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Hoy — Mayo 14th 2024Tus fuentes RSS

Patient and clinician preferences for diabetes management among older adults with co-morbid HIV: A qualitative exploration

by Allison P. Pack, Mary Clare Masters, Rachel O’Conor, Kenya Alcantara, Sophia Svoboda, Reneaki Smith, Fangyu Yeh, Guisselle Wismer, Amisha Wallia, Stacy C. Bailey

Background

Older adults with HIV are at increased risk of developing certain chronic health conditions including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). As the number and complexity of conditions increases, so do treatment and health care needs. We explored patient and clinician preferences for HIV+T2DM care and perceived solutions to improving care.

Methods

We conducted an exploratory qualitative study comprised of individual in-depth interviews. Participants included English-speaking patients aged 50 and older living with HIV and T2DM and infectious disease (ID) and primary care (PC) clinicians from a large academic health center in Chicago. Thematic analysis drew from the Framework Method.

Results

A total of 19 patient and 10 clinician participants were interviewed. Many patients reported seeking HIV and T2DM care from the same clinician; they valued rapport and a ‘one-stop-shop’. Others reported having separate clinicians; they valued perceived expertise and specialty care. Nearly all clinicians reported comfort screening for T2DM and initiating first line oral therapy; ID clinicians reported placing referrals for newer, complex therapies. Patients would like educational support for T2DM management; clinicians would like to learn more about newer therapies and easier referral processes.

Conclusions

Patient-centered care includes managing T2DM from a variety of clinical settings for individuals with HIV, yet strategies are needed to better support clinicians. Future research should examine how best to implement these strategies.

Analgesia for the treatment of acute pancreatitis: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Por: Subramani · S. S. · Berg · A. C. · Kral · L. A. · Murad · M. H. · Smith · A. · Phillips · A. E. · Yadav · D. · Uc · A. · Imdad · A.
Introduction

Gastrointestinal hospitalisations in the USA cause over US$130 billion in expenditures, and acute pancreatitis is a leading cause of these hospitalisations. Adequate pain control is one of the primary treatment goals for acute pancreatitis. Though opioids are commonly used for analgesia in these patients, there have been concerns about short-term and long-term side effects of using opioids. Recently, non-opioid medications have been studied to treat pain in patients with acute pancreatitis. This systematic review and network meta-analysis aims to assess the comparative efficacy of analgesic medication for non-severe, acute pancreatitis.

Methods and analysis

We will search multiple electronic databases for randomised controlled trials that study pain management in patients with non-severe, acute pancreatitis. The intervention will be any analgesic for acute pancreatitis in the hospital setting. The comparison group will be patients who received a placebo or other active interventions for pain management. The primary outcomes of interest include pain scores and the need for supplementary analgesia. The secondary outcomes will be serious adverse events, local complications, progression to severe pancreatitis, transfer to the intensive care unit, length of hospitalisation, time to start enteral feeds, 30-day all-cause mortality and Quality of Life Scale scores. If sufficient homogeneity exists among included studies, the findings will be pooled using a traditional pairwise and network meta-analysis. The risk of bias in randomised control trials will be evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach will be used to report the certainty of evidence.

Ethics and dissemination

This systematic review will not involve direct contact with human subjects. The findings of this review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. They will give healthcare providers a better awareness of the optimal analgesic medication for pain treatment in non-severe, acute pancreatitis.

Impacts on paediatricians testifying in cases of child maltreatment: protocol for a systematic review

Por: Horstman · A. · Smith · J. A. S. · Bassed · R. B. · Bugeja · L.
Introduction

Paediatricians perform medical assessments for children in cases of suspected child maltreatment. Due to their role with statutory child protection agencies and police, paediatricians may be asked to testify in court about child protection and criminal justice matters. To the authors’ knowledge, there has been no previous systematic review of the literature synthesising the evidence on the impacts on paediatricians testifying in cases of child maltreatment.

Methods and analysis

A search strategy comprising indexed and key terms will be applied to six electronic reference databases from inception to May 2023: Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Criminal Justice Abstracts and Cochrane Library. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts and full-text articles against predefined eligibility criteria to identify studies of interest. Conflicts will be independently adjudicated by a third reviewer.

Ethics and dissemination

Since the systematic review methodology aims at synthesising information from available publications, this study does not require ethical approval. An article reporting the results of the systematic review will be submitted for publication in a scientific journal, presented at relevant conferences and used in subsequent stakeholder consultations.

