Conectar
To explore nurses' lived experiences of a generative artificial intelligence-enabled shift handover innovation.
A descriptive phenomenological study guided by Husserl's philosophical framework and operationalized through Colaizzi's seven-step analytical method.
Purposive sampling was used to recruit 18 registered nurses at an Integrated General Hospital in Singapore. Semi-structured individual interviews (n = 12) served as the primary data source, followed by two confirmatory focus group discussions (n = 6 per group) incorporating six previously interviewed participants alongside six additional participants to validate and refine emerging themes. Data were collected between January and June 2025 and analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological method.
Five interconnected themes emerged: (1) the burden of fragmented documentation; (2) navigating technological change with cautious optimism; (3) anchoring innovation in familiar clinical frameworks; (4) anticipating barriers to seamless integration; and (5) envisioning enhanced patient safety and professional practice.
Participants experienced a tension between documentation demands and direct patient care. Their conditional acceptance of AI assistance, contingent upon accuracy, clinical oversight, and workflow integration, reflects a sophisticated professional stance rather than resistance. The findings illuminate the essence of navigating the intersection of traditional practice and technological innovation.
This study offers insights into nurses' lived experiences of AI-enabled handover innovation. The findings can inform user-centred implementation strategies that align technological innovation with nursing values and workflow realities.
This study adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines.
Nursing staff contributed to the refinement of interview guides through pilot testing and provided feedback on preliminary findings through member checking procedures.
Research and innovation are essential for advancing clinical practice and safeguarding patient safety in healthcare. This review aims to assess the research capacity of Advanced Practice Nurses in Australian healthcare settings. By identifying the barriers and enablers to, the findings aim to inspire research engagement of paediatric nurses.
A rapid review methodology was used to systematically identify, appraise and synthesise data relevant to Advanced Practice Nurses' research capacity.
A comprehensive search of Ovid Medline and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases was conducted, covering publications from 1 July 2010 to May 2024. Additional reference checks and grey literature searches were undertaken to identify relevant studies.
Data extraction and quality appraisal were conducted independently and checked by the research team. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used for quality assessment and a descriptive narrative synthesis approach integrated findings across qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies.
Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings revealed that while Advanced Practice Nurses value research and evidence-based practice, barriers—such as time constraints, limited resources, and lack of organisational support—restricted their engagement. Leadership support and structured mentorship were identified as critical enablers of research capacity.
This review highlights the need for targeted strategies to enhance Advanced Practice Nurses' research capacity within Australian healthcare. Addressing identified barriers and fostering a supportive environment can empower Advanced Practice Nurses to better utilise their roles, contributing to improved patient care and healthcare innovation.
This research addresses the limited understanding of research capacity among Advanced Practice Nurses identifying challenges and opportunities for engagement. It is particularly relevant for healthcare organisations, policymakers, and educational institutions seeking to strengthen research capacity among APN roles. Findings will inform evidence-based practice, patient outcomes, and research culture in Australian healthcare services.
International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registration number: CRD42024539163
Obesity is a global public health issue, with its effects a particular issue in Kuwait. Advances in pharmaceutical treatment (eg, glucagon-like peptide-1s) offer an effective solution, with the magnitude of weight lost something to celebrate. However, this level of weight loss also results in dramatic reductions in lean mass, reflecting loss of muscle mass and muscle strength which can predispose people to sarcopenia. This is a particular issue in people with type 2 diabetes in Kuwait, where the prevalence of muscle weakness is extremely high. Solutions to mitigate this loss of muscle mass and strength are needed, with a pragmatic resistance exercise intervention and increasing dietary protein intake having potential. This trial aims to determine whether resistance exercise and/or protein intake can preserve muscle mass and improve physical function in people with obesity initiating semaglutide/tirzepatide therapy.
This single-centre, 6-month, randomised controlled trial at Dasman Diabetes Institute will enrol 232 adults with obesity, randomised (1:1:1:1) to control, resistance exercise, protein supplementation or combined resistance exercise and protein in conjunction with semaglutide or tirzepatide therapy. Resistance exercise will be home-based and involve three sessions per week, progressing from one to three sets targeting major muscle groups. Protein supplementation will target 1.6 g/kg/day via dietary adjustment and protein products. Assessments at baseline and 6 months will include MRI measured quadriceps cross-sectional area (primary outcome), plus measures of secondary outcomes of MRI measured liver fat content and stiffness and intramuscular fat, body composition (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), strength, physical function, dietary assessment, physical activity levels, sleep patterns, quality of life, glycaemic control and metabolic biomarkers.
