislin's translation model. RESULTS: After excluding two items with poor loadings, the confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good model fit (χ2/df=2.14; CFI=0.91; IFI=0.91; RMSEA=0.087). The scale exhibited good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.865), as well as acceptable test-retest reliability (ICC=0.730). CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese MCLHB-DRR showed satisfactory psychometric properties, providing valuable insights for promoting dementia risk reduction in Chinese population, considering cultural nuances that shape motivations and knowledge of lifestyle changes.

Outcomes of a risk assessment and management program using telecare consultation among patients with diabetes mellitus in general out-patient clinic: a hybrid effectiveness-implementation study protocol.

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease characterized by abnormally uncontrolled high blood glucose level. The Risk Assessment and Management Program (RAMP) in Hong Kong has been providing long-term face-to-face follow-up to DM patients in the government out-patient clinics since 2009. However, under the current outbreak of COVID-19, these face-to-face consultations were ceased over and over again to lower the risk of disease transmission. With the advancement in technology, the recent emergence of telecare has provided an alternative to replace the conventional consultations in the clinics. Its clinical effectiveness on DM patients has also been supported by numerous studies. Yet, there is only a paucity of literatures discussing the practicality of such implementation design in the real-world settings. This study aims at studying both the effectiveness and implementation outcomes of telecare in Hong Kong DM patients. It adopts a type 2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation design. It will be conducted in seven government out-patient clinics in Hong Kong. The subjects will be randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group when they 1) are aged 18 or above, 2) have a confirmed diagnosis of diabetes, and 3) are having regular follow-up appointment in the clinic. Subjects in the intervention group will receive a 84-week Risk Assessment and Management Program (RAMP) in an alternate telecare and face-to-face consultations mode, while the control group will receive the same program but in usual face-to-face consultation mode. RE-AIM is employed as the implementation and effectiveness outcome evaluation framework. The primary outcome measure will be HbA1c. Data will be collected pre-intervention (T1), 42-week (T2), and 84-week (T3). The study will provide effectiveness-implementation assessment of telecare mode for DM patients in Hong Kong, as an alternative or in addition to conventional face-to-face consultations. It also aimed to provide insights for the future adoption in a broader health care setting.

Predictors of nursing students' intentions to participate in an internationalization-at-home program: The roles of expectancies for success and subjective task value.

BACKGROUND: Internationalization-at-home programs are a unique opportunity for those who had been planning to study abroad to learn global clinical practices and cultures at home. However, the factors influencing the motivation of students to join such programs remain unexplored. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship among expectancies for success, subjective task value, and the intention to participate in an internationalization-at-home program, and to identify key factors predicting such an intention among undergraduate nursing students. DESIGN: A descriptive correlational design with a predictive approach was adopted. METHODS: A total of 522 undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students in a Hong Kong university participated in the study. Intention to participate in the program was assessed using the Comprehensive Relative Autonomy Index. Expectancies for success and subjective task value were assessed as potential predictors. A multiple linear regression analysis was adopted to examine the predictive effects. RESULTS: The participants were aged 17-31 years (mean = 20.95, SD = 2.39). Those who reported having previously participated in the program (ß = 0.10, p-value = .014), greater intercultural communication competence (ß = 0.14, p-value = .003), greater perceived social competence (ß = 0.11, p-value = .031), and a higher subjective value of the program (ß = 0.28, p-value<.001) expressed a greater intention to join the program. Collectively, the three variables accounted for 14.7 % of the variances in intention to participate in the program. CONCLUSIONS: Cultural self-efficacy, intercultural communication competence, perceived social competence, individual interest, foreign language learning motivation, and subjective value of the program were found to be key factors predicting the intention of nursing students to participate in internationalization-at-home. Future studies can provide interventions to address these factors and enhance the benefits of internationalization-at-home programs.

