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Patients with impaired kidney function and increased albuminuria are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Previous research has revealed that a substantial proportion of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) do not get a registered diagnosis in the electronic health record of the general practitioner. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between non-registration of CKD and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcome.
A retrospective study in primary care.
The analyses were carried out in the INTEGO database, a general practice-based morbidity registration network in Flanders, Belgium. The study used INTEGO data from the year 2018 for all patients ≥18 years old, including 10 551 patients. To assess the risk of mortality and CVD, a time-to-event analysis was performed. Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the association between non-registration and incidence of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events with mortality as a competing risk. Subgroup analyses were performed for estimated glomerular filtration rate stages (3A, 3B, 4 and 5). Multiple imputation was done following the methodology of Mamouris et al.
Mortality was higher in patients with non-registered CKD compared with patients with registered CKD (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.41). Non-registration of CKD was not associated with an increased risk for the development of CVD (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.11).
An association between non-registration and all-cause mortality was identified, although no such association was apparent for CVD.
To explore relatives' needs in terms of bereavement care during euthanasia processes, how healthcare providers respond to these needs, and the degree of commonality between relatives' and healthcare providers' reports.
A phenomenological design was employed, utilising reflexive thematic analysis to examine interviews conducted with relatives (N = 19) and healthcare providers (N = 47).
Relatives' needs throughout euthanasia processes are presented in five main themes and several subthemes, with similar findings between both sets of participants. Although relatives infrequently communicated their needs explicitly to healthcare providers, they appreciated it when staff proactively met their needs. Healthcare providers aimed to assist with the relatives' grief process by tending to their specific needs. However, aftercare was not consistently offered, but relatives did not have high expectations for professional follow-up care.
Our research offers important directions for healthcare professionals, empowering them to provide needs-based bereavement care during euthanasia processes. Moreover, it emphasises the importance of recognising the unique needs of relatives and proactively addressing them in the period before the loss to positively contribute to relatives' grief process.
Insights into relatives' needs in the context of euthanasia. Good practices on how healthcare providers can attend to relatives' needs before, during and after the loss
Current literature and guidelines on needs-based bereavement care in the context of euthanasia and, more generally, assisted dying, are limited. These findings provide concrete directions for practice in supporting (nearly) bereaved relatives in the context of euthanasia, potentially mitigating adverse health outcomes.
Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR checklist).
Relatives of deceased cancer patients were involved in the conduct of the study.
There is a growing concern about the sustainability of healthcare and the impacts of ‘overuse’ on patients and systems. Quaternary prevention (P4), a concept promoting the protection of patients from medical interventions in which harms outweigh benefits, is well positioned to stimulate reflection and inspire solutions, yet has not been widely adopted. We sought to identify enablers and barriers to a P4 approach, according to field experts and advocates in one health system.
Qualitative methodology, using semistructured interviews and a grounded theory approach facilitated thematic analysis and development of a conceptual model.
Virtual interviews, conducted in British Columbia, Canada.
12 field experts, recruited based on their interest and work related to P4 and related concepts.
Four factors were seen as promoting or hindering P4 efforts depending on context: relationship between patient and clinician, education of clinicians and the public, health system design and influencers. We extracted four broad enablers of P4: evidence-based medicine, personal experiences and questioning attitude, public P4 campaigns and experience in resource-poor contexts. There were six barriers: peer pressure between clinicians, awareness and screening campaigns, cognitive biases, cultural factors, complexity of the problem and industry influence.
Elicited facilitators and impediments to the application of P4 were similar to those seen in existing literature but framed uniquely; our findings place increased emphasis on the clinician–patient relationship as central to decision-making and position other drivers as influencing this relationship. A transition to a model of care that explicitly integrates conscious protection of patients by reducing overtesting, overdiagnosis and overtreatment will require changes across health systems and society.
To determine patients', nurses' and researchers' opinions on the appropriateness and completeness of the proposed conceptualization of nurses' support of hospitalised patients' self-management.