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Point-of-choice kilocalorie labelling practices in large, out-of-home food businesses: a preobservational versus post observational study of labelling practices following implementation of The Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2

Por: Polden · M. · Jones · A. · Essman · M. · Adams · J. · Bishop · T. · Burgoine · T. · Donohue · A. · Sharp · S. · White · M. · Smith · R. · Robinson · E.
Background and objectives

On 6 April 2022, the UK government implemented mandatory kilocalorie (kcal) labelling regulations for food and drink products sold in the out-of-home food sector (OHFS) in England. Previous assessments of kcal labelling practices in the UK OHFS found a low prevalence of voluntary implementation and poor compliance with labelling recommendations. This study aimed to examine changes in labelling practices preimplementation versus post implementation of mandatory labelling regulations in 2022.

Methods

In August–December 2021 (preimplementation) and August–November 2022 (post implementation), large OHFS businesses (250 or more employees) subject to labelling regulations were visited. At two time points, a researcher visited the same 117 food outlets (belonging to 90 unique businesses) across four local authorities in England. Outlets were rated for compliance with government regulations for whether kcal labelling was provided at any or all point of choice, provided for all eligible food and drink items, provided per portion for sharing items, if labelling was clear and legible and if kcal reference information was displayed.

Results

There was a significant increase (21% preimplementation vs 80% post implementation, OR=40.98 (95% CI 8.08 to 207.74), p

Conclusion

The number of large businesses in the OHFS providing kcal labelling increased following the implementation of mandatory labelling regulations. However, around one-fifth of eligible outlets sampled were not providing kcal labelling 4–8 months after the regulations came into force, and the majority of businesses only partially complied with government guidance. More effective enforcement may be required to further improve kcal labelling practices in the OHFS in England.

Preregistration

Study protocol and analysis strategy preregistered on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/pfnm6/).

Particle analysis of surgical lung biopsies from deployed and non-deployed US service members during the Global War on Terrorism

by Leslie Hayden, James M. Lightner, Stacy Strausborger, Teri J. Franks, Nora L. Watson, Michael R. Lewin-Smith

The role that inhaled particulate matter plays in the development of post-deployment lung disease among US service members deployed to Southwest Asia during the Global War on Terrorism has been difficult to define. There is a persistent gap in data addressing the relationship between relatively short-term (months to a few years) exposures to high levels of particulate matter during deployment and the subsequent development of adverse pulmonary outcomes. Surgical lung biopsies from deployed service members and veterans (DSMs) and non-deployed service members and veterans (NDSMs) who develop lung diseases can be analyzed to potentially identify residual deployment-specific particles and develop associations with pulmonary pathological diagnoses. We examined 52 surgical lung biopsies from 25 DSMs and 27 NDSMs using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to identify any between-group differences in the number and composition of retained inorganic particles, then compared the particle analysis results with the original histopathologic diagnoses. We recorded a higher number of total particles in biopsies from DSMs than from NDSMs, and this difference was mainly accounted for by geologic clays (illite, kaolinite), feldspars, quartz/silica, and titanium-rich silicate mixtures. Biopsies from DSMs deployed to other Southwest Asia regions (SWA-Other) had higher particle counts than those from DSMs primarily deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, due mainly to illite. Distinct deployment-specific particles were not identified. Particles did not qualitatively associate with country of deployment. The individual diagnoses of the DSMs and NDSMs were not associated with elevated levels of total particles, metals, cerium oxide, or titanium dioxide particles. These results support the examination of particle-related lung disease in DSMs in the context of comparison groups, such as NDSMs, to assist in determining the strength of associations between specific pulmonary pathology diagnoses and deployment-specific inorganic particulate matter exposure.

A scoping review of the role of policy in mitigating childhood obesity in underserved populations using the RE‐AIM framework

Abstract

Background

Childhood obesity is an escalating crisis in the United States. Health policy may impact this epidemic which disproportionally affects underserved populations.

Aim

The aim was to use the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to assess health policy impact on preventing or treating school-aged children (5 > 18 years) with obesity in underserved populations.

Methods

A scoping review of 842 articles was conducted. Twenty-four articles met the inclusion criteria and underwent data extraction.

