Language barriers have a major impact on both the quality and the costs of health care. While there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the detrimental effects of language barriers on the ...quality of health care provision, less is known about their impact on costs. This purpose of this study was to investigate the association between language barriers and the costs of health care.
The data source was a representative set of asylum seekers whose health care was provided by a Swiss Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO). A cross-sectional survey was conducted: data was collected on all the asylum seekers' health care costs including consultations, diagnostic examinations, medical interventions, stays in the clinic, medication, and interpreter services. The data were analysed using path analysis.
Asylum seekers showed higher health care costs if there were language barriers between them and the health professionals. Most of these increased costs were attributable to those patients who received interpreter services: they used more health care services and more material. However, these patients also had a lower number of visits to the HMO than patients who faced language barriers but did not receive interpreter services.
Language barriers impact health care costs. In line with the limited literature, the results of this study seem to show that interpreter services lead to more targeted health care, concentrating higher health care utilisation into a smaller number of visits. Although the initial costs are higher, it can be posited that the use of interpreter services prevents the escalation of long-term costs. A future study specially designed to examine this presumption is needed.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
CEKLJ, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Transplantoux's MVT exercise intervention prepares organ transplant recipients to cycle or hike up France's Mont Ventoux. We aimed to assess (i) MVT's effects on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and ...(ii) perceived barriers and facilitators to physical activity. Using a hybrid design, a convenience sample of transplant recipients participating in MVT (n = 47 cycling (TxCYC); n = 18 hiking (TxHIK)), matched control transplant recipients (TxCON, n = 213), and healthy MVT participants (HCON, n = 91) completed surveys to assess physical activity (IPAQ), health-related quality of life (HRQOL; SF-36 and EuroQol VAS), mental health (GHQ-12), and depressive symptomatology, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21) at baseline, then after 3, 6 (Mont Ventoux climb), 9, and 12 months. TxCYC and TxHIK participated in a 6-month intervention of individualized home-based cycling/hiking exercise and a series of supervised group training sessions. Barriers and facilitators to physical activity (Barriers and Motivators Questionnaire) were measured at 12 months. Regarding PROs, except for reducing TxHIK stress levels, MVT induced no substantial intervention effects. For both TxCYC and TxHIK, between-group comparisons at baseline showed that physical activity, HRQOL, mental health, depressive symptomatology and stress were similar to those of HCON. In contrast, compared to TxCYC, TxHIK, and HCON, physical activity, HRQOL and mental health were lower in TxCON. TxCON also reported greater barriers, lower facilitators, and different priority rankings concerning physical activity barriers and facilitators. Barely any of the PROs assessed in the present study responded to Transplantoux's MVT exercise intervention. TxCON reported distinct and unfavorable profiles regarding PROs and barriers and facilitators to physical activity. These findings can assist tailored physical activity intervention development.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
OBJECTIVES: To determine the characteristics and the effectiveness of hospital fall prevention programs.
DESIGN: Systematic literature search of multiple databases (Medline, Cinahl, Precinahl, ...Invert, the Cochrane Library) and of the reference list of each identified publication.
SETTING: Inclusion of prospective controlled‐design studies reporting the effectiveness of fall prevention programs in hospitals.
PARTICIPANTS: Two reviewers.
MEASUREMENTS: The methodological qualities of the studies were assessed based on 10 criteria. For the meta‐analysis, the relative risk of a fall per occupied bed day (RRfall) and the relative risk of being a faller (RRfaller) were calculated.
RESULTS: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, of which four studies tested multifactorial interventions. Although these studies took place in hospitals, most were conducted on long‐stay (mean length of stay (LOS) >1.5 years) and rehabilitation units (mean LOS 36.9 days). For analysis of the number of falls, one unifactorial and two multifactorial studies showed a significant reduction of 30% to 49% in the intervention group, with the greatest effect obtained in the unifactorial study that assessed a pharmacological intervention. The pooled RRfall for the four multifactorial studies became nonsignificant after adjustment for clustering (RRfall=0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.65–1.03). No studies reported a significant reduction, either single or pooled, in the number of fallers in the intervention group (pooled RRfaller‐0.87, 95% CI=0.70–1.08).
CONCLUSION: This meta‐analysis found no conclusive evidence that hospital fall prevention programs can reduce the number of falls or fallers, although more studies are needed to confirm the tendency observed in the analysis of individual studies that targeting a patient's most important risk factors for falls actively helps in reducing the number of falls. These interventions seem to be useful only on long‐stay care units.