A modified Delphi study.
We conducted a two-round Delphi survey. The panel group consisted of patients, nurses and researchers. The conceptualization of nurses' support of hospitalised patients' self-management presented in the first Delphi round was based on previous research, including a scoping review of the literature. Data was analysed between both rounds and after the second round. Results are reported in accordance with the guidance on Conducting and Reporting Delphi Studies (CREDES).
In the first round all activities of the proposed conceptualization were considered appropriate to support the patients' self-management. Panel members' comments led to the textual adjustment of 19 activities, the development of 15 new activities, and three general questions related to self-management support during hospitalisation. In the second round the modified and the newly added activities were also deemed appropriate. The clarification statements raised in the first Delphi round were accepted, although questions remained about the wording of the activities and about what is and what is not self-management support.
After textual adjustments and the addition of some activities, the proposed conceptualization of nurses' support in patients' self-management while hospitalised have been considered appropriate and complete. Nevertheless, questions about the scope of this concept still remains. The results provide a starting point for further discussion and the development of self-management programs aimed at the hospitalised patient.
The results can be considered as a starting point for practice to discuss the concept of nurses' support for hospitalised patients' self-management and develop, implement and research self-management programs specific for their patient population.
Results are reported in accordance with the guidance on Conducting and Reporting Delphi Studies (CREDES).
Patients were involved as expert panellist in this Delphi study.
Self-management support during hospitalisation is understudied, which undermines the development of evidence-based interventions.
A panel, consisting of patients, nurses and researchers, agreed on the appropriateness of a conceptualization of nurses' support of inpatients' self-management, and identified some points for discussion, mainly related to the boundaries of the concept self-management.
This study is crucial for generating conceptual understanding of how nurses support patients' self-management during hospitalisation. This is necessary for policy, clinical practice, education, and research on this topic.
To explore experiences of patients affiliated to a cross-sectorial outgoing lung team.
The outgoing lung team consisted of respiratory nurses from the hospital and community nurses. The lung team offered 24/7 help to patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) through visits and/or treatment in the patients' home. Affiliation to the lung team reduced both hospitalizations and length of hospital stay due to acute exacerbation of COPD. However, based on questionnaires on health-related quality of life, no significant differences were found between patients affiliated to the lung team and patients receiving usual care.
A qualitative interview study.
In total, 16 patients, aged 61–88 years were interviewed between February 2019 and July 2021. They had been affiliated to the outgoing lung team for 1–3 years. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the patients' home and audio-recorded after informed consent was obtained. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed, inspired by systematic text condensation by Malterud.
Four themes emerged from the analysis: (1) feeling safe, (2) improvements in living with COPD, (3) avoiding hospitalization and (4) satisfied with staying at home.
Affiliation to the cross-sectorial outgoing lung team gave the patients peace of mind and improved their ability to live with advanced COPD. The patients preferred contacting the lung team because they could stay at home and receive treatment, and thus avoid hospitalization.
The findings from this study support that municipalities should consider implementing an outgoing lung team, as it has the potential to bring several benefits, including improving patient self-management.
The manuscript adhered to Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) guideline.
Patients were interviewed. Additionally, no patient or public contributed to the design or conduction of the study, analysis, or interpretation of the data.
The aim was to study the development of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (RKOA) in individuals with knee pain over 2 years, and the associations between radiographic changes and baseline variables.
Longitudinal cohort study.