The study has received ethical approval from the Dasman Diabetes Institute Ethical Review Committee (HR-RA-2025-01, 19 February 2025) and is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06885736, 26 June 2025). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants, with no financial compensation provided. Data will be reported in accordance with Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines, ensuring participant anonymity. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national and international conferences.
To identify and evaluate conceptual frameworks for studying neighbourhood deprivation and access to cancer services in nursing research.
Discussion paper.
We searched the literature to identify conceptual models used in peer-reviewed articles that examined neighbourhood-level factors influencing access to cancer services. As a first step in the evaluation, the Theories, Models and Frameworks Comparison and Selection Tool (TCaST) was used to assess the rigour and applicability of eligible models. The two models with the highest TCaST scores were then further evaluated using Fawcett and DeSanto-Madeya's 2013 criteria.
A total of 546 articles were screened after searching PubMed, EBSCO Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Elsevier Co. Scopus from 2014 to 2025.
Of eight eligible models, two met the criteria for further analysis. Revision 6 of Andersen's Behavioral Model (ABM) includes the full nursing metaparadigm and has been widely applied. It is logically and socially congruent, offers testable hypotheses and holds global significance. However, full utility requires familiarity with its unique vocabulary. The Concept of Access Model also demonstrates congruence, testable hypotheses and has greater parsimony than ABM, but its omission of the health metaparadigm limits its application in nursing research.
ABM most comprehensively provides clear and measurable concepts for neighbourhoods as well as realised, effective and equitable access for nursing research. It also supports the identification of highly mutable factors for clinical and policy intervention.
Nurses can play a central role in applying frameworks to ensure research aligns with the holistic nature of profession values, captures contextual realities of patients and informs equitable care delivery.
Neighbourhood deprivation continues to drive disparities in cancer care, making it a pressing research priority. This evaluation equips nurses with a clear conceptual foundation to study access inequities and support actionable cancer care solutions.
There are no relevant EQUATOR guidelines for this discursive paper.
This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting.
This study aimed to co-design a model of brilliant care for older people that provides clear, actionable principles to guide how brilliant care for older people can be realised.
As the demand for and international importance of care for older people grows, so too does the negative discourse about care for older people. This ongoing focus on deficiencies can have implications for patients, carers, clinicians, health services, and policymakers, overshadowing opportunities for innovation and positive change.
Experience-based co-design informed this study, grounded in the lived experiences of key stakeholders.
Three scaffolded co-design workshops were facilitated, involving lived experience experts, managers, professionals, clinicians, and an academic (n= 13). The data collected during these workshops were analysed using a qualitative descriptive method and documented according to COREQ guidelines to optimise rigour and transparency.
The participants co-designed a model of brilliant care for older people, comprising principles to promote connection and innovation. To promote connection, the model includes protecting staff member time to deliver meaningful care and demonstrating that everyone matters. To promote innovation, it encourages role flexibility, curiosity, small improvements, and the recognition of brilliant practices.
This article presents a co-designed model of brilliant care for older people, incorporating principles of connection and innovation that can be enacted through simple, resource-efficient practices.
For those who manage and deliver care for older people, the model encompasses simple, accessible, and cost-effective principles to: positively deviate from norms within the sector, offering care to older people; and to deliver brilliant care for older people. Furthermore, given that the model was co-designed with lived experience experts, managers, professionals, and clinicians, its principles are imbued with their experiential insights, which served to bring particular priorities to the fore.
The co-designers, who included lived experience experts, were invited to participate in workshops to co-design a model of brilliant care for older people, during which they discussed and critiqued the findings constructed from the data and co-designed the model.
To analyse how refined living arrangements, in the context of digital access, affect elderly healthcare resource utilisation and satisfaction with healthcare needs.
A prospective cohort study. The study reporting is conformed to the STROBE checklist.
This longitudinal study utilised data from the 2018–2020 waves of the United States-based Health and Retirement Study and the 2013–2015 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.
Baseline living arrangement was categorised into living alone, intergenerational living, living with spouse, nuclear living and proximate residence. Unmet healthcare needs at follow-up waves (i.e., 2020 wave of Health and Retirement Study and 2015 wave of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study) were classified into unmet clinical care needs and unmet preventive care needs, which were measured using three measurements on whether the participant had disorders, whether the participants use any clinical care, and whether the participants use any preventive care. Digital exclusion was assessed using a single question about internet access at baseline.