Results

Twelve studies included subgroup analysis, with four suggesting an impact of policy on at-risk groups. None of the 24 studies fully applied the RE-AIM framework. Policies positively impacted childhood obesity in 12 studies across the sample.

Linking Evidence to Action

Our review revealed inconsistent evidence for the effectiveness of policy on childhood obesity, perhaps due to the lack of focus on the social determinants of health. In addition, many studies did not evaluate the outcomes for underserved populations. Therefore, we propose more attention to social determinants in future legislation and evaluation of policy effectiveness on underserved populations. Findings identify an urgent need for the design, implementation, and evaluation of policies specifically directed to address the inequities of racism, social injustices, and social determinants of health that impact childhood obesity in the United States. Future work needs to identify who was reached by the policy, who benefitted from the policy, and how policies were implemented to address obesity-related health disparities. Nurses should advocate for the evaluation of childhood obesity policies, particularly in underserved populations, to determine effectiveness. Nurses, particularly those trained in population and community health and research, should advocate for policy research that considers inequities rather than controls for these variables. Multi-layered interventions can then be tailored to sub-populations and evaluated more effectively.

Evaluating patient factors, operative management and postoperative outcomes in trauma laparotomy patients worldwide: a protocol for a global observational multicentre trauma study

Por: Bath · M. F. · Kohler · K. · Hobbs · L. · Smith · B. G. · Clark · D. J. · Kwizera · A. · Perkins · Z. · Marsden · M. · Davenport · R. · Davies · J. · Amoako · J. · Moonesinghe · R. · Weiser · T. · Leather · A. J. M. · Hardcastle · T. · Naidoo · R. · Nördin · Y. · Conway Morris · A. · Lak
Introduction

Trauma contributes to the greatest loss of disability-adjusted life-years for adolescents and young adults worldwide. In the context of global abdominal trauma, the trauma laparotomy is the most commonly performed operation. Variation likely exists in how these patients are managed and their subsequent outcomes, yet very little global data on the topic currently exists. The objective of the GOAL-Trauma study is to evaluate both patient and injury factors for those undergoing trauma laparotomy, their clinical management and postoperative outcomes.

Methods

We describe a planned prospective multicentre observational cohort study of patients undergoing trauma laparotomy. We will include patients of all ages who present to hospital with a blunt or penetrating injury and undergo a trauma laparotomy within 5 days of presentation to the treating centre. The study will collect system, patient, process and outcome data, following patients up until 30 days postoperatively (or until discharge or death, whichever is first). Our sample size calculation suggests we will need to recruit 552 patients from approximately 150 recruiting centres.

Discussion

The GOAL-Trauma study will provide a global snapshot of the current management and outcomes for patients undergoing a trauma laparotomy. It will also provide insight into the variation seen in the time delays for receiving care, the disease and patient factors present, and patient outcomes. For current standards of trauma care to be improved worldwide, a greater understanding of the current state of trauma laparotomy care is paramount if appropriate interventions and targets are to be identified and implemented.

Personalised Exercise-Rehabilitation FOR people with Multiple long-term conditions (PERFORM): protocol for a randomised feasibility trial

Por: Simpson · S. A. · Evans · R. A. · Gilbert · H. R. · Branson · A. · Barber · S. · McIntosh · E. · Ahmed · Z. · Dean · S. G. · Doherty · P. J. · Gardiner · N. · Greaves · C. · Daw · P. · Ibbotson · T. · Jani · B. · Jolly · K. · Mair · F. · Ormandy · P. · Smith · S. · Singh · S. J. · Taylor · R.
Introduction

Personalised Exercise-Rehabilitation FOR people with Multiple long-term conditions (PERFORM) is a research programme that seeks to develop and evaluate a comprehensive exercise-based rehabilitation intervention designed for people with multimorbidity, the presence of multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs). This paper describes the protocol for a randomised trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the PERFORM intervention, study design and processes.