This study is part of the Halland Osteoarthritis cohort. The included 178 individuals, aged 30–67, had knee pain, without cruciate ligament injury or radiographic findings and 67% were women. The presence of RKOA was defined as Ahlbäck score of ≥1 in ≥1 knee. (Ahlbäck grade 1: joint space narrowing in the tibiofemoral joint
In all, 13.8% (n=24) developed RKOA in 2 years whereof all had clinical KOA at baseline, as defined by NICE. Deterioration to RKOA was significantly associated with higher BMI, OR 1.119 (95% CI 1.024 to 1.223; p=0.013), and VFA, 1.008 (95% CI 1.000 to 1.016; p=0.049), worse knee pain intensity, 1.238 (95% CI 1.028 to 1.490; p=0.024), worse scores for KOOS Pain, 0.964 (95% CI 0.937 to 0.992; p=0.013) and KOOS Symptoms, 0.967 (95% CI 0.939 to 0.996; p=0.027), KOOS Activities of daily living 0.965 (95% CI 0.935 to 0.996; p=0.026) and KOOS Quality of Life 0.973 (95% CI 0.947 to 0.999; p=0.044), at baseline.
One out of seven individuals with clinical KOA developed RKOA in only 2 years. Baseline variables associated with RKOA after 2 years may possibly be detected early by using the NICE guideline, assessment of obesity and self-reported data of symptoms to support first-line treatment: education, exercise and weight control.
ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04928170)
To explore Danish women's experiences with opting out of cervical cancer screening and the role of the nurse in the women's decision-making process.
A qualitative study using semi-structured, individual interviews with a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach.
Interviews were conducted with 13 women with experience in opting out of cervical cancer screening. Women were recruited through a public flyer and interviewed virtually or by phone. The interviews were analysed using the theory of interpretation from Paul Ricoeur and consisted of three levels: naïve reading, structural analysis, and critical discussion and analysis. The present study adheres to the COREQ guidelines.
The women experience various personal causes for opting out of cervical cancer screening, such as low accessibility of screening appointments, discomfort during the smear test, fear of being sick, and insufficient information about the relevance of screening to the individual woman. The perceived disadvantages of screening outweighed their perceived advantages. The women's experiences did not include the role of the nurse in the procedures and knowledge sharing related to cervical cancer screening. However, nurses were described as having good communicative and relational qualifications relevant to being involved in cervical cancer screening.
It was challenging for the women to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of cervical cancer screening and thus to make an informed decision about participation. They expressed a need for more information on which to base their decision. This places nurses in a much needed, yet unexplored, role of identifying and lowering potential personal barriers that may outweigh the women's perceived benefits of participating in screening.
Nurses should play a more active role in cervical cancer screening such as improving general knowledge and facilitating two-way communication about its relevance.
The present study adheres to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines.
No patient or public contribution.
To explore illegitimate tasks as a potential mechanism that links permanent nurses' perceived exposure to temporary nurses to lower levels of affective organizational commitment.
A time-lagged cross-sectional survey study.
Survey data from N = 239 permanent nurses in the German-speaking part of Switzerland were analysed via Structural Equation Models.
The study revealed a negative relationship between permanent nurses' perceived exposure to temporary nurses and their level of organizational commitment that was mediated by perceptions of unreasonable and unnecessary tasks.
Healthcare institutions increasingly depend on temporary nurses to fill staffing vacancies. Our data suggest that the deployment of temporary nurses may have adverse effects on permanent nurses' affective organizational commitment via perceptions of illegitimate tasks.
Our quantitative survey study provides a novel, theory-driven understanding of how perceived exposure to temporary nurses may impact work-related attitudes of permanent nurses.
Our findings suggest that the clinical community should limit permanent nurses' exposure to temporary nursing staff to protect their commitment. If this is not possible, we encourage strategies to counteract associated feelings of illegitimacy, for example, by showing appreciation for permanent nurses' willingness to take over responsibility for temporary nurses.
The study adheres to the STROBE reporting guidelines for cross-sectional studies.
No patient or public contribution.