A total of 7116 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study cohort (female: 48.6%, mean age: 57.4 years) and 7266 from the Health and Retirement Study cohort (female: 64.9%, mean age: 65.1 years) were included. Compared with older adults living a nuclear arrangement, those living an inter-generational arrangement with digital exclusion had higher clinical care utilisation, but not necessarily lower risk of unmet clinical needs; they also had lower preventive care utilisation in the Health and Retirement Study cohort, while living with spouse led to higher preventive care utilisation in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study cohort.
Living arrangements can affect older adults' healthcare utilisation and unmet healthcare needs, which can be moderated by digital exposure.
These findings suggest that healthcare providers should tailor care strategies by considering both living situations and digital literacy. Enhancing digital access, especially for those in inter-generational households, could help address unmet healthcare needs and improve overall care satisfaction.
This study using the STROBE CHECKLIST for reporting guideline.
No patient or public contribution.
By comparing data from both the United States and China, it highlights the importance of considering family structure and digital inclusion when addressing healthcare needs globally. The findings suggest that older adults in inter-generational living arrangements without digital access face higher clinical care demands but still struggle with unmet healthcare needs. This underscores the need for healthcare systems worldwide to address digital exclusion and adapt care strategies to individual living circumstances to enhance healthcare outcomes for the elderly population.
by Meirong Shan, Qian Guo, Ruofei Li, Ni Li, Yanhua Fu, Huanyu Qi, Ge Zhang, Qian Wang, Xingli Xu, Jinchuan Lai
Hypertension is one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases worldwide, affecting over one billion people. Although aliskiren offers a valuable option for inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system, its safety profile in the real world remains insufficiently explored, especially for rare or under-recognized adverse events (AEs), which have not been fully clarified. Therefore, leveraging large-scale post-marketing surveillance data is crucial for identifying rare AEs and guiding safer clinical practice. This study aims to elucidate pharmacovigilance signals associated with aliskiren (an antihypertensive drug) by systematically analyzing the characteristics of adverse events (AEs) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database and WHO-VigiAccess database, which provides a reliable scientific basis for clinical practice and regulatory decision-making. We conducted a retrospective quantitative analysis of aliskiren-related AE reports from the aforementioned two databases, employing the Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR), Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR), Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN), and Multi-item Gamma Poisson Shrinker (MGPS) algorithms for signal detection. The results indicate that there were 5,596 and 5,549 aliskiren-related reports in the FAERS and WHO-VigiAccess databases, respectively. The median duration of these AEs during the observation period was 62 days, with an interquartile range (IQR) of 7–282 days. In both databases, signals for aliskiren were distributed across 28 System Organ Classes (SOCs), among which investigations, cardiac disorders, renal and urinary disorders, vascular disorders, and metabolism and nutrition disorders exhibited significant signals based on specific criteria applied across the four algorithms. A total of 607 preferred terms (PTs) with significant disproportionality signals were detected using the four algorithms, including potential AEs not previously well-documented, such as palpitations, myalgia, proteinuria, muscular weakness, pulmonary edema, and pollakiuria. This study not only confirms the known adverse reactions of aliskiren but also uncovers new potential risks, highlighting the importance of strengthening drug safety monitoring to enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce the risk of adverse reactions. It provides valuable safety insights for physicians considering the use of aliskiren in the management of primary hypertension.
by Jocshan Loaiza-Moss, Michael Leitges
Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide and a significant barrier to improving quality of life across all populations. The protein kinase D family, including PRKD3, has been demonstrated to play a crucial role in cancer development through its involvement in regulating key cellular processes. Although growing evidence highlights the role of PRKD3 in the tumorigenesis of certain cancers, a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of PRKD3 remains unavailable. To address this, we performed an integrative pan-cancer analysis of PRKD3 using multi-omics datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas, the Genotype-Tissue Expression project, and cBioPortal. We examined PRKD3 expression, copy number variation, mutation, and DNA methylation, and evaluated their associations with clinicopathological features, patient survival, and diagnostic potential across 33 cancer types. Immune relevance was further assessed through correlations with immune infiltration, checkpoint gene expression, and immunotherapy response-related genomic biomarkers. Our results revealed that PRKD3 expression was highly heterogeneous, showing significant upregulation in liver cancer, gastric cancer, and adrenocortical carcinoma, and downregulation in others. Elevated expression was consistently associated with poor prognosis and increased stromal, neutrophil, and cancer-associated fibroblast infiltration in adrenocortical carcinoma, liver cancer, and stomach cancer, whereas paradoxical associations with favorable outcomes were observed in kidney clear cell carcinoma. PRKD3 expression also correlated with immune checkpoint molecules including PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4, supporting an immunosuppressive role, while context-dependent associations with TMB and MSI highlighted its potential influence on tumor immunogenicity and responsiveness to immune checkpoint blockade. Collectively, these findings identify PRKD3 as a potential context-dependent modulator of tumor biology, prognosis, and immune interactions, underscoring its potential as a biomarker of diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic relevance in precision oncology.