Methods and analysis

A multicentre, parallel two-group randomised trial with individual 2:1 allocation to the PERFORM exercise-based intervention plus usual care (intervention) or usual care alone (control). The primary outcome of this feasibility trial will be to assess whether prespecified progression criteria (recruitment, retention, intervention adherence) are met to progress to the full randomised trial. The trial will be conducted across three UK sites and 60 people with MLTCs, defined as two or more LTCs, with at least one having evidence of the beneficial effect of exercise. The PERFORM intervention comprises an 8-week (twice a week for 6 weeks and once a week for 2 weeks) supervised rehabilitation programme of personalised exercise training and self-management education delivered by trained healthcare professionals followed by two maintenance sessions. Trial participants will be recruited over a 4.5-month period, and outcomes assessed at baseline (prerandomisation) and 3 months postrandomisation and include health-related quality of life, psychological well-being, symptom burden, frailty, exercise capacity, physical activity, sleep, cognition and serious adverse events. A mixed-methods process evaluation will assess acceptability, feasibility and fidelity of intervention delivery and feasibility of trial processes. An economic evaluation will assess the feasibility of data collection and estimate the costs of the PERFORM intervention.

Ethics and dissemination

The trial has been given favourable opinion by the West Midlands, Edgbaston Research Ethics Service (Ref: 23/WM/0057). Participants will be asked to give full, written consent to take part by trained researchers. Findings will be disseminated via journals, presentations and targeted communications to clinicians, commissioners, service users and patients and the public.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN68786622.

Protocol version

2.0 (16 May 2023).

Experiences and resultant care gaps among women with HIV in Canada: concept mapping the Canadian HIV Womens Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS) findings

Por: Medeiros · P. · Koebel · J. · Yu · A. · Kazemi · M. · Nicholson · V. · Frank · P. · Persad · Y. · O'Brien · N. · Bertozzi · B. · Smith · S. · Ndung'u · M. · Fraleigh · A. · Gagnier · B. · Cardinal · C. · Webster · K. · Sanchez · M. · Lee · M. · Lacombe-Duncan · A. · Logie · C. H. · Gormley
Objectives

The community-based, longitudinal, Canadian HIV Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS) explored the experiences of women with HIV in Canada over the past decade. CHIWOS’ high-impact publications document significant gaps in the provision of healthcare to women with HIV. We used concept mapping to analyse and present a summary of CHIWOS findings on women’s experiences navigating these gaps.

Design

Concept mapping procedures were performed in two steps between June 2019 and March 2021. First, two reviewers (AY and PM) independently reviewed CHIWOS manuscripts and conference abstracts written before 1 August 2019 to identify main themes and generate individual concept maps. Next, the preliminary results were presented to national experts, including women with HIV, to consolidate findings into visuals summarising the experiences and care gaps of women with HIV in CHIWOS.

Setting

British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, Canada.

Participants

A total of 18 individual CHIWOS team members participated in this study including six lead investigators of CHIWOS and 12 community researchers.

Results

Overall, a total of 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference abstracts met the inclusion criteria. Using concept mapping, themes were generated and structured through online meetings. In total, six composite concept maps were co-developed: quality of life, HIV care, psychosocial and mental health, sexual health, reproductive health, and trans women’s health. Two summary diagrams were created encompassing the concept map themes, one for all women and one specific to trans women with HIV. Through our analysis, resilience, social support, positive healthy actions and women-centred HIV care were highlighted as strengths leading to well-being for women with HIV.

Conclusions

Concept mapping resulted in a composite summary of 60 peer-reviewed CHIWOS publications. This activity allows for priority setting to optimise care and well-being for women with HIV.

Nurses’ and midwives’ experiences of managing parental postnatal depression: A scoping review

Abstract

Aim

To describe the current state of the literature on nurses' and midwives' knowledge, perceptions and experiences of managing parental postnatal depression (PPND).

Design

The Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review method and the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews guided the work.

Data Sources

A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Scopus databases was conducted in January and February 2023.

Review Methods

Peer-reviewed primary research articles published in English between 2012 and 2023 that involved nurses or midwives managing PPND were included. Rayyan was used to screen titles, abstracts and full-text articles. A spreadsheet was used to organize extracted data and synthesize results.

Results

Twenty-nine articles met the inclusion criteria. Most study samples were of mothers, and few were from middle- and lower-income countries. Nurses and midwives lacked knowledge about PPND, yet they felt responsible for its management. Nurses and midwives faced significant organizational and systems-level challenges in managing PPND. However, nurses and midwives facilitated PPND care in collaboration with other healthcare providers.

Conclusion

The review highlights significant gaps in the nurses' and midwives' care of PPND. Educational programmes are necessary to increase nurse and midwife knowledge of PPND and strategies for its management, including facilitating collaboration across the healthcare system and eliminating organizational and systemic-related barriers. Additional focused research is needed on nurses' and midwives' knowledge, perception of and experience with PPND beyond mothers, such as with fathers, sexually and gender-minoritized parents and surrogate mothers. Finally, additional research is needed in middle- and lower-income countries where nurses and midwives may face a higher burden of and unique cultural considerations in managing PPND.