WOUND-Q is a condition-specific patient-reported outcome measure developed for all types of chronic wounds, located anywhere on the body. To establish reliability and validity of a patient-reported outcome measure, multiple pieces of evidence are required. The purpose of this study was to examine the measurement properties of 9 of the 13 WOUND-Q scales and perform a test–retest reproducibility study in an international sample. In August 2022, we invited members of an international online community (Prolific.com) with any type of chronic wound to complete a survey containing the WOUND-Q scales, the Wound-QoL and EQ-5D. A test–retest survey was performed 7 days after the first survey. It was possible to examine the reliability and validity of eight of the nine WOUND-Q scales by Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT). To examine test–retest reproducibility intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), the standard error of the measurement and the smallest detectable change were calculated. In total, 421 patients from 22 different countries with 11 different types of chronic wounds took part in this study. Our analyses provided further evidence of the reliability and validity of the scales measuring wound characteristics (assessment, drainage, smell), health-related quality of life (life impact, psychological, sleep, social) and wound treatment (dressing).
The Modern Innovative Solutions to Improve Outcomes in Asthma, Breathlessness and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (MABC) service aimed to enhance disease management for chronic respiratory conditions through specialist multidisciplinary clinics, predominantly in the community. This study assesses the outcomes of these clinics.
This study used a prospective, longitudinal, participatory action research approach.
The study was conducted in primary care practices across Hampshire, UK.
Adults aged 16 years and above with poorly controlled asthma or COPD, as well as those with undifferentiated breathlessness not under specialist care, were included.
Participants received care through the multidisciplinary, specialist-led MABC clinics.
Primary outcomes included disease activity, quality of life and healthcare utilisation. Secondary outcomes encompassed clinic attendance, diagnostic changes, patient activation, participant and healthcare professional experiences and cost-effectiveness.
A total of 441 participants from 11 general practitioner practices were recruited. Ninety-six per cent of participants would recommend MABC clinics. MABC assessments led to diagnosis changes for 64 (17%) participants with asthma and COPD and treatment adjustments for 252 participants (57%). Exacerbations decreased significantly from 236 to 30 after attending the clinics (p
Specialist-supported multidisciplinary teams in MABC clinics improved diagnosis accuracy and adherence to guidelines. High patient satisfaction, disease control improvements and reduced exacerbations resulted in decreased unscheduled healthcare use and cost savings.
To investigate the decisional needs in Denmark of people with kidney failure, relatives, and health professionals when planning end-of-life care.
A qualitative interview study.
Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with people with kidney failure, relatives and health professionals from November 2021 to June 2022. Malterud's systematic text condensation was used to analyse transcripts.
A total of 13 patients, 10 relatives, and 12 health professionals were interviewed. Overall, four concepts were agreed on: (1) Talking about end of life is difficult, (2) Patients and relatives need more knowledge and information, (3) Health professionals need more tools and training, and (4) Experiencing busyness as a barrier to conversations about end of life.
People with kidney failure, relatives, and health professionals shared certain decisional needs while also having some different decisional needs about end-of-life care. To meet these various needs, end-of-life conversations should be systematic and organized according to the patients' needs and wishes.
Non-systematic end-of-life care decision-making processes limit patients' involvement. Patients and relatives need more knowledge about end-of-life care, and health professionals need more competences and time to discuss decisional needs. A shared decision-making intervention for people with kidney failure when making end-of-life care decisions will be developed.
This empirical qualitative research is reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist.
Patients, relatives, and health professionals have been involved throughout the research process as part of the research team and advisory board. The patients are people with kidney failure and the relatives are relatives of a person with kidney failure. For this study, the advisory board has particularly contributed to the validation of the invitation letter for participation, the interview guides and the preparation of the manuscript.
by Andrea Peloso, Stéphanie Lacotte, Quentin Gex, Florence Slits, Beat Moeckli, Graziano Oldani, Matthieu Tihy, Aurélie Hautefort, Brenda Kwak, Laura Rubbia-Brandt, Christian Toso
Background and aimsNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This association is supported by the translocation of bacteria products into the portal system, which acts on the liver through the gut-liver axis. We hypothesize that portosystemic shunting can disrupt this relationship, and prevent NAFLD-associated HCC.