To evaluate the impact of a 5-min delay in needle removal after haemodialysis on complications and patient satisfaction in newly created arteriovenous fistulas.
Retrospective cohort study.
This study analysed 109 patients with new arteriovenous fistulas undergoing initial cannulation 8–12 weeks post-surgery. Participants were divided into two cohorts: a conventional group (n = 42) receiving immediate needle removal after pump cessation, and a delayed group (n = 67) retaining needles for 5 min post-pump cessation before removal. Outcomes included haemostasis time, hematoma incidence, 3-month reintervention rates, and patient satisfaction measured by a 5-point scale.
Delaying needle removal by 5 min reduced mean haemostasis time by 32% compared to immediate removal (16.4 min vs. 24.1 min). Hematoma incidence decreased substantially by 76% in the delayed group (3.3% vs. 13.1%). At 3-month follow-up, reintervention rates were 66% lower with delayed removal (9.0% vs. 26.2%). Patients also reported 50% less procedure-related pain and significantly higher satisfaction scores (median 4.5 vs. 2).
A brief 5-min delay in needle removal significantly reduces complications and enhances patient-centered outcomes during early arteriovenous fistula use.
This protocol establishes an evidence-based standard for post-dialysis needle management, directly reducing compression-induced pain and reintervention needs while requiring no additional nursing resources. Implementation can immediately improve vascular access safety in haemodialysis units.
The study addresses high complication rates (26.2%) from immediate needle removal in immature fistulas. Key findings demonstrate 76% fewer hematomas and 66% lower reinterventions with 5-min delayed removal. This evidence may transform global haemodialysis nursing protocols, benefiting a substantial population of patients receiving new fistulas annually.
This study follows the STROBE checklist.
Patients and the public were not involved in the design, conduct, or reporting of this retrospective medical record analysis.
With the global lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination goal set to 2030, it is necessary to address challenges hindering the last-mile efforts. Never treated individuals are those who self-report that they have never taken the drugs for LF during any mass drug administration (MDA) rounds. Hence, it is necessary to identify these individuals and assess if they can be potential reservoirs of infection and understand the reasons for non-compliance.
This mixed method study, proposed for a period of 2 years, will assess the filarial infection status of never treated individuals from four LF-endemic districts in India. A multi-stage cluster sampling design will be followed to select the health subcentres from one highly endemic block in each of the selected districts. A random sample of 2535 never treated individuals from each block will be assessed for filarial infection by a cross-sectional blood survey. Qualitative surveys, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, will be conducted to elicit the reasons for their non-compliance. The prevalence of filarial infection will be summarised as frequencies and percentages. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis will be performed to find the factors associated with filarial infection. Exploring the various reasons, such as sociocultural, behavioural and programmatic drivers of non-participation, will enable the programme to design tailored communication and community engagement strategies to bring them under the umbrella of MDA and thereby support the ongoing LF elimination efforts.
This study has been approved by the institutional ethics committee (IHEC 07-0824/N/F, dated 25 September 2024). After completion of the study, a workshop will be held with all stakeholders to disseminate the study findings.
To determine the predictors of pressure injuries among residents living in Sri Lankan nursing homes.
A prospective multi-site longitudinal cohort study design.
Semi-structured observations and chart audits were used to gather data on 17 predictors of pressure injury from a consecutive sample of 210 residents (aged ≥ 60 years old) from nine nursing homes in Sri Lanka. Data were collected at baseline and followed up every week until the study endpoint: a new pressure injury or reaching the maximum 12 weeks of data collection, from July to October 2023. Validated semi-structured data collection forms and chart audits were utilised. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of pressure injuries. Generalised linear mixed models were used to assess the association between predictors and the development of new pressure injuries.
The cumulative incidence of pressure injuries was 17.1% (36/210) during the 12 weeks. The number of medical devices and baseline pressure injuries predicted the development of new pressure injuries. Each additional medical device increased the likelihood of developing a pressure injury by 2.3-fold, and individuals with a baseline pressure injury were 2.1 times more likely to develop a new pressure injury.