Impact

PPND can affect the parent's mental and physical health and relationship with their child. If left untreated, PPND can lead to long-term consequences, including child developmental delays, behavioural problems and difficulties with parental–child attachment.

Reporting Method

This scoping review adheres to PRISMA Extension for Scoping Review guidelines and the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review method.

Patient or Public Contribution

This research is a scoping review of published peer-reviewed studies.

A post‐diagnosis information and support programme for dyads—People living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment and family carers: A feasibility study

Abstract

Aim

The aim of the study was to establish the feasibility of delivering a structured post-diagnosis information and support program to dyads (persons living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment and family carers) in two primary care settings.

Design

A two-phase explanatory mixed-method approach guided by the Bowen Feasibility Framework focused on acceptability, implementation, adaptation, integration and efficacy of a five-part programme. In phase 1, the quantitative impact of the programme on the dyadic programme recipients' self-efficacy, quality of life, dyadic relationship and volume of care was measured. In phase 2, inductive content analysis focused on nurse and dyad participant experiences of the programme. Quantitative and qualitative data were reviewed to conclude each element of feasibility.

Methods

Four registered nurses working within the participating sites were recruited, trained as programme facilitators and supported to deliver the programme. Eligible dyads attending the respective primary health clinics were invited to participate in the programme and complete surveys at three time points: recruitment, post-programme and 3-month follow-up. Post-programme semi-structured interviews were conducted with dyads and programme facilitators.

Results

Twenty-nine dyads completed the program; the majority were spousal dyads. The programme proved acceptable to the dyads with high retention and completion rates. Implementation and integration of the programme into usual practice were attributed to the motivation and capacity of the nurses as programme facilitators. Regarding programme efficacy, most dyads reported they were better prepared for the future and shared the plans they developed during the programme with family members.

Conclusion

Implementing a structured information and support programme is feasible, but sustainability requires further adaptation or increased staff resources to maintain programme fidelity. Future research should consider selecting efficacy measures sensitive to the unique needs of people living with dementia and increasing follow-up time to 6 months.

Impact

This study established the feasibility of registered nurses delivering a post-diagnosis information and support programme for people living with early-stage dementia or mild cognitive impairment and their informal carers in primary care settings. The motivation and capacity of nurses working as programme facilitators ensured the integration of the programme into usual work, but this was not considered sustainable over time. Family carer dyads reported tangible outcomes and gained confidence in sharing their diagnosis with family and friends and asking for assistance. Findings from this study can be used to provide direction for a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of the structured information and support programme in the primary care setting.

Reporting Method

The authors have adhered to the EQUATOR STROBE Statement.

Patient or Public Contribution

A public hospital memory clinic and general medical practice participated in project design, study protocol development and supported implementation.

Associations between hospital organizational features, person‐centred care and nurse‐sensitive outcomes for persons with dementia in acute care: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Aim(s)

The aim of this systematic literature review was to determine the extent and quality of quantitative evidence regarding associations between hospital organizational features, person-centred care (PCC) and nursing-sensitive outcomes among persons with dementia in the acute care setting.

Design

Systematic review.

Methods

Key terms were utilized to guide searches in four databases. The two reviewers deduplicated articles and came to a consensus for the final sample using inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Data Sources

MEDLINE/OVID, CINHAL, COCHRANE and WEB OF SCIENCE.

Results

There were 10 studies included. PCC was associated with better outcomes for persons with dementia (i.e. decreased restraint use, decreased length of stay, increased involvement with families and the patient, and increased nurse confidence and competence in caring for this population). Of the studies, none explicitly identified an association between nursing-sensitive outcomes, PCC and hospital organizational features in the acute care setting among persons with dementia.

Conclusion

This review highlights a clinically significant gap in knowledge regarding associations between hospital organizational features, PCC and nursing sensitive outcomes. The impact of face-to-face dementia competency training as a standard practice among acute care facilities, the importance of leadership engagement, support and involvement to improve nurse confidence and competence in caring for persons with dementia needs to be explored.

Impact Statement

These findings support future research to understand the relationship between organization features and patient-centred care and how these collectively impact nursing-sensitive outcomes, specifically in persons with dementia in acute care settings.