Abstract Background Homecare client services are often distributed across several interdependent healthcare providers, making proper care coordination essential. However, as studies exploring care ...coordination in the homecare setting are scarce, serious knowledge gaps exist regarding how various factors influence coordination in this care sector. To fill such gaps, this study’s central aim was to explore how external factors (i.e., financial and regulatory mechanisms) and homecare agency characteristics (i.e., work environment, workforce, and client characteristics) are related to care coordination in homecare. Methods This analysis was part of a national multicentre, cross-sectional study in the Swiss homecare setting that included a stratified random sample of 88 Swiss homecare agencies. Data were collected between January and September 2021 through agency and employee questionnaires. Using our newly developed care coordination framework, COORA, we modelled our variables to assess the relevant components of care coordination on the structural, process, and outcome levels. We conducted both descriptive and multilevel regression analyses—with the latter adjusting for dependencies within agencies—to explore which key factors are associated with coordination. Results The final sample size consisted of 1450 employees of 71 homecare agencies. We found that one explicit coordination mechanism (“communication and information exchange” (beta = 0.10, p <.001)) and four implicit coordination mechanisms—“knowledge of the health system” (beta = -0.07, p <.01), “role clarity” (beta = 0.07, p <.001), “mutual respect and trust” (beta = 0.07, p <.001), and “accountability, predictability, common perspective” (beta = 0.19, p <.001)—were significantly positively associated with employee-perceived coordination. We also found that the effects of agency characteristics and external factors were mediated through coordination processes. Conclusion Implicit coordination mechanisms, which enable and enhance team communication, require closer examination. While developing strategies to strengthen implicit mechanisms, the involvement of the entire care team is vital to create structures (i.e., explicit mechanisms) that enable communication and information exchange. Appropriate coordination processes seem to mitigate the association between staffing and coordination. This suggests that they support coordination even when workload and overtime are higher.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
CEKLJ, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
OBJECTIVES: To examine how geriatric evaluation and management units (GEMUs) are organized and to examine the effectiveness of admission on a GEMU.
DESIGN: Systematic review and meta‐analysis based ...on literature search of multiple databases and the references lists of all identified articles and by contacting authors.
SETTING: GEMUs.
PARTICIPANTS: Elderly people admitted to a GEMU.
MEASUREMENTS: Quality of the studies was assessed on 10 criteria. The outcome parameters were mortality, institutionalization, functional decline, readmission, and length of stay at different follow‐up points. A random‐effects meta‐analysis was performed using Hedges' gu and variance of relative risk (RR).
RESULTS: GEMUs are organized in a heterogeneous way and the included studies gave no thorough description of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). Involvement of a multidisciplinary team was a key element in all GEMUs. The individual trials showed that admission to a GEMU has one or more favorable effects on the outcomes of interest, with two significant effects in the meta‐analysis: less functional decline at discharge from the GEMU (RR=0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.77–0.99; P=.04) and a lower rate of institutionalization 1 year after discharge (RR=0.78, CI=0.66–0.92; P=.003). For the other outcomes in the meta‐analysis, a GEMU did not induce significantly different outcomes than usual care.
CONCLUSION: This meta‐analysis shows a significant effect in favor of the GEMU group on functional decline at discharge and on institutionalization after 1 year. There is heterogeneity between the studies, poor quality of some randomized controlled trials, and shortage of information about CGA. Multidisciplinary CGA offered in a GEMU may add value to the care for frail older persons admitted to the hospital, but the limitations confirm the need for well‐designed studies using explicit CGA and more‐structured and ‐coherent assessment instruments such as the Minimum Data Set Resident Assessment Instrument.
IMPORTANCE Whether sex-specific chest pain characteristics (CPCs) would allow physicians in the emergency department to differentiate women with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) from women with ...other causes of acute chest pain more accurately remains unknown. OBJECTIVE To improve the management of suspected AMI in women by exploring sex-specific CPCs. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS From April 21, 2006, through August 12, 2012, we enrolled 2475 consecutive patients (796 women and 1679 men) presenting with acute chest pain to 9 emergency departments in a prospective multicenter study. The final diagnosis of AMI was adjudicated by 2 independent cardiologists. INTERVENTIONS Treatment of AMI in the emergency department. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Sex-specific diagnostic performance of 34 predefined and uniformly recorded CPCs in the early diagnosis of AMI. RESULTS Acute myocardial infarction was the adjudicated final diagnosis in 143 women (18.0%) and 369 men (22.0%). Although most CPCs were reported with similar frequency in women and men, several CPCs were reported more frequently in women (P < .05). The accuracy of most CPCs in the diagnosis of AMI was low in women and men, with likelihood ratios close to 1. Thirty-one of 34 CPCs (91.2%) showed similar likelihood ratios for the diagnosis of AMI in women and men, and only 3 CPCs (8.8%) seemed to have a sex-specific diagnostic performance with P < .05 for interaction. These CPCs were related to pain duration (2-30 and >30 minutes) and dynamics (decreasing pain intensity). However, because their likelihood ratios were close to 1, the 3 CPCs did not seem clinically helpful. Similar results were obtained when examining combinations of CPCs (all interactions, P ≥ .05). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Differences in the sex-specific diagnostic performance of CPCs are small and do not seem to support the use of women-specific CPCs in the early diagnosis of AMI. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00470587
Chronically critical illness is highly relevant in intensive care units, but the definitions in literature vary greatly. The timely detection of prolonged intensive care unit length of stay could ...support care planning for chronically critical ill patients.