Multiple medical devices and baseline pressure injuries are predictors of pressure injury in older residents living in nursing homes.
This study provides evidence of pressure injury predictors among older residents living in nursing homes. Early identification of high-risk residents with an existing pressure injury and those with multiple medical devices is important for nurses and managers at nursing homes. Accurately assessing residents' risk of a pressure injury may result in implementing various preventive strategies that may ultimately help prevent future pressure injuries.
Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) for cohort studies guidelines.
No patient or public contribution.
To identify adverse outcomes and factors associated with diabetes mellitus among children and youths in East Africa.
This review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.
No date restrictions were applied to searches of the Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library databases and Google Scholar. The review identified and included literature published between 2007 and 2024.
Independent reviewers conducted study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. Data were organised in Microsoft Excel, detailing study characteristics, demographics, exposures, and outcomes. Narrative synthesis summarised the data, while meta-analysis yielded pooled proportions.
From 3797 publications, 30 studies involving 6109 children and youths with type 1 diabetes were included. Findings revealed that between 39.3% and 99% did not achieve target glycaemic levels. Diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis ranged from 35.8% to 78.7%. Pooled estimates indicated mortality in 6.47%, nephropathy in 15.66%, and retinopathy in 27.49% of the cases. Other complications included decreased health-related quality of life, lipodystrophy, psychiatric disorders, and stunting.
This review highlights the need for context-specific, personalised diabetes care for children and youths in East Africa. It underscores the need for healthcare professionals, particularly nurse diabetes educators, to provide personalised, holistic care and education. Policies that strengthen health systems, expand health insurance, and improve access to care are critical priorities to improve outcomes for these populations.
This study provides new information on diabetes-related complications and management challenges among children and youths in East Africa. Findings flag the urgent need for integrated care, standardised diagnostic criteria, and improved access to resources, with implications for healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers to enhance health outcomes and quality of life.
This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct, or reporting.
To identify and evaluate the magnitude of the association between caregiver psychosocial factors and depressive symptoms among people with dementia.
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
A systematic review with meta-analysis used a random-effects model to estimate the effect size.
Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus and Embase databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies from inception to 25 November 2023.
The review included 88 articles, with 61 selected for meta-analysis. Seven caregiver psychosocial factors were determined for the meta-analysis: caregiver quality of life, distress, positive aspects of caregiving, depression, burden, quality of the relationship and anxiety.
This study suggested that depressive symptoms in people with dementia were associated with caregiver quality of life, distress, burden, depression and positive aspects of caregiving.
Recognising the association between caregiver psychosocial factors and depressive symptoms in people with dementia has essential nursing implications. Adopting family-centred care models and integrating respite care and psychological support for caregivers can help improve patient outcomes and overall dementia care.
This study highlights the association between caregiver psychosocial factors and depressive symptoms in people with dementia. Caregiver distress, burden and depression were linked to increased depressive symptoms in people with dementia, while caregiver quality of life and positive aspects of caregiving were associated with depressive symptoms in people with dementia. These findings underscore the need for tailored interventions to enhance dyadic health.
This systematic review and meta-analysis adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.
There was no patient or public contribution.
This review was registered in PROSPERO (2024 CRD42024511383).
To describe the point prevalence of cognitive impairment in hospitalised adults and evaluate the association with care needs and perceived risks of complications.
Multi-site cross-sectional study on a single day in May 2023.
Trained clinician auditors screened adult inpatients in acute medical, surgical, oncology, geriatric, mental health, convalescent, and rehabilitation wards for cognitive impairment using the 4AT in seven healthcare facilities and recorded need for support with basic activities of daily living, incontinence, and perceived risks of complications (falls, pressure injuries, and malnutrition). Data were summarised and compared across 4AT categories, and the strength of association between 4AT and each outcome was estimated using multivariable regression models.
Data were available for 1145 inpatients on 68 wards (mean age 68 years [SD = 18], 583 [58.9%] female, 449 [39.2%] on acute medical units). Cognitive impairment (4AT of 1 or more) was identified in 482 (42.1%) participants. Participants with 4AT 1–3 had 2.0–3.6 times the odds of need for supervision or assistance with activities of daily living, while those with 4AT 4 or more had 2.9–5.3 times the odds of need for assistance.
Cognitive impairment is very common in adult inpatients and is associated with significantly higher physical care needs.
Hospital care models must support staff to address the higher care needs in people with cognitive impairment to protect a large patient group from hospital-acquired harm.