UK medical students self-reported knowledge and harm assessment of psychedelics and their application in clinical research: a cross-sectional study

Por: Song-Smith · C. · Jacobs · E. · Rucker · J. · Saint · M. · Cooke · J. · Schlosser · M.
Objective

To capture UK medical students’ self-reported knowledge and harm assessment of psychedelics and to explore the factors associated with support for changing the legal status of psychedelics to facilitate further clinical research.

Design

Cross-sectional, anonymous online survey of UK medical students using a non-random sampling method.

Setting

UK medical schools recognised by the General Medical Council.

Participants

132 medical students who had spent an average of 3.8 years (SD=1.4; range: 1–6) in medical school.

Results

Most students (83%) reported that they were aware of psychedelic research and only four participants (3%) said that they were not interested in learning more about this type of research. Although medical students’ harm assessment of psychedelics closely aligned with that of experts, only 17% of students felt well-educated on psychedelic research. Teachings on psychedelics were only rarely encountered in their curriculum (psilocybin: 14.1 (SD=19.9), scale: 0 (never) to 100 (very often)). Time spent at medical schools was not associated with more knowledge about psychedelics (r=0.12, p=0.129). On average, this sample of medical students showed strong support for changing the legal status of psychedelics to facilitate further research into their potential clinical applications (psilocybin: 80.2 (SD=24.8), scale: 0 (strongly oppose) to 100 (strongly support)). Regression modelling indicated that greater knowledge of psychedelics (p

Conclusions

Our findings reveal a significant interest among UK medical students to learn more about psychedelic research and a strong support for further psychedelic research. Future studies are needed to examine how medical education could be refined to adequately prepare medical students for a changing healthcare landscape in which psychedelic-assisted therapy could soon be implemented in clinical practice.

What are the barriers and facilitators to advance care planning with older people in long‐term care facilities? A qualitative study

Abstract

Aim

To explore the views and preferences for advance care planning from the perspectives of residents, family members and healthcare professionals in long-term care facilities.

Design

A qualitative descriptive design.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 residents of long-term care facilities, 10 family members and 14 healthcare professionals. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The social ecological model was used to develop implementation recommendations.

Results

We constructed a conceptual model of barriers and facilitators to advance care planning in long-term care facilities, drawing upon four dominant themes from the qualitative analysis: (1) The absence of discourse on end-of-life care: a lack of cultural climate to talk about death, the unspoken agreement to avoid conversations about death, and poor awareness of palliative care may hinder advance care planning initiation; (2) Relational decision-making process is a dual factor affecting advance care planning engagement; (3) Low trust and ‘unsafe’ cultures: a lack of honest information sharing, risks of violating social expectations and damaging social relationships, and risks of legal consequences may hinder willingness to engage in advance care planning; (4) Meeting and respecting residents' psychosocial needs: these can be addressed by readiness assessment, initiating advance care planning in an informal and equal manner and involving social workers.

Conclusion

Our findings show that residents' voices were not being heard. It is necessary to identify residents' spontaneous conversation triggers, articulate the value of advance care planning in light of the family's values and preferences, and respect residents' psychosocial needs to promote advance care planning in long-term care facilities. Advance care planning may alleviate the decision-making burden of offspring in nuclear families.

Implications for clinical practice

The evidence-based recommendations in this study will inform the implementation of context-specific advance care planning in Asia-Pacific regions.

Patient and Public Contribution

Patients and caregivers contributed to the interview pilot and data collection.

First clinical evaluation of the safety and efficacy of tarumase for the debridement of venous leg ulcers

Abstract

We report the first clinical evaluation of a new enzymatic wound debridement product containing tarumase in venous leg ulcer patients. As a first-in-human study, this was a prospective, open-label, multi-centre, dose escalation study across five dose cohorts and involving a total of 43 patients treated three times weekly for up to 4 weeks (12 applications). The primary and secondary endpoints of the study were to assess the systemic safety, local tolerability, and early proof of concept both for wound debridement and healing. Results indicated that the tarumase enzyme was well tolerated when applied topically to wounds, with no indications of systemic absorption, no evidence of antibody generation, and no systemic effects on coagulation pathways. Locally, there was no evidence of pain on application, no local itching, no increases in erythema, oedema, exudate or bleeding and only a few treatment emergent adverse events were reported. As the concentration of tarumase was escalated, trends towards faster and improved effectiveness of wound debridement were observed, especially in patients with significant slough at baseline. Trends towards faster rates of healing were also noted based on observations of increased granulation tissue, increased linear healing and reduction in surface area over the 4-week treatment period.