Effect of a telecare-based intervention on stress levels in informal caregivers of older adults: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Significance: Due to caregiving commitments, caregivers of older adults may not have the time to make use of the onsite community services available to them during the day. With the support of advanced technology, telecare could be a convenient and easily accessible channel for providing individualized caregiving advice to caregivers. Objective: The aim of the study is to describe a research protocol that highlights the development of a telecare-based intervention program for reducing stress levels in informal caregivers of community-dwelling older adults. Methods: It is a randomized controlled trial. The study is supported by two community centers. The study participants will be randomly assigned to either the telecare-based intervention group or the control group. The former will receive a 3-month program comprised of three components: online nurse case management supported by a health and social care team, an online resource center, and a discussion forum. The latter will receive the usual services that provided by the community centers. Data will be collected at two time points - pre-intervention (T1) and post-intervention (T2). The primary outcome is stress levels, while secondary outcomes include self-efficacy, depression levels, quality of life, and caregiving burden. Discussion: Besides taking care of one or more older adults, informal caregivers have to deal with work, chores, and take care of their children. This study will add valuable information to the knowledge gap on whether telecare-based interventions with the support of an integrated health-social team can alleviate the stress levels of informal caregivers of community-dwelling older adults. If successful, policymakers and healthcare professionals should consider incorporating telecare modalities in a primary health setting for informal caregivers to correspond with them, to relieve their caregiving stress and promote a healthy life. Clinical trial registration: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/, NCT05636982.

The feasibility and effectiveness of telecare consultations in nurse-led post-acute stroke clinics: A study protocol.

Background: Globally, nurse-led post-acute stroke clinics have been developed to provide secondary care services to stroke survivors. Although synthesized evidence supports the idea that the secondary prevention services delivered by nurses in these clinics can improve the functional ability of stroke survivors and reduce their readmission rates, long travel and waiting times, high costs, and the pandemic have limited the utilization of such clinics. Telecare consultations are a new modality for expanding public access to healthcare services, although how it can be applied in nurse-led clinics has not been reported. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility and effects of telecare consultations in nurse-led post-acute stroke clinics. Methods: The study adopts a quasi-experimental design. The participants will receive three secondary stroke care consultations in 3 months provided via telecare by experienced advanced practice nurses. The outcome measures include feasibility (reasons for refusing to participate and for dropping-out, the attitudes and satisfaction of both the advanced practice nurses and their patients towards the programme), and preliminary effectiveness (degree of disability after stroke, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, health-related quality of life, depression) outcomes. Data will be collected at pre-(T1) and post-(T2) intervention. Conclusions: The findings of this study may help facilitate the implementation of telecare consultations in a nurse-led post-acute stroke clinic, which may benefit the stroke survivors who are having mobility restrictions from accessing customary healthcare services and may protect them from being exposed to the infectious risk.

The Synergistic Effect of Nurse Proactive Phone Calls With an mHealth App Program on Sustaining App Usage: 3-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Although mobile health application (mHealth app) programs have effectively promoted disease self-management behaviors in the last decade, usage rates have tended to fall over time. OBJECTIVE: We used a case management approach led by a nurse and supported by a health-social partnership team with the aim of sustaining app usage among community-dwelling older adults and evaluated the outcome differences (i.e, self-efficacy, levels of depression, and total health service usages) between those who continued to use the app. METHODS: This was a 3-arm randomized controlled trial. A total of 221 older adults with hypertension, diabetes, or chronic pain were randomized into 3 groups: mHealth (n=71), mHealth with interactivity (mHealth+I; n=74), and the control (n=76). The mHealth application was given to the mHealth and mHealth+I groups. The mHealth+I group also received 8 proactive calls in 3 months from a nurse to encourage use of the app. The control group received no interventions. Data were collected at preintervention (T1), postintervention (T2), and at 3 months' postintervention (T3) to ascertain the sustained effect. RESULTS: A total of 37.8% of mHealth+I and 18.3% of mHealth group participants continued using the mHealth app at least twice per week until the end of the sixth month. The difference in app usage across the 2 groups between T2 and T3 was significant (χ21=6.81, P=.009). Improvements in self-efficacy (ß=4.30, 95% CI 0.25-8.35, P=.04) and depression levels (ß=-1.98, 95% CI -3.78 to -0.19, P=.03) from T1 to T3 were observed in the mHealth group participants who continued using the app. Although self-efficacy and depression scores improved from T1 to T2 in the mHealth+I group, the mean values decreased at T3. Health service usage decreased for all groups from T1 to T2 (ß=-1.38, 95% CI -1.98 to -0.78, P<.001), with a marginal increase at T3. CONCLUSIONS: The relatively low rates of mHealth app usage at follow-up are comparable to those reported in the literature. More work is needed to merge the technology-driven and in-person aspects of mHealth. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03878212; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03878212. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1159/000509129.