No patient or public contribution.
This study adheres to the STROBE reporting guidelines.
Young people face challenges in accessing information on HIV and sexual and reproductive health services, with corresponding suboptimal uptake. Decision aids can provide information and decisional support to improve young people’s engagement with health interventions. However, they have not been widely implemented among young people. The availability of different choices for HIV and pregnancy prevention means that it is important to implement interventions that facilitate informed choices for these methods. We describe a protocol for a scoping review that aims to explore the availability, acceptability and use of decision aids for HIV prevention and contraception for young people.
We will identify relevant studies from the following electronic databases from inception to current date: PubMed, Scopus and Global Health; and grey literature databases, namely medRxiv and Open Access Theses and Dissertations. Eligible studies will report on HIV prevention and/or contraception decision aids and be written in English. Data extraction will be done by two reviewers independently using templates, with discrepancies resolved by consensus. Analysis will be done narratively, and separate for HIV prevention and contraception decision aids. Analysis will also include determination of the suitability of each decision aid for use by young people aged 15–24 years. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews will be employed to present results.
This review does not require ethics approval. The findings from this work will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at local and international conferences.
This scoping review protocol is registered in Open Science Framework with Project DOI: 10.17605/OSF/IO/46YWG (accessible via: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/46YWG).
by Pieter L. van den Berg, Shane G. Henderson, Hemeng Li, Bridget Dicker, Caroline J. Jagtenberg
BackgroundCommunity First Responders (CFRs) are commonly used for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, and advanced systems send so-called phased alerts: notifications with built-in time delays. The policy that defines these delays affects both response times and volunteer fatigue.
MethodsWe compare alert policies by Monte Carlo Simulation, estimating patient survival, coverage, number of alerts and redundant CFR arrivals. In the simulation, acceptance probabilities and response delays are bootstrapped from 29,307 rows of historical data covering all GoodSAM alerts in New Zealand between 1-12-2017 and 30-11-2020. We simulate distances between the patient and CFRs by assuming that CFRs are located uniformly at random in a 1-km circle around the patient, for different CFR densities. Our simulated CFRs travel with a distance-dependent speed that was estimated by linear regression on observed speeds among those responders in the above-mentioned data set that eventually reached the patient.
ResultsThe alerting policy has a large impact on the four metrics above, and the best choice depends on volunteer density. For each volunteer density, we are able to identify a policy that improves GoodSAM New Zealand’s current policy on all four metrics. For example, when there are 30 volunteers within 1 km from the patient, sending out alerts to 7 volunteers and replacing each volunteer that rejects by a new one, is expected to save 10 additional lives per year compared to the current policy, without increasing volunteer fatigue. Our results also shed light on polices that would improve one metric while worsening another, for example, when there are 10 volunteers within 1 km from the patient, dispatching them all immediately increases our survival estimate by 11% compared to the current policy, with the downside of also increasing the redundant arrivals by 137%.
ConclusionsMonte Carlo simulation can help CFR system managers identify a good policy before implementing it in practice. We recommend balancing survival and volunteer fatigue, aiming to ultimately further improve a CFR system’s effectiveness.
This paper aims to synthesise the current, global evidence on addressing psychological concerns of women presenting with domestic and family violence within the ED and suggest avenues for future research.
This discursive paper draws on clinical experience and research of the authors and critical synthesis of current literature on management of victim-survivors of DFV presenting with psychological symptoms in ED.
Academic databases and grey literature were systematically searched to identify relevant sources, and findings were narratively synthesised.
DFV victim-survivors often present with mental health symptoms in ED; however, many health professionals in EDs fail to correctly identify the underlying trauma and offer support to address DFV. The most reported barriers to DFV screening/identification include time constraints, privacy issues, and lack of education/training about DFV and its support mechanisms. As a result, only mental health symptoms are being treated, ignoring the broader psychosocial needs of DFV victim-survivors. Use of trauma-informed support models is recommended to address the mental and psychosocial needs of DFV victim-survivors visiting the ED.
DFV victim-survivors visiting the ED are often treated for their mental health symptoms without addressing their underlying trauma and risk of future victimisation. To address the ongoing adverse impact of DFV, it is necessary to ensure holistic and continual support from ED professionals for victims.
The importance of not only education but the implementation of sustained education and training programs surrounding DFV identification, screening, and cannot be understood. DFV is a global problem whereby many victim-survivors become healthcare patients. It would be poor decision making for clinicians to not prioritise appropriate responses to this societal problem within their clinical practice.
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