Brain Re-Irradiation Or Chemotherapy: a phase II randomised trial of re-irradiation and chemotherapy in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (BRIOChe) - protocol for a multi-centre open-label randomised trial

Por: Hudson · E. M. · Noutch · S. · Webster · J. · Brown · S. R. · Boele · F. W. · Al-Salihi · O. · Baines · H. · Bulbeck · H. · Currie · S. · Fernandez · S. · Hughes · J. · Lilley · J. · Smith · A. · Parbutt · C. · Slevin · F. · Short · S. · Sebag-Montefiore · D. · Murray · L.
Introduction

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common adult primary malignant brain tumour. The condition is incurable and, despite aggressive treatment at first presentation, almost all tumours recur after a median of 7 months. The aim of treatment at recurrence is to prolong survival and maintain health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Chemotherapy is typically employed for recurrent GBM, often using nitrosourea-based regimens. However, efficacy is limited, with reported median survivals between 5 and 9 months from recurrence. Although less commonly used in the UK, there is growing evidence that re-irradiation may produce survival outcomes at least similar to nitrosourea-based chemotherapy. However, there remains uncertainty as to the optimum approach and there is a paucity of available data, especially with regards to HRQoL. Brain Re-Irradiation Or Chemotherapy (BRIOChe) aims to assess re-irradiation, as an acceptable treatment option for recurrent IDH-wild-type GBM.

Methods and analysis

BRIOChe is a phase II, multi-centre, open-label, randomised trial in patients with recurrent GBM. The trial uses Sargent’s three-outcome design and will recruit approximately 55 participants from 10 to 15 UK radiotherapy sites, allocated (2:1) to receive re-irradiation (35 Gy in 10 daily fractions) or nitrosourea-based chemotherapy (up to six, 6-weekly cycles). The primary endpoint is overall survival rate for re-irradiation patients at 9 months. There will be no formal statistical comparison between treatment arms for the decision-making primary analysis. The chemotherapy arm will be used for calibration purposes, to collect concurrent data to aid interpretation of results. Secondary outcomes include HRQoL, dexamethasone requirement, anti-epileptic drug requirement, radiological response, treatment compliance, acute and late toxicities, progression-free survival.

Ethics and dissemination

BRIOChe obtained ethical approval from Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland (reference no. 20/NI/0070). Final trial results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and adhere to the ICMJE guidelines.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN60524.

Determining the distance patterns in the movements of future doctors in UK between 2002 and 2015: a retrospective cohort study

Por: Hitchings · L. · Fleet · B. · Smith · D. T. · Read · J. M. · Melville · C. · Sedda · L.
Objective

To determine and identify distance patterns in the movements of medical students and junior doctors between their training locations.

Design

A retrospective cohort study of UK medical students from 2002 to 2015 (UKMED data).

Setting

All UK medical schools, foundations and specialty training organisation.

Participants

All UK medical students from 2002 to 2015, for a total of 97 932 participants.

Outcome measures

Individual movements and number of movements by county of students from family home to medical school training, from medical school to foundation training and from foundation to specialty training.

Methods

Leslie matrix, principal components analysis, Gini coefficient, 2 test, generalised linear models and variable selection methods were employed to explore the different facets of students’ and junior doctors’ movements from the family home to medical school and for the full pathway (from family home to specialty training).

Results

The majority of the movements between the different stages of the full pathway were restricted to a distance of up to 50 km; although the proportion of movements changed from year-to-year, with longer movements during 2007–2008. At the individual level, ethnicity, socioeconomic class of the parent(s) and the deprivation score of the family home region were found to be the most important factors associated with the length of the movements from the family home to medical school. Similar results were found when movements were aggregated at the county level, with the addition of factors such as gender and qualification at entry (to medical school) being statistically associated with the number of new entrant students moving between counties.

Conclusion

Our findings show that while future doctors do not move far from their family home or training location, this pattern is not homogeneous over time. Distances are influenced by demographics, socioeconomic status and deprivation. These results may contribute in designing interventions aimed at solving the chronic problems of maldistribution and underdoctoring in the UK.

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