Sustaining telecare consultations in nurse-led clinics: Perceptions of stroke patients and advanced practice nurses: A qualitative study.

Objective: The ongoing pandemic has accentuated the use of telecare services; however, only limited progress has been made in understanding the barriers and facilitators to using these services. In order to move towards sustaining such essential services, the present study aimed to ascertain the experiences of stroke survivors and healthcare providers regarding the utilization of a post-stroke telecare service in Hong Kong. Methods: Interpretive description was employed for this study. Semi-structured discussions and interviews were undertaken with nine stroke survivors and four stroke nurses who delivered the telecare services. The principles of thematic analysis were inductively followed to analyse the data. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used to guide the reporting of the data. Results: Three themes emerged: (a) pre-existing post-discharge service pathways; (b) push factors/facilitators for telecare usage; and (c) barriers to telecare usage. Overall, the telecare service was considered a significant alternative and one that complements conventional face-to-face follow-ups. Stroke survivors were motivated to use the service because it was convenient and flexible. However, significant barriers exist, including technical issues and a lack of guidelines and training opportunities for healthcare providers. Conclusions: Although telecare is still evolving, several factors drive stroke survivors to use the service. Attention needs to be paid to the emerging barriers to improve long-term usage of the service. Clear guidelines are needed to underpin the development and implementation of telecare services.

Factors associated with the perceptions of eHealth technology of Chinese nurses and nursing students.

AIM: The current study sought to assess the perceptions of eHealth technology of nurses and nursing students in China and to examine the association between these perceptions and demographic factors. BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing use of eHealth technologies in China and across the globe, the perceptions of practicing and student nurses remain minimally explored. Findings from such an inquiry can potentially inform actions and policies to improve the uptake of eHealth technologies among Chinese nurses. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study with a real-time online survey. METHODS: A convenience sample of 1338 nurses and nursing students from Mainland China participated in the study. Their perceptions of eHealth technology were collected using the Chinese version of the Perceptions of eHealth Technology Scale. The Kruskal-Wallis test and multiple linear regression analysis were used to examine the relationship between demographic variables (age group, gender, occupation, education level, position and clinical experience) and perceptions of eHealth technology. All study procedures adhered to the STROBE guidelines. RESULTS: Most participants were aged between 20 and 29 (55.8%). Nearly half (42.5%) were frontline clinical nursing staff, some were nursing students (36.2%), academic nursing staff (12.3%) and clinical nursing management staff (9.0%). Regardless of the differences in their demographic characteristics, the participants had higher mean scores in "Perception of eHealth applications" and lower mean scores in "Knowledge of eHealth technology". Participants with doctoral degree had a higher mean total score and higher sub-scale scores in knowledge of eHealth technology, perception of the advantages of eHealth technology and perception of eHealth applications; and the lowest scores in perception of the disadvantages of eHealth technology and perception of eHealth applications. Occupation, position and clinical experience were found to be the demographic characteristics associated with eHealth perceptions, before adjusting for age and gender. Education level was associated with eHealth perceptions regardless of adjustment. CONCLUSION: Overall, participants had higher scores on perceptions of eHealth applications but lower scores on knowledge of eHealth technology. Considering the association between education and all subscales and overall scores, it may be essential to implement continuing professional education for nurses to improve their knowledge of eHealth applications. Encouragement to use available eHealth digital technologies may also be helpful to improve perceptions of eHealth.

The development and implementation of a blended video watching and peer learning model for master's nursing students: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: With today's complex needs of the population and high demands in quality of care, there will be a continuing need for expanding role of nurses to assume more responsibilities in healthcare. Newly graduated nurses, who possess the competence to function as Registered Nurses, will soon recognize that lecture-based, passive delivery of content is not sufficient to deal with the complex healthcare environment. AIM: This study aimed to compare the effects of a blended video watching and peer learning program and the usual lecture-based program on the levels of satisfaction and self-confidence in learning, perceptions of peer learning, and academic performance of students enrolled in a master's nursing program. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted. The program was offered to Master of Science in Nursing students during Spring 2021 (intervention group, n = 46), while the usual face-to-face lectures and tutorial classes were provided to students enrolled during Fall 2020 (control group, n = 46). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in satisfaction, self-confidence in learning, and academic performance in the intervention group after learning in a blended video-watching and peer learning mode. CONCLUSION: This study fills a knowledge gap to meet the learning needs of time-conscious, part-time students working full time in hospitals.