To develop and validate a risk score for predicting prolonged length of stay in the surgical intensive care unit.
This single centre cohort study formed part of a nursing-led project in one surgical intensive care unit. We examined the performance of seven predefined predictive factors of prolonged (>20 days) intensive care unit length of stay in adults on the seventh day of stay in intensive care to develop (n = 304) and validate (n = 101) a risk score. Candidate variables (Charlson Comorbidity Index, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, minimum plasma albumin, need for anti-infective drugs, time of mechanical ventilation, main feeding method and score on the Sedation-Agitation Scale) were analysed using multiple logistical regression analysis.
Our risk score assigned different points to the following conditions: Charlson Comorbidity Index >2, minimum albumin <20 g/l between days 1 and 7, mechanical ventilation >14 hr on day 7 and the need for parenteral nutrition on day 7. For a validation data set (n = 101), the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.89 (95% confidence interval 0.770.87). At a cut-off value of 100 points, the degree of sensitivity was 88%, the specificity 75%, the positive predictive value 53%, the negative predictive value 95%, and the model fit R2 0.40.
Our model allowed the timely detection of prolonged intensive care unit length of stay with four candidate predictive factors. The timely identification of patients with prolonged intensive care unit length of stay is possible and could influence the person-centred prevention of chronically critical illness and adequate resource allocation.
(Trial registration no DRKS 00017073)
Adherence to fluid restrictions and dietary and medication guidelines as well as attendance at prescribed hemodialysis sessions of a hemodialysis regimen are essential for adequate management of ...end-stage renal disease. A literature review was conducted to determine the prevalence and consequences of nonadherence to the different aspects of a hemodialysis regimen and the methodological obstacles in research on nonadherence. Nonadherence to the prescribed regimen is a common problem in hemodialysis and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Research on nonadherence is associated with 2 major obstacles: inconsistencies in definitions and invalid measurement methods. Further research is needed to validate measurement methods and to establish clinically relevant operational definitions of nonadherence.
Implementation fidelity assesses the degree to which an intervention is delivered as it should be. Fidelity helps to determine if the outcome(s) of an intervention are attributed to the intervention ...itself or to a failure of its implementation. Little is known about how fidelity impacts the intended outcome(s) and what elements or moderators can affect the fidelity trajectory over time. We exemplify the meaning of implementation fidelity with INTERCARE, a nurse-led care model that was implemented in eleven Swiss nursing homes (NHs) and showed effectiveness in reducing unplanned hospital transfers. INTERCARE comprises six core elements, including advance care planning and tools to support inter- and interprofessional communication, which were introduced with carefully developed implementation strategies.
A mixed-methods convergent/triangulation design was used to investigate the influence of implementation fidelity on unplanned transfers. A fidelity questionnaire measuring the degree of fidelity to INTERCARE's core components was fielded at four time points in the participating NHs. Two-monthly meetings were conducted with NHs (September 2018-January 2020) and structured notes were used to determine moderators affecting fidelity (e.g., participant responsiveness). We used the fidelity scores and generalized linear mixed models to analyze the quantitative data. The Framework method was used for the qualitative analysis. The quantitative and qualitative findings were integrated using triangulation.
A higher overall fidelity score showed a decreasing rate of unplanned hospital transfers post-intervention (OR: 0.65 (CI = 0.43-0.99), p = 0.047). A higher fidelity score to advance care planning was associated with lower unplanned transfers (OR = 0.24 (CI 0.13-0.44), p = < 0.001) and a lower fidelity score for communication tools (e.g., ISBAR) to higher rates in unplanned transfers (OR = 1.69 (CI 1.30-2.19), p = < 0.003). In-house physicians with a collaborative approach and staff's perceived need for nurses working in extended roles, were important moderators to achieve and sustain high fidelity.
Implementation fidelity is challenging to measure and report, especially in complex interventions, yet is crucial to better understand how such interventions may be tailored for scale-up. This study provides both a detailed description of how fidelity can be measured and which ingredients highly contributed to reducing unplanned NH transfers.
The INTERCARE study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov Protocol Record NCT03590470.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
CEKLJ, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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