MethodsHCC carcinogenesis was tested in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat high-sucrose diet (HFD) and injected with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) at two weeks of age, and in double transgenic LAP-tTA and TRE-MYC (LAP-Myc) mice fed a methionine-choline-deficient diet. Portosystemic shunts were established by transposing the spleen to the sub-cutaneous tissue at eight weeks of age.
ResultsSpleen transposition led to a consistent deviation of part of the portal flow and a significant decrease in portal pressure. It was associated with a decrease in the number of HCC in both models. This effect was supported by the presence of less severe liver steatosis after 40 weeks, and lower expression levels of liver fatty acid synthase. Also, shunted mice exhibited lower liver oxygen levels, a key factor in preventing HCC as confirmed by the development of less HCCs in mice with hepatic artery ligation.
ConclusionsThe present data show that portosystemic shunting prevents NAFLD-associated HCC, utilizing two independent mouse models. This effect is supported by the development of less steatosis, and a restored liver oxygen level. Portal pressure modulation and shunting deserve further exploration as potential prevention/treatment options for NAFLD and HCC.
The objective of this study was to explore determinants of variation in overall caretaker satisfaction with curative care for sick children under the age of 5 in five low-income and middle-income countries.
A pooled cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the Service Provision Assessment.
We used data collected in five countries (Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Malawi and Tanzania) between 2013 and 2018.
Respondents were 13 149 caretakers of children under the age of 5 who consulted for a sick child visit.
The outcome variable was whether the child’s caretaker was very satisfied versus more or less satisfied or not satisfied overall. Predictors pertained to child and caretaker characteristics, health system foundations and process of care (eg, care competence, user experience). Two-level logistic regression models were used to assess the extent to which these categories of variables explained variation in satisfaction. The main analyses used pooled data; country-level analyses were also performed.
Process of care, including user experience, explained the largest proportion of variance in caretaker satisfaction (13.8%), compared with child and caretaker characteristics (0.9%) and health system foundations (3.8%). The odds of being very satisfied were lower for caretakers who were not given adequate explanation (OR: 0.56, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.67), who had a problem with medication availability (OR: 0.31, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.35) or who encountered a problem with the cost of services (OR: 0.57, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.66). The final model explained only 21.8% of the total variance. Country-level analyses showed differences in variance explained and in associations with predictors.
Better process of care, especially user experience, should be prioritised for its benefit regarding caretaker satisfaction. Unmeasured factors explained the majority of variation in caretaker satisfaction and should be explored in future studies.
Child maltreatment (CM) is a complex global public health issue with potentially devastating effects on individuals’ physical and mental health and well-being throughout the life course. A lack of uniform definitions hinders attempts to identify, measure, respond to, and prevent CM. The aim of this electronic Delphi (e-Delphi) study is to build consensus on definitions and types of CM for use in surveillance and multi-sectoral research in the 34 countries in the Euro-CAN (Multi-Sectoral Responses to Child Abuse and Neglect in Europe) project (COST Action CA19106).
The e-Delphi study will consist of a maximum of three rounds conducted using an online data collection platform. A multi-disciplinary expert panel consisting of researchers, child protection professionals (health and social care), police, legal professionals and adult survivors of CM will be purposefully recruited. We will approach approximately 100 experts, with between 50 and 60 of these anticipated to take part. Participants will rate their agreement with a range of statements relating to operational definitions and types of CM, and free-text comments on each of the statements to give further detail about their responses and areas of uncertainty. Consensus has been defined a priori as ≥70% of the panel agreeing or disagreeing with the statement after the final round. The responses to the open-ended questions will be analysed using a ‘codebook’ approach to thematic analysis, and used to refine the statements between rounds where no consensus is reached.
Ethical approval has been granted from the Cardiff University School of Medicine ethics committee (reference number SMREC22/96). Results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at workshops (including for the participants) and international academic conferences. The Euro-CAN network will also be used to disseminate the results, with results briefings and presentations to key public health and other relevant organisations in the field.
No abstract available 
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